Happy Valentine's day. The animals have asked me to deliver a message of love for you today.  They want to start off declaring every day is a day to celebrate love and to invite you to pause throughout today and everyday to savor the moments of love that are happening constantly throughout the day.  

Here is what you need to know about love according to the companion animals.

The frequency of love is sparkly and alive. It is has a clear connection that feels like being out in nature on a walk.   Love flows with connection, unconditional acceptance, compassion. 

Love is like a river it has many different qualities of flow it can be dynamic like rapids, it can be smooth and still like a inviting swimming hole, it can be gently burbling along, or it can be rushing with eagerness to get to the sea, and it has a constant flow.  

Love grows through the care and shared experiences with your animal companion and through these experience their loving acceptance and knowledge of you grows.  Since the animals speak the language of energy they track you, your moods, your patterns, your routines.  For you are their world and they accept you and love you just as you are - unconditionally.  They are your life witness, your comfort, your constant.  

Reflect on  their unconditional love for you and how they have been your life witness. Breathe in the love.

Love is the routine you have together.  The morning snuggles, the walks in the woods, the pocketful of treats, the playtime, the time you work, the quiet times, the dinner routine and the bedtime routines all of it is love. 

Pause now think about about your daily routine with your beloved companions. What part of the routine do you feel the love connection the most? Breathe in the love.

Throughout the past year your companion has felt the collective energy and has observed how the roller coaster of energy affects you.  The fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty of the future as well as many distractions which cause disconnection within your own system and upset in their world - you.  They track at the moments of disconnection you have lost the thread of love - most importantly self love.  And they feel it's their job to help return the focus of the energy back to love, back to flow and connection.  Connection not only to them but more importantly connection to yourself brings their world into balance.

Think of the antics they have gone through this pandemic to get your attention - sitting on keyboards, barking non-stop so you have to get up and move,  finding you in your lowest moments and offering a gentle paw, squawking to get more food, stamping their hooves and refusing to budge.  All of this is to break the energy disconnection -  to refocus you to the moment at hand - and demand your presence.  

Okay moment of reflection again - think of the antics they have been doing to refocus you.  Can you see how they were loving you in those moments? Breathe in the love.  

Now back to the metaphor of the river of love.  At times this river of love may feel like it is dammed by a pile of logs that are preventing the flow and yet the water pools and gathers trying to find a way through.  Think of the times your animal companion was doing something you couldn’t understand or tolerate: peeing outside the litter box, chewing holes in your coat, refusing to lift her hoove for cleaning, pecking at you as you tried to clean the cage, swiping you with claws.  This is them trying to bring attention to the fact that there is a dam, a big energy blocker that has interrupted the flow of love and in danger of diverting it for good.  Their behaviors called you forth, called you into the present moment to connect. Demanding you to connect with yourself. Giving you an opportunity to evaluate what you want, to assess the situation, to reset the intention of connection, to take action if needed and bring balance back to you, which means to them. For you are their world.  

Another moment of reflection. Think of some of the dams in the river of love.   How has your presence and attention helped the balance of love return?  Can you feel the love of your animal during those damming (pun intended) moments?  What lessons were learned?  Breathe in the love.

Your animal companion is grateful for how you love and tend them.  They invite you to think about how you tend to yourself.   Is your self care as attentive, loving and as kind ?   

• Have you gotten yourself a favorite treat or toy lately?  
• Have you made sure you get your daily walks or the thing your body and soul hungers for? 
• Have you stopped yourself from over indulging because it might upset your system?  
• Have you paused to brush out your energy at the end of the day like you brush knots out of their fur, or groom them? 
• Are you diligent in not interacting with people, ideas, distractions that can cause you to disconnect?  
• Do you notice you are reactive to certain situations and steer clear of them?  
• Do you let yourself out daily to get fresh air, touch the earth and move your body?
• Do you make sure to play everyday? 
• Do you reward yourself often and lavishly?

Love yourself as unconditionally and as compassionately as they love you.  Loving yourself and tending yourself  brings balance to their world. 

For you are their world and they love their world!!!  Pause and let that sink in.  
 Breathe in the love !

​Photo by Valerie Elash on Unsplash

I am looking forward to opening sacred space for the Day of the Dead Celebration for the animals on November 1.
As I gather items to create the shrine for my dearly departed companion animals I am bumping into all sorts of repressed emotions: grief, anger, confusion mixed in with love and joy. As I thumb through pictures searching from my childhood animal companions. I am seeing my younger self again. The little girl who was loved and tended by these sweet beings.  Due to circumstances I did not get to say goodbye properly to these sweet dogs.  And then I was not supported through the stages of grief from losing my best friends. Leaning into these emotions and meeting my little girl I can now allow the emotions to flow and be the parent for myself that I needed then and allow their spirit to surround me again. WIth the new perspective of being the loving parent to my younger grieving self I can know delve into the impact this pups had on my life.
​
The Day of the Dead is not simply a day about mourning your loved ones and telling stories of them; it’s a day about remembering their lives and the impact they had upon you.   As well as keeping in mind that just because they’re no longer with you doesn’t mean that they’re entirely gone, because you keep them alive in your hearts and memories.

​The animals are such great teachers about energy.  Today the wasp teaches about clearing off energy that can get stuck on you when entangled in someone else's web -  dream, energy etc. And to thoroughly clean yourself off before flying off into the next moment.

Being spider web season here in the PNW today  there is a lot of activity around the webs.  Today I observed a paper wasp cleaning every part of its body.  Balancing on the front four legs as its back legs cleaned off its abdomen then moved up to thoroughly cleaning its head off. 

I was curious why there was so much cleaning?    As I was thinking this a spider shimmed up into the center of its web and the paper wasp launched itself trying to grab the spider.  It was an unsuccessful attempt since the spider had dropped quickly between the deck boards.  The wasp investigated all around trying to find the spider to unavail.  It then zoomed back up and flew aggressively back and forth through the web destroying the web.  Then the cleaning started all over again. 

Here are some of their suggestions for you to become more present.
 
















​Leave the computer, the phone and any other electronic device and get outside. 

“The idiot box or energy drain” is a term often used by the animals when talking about computers or  phones.  When you engage with the computer or phone to them it's as if nobody is home in your body.  This makes animals very nervous and worried for you because  you are not present.   Their suggestion is:

​Get outside, move around, feel your body.    

Each of us come into this lifetime with a whole circle of spiritual resources which include guides, guardian angels, spirit animals and so on.  This circle of resources is your own personal posse that is always listening to you.  They like to help you as often as possible , daily if you allow them by providing  protection, guidance and healing. 

Spirit Animals are guides from your circle of resources that come in animal form to teach or deliver a message.  They are often referred to as power animals, animal guides and they are all one in the same.   It is believed that animals are receivers of energy and become mirrors for you to learn about yourself.  The spirit animal that appears for you is bringing your their sweet "medicine" in the form of guidance, wisdom, teachings, power or protection.   ​

Humans express their love to their animal companions in so many ways.  Getting the best food possible, walking them, playing with them, brushing them, taking them to the vet, snuggling with them, training them, cleaning up after them,  making sure they have enough mental stimulation  and the list goes on and on.  Why do we put so much time, effort, attention and love into these furry beings? 

I believe its the unconditional loving presence that they hold for us. 
No matter which way you show up they are there to just be with you. You! You just as you are! They meet you where you are at:

• in your grumpy after work attitude
• in your pity party victim mode
• in your frenzy of trying to get everything on the todo list completed
• in your life is great
• in relaxing and chilling out mode
• or in your the struggle is real mode

They are not asking you to shake it off or change your attitude and yet being around them your energy may shift.  Scientifically this is because they are releasing oxytocin the bonding hormone.   

Animals are excellent teachers of being present.
They are present in the moment not thinking about the squirrel at the park that outsmarted them, or the hiss the neighbor cat threw their way.  They are in the moment.  Seeing you, being with you, loving your for being you in whichever way you show up.  Gifting you with a great template to love and accept yourself.

Since animals are teachers of being present and embodied.  I invite you to take a moment to allow your sweet one to show you how much he/she loves you. 
Pause... breathe.... settle into you body... taking a few deep breaths to connect with your heart.  Then gently imagine a beautiful river of love flowing from your heart to their heart.
Then ask them how much they love you? 
​Animal communication happens really quickly so be open and aware of the first feeling, thought, sensation, smell, image or emotion that appears. 
Allow that to be the answer without much thought. 
Sit with the sensation for a few breathes. 
Acknowledge your body for the great job listening and then you can send love back to them.

Enjoy being present and allowing in the expressions of unconditional love.

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

​
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.

​
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

At one of my Animal Communication practice group sessions, when the group was sharing reflections of what their takeaway was from the evening, one of the students shared in wonder, “I did not realize it could be that easy.  It is just like having a conversation with a friend.”

She had been conversing with one of her cats about an annoying, demanding behavior and she gained clarity through the conversation that her cat was asking for snuggles instead of treats.  When she understood this, guilt, as well as frustration, came up on how she had been responding to the tone of the meow.  I reminded her to be as compassionate with herself and invited her to reflect on if there was something she needed to ask the cat so that she could respond in a loving way instead of responding in frustration to the cats’ demand.  Taking her own needs into account, she was then able to request the cat to ask for the snuggles in a sweeter tone instead of the demanding NOW and it would be easier for her to respond compassionately.

This sentiment was then echoed within less than 12 hours when I met a friend on a walk and she said, “I did as my dog requested. When she was barking and barking at another dog I told her calmly there was no need and invited her to keep walking.”  And with wonder, my friend added, “It worked–she stopped barking and we walked on.  It was so easy.”  The dog had requested her human speak with clarity and tell her what she wants instead of yelling what she did not want.

Animals and kids are the greatest teachers — so honest and pure.  I remember when my son was 3 and we were on a walk with him in a stroller and two black labs on Flexi-lead leashes.  The dogs had this habit of what I called “circling the wagons”.  They would constantly be circling us and I would be high-stepping over the leashes, contorting my body in all sorts of way to keep the leashes untangled while moving forward.  My frustration level was off the charts and my voice and response to them matched it.  When, once again, they circled the wagons I screamed, “Zoe and Jetexas enough!” as I gruffly untangled the leashes and had ripples of waves of anger cascading off of me. From within the stroller, a sweet voice wisely suggested, “Mama, you know if you tell them calmly what you want they will listen.”

After much laughter, frustration, and gratitude I agreed to give it a try.  I sat both the dogs down and told them “Zoe and Jetexas I would like us to move along in a flowing manner with each of you staying on your sides of the stroller and no more circling of the wagons. ”  That walk was a turning point for the next three miles, as we moved as a flowing unit with ease and little corrections.  If there was a correction, I calmly told them what I wanted.  It was that easy and it can be that easy for you, too.

​Photo by Matheus Queiroz on Unsplash

Today is Endangered Species Day and I agreed with Spirit to start on a journey listening in to each of these endangered species and bringing the wisdom onto a global platform.
I laid upon Grandmother Earth for guidance on this journey.  Being held by the earth, I looked up the list of Endangered Species in Washington State.  The  Short-tailed Albatross was first on the list.

I lay back to listen to the wisdom of the albatross and fell into a deep journey of flying with powerful wings outstretched and riding and flowing with the air currents.  As well as being at one with the waters as I transitioned from flying to floating.  Both the air and the sea felt buoyant and effortless.   An inner compass and knowingness guided my course – this map was interconnected with earth, air, water, sky and understanding of the weather patterns and currents of air and ocean.   Albatross loudly proclaimed “I am the teacher of trust and listening to one’s internal guidance and deep river of knowing – the intuition.  Navigating the unknown can be effortless and buoyant by staying connected and listening to your internal wisdom. Learn to  flow with the ups and downs of life by staying loyal to yourself.”
There is the spiritual message from the Short-Tailed Albatross.  Now to find out if and where these birds live in Washington state.  According to the site E-bird Northwest*: 
“On 15 August 2015, a live hatch-year juvenile Short-tailed Albatross was found about one mile north of Tatoosh Island, Washington, and sent to a wildlife rehabilitation center. Unfortunately, despite best efforts, the young one did not survive. Interestingly, because the bird was banded as a hatchling on 2 March 2015, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) was able to learn that it came from one of the colonies in the western Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Japan and Taiwan.”  
Curiosity pushed me further how many were there once of these magnificent birds and how many are there now?.  According to BirdWeb:
“At the beginning of the 20th Century, the Short-tailed Albatross was fairly common throughout the north Pacific. Remains found in excavations of Native American dwelling sites corroborate reports by early naturalists that this species was more common near shores than were other albatrosses. Their historic population is estimated at over a million birds. On their nesting islands, they were aggressively hunted for food, oil, eggs, feathers, and feet, and in one 17-year period, over 5 million were killed. By 1933, when all forms of Short-tailed Albatross hunting were banned, and the bans were finally enforced, the population was only 3-50 birds. They were considered extinct in the 1940s. In the 1950s, a few young pairs that had been at sea for a several years returned to Torishima Island and began to breed there. Since then, numbers have gradually increased, but a bird that is so late to breed and lays only one egg per year is slow to rebound. Currently there are an estimated 1200 birds worldwide, with 600 of breeding age. The largest colony is on Toroshima Island, an active volcano that could easily wipe out the population once again. There are no breeding populations in the United States, but several individuals have been seen regularly during the breeding season on Midway Atoll in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The small population size and limited breeding distribution have left the Short-tailed Albatross genetically vulnerable. It is listed as endangered by the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife, and is a candidate for listing by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.”  
Albatross Behavior: Short-tailed Albatrosses engage in elaborate courtship dances and tend to maintain long-term pair bonds. They are graceful in flight but clumsy on land. It is believed they can sleep while in flight, gliding on air currents and staying aloft without flapping for hours or even days at a time.  
While in New Zealand I witnessed an Albatross landing at a nesting site.  When this massive bird came in for a landing he proceeded to do two somersaults before stopping sideways on a bush.  He awkwardly picked himself up, shook off and belabored walked over to his mate.  To see them on land I did not witness the grace and beauty of them in the air – gliding on currents.  I realized there are areas in my life where I am not so agile and graceful as in others – just like this albatross.  
I got one message from the Albatross but  I was curious about the other teachings and meanings of Albatross As A Totem that were out there.  I often look up the totem meanings of animals I encounter because I know that Spirit has sent them to me as a messenger and if I  can’t discern the message or if I feel what I heard from the animal did not resonate with me, I turn to the internet and more often than not a message appears that completely resonates with me.
According to the psychic website Aunty Flo, the Albatross as a totem teaches us:
The Albatross totem tells us to believe in freedom. It allows us to think wise and search for solutions beyond the horizon. The message is to break ourselves from the shackles of self-developed constraints and limitations. The Albatross totem energy is exactly opposite to conservatism and the philosophies that bounds freedom of speech, freedom of belief and the freedom of adopting a particular culture.
What a beautiful teaching from a bird that is endangered.  All this information both spiritual and physical data has given me and I hope you an understanding of this amazing bird.  And I long to see this birds return to their population numbers in the millions.  On this Endangered Species day, I commit to weekly connecting with an endanger species and bring awareness to their wisdom, teachings, and plight.  In this great web of life, we are all connected.  Aho!
I invite you to read and explore further about the albatross.
Below are links to the articles I referenced:
http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/short-tailed_albatross
http://ebird.org/content/nw/news/pelagic-birds-wa-and-or-pacific-coast-short-tailed-albatross/
http://www.auntyflo.com/magic/albatross

​