Animals Of The Soul

Much of Native American spirituality has been forced into the preconceived molds of Western religions. This book unlocks the rich spiritual heritage of the Oglala Sioux. Black Elk, the legendary Lakota holy man and spiritual leader, chose Dr. Brown to create a literary record to preserve teachings of his people. Illustrations.

Stories of love, companionship, and spiritual gifts from our animal friends.

The author invites the reader to explore "the wide and enriching horizons of human relationships with animals."

As profiled in the New York Times Magazine… Based on the author’s twenty-five years of experience as a veterinarian and veterinary behaviorist, The Soul of All Living Creatures delves into the inner lives of animals – from whales, wolves, and leopards to mice, dogs, and cats – and explores the relationships we forge with them. As an emergency room clinician four years out of veterinary school, Dr. Vint Virga had a life-changing experience: he witnessed the power of simple human contact and compassion to affect the recovery of a dog struggling to survive after being hit by a car. Observing firsthand the remarkably strong connection between humans and animals inspired him to explore the world from the viewpoint of animals and taught him to respect the kinship that connects us. With The Soul of All Living Creatures, Virga draws from his decades in veterinary practice to reveal how, by striving to perceive the world as animals do, we can enrich our own appreciation of life, enhance our character, nurture our relationships, improve our communication with others, reorder our values, and deepen our grasp of spirituality. Virga discerningly illuminates basic traits shared by both humans and animals and makes animal behavior meaningful, relevant, and easy to understand. Insightful and eloquent, The Soul of All Living Creatures offers an intimate journey into the lives of our fellow creatures and a thought-provoking promise of what we can learn from spending time with them.

A stunning collection of animal portraits from award-winning photographer Robert Bahou

Do animals have souls? Some of our greatest thinkers—Aristotle, Plato, Thomas Aquinas—and countless animal lovers have been obsessed with this question for thousands of years. Now New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz looks for an answer. With his signature wisdom, humor, and clarity, Katz relates the stories of the animals he lives with on Bedlam Farm and finds remarkable kinships at every turn. Whether it is beloved sheepdog Rose’s brilliant and methodical herding ability, Mother the cat’s keen mousing instincts, or Izzy’s canine compassion toward hospice patients, Katz is mesmerized to see in them individual personas and sparks of self-awareness. Soul of a Dog will resonate with anyone who loves dogs, cats, or other animals—and who wonders about the spirits that animate them and the deepening hold they have on our lives.

Dr. Brown is a renowned scholar and author of the bestselling The Sacred Pipe, in which he recounted the secret rites of the Oglala Sioux as told to him by Black Elk. In this work he describes the animal world of the Lakota people--a work fundamental to a legitimate spiritual ecology.

A guide to discovering the spiritual agreements between our souls and those of our animal companions • 2021 Coalition of Visionary Resources Gold Award • Explains how animals have physical or behavioral issues to evolve their souls as well as help our soul’s evolution and release past-life karma • Describes what happens energetically and spiritually with animals in the weeks before they transition and during their passing • Includes practical instructions for identifying the different types of animal soul contracts and aligning with them to assist your shared evolutionary journey Animal lovers are extraordinary. Despite awareness that we will probably outlive our beloved pets, we are still drawn, time and time again, to the connection, joy, and unconditional love that come with sharing our lives, homes, and laps with animals. Many of us feel something deeper than just companionship with our animal friends--a heart-to-heart connection felt all the way to the soul level. Revealing the higher purpose and soul mission behind our relationships with our animal companions, Tammy Billups explores the spiritual contracts that are created when a human bonds with an animal and shows how we come into each other’s lives for a reason. Providing real-life examples, Billups explains why animals choose, at the soul level, to have certain perceived negative experiences, such as physical or behavioral issues, to evolve their souls, clear karma, and help our soul’s evolution. She shows that human and animal souls orchestrate every experience and interaction that holds potential for transformation and healing, including the final transition. She demonstrates the inner dynamics of the animal-human relationship to help animal lovers understand their soul contracts with their pets. The inspirational, real-life examples of animal-human tandem healings that Billups facilitated identify the soul contracts within each pairing that transformed feelings of grief, loss, abandonment, betrayal, trauma, abuse, and anxiety. The author reveals how animals we have previously loved and shared our lives with come back, either on the spirit level or reincarnated in a new animal form, to support us. Offering peace and hope to those who’ve lost beloved animal companions, she describes what she’s witnessed during healing sessions with animals in the weeks before they transition and during their passing. Billups also includes practical instructions for identifying different types of animal soul contracts and connecting with and enlisting the help of your light team or spirit guides. By discovering the soul agreements that underlie our animal partnerships, we can find meaning in the issues that arise with our animals and ourselves, support our souls’ mutual evolution, and allow the soul contracts to weave their spiritual magic in the animal-human relationship.