In Conversation with Penelope Smith

In Conversation with Penelope Smith

Author: MindBodySpirit.fm July 6, 2026 Duration: 55:50
What if the animals have been participating in humanity's great awakening all along and have simply been waiting for us to catch up? In this extraordinary episode, Julie, Karen, and Meredith sit down with Penelope Smith, the founding pioneer of interspecies telepathic communication, for a conversation that is as expansive as it is grounding. Drawing on more than fifty years of work in the field, Penelope illuminates the concept of the Great Turning, the essential shift from a way of living that extracts and depletes, toward one that sustains and reconnects, and reveals how animal communication sits at the very heart of that transformation. Together, they explore why animals don't carry the human burden of forgetting who they are, how the Great Turning is already present in those who simply live with kindness and presence, and why the antidote to overwhelm isn't more information, but deeper reconnection. The conversation moves into grief; the grief we hold for our animal companions, and the collective grief that may be quietly driving so much of the world's unrest and Penelope offers a perspective that gently dissolves the illusion of separation: that love doesn't wait on the other side of a rainbow bridge; it's right here, right now. This is one of those episodes that stays with you long after it ends. RESOURCES: You can learn more about Penelope Smith and her wonderful books and blog at her website: https://animaltalk.net/ Other mentions in this episode: Joanna Macy: Buddhist scholar and eco-activist; originator of the concept of The Great Turning The Great Turning:  Joanna Macy's framework describing humanity's essential shift from an extractive, life-depleting civilization toward a life-sustaining one Ram Dass / Be Here Now: Referenced by Julie as well as Penelope’s message at the end of the conversation. Do YOU want to be an animal communicator or learn more about Soul Level Intuitive Coaching®? Check out the new classes and Be Open Community offered by our teacher, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Danielle MacKinnon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It’s a great place to learn Energy Management, trusting yourself and even finding a great, supportive community.   YOUR HOSTS Julie is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Heart Animal Soul Professional Communicator, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Spirit Animal Sacred Alchemy Practitioner and Certified Trauma-Informed Grief Coach. She writes the column ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠“Trust the Animals”⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Substack and is a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. Find out more about her and her monthly Pet Loss Grief Circles at her website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.juliehirt-intuitive.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Karen is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Pangu Shengong (qigong) Instructor and Energy Healer. She is an End-of-life Companion Animal Doula through the UVM certificate program and a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. She is also on the board of NicaLove Animal Rescue and the Founder and a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.karendendysmith.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Meredith is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki Practitioner, and certified dog trainer with a focus on behavior modification and positive reinforcement. She is also a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.meredithtollison.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can find all of our episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MindBodySpirit.fm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Reach out to us with questions or comments via the Contact Us form on our website (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theanimalcommunicationpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about the fundraising work Karen, Meredith and Julie do with The Animal Communication...

Ever wondered what your pet is really thinking, or why a bird outside your window seems to pause just for you? The Animal Communication Podcast offers a rare window into those questions, guided by three experienced practitioners: Julie Hirt, Karen Dendy Smith, and Meredith Tollison. This isn't about training tips, but about connection. Each episode is built on their work as Soul Level Animal Communicators®, where they share candid stories and conversations that bridge our human world with the inner lives of animals. You'll hear them explore everyday mysteries-from puzzling behaviors and health concerns to the pure joy of play-as recounted by the animals themselves, both those sharing our homes and those in spirit. It’s a gentle, often surprising journey that redefines our relationship with all creatures, making it a unique listen for families, pet lovers, and anyone curious about the spiritual bonds we share. Presented by Mind Body Spirit.fm, this podcast invites you to slow down and listen in a whole new way.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Animal Communication Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Our Favorite Animal Movies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:09
Long before any of us had language for animal communication, we had movies. In this candid, unplanned conversation, Julie, Karen, and Meredith revisit the films and shows that first cracked them open to a deeper relation…
Psychopomps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:37
What does it mean for an animal to travel between worlds? In this episode, Julie, Karen, and Meredith explore the rich and ancient concept of the psychopomp — a guide of souls between the realms of the living and the dea…
Tips to Open Your Intuition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
Have you ever had a gut feeling you couldn't quite explain — and it turned out to be exactly right? In this episode of The Animal Communication Podcast, Julie, Meredith, and Karen pull back the curtain on their own intui…
The Two Crazy Cat Ladies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:49
Jae and Adrienne of Two Crazy Cat Ladies — the dynamic duo behind the Feline Essential supplement line — are back on the podcast, and they brought a lot of good stuff with them. In this conversation, Julie, Karen, and Me…
Mystical, Magical Creatures with Lisa Tully [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:19
What happens when the veil between worlds grows thin — and you're brave enough to step through? In this enchanting return visit, we welcome back Lisa Tully, animal healer and communicator from Ireland, for a conversation…
100th Episode with Listener Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:12
We made it — Episode 100! To celebrate this incredible milestone, Karen, Meredith, and Julie turned the microphone around and handed it straight to you — the listeners who have made this podcast what it is. In this joyfu…
The Power of Animal Communication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:07
What if the real power of animal communication isn't about receiving messages at all — but about being changed by love? In this episode, Julie, Karen, and Meredith explore how the unconditional love of animals creates th…
Talking with Death: Dr. Isla Fishburn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:06
In this deeply moving conversation, the hosts of The Animal Communication Podcast welcome Dr. Isla Fishburn of Kachina Canine - intuitive medicine teacher, shamanic practitioner, grief tender, and author - for a conversa…
Darkness as a Doorway with Sandra Ingerman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:43
Sandra Ingerman has spent 46 years teaching people how to move through the hardest passages of their lives - not by fighting the darkness, but by learning to trust what lives inside it. In this episode, the author of Wal…
What Spring Teaches Us: Awakening, Transformation & Trust [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
Spring is far more than a change in season. It's an invitation to awaken, transform, and trust the process, even when a late frost takes the wind right out of your sails. In this episode, Meredith, Karen, and Julie explo…