Posts Tagged ‘animals’

Posted on February 25, 2010 - by Andrew

Catch: Slow motion jumping dogs

Ever seen an advert that’s just so good you had to share it? No? Ads of that level of quality are out there.

Here’s an ad for Pedigree called “Catch”. The premise is simple; slow-mo video footage of cute dogs jumping to catch a chunk of tasty Pedigree.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Is the advert any good? What the name “Pedigree”? Given that some TV channels are now refusing to show dog shows on the premise that it’s cruel to breed pedigrees could the very name of the product be in danger?

Posted on January 14, 2010 - by Andrew

Police on pagan watch after horse mane weaving incidents

Police in the UK are suggesting that white witches are responsible for a number of incidents which have resulted in horse’s manes been woven together. At first police suspected the practise was being used by organised crime to mark the horses prior to stealing them but none of the marked horses were then stolen.

It is now believed that witches may be engaging in knot magick and are using the closeness of horses to certain Pagan deities to boost the strength of their spells. None of the horses have been harmed by any of the weaving incidents but stables and farmers are becoming bemused and a little unsettled.

The Taunton Vale Harriers Hunt have set up a local horse watch scheme to keep an eye on the animals. The Hunt had used social networking sites to discover that a small group of people had been talking about the use of horses in pagan rituals.

The Telegraph published a story on knot magic yesterday and the Guardian covered it at the start of December in 2009.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Are white witches likely to be responsible for this? Should they be doing it – even if neither horse nor person is being harmed?

Posted on September 17, 2009 - by Andrew

An interview with Joanne Hull known as The Pet Psychic

Joanne was kind enough to leave a comment on an old In Pure Spirit post on Equine Assisted Pscyhotherapy and our cheeky response was to ask for an interview. To our great pleasure Joanne agreed. If you’d like to read more about Joanne’s offerings and abilities after this Q&A interview then check out her website for extra goodies.

Q: Some of our readers might not be familiar with the services a pet psychic offer. Could you briefly explain what you do and when or why a pet owner might decide to seek the services of a pet psychic?

A: Firstly I have to say that I am blessed to do the work I do, working full time as an Animal Psychic is the best job in the world. My role is to help people connect on a more intuitive way with their animals, taking the normal relationship most of us have with them to a deeper level. Its easy to assume that animals are one dimentional, however, when you actually take notice of their energy and intuitive side, you soon discover that they are so much more than ‘JUST’ a dog, or ‘JUST’ a cat, as some would people say. A pet owner may call me up if they have a problem that perhaps the vet cannot solve, or maybe a behavioural problem that they just cannot get to the bottom of. Most of my clients however call me after a much loved pet has passed to spirit, connecting with animals that have passed is as easy to do as with live animals, it’s very similar to a human Medium, they connect with human spirits in the same way. The messages can be passed to their owners and then validated.

Q: How did you discover you had the necessary skills and talents to be a successful pet psychic?

A: As far back as I can remember I could understand the animals, I assumed everyone around me could do the same? However, it was only as I grew older I noticed that I was experiencing odd paranormal happenings and sought advice, only to discover that what I was experiencing wasn’t as common as I had first thought. I started to take notice of what actually happening to me, such as spirit sightings and a strange spirit voice (now to be known as my guide Alan), eventually I learnt how to come to terms with it all, I developed and fine tuned my skills as a psychic medium (for humans) doing readings as a psychic medium for friends and family. During my search to learn more about my ability, I attended a course in Animal Communication, firstly it sounded fun and secondly I loved animals. I couldn’t believe my luck when the teacher started to explain just what it was, it was like a light bulb coming on! To my amazement, this is exactly what I had been doing for almost 32 years! naturally! So that was it, the next day I packed my well paid job in, and turned professional. At last, I found my true calling in life and I have NEVER looked back.

Q: Are there some animals that respond better to psychic approaches than others?

A: In my experience ALL animals respond to a psychic connection, they are waiting for us humans to understand them and hear them. How many times has your dog sat at your feet glaring at you, trying to tell you something, but you have no idea what? well, by learning communication you can easily connect, it’s pretty remarkable how much these animals have to tell us.

Q: What’s working with animals like? Do they tend to be similar or different to their owners?

A: ahhhh great question, it varies, but normally when I am dealing with animals with emotional or illness problems, it is normally the case that the owners are in a similar state, our animals tend to ‘MIRROR’ us, so if we are quiet and reserved so to will our animals, or if we are hyper and over sensitive to situations our animals will be also. I work with the owners via their animals to resolve any situation, you could say I’m cleaning the Mirror of life.

Q: If someone felt that they might have a psychic connection to their pet would you encourage them to try and use it, to build on it or would that not be wise?

A: Absolutely yes! I spend most of my time encouraging people to connect on a psychic level with their animals. Let me assure you whilst being a Pet Psychic is a special gift, it is actually a learnt skill, anyone can learn the process, easily, even if they feel they have no prior psychic ability or any connection. This is why I host 1 day workshops and have produced a super HOME STUDY COURSE which will develop your inner ability to connect with animals, it’s easy to send and receive messages to and from the animals, it’s just like learning a new language, you need to learn at a steady pace, with explanations. I mean you would go to Italy and suddenly start speaking Italian without learning the language first? So I encourage you ALL to have a go, it’s the most magical experience which will bring most people to tears when they realize how real it is.

Q: What are your top two tips for pet owners?

A: Listen to your animals, it’s that simple, you would be surprised at what they are trying to tell you. And in most cases it’s important. Oh, and don’t be scared of the unknown, it really is amazing.

Q: Do you ever encounter obstructions or strange reactions from people as you work?

A: Sometimes clients are scared of what their animal may tell me, I mean these animals know all about you, all the information is strictly confidential. When I first turned professional I did get a few strange reactions from family, but to be honest I was so excited I didn’t really mind, you have to expect odd reactions now and then.

Q: Do you think some people would never even consider or accept turning to a pet psychic for help? Why would they be like that?

A: Some people give psychics a bad name, being called fakes etc and accused of taking money of victims. However, like in any profession there are good and bad, there are real psychic’s who work only for the good of the animals or people, and often do a lot of work for free, I know I certainly do. I have helped thousands of animals and their people over the years, it’s lovely to get validation and feedback. It makes my job truly humbling.

Q: Your website offers tuition courses for people who would like to try and communicate more clearly with animals. Can you explain a little bit more about your workshops?

A: My workshops are offered worldwide, they are suitable for anyone with a love of animals. Learning every aspect of communication. We work with some amazing live animals on the day and also from your own photographs of past and presents animals. Its a day full of laughter and a few tears, but most of all a day of life changing relationships with animals..

Q: If someone is feeling about eating meat or owning leather goods is a good or a bad idea for them to explore communicating with animals?

A: No, I do not eat meat, however I do have leather goods, and also feed my own dogs meat products, so I cannot call myself a true vegan or veggie. It’s a question I get asked on many occasions,and which is a complex one. I have spoken with meat animals often, they all know the chain of life. Right or wrong its an individual choice, I do NOT judge anyone, people have to make their own choices in life. I continue to push for better care of farm animals, this is important to me. And I am open to learning more about our animal-human relationship when it comes to the food chain. But please do not be put off if you are a meat eater, and those who are veggies or vegans, please do not judge, everyone has a right to learn for themselves, just as the meat animals have the right to lead a dignified and cruelty free life.

I do hope I have given you a better understanding of what life is like as The Pet Psychic*, my new book titled The Pet Psychic* published by HEADLINE available from all good bookstores £6.99 is out on the 18th March 2010. You can pre-order it now from any online bookstore. Hope you enjoy it. All my love Joanne x

In Pure Spirit

We’d like to thank Joanne again for answering these interview questions. If there are any questions you would wished we had asked or other suggestions then please leave a comment below and they’ll go into a learning cycle.

Disclaimer: Links marked with stars(*) are revenue links for this blog.

Posted on July 30, 2009 - by Andrew

The meaning of cat talismans

Originally cat charms were used to signify luck and are common today. The question is whether they represent good or bad luck.

The black cat, in particular, is sometimes seen as unlucky as it represents one of the forms Satan is believed to take as he stalks the Earth. Others will wear the black cat charm to specifically ward against bad luck.

The Romans took the fiercely independent nature of the cat and translated this to the concept of liberty. The ancient Egyptians associated the cat to the moon and drew connections between the dilation and contraction of cat eyes to the waxing and waning of the moon.  Egyptian moon gods or goddesses would often be depicted with the wedjat eye in the full-moon disk over their head. The wedjat-eye, however, belonged to Re and was later associated with Thoth, rather than the cats.

Posted on June 30, 2009 - by Andrew

France faces fine for hamster neglect

The European Commission is taking steps to fine the French Government after a failure to protect the great hamster of Alsace. Only around 250 of the hamsters are believed to be left in the world.

If the French Government is found guilty then they may be fined as much as €17,000,000 (which is about €68,000 for each hamster).

The Commission had warned the French on a number of occasions that they were not taking sufficient steps to protect the hamsters’ natural environment. Now under the directives for the preservation of wildlife they’re pulling the French Government into Court.

Previously the French had attempted to protect the hamster by encouraging farmers to grow wheat or lucerne for the hamsters habitat. Efforts to protect the hamsters failed and the population dropped from 500 to 250 in just a matter of years.

In Pure Spirit

Are you a fan of actions like this or should the European Commission not be involved in attempting to fine entire countries?

Posted on May 11, 2009 - by Andrew

Sea turtles invade Bournemouth beach with IFAW warnings

The International Fund for Animal Welfare today swarmed Bournemouth beach with 200 cardboard hawkbill turtles.

The arrival of the turtles is a publicity stunt co-ordinated by the IFAW and agency Rapp designed to raise awareness of the dangers that souvenir hunters are having on wildlife.

Each of the cardboard turtles has a message written under it explaining the dangers of poachers and the efforts of the IFAW to fight them. “Turning the turtle over is the first thing that hunters do”, reads one hard-hitting message.

Robbie Marsland, the UK director of the IFAW, said: “This turtle invasion may look out of place on an English beach but unfortunately many endangered species have their final resting place in this country as tokens of exotic holidays abroad.

“We hope this spectacle will highlight the truth behind this deadly business.”

In Pure Spirit

What do you think of the publicity stunt? Will it help and raise awareness of the issue?

Posted on May 10, 2009 - by Andrew

Extinction Sucks: Indian Rhinos

In this week’s Extinction Sucks Aleisha Caruso and Ashleigh Young go all out to try and aid the endangered Indian Rhino. The pair travel to Nepal, the only other place in the world where you can find Indian Rhinos, to investigate the poaching situation.

There are less than 410 Indian Rhinos left in Nepal. A good place to find them is in the Chitwan National Park – a park divided into the buffer zone where locals are allowed to stray and the core zone which is only open to controlled tourism.

Guides from WWF Nepal explain how locals near the buffer zone can hope to earn around 5000 or 6000 rupees a month but by poaching rhinos they might make 6000 rupees a day. The temptation is clear. Sound like a lot of money? That’s about AU $70 or, as Ashleigh explains, about the price of a pair of shoes.

This week’s adventure begins with the Extinction Sucks pair raising money to buy spy camera equipment for WWF Nepal. The initial idea of a jungle curry is aborted due to concerns over… the smell, so the pair move on to inviting a chef with truly crazy hair baking cookies. This leads to a roller skating rhino selling them.

The flight from Kathmandu to Chitwan National Park in Nepal is interesting as Aleisha is prone to panic attacks while flying and the tiny plane taking them to the park is one of the Yeti Airlines fleet.

In Pure Spirits

Nepal has recently transitioned from being an absolute monarchy to a fledgling democracy. With all the issues the new government has to work through – where should the fate of the Indian Rhino be on their list?

Posted on May 5, 2009 - by Andrew

Thousands overcome Swine Flu fears to visit miracle Malaysian boars

Thousands have travelled to a temple in the Malaysian state of Perak to visit a Hindu temple. Visitors have come as far as Thailand and Singapore to see the boars which started to appear by the temple about a year ago.

Some Hindu devotees believe that the boars possess magical powers and are capable of brining good luck. Despite fears of swine flu the visitors, who are bussed in to the temple, attempt to touch the animals. Others will try and feed the animal and rub a four-digit number on the boar’s flank in order to maximise their chances of benefitting.

In Pure Spirit

How far would you travel for a chance of improving your luck?

Are you concerned that this temple might become a nexus of infection should one of the pilgrims carry swine flu in with them?

Posted on May 4, 2009 - by Andrew

Chattanooga: The pothole battles between PETA and KFC

Fast food powerhouse KFC has donated $3,000 to the American town of Chattanooga to help repair potholes in the road. In exchange for the money the road repair crews use chalk sprays to mark the repairs as “Refreshed  by KFC”.

Until the temporary chalk logos wear off over time they act as advertisements for KFC. This has enraged the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who approached Chattanooga with a counter offer.

PETA offered Chattanooga $6,000 and vegetarian lunches for the road crew. In exchange PETA wished to chalk the repairs with a caricature of KFC’s Col. Harlan Sanders and the phrase “KFC Tortures Animals”.

The offer was used by Chattanooga offices. A spokesperson for May Ron Littlefield said in an announcement, “We are not going to place ourselves into the middle of an argument between PETA and the KFC Corp.,”

PETA’s demands were described as “awkward”.

Spokesperson for PETA, Nicole Matthews, responded, “We want Chattanooga residents to know what their road repairs really cost,” said Nicole Matthews, PETA spokeswoman. “It’s the lives of around 360 million chickens.”

It it estimated that the $3,000 from KFC will be enough to repair almost 500 potholes.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Are KFC taking advantage of towns with an offer like this? Or is this a healthy form of advertising where  every commercial message has to accompany an effort that builds the community.

What about PETA? Have they been treated badly b Chattanooga or did they expect this rejection? Was the rejection part of PETA’s publicity campaign?

Posted on May 3, 2009 - by Andrew

Extinction Sucks: Sea Turtles

There have been sea turtles on Earth for over 100 million years. In this week’s Extinction Sucks Aleisha Caruso and Ashleigh Young spring in to action to try and ensure we have sea turtles for many years to come.

There are seven species of sea turtles and all of them are under the threat of extinction. Problems range from turtle eggs being eaten by pigs, turtles choking on plastic bags mistaken for jellyfish and ghost nets.

Ghost nets are fishing nets either lost or abandoned which trap the sea turtle, keeping them below the surface until they suffer a horrible and slow death.

Aleisha and Ash arrange a ‘turtle tennis’ day (in keeping with the net theme) where they collect sponsorship money and sell their Extinction Sucks t-shirts in order to raise money. It’s worth checking out the Babblegum video to catch the snippet of the two girls playing tennis against a panda and a gorilla.

Money raised at the event is spent on a second hand quad bike that’ll become a hugely valuable asset in patrolling the beaches of Mapoon in the far north of Queensland. Mapoon is aboriginal land near Weipa but the Elders have given permission for the beaches to be checked for ghost nets and the turtles monitored.
Mapoon is an essential site for the ghost net project as all seven species of sea turtles can be found there. The vast beach, however, is extremely challenging to patrol on foot. Temperatures easily reach 40 degrees centigrade.   The quad bike allows more of the beach to be combed more quickly and more often.

Do check out the girls as they try and cross an ankle deep sea water inlet on the beach. What do you think of their ‘shark’?

In Pure Spirit

Some countries around the world have begun to introduce plastic bag taxes for supermarkets. Supermarkets, in turn, have started to charge consumers for the use of the bags. Do you think this is a good idea? Will initiatives like that really filter down to help the environment and animals like the sea turtles?