Why Animal Communication Is Needed Now

Why Animal Communication Is Needed Now

Author: MindBodySpirit.fm August 10, 2026 Duration: 55:31
This week we're asking the question that we’re passionate about: why does animal communication matter right now, in this moment, in this world? Not as a curiosity, and never as a party trick, but as something sacred and necessary. Each of us comes to this work from a different place, so we start there, with our own why: Meredith's lifelong pull toward listening and counseling, now finding its fullest expression through the animals; Karen's story of being woken up again and again since a childhood encounter with a gorilla at the zoo, and how reconnecting with the animals got her out of bed on the hardest days; and Julie's experience of collective grief and unmooring since her dad's passing, and the sense that the animals aren't ignoring any of it, they're strengthening the invitation to come back. Karen shares what disconnection from animals and nature actually costs us physically and energetically, right down to the organs and meridians. Meredith traces the thread through mythology and folklore, and tells the story of a hummingbird in her backyard that reminded her that nature doesn't need to follow the rules we've built around it. We talk honestly about skepticism, what it means to ask someone for just a tiny thread of potential, and why "proof" might be a standard the collective is finally outgrowing. There's a detour into a lecture on the difference between knowledge, knowing, and wisdom, and how that maps onto Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine balance. And, of course, we come back to our own animals and what they're teaching us this season: Lukas asking Julie to rest, play, and trust more; Barnabas showing Meredith a whole new level of calm in the face of backyard chaos; and Karen's cats reflecting the steadiness she's finally found amid a big life transition. Our animals aren't waiting for us to be ready. They're already communicating. The question is simply, are we listening? 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...

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
Day Schildkret on Ritual and Pet Loss [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:52
This week on the Animal Communication Podcast, we sat down with Day Schildkret, author of Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change and creator of Morning Altars, to explore why ritual matters…
Meet Our Producer - Tony! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
This week, we flip the mic around and welcome someone who usually stays behind the scenes: Tony, our audio editor for the past three seasons and over 100 episodes. Tony has spent every week listening closely, smoothing o…
Solstices and Equinoxes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:35
In this episode, we take a journey through the ancient Wheel of the Year, exploring the solstices, equinoxes, and the lesser-known cross-quarter days (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) that ancient cultures acros…
Kara Daniels - Gaia's Upgrade: Reweaving the New Earth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:38
Something stirred in the fall of 2024, and many of us felt it without having a name for it. In this return conversation with Kara Daniels, founder of Deep Root Connections, we find the shape of what that was. Kara brings…
A Doorway to Your Destiny: Animal Wisdom with Kim Shotola [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:05
This week on the Animal Communication Podcast, we welcome Kim Shotola of The Lightfoot Way, Julie's very first animal communication teacher from way back in 2018. Kim shares how her heart horse Tara set her on a decades-…
No Bad Cats with Lora Lee Medley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:16
This week, Lora Lee Medley, founder of Moon Mojo Feline, intuitive animal communicator, and certified holistic cat practitioner, joins the podcast for a conversation that reminds us there are no bad cats, only cats respo…
Intuitive Katja [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:03
In this episode of The Animal Communication Podcast, Julie, Karen, and Meredith sit down with Intuitive Katja Wostradowski, a long-time friend and colleague rooted in Nordic ancestry, now living and working in the Sacred…
Books That Influenced Our Path [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:28
What books shaped the animal communicators we are today? In this episode, Julie, Karen, and Meredith take a warm and wonderfully nostalgic trip down memory lane, sharing the childhood and young adult books that, looking…
How Animals Help Us Start Over [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:37
What if your animals have been guiding you toward your true path all along, even when you didn't know it yet? In this episode of The Animal Communication Podcast, Julie, Karen, and Meredith get personal, sharing the wind…
In Conversation with Penelope Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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,…