Transforming a closed heart to an open heart: Part 2

Last week I overheard two comments that triggered me deeply:

 The first was: “I hate like this pony; I cannot wait for this lease to be over so I can get a new one” 

And the second was: “I dislike animals and I can’t relax around them. I do not enjoy being in the barn at all. I am not scared, I just don’t like it.” 

I’m sure many of you who know me are smirking right now and assuming I became explosively reactive in these moments. As a Scorpio rising, I become extremely triggered when I feel that anything I love is being taken advantage of and it is my duty to pounce and react. Like a threatened scorpion. These comments didn’t directly threaten my animals, rather they challenged the healing purity of their energy. I bet you are picturing my wide black eyes, tense jaw, and small but mighty body waving my hands in the air forcefully (aka: yelling) back in rebuttal. Instead I went inside and paused. I gently asked my Scorpio side to stand down. 

Throughout the week, I needed extra time with my dog James and my horse Blue to really contemplate and process the complexity of these comments. What I have realized is that these words do not bring up anger or defensiveness in me, rather quite the opposite. They stir up the fire of compassion and the need for expansion of the heart. Underneath these comments is something I struggled with my entire life: fear…the fear of fully expressing myself to this world…and the fear as to how I would be received. 

People who fear animals or do not find them peaceful or relaxing are not bad people. Quite the opposite. These are people with closed hearts consumed by self doubt and shame. They have a fear of being seen, not by others, but by themselves for who they truly are. And for some, they may dislike the current version of themselves. Subconsciously, these people feel the essence of who they truly are is expansive and waiting to be revealed, and yet they are scared to fully express it to the world.  Being around an animal reminds them of this fear and this is where Ego sneaks in to keep them small. The uncomplicated way out is to say “I do not like animals. They make me uncomfortable.”  These are the people I love most, and the ones that deserve the purest of love.

Animals do not speak our language; they speak to our energy. They are not objects, rather living beings that I view as angels on earth. They can internally sense our vibration before we can even feel a rise in our heart rate. Animals always know. When you are in the presence of an animal, there is nowhere to hide. You cannot even hide from yourself. 

The energy of an animal is pure, nurturing, warm and charismatic. Animals are brought into our life to change us on a soul level. Some animals, such as Blue, have the ability to melt decades of ice and stone around a heart and finally allow it to open. For me it took a 1600-pound horse to do it. For others it may be a 15-pound cat, 50-pound dog and anything in between.

My animals have not only healed my heart, but by default they have healed the hearts of my three children. To this day it still amazes me how all three of my babies are so loving and kind to all living things. They came from my body during a time in my life when I was so shut down it's remarkable I could support, carry, and bring new life into this world. My animal medicine journey is proof that when I healed my maternal heart, it transcended to my children. The ice melted for all of us, and we can now live a harmonious life. 

 I invite you to surrender to an animal. I am living proof that they have the power to transform a closed heart to an open heart.