As I was preparing to write this article, I received an email saying that a friend’s cherished cat companion had died the night before. I was not surprised by the news, as a recent consultation had revealed that the cat was ready to leave and was only waiting for the person to reach acceptance. However, in the way of Divine Order, I realized that this was to be the focus of this writing.
Many of my animal consultations deal with some aspect of the death of a beloved companion. The calls that I get are similar in nature, as the person struggles to understand what the animal wants and needs to assist the passage with the least amount of pain and suffering. But each situation is unique as I become acquainted with the beautiful spiritual beings involved.
Since animal life spans are generally shorter than humans’ it is inevitable that we must deal with the pain and grief of this loss and many of us experience it many times. Throughout my life I have seen and felt a shift in how we humans regard the animals we live so closely with. We are learning from them about our connections with all life and how those connections feel.
Too often we humans get stuck in our heads as we attempt to apply rational thought or logic to the events affecting us. Animals bring us right to the feelings level by simply being who and what they are. This is most evident during the emotional trauma of an animal companion’s death.
The fact that I get so many calls dealing with this issue is an indication that humans are becoming more aware of the spiritual bonds that connect us to all life in whatever form it appears: human, animal, plant, individual molecule, or spirit. Most often, the person calling is concerned more about the animal than themselves. The focus is on letting the animal decide when and how to leave. Although there have always been spiritually aware people around, this is a huge shift from the perspective that animals have been put on this earth for the sole purpose of exploitation by man.
The animals have always known that their role in God’s universe is as partners with humans for the growth and evolution of all. They serve with plants and minerals as food sources, yes, but they also teach and guide us in the basics of the natural way of life. Anyone who has lived with an animal for an extended period knows how that personality has affected their life. I find that the knowledge that the spirit, human or animal, continues on after physical death is gaining greater acceptance.
Animals have always been much more accepting of death than humans, because they know that it is only a passage from one form of being to another. It changes the context of the journey of the soul, but not the journey itself. This alone has been a source of great comfort to their human companions. In fact, many of my consultations consist of contacting the animal spirit after it has died in physical form. The loving bond connecting these souls transcends time, place or the physical form.
As this connection is explored and experienced by humans we become more aware of animals as our spiritual partners in evolving to a new state of grace. As we are touched and influenced by these experiences we are beginning to embrace the concept of the journey of the soul, in any form.
Animal consciousness from the point of view of the animals has always been constant in purpose and direction. Human awareness and acceptance of that consciousness, however, has changed dramatically throughout the history of “civilization”. The ancient kinship between humans and animals was first discounted and then distorted as man became more concerned with the physical/material aspects of life. With the help of our animal companions, this perspective is changing as we approach the millenium to a more spiritual/emotional aspect. So it is not “animal consciousness” that is evolving, but “humanimal” awareness that is becoming more prevalent.
Mary Rasmussen Stoffel presents a clear view of animals as intelligent beings with their own special awareness and wisdom. By acknowledging them as total spiritual beings, many humans can learn to communicate with them directly. We can learn who animals really are, what they are thinking and feeling, and how they can help us in our own journey of self-discovery. Telepathic communication removes the barriers imposed by years of conditioning that view animals as less than humans on the evolutionary scale. Direct communication results in a reverence for all life, direct understanding enhances the quality of life for us all.
A lifelong rapport with animals led to an animal communication workshop in early 1995. The spiritual impact of this experience combined with further advanced training promoted her career as a professional telepathic animal communicator. She specializes in one-on-one consultations, in-person and at a distance, and contacting the spirits of animals who have died. Her mission is to facilitate all levels of communication between humans and our animal companions.
