We often encounter animals. Not every animal encounter is one that immediately signals something to us. Chiefly, those spontaneous, surprising contacts are the telling ones. It is also interesting to interpret the animals you encounter daily, or those you own as pets. 

Perhaps I can help you to imagine, how it can be that a chance encounter may have something to tell you. 

Imagine that you are at the center of the universe. Everything that surrounds you is a reflection of your inner reality. Because everything that exists comes from the same energy source and also understands the same laws, one can thus assume that everything is interconnected. In your inner self, these energies are formulated into thoughts and feelings, which give rise externally to forms, colors, and spaces. What moves and touches you internally also shows itself on the outside. Your inner world is constantly enlivened by astonishing impulses and ideas. Your outer universe also shows these movements. 

I believe that the outer world, as the individual experiences it, is an exact mirror of what takes place in the inner world. No two people on earth ever take the same exact journey of perceptions through time and space. Even when two people spend a whole day together, they notice different details and react to different impulses. Perceptions are regulated by the “soul matrix,” the soul archetype. It is therefore the inner impulse that draws one’s attention to something. You are the center of your universe, and your inner world changes, as if in a kaleidoscope, around the center of your perceptions. Thus your archetypes, dogmas, and life themes are always forming new, fascinating mandalas. 

The outer world offers the natural counterpart for these mandalas, and our intuitively linked sensory perception is continually building bridges between the internal processes and the corresponding external processes. Because this happens unconsciously, we humans do not create any conscious connection between internal processes and external events. Thus one could also say that people create external experiences for themselves with the help of their inner worlds. 

To interpret an encounter with a messenger from the animal world as precisely as possible, the process of this encounter should be carefully noted. For this, several factors are important. 

1. Observe: What was I thinking about? What problem was I moved by at the moment? Who was I musing about? How did I feel when I saw the animal? Be very exact about this. What counts is not the loudest topic but the most important! 

2. How did I perceive the encounter? Did I see, hear, feel, or smell the animal first? Was it a single animal, or were there multiple animals? 

3. How did the animal behave? Was it moving, did it hide, did it react to me, or was it simply going about its business? 

4. Where did the animal come from? Where was it located (above or below)? If it was moving, where did it come from and where was it going? 

5. Note the various colors of the animals. 

6. Note the sex. 

7. Young animals, when they are clearly recognizable as such, speak to a certain level within the observer. 

8. Dead animals also carry a message. 

9. Animals in combination are interesting. For example, a dog chasing a cat; a deer in the cow pasture; and so forth. 

These factors should all be seen as resources. They can help you to interpret an observation when the message is not yet clear. The mental clarification of an interpretation through the points given above often enhances the strength of the encounter’s message. It is important, however, to arrive eventually at a point in your deliberation where you no longer analyze the message with your head. As soon as the first “Aha” moment arrives, follow your feelings, your impulses. Then ignore the external factors. The animal has brought you onto its trail. Just as the animal follows its instincts, you must follow yours. 

Bumblebees are furry insects that build their nests underground. Like other bees, they produce wax and construct honeycombs. They gather nectar and stock small supplies of honey for rainy days. Each colony only lasts for one summer. In late fall, fertile males and females emerge alongside the workers and mate. Then the whole colony dies except for the fertilized females, who shelter under moss for the winter. 

In the spring, each female establishes a new colony. As with wasps, it is mainly the queen who takes care of the offspring, feeding them with honey. The females can sting; their stingers are smooth, and they can sting multiple times. However, bumblebee stings are extremely rare. According to the laws of aerodynamics, given the bumblebee’s body weight and wingspan, it should not be able to fly. Because the bees do not know this, they do so with a loud buzzing noise. 

The humming of the bumblebee belongs to the summer. It is part of the easiness and lightheartedness of that season. An encounter with a bumblebee reminds you of enjoyment. Let go of those demoralizing thoughts and try not to plan your life around what is possible and what is impossible. Unhindered by restrictive knowledge, the bumblebee buzzes from flower to flower and gathers the nectar of existence, even if its life only lasts for a summer. If you have a very overt encounter with a bumblebee, it could be a sign that something impossible for you will soon become possible. 

In other words, a miracle will happen. Perhaps all the miracles of today will be explainable by the science of tomorrow, but that does not matter. Miracles are unimaginable processes: events that are not predictable by present knowledge. So turn off your mind, breathe the moment deep into your heart, and let great, contented joy into yourself. What miracle will happen to you? You will see.  

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Animal Messengers by Regula Meyer © 2015 Bear & Company. Printed with permission from the publisher Inner Traditions International. www.InnerTraditions.com