It is always sad when a beloved animal family member leaves their body and goes into spirit. We call this death, but truly, no one dies. The physical body drops away as the spirit separates from it and goes into another dimension. The spirit is the being that we truly love, although we may be attached to the physical aspect that we associated with that being. Since we are still in physical, we often miss the sight, touch and smell of our friend and we grieve this loss, which is appropriate.
As an Animal Communicator, I frequently speak with clients and their animals who have passed into spirit. When the animal tells me they want to return it leads to discussions about what form they plan to take and when they might come. Sometimes animals tell me that they "try out" different forms while still in spirit. At other times, they already have decided or know exactly what form they want, down to sex , size and color of the body.
Humans always want to know how they will recognize their beloved friend upon their return and how they will be able to find them. The replies are fairly consistent. "You will recognize my energy." "Look into my eyes and you will know me." "This is a time for you to learn to trust your intuition."
One of my clients, who had two dogs, was sad to realize that the older dog, Chanel, a white German Shepard female, was getting ready to pass into spirit. I spoke telepathically with Chanel prior to her leaving, and again, after she had completed her spiritual transition work. In a series of conversations with Chanel in spirit, she explained that she wanted to return to her family. She was very specific, saying she wanted to be a white German Shepard female once more, perhaps a bit smaller in size. She said she would return in the New England area, where her family lived, and would be born around April 1, 2002.
Her person wrote, "White German Shepherds are fairly rare. However, that June, after much searching and networking, a friend of a friend told us of a white, female German Shepherd in Manchester, Connecticut, born on April 1. She warned us that this dog wasn't very friendly or social with anyone. We immediately visited the puppy. Everyone was amazed how she came right to us, sat down and gave me her paw!"
My client e-mailed some photos of the puppy to me, and in a telepathic session, she claimed to be Chanel. It certainly sounded and felt like Chanel to me, and my client also sensed it was her friend. She named the dog Lily, and brought her home on June 10, 2002. My client wrote, "It was amazing how she knew where everything was and, although we were told that she was not housetrained, we did not have to do anything in that regard. Lily had only one accident and was instantly going to the door to ask to go out--the same door Chanel used to go to! Finding Lily and knowing she is also Chanel has been a wonderful experience for our family. We feel blessed to have gotten our Chanel back in the form of another loving and beautiful canine."
Not every return to the physical plane takes places so quickly. Animals from our childhood may return when we are adults. Sometimes they come many times in our same lifetime, and other times they come once and then not again until we experience a different life. One of my cats, Violet, has been with me three previous times in my current lifetime, each time as a cat. You can read the story of Violet's most recent return at http://raysofhealinglight.com (click on Nedda Wittels, and then click on Violet Returns).
The important thing to remember is that we are never truly separated from the ones we love. We can speak to them while they are in spirit. Many of them visit us after they pass over. At other times, they may choose to return to us in physical.
One cat already in spirit was clear that she planned to return soon. "I want to be a dog this time," she told her family. The cat wanted to be a small, white, and lap size. The family was more interested in a larger type of dog. They compromised, agreeing on a nearly white Golden Retriever. When the family found her, they were so certain it was she that they never even asked me to speak with her to be sure.
Compromises of this type are not always possible. Types of bodies, sex, and colors, and possibly other details of appearance and genetics have different vibrations. The being who is returning has specific life experiences and lessons they may be planning to incorporate into their next lifetime. Sometimes they simply prefer a particular form or color. It is up to spirit to make these determinations. It is not up to us to try to control the process and the form the animal is choosing.
Another cat I spoke with didn't ever purr, according to her family. They wanted to know why she would make growling sounds whenever they stroked her, yet didn't move away or try to scratch or bite them. The cat explained that she had never been a cat before and was very experienced at being a dog. She said she didn't know how to purr, and was trying to imitate the sound. What came out sounded like a growl.
Experience has taught me that our job is to allow the returning being into our lives with love and acceptance. It is not our job to orchestrate all the details. Most returning spirits give us just enough information to get us to search for them. We are encouraged to strengthen our intuition and to learn to recognize them by their energy, their spirit. Then, when we welcome them with open arms and hearts, we experience the miracle of their return.
Rev. Nedda Wittels, M.A., M.S., is a telepathic Animal Communicator, Spiritual Counselor, and Shamballa Master/Teacher, offering private sessions in communication and healing for humans and animals. She teaches workshops in Animal Communication, Communication with Nature, and Shamballa Multidimensional Healing. She can be reached at 860.651.5771, NeddaW@aol.com, and http://www.raysofhealinglight.com