Having a small size zoo in my home, I was very excited to dive into this book. As a child I have always felt a bond with domestic and wild animals. The animal control officers where I grew up knew me by name, as I was always trying to befriend a stray in our neighborhood. Now as an adult we share our home with 2 dogs, a Quaker parrot, a cornsnake, a leopard gecko and a few fish (aside from 2 adults and 2 human kids). They all have distinct personalities and different ways they communicate with us.

The key to connecting with any animal, is knowing how to listen and read them. They don’t speak our language but with time, you can develop a connection and communicate universally with them.

Dogs are natural empaths and it’s easy to see the bond humans hold with dogs. However there are so many animals waiting for that connection and with patience, you can connect with a variety of animals. My daughter instinctively has been able to connect with animals since she was a small child. She is a natural animal communicator and our friends and family are amazed at the ‘tricks’ she has taught to some of animal companions. One of our abused rescue dogs took a year of love and patience to help her learn how to be a happy family dog. We used a variety of techniques including energy touch to help convey to her that she was safe, loved, and special. She is a happy and confident dog now and fully healed from her past trauma. (In fact she is now the alpha despite her small 30 pounds to her little ‘big’ brother, a Pyrenees companion).

Writer Diane Budd, dives into more than just dogs. She covers how to connect with a variety of animals like dogs, cats, and horses and how you can learn to work with their chakras, as well as the different layers of the animal’s aura or energy fields. Everyone can work with their animal companions in this guided step-by-step book of energy medicine for animals.

The first section covers auras, the energy field that surrounds the animal. The aura can assist you on what areas to focus on healing. The author covers everything from the functions, the layers, and colors of the aura. Each type of animal has a different style of aura as well from horse, cat, and dog. The author dives into how to read each specifically for the species.

The next section jumps into chakras, or the energy vortices. They are not in the same spot as humans. The author does a fantastic job of showing with visuals as well as explaining each of the chakras colors, location and how to utilize them.

Diane Budd also explores the use of essential oils and zoopharmacognosy. Most of us have probably heard the term aromatherapy. Aromatherapy however is for just humans while zoopharmacognosy is exclusively for animals. I really was glad she made the distinction and goes into details about this practice. Certain things you might use on humans with aromatherapy is not suitable and can even cause harm to an animal. Throughout the book are delightful case studies of the animals she has worked with. Hearing of their experiences and thoughts is insightful and enjoyable to read while gaining a peek into their perception of the world.

For those that want to try out animal communication, the last section has tons of great information on how to begin practicing and opening up to the amazing world of animals. Whether you are a healer or an animal lover, there’s plenty for everyone in this delightful book, Energy Medicine for Animals.

~review by Amber Barnes

Author: Diane Budd
Findhorn Press, 2019
pp. 192, $16.99