Voice for Animals – November 2018
Life is so rich! I love how there is always opportunity to learn more with or from our animals as we walk through our own journey and the paths we choose to take.
This year has been a year of planning a major relocation which included Echoe and Sunshine, my horses; Dasher, my dog and two cats Ava and Bob. As the original plan to move to Portugal began to unfold it was important to me to share the details with my animals. I have learned through my own and other peoples experiences that once our animals know our plans they will choose to join us or not, more for senior companions being able to complete the trip, than the younger, more vital ones who are excited for new fun places to visit. Our companions may begin to say YES and change their mind, or want to know their options. I have found it to be so helpful to share what a move will look like from the departure and subsequent arrival date, to the travel details; how they will travel, with whom and where they are going, and what does the new life look like.
As the plans began to unfold it became apparent that the 5 day trip to get my horses to Portugal, including airline travel, was initially a plan that Echoe was very keen to do, he is a resilient and vibrant 26 year old so it didn’t surprise me that he was up for the trip. And then, over time, it changed. Each time I explained to a friend the details of the 5 day trip, I could feel him pulling away energetically from it, clearly something had changed and he didn’t want to fly. I had already put my house on the market, had been selling my furniture and other items no longer required for such a huge move and had traveled to Portugal to look for accommodation for all of us. I sat and pondered what this meant and knew that there must be a different plan, something more tangible at this time, and that Portugal would have its place in the future.
Dasher was happy to go wherever as long as we were together and if anything he had to be convinced that he was part of these plans. Bob and Ava were undecided and initially had the opportunity to re-home with dear friends in Deerfield NH. I suggested that they could decide over time and I would support their choices. Sunshine is a beautiful part of our lives and was along for the ride!
One day Echoe shared some valuable information with me – “Plan B, Jennifer, South Carolina!” He is a horse of few yet impactful words. I knew instantly who he was referring to. My friend Jennifer had moved her own tribe to Aiken, South Carolina, from Sedona, Arizona, just three years earlier. So I followed this advice and called her. Sure enough she had an RV space and an empty paddock that I could rent and there was no limit on my stay. Echoe’s Plan B was put in to action and Portugal was put on hold.
With this change of plan, Bob and Ava decided to travel South to warmer climates, and Echoe was much more content with a two day trailer ride, and being able to avoid airline travel altogether.
We landed in Aiken a week ago after a long two day trip with a horse trailer, camper, animals and belongings. Everyone is blossoming and happy here, vibrancy has returned to them all and we are finding our feet and the reasons we have been guided to Aiken.
Why do I share this story with you?
Our animals, as we all know, are connected to our feelings, visions and thoughts. They experience our shifts, concerns, stress as much as our joy, dreams, and happiness. They are our companions. In this personal relocation experience, and in chatting with other friends who have done the same – the pattern remains consistent – when our animals are part of the conversation they can fully understand the excitement, the mayhem and the travel arrangements they are about to embark on. Or if you are traveling on vacation, letting them know the dates, who they will be staying with while you are traveling and when you will be back. It’s a beautiful synergy of understanding.
I hear you perhaps saying that you are not an animal communicator and how would you know what they are sharing. I believe we all communicate with our animals in different ways, we feel it in our senses, we have a knowing, an understanding, a questioning of a choice – I believe this is your animal communicating with you in a way you will respond to. You know your animal so well. When decisions are aloft and choices are to be made, you can feel if it’s a right decision for you and your animal. This is animal communication! I believe that the more you share with them, the more you open the channel to communicate. I invite you to try it and let them know you want to ‘hear’ them, they can help you also by finding different ways to connect that will work for you.
A friend who is also an animal communicator, shared that when she told one of her horses, they were moving 2500 miles to a new home, she presumed he knew what that meant. He had always lived on the same farm from the day he was born and ‘moving’ to him meant going on trail rides, competing, but always coming home to the farm he knew. She learned from him months later that he didn’t fully understand what ‘moving’ meant and all the changes that would ensue before finally resettling in their new home. So she apologized to him and also clarified some other aspects of the move that he was questioning.
I often chat with my animals about my day, or sit quietly to have a deeper connection with them, to feel them, to allow them time to truly be WITH me, rather than watch me running around like a headless chicken or focused on my cell phone!! We all love and cherish our animals – I continue to learn how to honor and be grateful for all they want to know and all they can share with us as we wake each day and walk our path.