|
I have always had
a genuine love for animals. My childhood in upstate NY consisted
of a close-knit family that welcomed animals and as a result, I grew up
with an assortment of creatures living around me. From my
first trio of tiny hamsters, to a pair of rabbits, dogs, cats, a sweet
rat and a fabulous guinea pig who saw me through college, I appreciated
and loved them all.
I valued the personality of
each animal and the love they so freely expressed. Throughout my childhood the animals and other
fantastical creatures like unicorns and dragons consistently made their
way into my endless drawings, paintings and creative stories. I
lived, breathed, and talked about animals and that love has directed my
path in life.
I pursued and
obtained a 4 year veterinary technician degree from Wilson College,
became a PA board certified vet tech and
worked in private veterinary practices in PA for a couple years. I
eventually moved on to work for an animal
shelter in NY while at the same time deciding to further my education
again, this time entering graduate school to pursue a masters degree in
public school teaching.
Since all the animals I grew up with were loved and nurtured greatly,
they seemed forever joyful throughout their lives. And those I saw
and worked with in veterinary practice were more often than not brought
in by owners who cared for them as family members. Thus, until
working in a shelter, most animals I interacted with appeared to be
emotionally happy and balanced individuals.
The shelter atmosphere allowed me to witness the broader spectrum of
feelings animals can experience at a time in my life when animal
communication was still unknown to me and I was simply observing through
the basic five senses.
I saw
hundreds of puppies and kittens over the years who bounded about with
few cares or worries in their cages while waiting to be adopted, saw the
excitement and pleasure of countless adult animals chosen for adoption
and the patience of still other adults, often older adults, waiting for
the right human to come along who was willing to see the worthiness of
an animal who might be bordering on their golden years.
I witnessed
mature animals given up by owners deal with the stress of their separation in very
individual ways. Some animals withdrew from human
interaction after spending
too much time in the shelter, while others did the opposite, becoming
more outgoing as their stay increased.
For the
animals who felt the strain and uncertainty of life, I used to wish their was more I could do. I loved them as best I
could while in their presence, talking out loud to them as so many of the other
staff and volunteers did, but I yearned to give more.
I emphasize this phase of my life as it was so critical to my
then unknown development as an animal communicator. It was crucial
for me to know and see that under similar circumstances, all beings
still handle life's curves in very unique ways.
As I
transitioned from the veterinary technician/animal shelter field and
into teaching science in a public school, the emotional side of animals
remained a profound learning which could not be forgotten.
In 2005, my second
year of teaching, I met some very key people, had some really amazing
experiences and discovered that animal communicators and animal
communication existed. I located a communicator, was amazed at
what my
animals were able to share through her and with a passion, began to
study the skill myself.
In retrospect, when I first
heard about animal communication I instinctively knew it was
real and possible. I never questioned it or the fact it was
built on the premise that animals are able to think, reason, feel
emotions and are complete beings with wisdom of their very own. I
already knew this much as I'd worked, observed and recognized this truth
within them long ago in the shelter/vet hospital atmosphere.
During my study of
the field, I read countless books, took
workshops under professional communicators Kristin Thompson, Dawn Hayman and Amelia Kinkade and practiced the skill
diligently.
I discovered that
what the animals thought, felt and understood went amazingly far beyond
what I had envisioned for them. There was a completeness to what
they spoke and shared and they offered me a new way of looking at
life.
To be able to
connect with animals as a professional communicator myself these days, brings me
immense joy. Animals are truly amazing beings, regardless of whether
they have fur, feathers or scales. I have found that offering my
service is a way of
working with both animals and the people who love them and offers both
species the opportunity to know more about one another's wholeness at
such a depth that otherwise is unattainable.
Lastly, there is one
other significant piece to my journey to this field that requires acknowledgement.
One morning, exactly 12 months
after I'd originally begun informally practicing animal communication, I
awoke with the strong impulse to sit down with pen and paper and to talk
with my own dear animal family. Now, other than brief
conversations, I had never done this in quite this way before.
Over a period of 5
minutes, all 4 of my feline family members came to join the 2 turtles and
myself in the living room and once all had gathered, they instructed me to write down our
conversations for later review. Together we began the first of many private "Council Sessions".
In that first
"council session", they informed me of their decision to further my education in animal
communication now that the human workshops I'd taken were over.
I was
speechless. I had never thought of asking them to teach me what
they, (being animal communication experts themselves) already knew!
And they had so much to share!
I have since come to realize
that all animals and beings are our teachers. There are
teachers everywhere! They exist in the sky, on the land and in the earth! All of life has so much to teach from the
mundane to the spiritual. It's truly awesome to know that wisdom
surrounds us in all forms. And that it's possible for us to tap
into it and recognize our part in it. God has created a
marvelous world for us to explore and grow in. I am grateful.
Today as an animal communicator, I
work from a place of heartfelt love and compassion. I see and respect the equality within
all individuals and
am open to hearing the wisdom and ideas they have to share. I
invite you to come along and discover the same either through a session
with your own animal, taking animal communication classes or reading the
many books available on the topic.
Discovering the
wisdom and wholeness of animals has been life changing for me in ways
too countless to describe. In brief though, I now think in new
ways and have discovered greater wisdom and more accurate truths,
courtesy of the peaceful ones who've held that knowledge for centuries.
It was and is here for the asking.
***********
I welcome you to the world of animal communication and
encourage you to explore this site and the sites of other
communicators. I also encourage you to take a step back from the
busyness of your day to view
your own animal family and the world around you in a way that
acknowledges the balance and intelligence of all life. Because
it's there, waiting to be explored.
-Danielle
|