On the first weekend in October, I traveled to Flagstaff, Arizona for the Animal Communication Workshop at Azimuth Ranch.
Our group was hosted by the wonderful human and animals who make their home at the ranch, including llamas, camels, an alpaca, goats, sheep, ducks, chickens, dogs, and a cat…my idea of paradise!
Our weekend was filled with practices that allowed people to connect more deeply with animals, and over the time that we shared, the animal teachers gave us so many gifts. Their final gift and blessing for us is one that I will never forget.
On our last afternoon, we had gathered in the hay barn, as it had begun to rain. As we finished the workshop and prepared to complete our time together, I asked people to gather, as we always do, for our closing circle.
I invited people to walk slowly, in silence, from the hay barn to the enclosure where the large animals reside.
As we walked slowly and with awareness toward the animals, the animals, led by the llamas, began to move slowly and with awareness toward us. They lined up, one by one, spaced almost equally apart along the fence, until they were creating one half of a large circle. They stood still, waiting for us to arrive, waiting to welcome us into the circle with them.
As I realized what was happening, and what the animals were doing, my eyes filled with tears. As we came to honor them, to thank them for their teaching, their presence, and all that they had shared with us over the course of the weekend, they, too, were gathering to honor us–the humans who took time to see them, to be with them in quiet presence, to listen to them, to understand them.
We created our “circle” with four-legged animals on one side, two-legged animals on the other, joining together across species in this silent moment of reverence and gratitude. The energetic “force field” coming from the animals was intense…I had the distinct sensation of “walking on holy ground”; of being given a profound gift of awareness, gratitude, and blessing from the animals who had shared their home and teachings with us.
Thank you for being with us in this way. Thank you for honoring us. Thank you for understanding us, for seeing us, for knowing who we are.
When we understand ourselves as humans as merely one part of the web of life, not separate, special, or superior, everything changes.
When we understand who the other-than-human animals are, what they are aware of, what they see, hear, feel, and know, everything changes.
When we have gathered in a sacred circle that includes all beings, sensing and feeling each other with respect, gratitude, and reverence, everything changes.
We cannot look at the world in the old ways again. We cannot move in the world in the same way as we did before. We cannot un-know what we now know…that all life is sacred, that all beings are aware and full of consciousness, and that our place in the world is no greater or less than that of others.
This, more than anything else, is what inspires me to continue my work…to keep teaching, sharing, communicating, and gathering with animal teachers of all species who are willing to help our species remember this connection, this knowing, this way of life.
