I will not be listing meanings for specific animals here, as there are many websites that contain detailed information about different Spirit Animals or Animal Totems already.  Although I have a wrote about a few groups of animals such as birds, insects and aquatic animals below,  I just wanted to acknowledge animals as the beings of light they are and some of my experiences of learning with them.  I also hope to inspire others to open and allow the same love into their lives.  It is fantastic to now have cameras in the hands of so many people because this is how the beautiful stories are coming forward showing animal inter species cooperation, and animals expressing emotion, consideration, compassion and empathy.  With it, human compassion, appreciation, gratitude and recognition that animals deserve our respect is now returning.  Notice the animals that come to us in meditation and our waking state, and until we learn to connect with our inner knowing about why they are there, simply know they came for us, and we can that we look up their meaning on the internet to see and hear more about their messages later.

I feel blessed that I connect with such a large number of animal and various Spirit Guides who a part of my Family of Light.  What I have realized through readings and hosting guided meditations is that most people have not a few but a lot of animal spirit guides with them,  many more than we may let ourselves think about or believe in that also want to re-connect.  When we are outside relaxing and in an ungrounded state, it provides us with a great opportunity to connect with and recharge with Gaia among the plants, animals, trees and elements.  There’s also an opportunity to play with some of the energetic beings that are part of an energetic system for nature, or the animal, plant, crystal or mineral kingdoms, known as the Elementals, such as the Fairies or Gnomes.  

I often call our domestic animals “smile makers” for they lift our spirits in so many situations.  Many people who identify themselves as old souls, starseeds, empaths, and those who don’t, know they are drawn to and connect deeply with animals.  They help us, especially children, feel unconditional love and safety.  Animals soothe and recharge our energy and they are wonderful healers.  Many people are noticing children's fascination and connections with animals, and that animals and babies are often drawn to and react differently with them than with other people.  

People are acknowledging that animals learn, have emotions, have compassion, show cooperation and they seem respond to human and other animals emotions too.  Animals also often seem to notice things that our human physical eyes and ears cannot perceive.  Young children, and those adults with open hearts, are not only drawn to the animals themselves but they also see, feel, know, or perceive the Fairies and other Elementals that are around them as well.

Animals are our companions, protectors, friends, healers and supporters in this lifetime.  They have often times been with us in many of our past lives, or with us in this life multiple times, and not always as the exact same type of animal.  People's beloved animal friends that have crossed over have shared with me that they have the ability to come multiple times within a human’s lifetime, if the human will allow a new animal vessel into their homes.  Many people do not get another pet after to the extreme sadness of their loss as they do not want to go through the loss of another furry friend.  The animals, who have crossed over and come through in readings, always encourage their human to allow another animal in their home.  They do not feel replaced and their essence can return to us again in our lifetime, and we do not even have to get the same kind of vessel for our animal friend to return.

I have connected with animals many times for myself and in readings for others.  We humans can communicate with animals or plants who are alive, and also those who have passed over with our intuitive senses, or telepathically.  We all can, know that we can start to do this by trusting that we can have a telepathic connection.  A large part of my drive to learn about mediumship and my own connection with Spirit was the desire to connect to 3 beings I loved and thought I had lost forever; my mother, my adopted brother, both who I lost by the age of 12, and my very first pet cat, Freddie who graced me with her presence and lived to be almost 20 yrs old.

We humans are placed in the role of ultimate care taker when it comes to our animals and end of life decisions are a struggle.  This cat was my roommate from my very first apartment one month out of high school and then later moved across the country with me.  When I had to make her end of life decision, it was a heart breaker.  I literally felt like my right arm had been amputated and I was sad every time I walked into our home.  I struggled with the loss and the guilt and when I got another cat from the shelter within a month, there was definitely some feelings of guilt and confusion from feeling happy, until I understood more.

Wonderful healing messages can come through animals.  Once during a mediumship reading with an elderly widow, she wanted to ask her husband in Spirit if she was doing a good job with the horses. The next thing I knew, I saw an image of a bundle of roses and then I immediately felt like I had gotten a giant lick up the entire side of my head into my hairline.  I quickly saw an image of one of those still living horses, a coppery brown color with a flame on her nose/ forehead, and who then asked me if she could come through to give her human a message.  Of course, of course I said to the horse... I couldn’t resist.

The horse wanted to personally thank this woman and tell her that she's doing a great job, that she loves her, and that she thinks as highly of her as she does of her, as a best friend.  The horse wanted her human companion to know that she loves her deeply, that she's had a wonderful life and she loves her human giggle and she would like to hear her human voice talking and laughing out loud even more.  She knows she lost her human partner not long ago, but she now needs to start to prepare herself for the idea that she will one day pass away before her (horse before human).  That's when the women lit up with joy and she told me her husband who passed away a year ago had always given her roses for their anniversary, which had just passed the week before, and she was over the moon thrilled to hear from the horse.  She didn't like the news and it made her feel sad, but she knew she needed to hear it and she understood that it was almost time for this lovely, friendly and calm 30 yr old beautiful female copper colored horse, with a white flame, named Copper and does lick her head, to cross the rainbow bridge.  Yep, talking to animals.

I feel and have heard though animal messages that it is very important that we humans start paying attention to what is being done with animals in the wild, the breeding of animals for our desires and how animals are being raised for our food production.  What we have been told has been for marketing purposed to make money, not to keep us healthy.  We support them by making ethical choices of how we spend our money.  Yes people should be able to hunt to feed themselves and their families.  No we should not be allowing hunting for specific body parts for any use nor allow trophy hunting just for the hell of it.  Yes we can have domesticated animals as companions and friends.  No, we should not force animals into mass breeding just because their breed is considered valuable.  Yes, it is okay for us to eat animals and our diet will move away from them as our energy lightens.  No, animals should not be living in constant fear or in buildings by the hundreds and crowded to the point of not being able to move or see the light of day.  See further insights I received from my Grandfather about this in the article about food.

Did you know that that physically touching or petting an animal can clear our energy field and ground us?  Those cat purrs and bird songs are healing sound frequencies that resonate deeply within our DNA.   Animals are teachers of compassion and share unconditional love for us without judgment, and the passing of a family dog was one such teacher for me.  I have experienced a lot of death in my life of people and animals I have loved dearly.  After becoming a channel for Spirit and someone that re-connects people with their Spirit Guides, the first being that died after moving through my own learning, growth, healing and re-connections with Spirit, was a family dog.   

The day he passed, I was sitting outside in the sunshine in a favorite spot of ours and I was first surprised at being able to connect with him right away.  I could actually energetically see him, well through him, seeing the sparkle in his eye, the wagging of this tail, and that he was fine and happy.  Yet I was so sad, I ached inside and as I reached out to scritch and touch someone that was not physically there and I cried even harder.  I got all caught up in my head and started being hard on myself about feeling confused, about being so emotional and that I was supposed to know better or be handling this differently or better.

I then got a message from him that he too was very glad to be with me, but that he also wanted to be scratched and longed to feel me touching him.  He let me know that he already missed the thousand things that I used to smell like and that he was sad too.  He taught me that as much as we learn with our head, or heal, or grow and or think we know, the death of a loved one will always hurt, and that is okay and normal.  

Humans are spiritual and physical beings, and our physical being will miss other physical beings even if we know it was the right time or that they are now in less pain.  The part for us to remember is that they do still exist, and that Love never dies.  He also taught me that my physical being, my body, is also an actual being that I should speak nicer to it and that it also actually misses the physical beings that used to be here. That our physical bodies are beings themselves and it was healthy to mourn him. Our bodies live without any actual effort on our part.  Not to say we don't affect the body with our beliefs, self talk, self imagery, what we ingest and more, we do.  As part of our own growth, health and awareness we need to start to be aware that the body also does do what we tell it to.  If we think our body is getting old and broken, guess what, it will.  If we think and feel we are healthy, we are.  He taught me to have more respect for mine while I am in it.

We are multi-dimensional beings, and when we are ready, the animals, spirit animals and other Spirit Guides such as Angels or even our Sasquatch and Galactic family and friends will try to find ways to remind us of that.  Spirit animals will allow us to play with shape-shifting into their essences, such as a wolf or a bird and it is an amazing experience we can allow ourselves to have.  The hardest part is to get over our own logic.  

I once had an amazing experience while sitting in a development circle with intention of channeling one our Spirit Guides.  I channeled one of my wolf spirit animals and we both had an amazing opportunity of learning and growth.  It started with me physically sniffing the air quite loudly.  In a quick moment I was recognizing that I was sniffing the emotions of other humans in the circle, realizing I was channeling my wolf friend, and I was also helping him to identify past emotions that he had encountered and smelled before.  I clearly remember both of us were completely amazed and thrilled that we were learning something new together and through each other.  This wolf was the first being to help me realize that we are all learning, Humans and Spirit Guides together.  In this case the wolf was learning what the heck some of the scents meant and I was learning that emotions gave off a scent.  The wolf was able to learn about some of the things he had been detecting through smelling and sniffing for so long that he could not actually find physically, human emotions.  I was having the experience that emotions were giving off vibrations, or a scent, that were easily detectable, and in those moments felt I knew way too much about the other people in the circle.

Animals enjoy the physical world with us and they make us smile, make us laugh, keep us humble yet want to show us our power, and many times they hurt my brain in a good way that fills me with wonder.  Spirit animals are beings who offer us their essences and strengths, giving us support and guidance.  The first spirit animal to step forward for me was a large white wolf and interestingly enough was while I was participating in a sweat lodge, many years before my conscious re-connection with my Spirit Guides.  I didn’t know he was white at that time, but I had felt the presence strongly and heard him through my clairaudience with a very deep but not aggressive growl.  At the time it scared me a little, and I asked all who participated in the circle if they had heard the growl, which they hadn’t, and the Elder who hosted the event just looked at me and smiled a big grin.

Years later in meditation was the first time that this wolf came forward visually and at the time I felt really confused, because I was remembering the feeling of his presence, knowing and feeling I had met him already, but understanding how.  I then started to struggle with being a human and started doubting that this being actually came to me or for me, and thought I must have made it up because I have a wolf painting on my wall, and that must be why I thought I saw.. as we tend to all do, dismiss our knowing.  He immediately came through and shared message with me that no one else could have known.  This wolf was the first being to appear to me in meditations and now I have a very large animal family that are part of my Spirit Guides or Family of Light, who I can play with, learn wisdom from and call upon for strength.  Although I may not be able to acknowledge every one of them here, my chipmunk Spirit Guide definitely wants me to share his story with some back story:

I am a Canadian and a forest lover. I love the smells, the sounds, the colors and the critters, especially chipmunks.  Sure they break the encompassing silence with their loud cackle sounds, but they are so cute and fast.  Oddly enough when I was a child, my mother’s father always told the story of how he once had a pet chipmunk when my mother was a teenager.  This chipmunk roamed outside during the day but then at night, waited outside on a branch nearby to come in through their bedroom window and sleep on his pillow.  He spoke of the story from a place of sadness because one night while in his sleep, my Grandfather rolled and suffocated his little chipmunk friend.  I had extreme empathy and sadness for this little being every time my Grandfather talked about it.  I feel my chipmunk Spirit Guide is with me not only because of my long time connection with nature but because he was closer than that.  I believe he was another being to come forward to show me he still exists and that he is okay, grateful for my loving him and he’s a part of the gang.

One meditation my intention was to connect and literally play with all the animals that had come forward for me.  I needed a recharge. So many came forward: white and black wolves, black and white crows, snowy and great horned owls, eagle, hummingbirds, hawk, mama and baby humpback whales, orcas, dragons, unicorns, grizzly bear, kermode bear, black and white jaguar, orange and white tiger, dragonflies, butterflies, pair of lions, an elephant, a rhino, a giraffe, a white buffalo, a very special tree ... a big list and some I am forgetting.  I couldn’t categorize the group as it’s a motley crew for sure, most of them are big, some of them are white, and some are in pairs or groups of the same.  While we were spending time together, unexpectedly some of my Galactic spirit guide family I had met before appeared in the space in a ship, which then landed and out stepped 3 blue beings.

We humans can be so funny.  As we gathered around together I started apologizing to them for all these large powerful intimidating animals that were around but to not be concerned as they are all safe.  In a flash, my chipmunk friend came running out super fast and was up one side of me, down the other, circled around me many times, and very loudly chattering at me the whole time.   Although he was chattering in chipmunk I understood perfectly well that I was being told off per se and being put in my place.  When I asked him to slow it down so I could understand I got the message “You don't always have to be big or strong to be intimidating or powerful”.  With that, he perched himself square on the top of my head, nails gripping my hair that I could actually physically feel.   Here I sat for the rest of the time in a semi circle having a discussion with these blue beings, and others animals and beings all around, with a chipmunk on my head doing his best impression of coming across intimidating.  I laughed, he wasn’t impressed.

Be patient friends, it took time, patience, practice, healing, and allowing before my family of animals and other Spirit Guides were able to show themselves in large numbers.  They came one at a time, we spent time with each other, and then others were introduced.  If all these beings had come at once it would have been overwhelming.  It is up to us to spend time in meditations, to allow them to come forward, learn to trust and discern, and to get to know them.  A lot of that time in the beginning is taken up with getting over doubts, beliefs, and old thoughts and feelings.


Birds

I had to mention birds specifically because they create my 2nd favorite sound in the whole world... after cat purrs.  I feel that birds are connected with both the Angelic and Elemental kingdoms and they are partially here to remind us to stretch ourselves, to spread out our own wings and to soar, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.   Birds work with the element of air and there are also energetic beings that energetically support them such as the Sylphs and the Fairies.  Many birds are coming forward physically and etherically to help and encourage us humans to look at things from a bigger perspective, to remind us that there may be a bigger picture, or a wider view that we may not be aware of or seeing and to observe situations rather than take things so personally.

The birds try to remind us to pull back out of situations and to be the observer that can see the whole picture.  Notice the birds who seem to be in our presence such as the: crows, hawks, sparrows, eagles, magpies, robins, woodpeckers, chickadees, blue jays, sparrows and the so many beautiful birds throughout the world.  Pay attention to their bird song around you, because sometimes they are singing just for you.  Many times birds are also there as a sign or a confirmation or validation for you just at the right time.  Notice what you are thinking, what you are wondering about when you hear birdsong or a short call in a seemingly response.  Acknowledge their presence and then notice what happens.

My first experiences with shape-shifting was through allowing myself to so do with my eagle Spirit Guide friend and we have had some amazing experiences together.  First in meditations, but I have also discovered that we can also do it for a few moments when we are outside with nature.  When you spot a bird, ask them for permission if they would allow you to see from their point of view.  For a few moments we can often see through their eyes with our clairvoyance and feel the wind with our clairsentience on our own skin and their feathers.

I have found many humans struggle with the idea of shape shifting into birds due to their own fears of heights.  For those who still want to play and understand, I will point them towards the many water beings such as a whales or even Mermaids.  For those who are uncomfortable in the air or with water and really want to keep their feet on the ground, I might suggest to connect with the Sasquatch , also known as the Forest People, who are more than willing and eager to work with us again.  They won’t let us shape shift into their form, but they can amaze us with their abilities and inspire us to wonder about our own.


Insects

Okay I'm not saying we all have to Love bugs, but well we kind of do.  These little beings are working with all the natural kingdoms and the elements, especially earth.  They do all the pollinating, or are food for the other beings that do the pollinating, so that we humans and animals can have food.  Some bugs keep other bugs in check, some bugs protect plants and many insects are here to feed bigger bugs, bats, fish or birds.  There are more insects on the planet than any other kind of physical being for good reason.

Insects are wonderful teachers about kindness and compassion for children, learning to respect even the smallest of beings that are the most vulnerable to our size and strength.  Insects really get a bum rap and too many humans let the idea of what they think of as creepy crawly, dirty, biting, annoying little things prevent them from being outside in nature.  We need to get over the idea that they are there and ignore them for the most part.  When outside for longer periods of time, be mindful of packing away any open snacks and sugary drinks and don’t let them sit around open on the ground for too long or all kinds of creepy crawly friends we don’t want to see will eventually make their way towards us like; ants, flies, horseflies, and wasps.  They are not out to hurt us, honestly.  They happen to sometimes, but it’s usually after we attract them or interrupt them, okay, other than mosquitoes.  

After becoming a channel for Spirit, I wondered how the heck to share this love I have for everything also towards mosquitoes?  I have always felt bad for smushing them.  It’s a funny but true story, but I've come up with something that is working quite well and I will share it with you here so you can try it too.  First off, I will admit it; this did not come from a big space of love and peace for mosquitoes.  No, no, it came from a place of super irritation at getting bitten over and over again.  One late summer evening as they were all coming out to eat at sunset and I became one of their targets, I thought: “These guys are really pissing me off but I feel so guilty for killing them, I wonder if I can connect with them and we can make a deal?”  

So this is what I did, I was irritated & so it was firm and I actually said out loud: “Let's make a deal you little shits because I am not out here to be your live blood donor.  I love being outside, I can't be around often during the day and you are all going to drive me back into the house.  I know you are useful for feeding birds and bats and things, but stop biting me so that I can stop killing you.  I do not like or want to kill you, it's a human reaction and not an intentional thing.  You land on me, it itches me and then I squish you.  I don't want to squish you, so don't land on me and then I won't kill you, and if I see any of you flying around in the air or inside somewhere, I won't go out of my way to smush you or any other bugs for that matter either”.  I’ve always rescued spiders and saved bugs from drowning in puddles.  Believe it or not, the mosquitoes actually backed off.  Sucks sometimes when they get in the house, but a deal is a deal and it’s impossible to herd them up and put them back outside anyway, so I walk away and leave them alone.  My cats on the other hand did not make the same deal...

Also know that this is not a onetime blanket statement that I could make and be all done with it.  Nope, we have to remember the little buggers, mosquitoes, hatch in new batches very frequently throughout the summer and we will have to send out the vibe multiple times in a summer.  I usually notice that after a week or 10 days I’ll get a random bite and go through telling them, mosquito consciousness, again.   Maybe after a bunch of us do this for a few summers the mosquitoes will just know?  LOL.  We will see, but I doubt it because they do just want to eat and do what they do.  

The next time a wasp or hornet comes by, try not to freak out or swing at them, because that really pisses them off.  Bees do not get aggressive and they are easily identified as they are usually wider with more black fuzz.  They will only sting when they are provoked because they will die shortly after losing their stinger, so for bees it is a matter of survival.  Wasps/hornets on the other hand can honestly be assholes with wings.  We’ve got to respect them though, as they do a lot of good work as predators and pollinators, and on first glance they look longer and skinnier with usually more yellow or white.  Wasps/hornets do become aggressive and attack and they are easily provoked especially if we wave at them, hit them or are near a nesting sight.  If you irritate a wasp/hornet they will also spray you with a pheromone that alarms the whole damn hive so they can all find you more easily.  Best thing to do is just to back away if you have multiple hornets around you, coming at you or your yard is a place they regularly call home.  If a solitary wasp/hornet comes by just doing its thing but flying near you, try to stay calm and whisper to it out loud: “I am not a flower, nor am I sugary sweet, please leave.”, it has worked for me occasionally.  But I also feel that wasps/hornets can sense the chemical change in us when we are irritated or nervous that they are there and start getting more aggressive, so most times I just back away.  

Try apple cider vinegar as a natural way to help deal with any stings.  Put some on cotton ball and hold it on the site of the bite for longer than you think.  At first it will sting even worse than it did, but only for 30 seconds to a minute, then it will calm down and the pain will be gone quickly.  The trick at this point though is to leave that apple cider on there for a while afterwards so it can really counteract the venom.  If you take it off too soon, the pain comes back and the apple cider doesn’t seem to help reduce the pain as much or as fast.

I like to spend time on my yard and I am very thankful for insects. They stir up soil, pollinate plants and help defend and protect the plants in the garden from bugs that would get to eat them before I get to.  Note that one of the early signs of duress from mature plants or trees is that it is covered in insects and it normally wouldn't be.  

We can connect with so many beings such as butterflies, dragonflies, lady bugs, bees, spiders and the list goes on.  Know that there are also many energetic beings known as Elementals that we can also connect with and act an energetic support system for the animal, plant and crystal kingdoms and that Dwarves, Fairies and Gnomes like to play with bugs too.

I'll admit it, more than once in my life I have stared dragonflies in the eyes for a good 5 minutes and felt amazing connections with them.  I have even had them give me feedback and mimic my actions in return on different occasions such as move their head in the same direction or after lifting my arm, lift the wing on the same side.  Once I had witnesses with me while spending a summer weekend with a group of wonderful ladies at a cabin.  We had an amazing experience with a very large, blue, and dying dragonfly.  I can only describe it like this in that I was walking on the grass and compelled to stop in my tracks and look down, and I saw a big beautiful blue dragonfly who I somehow immediately knew was thirsty and dying.  It took me a few seconds to focus and notice a bird must have got him because he was half eaten, and the entire back half of his body was missing and he was unable to fly, but he was alive.  I felt like I just knew he wanted water.  We found a flat plastic plate that happened to also be blue, that we were able to give him water from and watch him drink it.  As he drank he would stop and then look up at us and he actually had what looked like a full on smile towards us in thanks.  It reminded me of a big cartoon smile and even his little pupils squinted.  He was gone within 10 minutes after meeting him but I’m pretty sure he enjoyed those last few moments of having 4 ladies fond over and care enough to give him water.  He is now in a place of honour on my Shaman friends’ altar and immortalized in pictures.  I can say the first time I saw the picture I felt huge empathy for him at his no longer being here, then I heard a message through clairaudience from a tiny voice saying: “Hey that’s me, yay, you’ll never forget me now”.


Aquatic animals

The Spirit animal meanings of water beings are written on many pages, so I'll keep this brief.  I wanted to simply make a space to acknowledge and share my gratitude for all of the amazing aquatic life.  They are playful and wise libraries of knowledge and light code carriers.  They remind us that we are all connected, as every type of physical being living here on Gaia is connected through and needs, water.

Many people feel a deep desire to go spend time with, near, next to, or on the water.  The variety of life, scents, sounds and colors inspire us, and also stirs and calms us within. People spend a lot of time together boating, fishing, surfing, shell and driftwood hunting.  We are drawn to play in the plankton and seaweed, swim, snorkel and scuba dive with whales, sharks, dolphins and turtles.  

I’ve had some great experiences with my step children when they were young those first times near the water.  We are land locked where we live, so vacations were usually somewhere to the water.   The look on their faces the first time they saw a star fish or jellyfish or when we had the opportunity to swim in the phosphorescence on a remote trip in Central America was priceless.  Phosphorescence is only visible at night because there are some algae that glow in the dark when it gets agitated, and when we got off of that tiny boat and into the ocean, it was like swimming in 360 degrees of stars.

The water beings remind us to flow and actively go where it feels good, where we feel we can breathe and feel free, and to move away from anything that doesn't.  Trying to move to a space of no judgment of others actions or words, and not spending time in one single feeling for prolonged periods of time, just ebb and flow.

People connect with many Spirit Guide water beings in their meditations, or have dreams of being with and spending time with them, and others feel they have memories of times having lived as them, as water itself or as a mammal.   That is just it, many humans have lived as so many others beings, it is not so crazy to think, wonder, and feel that we may have lived as a being in the water, on the land or even as an element itself...  maybe that's where the saying "I feel older than dirt" comes from?

Many people do not have the means to go be near the water easily as it is either not nearby or maybe the water could be too cold to get into.  Here in Canada we also have a few natural hot springs so some waters are actually too hot.  Spending time with water beings in meditation is a wonderful opportunity for healing and growth.  They want to help us move through our emotions, remind us that we are all highly psychic or intuitive and that we are all intimately connected.  

Spirit adapts to what we feel safe playing with and some people find it easier to start to play with idea of shape shifting with the water beings, versus the birds due to their fears of heights.  There are many people who have dreams and memories of living entire lives underwater and feel very comfortable in that element.  There are also several Elemental beings that we can connect with, play and learn from and who are part of the energetic support system for our aquatic world, such as the Undines and the Mermaids.

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See more under Earth Stuff about Gaia, crystals, trees  or check under Human Stuff to learn about the intuitive senses, which is how we communicate with plants, trees, animals and Spirit Guides, and look under Spirit Stuff for information about being multidimensional, the Elementals in general and many different guides.

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