Why True Kinship?
I’d like to share a true story with you about my early days in learning animal communication.
I’d like to share a true story with you about my early days in learning animal communication.
In those real life classes, there would be a group of us — mostly strangers and womxn — sitting in a circle, notebooks and pens in hand. The animal instructor was in the middle of the circle and the human facilitator was in the circle with us.
The human teacher would at last gave us our instructions. We were to ask the animal what s/he had for dinner last night, and we were to get as much detail as possible.
I could feel the tension rising in the group (or was it my own that was so palpable?) as I settled in to ask that question and get the ‘right’ answer.
Vividly I recall when the exercise was finished and we all HAD to share our answers with the class. The relief I felt when someone got the same answer I did (or at least a similar one) and the stomach-churning angst I had when no one received the same answer I had.
Sound familiar? Let me know if you’ve experienced that.
20/20 HINDSIGHT
With years of hindsight, I now realize the way I was taught animal communication and the way I taught it for years was to focus on the experience of the human, to make sure the human felt comfortable and was able to get the ‘right’ answers. Yes, the animal was considered, but only AFTER the human’s work was examined, considered and critiqued. Definitely a hierarchal pattern there.
I’m not saying the teaching style of highlighting the human experience over the animal’s experience was deliberate. It is the natural result given the society and systems in which we live.
I am saying there’s a different way.
The difference for me began when I made the shift of consciousness from ‘animal communication, animal communicator’ to being in true kinship with the animals — in other words moving from ownership to kinship.
Now for my favorite thing about true kinship…..The BIG AHA came when I recognized……
TRUE KINSHIP WITH ANIMALS IS ABOUT PARTICIPATION, NOT CONTROL
It is the open and trusting bond forged and tended between the different species when each species has the freedom to participate as, if and how they see fit.
To fully participate in true kinship it’s important to know yourself. One way is to know what lenses you’re looking through with the animal. Are you experiencing your relationship through the lens of caretaker? Rescue-er? Savior? Trainer? Nurse? Playmate? Once you’re aware of the role you present, puzzle pieces start coming together as why the animal may be behaving in certain ways.
This is certainly a different way of looking at relationship with animals, isn’t it? If you’re ready to dive move into this way of viewing our relationship with animals, be sure to check out my blog and my Instagram posts.
Janet Roper is an animist, elder and communicator and for 20+ years has helped people restructure their relationship with animals. Two of her most popular resources are her monthly newsletter and her 5 email introductory series to her signature program Deepen.