A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. January's Theme: "Path"
Volume 9 Issue 2 ISSN# 1708-3265

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Illuminations Aleesha Sattva About the Cover Claudette Dean Shhh… Self Is Speaking Dj Brown-Jewett Finding The Way Home Julie Hoyle The Pain of Why John Ptacek And Then I Grew a Pair! David Reber Mystical Paths Cheryl Jewett-Brown Ph.D. Two Poems; Love and Meant to Be Jennifer Kusz The Garden Parzival Sattva Pet-Sense Jean Hofve, DVM Let's Talk Tarot Marcia McCord Living… Naturally Nicole Gardner Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Walk Your Talk Aleesha Sattva Po and the Stones Phil Kotofskie Wiccan Voices Crystal Blanton, HPs Meditate a Moment Parzival Sattva Password Deva Premal Oasis Gary Stroutsos

Pet-sense by Jean Hofve, DVM "Allow each soul to walk its own path." Wise words, indeed, and with animals, very needful to consider. Humans do terrible things to animals. They use and abuse them without regard to potential suffering. In laboratories, racetracks, circuses, rodeos, fur farms, puppy and kitten mills, factory farms, and pit bull rings, our species is notoriously callous when it comes to critters. It is, of course, our sacred duty—yours and mine—to identify and combat animal cruelty wherever and whenever it occurs. There is no excuse for ill-treatment of any animal. But if you believe in karma, reincarnation, and the idea that we create our own reality, there are clearly other aspects to this issue. It would be pure hubris to think that humans are the only beings who can experience personal growth or become enlightened. In fact, I've met many animals who are clearly more evolved than most people I know! So let's look at the animal's path in more detail. First, there is the choice to take birth. Just as groups of humans tend to incarnate around the same time, animals often come along with us. For example, my good friend Judy had a marvellous Golden Retriever who was her heart and soul. When he passed, she worked with animal communicator Kate Solisti to help guide him back, this time as a feisty West Highland Terrier! It was fascinating to track as he tried to fit with several puppy bodies over the course of several months, before finding the exact right one and reuniting with his beloved Judy. Then there is the choice of life path. An animal may choose to be born in the wild, a zoo, a factory farm, or into a loving home. We humans choose our circumstances and the major events that we will experience; and animals do, too. A few years ago, in the mountain town of Evergreen, Colorado, a black bear and her cub, who had climbed a tree on private property, encountered the property owner, who decided the best course was to get his rifle; he shot them out of the tree, killing both. This caused a huge uproar in the community, and was not looked upon favourably by either the sheriff who arrested him or the judge who convicted him! But my animal communicator friend Kate talked to the souls of these bears, and they were well content. They had chosen that fate long before they were born. After death, they were thrilled that their pre-ordained sacrifice engendered deep discussion, and served to greatly educate the whole Front Range community. Many humans choose to be born into difficult circumstances, such as a handicapped body, crushing poverty, war zones; or experiencing conditions such as disease, injury, addiction, loss, or even early death. The animals who are born into terrible conditions or undergo torture or abuse may also have chosen that fate in order to progress toward enlightenment. We should keep in mind that we don't know, and cannot know, what led an animal to a particular fate. Of course, this is not to say that we should allow dangerous or inhumane conditions to continue, simply because the animal might have chosen that path. Quite the opposite. The less cruelty that exists in the world, the fewer the animals who need to go through it. If we can rescue an animal, we should; and that rescue effort is part of your karma as well as the animal's. Let's do everything we can to improve the world for all its creatures! Dr. Jean Hofve recently retired from holistic veterinary practice, but still writes and consults on holistic health and nutrition. She recently co-authored "The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care" with nutritionist Dr. Celeste Yarnall. She is a Medicine Woman of the Mountain Wind Lodge Nemenhah Band and Native American Traditional Organization (Oklevueha Native American Church of Sanpete). She founded SpiritEssence in 1995, which remains the only line of essence formulas for animals created by a veterinarian. For more information on pet health, nutrition, and behaviour, please visit the free article library at www.littlebigcat.com.

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