Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, childhood trauma, and emotional abuse. If these topics may be triggering, we suggest skipping this episode or proceeding with care. If you or someone you know is affected by such experiences or is contemplating suicide, please seek support from qualified professionals and local mental health resources.

Emelie Cajsdotter—author, healer, and founder of a unique animal sanctuary in western Sweden—joins Rupert Isaacson for a sweeping, emotional, and revelatory conversation that bridges grief, neurodivergence, trauma, ancestral healing, and the reality of interspecies communication. With gentle intensity, Emelie recounts a childhood shaped by loss and isolation, and the moment a defiant pony broke through her emotional shutdown—igniting a lifelong journey of empathic interbeing with animals, ancestors, and nature spirits. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to listen to another being—not interpret, not impose, but truly inhabit their experience—this conversation will change you.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The Origins of Empathic Interbeing (Starts at [00:03:24])
  • Discover how Emelie conceptualizes her experience of merging consciousness with other beings, and how this connection reshaped her life.
• The Tragic and Transformational Early Years (Starts at [00:04:20])
  • A powerful account of Emelie's father's death and her upbringing by a psychic grandmother in urban Gothenburg.
• The Healing Begins: A Pony Who Refused to Break (Starts at [00:45:00])
  • Learn how a combative chestnut mare became the mirror that helped Emelie reclaim her will to live.
• When the Horse Says No: Redefining Respect (Starts at [00:54:00])
  • Explore how the long process of trust-building with this pony revealed a new framework for healing and training.
• Finding the Right Medicine (Starts at [01:04:00])
  • Hear how a chance newspaper clipping led Emelie to a New Zealand vet who changed the trajectory of her work and life.
• Nature Spirits and the Real World of Forest Beings (Starts at [01:14:00])
  • Emelie shares the moment forest spirits began to appear in her life, how they taught her about plants, and what they expect from us.
• Relationship Without Domination (Starts at [02:13:00])
  • Rupert and Emelie reflect on how to partner with animals beyond hierarchy and how this philosophy plays out in both their lives.

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• Rupert and Emelie dissect why conventional animal communication often fails to reflect the animal’s true perspective ([00:02:00])
• The unforgettable first moment of full empathic merger between Emelie and a seemingly hostile pony ([00:48:00])
• The figure in the dark: a terrifying turning point during Emelie’s adolescent identity crisis ([01:11:00])
• How samba drumming and a fellow student helped Emelie find her own rhythm and life path ([01:16:00])
• Why the forest is not symbolic, but literally alive and relational—a reality that reveals itself when we listen ([01:22:00])
• The water spirits of Greenland, and what they teach about memory, time, and healing ([02:08:00])

📚 Books, Films, Causes & Contact:

Websites:

• Emelie Cajsdotter’s courses & school: https://www.miothewayofcompassion.com
• Animal sanctuary and nonprofit: https://www.friendsofmiyo.com

🌎 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows:

• Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride Home

• Website: https://longridehome.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
• Instagram: instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
• YouTube: youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems

• Website: https://ntls.co
• Facebook: facebook.com/horseboyworld
• Instagram: instagram.com/horseboyworld
• YouTube: youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

💡 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links. This does not affect the price you pay and helps support the podcast.