Recently I have been hearing and reading a lot of talk about Animal Communication. It just seems to be popping up everywhere and even though I do not have a pet of my own, I do have a huge love of nature and believe 100% that we are all connected to nature and all other animals on the planet. I often marvel at what close connections all my pet owning friends have with their various animals and love that feeling of unconditional love that they seem to bring with them to their owners.

For this reason, I thought I would take the opportunity to have a chat with my friend, and animal communicator extraordinaire – Faye Fletcher – and get her to answer what I assume would be most people’s questions regarding this incredible gift.

I trust that those of you with animals in your life will find this blog useful and insightful, and that it will open your mind to the possibilities of communicating with your animal in a new and exciting way.

Christine: First of all Faye, can you explain exactly what you mean by animal communication? How exactly do you speak with or communicate with someone’s pet, when you are clearly both speaking a different language?

 Faye:  Well that’s just it, we are not “speaking a different language”…… Telepathic or silent communication;   imagery, emotions and feelings are tangible senses.

 Animals use a telepathic or silent language.  They send and receive images along with their feelings and emotions.   In fact we were born with these abilities it’s just that we’ve forgotten how to use them.

 When I see a photo of someone’s animal I will “get present or still my mind” and then ask a question. The animal transmits, and I receive, very strong feelings, emotions and see pictures, in my mind, of what the animal wants to communicate.  Let’s do a little exercise to demonstrate…..

If I asked you to “describe your front door to me”  firstly, you would think I was nuts, however, give it a try………when you start describing your front door you will have a vision of it in your mind.  You will visualize it in order to describe it.  You will not be thinking about cleaning the car while trying to describe the door.  It is with this imagery in conjunction with feeling and emotions that we use to interpret what your animal is communicating to us.

Christine:    OK then. So if someone wanted to have a session with you to discover a little more about their particular pet, what would the process be?

 Faye:   They would contact me either by phone or email.  I would take them step by step through the communication process.  They would attach a photo of their pet in an email to me, or if they prefer, post it to me. 

I would make an initial connection with their pet and gather information that the person would verify as their pet.  We would set up a time that suited them and they would call me at the pre-arranged time.  At this point they can verify that I did make a good connection in which case they could ask questions and I would deliver the answers.  If a good connection isn’t made we stop and don’t continue.

Christine:   What is one of the most memorable experiences you have had connecting a person with their pet?

 Faye:  Oh boy, there have been many however one did touch my heart.  It was a little dog called Amber and her owner, Maria, lost her to illness in just 3 short weeks.  Ambers passing affected her greatly and she found it difficult to accept Amber had gone and felt particularly guilty for having her put to sleep. 

During the communication Amber had expressed her gratitude for the release because she had had enough pain and said she felt the pain Maria was going through by having her put down.  Amber said she was in Maria’s life to bring joy, love and “to fill a gap”….that Maria had lost someone in her life and Amber was there for her. I told Maria that this loss felt like an extension of Maria, “like a child”….. Maria then told me that what Amber said “hit her to the core since she did lose custody of her child”.

Something else that touched Maria was when Amber spoke about a “pink blanket” that was so special to her. Maria explained that the pink blanket is what Amber had when she was a puppy and then when she was sick before she passed.  It was what Maria had kept to remember her by.

 Maria told me that this information along with the rest of the communication was very healing and gave her the peace of mind she needed and helped ease the pain, grief and guilt that she’d carried with her for months.

Christine:  Given that this is quite a new area for most people to venture into, some people are sure to have their doubts. How can the animal’s owner be sure that the reading they are getting is authentic and not just a “generic” reading that you might give to any pet owner? What specifics are given to prove to the owner that you are communicating specifically with their pet?

 Faye:  Yes, good question.  The initial communication I do before talking with the animals owner is where I ask questions of the animal that only its human might know.

This can be anything from “why it’s human had gone away and that they didn’t like the person minding them” to small stuff like what it likes to eat.  I have had a cat tell me, when asked that question, that its favourite food was “toast”…..now that sounds odd but the human confirmed their cat did indeed love toast yet not ALL cats like toast.

 I have heard some sceptics say “well if a cat says it like/wants fish to eat that is because every cat would like fish”…..however, that is not true.  I have had 7 cats over the years and only 2 of them liked fish.

Christine:    Is there any animal that you would not be prepared to communicate with and why?

 Faye:      No.  That’s like saying “is there any person you would not be prepared to communicate with”….. The process is the same for every animal.  Some animals are quite basic in their ideas and needs and some are very communicative.

Christine:    Why do you think Animal Communication has taken a little longer to become mainstream in Australia then in some other countries?

 Faye:    I’m not sure.  We seem to take our time with new concepts here but that is changing. 

Christine:    What are the most common reasons people seek you out to communicate with their animal?

 Faye:  Some of the more common reasons are:

• Their animal has suddenly changed  behavior and the Vet has established that it is not a physical problem…..The behavior changes can have to do with the animal losing another pet or human in the family, either through death or perhaps a divorce and so the animal is grieving
• It has become very bored because of a lack of exercise or some change within the family dynamics, a new baby coming into the family, a house change etc
• The human simply wanting to know how the animal is feeling, is it happy, does it like the new animal that has been introduced to the home, why has it suddenly gone off it’s normal food….?
• Their animal has become aggressive?
• Their animal has been adopted from the pound and want to know why it behaves the way it does?

Christine:    And finally – what advice would you give to someone who is having their first ever Animal Communication session?

 Faye:    Be prepared for their animal to tell you things you didn’t even know yourself, like why:

• They don’t like where they have to sleep
• They had a nasty altercation with another animal or human that you hadn’t witnessed
• They want you to know things that are important to them

 The best thing to do is to have no expectations and be prepared to be surprised.  Having a chat with your animal can bring a real sense of understanding into your relationship because you are hearing from the animals’ perspective, not yours.

 Wow.  There was just so much information there about the entire process and what to expect.  Faye I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to join me for a cup of tea and a chat about Animal Communication.

 If you would like to have a session with Faye or discover even more about this modality, please visit Faye’s website and/or drop her an email.

Website:www.animalspeak.com.au

Email:     faye@animalspeak.com.au

Our animal friends bring such a unique and comforting energy to our world and it really is a blessing to have people like Faye amongst us who have such a passion and caring for them, that they have learned how to communicate effectively with them.

As I said at the start – I trust this blog was insightful and I look forward to bringing some other messages to you from Faye in the future.

 -Christine -

This is a topic that I have found quite fascinating in recent times, as I didn’t actually connect the dots myself till relatively late ha ha!

As we go through life we tend to be really fond of people who support what we want to do, what we say and what we think. But the truth of the matter is, that in order for us to truly develop our ideas, concepts and goals we need to have both Mr Support and Little Miss Challenge there beside us along the way.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that without these two elements of cheer squad and opposition, it would be very difficult for us to actually figure out what we truly believe in and what avenues to pursue. What we are prepared to fight for? What opinions we will defend to the end? What matters? What is the best path for us to take to get where we are going?

This thought struck me whilst defending my position and plans during a rather robust conversation one evening. My opponent was most decisive in his opinion and was striking blow for blow as we went through our paces. I must admit that I was struggling to keep up at some stages as I was battered with statistical analysis of various types and loads of facts and figures. I guess I tend to argue a point from a more emotive, humanistic or creative/artistic standpoint and the grilling I was getting was substantive. But struggle on I did. So as this was all going on, my mind suddenly wandered off and I thought to myself – “ I really care about this project and I will keep on debating this topic.  It will work. I am sure I can make it work. I want to know more of what I think can work actually. I want to know more of what my LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE for the evening thinks. He has really brought up a lot of great points and I am going to find answers to them. Mmmmmm – I hadn’t considered that etc etc etc ”

What?

It was a light-bulb moment for sure.

In that very moment, I suddenly realized the huge advantages of LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE. Sure she can be incredibly irritating to say the least – but she gets the job done.

She gets you thinking.

She takes you to the next level.

She takes you to the place of fixing the problems before they have actually shown up on your doorstep.

Without her, you would not even have considered all those unforeseen issues.

But what of MR SUPPORT I hear you scream – is he not of equal importance.

Well – indeed he is.

If all we heard was LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE in the background criticizing every plan we had and shooting down every idea that came to us, we would curl up in a little ball and just roll back quietly down the hill to where we belong. But fortunately, life has furnished us with two equal and opposite forces that compliment each other ideally and perfectly.

Whilst LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE is doing her utmost to convince us that our plans are inconceivable, unachievable and non redeemable, MR SUPPORT will be beefing it up in the corner, assuring us that we have a perfectly splendid idea that will easily make it to the Heavy Weight Division of the World Title Bout.

The challenge here is to accept and use both lots of input to get you going full steam ahead on your mission. You simply need to recognize both aspects for the wonderful gift that they are. Acknowledge that both LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE and MR SUPPORT are both contributing vast amounts to your success.

One is giving you the confidence to go forward.

The other is giving you the forethought to look at otherwise unseen problems and an opportunity to hone your responses when attacked for your project or idea.

The perfect match.

Happy Days.

If you have LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE and MR SUPPORT in your life, you are a lucky person indeed.

So look around you, and cast your eye around for people who represent both of these aspects.

If you are surrounded by “Yes Men” – a cheer squad that never dares to question your ideas or suggest alternatives – you could be missing out on honing your vision to perfection.

And if you are surrounded by “ Nay Sayers” who constantly put you down and tell you that you have no chance of achieving your vision – you could decide not to try at all.

So having both is a healthy and natural balance that can catapult you toward your goals and dreams like nothing else can.

The heavy hitters should always be in your corner.

As soon as you see one of them walk away, make sure to go find some replacements.

LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE has so much to offer and will make sure all risks are summarily accounted for. So listen, think, adjust, be flexible and take in all she has to say. You don’t have to agree – but you would be wise to listen and consider.

And MR SUPPORT – well, he will make sure you have the confidence to step out and take the plunge, despite all the questions, judgement and antagonism thrown at you along the way by LMC. He may not always be realistic – but that’s OK – he has other skills on offer. Another agenda. Giving you self-confidence, hope and an unending energy to deliver on your project.

So go out and assemble a great team.

A balanced team.

A team with both support and challenge.

And you will be on your way.

- Christine -

In this modern world it is curious to me that being young is seen as such an advantage. I mean, the older I get the more comfortable I become with who I am and I would not trade that insight and knowledge for anything in the world. I assume that most other “older” people feel the same. Some of the most amazing conversations I have ever had, have been with people 20 years my senior.

People with a lot more time on the planet than me.

People with so much more experience of life then me.

People with a lot more “scores “ on the proverbial board then me.

And yet as a society we have fabricated this really strange place where all this knowledge, and wisdom, and experience of life, is barely acknowledged, barely quantified and barely recognized, let alone celebrated and pursued.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were Wisdom Forums that younger people could attend regularly, where the older generation could simply recount tales of their lives and the invaluable knowledge that they gained from this?

Tales of love and loss.

Tales of ingenuity and resilience.

Tales of daring and courage.

Tales of entrepreneurial prowess and business acumen.

Tales of life.

It seems to me that we consider “the elderly” as those people who are passed their used by date. Those people who need to be put into storage. Those of our society who have nothing to give.

In need of assistance.

But what if it is us – the younger generation that really need the assistance?

What if we are leaving our most valuable resource in the ground – so to speak?

Un-tapped.

Un-mined.

Un-utilized.

Perhaps if the older citizens of Planet Earth were treated as the ultimate living treasure trove that they represent, they would feel more alive and valued and present.

Perhaps we need to hark back to some of the ancient, inuit cultures where the Elders was a term of respect and endearment.

Perhaps we need to change the “frame of reference” hat surrounds our aging populations to bring them back to the relevance and respect that hey deserve.

No longer having any living grand-parents I truly regret not taking more time to hear their stories, their wisdom and their knowledge when I was growing up. Though fortunate to spend a lot of time with two of my grandparents, I still wish I had been more curious as to their lives and experiences. But we simply do not live in a culture that encourages a real celebration of our elderly, and I think this is a real calamity.

Are we missing the chance to learn from past generations to inform the future of humanity?

Are we missing the chance to connect the future with the past?

Are we under valuing life experience in favour of new technology, new ideas and new ways of doing things?

Is there not room for both?

These are questions I suggest you reflect upon and perhaps you may like to connect with an Elder in your community to discover the hidden treasures that they hold.

Perhaps we can all strive to change the way we see the aging process. Perhaps we can all strive to see age as a beautiful right of passage.

A flowing river of knowledge that we can all stop and drink from.

An incredible library of knowledge, built on experience, that we can all read from.

A wonderful testament to the passing of time, that we can all learn from.

The wisdom of age can only be shared by those who have reached old age and surely that passing of time and experience deserves a little more respect.

We seem to have set up a strange set of parameters where youth is honoured and obeyed to the detriment of our Elders.

Youth which is usually is flying by the seat of it’s proverbial pants with no idea what it is doing.

Youth which is playing a game of roulette half the time.

Youth that is often ignorant to life, its possibilities, its downfalls and its greatness.

Youth, that by virtue of its very role in life often thinks it knows everything when it knows very little.

But do not get me wrong. I too celebrate youth. I was once a youth. And I must admit that I fell into the trajectory of most of the above parameters. It is not a bad thing. It is what it is. We need both the young and the old for the world to go around. For the world to evolve.

The naivety and inexperience of youth is what gives us the courage and daring to try.

It gives us the bravery to hark upon new ways of doing things.

It gives us belief in a new order. A new paradigm.  A new way of being.

And these too are incredibly valuable commodities in our life experience.

But perhaps – just perhaps – we have lost sight of the perfect compliment to youth.

The Carriers of Wisdom.

The Candle Bearers of Experience.

It seems to me that our society has become a little “out of whack”.

We seem to celebrate everything that celebrates youth but show disdain for everything that represents ageing.

They are the yin and yang. The old and the new of existence.

How can one exist without the other – they can not.

Perhaps we could honour this fact a little more.

Without those humans who come before us, we simply could not exist.

And without those who come after us, humanity would not continue on.

Both are necessary to our development and evolution, so perhaps both should be given equal billing on the Marquee of Life.

So much advertising convinces us that we should be ashamed when we have wrinkles on our faces. That we should hide from the world when old age approaches.

This seems such a bizarre concept to me, for when we are older is the exact time to kick up our heels and feel fabulous! We have made it through the crappy times of youth when we were trying to defend our position on all manner of things. When we were trying to impress people with how we looked and who we are. When we not even certain we knew who we were, let alone trying to convince someone else.

As an Elder we have been through the crap of life, shot out the other end and usually have developed a life philosophy something akin to “ I couldn’t care less what you think what you think. This is me.”

And this stage of life should be celebrated a little more perhaps?

The wrinkles on a person’s face are the life -blood of their life experience written all over their face. The laughter lines. The worry lines. The mystery lines. Every little story etched in their face to be honoured and remembered and valued forever.

To me this seems a wonderful thing.

To be obsessed with deleting these lines, for the sake of a perceived “youthful beauty” seems so strange.

What of our Elder Beauty?

What of the meaning of our lives perhaps etched into our faces?

What of looking into someone’s eyes and into their souls to discover the mysteries that have held them for decades?

The mysteries and wisdom they have to share.

Yes. I do wear makeup.

Yes. I do strive to look my best.

Yes. I do colour my hair.

Perhaps this is an irony in my protestations about aging?

But one thing I do know for sure.

Should the time come that my face starts to age and sag and the wrinkles appear – I will not be seeking out a doctor to iron them out, as if I am a sorry old tablecloth that was left in the dryer for too long.

I shall look into the mirror and revel in my longevity.

I shall look into all those little cracks and crevices and revel in my stories and what a crazy ride it was creating and living them.

My past. My life. My wisdom. My history.

To get to a grand old age is not a privilege afforded to all.

So drink it in. Drink it up. Bathe in your older age.

Revel in all it affords you.

Revel in you Elder Status!

Revel in the opportunity to share your wisdom and live your life with this wisdom as your constant companion and counsel.

Revel in the opportunity to be the real you – pure and unadulterated -  after most likely having taken the best part of you life to figure out who exactly that is.

With this in mind, perhaps we can set new parameters and paradigms for aging.

New expectations.

Ageing gracefully?

Excuse me?

How about just aging honestly.

Aging truthfully.

Share your wisdom with those who are keen to find it.

Celebrating Elders and Youth equally for all they have to offer…..and everything in between ha ha.

Let’s see the gold in the Elders around us and explore it to the full.

Discover. Love. Be. Truth.

It is that easy.

- Christine -