Several years ago when I was focusing on and fine-tuning my animal communication, I met a wise soul who is still with me today. It was time for a break from my animal communication practicals. I got up, stretched, and felt drawn to my picture window (in our previous home) for some grounding. The backyard was my sanctuary. It offered a large lawn surrounded by several acres of woodsy peace and tranquility. We saw many critters and animals from beavers, porcupines, raccoons, foxes, opossums, and plenty of does and fawns, but never in over 20 years of living in that house did we ever see an elusive buck.

I watched in awe as this mystifying being stepped out of his shrouded safety and into the vast openness. We locked eyes and I instantly connected to his integrity. I knew I couldn’t match it. He held the wisdom of all of nature and natural order. He had answers. I had questions.

This was also during the time I was making a big life change. I was leaving an in-demand 20-year wedding photography career as I was being pulled to serve people and animals through my intuitive reach. My guides shared it was time to release something good for something greater. It isn’t easy leaving money on the table for us humans, is it? Everyone has to eat. But when your soul is aligned as navigator, whispering ‘trust it’, you either trust (the pull) or rust. And because my mind essence was scared of the unknown, I knew it was the next right step.

The graceful buck walked over to the only two trees in the yard, a pair of stunning white birch, and stood between them perfectly framed. As an experienced photographer and stylist, he couldn’t have chosen a better spot. I don’t remember how long we stood staring at one another when my guide whispered in my head ‘Get your camera’. I replied ‘No. He’ll be gone”. She was more persistent. ‘Get your camera’. I felt the trust in her voice and exited quickly. When I walked slowly back into the room, I saw the buck hadn’t moved. He was still staring at the picture window. I slowly raised my camera, looked through the viewfinder, fumbled with the settings, and fired the shutter several times. The buck did not flinch. I lowered my camera and sincerely conveyed my gratitude telepathically. He lowered his head as if he bowed and nibbled on grass. He lifted his head, looked my way once more, then slowly walked back to the edge of the woods he had entered. And disappeared.

My main guide interrupted my trance with something similar to “He was called to help your animal communication sessions. He will meet the animals first so they aren’t startled by you invading their space. It will be helpful”. I conveyed back “..amazing…thank you”.

Within days, and because he so wisely allowed me the time to take a beautiful portrait of him (through a glass window), I began using that image to connect with his soul essence. And he began coming in telepathically to assist me with my animal communication practicals with my study group.

I asked him what do I call you? I heard “Buck”. Simple, humble, strong, just like him.

He has since transitioned, which he showed me was natural as the land was a no-hunting zone. He still shows up consistently for me to help my clients’ animals feel calm in sessions before I introduce myself. He is a remarkable and significant presence to me, the animals, my work, and now, part of his work on the other side. He never made another physical appearance to me again and we have never seen another buck during our time there. Two stretched canvas portraits of him proudly hang in my home.

Maybe your animal companion will have the chance to meet Buck..and me someday, too. It is our privilege and honor to help humans and their animals understand one another and convey their messages and wishes with love and grace.

In gratitude,

Susan

The post Meet Buck, my animal guide appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

As an intuitive and animal soul communicator, I feel what humans and animals really feel and are currently experiencing all within mutual parameters of ethical practices.

Animal soul communication is similar (to me) to intuitive sessions with people. Both require an agreement to exchange energy, and a higher vibration to gain entrance to the energetic space that offers the information to flow back and forth in ease. “Tele” means – over the waves of frequency and “Pathy” means feeling – as in empathy or sympathy.

Humans and animals are souls who inhabit unique physical bodies with very different purposes. Both are natural conduits of sending and receiving energy, although animals do it more naturally. We do it naturally, too, but we may not realize it because the world teaches us to drop our intuitive nature and rely on our other five senses. But we all have an inner compass that speaks to us when it matters. We might get a ‘bad vibe’ from someone we just met. Or we might choose to cross a street rather than pass an approaching stranger on the same side of the road. Both of these examples are nonverbal energy exchanges.

We ALL have the capacity to strengthen our ‘telepathic’ reach with our animals which will help us form deeper bonds with them.

I have such a deep appreciation for connecting with animals, both wild and domestic. I have connected with a few well-known glorious beasts who catapulted to fame simply because of man’s treatment of them. I blogged the wisdom they conveyed that blew me away that deserved a far wider audience like Cecil the Lion.

I love assisting those who want to know how to be more engaged ‘pet parents’; who already know they are loving, responsible guardians but feel a peek inside their furbaby’s mind and heart will help better serve them and offer each an even deeper bond.

Domestic animals are beautiful, pure souls who love unconditionally and they have a few things (messages!) in common.

To help bridge the connection between humans and their companion animals, here’s a list of Four Things they want their humans to know and the One Thing they never want us to do!

1). “I love you”

Animals are the most intuitive sentient beings among us. They trust their instincts for survival more than any other being on the planet. Therefore, they are skilled at conveying and showing us how we can trust our instincts, too. They innately know and accept their role and place on the planet; as teachers of wisdom, love, self-love, self-care, loyalty, patience, and forgiveness. Animals do not have the capacity to hold a grudge.

Animals can hold a memory, and an abused animal can adopt trauma responses, but they do not hold a grudge because it is punitive in nature, therefore, impossible for an animal soul to embody. If you messed up with them and apologized, know they forgive you.

Animals remain connected to their divinity. Each animal walking this planet is a therapy animal in one way or another. They are an evolved species already, meaning their purpose here on earth is not to evolve, but to teach, heal, support and love the humans who are here to evolve (us!). They are a divinely designed support system to assist man in the evolution of his soul. When humans evolve, the planet’s vibration naturally raises, and we make more heart-centered choices when it comes to all animals, not just the ‘desirable’ animals. It is in part why your animal companion is incapable of being mean-spirited, as well as the animals I’ve connected with that are enslaved for food or entertainment. Even they are not ‘angry’. They’re taking it until – and so – we can change. They accept their place in the big picture.

Animals patiently serve knowing whatever it is we’re doing or being, it’s for our learning curve, not theirs.

So, even when we may not be conscious of what we do not know, are too tired to play or take them for their walk, or leave them alone too long, they have already forgiven us when we apologize. Even cats. All animals respond to displeasure, but even cats return to our laps before we know it.

2). “I feel you”.

We have a specific soul contract with each animal that comes into our lives no matter how long or how brief. Each time period is to help us in a way that serves exactly where we are on our soul’s journey. Some are our first babies, another helps us raise the kids, another is a totally different kind of support as we find ourselves alone, or aging. Animals innately know what we’re really feeling and respond because they trust what they feel! (This is where the ‘pathy’ part of telepathy comes in). Even domesticated animals are survival-based and naturally rely on their intuitive instincts as their first nature, so their day to day M.O. relies on being in tune with their human’s inner climate regardless of what is being presented. We can smile and pet them on the head, but if we’re grieving, they know. If we have poor self-esteem, they know.

Animals are always seeking ways to love us and teach us how to love ourselves, others, and the world.

Several dogs have shared with me how they prefer to show their support to their human when they’re feeling down: They will remain beside them with their back end abutted up against their human, not always presenting their face in their lap. They have shared how their humans may prefer privacy when crying or feeling low but appreciate their best friend’s warm body as a witness to their grief. Many have also translated that when they put their face in your lap, the eye-to-eye contact is to see you, love you, and validate you.

3). “Set boundaries and enforce them”.

As much as domestic animals know their place in their human’s lives, they still don’t know all the worldly dangers that can separate them from you. Animals depend on us in setting and enforcing boundaries that keep them safe and allow them to do their job. Domestic animals depend on us for almost everything from their food quality, to learning the house rules, to safe play inside and outside, to veterinary care. They thrive in routine and in obeying fair rules. They really don’t mind fences, harnesses that aren’t too tight (don’t prefer neck leashes, I’ve heard), and most don’t mind being on a runner if it means they get to release energy and stretch their legs. Cats prefer screened porches or a seat in a window being entertained by birds, bees, and butterflies than being outdoor cats regardless of their innate curiosity to go outside. Domesticated cats are just that, domesticated. There are plenty of ways to safely satisfy their curious nature from inside the home.

4). “I’m aging, too”.

Animals don’t always appear to change as quickly as us, but on the inside, they are aging at several times our rate. What they want you to remember is that their needs, thought processes, and energy levels change faster than we realize. Maybe they don’t walk as fast anymore on the daily route as they have joint aches and pains they can’t articulate but still love getting out and being with you. It is natural for aging pets to be occasionally cranky or short-tempered as it is for us.

Adapt the surroundings to them. Don’t surrender them when they no longer fill a role or you’ll miss the grace of loving an earth angel.

They don’t necessarily want us to ‘fix’ anything as much as adapt the lifestyle you created together to their activity and emotional levels. They’re the same loving soul who has always loved you and the family unconditionally, but their needs change sooner than ours.

And ONE thing animals never want us to do:

“Don’t trick me”.

Animals never leave the playing field of mutual love and respect. They love to play hide and seek with toys, but they do not like to be ‘tricked’ when it comes to trust. When their human sneaks out of the house or when dropping them off with a caregiver, it only creates ‘nervous Nellie’s’ because it teaches them we are not trustworthy. And when the time comes to address their ultimate transition, they’re going to need your trust in all ways. Let them know you know they’re declining. They already know, but they want to know that you know and are going to be okay with releasing them from their bodies and your life for now. (We all eventually reunite on the other side).

Look them in the eye often, at all stages of your life together, and with your unique loving way, convey to them in words or say them in your head while feeing them: “You are safe. I will never leave your side. I will be there. I love you.” I promise they will receive it.

As the most intuitive, heart-centered species on the planet, animals are here to do their work in the world by serving the human race. And a companion animal’s ultimate desire is to thrive and serve in a mutually respectful, loving relationship rooted in trust.

We may be their leaders, their governors, but they are the teachers.

The post 4 Messages Your Companion Animal Has for You and One Thing to Never Do appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

The holidays, traditions, and long tables filled with faces we love (and maybe a few we tolerate) are an integral part of sharing our lives. We bond through laughter, sharing sacred devotions, and eating specific foods that tie into memories. We love hard, cry, and even banter. It is the ritualistic aspects that make traditions meaningful.

But what happens when grief hijacks the holidays? Whether it’s a loss of a loved one, an animal companion, a lifestyle, a marriage, or the effects of living in an aging body. With new challenges, adapting change to tradition can feel like our heart is being led through the mud.

Maybe you hosted your family for decades, but now as your family grows in new directions and as you are experiencing some effects of releasing your tradition as someone else has offered to host. You feel lost, maybe even marginalized, without a clear purpose or place in the new dynamic.

Honor that things are not going to be the same because you are not the same.

Maybe it is the first year you’re experiencing the holidays without your spouse, partner, animal companion, or other loved one. The grief feels overwhelming, and the memories now feel like salt on an open wound.

Honor where you are in your grief, not where you or anyone else thinks you should be.

Maybe this year, your grown children and their children are breaking tradition by alternating holidays with their extended families. You may feel abandoned, hurt, and, even perhaps, a little embarrassed by these feelings that are not you.

Feelings as visitors, messengers, not always truth-tellers. Allow them to surface, have their say, then choose a perspective that serves the feeling with love, not pain, and release them. If or when they arise again, repeat.

Honor that it’s a natural familial shift knowing your loved ones are not abandoning you, the tradition, or the family unit at all. That their choices are reflections of how your roots gave them wings and shaped them to want to create something similar for their expanding families, that maybe it’s a sign you did well, very well, by them.

Embrace that the holidays aren’t the same anymore because you aren’t the same, either. You’re growing through what you’re going through.

Here are 3 ways to navigate the holidays while grieving “what was”:

1). Release the reins with love.

If your role has shifted from host to guest, find gratitude that you’ve earned it. Consider you don’t ‘have’ to be the one ‘doing’ because you ‘get’ to be on the other side of the kitchen wall, witnessing the conversations you have missed, observing how the grandchildren grew so much in one year, noticing the strength and grace that grief has shown you that you possess. Learning to transition from giver to receiver requires our permission, takes a little practice, some releasing, and offers significant rewards. Allow your loved ones to honor you by accepting.

2). Create new traditions.

Ask yourself, “How do I want to feel over the holidays?” Then try to match meaningful actions, people, and ways of being to support it. Allow your memories of past holidays and of loved ones who have passed to serve you, not deplete you. Memories are gifts, the gems left behind that remind us of what or who mattered.  The chances are that if you are missing a tradition or a loved one, someone else close to you is, too. What helps us is to navigate through the lens of our highest self and that we meet each moment with curiosity, not auto-deflect to any current pain.

Don’t make wide circles around grief, dance with it. It won’t go anywhere until it’s heard, seen, felt, and transmuted from its current energetic composition to an elevated composition. That’s not for us to know. It’s for us to experience. We can’t know or direct its exact course, but we are the leaders of the dance steps. We can do this by sharing and talking about happy memories and traditions, stories of significance, allowing the tears, and the laughter to flow. Be open to it all. Even water will not flow until the faucet is turned on.

We are the conduit of our own transformations and transcendences. We don’t need to be strong; we just need to be authentic.

So, how do you want to feel? On a sheet of paper, create two columns. In one column, write down the names of loved ones (family and friends), who you love, and who you want to see over the holidays. On the second column, write down how you want to feel. Loved? Seen? Grateful? Happy? At peace? Of Service to others?

Get creative imagining what new tradition or simple ritual you can make merging the two columns. Maybe it’s making one favorite dish and not preparing the whole meal. Maybe it’s spending time with a few loved ones at a time for a few hours, rejoicing and reminiscing about those who are no longer here. Perhaps it’s bringing a grandchild who is drawn to animals to volunteer at an animal shelter, teaching the value of respecting all beings and of being of service to others. Maybe it’s a hot bath at the end of a day well spent with loved ones. Once completed, you know who and what matters most to you.

If it’s meaningful, it qualifies as a new tradition. And any new tradition is the beginning of new ways to be and see, to give and to receive.

3). Accept that expectation and perfection don’t exist.

If we don’t express our feelings, desires, and needs sincerely, there is a pretty good chance they’ll never get met. Reach out, ask, offer, suggest. Don’t be afraid of rejection, be more fearful of not voicing your truth. Change is a natural part of our life cycle, and family traditions naturally change as people and circumstances change, move on, pass on, and expand their own families. Adult children of aging parents can’t know exactly how you feel, and they especially cannot help any parent who has difficulty expressing themselves. This is the time for family members to remember they’re on the same team in an ever-changing family dynamic. Start with your vision and use your voice to carry it into form. There are so many new, beautiful opportunities to seize as we move through the holidays differently, in grief, in grace, and in feeling lost.

This is an excellent time to re-choose your place in your own life, your family, and/or community and create new traditions and ways to celebrate the meaning of the season. Even if your role is different, pared down, your body is aging, loved ones including beloved animal companions are no longer beside you physically, and especially, if the size of your family has diminished or expanded.

The holidays are a personal, sacred time of the year. No two people can possibly experience loss or change exactly the same.

Remember who you are on the Soul level. You are a sacred being temporarily gracing the world.

You belong.

The post Thriving the Holidays: 3 Ways to Embrace “What Is” While Grieving “What Was.” appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

A friend posted a video on Facebook (at the bottom). It’s comedian Jim Jeffries’ take on the social dis-ease we’re all experiencing now in one way or another. Mass slaughters affect all of us.

After a string of days-turned into weeks of shock, sadness, anger, getting on with life, yet again, I appreciated how Jim encapsulates a perspective with levity.

It made me wonder what makes a comedian funny or relatable when talking about big stuff? For one, they’re great at delivering subtle shades and layers of truth about life and ourselves. And, so we laugh. Things we know and feel, but don’t talk openly about, or the parts that are misaligned on our soul level, but on the surface, we hang on to the status quo in fear that even some change changes everything. (It doesn’t).

There is much to ponder in dichotomy. This comedian’s musings of how we arm ourselves, and why, sting true. And, so we get the reprieve of lightening up, feeling ordinary during sub-ordinary times.

The thing is, I don’t want to become numb, desensitized, or live in a country or world that is. And, remaining complicit is a slow slippery decline.

I’m not party-line loyal or a one-sided type. So, not debating or hating here, just figuring and feeling my way through. Trying to grasp my perspective. No placating, victimy BS tone intention. I was just nudged to lay it out here, in a public sort of narrative, to maybe help others who are still in the thicket, too. Feeling it all, the dark, dense, immobile.

The last six weeks of mass slaughters shook some shock factor out of me. And that is not good. I don’t want to mask my sensitivity.

So here I am. Disturbed and slightly pissed at the lack of response to how this type and various other styles of semi-automatic assault weapons are continuing to be mismanaged after showing up as the weapon of choice. (This post is about the ridiculously easy access to this style of weapon).

We are not adapting to the level of slaughter.

Yes, a mentally unstable person misuses a weapon, not a stable one.

Yes, if there wasn’t access to this style of semi-automatic weapon another style would be used.

Exactly. 

A smaller sized magazine allows for hesitation as one swaps out the magazines more often. It doesn’t matter how fast one is, it’s still hesitation. Less powerful.

It allows more chances of bullets to not be in the air,

…for a teacher or student or anyone in any predicament to react, take the perp down, or do something that saves a life. I don’t have any experience with gun magazines but, as a professional photographer, I have plenty of experience with film magazines. Very different beast. But, not completely. In the days of film, I would preload several film magazines and keep them on my body. I got my time down to just several seconds to expertly detach one and attach another. That downtime is now an annoyance in our instant gratification world. Have you ever waited to go through a toll booth because the attendant had to break open a new roll of quarters to give you change, so it took a few more seconds for you to move on…before we had tolls zapping our credit cards through our windshields? That kind of hesitation. Eventually, all the magazines would be used. Filling them takes even longer. These small magazines that allow downtime is everything for a person who can make a move. Smaller, more analog magazines matter.

Changing access won’t deter those intent on committing a mass shooting in the future, but it may lower the casualties.

Lower the casualties

My daughter is in the public-school system, possibly for decades. She is a dedicated caring 4th-grade teacher. Knowing her deliberate kind nature as I do, I have imagined her response, strategies, and mental exit plan if someone walked into her school with an assault-style weapon with an intent to ‘kill as many as they can’ before they are taken down. (Obviously surmising, as I am no killer). It’s clear they are choosing an automatic assault weapon to make a bigger impact. I have found myself suddenly grateful for things about her classroom that I never thought of before; that she is at the end of the long hallway away near the exit that leads to the parking lot and that she is on the floor level to slip thru windows. I know she, too, would lay down her life for her students.

The unmanaged and the mismanaged (anything and everything) escalate. It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s the natural trajectory of an ignored source of pain or disease to use bigger, louder, or different means to get attention. The weapon is just half of it. The one using it, the other. If we aren’t doing great managing the ill, we absolutely can manage the weapon a hell of a lot more responsibly.

We need to name this. It’s a plague that’s just killing us differently.

What’s next for the unstable, but-without-a-record yet, copy-cat type with a right and ease of access to an automatic style assault weapon who is planning for mass carnage? Hospitals? As we adapt the healthy end by locking schools down, the diseased end thrives through different veins; other populated, vulnerable spaces and buildings. What lies ahead isn’t measurable yet.

We can’t have it both ways. 

Slowly, the little freedoms we take for granted will change as mass slaughters compound. The way we enter public and private buildings may soon catch up to the airport security measures that 9/11 inspired.

The changes in airport security made after 9/11 didn’t take away anyone’s right to fly. The changes made matched the magnitude of damage. We revamped how planes (the weapon in 9/11) were accessed. We needed better discernment about who and what is getting onto our planes. 9/11 was impactful enough for us to change how we navigate airspace safer.

I wonder when and how mass slaughters via semi-automatic weapons on American soil will compound to be impactful enough for us to consider re-managing access to the common choice of weapons used in them.

It’s irresponsible to cling to the idea that amending a freedom we all have means we lose the right or freedom altogether.

The idea is to make it hard for the bad guy to get the semi-automatic assault-style, not to disarm the good guy.

It seems responsible and logical for those seeking a military level weapon to, well, be military. At the very least, usher them through a series of scrutinizing criteria, an application process, and waiting period.

I can’t imagine how an average citizen could qualify an answer to ‘intent for use?’

If this specific gun style makes one feel safe in their home or in wide open spaces; red flag. Let’s level up the bar for the concealed weapon permit, too.

Maybe it’s keeping handguns in the hands of civilians who want to arm themselves responsibly and keeping the assault-types in the hands of the trained military where they were specifically designed for mass casualty.

Our individual currencies are our voices and our votes. And it’s a collective that creates change.

I’m still in the thicket, but there’s light ahead. We reach it by pulling back branches and pulling up diseased roots as we move forward.

Impromptu thoughts hitting the page…Thanks for reading.

In the meantime, here’s a little levity.

Short Video  by comedian Jim Jeffries

The post Through The Thicket appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

Oh, Harambe, you were a beloved gorilla.

Oh, humans, we’ve still got it all wrong.

Much of my intuitive work involves tuning into the natural rhythms of the energetic fields of people, animals, nature and the spirit realms; sensing, feeling and discerning truth and the root of disharmony.

Before I share my intuitive catch surrounding the death of a beloved gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, let me first be real clear about my feelings: There was no other choice in this disastrous situation. The boy’s life came first. Period.

What happened to Harambe and the boy is not the gorilla’s fault. It’s not the boy’s fault. It’s not the parents of the boys’ fault. And it’s not the zoo’s fault.

In fact, it’s not even a fault – It was a natural outcome set up by man.

We’re just sharing the earth wrong. We’re creating unnatural containers and dangerous situations. We all know: We can take the beast out of the wild, but we will never take the wild out of the beast. So, why on earth are we creating these $ituations? Oh, yeah. Money. Our biggest motivator. Hmmm.

It is not a surprise to me that another beloved, wild, sentient being took a bullet to force us to re-examine the root of what’s wrong. We will continue to find ourselves in these circumstances until we choose to right how man chooses to lead and govern all sentient beings.

The one common denominator is the partnership we choose to have with all animals that is the root of this particular disharmony.

Combining man and wild animals for sport, observation, contact, and even preservation, is proving to be a huge miscarriage of power.

I want Harambe to know, although he is already aware:

“They killed you because they created an environment that disrespected your divine right to be you in the world while disregarding the ultimate safety of our own species.

They unnaturally created a shared space that combined us in unnatural environments, which, in itself, created the need to kill YOU should either become face to face. You were never set up to win.

So, sweet, Harambe, thank you for sacrificing your life to make sure this conversation continues until we raise our consciousness that will ultimately serve all sentient beings”.

It’s very clear: We’re just waking up. And sometimes it’s a process that creates situations such as this, that makes us check in with what sits right in our souls. It’s a purging of sorts…a chance to release old belief systems that we didn’t choose.  It’s okay as long as we consciously examine how each of us, individually chooses to partner with animals; via who we eat {factory farmed animals or those raised humanely?}, who gets our money – zoos? circuses? or, neither depending what sits right in our soul? Maybe it’s other natural habitats designed for the preservation of wild animals that does not place man as a spectator. Maybe we can support their lives from afar.

It’s also clear that we are doing well becoming a more conscious, evolved species, because we feel a natural range of emotions over these horrific situations where an animal or human is killed by being unnaturally face to face. We’re starting to get angry at the ‘unnatural’ part…and that alone is truly awesome. But we can’t rush where everyone else is on their path. Let’s just focus where we are.

We can’t heal anything we do not first feel. We can’t change what we don’t acknowledge.

We can’t stop or control how we evolve, so let’s not try by defending a long held, broken system…and let’s not try to stop others who choose a more conscious path.

We’re entering one of the most intuitive eras ever. The veil is extremely thin between worlds and realms, and it’s a big part of how we process; why we’re all so damn passionate {…about anything, not just this}, quick to point fingers and judge one another… for wanting, feeling, doing and being something…different.

And because of this, the best laid belief systems man has ever created is going through a big time wake + shake up. And I love it…the ‘why’, not so much the hows…

Jane Goodall says it best…my favorite is her last line:

So….how do You feel…? What are we getting right or wrong?

I welcome you to share this post if you feel led, and to leave your thoughts in a comment.

In peace,

Susan

The post Why We Really Killed Harambe, The Beloved Gorilla appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

Are you ready to slow down, exhale, and {re}connect with your soul?

Yes? Then, this book may be for you.

I shared two original pieces in two very different areas to help anyone…everyone… navigate life…intuitively.

So, what is the soul, anyway?

Jodi Chapman and Dan Teck, the creators and publishers of this #1 Amazon Best Selling Book describe the Soul in this way….

“Our soul is our connection between the spirit world and the physical world. It’s our best self, all knowing, peace-loving completely present self. It’s our inner voice, infinite wisdom…our Godliness. It’s eternal. It’s our truest essence. It’s who we’ve always been and who we’ve yet to become. It’s our blueprint and our possibility. It’s that inner whisper that asks you to dream bigger and trust yourself more, and live On Purpose!

It’s You. All of you. All of everything. All wrapped up into one.

It’s light. Pure light. It’s love. Pure love”.

This is an excerpt from one of my pieces…

So many incredible, best-selling authors, coaches, and intuitives joined together to offer their very best to create this beautiful, soulful book!

Check out our #1 Internationally Best Selling book on Amazon!

This is a truly heart centered collaboration that will be kept on your bedside altar…and/or passed down….for generations…

No one is exempt from spiritual wisdom.

No one!

So, I invite you to check out one of our truly talented contributing authors, Nicole Levac!

Enjoy!! xo

The post 365 Ways to Connect with Your Soul – The Book! appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

I’ve always held my heart and the door open for animals, from the smallest critter to the very wild and free. At a very young age, I developed a fascination with how those in the wild exist. As a young girl, I remember watching Wild Kingdom for hours upon hours with my father. Watching the dog eat dog hunts would sometimes make me cry, but I realize now how beneficial those hours were as I gained an understanding of a bigger picture of the circle of life as well as a true respect for it.

I was always able to discern what an animal (or any sentient being) is generally experiencing, but I hadn’t developed some of the skills that open the field further. We all have an inner guidance system. Some are just more wide open than others. The reason some of the most renowned spirit communicators in the world are now teaching is because we are coming into the age of light. We are thirsty for that which we have no idea we are even missing. We are seeking to reconnect with ourselves, others and the world in deeper ways.  Over the last year, in order to develop myself, I’ve taken intensives with incredibly gifted teachers in animal communication as well as human spirit communication. And, although I am comfortable with my intuitive reach right where it is…this work changed everything.

We are all each other’s divinely placed earth mates…traveling alongside one another, and just like humans, each animal has his or her own soul, journey and purpose. The animal kingdom also has an innate wisdom specifically to help mankind evolve…just like we do….and they expect and deserve the same in return. We are failing them in many ways.

I have been able to tap into my pets, other’s pets, lost pets…as well as animals in the wild and two animals on death row at factory farms.

And, then there was Cecil.

It kicked me in the soul as the world learned of the heinous act that strategically destroyed such a benevolent being. I was shattered and disgusted upon learning the capacity of destruction one man has inside him as he lured a magnificent beast out of his protective environment specifically to kill him in a barbaric misuse and miscarriage of his own ego.

I went into mourning for Cecil and for the entire state of our world.

I wasn’t going to attempt to try connecting with Cecil at first. As I receive, I take on an animals entire energetic composition…their happiness, lightness, heaviness and their despair. They are funny, loving, happy, sad, healthy or unhealthy…just like we are. I thought his energy would be as harsh and depleting on me as were the two animals on the factory farm. I knew at that moment I had to let go of my own comfort.

Because, to be honest, I knew he had important things to say just as the two on the factory farm…

So, on July 29th I connected with Cecil. I found him sitting in the shade under a tree, resting…facing away. I felt I was in the presence of one of the most glorious, dignified and contented souls I will most likely ever encounter. I immediately felt his entire being wash over me…strong, silent and oh so wise. I was astounded to realize suddenly I was the one with all the questions, and he was the wise one comforting me.

And, then he turned  to me and spoke. The following words are his with images/feelings imprinted upon me in parenthesis.

“Something had to be done (with the state of the world). It is okay. I chose this (his life and his death). I lived a good life. Please tell the world to allow my life and death to be remembered as love (not to remain sad he died horrifically).I am not sad. Man is. You are. The man who did this is. The earth is. But, I am not. So, don’t you be (as a collective) either. Be wiser.It doesn’t matter if it was me or another who died. I am not special, man made me special (by collaring him). If I was unknown, my death wouldn’t be news. But, all deaths in this way deserve to be known so man can change. Man must change because he leads us all. You are doing great work. Do not stop. The world needed this more than I needed to live. I am stronger here and can heal in greater ways in spirit than in physical form.

I am where I belong. I’m okay. All is good. Even when it is hard, it is still good. The world must use this for good”. Cecil the Lion

He also told me two other pieces connected to the hunt and investigation. The entire time I was connected to Cecil, he commanded respect just in his being…by the integrity of the energy of his presence. I saw a healthy, strong, humble Lion at peace. He is not bitter. He just returned home from the fight. He felt tired to me as if I interrupted a meditation of some sort. He sits in full soul awareness and divine knowledge. I wanted to sit by his side for hours just to take in his healing energy. I am sharing his words for only two reasons: Because I feel he wants them to be shared and so that anyone who reads this may walk away with a greater understanding and find purpose in darkness.

Hating the man who committed the act is not the answer. Hating and shaming never is. He has his own inner work to do, let him and let karma work this out.

All sentient beings deserve to live in the integrity in which they were created. We must return to a respectful state between man, the animal kingdom and earth and govern all with respect to each being’s divine purpose. 

I hope Cecil’s life and death sparks awareness in the disconnect and disrespect man has created with all animals across the board…in all the ways we govern them. I have hope we can. Change starts with awareness and not blindly accepting that which insults our souls.

We must reclaim respect for all that which we govern, each other, animals and the earth…or future generations will be left to exist with the consequences.

There is no right or wrong way to experience any death or to grieve. Whether it’s Cecil’s death or the death of a starving child as some are deflecting to on social media. Comparing any two deaths is comparing apples to oranges. Neither death takes away from the other. Rather, look to see what is the common thread between them. Both are a reflection of an area Man must re-choose. We feed animals in factory farms enough food that no child in the world would starve. Yet, we choose to manufacture and feed animals in order to eat animals…while our own species starves in other parts of the world. So, when I see a starving child, I reflect back to my own species which governs all and notice how we are so mis-aligned in our priorities. I am horrified human beings are starving in today’s world in a way that does not compare to Cecil’s death. But, I cannot consciously hop onto the ‘how you can feel bad about a lion’s death when people are starving? agenda. Just like I never guilted my children to clean their plates because children are starving in other parts of the world. Apples / Oranges.

Grieve any damn way you want.

To see how Cecil’s death affects you and to see where it sits in your soul:

• Notice where the news of Cecil’s death landed in your body.
• Notice any responses- physical, emotional and spiritual – Put them into separate boxes.
• Look at the spiritual response and ask your higher self what is being triggered in you to understand…to heal…or to release….?
• Honor the answer without judgement of yourself or others.
• Proceed with compassion with yourself and in any response…and allow others to process exactly where they are without hate or judgement.

We are all part of a divine tapestry that we didn’t even create…we were placed in a world that was set up for us to thrive. We chose differently. We picked teams within our own species, we go to war against our own species, we kill and use all species for reasons other than food, and… WE wonder what is wrong with the world…and our young not having respect previous generations had? When, what is apparent to me that is wrong… began when we started playing God by changing the original playing field. 

Cecil says “It’s all okay. Be wiser. All is good. Even when it is hard, it is still good. The world must use this for good”.

It was an honor to channel Cecil’s soulful wisdom and healing energy.

This I know: He is in peace knowing his life mattered as it is part of the big wake up and shake up of how we all navigate in the world… just as he planned.

Have compassion for one another out there….and be sure to start with you. XO

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Happy, Beautiful New Year, Friends…

First, I am so grateful for you.

I love the concept new beginnings and intentions…there’s just something about the flipping over of a new calendar that brings a sigh of relief mixed with optimism. We humans thrive on new-ness, don’t we? New anything… new jobs, new friends, new experiences,  new beginnings and new opportunities. It’s really what life is all about. For me, my biggest rush has always been new ways of being. We don’t ever want to take old versions of thinking or of ourselves into the new year….I have a little story on that…

I’ll back up a month or so…

Right after Thanksgiving, My husband and I went away on sort of a second honeymoon slash retreat slash celebration. His intention was for us to just celebrate a milestone in his business as well as just plain old recharge in ways we never have before…or could here…now that our children are out of the house and after years of building a business…and all of the regular stuff life entails….this was different. This was to go away to just soak in clean energy and enjoy having the time to reconnect.  Not only could we talk over dinners we didn’t have to cook, we actually had dinner together. We don’t always at home. We didn’t leave this place for 10 days. We’d be fools if we did. My husband is one of the hardest working men I’ve ever met. He is smart as a whip with a good heart. {who could use more downtime in my opinion…} Remember the line from the movie ‘The Blindside” where Tim McGraw -the husband- says…’I’m working even when I’m not working’?  Maybe you don’t…but, I do because my husband owns franchise restaurants too…and it’s such a funny but oh-so true industry statement.  And, so he specifically chose an experience where he did not have to think. Our only criteria was to fill our cups and return replenished. Frankly, I feel honored he asked me to tag along. Just kidding.  Sort of.  He knows that with our youngest daughter gone from the nest, with me delving into my intuitive single sessions with clients {which I absolutely love} and being not only called to, but yanked into work with factory farming awareness…{I am so in the pull of this wake that I can’t ignore it anymore – discomfort, heartache and all…I care more about them than I care about my suffering or discomfort at what is happening to them…that’s how any of us can determine ‘is it worth it?’.} My husband saw that I, too, could use this time away to refuel. And, so we did.

I decided to use this opportunity to do a deep, spiritual & physical cleanse.  I nourished my body with a little yoga, lots of green juice and clean food…I walked miles of beaches every day…all to allow it to be quiet enough to hear and accept the downloads that have been trying to get to me for months….the knowledge and insights from my guides. This quickly and frankly, quite easily, boiled down to One question they asked me: ‘Who do you want to look in the eye when you look in the mirror when you return?’ Not talking about what you look like, Susan. This is about the integrity of your soul.

Who the hell ARE you and what the hell do you STAND for? Ugh…I knew I was purging. I just had no idea how much of  it was poison.

When I thought about what needed to change or be tweaked in order to make space for more meaning in my life for the new year, I started by looking at the areas that were screaming for my attention.  I found there were plenty of areas I was an expert at ignoring.  The incongruent areas were the loudest. I knew returning home to my life heading into a new year was going to be much more than just making a list of refreshed commitments. This ran deeper.

It’s so easy to play small, play dumb and let others handle the heavy lifting. And by remaining dim in a few areas serves no one. We are so much more capable than we give ourselves credit. When we create lives that are so noisy we can’t help but not hear the voice inside us – you know the one you showed up here with that makes sure you do, be, share or heal…what you came here for? When that is ignored other parts of our lives disintegrate simply out of confusion. And, then we wonder why life becomes harder. That’s the time to take inventory and check our integrity level. Do our actions match our hearts and words?  I discovered it was time for me to renew my relationship with integrity.

One of my favorite artists of all time is Alanis Morissette. Such wisdom in her lyrics. So, in honor of her song ‘Thank U’, I say Thank You Mexico…Where I was able to see where I was misaligned. I so resonate with Alanis as she eloquently states in her own words…

“I felt that I lived in a culture that told me that I had to consistently and constantly look outside myself to feel this elusive bliss. And I achieved a lot of what society had told me to achieve and I still didn’t feel peaceful. I started questioning everything, and I realized that actually everything was an illusion and it was scary for me because everything I had believed in was dissolving in front of me and there was a death of sorts, a really beautiful one ultimately, but at first a very scary one, and so I stopped. I stopped for the first time and I was overcome with a huge sense of compassion for myself first, and then naturally that translated into my feeling and compassion for everyone around me and a huge amount of gratitude that I had never felt before to this extent. And that’s why I had to write this song, ‘Thank U,’ because I had to express how exciting this was and how scary it was and all of these opportunities for us to define who we are.”

And, yes…I know…I oughtta know. {Alanis insiders get that}. So, although I returned home in the somewhat same body, it was definitely in a much more authentic soul level.

This year, my  2015 ‘To Be List’  looks like this:

• Stop using the word ‘wish’ and replace it with ‘will’.
• Stop asking ‘Who?’ (can fix or do something about…) and replace it with ‘Me’
• Purge. Every nook and cranny of my life to make space for grace. If I can’t use it, respect it or honor it – bye-bye.
• Renew, re-choose and re-member what and who is earning their keep in my life. If they offer clean currency– they’re in. If not, I release them, re-gift it, or donate. No exceptions.
• Focus on Forgiveness. Focus on Love. Myself more consistently and then upward and outward…Man, does the world need more of both.  And, so do I.  And, maybe, so do you.  It takes root from the inside first in order for the vibration of intent to be received. No one can serve from an empty dish. It will never not work this way.
• Connect.  I will focus on authentic connections. It is necessary to seek out and connect with the like-minded in order to soar. I’ve always said…’find your flock so you can soar…’ I truly believe that and intend to tidy up my flock.
• Release. It is just as necessary to release those who are not part of your flock so they can soar. Nothing is wrong with anyone. Give the gift of freedom to those who are not strong enough to leave.
• Wear my Perspectacles. Every day. Perspective is one of my favorite words. A tweak in perspective drastically affects how we experience. Every thing. Every body. By viewing the world through my perspectables, I know I will be a judgement free co-creator and contributor. {Thank you Lisa from our private facebook group for introducing me to this great word…if this blog speaks to you, you are invited to join our amazing group of women in our facebook group – To Join us… Just  ‘like’ my facebook page at Susan Mullen, Intuitive Living and private message me there to request to join us!}
• Thank & be grateful for every thing. Every ease and every dis-ease.  I know that which breaks my heart is there to crack me open even wider to allow my light to escape. I’ll work on bringing awareness to the legal horrors of  factory farming of animals for food because it breaks my heart and because I can.
• Embrace being fragile. Not at all to be confused with weak. I am extremely fragile and extremely strong. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I intend to leave the world better than when I arrived.

This is the year of infiniti. For those who are into numerology – 2 plus 0 plus 1 plus 5 = 8 which turned sideways means infiniti. It is the year we can all jump into the clean energy that will fuel our life’s work. But, we have to do two things first –

Take inventory to align with your integrity & then…simply… jump. There is a net. I promise. It’s called faith. 

All aspects of our lives will gain strength with less so we can create the space of integrity for a higher quality momentum. I believe in you. I believe in me.

With so much love,

Susan

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 The holiday season is here & it’s in full swing!

Where did that statement land in your body and what did it feel like? You either felt a happy rush realizing that you are ready to roll with the holidays! Or, you felt a tight squeeze anywhere in your chest/gut area indicating that maybe you didn’t work the holidays into your life just yet! Either way, our bodies simply do not have the capacity to lie. It is our first response of truth. A few tweaks in perspective can ensure that you will not only survive the holidays, but that you can thrive through them!
Everything about this season affects us in mind, body and spirit. Our five senses are bombarded by all of the glorious tastes, sights, sounds, gift giving & receiving, busy-ness, choices and, did I mention all those amazing aromas? But, it’s our all important sixth sense…our inner knowing, that is designed to navigate & lead if we allow it.

But, intuition can be dimmed, or even shut off when we’re swimming in overwhelm & default to our minds to make on- the- spot decisions.

When we allow our spirit – our soul essence where intuition resides- to be the leader, our mind, body, spirit team is in alignment..and alignment = harmony. When we are in harmony, we are equipped to step up to the physical and energetic demands of carrying out our best intentions. But, without the right guardian, we will often feel behind the 8 ball just trying to survive it all.

What could you bring to the table to make sure you are able to enjoy all of the love and beauty this season offers?
What experiences do you want for yourself and your family? {what traditions are a ‘must’?}  How do you want to feel during the holiday season? {joyful, in control with clean, even energy?} And, what decisions can you make now to support this?

After all, it is hard to enjoy much of anything when our actions don’t support our intentions.

Switch the perspective from ‘doing’ to ‘being’ and from ‘should’ to ‘could’. You can’t really know what you want until you know how you want to feel & experience your holiday season. Give yourself a break from being afraid of disappointing or offending others. If you’re confronted with an irritated clerk or someone in heavy traffic…take nothing personally. Others are experiencing in their own energy, not yours. You can take a few deep breaths in while sending love & peace out. Why would you do that you wonder? Because you can. Because you do not randomly hand your power over, and because it works – in your favor. Kindness & negativity cannot exist simultaneously.  By diffusing negativity on the spot, you will less likely carry it home with you.

Tips for Thriving Through the Holidays – First, Set Your Table! {Set Your Intentions!}

• Bring your Body to the Table – This perfectly designed vehicle rules the show! Our bodies thrive on consistency & sink fast on inconsistency. Nourish yours with the same integrity you would your five year old child – with high quality fuel; don’t head out hungry to socialize. Focus on people and less so on scheduling your main meals around them. Pick and choose. Share a desert or cut one in half & salt the other half so you won’t be tempted. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum and have a glass of water between each drink. The level of love & commitment you give your body equals the level of quality you can expect from her in return.
• Bring your Calendar to the Table. Allow your heart to choose. Accept invitations you truly feel pulled towards. Schedule downtime – so you don’t feel obligated or put on the spot to accept last minute invites. Saying ‘Thank you, but I have plans’ is not a lie. Honoring a planned night in IS a plan – Remember, rest & play supports your overall goal to have a joyful season! Shop at non-peak hours and online when you can. {don’t forget to google discount codes!} Create a ritual to wind down {not food or drink related!} My favorite ritual is a long soak in a hot bath with an added cup of Pink Himalayan sea salt. This affects our energy field on the ionic level. Salt is why we are drawn to oceans…it is truly therapeutic and is proven to reduce overwhelm.
• Bring You to the Table. You have come a long way to become fabulous you! The holidays tend to bring up lots of stuff, feelings, memories and traditions. You may find yourself falling into an old role. Let’s face it, we all feel 14 from time to time! But, by becoming aware you will have the opportunity to change it. Just don’t hide who you are or dim what you know. Bring your light, wisdom & laughter, and keep expectations real. You will empower others to do the same!
• Bring Your Heart to the Table. With consumerism at its peak, nothing can zap the true meaning of the season quite as effectively as the retail industry. A few ways to make sure you are keeping your reason in your season…give gifts within your  means that offer an experience and/or your time such as concert tickets or a special day out with the receiver. Buy local. Support your community, craftsmen and small businesses. {Maybe save the hottest gadget for other occasions}. Grab your favorite little person and volunteer at an animal shelter, retirement home or bring baked goods to neighbors who don’t get out so much. Giving from the heart that involves your time & hands, along with someone special to you from the next generation is a great way to pass it on. If  you tend to sort of resent holiday consumer-antics, choose gifts & activities that support your belief system. 
• Bring Your Why to the Table. Remember why this matters. Your Why is the only motivation you need. More on this topic over here -> blog

 Above All Else – Bring Your Joy, Gratitude & maybe a favorite healthy dish to the Table & You will be sure to Feast!

I send you peace & joy for a beautiful holiday season laced with love, health & harmony.

With love,

Susan

The post How To Thrive Through The Holidays! appeared first on SUSAN MULLEN.

What does the month of  ‘June’ bring up for you?

For me, it’s lilacs, transition, shedding the old and ushering in the new.  It’s also so much warmer here in Maine…. And, I love summer and walking on my beach.

But, the last few months I’ve found I’ve had to consciously work on walking my talk.

It isn’t nearly as easy (or fun. or gratifying.) working with myself as it is with clients. But, I had some unexpected visitors.

My youngest daughter, Emily,  is graduating from high school this weekend. (yes, that’s a yay!) It is a special time in her life. As an intuitive, an empath and someone who feels everything oh so very deeply, I’m one who has to watch out for porous boundaries and empathy overload. So, rather than hitting the mark, this hit me hard.

The last few months, I experienced it as ‘my second and last child is leaving’. Then it became …’…leaving me’. (When really she isn’t. She is graduating high school).

I have always been emotionally invested in each of my daughters lives. They’re great young women. I enjoy them. I love them. I’m so happy I like them, too. I’m pretty good at reading another’s soul essence and I fully realize I won the lottery with these two. They are two of my greatest teachers.

But, with my youngest graduating, I got a bad case of the  ‘Now, What’s?’

Even thinking…maybe a couple more cats would fill the space up in my empty house and heart.

But, you know what? I made someone else’s life path and journey all about me. Another’s positive and natural life transition presented as a loss to me, instead of a joyous occasion. Yep, apparently, I went there. I had to look at this carefully.

This much I knew: I didn’t enjoy grieving this as a loss because I know better. But, I was. It was uncomfortable and it did not serve me or suit my personality.

So, I did what I do with my own clients…I looked at this with an observer’s eye and not as the ‘me’ in the fire of emotion. When I did, I found there was a little more to it than my daughter ‘leaving’.

We cannot change what we do not acknowledge, right?

I was able to realize that by participating in a relationship with the lack, fear and loss triplets, I was cheating myself of a tremendous gift…enjoying the beauty that was going on around me in the now.

As I met each visitor head on, I did not judge them. Instead, I welcomed and honored each one. Just sat with them, truly feeling them out…until I understood who they were, where they originated and why they were visiting now. It was a process each time they showed up.

I sent love to the wounded parts of me that needed a hug.

I sent away the passed down or inherited thought patterns that were not mine. The universe has a way of getting our attention. And, sooner or later, it will.

Transmuting the energy with a tweak in perspective completely changed my experience. I’m participating in the present now. I am now able to show and experience what I truly think and feel: Happy! Proud! and Grateful for this young woman who is graduating with high honors and going to the college of her dreams.

This is all about her…. her path, and her journey. Not mine.

And, my journey is mine. I found, I will be fine, too. Not only fine, free to dig in to more of what it is I came here to do.

There is always so much to look forward to, to create and dream about..but it doesn’t mean it’s ‘where we live’….We must not live or hang out in the past either. The only point of power is now.

I’m incredibly honored to have the privilege to love and guide both of my daughters to adulthood. They have guided me as well.

They’re part of my forever flock. I haven’t lost a thing. 

Perspective really is everything.

It was all very real, but I found, little was true.

Be gentle with yourself.

What is true for you? How are you experiencing?

Love,

Susan

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