One thing I like about having conversations with animals is witnessing the way animals so lovingly present their human’s with observations about particular habits.  The observations are full of compassion and love.  They are delivered without judgment and often are full of curiosity.  Inviting their people into a safe space for exploration and awareness.
I once asked a horse, Dante,  “Can you give me a reflection of what I am doing with my inner authority?” It was a beautiful spring day and he was out in the paddock grazing on all the fresh new green grass that had just been pushing its way through.  I leaned back against a tree just 5 feet from him watching him graze when another horse came over and took a dump basically right in front of Dante.  The other horse wandered off and Dante stopped grazing and walked over to the steaming manure and starting sniffing each manure ball.  He was so focused on sniffing and going over each manure ball with each nostril for  what seemed like five minutes when I finally  I asked Dante, “What is going on?” He lifted his head and looked me in the eye and I heard “You spend a lot of looking at the shit instead of looking at the beauty around you.”  He then went back to grazing.  I was doubled over laughing – another reason I love talking with the animals they make me laugh. What he said was true.  As I quieted, I allowed the truth of his words to ripple into my consciousness into my being into my knowing.
Then I instantly asked him “Can I offer you some Reiki?”  He went straight over to the manure again and started sniffing.  I heard him say “More shit. Why do you think you have that to do something in return?  Just allow yourself to receive.” This time it was not laughter but tears that had me doubled over.  Again, I quieted and allowed the truth of his words ripple into my consciousness, into my being, into my knowing. I spent time with him in the paddock listening to his steady breathing, the chomping of his grazing, the switching of his tail.  Just being by his steady presence, my inner authority went through a big transformation that day, all thanks to Dante and a manure pile. Sometimes when I am in the middle of something or feeling stuck I hear his words or see him, or smell manure and I self-correct and start looking at the beauty around me and start receiving.

Posted on June 16, 2017by neaveanimalsMany of you have known me and my practice as Neave Animals.  My practice is now called HeartSong Communication.  This name change came about in April 2016 when things had shifted greatly in my life.  My marriage of 23 years was dissolving. I felt as if I was free falling and yet at the same time there was a quiet strength…for I had listened and honored my heart and it was leading with solid confidence.
Just a few days after we announced our separation to our kids and my husband had moved out of the house, I was walking with a wise friend who was holding space for me and my processing.  I was talking about my hopes and dreams for my animal communication practice and how the name Neave Animals did not resonate anymore since it was not just me and animals, instead it is a whole host of spiritual beings and guides as well as the natural world that collaborates with me during each session between a client and their animal companions.  I was lamenting about how Neave Animals was not the right name and wanting something more expansive, more descriptive, and yet I had been drawing a blank on what the new name was going to be.  My friend casually asked me, “Well have you asked your practice what its name is?”  That stopped me.  Why hadn’t I thought of that?  I talk to everything animals, trees, flowers. I understand everything has its own resonant energy and this knowledge is strengthened every time I  locate a  lost item within my house by just calling out to the item and listening for its response–maybe I am a part bat and using echolocation ;). So, of course, my practice would know what its name is.
Dropping into my center and putting my attention on being receptive and listening, I telepathically connected with my practice. I gave great thanks for all the assistance and collaboration over the years we had together under the name NeaveAnimals – I felt a flow of reciprocation in gratitude. I then simply asked, “What is the new name of my practice?  If we are not NeaveAnimals anymore who or what are we?”
I heard “HeartSong Communication”  true and clear.  I was honored.   There was no questioning, no hesitation, no doubting — just pure acceptance of this name. It defines the beautiful language of the heart where the animals communicate from and hold the space for us to meet them.
Since that walk, I have been questioning and gaining clarity about HeartSong Communication and how it can be of service to the world.  I am excited to share with you what HeartSong is all about.
HeartSong’s vision is to support embodiment and listening to the song of the heart the intuition. Celebrating the web of life and the interconnectedness of all by bringing awareness to the human body is a telepathic transmitting and receiving station communicating with all of life and beings including our beloved animal companions, plants, nature, spiritual and divine guidance.
HeartSong’s mission is to deepen the animal and human relationship through interspecies dialogue, healing, classes, and ceremony.
HeartSong’s purpose is open sacred space for interspecies dialogue wit the intention of clarity, alignment, healing, balance, and harmony.
HeartSong’s purpose is to be a voice for the animals by listening deeply and communicating their truth, observations, suggestions, desires, questions, concerns and……
HeartSong’s purpose is to be the human representative and voice for the spiritual resources and support available for each being in the conversation and bring awareness to all that is available for each person.
HeartSong’s purpose is support people in strengthening their innate intuitive abilities so they can communicate with their beloved animal companions.
I am full of gratitude for each and every opportunity I have to open sacred space and be part of the conversation with people and their animals.  Each animal is as different as each person and the wisdom and teachings they have to share with their humans blow my mind.  The common factor in each conversation is the strong foundation of love and deep heart connection that flows freely and strong between animal and human.  I am honored to be able to listen to the shared songs of the heart.

​The past few weeks I have witnessed and marveled at a pair of Juncos, a ground nesting bird, who built a nest a foot away from my house in an overgrown strawberry bed.   I was impressed at the bravery of these birds to build in such a busy yard with kids, dogs and the constant coming and goings so close to them.  I only became aware of the nest when I was determined to weed out the bed and when I began two birds flew out and sat above me berating me and twittering with great irritation.  I ceased what I was doing and sat back to observe.  Reluctantly after an age of waiting, they darted in among the strawberries to nestle down. The next morning when they were off feeding I was able to get a look at the nest a beautifully woven nest of grass.  In an effort to protect them I put up a wire fence to keep the dog from foraging for strawberries, for it is truly his strawberry bed.  The spigot was directly over the nest and when I had to turn on the water I would approach slowly, announcing myself gently and sharing my intentions.  The bird would fly up and observe me – chirping away at me.  Watering became a chance to see the development of the three little chicks that hatched.  These three never peeped – often their mouths would be open bright red chicks with a bright yellow rim around the beak it looked like a target of where to deposit the food.
For me when juncos appear in my garden it is a marker of late Autumn for that is when they return to the urban yards from their summers in the woods and forests. So I was curious why they had decided to nest in my yard?   Leaning back into being open and receptive to the teaching of these birds  I understood that they were given me a beautiful template of how to tend to sacred space for myself amid chaos.  This was valuable for me since I am navigating many milestones in my life right now as my parenting role is shifting with my son graduating from high school and my daughter is entering her teen years as well as my recent divorce and I am converting my basement to an Air BnB space.

The nest was the sacred space they had created within a busy yard right outside of a ground level window where all the construction was taking place.  Yet, they tended that sacred space and those three chicks diligently.  Delivering food,  snuggling down on them when it was cool and hiding in the strawberries when it was too hot to be on the nest.  I understood that through all this upheaval I could tend to self and my needs as beautifully as these juncos were tending to their chicks.  That when I felt overwhelmed by so much at once I could take a few moments to regroup, seek refuge and give myself a little distance like the juncos did in by being near the nest but not on the nest.  Even though their ground nest was vulnerable this pair had chosen a great yard to create a nest since my dog makes sure cats dare not enter.   Another lesson of choosing when I and where I wanted to share my vulnerabilities and making sure I am that I am tending and protecting my heart.   Also, when the crows were sitting on the wires watching the yard the juncos did not go to their nest and their chicks did not make a peep all to protect the whereabouts of the nest.  Another lesson for me about honoring the sacred space – holding it with reverence and care for the place for me where I can feel safe, loved and free to be myself.


In my ongoing quest to understand animals as teachers, I turned to the internet to see what others have learned about Junco as a totem animal.  According to Shamanic Journey Juncos as totems:

​This was a good reminder for me that when I create that sacred space for myself and tenderly and compassionately nurture what is vulnerable at some point it will grow and take on a life of its own and blend harmoniously into my life.
Photo credit: BriarCraft via VisualHunt / CC BY-NC


More information:
http://www.shamanicjourney.com/junco-power-animal-symbol-of-diversity-and-adaptability
http://nestwatch.org/learn/focal-species/dark-eyed-junco/

​Finally some relief from the stars, planets and solar system.  Today’s full moon according to The Power Path invites us to:

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I continued my walking, observing these two as they’d dive for fish and fly back up circling, even at times they’d dive between seagulls resting on the water.  Really getting the message of, “When you find what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to go for it even if others may not be as aware of it.”   Beautiful teachings for me in creating my new reality.

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Upon further researching about arctic terns, more wise teachings became apparent to me.  Arctic Terns make an incredible journey from the Arctic to the Antarctic twice each year.  Over their lifetime they cover a distance equivalent to three trips to the moon traveling further than any other creature in the world!  That is is 2.4 million miles during its lifetime which is an average of 30 years. Why is this fact so significant to me on this day of the full moon and creating a new reality?  It is because I have the chance now to create new patterns. Like the terns I share its stamina and endurance.  In the past, this endurance was the unhealthy flavor of,  “I will endure no matter how painful” and through courage and awaken to the longings and needs of my own heart, I have freed myself of that pattern.
In this new reality, I will enjoy learning about enduring through pleasure and knowledge instead of pain and suffering.  I will navigate to co-empowering relationships with self and others and when I find the spaces, places, people, animals, friends that will nourish this new reality I will go for it by speaking my truth and showing up fully.  I will fly the distance to the moon and back, again and again, to be true to myself and my heart.

Further your reading on arctic terns:
​  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_tern#Ecology_and_behaviour