A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. July's Theme: "Beyond the Horizon"
Volume 6 Issue 5 ISSN# 1708-3265

Index Meet Our Staff Free Subscription Donations Come Shopping Advertise in TSM Archived Issues Our Forum

Illuminations Aleesha Stephenson About the Cover Julita Wolanska I Am What I Am, Until I Am Not Dj Brown Eye-level Alegria Imperial Trust: Beyond Your Horizons Rev. Cheryl Jewett Beyond… David Reber Standing on the Edge Marlene Buffa A Rainbow in the Mist Tira Brandon Evans Is it Really a Sacrifice to Protect the Environment? David Suzuki PhD Psychic Powers Phil Kotofskie An Unintentional week of Unschooling Tamiko Charllton Being Mindful Janet Alston Jackson Pet-sense Jean Hofve DVM Get On Track! Lucy Brandt Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Walk Your Talk Aleesha Stephenson Wiccan Voices Crystal Blanton, HPs Meditate a Moment Featuring: Aleesha Stephenson Shapeshifting with Our Animal Companions Dawn Baumann Brunke Animal Voices Telepathic Communication in the Web of Life Dawn Baumann Brunke Animal Voices, Animal Guides Dawn Baumann Brunke Archived Reviews All of T.S.M.'s Reviews

Pet-sense by Jean Hofve, DVM As a kid growing up in California, I often stood on the beach and thought about what was on the other side of that big ocean. I imagined all the countries on the other side of the Pacific Ring of Fire, from Siberia to Australia, and all the exotic Asian lands in between. Only once in my life have I visited the opposite coast, and when standing there on Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, staring across the Atlantic was a completely different experience—for across that dark ocean lay the large and mysterious continent of Africa. It's human nature to look at the horizon and imagine what's on the other side. The fact that migration has spread our species far and wide to every speck of land that can hold us is proof of our imagination, and moreover, the unstoppable desire to satisfy that curiosity. You have to admit, it's fun to think about other places and what they might be like, and to even take journeys just to find out. Animals clearly have active imaginations, but one thing I believe they don't do is spend time speculating on what they cannot see before them. Even migratory species take it one step, one day, at a time, letting their instinct and experience guide them. Certainly animals have memories of places they've been that help guide them as they travel through their territories, but they don't expend energy dwelling on what could be or what might have been. Animals are the experts when it comes to living life in the moment. For wild animals, idle speculation is a luxury they can't afford. They need to stay focused on the things that matter: find enough food to live another day, avoid anything that might injure or kill them, and (depending on the time of year) find a mate and reproduce. These constant pressures leave little tolerance for daydreaming. What about companion animals such as dogs, cats, birds, and horses? They don't have to hunt or forage for food, they have safe shelters and are free from worries about predators, and most of them have a lot of "spare time." Horses and house pets seem to spend a lot of time in a half-sleep state that could be daydreaming, but I believe is closer to meditation: just being still and allowing time and space to wash over them. While imagination is great, I think a lot of us could benefit from spending more time in such a free, relaxed, state of allowing! When you take your dog for a walk, he may know very well that he's going to the park, but until he gets to the park, he is entranced at every step with the smells and sights surrounding him in that moment. He enjoys the journey as much as the destination! He's another great example of being in the now and not worrying about that distant horizon. As I sit here writing this, my cat Sundance is curled up on the fleece pad between the keyboard and monitor in that half-sleep state. (Why there is a fleece pad between the keyboard and monitor is a story for another day!) I looked down and asked him, "What are you thinking?" I got an immediate answer: he stretched and looked adorable, conveying the unmistakable message, "I'm thinking it's time for you to lavish some love on me!" He's right… so, gotta go! Dr. Jean Hofve recently retired from holistic veterinary practice, but still writes and consults on holistic health and nutrition. 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.

Copyright (c) 2009 by Timeless Spirit Magazine. All articles are the copyright of the particular writers and cannot be reprinted without their expressed permission. All rights reserved. International copyright laws prohibit reproduction of or distribution of this page by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permission of the copyright holder. We retain legal counsel to protect our copyrights.

Any advice given is for informational purposes only.