Shawna Fischer
Interview by Audrey Brown
About
This is how Shawna describes herself on her website, NaturesKeeper.info:
My name is Shawna Fischer and I have always had animals in my life and have had a connection with them. The animals in my life have always given me comfort and nurturing and I have always returned this gift to them. Animals bring me constant inspiration and joy. To me doing this work is honoring the path of my heart and reconnecting and finding balance for the animals and their people. It's about giving animals what they always give us unconditionally their love and lessons about living life.
This is how Shawna describes her work, as an animal communicator:
Animal Communication is about hearing an animal's thoughts and feeling their feelings. During an animal communication session information is exchanged between me and your animal. The process involves sending messages and receiving them back. The ways that these messages come through are from words, feelings, and pictures. As animals are very sensitive to our thoughts and pick up on them very easily.
This is Shawna's company motto:
Nature’s keeper
Keeping you and your pets in balance and in sync
With each other and the earths vibration
Flowing with the flow of life not against it
Finding the path of within through and through
My name is Shawna Fischer and I have always had animals in my life and have had a connection with them. The animals in my life have always given me comfort and nurturing and I have always returned this gift to them. Animals bring me constant inspiration and joy. To me doing this work is honoring the path of my heart and reconnecting and finding balance for the animals and their people. It's about giving animals what they always give us unconditionally their love and lessons about living life.
This is how Shawna describes her work, as an animal communicator:
Animal Communication is about hearing an animal's thoughts and feeling their feelings. During an animal communication session information is exchanged between me and your animal. The process involves sending messages and receiving them back. The ways that these messages come through are from words, feelings, and pictures. As animals are very sensitive to our thoughts and pick up on them very easily.
This is Shawna's company motto:
Nature’s keeper
Keeping you and your pets in balance and in sync
With each other and the earths vibration
Flowing with the flow of life not against it
Finding the path of within through and through
Initial Questions
Initially, I walked into the interview with these questions on my mind:
· What do you mean by “it is important for us to be responsible caretakers of the Earth?”
· Do you understand animals to be “beings-in-themselves,” separate from our knowledge of them?
· Do you think animals experience pleasure and pain? Do you think human beings act in a way that reflects this understanding?
· How do you think we can use our knowledge of animals to better understand ourselves as humans?
· What do you mean by “it is important for us to be responsible caretakers of the Earth?”
· Do you understand animals to be “beings-in-themselves,” separate from our knowledge of them?
· Do you think animals experience pleasure and pain? Do you think human beings act in a way that reflects this understanding?
· How do you think we can use our knowledge of animals to better understand ourselves as humans?
The Interview
A—How would you describe yourself as an animal communicator?
S—Basically what I help people and animals do is deal with a change in the environment, behavior, medical issues, end-of-life, what kind of litter, why are they doing a certain behavior, why not getting along with another animal, not taking a pill. I help people to work with the animal, work in conjunction with the animal, to work with the flow of nature rather than against it. I do energy work with animals, around imbalance & flow. I can help confirm what a vet has said, or lead a vet in a certain direction. With lost animals it's a little harder—they are scared, on the run…people put out fear, and so makes it harder to find the animal…animals are so in tune and they pick up on everything that’s around…
I basically work with the people, to help them visualize what they want. Animals communicate a lot with pictures—focus on what you want them to do, not what you don’t want them to do…don’t imagine your cat scratching on the couch…otherwise, your cat will be confused about why you are telling them no, when you’ve kept imagining that.
I work with people to understand the ways animal communicate, to work together with animals.
A—Do you think we all have the capacity to listen?
S—Some people just choose to not listen as much…some people choose to ask for help with that…everyone is on their own pathway, their own journey…some people know they already can do it but just want help with that/confirmation
A—Whether humans may or may not be listening, do you think animals are always communicating?
S—Yes, they are always communicating and letting us know what they need. They also reflect what is going on with us...They are trying to tell us, so good at trying to help us with what is going on with us—mirroring it for us.
A—Do you think animals have things they can teach us, or teach us to be better humans?
S—Yes, definitely. Animals don’t worry about things, they live in the moment, embrace that happiness…they live for today, and get enjoyment out of the smallest things
Animals shepherd and caretake humans….my dog always knows when I am upset , and lets us know when something is wrong—if we notice their behaviors and how they interact. They are communicating what is best for them and what they want….Animals want you to honor what they want and keep to your promises…if you don’t, they use behavior to show that. A lot of the way they communicate with people is through their behavior and interactions.
A—Do you think most of animal behavior is perceived as “mysterious” or “unknowable?” It seems like the dominant theme in our culture: that to even entertain the idea of communicating with animals seems ridiculous or preposterous. Boundaries are drawn between humans and animals, and that boundary is always emphasized in terms of our difference or inability to be equal.
S—We’re all equal, we’re just in different shapes…equal on different levels…animals have heightened sensitivities in areas that we don’t, we can drive a car and they can’t
A—Cats can see in the dark, etc
S—We all have our own unique abilities, different animals can do different things than we can do..I can't swim underwater like a fish, run fast like a cougar, see a little bug on the wall like a cat can
A—it seems like most people would agree that animals experience pleasure and pain, but we don’t really act in ways that reflect that…like it remains a concept…even in my own life, I think about the way I walk a dog, and the way its on my own agenda—pace, go where I want to go, if you want to sniff that bush that’s an annoyance…way I feel irritated with the dog bc it has so much energy, but I’ve put that dog in a cage, 12 hours a day. So imagine if I was a human, in a cage, I would be bursting energy. Like putting a toddler in pen.
S—It’s about respecting their limitations. I hate it at the dog park when people try to get their dog to swim by throwing them in the water…you wouldn’t do that with a human.
A—Do you think the way you pay attention to humans now is different now that you pay attention to animals?
S—No, I’m actually intuitive to people too. They’re both heightened for me. I’ve just always been sensitive to people and animals. Because not everybody is…some people are like, “oh yeah, that’s like a dog.” If they see an animal get hit, they’re like “that’s just a dog.” And I’m like, that’s a life. If you saw a person, wouldn’t you respect the life of that person?
A—It’s like the suffering of animals is less than the suffering of a human.
S—Its crazy. C’mon. Respect everything, respect all life, respect the Earth, respect animals, respect people. I think a lot of people that don’t respect animals or nature, don’t even respect people.
Respect the circle of life. Me, being an animal communicator, sometimes people are like “oh my gosh, you still eat meat?” I eat just chicken, turkey and fish. Animals eat animals. It’s about respecting where your food comes from, and respecting the circle of life. Life takes life to survive. You have to survive. That’s the way I look at it.
It’s like asking a spiritual person, “oh my gosh, you drink sometimes?”
A—How do you find most people react when you say you’re an animal communicator?
S—The more I embrace being an animal communicator and am open, the more I notice people accept it and the more people are open to it. Then you get the people who make fun of it, and when you give them information they’re like, “oh okay.”
A—That’s something we were looking at too—the idea of why animals being equal to us in some way is ridiculed, seen as ridiculous…like you’re looked down upon, or it’s childish. Why are those 2 things stuck so much together in my culture? In some traditions, in our older traditions, animals had a very sacred place in some ways.
A—Do you ever practice working with non-domesticated animals?
S—Sometimes I get messages from wild animals.
A—Do you feel like those messages are always there, but it’s just a matter of listening?
S—I definitely think they are.
A—You wrote on your website about finding balance and connecting with animals. What did you mean by that?
S—That natural balance that is always there, that we take away from. We try to force things in one way…like being in sync with animals, respecting their needs.
A—Do you think it’s important to even care about what they need?
S—Absolutely, because they need so much more than water, food, and love…they need to be honored and respected for who they are. I can go in there and work with people and change certain things, but sometimes it’s more about honoring the animal and respecting their limitations, and working within their limitations. We all have our own limitations. Working within those and honoring those.
A—Do you think an animal can tell if you respect it or honor it?
S—I think so, absolutely. They know.
A—A lot of people would say that to an animal it doesn’t make a difference, but in our lived experience that’s not what’s true.
S—They’re so much smarter than people think.
A—You wrote about how it’s important for us to be responsible caretakers of the earth and care for animals. Why do you think that’s important?
S—I think it’s to the benefit of us as humanity, for our own overall health and wellbeing. If we’re responsible caretakers, everybody in the Earth will be happier, in sync and in balance. If the Earth is taken care of, we are taken care of. If you respect things, you feel better.
It’s our job to take care of it. Who else will do it? Animals do that in their own natural habitats—they take care of things so amazingly.
S—Basically what I help people and animals do is deal with a change in the environment, behavior, medical issues, end-of-life, what kind of litter, why are they doing a certain behavior, why not getting along with another animal, not taking a pill. I help people to work with the animal, work in conjunction with the animal, to work with the flow of nature rather than against it. I do energy work with animals, around imbalance & flow. I can help confirm what a vet has said, or lead a vet in a certain direction. With lost animals it's a little harder—they are scared, on the run…people put out fear, and so makes it harder to find the animal…animals are so in tune and they pick up on everything that’s around…
I basically work with the people, to help them visualize what they want. Animals communicate a lot with pictures—focus on what you want them to do, not what you don’t want them to do…don’t imagine your cat scratching on the couch…otherwise, your cat will be confused about why you are telling them no, when you’ve kept imagining that.
I work with people to understand the ways animal communicate, to work together with animals.
A—Do you think we all have the capacity to listen?
S—Some people just choose to not listen as much…some people choose to ask for help with that…everyone is on their own pathway, their own journey…some people know they already can do it but just want help with that/confirmation
A—Whether humans may or may not be listening, do you think animals are always communicating?
S—Yes, they are always communicating and letting us know what they need. They also reflect what is going on with us...They are trying to tell us, so good at trying to help us with what is going on with us—mirroring it for us.
A—Do you think animals have things they can teach us, or teach us to be better humans?
S—Yes, definitely. Animals don’t worry about things, they live in the moment, embrace that happiness…they live for today, and get enjoyment out of the smallest things
Animals shepherd and caretake humans….my dog always knows when I am upset , and lets us know when something is wrong—if we notice their behaviors and how they interact. They are communicating what is best for them and what they want….Animals want you to honor what they want and keep to your promises…if you don’t, they use behavior to show that. A lot of the way they communicate with people is through their behavior and interactions.
A—Do you think most of animal behavior is perceived as “mysterious” or “unknowable?” It seems like the dominant theme in our culture: that to even entertain the idea of communicating with animals seems ridiculous or preposterous. Boundaries are drawn between humans and animals, and that boundary is always emphasized in terms of our difference or inability to be equal.
S—We’re all equal, we’re just in different shapes…equal on different levels…animals have heightened sensitivities in areas that we don’t, we can drive a car and they can’t
A—Cats can see in the dark, etc
S—We all have our own unique abilities, different animals can do different things than we can do..I can't swim underwater like a fish, run fast like a cougar, see a little bug on the wall like a cat can
A—it seems like most people would agree that animals experience pleasure and pain, but we don’t really act in ways that reflect that…like it remains a concept…even in my own life, I think about the way I walk a dog, and the way its on my own agenda—pace, go where I want to go, if you want to sniff that bush that’s an annoyance…way I feel irritated with the dog bc it has so much energy, but I’ve put that dog in a cage, 12 hours a day. So imagine if I was a human, in a cage, I would be bursting energy. Like putting a toddler in pen.
S—It’s about respecting their limitations. I hate it at the dog park when people try to get their dog to swim by throwing them in the water…you wouldn’t do that with a human.
A—Do you think the way you pay attention to humans now is different now that you pay attention to animals?
S—No, I’m actually intuitive to people too. They’re both heightened for me. I’ve just always been sensitive to people and animals. Because not everybody is…some people are like, “oh yeah, that’s like a dog.” If they see an animal get hit, they’re like “that’s just a dog.” And I’m like, that’s a life. If you saw a person, wouldn’t you respect the life of that person?
A—It’s like the suffering of animals is less than the suffering of a human.
S—Its crazy. C’mon. Respect everything, respect all life, respect the Earth, respect animals, respect people. I think a lot of people that don’t respect animals or nature, don’t even respect people.
Respect the circle of life. Me, being an animal communicator, sometimes people are like “oh my gosh, you still eat meat?” I eat just chicken, turkey and fish. Animals eat animals. It’s about respecting where your food comes from, and respecting the circle of life. Life takes life to survive. You have to survive. That’s the way I look at it.
It’s like asking a spiritual person, “oh my gosh, you drink sometimes?”
A—How do you find most people react when you say you’re an animal communicator?
S—The more I embrace being an animal communicator and am open, the more I notice people accept it and the more people are open to it. Then you get the people who make fun of it, and when you give them information they’re like, “oh okay.”
A—That’s something we were looking at too—the idea of why animals being equal to us in some way is ridiculed, seen as ridiculous…like you’re looked down upon, or it’s childish. Why are those 2 things stuck so much together in my culture? In some traditions, in our older traditions, animals had a very sacred place in some ways.
A—Do you ever practice working with non-domesticated animals?
S—Sometimes I get messages from wild animals.
A—Do you feel like those messages are always there, but it’s just a matter of listening?
S—I definitely think they are.
A—You wrote on your website about finding balance and connecting with animals. What did you mean by that?
S—That natural balance that is always there, that we take away from. We try to force things in one way…like being in sync with animals, respecting their needs.
A—Do you think it’s important to even care about what they need?
S—Absolutely, because they need so much more than water, food, and love…they need to be honored and respected for who they are. I can go in there and work with people and change certain things, but sometimes it’s more about honoring the animal and respecting their limitations, and working within their limitations. We all have our own limitations. Working within those and honoring those.
A—Do you think an animal can tell if you respect it or honor it?
S—I think so, absolutely. They know.
A—A lot of people would say that to an animal it doesn’t make a difference, but in our lived experience that’s not what’s true.
S—They’re so much smarter than people think.
A—You wrote about how it’s important for us to be responsible caretakers of the earth and care for animals. Why do you think that’s important?
S—I think it’s to the benefit of us as humanity, for our own overall health and wellbeing. If we’re responsible caretakers, everybody in the Earth will be happier, in sync and in balance. If the Earth is taken care of, we are taken care of. If you respect things, you feel better.
It’s our job to take care of it. Who else will do it? Animals do that in their own natural habitats—they take care of things so amazingly.
Shawna then mentions this video:
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MIDWAY: A TrailerThe MIDWAY film project is a powerful visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. On one of the remotest islands on our planet, tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic from the Pacific Garbage Patch. Returning to the island over several years, our team is witnessing the cycles of life and death of these birds as a multi-layered metaphor for our times. With photographer Chris Jordan as our guide, we walk through the fire of horror and grief, facing the immensity of this tragedy—and our own complicity—head on. And in this process, we find an unexpected route to a transformational experience of beauty, acceptance, and understanding.
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We frame our story in the vividly gorgeous language of state-of-the-art high-definition digital cinematography, surrounded by millions of live birds in one of the world’s most beautiful natural sanctuaries. The viewer will experience stunning juxtapositions of beauty and horror, destruction and renewal, grief and joy, birth and death, coming out the other side with their heart broken open and their worldview shifted. Stepping outside the stylistic templates of traditional environmental or documentary films, MIDWAY will take viewers on a guided tour into the depths of their own spirits, delivering a profound message of reverence and love that is already reaching an audience of tens of millions of people around the world. --Midwayjourney.com
S--To me, when you’re being responsible for the Earth, you’re letting things still have their creation and be in existence. If not, things are going to wither away, or be extinct, or not be healthy.
A—Do you think we can communicate with animals to ask them about being in zoos, or how they feel about being bred?
S—I definitely think you can. I haven’t before, but I think that you could.
I feel like some of them, that’s their mission—that they’re ok with that, that it’s their mission to teach people, and to have people be like “okay cool.” [The animals] are like “I’m here, I’m going to teach you what my being in existence means to the world and what I can do the for world.”
A—Like to educate humans in the zoo?
S—Yes, to educate humans. I think some of them are there for educational purposes.
A—Do you think they know they are doing that?
S—I think some of them do. I think sometimes they can come back and be with us in different lifetimes…I know that is like way…. on a whole different level * shrugs * I think that they can come back to us and teach us lessons on our path.
A—Do you think an animal has a choice whether it’s in a zoo or not?
S—I would like to say that they do. I would like to say that they do have a choice. Some of them maybe not, but I would like to say that some of them do, because it’s so hard when you see that…it’s nice to go see the animals at the zoo, but it’s also like okay. Are some of them happy? I definitely feel like some of them are, and then some of them are like “okay.” Like, “I’m doing this because I made the choice in this lifetime to do that.”
A—Do you think it’s similar, with animals choosing to be with their owners or not?
S—I think so, because I know that the animals that I have were definitely meant to be with me. And you just know—it’s just…you feel drawn to them.
A—Do you think we can communicate with animals to ask them about being in zoos, or how they feel about being bred?
S—I definitely think you can. I haven’t before, but I think that you could.
I feel like some of them, that’s their mission—that they’re ok with that, that it’s their mission to teach people, and to have people be like “okay cool.” [The animals] are like “I’m here, I’m going to teach you what my being in existence means to the world and what I can do the for world.”
A—Like to educate humans in the zoo?
S—Yes, to educate humans. I think some of them are there for educational purposes.
A—Do you think they know they are doing that?
S—I think some of them do. I think sometimes they can come back and be with us in different lifetimes…I know that is like way…. on a whole different level * shrugs * I think that they can come back to us and teach us lessons on our path.
A—Do you think an animal has a choice whether it’s in a zoo or not?
S—I would like to say that they do. I would like to say that they do have a choice. Some of them maybe not, but I would like to say that some of them do, because it’s so hard when you see that…it’s nice to go see the animals at the zoo, but it’s also like okay. Are some of them happy? I definitely feel like some of them are, and then some of them are like “okay.” Like, “I’m doing this because I made the choice in this lifetime to do that.”
A—Do you think it’s similar, with animals choosing to be with their owners or not?
S—I think so, because I know that the animals that I have were definitely meant to be with me. And you just know—it’s just…you feel drawn to them.
Audrey's Reflection
I ask, what are the politics and meanings behind the act of considering feasible: communication with animals?
What are the politics behind maintaining the human-animal boundary of (in)ability to communicate?
Why is the idea of communication with animals almost universally met with ridicule? At least it was this way, for us, in our own experience, when we spoke about our project to other people.
How can we conceive of communication with animals, moving beyond using it to affirm our own human-centrism?
What are the politics behind maintaining the human-animal boundary of (in)ability to communicate?
Why is the idea of communication with animals almost universally met with ridicule? At least it was this way, for us, in our own experience, when we spoke about our project to other people.
How can we conceive of communication with animals, moving beyond using it to affirm our own human-centrism?
"The 'historical insistence on an unbridgeable gap between humans and other animals' is another example of the dualism(s) that seem to underpin the majority of our Western philosophical and scientific approach. It is this same refusal to acknowledge the radical nature of interconnectivity amongst life and in our world, that prevents us from coming face-to-face with the animal."
--Donna Haraway (When Species Meet) mixed with Audrey Brown