How to Communicate with Animals

By reestablishing a channel of communication with animals—whether it is through dreams, meditations, tarot, or the observation of art—you can help to open up channels to bet­ter understanding yourself.

But first you need to overcome potential fears about certain animals. People tend to misconstrue acts of survival instinct as something of a personal nature. The rare shark attack is not a shark's revenge on people, as was inferred in the infamous Jaws film; rather, the animals are acting on an impulse to eat and sur­vive. Victims are mistaken for fish and are often at the wrong place at the wrong time when a rare attack does occur. The wolf is another animal that is greatly misunderstood because of past fic­tional portrayals of it as a vile, bloodthirsty creature on the hunt for human flesh. The famous wolf-man story is a good example of how the animal has been denigrated in the past. It is actually a highly intelligent, sophisticated, and shy animal. Perhaps some peo­ple identify animal intelligence as something threatening and thus aversions to certain species perpetuate. This does not mean some­one should march out to bear country and try to explore a den, nor does it mean someone should put on scuba gear and try to pet sharks. We need to respect their space and understand that they are not out to get us but are simply trying to survive and maintain their territory. We also have to think in terms of sharing the earth with animals rather than feeling we can exploit their habitats with impunity.

The idea of communicating and connecting with animals is not isolated to the larger, more obvious creatures; it is about appreciat­ing all manner of wildlife. If we see a mouse darting across the grass, should we not take a moment to observe and appreciate its inventive ways of survival? Yes, historicaUy it has been known to carry disease, but we should not be so quick to pummel the crea­ture because of preconceived fears.

To get "inside the mouse," inside the image of each kind of animal, tries to do justice to the rich, complete being that each animal is, with its intri­cate adaptive manners of eating, breeding, nurturing, moving, its coloring and eyes, its geography. Each animal presents not only a way of surviving and self-preservation; it also shows patterns of defense, repetitive obsessive styles of pathologizing, and ways of relishing the world through special­ized senses and intelligence. Mice don't just gnaw, they listen. And they are beautiful?

Observing nature is observing creativity at work. The beaver building its home on the river is remarkable; the spider's web evokes wonder: how does that little creature create such an orga­nized and artistic design? And the eagles' large nests perched high upon cliffs insulated by fibers impervious to the winds are an engi­neering feat. One only needs to take time to reflect on the mag­nificence that envelops our landscapes.

Humans have always tried to communicate with animals. Sometimes this entailed engaging in ritual, sometimes it was through shamanistic techniques, and sometimes it has been some- thing more literal, like mimicking their sounds. If we can adjust our thinking and admire animals as sentient, important, and inte­gral to our well-being, we can learn to identify aspects of our­selves. Animals are an important part of our consciousness. By becoming more aware of them we can become more aware of ourselves. In some cultures, animals are seen as interchangeable with humans:

Many Native American myths recount an era when humans and animals could interchange forms or when all humans had animal forms. Among the Alsea of western Oregon, for instance, there was a belief that the world was formerly peopled by the present animals and birds in human shape, and various groups of people were transformed into animals.⁴

If we could learn to observe and appreciate the awesome and unique nature of animals and see them not as separate from us but as part of us, perhaps we can live more fulfilling lives too.

By using certain rituals to help an individual reach other realms of perception, animal energies were often utilized as a means of dealing with issues experienced in reality. For example, some cul­tural initiation rites required the donning of animal costumes as a means of "becoming the animal." The embracing of animal energies can be witnessed in the dream state as well. Animals appearing in our unconscious dream state a're often messengers and can help to identify problems or issues that are affecting us in our waking state. They can represent different archetypes and elements in the psyche, that, if properly acknowledged and understood, can actuaUy facilitate personal growth. Ancient people may have known this, as did Native Americans and other indigenous cultures. They revered the animal spirits and saw them as teachers and guides. In some mythologies, they are often portrayed as progenitors of life.

How can you develop your own means of communicating with animals? On a mundane level, you may not be able to readily identify all the communicative nuances of animals, although science is slowly uncovering some of the mysteries that lie behind animal communi­cation. You can dissolve the barriers of rationalization by engaging in activities that remove you from the limitations of the mundane. The creative arts, meditation, tarot, dance, and all manner of expression can reveal the wisdom of the divine animal and enable you to estab­lish a harmonious relationship with the animal world.

Studying animals can accelerate creative growth and imagina­tive thought. Some animals are inventive, clever, autonomous, and adaptable. For example, the ingenious design of the beaver dam conforms to the waterway and has a fully functional interior, including sleeping chambers, a chimney for ventilation, and an underwater entryway to discourage potential predators.Then there are the beautiful designs of honeybee combs constructed with pre­cision and efficiency of space, using nature's basic materials. Every year birds migrate and seem to know exactly where they are going. They serve as beacons for the changing seasons. Where I live in Florida, the ducks have assimilated themselves into my neigh­borhood with a new generation of them making friends with my cats. I often observe cat and duck sitting together on my front walkway, engaged in what seems to be a spirited conversation. I am not encouraging the ducks to hang out here, they just decided they were going to! It is as if they have life all figured out and we humans are fretting for no reason. To me, some animals have sim­ply attained perfection.

Animals were gods because they were eternal.That absolute perfection — that the animal is always the same — is a divine quality.''

Instead of viewing animals as inferior, irrational creatures, we can adjust our thinking by seeing them as wondrous inhabitants of Earth.

Three

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