The Nature of Interspecies Connection

by: Kristen Houser of Fauna Speak

I arrived onto Earth with a deep love for the animal kingdom; they were my dearest companions as a young human. Animals always felt safe and nurturing when the human realm presented unsettling energies. Of course I can intellectualize what I was experiencing in hindsight, but as I child, all I could understand was how I felt. I truly desired to give and receive love without condition. It radiated from my core, my eyes, my smile and DNA. And it was the animals who met me there, who fostered that love light within me through the challenges of maturing. They protected it from being extinguished.

I like to imagine the frequency of love moving most unencumbered in a circuit like an infinity symbol between us. The animals have been holding the torch of unconditional love for humanity this whole time, whether we are aware of it or not. For example, Earthworm maintains the soil in joyful service without us even having to ask. The light, vibration, flight patterns, song and dance of the animals helps us remember and connect with the resonance of love on this planet. They are a beacon that brings us back home, to remembering, to our center. If we ever fail to see the light in ourselves or others, they remind us.

Earth teaches us about ourselves through the nature of duality (black and white, day and night, land and sea, me and you, etc.), but I have found one of the most foundational of these spectrums to be love versus fear. I like to ask myself, “Is this coming from a place of love or a place of fear?” This question tends to offer the most clarity in the fog of life and its teachable moments. To nourish us on the quest for understanding, each animal embodies a medicine, just as a plant. It is their offering to the world that echoes nature’s consistent themes of oneness, connection, symbiosis and care. Their medicine is an offering freely available to us always. Animal Medicine is a deep well to draw from. The more you continue to learn, the more will be revealed to you. Prepare to be enchanted!

Whether Wolf is teaching you about leadership or Jaguar is assisting you in navigating the shadow realm, rest assured you are protected on this journey. The animals you need to learn from will appear at just the right time. Some days you will need the gentleness of Deer, but others might require the fierceness of Tiger. Trust the process and the insights you are being given. Maybe the Coyote trickster will appear and spin you around, but keep a light heart and know he has your growth in mind. Animal Medicine is ultimately based in love, but sometimes they hiss and kick. Learning boundaries is just as much a part of this journey as soft fur and wagging tails. Even when I got scratched by kittens as a young child, I learned and still desired to connect. Some of the most potent Animal Medicines are the ones we potentially fear the most, like Shark, Snake or Spider. Their wisdom is fierce, yet ultimately loving upon further exploration. 

The animal kingdom is ready to be acknowledged in a new way. They are ready to see us as peers, which requires meeting them on a soul level. We have this beautiful opportunity to learn how they work with the planet, humanity and their own communities. Our companion animals are not excluded from this momentum of connection! Take the time to acknowledge your cat, dog, bird or reptile in a more magical way today. They are our most loyal friends, soul mates and teachers! What are their behaviors teaching you? How are their experiences a mirror for your own? How can you show them deeper gratitude? Your journeys are intertwined. The animals consistently tends towards love. Fear-based emotions don’t originate with them. A fear-based focus on what they have to say, how they say it, or how we receive it also doesn’t originate with them. Love is not controlling. Thus, if you experience feelings of guilt, shame or regret surface, they are only meant to be healed and nourished by love, not reinforced.  

Refrain from feeling as if you must understand everything in this moment, instead set the intention of deepening your connection to your animal companions. You might not always understand them, but they always understand you and your needs. Celebrate their devotion! Praise their magic! Open yourself up to a deeper understanding of the nature of interspecies connection. Allow the magic to inspire your unique journey of self discovery.