As we set out on our path of personal growth and exploration, we often feel vulnerable. It is a fertile and transformative time when we are learning about new aspects of ourselves, remembering how to trust our own power of manifestation, and rediscovering multi-dimensional gifts. As we nurture and familiarize ourselves with these new aspects, abilities, and beliefs, it is natural to feel vulnerable. After all, we are germinating a new version of ourselves. We are letting go of an outdated world-view, and embracing new ideals, values, and philosophies more aligned with our current reality.

In this process, there is an in-between period when our roots still need to anchor into this new version of who we are becoming. And during this transitional time, we may feel vulnerable and extra sensitive to hearing or receiving No’s, whether it’s in the form of a door closing, an opportunity not panning out, a relationship ending or the feeling that our truth or new self is not being seen, heard, or received as we had hoped. And that is where we can draw inspiration from our animal companions.

One of the most tangible ways our pets help us understand the benefits of a No is through our own role in pet parenting. Young or new pets exemplify how important buffers and boundaries can be. A puppy left unattended can get into a dangerous situation, so as pet guardians we leverage loving boundaries until they better understand the world around them, what is safe and what is not, and are able to make good choices. We teach them to feel secure in a crate, to stay near us during walks, and to come to us when called. And as pet guardians imposing those loving boundaries, we know that our motivation for creating those boundaries are rooted in keeping our animal companions safe, healthy, and happy.

Our pets help us realize that those No’s we receive more broadly in our lives are forming a similar energetic buffer around us. They remind us that boundaries help keep us safe and create space to incubate and nurture these new aspects of ourselves, these new beliefs, and points of view until they are fully formed and ready to be shared more broadly.

Just as our puppies have us to lend a watchful eye and keep them safe as they transition into more mature pups, we have the benefit of the universe, our guides, and our own intuition looking after our best interest and personal growth. Those relationships that didn’t pan out as we had hoped, missed opportunities, and closed doors are ways to keep us safe and confident as we build our understanding of who we are, our role in the universe, and what we are here to communicate and contribute. Just as we set our animal companions up for success with traditional training and loving boundaries, the universe, your guides, and your higher self is doing the same for you.

Think of a challenge, an ending to a relationship, or even what you felt like a missed opportunity that you experienced in your past. As you recall this experience, briefly acknowledge the emotions and stories that shaped it. How you felt, what you hoped for, what you feared might happen as an outcome. And now, with the benefit of time under your belt, focus on what you learned from that experience. What benefit came from it. How did it serve to get you where you are today?

There is always loving energy behind every No. In finding ways to appreciate and be grateful for the No’s, we are able to more whole-heartedly trust and pursue the Yes’s coming through – those opportunities, conversations, and relationships that are flowing easily. So anytime you encounter what feels to be a No, a seeming rejection, or a closed door, remember some of the instances in the past where they guided you down a more loving path.

Just as our pets trust us to guide them, the animals remind us to put our trust in the universe and its directives. Our pets remind us to trust that the No’s are keeping us safe, to embrace the loving boundaries, and pursue the Yes’s, as together they are creating a beautiful buffer for us to blossom into the next phase of who we are. And our pets want nothing more than to see us all in full bloom.

Nah-Mutt-Stay.

All of us are bridging two realities. We are straddling the old paradigm of the 3D and the new 5D earth we are co-creating. 3D reality is what we’ve known, and we find it shifting toward higher frequencies as we address shadow aspects of accumulation, separation and denseness. 5D reality is what many of us like to think of as the Age of Aquarius immortalized in the musical Hair, an era characterized by unity, harmony, connection and concern for the common good.

We are all collectively raising our own vibration as we journey along the ascension path from the 3D to the 5D. And we are all constantly looking for validation and milestones from the universe, and searching for our energetic guides to assist us on the journey. What we don’t realize is that we often overlook the guides right in front us. Inspiring us, cheering us on and triggering shifts that are ready to take place are the cutest and often wisest ascension guides of all – our pets.

Once we acknowledge the role our pets are here to play in our lives and learn to interpret and follow their loving guidance, we will expand in beautiful ways and contribute more whole-heartedly to the ascension of the collective. But how can we more clearly understand and interpret our pets’ guidance?

One of the most tangible ways our furry spiritual sherpas guide us is through their behavior. The same way we share sacred contracts, karma, and lessons with humans in our lives, we share them with our animal companions as well. Our pets’ behavior helps us tap into broader energies at play, so that every interaction, behavior, communication, instinct and intuitive hit about our pet acts as a reflection of our own energetic terrain. Behaviors like nipping, barking, jumping, housebreaking issues, or separation anxiety that can trigger guilt, frustration, anger, resentment or stress are ways our furry friends draw attention to areas and relationships more broadly in our lives where we may be experiencing the same vibration. Our furry ascension guides use their behavior as a means to help us acknowledge where we need to energetically upgrade relationships, beliefs, or even aspects of our career in order to co-create a new, more expansive reality.

Our pets want us to know that we are not merely spectators. We are in control of how we choose to interpret their behavior, and as such, we can choose how to proceed, whether staying in the narrative of the past or writing a new path for ourselves. As we work with our animal companions, we are giving ourselves permission to re-examine limiting beliefs—whether handed down through pop culture or formulated from our personal experiences—and change those that are holding us back.

And our pets’ mirroring does not end there. In reminding us of our interconnectedness with the animal kingdom, our pets also open our eyes to our interconnectedness with the plant kingdom, the mineral kingdom, and beyond. As we step into a broader perspective of our relationships with our animal companions, the natural world becomes much richer and fuller. And the natural world includes the stars and cosmic energy. In the past few years, our pets have been disclosing more of our galactic genesis. In fact, many pets have been revealing more openly during animal communication sessions their own as well as their human’s cosmic and starseed connections, even acting as portals to help us reconnect with our star families.

While cats tend to have Lyran connections, they also can help act as a portal back to Lemurian, Atlantean and Egyptian times, sparking memories of when animals and humans worked hand-in-hand to raise the earth plane’s vibration. Our feline friends are experts at helping us integrate the energies of higher chakras and activate our crystalline bodies. Even their purring allows us to tap more deeply into our higher chakras.

Dogs tend to carry more Syrian and Pleidian energy, expertly mirroring back to us our own emotional patterns. They empathetically read and take on our energetic state, often melding our energy with their own. Dogs are excellent at clearing out stagnant energy with their tails, keeping us present in the moment and grounding us in our hearts, and help us anchor into our lower chakras to revisit and reconcile wounding of our inner child, teaching by example how to love ourselves unconditionally.

As we connect with our animal companions, they become literal beacons of the galactic energy that resonates in each of us, igniting a soul remembrance that links us back to the energy of our star families. And in reminding us of our connection to the multiverse, they bring us back to our sacred role in raising the vibration for ourselves, them and the collective.

Our pets want us to see ourselves through their eyes, as the wonderful, multidimensional, unique and beautiful souls we are. They guide us to remember our soul’s gifts and connect more deeply with all aspects of ourselves and our intuition. They are here to show us our soul’s sparkle through their eyes, because when we shine more brightly, we inspire others to do the same just by being our true, authentic self.

If 3D is all about separation and 5D is about interconnection and being able to co-create our future with the universe, our animal companions are a powerful catalyst and bridge to bring us out of separation and back into the realization that we are all interconnected. When we listen to our furry guides, no longer are we coming from a place of separation, hierarchy or dominance, but rather from a place of love, collaboration, wholeness, and the realization that we are all in this together whether human, furry, finned, feathered, or scaled. By exploring our relationship with our pets, we journey into a deeper relationship with ourselves, re-examining our beliefs, desires, fears, and broader role in the universe.