Animal Communication Made Easy - Pea Horsley

Pea Horsley, Animal Communication Made Easy (2018).

Pea Horsley is the UK’s most highly regarded animal communicator, TEDx speaker, grounded teacher, empowering mentor and a best selling author of Heart to Heart and The Animal Communicator’s Guide Through Life, Loss and Love. Hay House recently published her third book Animal Communication Made Easy.

Pea Horsley is the UK’s most highly regarded animal communicator, TEDx speaker, grounded teacher, empowering mentor and a best selling author of Heart to Heart and The Animal Communicator’s Guide Through Life, Loss and Love. Hay House recently published her third book Animal Communication Made Easy.

The open heart

« The heart has eyes which the brain knows nothing of. »
Charles H. Perkhurst, clergyman and social reformer

When we communicate with animals, we come from our heart with an intention of unconditional love. One of the reasons people struggle to connect with animals is because they have closed their heart, and sometimes bolted and padlocked it as well. In some cases this has happened in childhood and in others more recently. Spiritually, if your heart is closed or blocked, you may experience a lack of empathy or a feeling of disconnection. You may not trust yourself and lack self-esteem. There can also be deep insecurity and an ever-present sense of fear. All in all, it can be harder to communicate.

Yet the feelings of grief, anger, jealousy or hatred are often what draw people to animals in the first place. Animals express such a vast amount of unconditional love that it feels good to be in their presence. They are literally healing us by their be-ingness. So that we can hear them, and not just be healed by them, we need to spend some time working towards healing our own heart, one gentle step at a time.

When our heart is open, we naturally feel love and compassion for others and are open to receiving. Opening the heart is the start of a healing process and key to clear communication with animals.

Exercise: The OpenHeart process

A simple yet profound way to open the heart and raise self-esteem is by visual cues or affirmations. I invite you to write an affirmation on a sticky note and strategically position it as a daily reminder to yourself. Make as many as you like – the more, the merrier. These statements help to increase positivity for your heart. You can stick them on your fridge door, laptop or bathroom mirror. Stick them on your forehead, for all I care, just stick them somewhere!

I’m going to suggest some affirmations for you, but really I want you to create your own, because they’ll hold much more power coming from you.

• ‘I am opening to love.’
• ‘I forgive myself.’
• ‘I deeply and completely love and accept myself.’
• ‘I live in balance.’
• ‘I respect myself.’

You can also say the affirmations out loud and make some up at random times throughout the day: when you’re on the bus, taking lunch or having a bath. Be creative and spontaneous. I’m not suggesting you shout them out loud on the bus, but if you want to, go for it, others might benefit!

• ‘I take loving care of myself.’
• ‘I am whole and complete.’
• ‘I am beautiful.’
• ‘I feel peace, love and joy.’
• ‘I am healthy and energized.’

Affirmations are about shifting energy to a different vibration – a more positive one. You can say them to attract what you want in your world. When you first say them, they won’t feel true, because if they were, you wouldn’t need to say them in the first place. But it’s like planting seeds – it takes some time from the first planting to the blossoming of the rose.

Make your affirmations with faith and feeling and believe that they have already been fulfilled. Louise Hay, the founder of this book’s publishing company, Hay House, and the queen of affirmations, produced many affirmation oracle cards that you might enjoy.

Your first communication practice

I bet by now you’re keen to get going. Wait no more. In this exercise you’ll learn how to move your awareness, your consciousness, from your body into the body of an animal with whom you want to communicate. That might sound challenging, but really it can be a lot of fun, and what you’ll experience can be astounding. Just focus on enjoying the experience and don’t think about the results. Be in the moment.

This exercise also opens your mind and encourages your consciousness to embrace new possibilities. Let go of any preconceptions you may have. The best way to approach this exercise is with a light-hearted sense of fun.

Exercise: Through their eyes

You can do this exercise with horse friends, bird buddies and all sorts of animals, but let’s start with an animal you already know and love to bits.

• Find a quiet space to sit and relax. You don’t need your animal in the room with you for this one, but if they’re already close by, that’s okay too.
• Think of an animal in your life now and mentally ask them, ‘Can I merge with you and see things from your point of view?’
• If the response is positive or inviting, you know they’ve agreed.
• If you feel any resistance at all, understand that now may not be the best time for them. Waiting is not failure; it’s a respectful acknowledgement of your animal’s wishes and can also be a reflection on your state of being. Give it a few hours or a few days. Practise the Deep Relaxation Technique or CalmSpace. Then ask again. When they agree, continue with the following steps.

Step 1

• Close your eyes and picture the animal in front of you.
• Try and visualize, as best you can, their face and features. Notice the length of their whiskers, the size of their paws or the shine of their long, lustrous mane.
• See them standing, perching or sprawled out in front of you and say to them, ‘Thank you for being with me.’

Step 2

• Imagine now that you’re shrinking down into a tiny version of yourself, shrinking down into your chest area. You are becoming a much, much smaller version of yourself inside yourself, while your outer body is remaining where it is.
• To help you to retain the image of yourself inside yourself, transform it into the image of a dot of light or another image you can sustain, perhaps that of a fairy, unicorn or elf.

Step 3

• Float slowly up your chest into your neck and then into your head.
• At the top of your head there is a trapdoor. It can look any way you want it to. Be as creative as you like.
• Open the door, and now, as the tiny dot of light (or whatever image you have chosen), fly out of the top of your head and over to the top of your animal’s head.
• If you’re not a particularly visual kind of person, don’t worry. Instead imagine that they’re there with you and remember how they look.
• They have a door at the top of their head too.
• Open your animal’s door, slip inside and close the door behind you.
• Be open to your animal changing their mind and asking you to leave. Sometimes they find the sensation of your presence unusual and prefer it to be for a very short time only. If they ask you to leave, please honour their request immediately and exit back to your own body using the guidance in step 11.

Step 4

• Float down into your animal’s chest area and allow them to get used to the feeling of you being there.
• You are now as one with your animal. You are your animal. When you ask them to do something, you’ll be doing it as them inside their body while your body remains seated.
• Slowly glide up to their eyes and for the first time in your life look through their eyes. Amazing, isn’t it? You’ll have lost all sense of your own sense of sight and will be seeing things entirely differently, from their perspective.
• Notice what they can see and how they see it. Notice if you are close to the ground or high up with a panoramic view.

Step 5

• Now focus on their protective coat: the fur, hair, feathers or scales of your friend.
• How does it feel to be wearing their coat?
• What does it mean to them?

Step 6

• Ask your animal, ‘What do you like to do for fun?’
• As your animal, allow yourself to do that fun thing. You could find yourself galloping across a field or flying across to your best friend to sit on their shoulder and nuzzle into their neck. Go with the flow and whatever you feel your animal wants you to experience.
• Notice how it feels to do this fun thing. Become aware of why your animal enjoys it so much.
• And be open. The reason they enjoy it may not be the one that you think.

Step 7

• Now picture your human standing in front of you and shouting at you or telling you off, saying words like ‘Shut up!’ or ‘Will you get out of my way?’
• As your animal, notice how you feel. What do you feel physically when someone you love talks harshly to you?

Step 8

• Now picture your human standing in front of you and saying words of adoration, like ‘I love you. You’re so special.’
• As your animal, notice how you feel. What do you feel physically when someone you love talks kindly to you?

Step 9

• Take a moment to let your animal know just how much they mean to you and why you’re so grateful that they’re in your life.

Step 10

• Ask them gently, ‘Do you have a message or gift for me?’
• Openly receive whatever comes to you. It may be something physical like a crystal or box, or an emotion, an image or some words.
• Accept gratefully anything you receive and say, ‘Thank you.’

Step 11

• Now prepare to leave your animal’s body, knowing you can return whenever you are both willing.
• Say to them, ‘I am going to leave your body now,’ and float up to the top of their head.
• Open the trapdoor there, fly out and close the door behind you.
• Fly back to the top of your own head, slip inside and close the door at the top of your head.
• Glide down into your chest area.
• With your eyes closed, picture again your animal in front of you.
• Notice your perspective has changed and you’re now viewing them from your seat.
• Again thank them. Say, ‘Thank you for doing this exercise with me.’
• Gently dissolve the image of them before you and allow them to carry on with their business.

Step 12

• Bring your focus back to yourself and that tiny dot of light in your chest.
• Morph back into that tiny version of yourself.
• Expand outwards to fill every part of your body.
• Bring yourself back into your body awareness.
• Take a few seconds to move your fingers and toes.
• Take a slow deep breath and release it.
• When you feel you’re fully back, gently open your eyes.

Step 13

You might like to make a note of everything you experienced:

• What you noticed when you looked out of your animal’s eyes.
• How it felt to wear their coat.
• Your response to harsh words.
• Your response to kind words.
• And any message or gift your animal gave you. They gave it you with purpose. It’s no accident you received what you did.

How was your experience with your animal? Did it take your mind outside the box? I understand some people feel they are making it all up. You do need to allow your imagination freedom.

If you feel it didn’t work at all for you, please question if you were expecting too much, like something really solid and concrete, rather than going with the flow of whatever came to you. Even if we feel we know what our animal likes to do for fun, we can sometimes be surprised to find they wish to express something else. Be as neutral as possible, but also go with what you feel they are expressing, even if that is what you presumed it would be.

If you feel the exercise really isn’t working as you were hoping, just go with the parts that are (if any) and know that you can always repeat it another day.

Some people prefer to close the door to their head when they fly out and over to their animal. They worry that by leaving it open they are open and vulnerable to some kind of negative attack. I hold no such fear and prefer to leave it open to remind myself to return. Whatever feels comfortable to you is okay. Like a lot of animal communication, it’s about finding your own way and what works effectively for you and your mindset. The reason I close the door to the animal’s head when I slip inside is because I know I’m going to be ‘moving’ as that animal and I struggle with the thought of their door flapping as I race through a tall grass meadow or roll in some wonderful fox poo!

Repeat the exercise as many times as you like if your animal is willing, because it will increase your connection with them and your ability to think outside the box. These aspects will strengthen your communication with all animals. Each time you practise this you’re learning to get out of the way of your own preconceptions and to go with the flow of what your animal is expressing to you. Plus, your animal will love being able to show you the ropes. Animals enjoy being our teachers and encouraging willing, listening students.

Making a Connection

Step 1: Connect to the breath (relaxed, calm still-point)

• Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, back straight, feet flat on the floor and your palms resting in your lap.
• Place all of your focus on your breathing.
• Take a slow breath in through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth.
• Take another slow breath in through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth.
• This time take a slow breath in through your nose, pause, and breathe out slowly through your mouth.
• Keep with this breathing in your own natural rhythm.
• Add the words ‘I am’ on your in-breath and ‘calm’ on your out-breath.
• Scan your body for any tension or tight spots and use your intention to ‘breathe’ into those areas while relaxing more deeply on every out-breath.
• Feel your body releasing any tension.
• Breathe in, pause, and breathe out, relaxing more deeply.
• Breathe in, pause, and breathe out, relaxing more deeply.
• Breathe in, pause, and breathe out, relaxing more deeply.
• Your body is feeling relaxed and softer now. Your awareness is more awake and alert. You’re feeling calm and peaceful. This is perfect. This is your still-point.

How long you need for this step often depends on how agitated things have been in your life and how easy it is for you to transform your mood into calm, relaxed alertness. But if you’ve prepared well with the techniques and processes in the last chapter, you’ll find this is easy for you. Cherish this time to nurture yourself and surrender to stillness before moving on.

Step 2: Anchor in the heart (open your heart)

• Drop your awareness down into your heart area and rest there. This doesn’t need to be the actual bloody and beating heart – you don’t have to get literal about it. The general heart area will be just fine.
• Connect with your love for animals. Think of an animal you love and adore or a species that you admire. This will automatically trigger the frequency of love.
• Rest in that sanctuary of love.
• If you wish to connect with your own animal, remind yourself why you love them so much. Recall all the happy moments you’ve experienced together.
• If you wish to communicate with an animal you don’t know, it’s just as important to anchor in the frequency of love by placing all of your focus there and reminding yourself why you love or admire animals or why you want to make a difference to their lives.
• Imagine your heart is full to bursting with the fathoms of love you feel.
• Recognize that every wish to communicate with an animal needs to originate from a loving place. There is no space for judgement or criticism here.

You may notice that you feel more open-hearted and compassionate now. This is the place from where we communicate with all animals, helping them feel safe with us.

Step 3: Connect heart to heart (frequency connection)

• Using your intention, extend some of this love from your heart across to the heart area of the animal with whom you wish to communicate. (You need not concern yourself about the exact location of the animal’s heart – the general vicinity will do. Intention is the key.) Trust that it reaches them, connecting you heart to heart, together on the frequency of love.
• If you are a visual person, picture your love as a soft beam of light reaching from you across to them and connecting heart to heart. The light beam can be any colour that resonates for you at the time.
• You are now connected heart to heart with the animal you’re going to communicate with.

With your intention to communicate with the animal, you have logged on to their unique signature frequency. It’s what makes them an individual. Now that you are connected, you may begin to see and feel impressions from the animal. That’s all good. Make a note of them on a pad, then continue with the next steps.

Step 4: ‘I love you’ (foundation of communication)

• Silently in your mind, or out loud if you prefer, say to the animal: ‘I love you’ and their name, for example ‘I love you, Texas.’
• Repeat it once or twice if you like.

We do this to let the animal know that we are coming to them in loving-kindness – that we are approaching from a place of unconditional love.

Whether this is your own animal, a friend’s animal or an animal that’s new to you, you can still declare your unconditional love to them before you enter into communication. There is an infinite amount of love to be shared.

Step 5: Greeting and intention (manners and mindset)

I feel manners work in a way that’s two-fold: we expect our dogs to sit, stay and come when called, or our horses to keep us safe and not throw us off at the first sight of some spooky action at a distance; but also, to enhance and foster trust between species, we need to extend the same level of good feeling back to them. So I like to do a simple greeting before asking an animal some questions. It’s a ‘Hi, how ya’ doing?’ equivalent. We can tweak this step a little, depending upon the animal we’re communicating with.

• Silently in your mind, or out loud if you prefer, say to the animal, ‘Hi, my name is [insert name] and I’d like to talk with you.’
• Another option would be, ‘Hi, my name is [insert name] and I’d like to communicate with you.’
• Alternatively, if you know the animal, ‘Hi, I’d like to talk to you. Is now a good time?’

Don’t be surprised if your animal doesn’t want to communicate at the time you’ve picked. They can decide, and it’s important that they do and nothing is forced or coerced. Communication works best when both parties are engaged. Sometimes I’ll ask Texas if it’s a good time to communicate with him and I’ll receive a feeling of ‘no’ or hear the words ‘Not now’ and I will respect his decision and try again another time.

The other thing to note is that this step is rarely needed with wild animals. They haven’t compromised their natural instincts to fit in with our human lifestyle and tend to jump straight into communicating with us after Step 3.

If you’re respectful, that’s enough. Communication with wild animals can be short and abrupt, but not always. Keep an open mind about how animal communication works and you’ll have more fulfilling and inspirational experiences. The other thing to note is that this step is rarely needed with wild animals. They haven’t compromised their natural instincts to fit in with

The five-step method

1. Awaken the breath.
2. Anchor in the heart.
3. Connect heart to heart.
4. ‘I love you.’
5. Greeting and intention.

The ritual of disconnection

At the end of a communication, remember your manners. It’s rude to just stop. The equivalent would be walking away from a conversation with a human without acknowledging in some way that the conversation has come to an end, perhaps by saying, ‘Lovely to see you,’ ‘Catch up tomorrow,’ or ‘Thanks for popping in.’

To mark the end of a communication with an animal, I like to thank them and then go through a simple routine of intentionally and visually separating. I do this because it’s good to express gratitude to the animal and may encourage them to continue communicating with you, and also because I like to mentally feel that my energy stays with me and their energy stays with them. Even though it is contrary to the belief that we are all energetically linked all of the time, ‘like soup in a bowl’, what this does is help us move on from difficult, painful or challenging communications with animals. This is especially true for highly emotional communications and when animals have expressed the trauma they’ve experienced to us. We want to acknowledge them with loving-kindness but not ‘take on’ their pain and upset. This ritual helps us let go. It doesn’t mean we don’t care. We care a lot, but we cease to be effective communicators if we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed.

Exercise: The ritual of disconnection

• Silently in your mind, or out loud if you prefer, say to the animal: ‘Thank you for communicating with me.’
• Visualize surrounding the animal in a ball of pink light. Have the intention of doing this if you don’t find it easy to visualize. The ball is a safe place and pink is a colour of the heart centre.
• Have the intention that you’re withdrawing your beam of light, your heart connection with the animal, back into yourself.
• Now visualize, or intend, putting yourself into a ball of pink light.
• Lastly, remind yourself of your connection with the Earth through the soles of your feet on the ground.