UNVEILING Hidden Wisdom: The POWER of Our Animal Companions!- with Alicia Sweezer EP 378

You know you need something, you're just not sure what. You've been listening, you're doing the work, but there's still this feeling that you're circling the same place, like you're waiting for the thing that finally moves you. Now maybe you've thought about working with me one-on-one. Maybe something's held you back, the timing, the money, or you're just not sure you're ready yet. I get that. And I want you to know there's still a place for you. I built a resource for exactly this moment, guided meditations for when the waves hit and you just need to breathe. Workbooks to help you get out of your head and onto the page, ebooks on what near-death experiences tell us about the people we've lost, and whether they're really gone, a full course for widows and widowers who are ready to find their way back to living, and a full course for the evidence of the afterlife. And all of it is available for pay what you want. Nobody gets turned away because of money. I think these resources are valuable, but I don't want to hold them back because you don't have the money to pay for them. You don't have to wait until you're ready for coaching. The next step might be a lot smaller than you think. To find out, go to grief2growth.com/store. That's grief, the numeral 2, growth.com/store. And check out the resources I've made for you. Close your eyes and imagine. What are the things in life that cause us the greatest pain? The things that bring us grief are challenges, challenges designed to help us grow, to ultimately become what we were always meant to be. We feel like we've been buried. But what if, like a seed, we've been planted? And having been planted, we grow to become a mighty tree. Now, open your eyes. Open your eyes to this way of viewing life. Come with me as we explore your true, infinite, eternal nature. This is Grief to Growth. And I am your host, Brian D Smith. Welcome to another episode of Grief 2 Growth, and I'm your host, Brian D Smith. Whether you're joining us for the first time or you're a longtime listener, I'm thrilled to have you here with us today. Here on Grief 2 Growth, we explore life's toughest challenges. We strive to understand who we are, where we came from, why we're here, and where we're going. Today we have a really unique guest. Her name is Alicia Sweezer. Alicia defies conventional labels, seamlessly blending her background as a wildlife biologist, specializing in endangered species with her intuitive abilities as a scientific psychic. As an animal communicator and medium, she bridges the gap between humans and their animal companions, offering insights that can transform lives. Alicia's journey is nothing short of inspirational. She's overcome significant adversity, including skepticism about her career, the aftermath of multiple traumatic brain injuries, and the profound impact of narcissistic abuse. And through these challenges, she's emerged as a beacon of resilience and empowerment. In her work as an intuitive life coach, mentor, psychic, and a two-time bestselling author, Alicia helps others discover their authentic selves and unlock their true potential. Today, we're going to explore surprising ways our animal, uh, companions can impact our health, how animal communication can enhance happiness and wellbeing, and how our energy and mood can influence our pets. We'll also delve into choosing the right animal communicator to bring peace and clarity to your home. So by the end of this episode, you should gain valuable insights into how Alicia's unique approach can foster healing and fulfilling relationships with your animal companions. To continue the conversation and connect with others in our community, visit grieftogrowth.com/community. And if you're watching this on YouTube, make sure that you subscribe. Thanks for being here, Alicia, and welcome to Grief 2 Growth.

Thank you so much, Brian, for having me. I am super, super honored and excited to be here.

Yeah, I'm, I'm really excited to talk to you as well. I always love talking to my intuitive friends, my medium friends, but animal communicators are very special. And we talked earlier, we have a connection. You interned at the Cincinnati Zoo where my daughter Shayna interned, uh, actually the summer before her passing, so we've got that in common. So tell me how you got into animal communication.

Um, so it's, it's a pretty funny story is I was actually born with my gifts to talk to animals, but I didn't always know it. Like I was one of those kids who was always outside, was always really good with animals. Like I just thought that's how I was. And I always wanted to be a wildlife biologist. Like that was my dream. And I was able to achieve that as a career. And I thought talking to animals was a wildlife biologist trait, meaning I thought all wildlife biologists talk to animals. And I was pretty far along in my career when one day I was in the field with a group of other biologists. We were tagging some birds and I was like, you guys don't talk to the birds that we're just tagging? And then they all looked at me like I was a little crazy. And I was like, all right, all right, I'm gonna go stand by the truck. Because when you're born with something, you don't know that it's different. And when you go into a field that is all animal-based, like, It's just this assumption you make that everybody has the same gift, but it's not actually true. So, yeah, it was pretty funny. And then, as you said, I received a traumatic brain injury, and I wasn't able to be a biologist anymore. And so I was like, okay, how— it opened up this really long healing journey, right, where I was able to learn about other modalities, other healing tools, that sort of thing, learning to listen to my body, how to heal her, and really open and develop my gifts. And so that's what started. I was like, okay, then I received the intuitive message of like, you're going to start to do this as a business. And I was like, I'm going to do what now? Because the truth is, I don't know anything. Like, I've taught myself everything along the way. I didn't know anything about running a business, how to start one. Any of the things I've done, I've taught myself. And so that's just a little inspiration to anyone out there. If you think you can't do it, you can. You can, you can, you can. Um, and so then I started to use my animal communication to help pet parents and their animals in all kinds of situations, you know, create better relationships, provide healing, and really get peace of mind. Because if you're an animal person, they're our whole world. And when we, when something's going on with them and we don't know what it is, it just, it's, it's really challenging for us. So it was not a straight line. It was a very curvy line.

So you always had this, uh, affinity for animals, and you said you were born with the ability to communicate with animals. Um, did your, did your traumatic brain injury, did that enhance your abilities in any way, or did that change your abilities?

It didn't. I know for a lot of people who suffer, you know, TBIs, it does do that for them. Like, all of a sudden they're super intuitive, or they, you know, are a medium, and, and that sort of thing. And for me, it didn't change any of it. Um, I I have, uh, there's a lot that goes on with it as far as the healing and the symptoms. And, you know, the last one I had was in 2006, and I still have daily symptoms of it. So it's more of a management that comes with those also versus the gifts that it can provide. And, um, but for me, it didn't, it didn't change any of the things that I could do.

Yeah. So when you, you, when you say you talk to animals, we all think of Dr. Dolittle. Um, when you say you, what does it mean to talk to an animal? You don't verbally speak with them, I assume.

I mean, I do, like, you know, my kitty Romeo, right? Like, I talk to him all the time.

Sure. Yeah.

But when, when I'm doing a session or talking to them psychically, it's exactly as I'm talking to you right now. So it's, it's except sometimes it's verbal because I'm doing a three-way conversation. So like, as I'm talking, so you were my client, we were in a session, I'd be talking to you and psychically the animals talking to me at the same time. And then I'll deliver the messages. And then sometimes I'll pause the human, the pet parent, and be like, okay, we've got bigger sentences, paragraphs, some emotion, and I'll, I'll be quiet. And, you know, sometimes I talk verbally because we're just chatting. And then I deliver the messages. So it's kind of this three-way conversation. But for me, it's exactly the same kind of conversation I'm having with anybody else. That's how my gift shows up.

So what, what type of animals have you spoken with?

I have done horses, cats, dogs, birds, fish, lizards, I'm trying to think if there's— there— I won't do— I have the ability, but I— not spiders. I can't. I'm terrified of spiders.

That's interesting.

Yeah. I'm like, I can't do spiders. Which in the intuitive world, like spiders are such a— they're a pretty big deal, right? They come with messages and affinity. Like it's a whole thing. Spiders aren't— I'm like, can't, can't do it. One of my spirit guides is actually a spider, which if you don't think the universe has a sense of humor, It does, because it was my first psychic animal messenger that showed up was a 6-foot spider. And I was like, are you kidding me?

Wow.

Yes, he's very sweet though. I named him Fred, uh, because that was like the least threatening thing I can come up with. Usually they come with a name and you ask them, but I was like, um, so, uh, so basically anything but spiders.

Interesting. Do you think that's a past life thing or something?

I think it's both. Like, I've cleared it, but also, like, it's a, uh, one, obviously, you know, the whole death factor. But, um, it's the way they walk. Like, even land crabs, if you ever see, like, there's this, uh, it's called, like, the giant coconut crab. And the way the legs— I can't, I can't with the legs. I can't do it.

Yeah, that's really interesting. I know a lot of people have aversion to spiders and snakes. So, but you're— are you cool with snakes?

Yes, it's usually one or the other. Even in biology, like, even in wildlife biologists, it's usually one or the other.

Really?

Yes, that we're— it's either spiders or snakes. So, um, it's, it's pretty interesting how that shows up. But yeah, snakes I'm totally fine with.

Okay. And how did you make the transition? Now, you know, I know you're, you're a wildlife biologist, you're trained in that. That's, that's a lot of work. And I know you had the TBI that forced you to make the transition, but how did you decide, I'm going to become an animal communicator? Did you know any animal communicators?

I didn't. I still don't know very many, and I've been doing this for years. Um, it was— everything I do is intuitively led, so it's divine. Like, I get messages, it says, go do this, I go do it. Um, and that doesn't mean by any means that it's easy or comfortable. Like, because there's a lot of that belief in the spiritual world of like, it's always easy when you're trying to manifest. Like, no, there's bumpy roads. It's not always unicorns and rainbows. And because, like I said, I got the message of, like, you're going to start to do this professionally to help people. And I had to figure out how to do that. Like, I had to figure out how to build a website. I had to figure out how to market. I had to, you know, figure out how to, like, emotionally and mentally start to say that in a world— like, even in the psychic world, sometimes animal communication is considered weird. Yeah, you know, like it's, it's this extra layer of weird that people see. Um, so being able to— because that's a lot of things that people really struggle with in any profession they have is being visible, right? Like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna put myself out there to do anything, and what are people gonna think? So as much as there was a, uh, this world kind of experience of the logistics of how do you build the business and that kind of stuff, there is a tremendous amount of personal development that goes along with it as well, to be able to stand up and say, this is what I do, and have people's opinions in the quite variety of what they are, and really just hold to of like, this is what I know I'm meant to do. And that's what really steers the ship through all of that change.

Yeah, that's, that's a really great point. And following your intuition, as you said, it can— it doesn't mean things are necessarily going to be easy. Um, so I'm glad that you, you cleared up that, that misconception. And I— it's funny because as we're talking, I'm just thinking, just like a week or two ago, I saw, um, a headline come across and say scientists now believe that animals may, um, may have consciousness. And I'm like, okay, these scientists are pretty slow, aren't they? How do you possibly think the animals don't have consciousness?

Yeah, it's— well Humans, you know, humans really believe that they're at the top of the pyramid, right? And that we're the only species that can be sentient, meaning like that we know we were conscious, we know who we are. They don't believe other species have that. And that's just human arrogance and human ego, right? Like we know, right? And it's— I agree, they're very far behind. I have a copy of a National Geographic I picked up probably a year or two ago, and it was talking about, uh, scientists who had done all these studies to determine intelligence among animals. And the, the, one of the things, the challenges that is that we're comparing animal intelligence to human intelligence, right? Right. Like we're setting, going, oh, well, these are the standards. Well, there's a lot of stuff that animals do that humans don't have any ability to do. And it's funny, I just, um, I just had a third book come out. It's called Paws and Purpose. It's a collaborative animal stories book. So you can get on Amazon, anyone wants it, all the proceeds go to charity. But that's how I ended my chapter in it, where I was like, if you think the humans are the smartest, you know, species on the planet, I can tell you that's not true. Have you ever tried to build a bird's nest with just your mouth? Right. Like the geometry of what animals can create. Humans can't reproduce.

Yeah, I'm really glad that you said that because I kind of said the same thing because someone made a comment, well, you know, crows can count up to 4 or something. And I'm like, that's, that's impressive, that's really cool. But animals do things every day that we have no clue about. Going back to spiders, uh, I had a spider that would build a web on my deck every night, and then every day, every morning, it would tear it down, and the next day would build it again. And just watching a spider build a web, there's something going on there that we have no clue about.

Yeah. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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And they're not like, particularly with spiders, they're not taught that from like a spider dad who's like, listen, we're gonna, you know, teach you how to build this web like a dad might teach his child how to drive a car, right? It's like they're just born with these innate abilities and they function in this world. But as humans, we go, oh, well, it's not as valid, right? Like we count being able to be, to use tools as one of the, um, standards of intelligence, right? So when, uh, gorillas and chimpanzees, when they started to use sticks and that, it's like, oh, that counts then, that counts as being intelligent. And I'm like, the only thing that saves us is our opposable thumbs, you know, because there is a lot of animals that they had— like even Romeo, I'm like, he's a 10-month-old kitty. If he had opposable thumbs, I'm pretty sure I would not be in charge in this house.

Yeah, that's, that's another really good point. So when it comes to our animal companions, in what ways do they influence us that people might not be aware of?

Um, oh gosh, so many ways. Okay, my brain just went like 9,000 places and I was like, um, so one, they have this healing ability of just— we, and, you know, with the hustle and bustle of our world and how it's getting faster and more, you know, disconnected with technology. Um, when we're around an animal, our body changes. So like, if you know, like they've done, and they've done the studies, right? Cause we got it. It's gotta be that scientific part of like, when you pet a cat, your heartbeat slows down, your blood pressure goes down, this kind of thing that it, it changes that. And as well as like, they bring so much joy. Right? Like whether you're a dog person, cat person, a horse person, like when you, when you go home or you go to the barn, there's just a, your, your, what happens to your body just changes when you're in their presence. And, uh, that's the part we don't really talk about, right? Because it's, it's quiet and we only notice the things that are loud. And there's so much that goes on in the quiet of this world that just goes unnoticed. And it really, really changes things that we don't even recognize where we're like, oh, okay. And that's one of the things, you know, energetically, like I teach my clients or that I talk about is, you know, our energy affects our animals as well, just like their energy affects us. And if we're not paying attention to that sort of thing, the relationship we have with them can be totally different than what we want it to be. And, um, and experiences we have. Because like one of the questions I get asked all the time is like, how does my animal know that we're going to the vet? Like, I don't even have the carrier out yet and they're hiding under the bed. And I, and so I teach, like, I walk them through this exercise of like, okay, take a deep breath. Now I want you to think about taking your animal to the vet and then notice what happens in your body. A lot of them get tense. Well, your animal felt that because for animals, the universal, I mean for everyone, but humans have kind of don't pay attention to the level, but energy is the universal language. So animal behavior is based on energy because everyone, he's like, oh, you track the, you know, the animal behavior, right? But if we go deeper and we say it's the energy that actually dictates whatever behavior they're going to have. So if they felt you get stressed, they don't exactly know that it's the vet, but they're like, ooh, something is up. I'm gonna go hide.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

You know, so it's the same thing, like if you're going to take your dog for a walk and they think of taking their dog for the walk and dog comes running in like, oh, are we going? Because they felt that like fun part, that fun energy show up in their pet parent. And, um, so energy really dictates even in people, but people don't pay attention as much. Um, energy is what dictates. So many things.

That's really interesting because, you know, we always try to figure it out from, uh, I guess a rational point of view. Forgetting about that there is energy. So like with our dog, she'll know if we're, if we're leaving, you know, to go on a trip or something, uh, and before we start packing, it's like, you know, because you're— well, she didn't see us put clothes in the suitcase, you know, she didn't— she doesn't know we're going to be gone overnight, but somehow she just seems to sense that. Uh, well, my wife is getting ready to take her for a walk, you know, before she even sees the shoes, she's like, she's— she gets all hyper and But again, we, we discount that. We said, well, it— they must be seeing something on my face, or they're seeing the shoes, or whatever. But I, I can tell you it happens before they see that stuff.

Yep, because the second you have the thought, the energy in your body changes, and that's what they pick up on.

Yeah, yeah. So I guess, would you say it's— that's also similar with dogs knowing when you're going to come home?

Absolutely. Like, they— and it's interesting, it's— they've done studies of dogs and cats, and, um, I know all the dog people out there might get upset. It's just one study, so, you know, take it or leave it. Um, that cats are actually better at tracking when their, uh, pet parents are gonna come home.

Hmm.

And, uh, and, and regardless of the time of day, right? Because we'll try and rationalize and be like, well, I come home from work at 5 o'clock every day, of course they're gonna, but animals, whether you're they know whether or not, um, you are changing the time of day. They know when you're coming home. So I have this one client, because like, this is gonna really— I think it's gonna help explain. Um, I have one client and he's a dog dad. He has this amazing dog who— I— we're lucky this dog doesn't have thumbs because he was already getting through two doors and out of the condo. Like, he was unlocking and opening doors to escape. So he's very, very smart. His name is Boomer. He's the best dog. And the connection he has with his, his, you know, dog dad was so strong that even when they weren't together, there was challenges. So the dog had really severe separation anxiety. And when I started to work with them, I could see the energetic connection with the human. And when The dad was at work having a really stressful day. The dog at home got worse because the, the mom, dog mom, the wife was still at home and she could see that. And so I taught him some stress techniques, right? Like, hey, when this is happening, and then also some training and techniques to do with, with Boomer when he started to get— I was like, we have these special toys and this kind of stuff. But when they start to see this energy, like he wasn't even home, he's across town having a challenging day and his dog at home is like, My dad's in trouble. I need to fix it for him. So it's not even a distance kind of thing of like, oh, they can only feel us within 10 feet. That connection is so strong that it can affect you anywhere. And so, yeah, you don't even— so the same thing, like, he knew when his dad was coming home because he could feel him. They feel us. They know.

Yeah, my dog, I take a walk every morning, and my wife She, she lets her out first thing, you know, because I'm out. And my wife will raise the shade in the, in the living room so when I walk by or when I'm coming up, my dog, 5 minutes before I get here, and she doesn't know what time I left for the walk or how long, she, she goes to the window and she waits for me. Um, and I know, I think they've done studies and they've shown it's not, it's not the time of day, it's not that they can hear your car, you know, all the things that people try to rationalize. They sense that we're coming home.

Yep, absolutely.

Where was Boomer going when he was trying to get out?

Oh, he— it was so, um, he's such a sweet dog. He had previous owners and he was abandoned, and so he was trying to get back to those previous owners. Oh, even though he was in a forever home, he didn't understand, like, no, these aren't your people anymore, because he was just flat out like— it wasn't like he was, um Oh gosh, what's the word? Uh, at a shelter, right? Where he was taken, like he was just abandoned. Oh wow. And so he was like, I've gotta find my people. I've gotta— he didn't understand that they left. And so I had some conversations with him because a lot of it is basically like counseling, right? Like I facilitate the humans, I facilitate the, the, the animals and got him to understand of like, no, you are safe here now, this place, these people. And he was like, oh, okay. All right. And so that escaping went away. That behavior stopped because he now fully understood that, okay, those aren't my people anymore. These people are here, even though these were great pet parents and they told him all the time, right, you're my forever home. We love you so much. He still didn't understand. And that happens a lot. I have a lot of clients that they shower, you know, on their, their animal and they say it's forever home and they still struggle with separation anxiety. So when we can do that healing work and have those conversations, it changes it. Mm-hmm.

So why do you think it is that you're able to communicate that to, to the pet and sometimes the pet parent is not able to make that, that communication?

It's really the third-party thing that when someone unbiased is saying it, because I was having this conversation a couple of weeks ago with someone, I was like, I think it's the unbiased part. Like, right, all of us who have ever been married or whatever, like your partner, you'll tell them something. And they are like, but if their friend tells them it, then they're like, oh, no, this is the greatest thing ever. And the partner is like, I told you that a week ago. What are we even doing here?

Yeah.

So I really think it comes down to that, because I'm not tied into the energy, right? I'm not tied. There's no bias for me. There's no investment in trying to make them believe something. I come in with a clean, clean energy and as a third party and be like, look, this is the truth. These are your forever home. Um, and because another example is, uh, there's a dog dad, he works with Great Danes and he has Great Danes, and they took a Great Dane in and she didn't have— it wasn't a traumatic, uh, change. It was just her previous owner moved across the country and he's like, I can't take her, right? It's not like taking a Chihuahua. It's a Great Dane, right? When he was moving to California, he was like I can't take her. So there wasn't any of this really traumatic abandoning or anything like that. But he, Trinity, went to live with, you know, these new people, and they're amazing pet owners. Like, they are just amazing. And they told her all the time, and she struggled. He, she was always still with the dog dad. And we had a conversation with her, um, and I did some, and it was actually at a live event I was doing. I volunteered for the Arizona Animal Welfare League. They did a big charity dog walk, and they asked me to come. And so it was like crazy. There's thousands of people, and like, I'm doing these really short questions. So it's not even like it was in this really quiet kind of how it is normally done virtually. And so even in the few minutes I had with her, I was like, no, this is, this is the truth. This is, you know, that's not there. Um, and now they go to the dog park, she's off running, she's not stuck to his side, she's free, she feels safe, secure. So I really, I really think it's just the third party. It's someone unbiased outside of the relationship validating what's happening for them, right? Like really seeing and hearing them and then showing them what else is possible.

Yeah, wow, that's awesome. So I know you, you're medium also, uh, with people. Um, do you communicate with animals that have transitioned? Okay, yep.

So I'm a medium for people and animals, yes.

Okay, and so when do, when do pet parents call you in, in terms of like mediumship with their animals? What types of issues are, are they're dealing with.

Yeah, it's a— it's a— so I sort of get— I get a lot of like end-of-life transitions, um, but also as far as just the, the very, uh, direct mediumship, a lot of times we have so many questions after the fact, like, was it the right time? Did I do the right thing? There's so much guilt and worry, and particularly if there was any financial challenges, right? Like you couldn't afford the treatment That makes such a huge difference for us humans, love, because we're like, what if I could have had the thousands of dollars for that? Like, would they still be here? It's all the what-ifs and the would-haves. And are they doing okay over there? You know, are they going to be able to come visit? Those kind of things. And those are just— they're so very dear to my heart. And because it does make a difference. Like, there was this one woman at another live event. It's so funny. 2 years. 2 years she has struggled with the questions and the guilt and the shame and the sadness because she had to help her cat transition, right? She had to have him euthanized.

Right.

And she was like, did I do the right— all of that, 2 years. And in 10 minutes, we had a session, right? I was like, this, this, this. And she was— because here's the thing, I can't make this stuff up that I say. Like, my imagination is not that good. I am super analytical. So when I am giving you the messages and they're like that, no one else else knows that except me and my cat. Like I said, my imagination is not that good. Yeah. So, but now, like, her whole life has changed. She's like, I can work better. I'm happier because the messages that were delivered, like, yes, you did it at the right time. Because one of the things with our animals is when their soul contract is up, because they have soul contracts just like people, and a lot of times they can't transition their body. Right. As humans, we try to prolong everything as much as we can, right? Animals are very matter-of-fact about life and death. They're like, nope, I know I'm coming in for this much time. They're going to miss us and that sort of thing. But it's very clear to them, they don't view death like people do. And so they are grateful when we can help their body transition. They are grateful when we can give them the gift of being able to move on.

Yeah, that's a really good point. And I hadn't really thought of it that way before. But it's almost like You know, they could be stuck here and we can keep taking them to the vet and give them the treatments, um, because that's what we, that's what we expect to do for a human. And I've got a friend that's going through this, you know, right now where they're, they have a dog who's, um, not doing well and the vet tells, oh, $10,000 a year for these medications that you have to give them 25 pills a day and maybe you can keep your dog around for, you know, another year. And that's— I just feel so sorry for anybody in that situation because I think there's going to be guilt if you let them go.

And that's one of the, you know, benefits of animal communication. I can let you know what your pet wants. Sometimes they want the treatments and sometimes they don't. And sometimes, because, you know, I'm a medical intuitive also, it's like, you know, this treatment, but not that one. Like, we can run through the options and be like, okay, they're willing to do this, try this for a little bit, but these other ones, They don't, they're not on board with that.

Yeah.

So, and because when you have that, 'cause information changes everything, right? In our world, information is everything. So if you know that, okay, my dog doesn't wanna do this, so the time, it changes the time you have left with them. So if, 'cause that's one of the things I tell people, I was like, please don't wait. Please don't wait. Because if you get a diagnosis or something is challenging, you're gonna go spend lots of money at the vet. You know, come see me, 'cause we all work in conjunction. Like I never say, see me instead of a vet. Like we're, we're all tools in your toolbox. Right. And, and it's like, if I can give you the information to then go to your vet and be like, okay, these are the things we're looking at, these are the things we wanna try, it gets us farther faster. And if, you know, you get a diagnosis and you're like, okay, my cat doesn't wanna do these treatments. So the next, say, 3 months that you have left, that 3 months is completely different. The worry is gone. The what-ifs, the like, oh, what am I— should I be doing the treatment? Should I not? You now have 3 months of peace and calmness with your animal to have that time at the end be completely different than the worry and stress and the what-ifs. Like, that's, that's what I just— whether it's me or any other animal communicator, like, that's what animal communication can offer, is the possibility of that.

Great. That's, that's, I think that's excellent. I think it's really needed. And let's talk more because you mentioned that animals don't view death the way humans do. So what do you mean by that?

They, you know, as humans, we come in and we do everything we can to prevent and prolong death, right? Like, we're like, we want to live as long as possible. We want, and understandably, like, who wouldn't? And when it gets to the end, right, like, say someone has cancer or any of these other challenges, and, and, you know, society says, well, you should do all the chemo, you should do all of these kind of things, you should, you should. And when people make a different choice, they're really shunned about it. Like, they, they receive a lot of judgment. Like, I have one friend, she has breast cancer, and she, you know, she, and she's very natural, like, she's holistic, she's super healthy with, you know, she's vegan, all that kind of stuff. And She, um, she did all the things naturally to, uh, shrink the tumor before, and then she had the surgery and, you know, so it's like, but she struggled with society and a lot of people's opinions and, and that kind of thing of like, you should do all of these things because don't you wanna live? We have this idea like we're gonna live forever, right? Like this, this human part of us and animals, they're just very clear. They're like, look, I know I come in with a, a start date and an end date, and when that end date is here, I'm going to miss you. And I love you all. And I'm gonna cross over and I got other stuff to do. Yeah, there's not this, we need to prolong it. And this— they don't have the belief around it. It just doesn't exist for them.

So what would an animal afterlife look like? Because, you know, again, I think one of the reasons we have so many issues in our society with death is we view death as the end. And for humans and for animals, and probably especially for animals, because there's still a big question: do dogs go to heaven? Which is just ridiculous, but people still ask that question. So what can, what can you tell us about the animal afterlife?

It's the same, right? So how it works for people or animals is we're here, right? We're on this human plane having this human existence, um, and then our body transitions. So then we go to like the middle area which is where you're exactly who you were, just without a body. And then you make the choice to cross over to whatever you call it— heaven, universe, God, source, um, you know, to love and light. And then you're connected there, and any of the, um, a lot of the traumas, any of the experiences, those get cleaned away. So you're, you know, because you're connected back to source. And that doesn't mean there's still not work to do over there, because there's a lot, particularly in the human realm, less in the, in the animal you know, if you made choices here that weren't in alignment with what you came here to do, it's like there's some things, you know, there's some personal development work you get to do on the other side. But for animals, they cross over and then they get to come and visit. A lot of times they'll become one of your spirit guides. They become part of your team. Other times they hang out for a while. Other times they reincarnate. Like, I had a friend a long time ago, we did a session with a cat she had years ago, and I was like, he wants to come back as a giraffe. Like, he just kept showing me pictures of it. He's like, I can't wait to be a giraffe.

Oh, wow.

Because they don't always come back as the same animal. And, um, so it's, it's love, it's light. When they bring us messages, they're what I call clean, right? Because when we're still in this middle area, it still has a lot of the human existence and trauma and that kind of stuff. So once you connect back over, it's clean. And they, they can really be teachers for us, but they hang out just like you would think humans do. And I had a session the other day with— the dog's name is Gunnar— and the other two— it was funny, he was a Great Dane— the other two Great Danes they had had were like hanging out watching. They're like, it's a lot of, you know, it was like they're watching the people show, right? So they hang out and they just watch and they're like, oh, this is what my people are going to do today. And then sometimes they go off and they do other things.

And good, that's good to know. That's, that's, I think that's, it can be really helpful for people because again, we feel like sometimes we're letting them go and, you know, they're going into, into the abyss. Um, and I think that also what you said earlier about like soul contracts, I mean, people, our life expectancy is much longer than a lot of the, the animals that we bring in, our cats and our dogs particularly. So they're not expecting to be here for 70 people years. Right.

Yep. And they just don't have a belief around it. They don't have a judgment. They don't have a thought. You know, society creates so many beliefs for us, and particularly like religion. Religion has created so many beliefs around the afterlife and death. And, you know, depending on which religion you partake in, it's completely different. And animals don't— they don't have any of that.

Yeah, speaking of that, I thought it was really interesting. I'm going back to the article I read the other day about animals having consciousness, and I'm like, okay, I know some religions— at least one religion that I know of that I grew up in— teach that animals don't have souls, right? Is that— I mean, I'm like, are scientists like— did they get caught up in that? Because why would they have less consciousness than we do? Because we are animals. We, we're, we're all the same.

That's the funny part that humans seem to forget, is that we are scientifically— we're in the kingdom of Animalia, and humans are mammals, which is no different than your whale, than your dog, than your elephant. We are exactly the same. And, um, and you're right, there are some religions who say, uh, you know, they don't have souls. And there are some that say they don't have souls but they have a spirit. And here's the thing, is like, that's all human constructs, right? And because everything is an infinite being, right? Like, I'm not just a— like, we use the word soul, but inside I'm an infinite being. And when I cross back over, I'm going to be this massive infinite being. Like, I can only shove so much of me into this tiny little human body, you know what I mean? That's when we talk about when you connect back to your intuition, your higher consciousness, like, there's all your other past lives and everything you have. It's like we can only stuff so much into this little body. And so it's a human belief that once again, it's the human ego, right? Of like, we're at the top of the chain, so nothing else can have consciousness. That's all created by humans. And, um, and, and you're right, it's like, how, how do we believe they don't? Because people are always surprised. They're like, oh my gosh, this animal has such a personality. And it's like, of course, like, us animal people, we're like, how is that new to you? But there's a lot of people, a lot of humans that they have no idea because they've been taught all this other stuff. And it's like, no, they have exactly the same infinite beingness that we have. And I always go back to, like, let's go up, right? And you're right. Let's go to consciousness. Because guess what? Trees. I talk to trees, you know what I mean? And plants, right? They have consciousness. Everything. It doesn't have to just be animal or human. There are so many things that have consciousness, let alone if you start to get into the super— right, it's like sprites and fairies and, you know, entities, like any of that kind of stuff. They have consciousness, which is a whole other world of, you know, conversation, right? But yes, they— it's no different. Like, when we go to the big scheme of things of like, no, everything has consciousness. So animals do, people do.

I'm going to go down a little bit of a rabbit hole here because, um, I was talking with a friend of mine, we were talking about everything having consciousness, and he said, so if I pick up that rock and I throw it, does that mean it hurts the rock when it hits the ground? Um, what did— what did— what would— how would you define everything has consciousness? Now, to me, it's, it's obvious that trees and plants have consciousness. We can see them responding to, to pain, moving towards light, moving towards water. So is there a limit as to what has consciousness?

In my world, you know, I can't speak for everybody. It's like, this is what the information I have that has been delivered to me from, you know, the universe is like, yes, everything. I, you know, that's why people use crystals so much. Crystals have an energy. Crystals have a consciousness. Crystals, um, and I'm not great. Like, I have friends who are amazing at crystals. Like, I don't— I'm not great at them. Like, if I'm in a store and someone's like, you need to buy me, I will just— I just listen, right? I'm like, I'll buy you. And here's the thing is like, then where I put them in my house, I don't decide that. I ask them, I'm like, where are you supposed to live? And they go, oh, I'm supposed to go over here. So like even this morning when we came in to do this, I went to my stuff and I was like, okay, which ones of you want to be on my desk today? And they told me and I brought them and I was like, okay, where do you guys want to sit? And they're like, I'm gonna be over here. I'm gonna be over here. This one's going to be in the middle. So my desk has one, two, like five of them. Additional ones versus the ones who already lay around here, uh, because they tell me.

Yeah.

And so that's not me making it up, right? And, um, so everything has a consciousness to it. I, I use candles a lot if when I'm doing my own like personal spiritual work. I have a— and I have colors. I don't pick the colors. Like, I get a message like, you need to have a purple candle, so I'll go buy a purple candle.. And then when I sit down to do my work, like, the candles tell me where they're supposed to be in the room. So that's their conscience, because they're going to contribute to, you know, what my healing in that moment, and they're telling me, that's probably pretty woo woo for a lot of people. But it's the truth. That's consciousness.

Well, you know, it's interesting. I like to, like to push limits, right? So I, this is a fairly new concept to me. When I think about it, though, when my girls are little, they're like, they were naming everything, you know, they would name my car, they would name, you know, everything, you know, was, had personality, had consciousness. And I know a lot of what we call indigenous cultures have realized that more and more things have consciousness. And then we have gone so far to the other extreme, that we were just not coming back around to the fact that animals have consciousness. We've had pets for Tens of thousands of years, we're bringing into our homes, we're living with them, and like, oh yeah, that might be conscious.

Yeah, it's so true. Like, you know, with, uh, civilization, right, and development, we lost some pretty significant things along the way. And now you're correct, we are circling back to them and, uh, and still seeing them through very human eyes and human standards and human beliefs.

So And you mentioned, you mentioned earlier about reincarnation, and again, some people— it's, it's just funny how people always have to try to differentiate. So they'll say, what, people have souls, but animals have like— some animals have like a collective soul, they don't have individual souls. But there's— I don't know, you know, that really what they mean when they say that. Again, they just have to draw this line. Um, but do animals ever come back as people, or do people ever come back as animals?

There is, uh, mixed information on that. I don't know what the right word is. Like beliefs. There are some people that say that they do. There are others who are like, nope, they don't. I have, in my experience, I have not seen an animal come back as a person or a person come back as an animal. I have read some stories and talked to people where that's happened and it didn't go well. But there are other people in the spiritual world who say that that is possible. So until we get back over to like, that's one of those we don't get the full answer to, I think, until we get to get back over to the other side. You know, it's on the list of questions of like, look, these are the big ones that I want to know when I get back over there. So like I said, it depends on who you ask. For me, I haven't seen it. And I don't— it's all consciousness. And at the same time, right, we get to remember there's, there's a collective consciousness that comes with us. So like, like we talked about our infinite being, like every past life when we like all of those experiences are there. When we come into a human body, we're only able to access so much of, of that. And animals have different experiences. So if you were going to take an animal and put them in a human body, their consciousness and their experiences from their past lives are very, very different than a human's.

Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. And, you know, it's funny because you said, you know, it's one— one of the things I like to— that's one of— I have my, my questions that are really important to how I live my life today. And then those, those are just kind of like fun to play with, right? It's not going to change how I live my life right now if I'm, if I've ever been a cat or if I'm ever going to be a cat. What's important to take away from this conversation is my cat has consciousness, and I can communicate with my cat, my cat can communicate with me. And we each have our, our, our soul, you know, plan, and we have a, we, we, we are here together and You know, as, as the, as the pet parent, we've got responsibilities to the animals that we bring into our homes and the animals that we interact with. So I think that's, those are the important things to go with. We can, we can play around with whether or not we'd ever be a cat.

And they don't like, you know, there's, there's times I currently have one of them, uh, that just because they're in a particular animal body, that's not actually what they are. So like Pip, my kitty who transitioned a little over a year ago, I always knew he wasn't a cat. Like, he was pretty magical. And I was like, I don't know what you are, but you are not a cat. And then about 3 weeks after he transitioned, I was able to see what he was. Romeo, who I have now, he's actually a dragon in a cat body. And I had other people check, trust me. When he showed up, I was like, what are you? And I had other intuitives. I was like, am I crazy? And they're like, oh no, that's a, that's a dragon. Um, I know someone, she has, uh, this amazing pit bull who is a griffin.

Oh wow, okay.

Yeah, so it's— that's the other fun part of it too, is like if you're looking at your animal and you're like, it just doesn't act like a dog, you know what I mean? Like, we have some special ones like that. It might not be a dog.

Just now you're gonna be wondering about Stevie. Yeah, my dog is Stevie, and it's like, okay, are you— yeah, yeah, that's— that's— now I have to think about that. So I know we've talked a lot about animal communication, we talked a little about mediumship, but I know you're also a life coach. So how do you work with people through life events?

Uh, yeah, so, um, because I don't do anything small apparently, so I'm a multi-passionate business owner because I have a whole— like, you're right, I have a whole people side to my business as well. And, um, for the life coach part of it, I do a lot of relationships. I do a lot of like narcissistic abuse recovery, um, just because those are the experiences I've had in my life. And, um, because I'm super analytical, I— and being intuitive at the same time, it allows me to see things differently. Like, I'm really good at seeing patterns, so I can see your pattern of behavior. And as I'm working people through things in their relationships, or, you know, I love to be able to teach people conscious communication, and I love to be able to teach them the difference between reacting and responding. Right? Your life is so different if you pause and you learn what that is and you do this internal work, and then you can respond to a situation. And so because I can feel the energy of that, it's like I can catch that moment of like, right there, that thought that you're having, because they don't even know, like, it's because it happens so fast for them. I was like, that right there, that's where we change it. And they're like, oh my gosh. So it's, it's one of these really cool places that I still get to use my analytical abilities as a biologist to really help the humans and have different relationships, communicate effectively, create the things they want in their life, and teach them intuitive tools along the way. Because we all have it. So it's like, why not use your intuition to change your life as well?

Yeah. So do you, you do help people use their intuitive tools or help them develop?

I also have a whole other, you know, I also am an intuitive mentor, which is like one of my absolute favorite things is to teach people what their gifts are and then how to use them. Um, whether you're clairaudient, clairvoyant, clair— you know, all any of the clairs. It's like I teach them what that is and then how to use them in their life. And, um, you know, we all have superpowers. Why not learn how to use them? Because your life can be so much different.

Yeah, well, I think the first thing is, is being open to the possibilities, because as I was, you know, hearing you saying, well, I asked the crystal where it wants to be, you know, like people would are probably going, what does that even mean? But first of all, you have to be open to the possibilities and understand the way that this, that this works, um, because it's not like you— well, I don't know about you, but like, I, I've taken a little bit of mediumship training, and, uh, as I've done it, I'm like, because I'm very— I'm an engineer, my chemical engineer, and I'm like, okay, this is not going to work, you know. And I'm not, you know, I'm not hearing anything, you know, I'm not seeing anything. But I would just say what I was feeling, you know, or what I— that I felt like I was making up. And sometimes it was completely wrong, but sometimes it was like, oh wow, where did that come from? And it was right. So it's just being open to that possibility.

Yes. I call people like you and me left-brain empaths because we're super analytical and we're feelers.

Yeah.

And that's one of the things that I— in particular our subset— is that we teach people like the feeling of a logical thought versus the feeling of an intuitive thought. Because we think, oh, no, I'm making that up. And when we get to that finite, detailed, magical feeling, because there is a difference in the feeling of a logical thought and an intuitive thought. And when you experience that, you're like, oh, okay, I'm not crazy. Because us with really strong brains, we can override anything.

Yeah.

And when we're feeling like it's— that's one of my favorite things to teach is like, there's a difference. And once you start to learn that, The self-doubt goes away. You start to use that superpower. Um, so I'm— I get very passionate and excited about— I meet other left-brain empaths, so I'm super excited for you.

Yeah, it's— well, I think it's extremely important for us to understand, you know. And it's funny because I, I think I was— I was, uh, I think I used the word woo-woo with you earlier, but whenever I use that word— I was in an interview, I know I did yesterday, I was being interviewed and I used the word woo-woo, and I'm like But I am, I am not a woo-woo person. I'm a very rational person. I'm, I'm like the things that I tell people that I don't even like the word believe, that to me the evidence is, is therefore it's because of evidence. It's not because I'm woo-woo. It's not just because I want to believe this. But there is also, there is intuition, there is ESP, there is, you know, clairvoyance, there's mediumship. All these things are real. Animal communication is real. But this materialistic mindset tries to tell us, no, those things are just, just woo-woo, and, and people, rational people, don't believe those things.

Yep, it gets discounted very easily. And yet healing has been around since the dawn of time, you know, and this is all healing arts.

Yes, and the evidence is there, you know, like as you said, you're communicating with people's, you know, animals, and they're giving you evidence and, and the results. The results speak for themselves.

Yep, their lives are completely changed, the, the animal and the people.

So, so how do, how do people, um, because I think another thing you do is you help people figure out how do I find an animal communicator, who's right for you. So how, if, if someone's thinking about this, obviously they can contact you, but are there any other tips for people to find, like, when do I need an animal communicator?

Yeah, so there's, there's the big range of it. Like I get clients that come to me where they're like, I just wanna know what my animal's thinking. Like there's no, there's no acute emergent situation, right? They're like, I just wanna know if he's happy and, uh, you know, does he like his food and, and all of that kind of stuff. So like there's that. And then it goes into like if there's training challenges or behavioral challenges, and then we have the medical and then of course like end of life transitions and, and mediumship and, and that. So it's this whole, spectrum of where it could be. And not all animal communicators are mediums, just like all psychics aren't mediums. So if you have an animal that's transitioned, you want to specifically look for one who is also a medium. And the other part is, you know, do— because I always come back to listen to your intuition, right? So like, if you're Googling, right, and you're— because that's where it's like, go to their website, Does the website resonate with you? Does the language, the things that they're saying, does that resonate with you? Um, you know, read the testimonials. Does that resonate with you? Does it make you feel safe and seen and heard and like, okay, I think, I think this person could help me. And just like in any profession, there are going to be people, you know, who— like when Pip was transitioning, It's really hard to talk to your own animals. Like, just so anyone out there who is like, I can't hear, please know that's normal. And particularly if anything's going on when our emotions are there, it's really, really challenging to get accurate information.

Yeah.

And so when Pip was transitioning last year, I was like, how do people do this without one of me? Like, I was a wreck for months. And so I, I reached out to one. This woman had been in— she's been doing it for decades. And it's one of those human things too, of like, oh, if they're really expensive, it must be, you know, like the best, 'cause she was extremely expensive. And so I booked a 30-minute session and honestly, it, for me, it was horri— like she talked about her dog the entire time and I, I had to keep redirecting her and be like, no, no, I have very specific questions about my cat. So, um, so just please know that in any profession there are gonna be people that are gonna resonate with you and they're gonna be people that might not. And so use your intuition when hiring. Use your, you know, logical mind as well as like, do they do it the way I want them to? The majority of animal communication is done virtually. It's done remotely. Because the difference is like, if I come to your house, your animal's gonna act completely different. They're gonna wanna play or they're gonna wanna see me. And it's like, we want the session to be calm and quiet, and your animal doesn't have to be with you. We work off of a picture. And so that's why I have clients in other countries, other states. Um, so recognize that also is like, it's, it's not always coming to your house because a lot of people be like, well, I don't know. And it's like, no, no, it's all done virtually. We can do it over the phone or online. And just look at the things of like, if you're coming for medical things, do they have testimonials about helping animals with medical challenges? You know, that kind of part of doing and just the, like, I'm such a feeler. I'm like, when you go to their site or you have a conversation with them, how do you feel? Because that's how you're going to feel in the session. So if you happen to talk to someone on the phone, you're like, oh, I don't— I just didn't really— we didn't vibe, which is perfectly fine. Not everybody's a match. But if you're not vibing, you're not going to vibe in a session, and you've now paid for something.

Yeah, you know, that's, that's a really good point, whether you're talking about an animal communicator, a life coach, a medium, um, you know, that, that's important that, that vibrational match. So, um, Alicia, we're coming to the end of our time. I want you to tell me about your books. I know you've had a couple bestselling books, and you said you have a third one that's out.

Yes, so, um, they're collaborative books. We just, uh, the second one came out in, um, God, January. I'm trying to think because I always think when I write them and you submit them to the publishers, right? Uh, and that one was called Awaken Your Magic. And so it's all, uh, transformational intuitive stories that the publishers put together. And then I had this idea of like, why don't we do an animal book? Like, there's so many people who have had an animal help them or transform their lives or that sort of thing. And so that's how they created Paws and Purpose. And like I said, all the proceeds of all these go to charity. So when you buy it on Amazon, you know, we— it's not coming into my pocket. It goes to charity. And I think there's 26 stories in the Paws and Purpose. Book, and it's— there's horses and cats and dogs and all kinds of things. Um, and it's, it's just, it's very close to— this one's just particularly close to my heart.

Yeah, awesome. Anything that I should have asked you that I didn't?

Um, no, I think we, you know, because we talked about not waiting and that, you know, it's done virtually as well as like it's one tool in your toolbox. Trainers, you know, that's animal communicators, like, you know, build a toolbox that can help you support your animal. Um, no, I think this has been a fabulous conversation. I think we talked about so many things.

Great. Well, let, let people know where they can reach out and find you.

Yes. So, uh, Who Knew Healing is the name of my business. So please visit the show notes, whoknewhealing.com, or you can Google my name. I'm sure it's out there. Uh, and, um, there's lots of information on my website as well for all kinds of things. There's a blog and I had a podcast for a year and a half, and it's basically like mini classes. So if you want to learn your intuition, if you want to learn relationship stuff, if you want to learn behavioral stuff, you want to learn animal stuff, it's all on there. Uh, so please, I made those for free. So please, please, please use them.

Nice. Nice. Well, Alicia, it's been a pleasure getting to know you today. Thanks so much for what you're doing.

This has been such a joy, Brian D Smith. Thank you so much for having me here. And thank you for everything that you contribute to this world as well.

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