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
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…