“I appreciate the adventurousness of the courses and Siv’s mind.

It is hard to find interesting, unknown territory in an internet overabundance of information, but Microanimism does it. For curiosity and information seekers, that alone is enough.

The value of exploring the far edges like Microanimism does, is in both gaining the knowledge that is there and in learning how to explore the unknown, without planning to get to the known necessarily. The information is good for us and the smalls; reality is good for us and everyone else. But also, it can’t be overstated the benefit of coursework and a teacher who is guiding people in existing in unanswered questions, particularly unanswered questions that matter. That work creates lasting, potent personal change.

The coursework is courageous in both of those ways, and in plainly stating necessary areas of change in humans and our systems, without losing focus or the unique layering of science, spirituality and politics that makes the work confronting as well as approachable and nourishing.

Siv has the fluency to navigate details and dimensions of life that aren’t being addressed elsewhere, with emotion and intellect in tact, facts and unanswered questions, paved paths and tools to the unknown.

Many thanks to Siv for leading the charge with integrity, competency and style.”

“The course was provocative and interesting. It met my expectations on the devotional side - more-so in fact, Siv is a serious devotee and the depth of her practice and her respect is profound. I was really impressed with that, as people who start new religions in the 20th-21st century are often quite tongue in cheek about it. Siv is entertaining and lighthearted (as well as being rather intense!), but there’s a gravity to how she works with the smalls that is inspiring.

There’s also a humility there, which is encouraging. It is a new field, and she’s very much opening up a new path, so there’s a lot that needs developing, particularly around what we can learn about non-dualism and hubris. She’s open to critique and different perspectives, it feels collaborative.

On the academic side a lot of the material is optional homework, and I just didn’t have time to do it. I would have liked to hear more about the mind-boggling things that smalls do, and what insights that gives us into their personalities and powers (and principalities?). But I also recognise that part of the devotional side of the work is to study the smalls and make that effort yourself. You can go to the textbooks if you want to be surprised by nature, what Siv is offering is a way to interface with that, and that is unique.

As a teacher, Siv is super conscientious and giving of herself. She devoted a lot of her time to work I was involved in that was tangential but related, almost like a university supervisor. It is really good to be attended by a clever person.”

“Poetry, science and ritual beautifully mixed in every lesson. I love how you share from your heart. There is so much purpose in the structure of the course and the intention of Microanimism itself. Siv’s teachings expanded my sense of self. They inspire and inform my everyday life and the way I relate with myself and the world I am part of. It is a much needed contribution to the theory and practice of being humans in all our complexity and responsibility as part of the living world.”

“I unabashedly loved this course. The course really delivered on content - we covered the kinds of science topics I’d thought we’d get into, in more detail than I’d imagined. In terms of the practical animism, it was a gentle but solid introduction that left a lot of room for personal exploration. As a dedicated Buddhist, I was expecting it to be more of an odd fit, but it turned out to offer a lot of enrichment for my existing practice. The moderate, considered pacing allowed me the space to figure out how to best navigate that. Our cohort was incredibly supportive and everyone brought something fascinating to the experience. Also, Siv is fucking cool.”

“I got a lot out of this course. It’s the first course in any form of magical thinking/practice that I’ve participated in and whilst in some ways it felt like diving into the deep end, I found Siv made everything concise, accessible and engaging. The first ritual drop-in was particularly powerful, as I didn’t expect the results of feeling/visualizing energy to be so immediate and palpable as they were. I found some days the results of the drop-ins to very vivid and energised and other times less clear or powerful, but this has encouraged me that I need to work through the course many more times to improve my practice, and become better at listening to The Smalls.

I was very glad Siv provided a reading list at the start, and have enjoyed working through the books on there (currently the ones I could listen to on Audible first anyway) and her recommended podcast appearances were interesting as well in helping to build up a fuller picture of the world we explored in this course. I look forward to reading through more of the books and working through all the articles. The sheer amount of resources provided with this course is fantastic, and Siv’s eagerness and expertise when providing details about the Microbial world has made understanding a dense, complex subject matter much less overwhelming. Really looking forward to the next course, although planning to practice ritual and study alot more before that begins.”

“I loved this course. It gave me a totally new way of thinking about everything. It had an unexpected and profound impact. The course material is rich. I have not even skimmed the surface. Siv is generous, engaging, clear, compelling.”

“This course is like breath of fresh air to me. Science taken seriously, AND ritual and animism taken seriously. Both given the time and space and respect that they need.

In a world that seems full of people that either go completely crazy, or that prefer to completely ignore the needs and boundaries of anything around them, Siv stays calm and sensitive, teaching us all about the smalls and how one could try to understand them better. So we all can continue to live together, nourishing each other instead of draining.”

“You deeply supported a space where intimacy and honesty could grow between the participants. You did this by opening your life and feelings and sharing YOU, and this fertilized and seeded the ground for us to step into that place together safely. Thank you. This made all the difference, I think, for us all. It allowed me to explore corners of memory, patterns of thinking, wounds of the heart, and feel more secure about stepping into insecurity on many levels.”

“You wove the ‘Science’ part and the ‘Animism’ part together seamlessly. I come away from this class viscerally changed and aware re: our infinite and eternal interconnection with the microbial world and some of what that means on a day to day basis. Fabulous and shivery scary.”

“In everything, you were able to deliver depth and nuance, while feeling open to varied experiences and knowledge bases of your students. And I prefer my spirituality to be non-grandiose or self important! You bring such a genuine pragmatism and humility that I really respond to. It’s clear you put a lot of thoughtfulness into the composing of each lesson.”

“The course far exceeded my expectations. I actually didn’t really know what to expect, except that the whole subject felt so relevant and juicy and current and necessary, and I could hear the Song of the Smalls just at the edge of my consciousness...”

“I found the course to be super nourishing and insightful - the combination of the scientific, metaphoric, ritualistic, personal and communal was led with care, scientific knowledge, curiosity and joy.”

“I love how this course gradually builds, going deeper and deeper. Thanks for being brave and offering yourself in this way!”

“Dr Watkins is an inspiring, open heart connected being, with a black belt in science, inked in fantastic flash, armed with pithy words of wisdom, interspersed with classic Brit wry wit. She’s a good egg.
”

““I contacted Siv after being deeply moved by a podcast interview she was interviewed on. At the time of our session, I was exploring the work of Lynn Margulis on symbiosis and deeply wanted to connect and show gratitude to the small ones who keep the earth and our bodies habitable for beings like us. I was compelled by their role as our oldest ancestor and I knew I wanted to integrate their presence into my life. Siv responded to my dorky and excited inquiry with such kindness and encouragement. We set up a session, and she made it so easy and comfortable to explore my questions and insights. In the session, she balanced following what felt alive with some helpful structure. She asked thoughtful questions that helped get to the heart of my desires and experience with the smalls and with animist connection more generally. She also offered practical guidance in how to drop in with the smalls, and she enhanced my knowledge and appreciation for the smalls by sharing how they operate and the immense influence they have on all of our earth and bodily systems. The session went so quickly and I came away feeling I had gained more awareness and skills for connecting with the smalls and appreciating the interconnectedness of my life, and all life. I look forward to working with her again.””

“Thank you for your clarity and good heart.”

“I thought your March piece was one of the best things I’d read. There was so much self-regarding crap being written, and you went straight in. It was tough but you kept the nuance intact!”