Man has long attempted to reestablish communication with animals while trying to teach apes, dolphins and other animal species sign language and human sounds of speech. Why? Why do they try to make them walk up a mountain backwards? Animals do not possess the physical or mental ability for human speech, so why do they try? If humans are so intelligent, would it not make more sense for humans to learn animal speech?

Thinking in this way, we must realize many animals do not always communicate between themselves and other species through sound. We must remember, animals also communicate by touch, smell, and body movement, as well as sound.

There are two other forms of animal communication. The first is sub-spirit or psychic (mental) telepathy and the second is spirit. American Indians use these two methods as well as the other more physical forms of communication to talk with animal guides.

This presentation focuses on the two latter forms of communication as we suggest the meaning of various animal guides (totems) in human terms. The animal spirit guides presented here are but a small sampling of the hundreds of animal spirit guides that exist in Nature.

Animals have an instinctual awareness of human personality and moods. It is often said that animals can ‘smell’ human fear. To the best of our knowledge, this notion has never been scientifically proven, however anyone who has ever worked with animals extensively knows this axiom to be correct. Animals not only ‘smell’ the single emotion of fear, but can also discern a broad spectrum of human emotions and personalities. How is this possible without direct communication?

It is our opinion that animals do not ‘smell’ human emotions, but instead possess a form of ancient mental telepathy or method of thought transference not understood by modern man. Animals do communicate with man by receiving mental messages and they carry this ability with them in spirit as they die.

Communicating with animal spirit guides is not easy. Animals have a different consciousness and perceive things differently than humans. In her excellent book, "The Magical Lore of Animals", Yvonne Aburrow says, "...it is important not to anthropomorphize animals [ascribing human form or attributes to a being or thing not human]. They are sentient beings, but they have a different consciousness from our own. When dealing with animals, therefore, one should never assume that they are exactly the same as a human; nor, conversely, treat them like an inanimate thing..." Thus, some messages from an animal spirit guides may be confusing, if not impossible to understand without considerable practice and patience.
Manataka American Indian Council