Dearly Departed (25 page)
Please know that your departed loved ones do want to make their presence known and felt to you. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you haven’t picked up on their subtle clues to date—why not try some of my suggestions?
The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and completed, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time.
Henry Beston,
The Outermost House
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emember the catchy tune ‘Talk to the Animals’ from the movie
Dr Dolittle
? The amazing doctor seemed to exhibit paranormal abilities that enabled him to communicate with animals. Stop for a moment and consider how you communicate with your pet. Can you recall an instance when your pet seemed to be reading your mind? Perhaps your dog picked up its lead when you were only thinking of going for a walk, or maybe you noticed they were sitting at the front door ten minutes before your partner walked through the door earlier than anticipated—they knew. But how?
Why did the elephants and dogs in Phuket, Thailand, move to higher ground prior to the tsunami’s devastating arrival to the mainland? Some zoos in earthquake areas have noted significant behavioural changes in their animals prior to an earthquake.
Michelle, a client, used to live and work in Japan, and she told me that many of the Japanese households especially keep carp or goldfish in their homes as earthquake ‘detectors’. Originally the fish were intended to bring good fortune to the households, but over many years it had been noted by their owners that prior to an earthquake the behaviour of the fish became erratic—they would rush backwards and forwards in their tank or pool. This would happen 24 hours to a week before an earthquake hit, giving their owners warning and time to implement safety procedures.
My dear friend Peter, proud of his Greek heritage, tells a story which has been passed down in his family for many years, of the Ancient Greeks’ belief that there lies a connection between unusual animal behaviour and earthquakes. They believed it was form of ‘secret knowledge’. Is this secret knowledge to do with the fact that all animals are psychic? They all have a well-honed sixth sense—a survival mechanism built in from conception that allows them to intuitively sense danger and changes in the environment for survival.
You were born with the same ability; however, through conditioning of family, religion or society, you were continually told ‘don’t be stupid’, ‘don’t say things like that’, and you learnt to shut down your natural intuitive abilities. Pet owners know the joy of being loved by their special pet. No matter how grumpy, sad or happy we are, they respond with enthusiasm and love. They love us unconditionally—warts and all.
I was transfixed when I heard the story of an old gentleman who had collapsed in his home. Lying on the floor, he was unable to move or call for help and he had resigned himself to his fate.
Yet his faithful dog intuitively understood what his master needed to live. He found a towel and dipped it repeatedly into the toilet bowl, then dropped the wet towel on his owner’s face so he was able to suck the moisture out and sustain himself until the pair were discovered and saved.
My children’s dachshund, Rocky, intuitively warned me of impending danger when a new male staff member called around to my house. When I opened the door to let him in, Rocky flew under my bed, shaking and barking. He was a gregarious pet, and this behaviour was out of character. Even the visitor commented, ‘No animal has done that to me before.’ Rocky’s actions alerted to me to be on guard. Something wasn’t right. Later, through extensive research, I discovered that the man was a suspected paedophile who had slipped through the usual channels in the interview process and was working with disadvantaged youth. Through my dog’s actions, a potential threat to the safety of youth and perhaps my own children had been avoided. His employment ceased immediately.
Animals connect with our soul; they are part of our soul’s connection and the soul’s journey. With their passing, their soul will go through the same stages as a human’s—they still wish to comfort and support their master, say a final farewell, let their loved ones know they’re okay and that they’ve made the transition to the other side and linked up with family members or other animals they knew or loved.
The final farewell
Teagan was an apricot long-hair Persian cat my son Andrew owned. She had one male kitten that we gave to my parents who lived a six-hour drive away from our home. They called him Winston. While my children and I were holidaying in another state, my neighbour was overseeing the care of our animals. One day my mother was in her kitchen when she turned and saw Teagan. This was impossible— Teagan was hundreds of kilometres away. But to Mum it seemed as real as though she was actually in her home. Then she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.
On returning from our holiday, our neighbour told us Teagan had died. When Mum heard the story, she knew the cat had come to say goodbye to her kitten. It was reassuring and a lesson for the whole family, especially the children, to understand that animals too can visit from the other side and make a lasting impression on their owners.
Not everyone is gifted with clairvoyance, or clear seeing, as was my mum’s experience. So how do you know your pet is connecting with you or sending you a message? There are many gifted psychics who feel comfortable working with pet communication. Again seek a referral to know you are experiencing a genuine encounter. Pets will indicate pictures and smells to a psychic, and convey a ‘knowing’ of what message they want to tell you—it is their form of telepathic communication. When they looked you right in the eyes and you read their thoughts, ‘I’m hungry, feed me,’ or ‘I want to go outside, take me’, through their eyes and actions, so too this is how they will communicate in Spirit to the psychic medium or to you.
Be observant, and trust they will make the bridge for the connection to occur.
I recall a very distressed client showing me a photo of herself and a very big dog. All I knew was the dog had died. As I held the photo and closed my eyes, I had a vision of the dog laying on a veterinary table, the woman holding his paw as he was given an injection to go to sleep. I felt a beautiful calmness in the dog, and a sense of forgiveness and him wanting to lick her face, as if to say, ‘All is well, all is forgiven, and you did the right thing’. Upon opening my eyes, I saw that the woman was one minute crying and then smiling. The dog belonged to a neighbour, who had handed her the responsibility of overseeing his care while they were away. A special closeness and bond had developed between them.
He had touched her heart in his own way.
Then he was accused of biting a child. The responsibility now weighed heavily on her shoulders; although there was a unique bond, she was left with no other option but to have him put to sleep. She was devastated. This reading gave her a sense of comfort, a point of closure and a final farewell to an animal that had given her much joy, happiness and affection. A gentle giant to love!
After losing a pet, it’s not uncommon to think you’ve heard the sound of your dog scratching at the back door or your cat’s bell jingling in the hallway. Suddenly you may get that doggy smell in a particular room. Your pet’s spirit will try and grab your attention and let you know that they’re around; often in the same familiar soothing ways as you affectionately remembered them. Just as your pet comforted you in times of sadness, so too they may be drawn from Spirit to be supportive once again.
I recall crying myself to sleep one night, and suddenly I felt a change in the vibrations in the room and I sat upright in bed. There I saw my deceased beagle Bonnie float through the closed French doors that lead from the bedroom to the veranda and jump on the end of my bed. Although I couldn’t see her solid form on the bed, there was an indent in the bedcovers, and when I leant to touch the bed, it was warm. It was so comforting to know my dear friend had come to reassure me that I was not alone in my struggle.
My son was devastated when his dog Rocky was run over, only to have a double blow when the priest at his school told him animals do not go to heaven. I am here to tell you there is infinite proof from my own family’s experience and that of clients—and what I have witnessed as a psychic medium—that there is definitely a transition from an earthly plane to the afterlife for your pets.
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Saying goodbye to beloved pets
I care not for a man’s religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it.
Abraham Lincoln
B
eloved pets are part of our family, they’re our mates, our companions and our children. They are our lives. Thereby it is very fitting they should be given as much consideration to having an ‘end-of-life’ ritual. A pet’s love is unconditional and they intuitively know that their owners are doing the best they can for their ultimate wellbeing. You may like to hold their paw, stroke their fur, speaking soothing words of comfort and love; even if their eyes are closed they will sense your energies and feel your devotion.
I’m lucky my parents’ home has a very large backyard. The next-door neighbour has some wonderful tropical palm trees that graciously fan over the adjoining fence, providing a little refuge in the corner. Over the years, this special place has become our pet cemetery. Pet birds, mice, goldfish, dogs and cats have all been laid to rest there; and when my children have lost their pets, they too have joined my childhood memories in this little haven.
It’s a place that has brought comfort for the family to know our pets are close by.
Some pets we chose to bury with their food bowl, special blanket or toys. If you have a child’s pet that has passed over, encourage your child to consider some things they may wish to include in the burial of their pet. Let them have some thought in what they think their pet would like to take on its journey to the afterlife. After all, the Egyptians were great believers in farewelling their dead with an assortment of aids to assist their transition from one world to the next.
A little prayer or a favourite song can be recited as part of their fond farewell. Ritual and ceremony can be a wonderful asset in the farewell and grief process. You may encourage them to draw or write a story about the cute things the pet did or fun times they had together on holidays. Children can grieve differently, for some anger may be the way they express their emotions. So it’s important their teacher be notified of a death of a special pet or someone close to monitor them should there be changes in their behaviour so a sympathetic approach can be had.
Although you might wish to shelter your child from the pain of the death of a pet, it’s a wonderful educational tool and experience to understand the process of the stages of life. You are aiding and assisting your child to understand the concepts of this world and the afterlife.
The adjustment to the loss of your special mate, friend and family member will take time; after all they gave you so much affection and unconditional love. Their quirky little personalities lit up your life when you walked in from a hard day at work. The daily routine you or your children had of feeding, giving them water, grooming, taking them for a walk in the park or rolling with them in the backyard will be now be absent. Their companionship will be missed. They were an extension of your life. Many pets will try and keep these bonds of affection close, just as Sue found out with BJ.
The grey mist
Sue and I became friends when I was looking for a new dog for the children after Rocky passed. Money was indeed tight back in those days and Brendan had seen the film
The Adventures of Milo
and Otis
and had firmly made up his mind he wanted a male pug dog—like the one in the movie. Scanning the Saturday paper for advertisements for pugs, all seemed financially way out of our reach. They were in vogue due to the high celebrity status they had achieved in the movie—every child wanted a pug. I had to tell Brendan there was no way I could give him his heart’s desire.
‘But you said I could pick the next dog—it’s not fair,’ he said. What could I do? Well, as I have always been taught when I was growing up—hand the problem over to Spirit. So I sat on the veranda and said a silent prayer to the universe—‘Help me!’ I had an overwhelming feeling to go back to the newspaper and read the ads again. As though it were highlighted in my imagination, one particular ad stood out. I had a feeling that the owner had a problem and I had the solution. So I rang. Yes, she did have puppies, but the price was out of my range. But the seller, Sue, suggested that before purchasing a pug we should come and visit, as they can snort and make funny noises that some people can never adjust to.
Later I found out that she was very particular about who took her dogs. Sue lived in Bargo, which was a good two hours drive from where we lived at Castle Hill, and the cost of petrol would be an issue on the tight weekly budget we lived on. I couldn’t spare the cash for fuel, let along the dog. Within an hour of handing the matter over to Spirit, however, the unexpected happened. I received a phone call from an agitated person wanting an urgent reading.
The donation from the reading enabled us to fill up the car, have a meal on the road and see the puppies.
I rang Sue back and said we were coming, and later she said how strange she thought it was for us to be coming out to look at puppies in the dark! She’d just put all the pups to bed for the night in the garage, but there was no stopping us as we made the lengthy trip out into the bush on the outskirts of Sydney. Brendan enjoyed playing with the pups and grown-up dogs in the garage while Sue and I had a cup of coffee. As we talked, we discovered we had so much in common in spiritual beliefs. And in turn, I was able to share my gift and give her the answer she needed at that time.
We thought it amazing that her prized black pug BJ had the same nickname as my youngest son, Brendan Joseph. It was just the confirmation she needed—that we were ideal potential owners for one of her pugs. She was more than happy for us to have one of the puppies when we could afford it.
