Ever wish your pet could talk to you—in English? Well, there might just be a way to facilitate that. Learn how intuitive connection works in our exclusive interview with Julie Ulrich, animal communicator and pet reiki master.
Petworks: How would you describe animal communication and Reiki to someone who knows nothing about your field? What is the difference between communication and Reiki?
Julie: Both intuitive animal communication and Reiki are all about energy. In an animal communication reading, I connect with the animal’s energy and intuitively have a conversation with them, and in an animal Reiki session, I channel life-force energy through myself to the animal, helping to balance their energy and activate their own innate healing abilities.
The difference between the two is that an intuitive animal communication reading is done over the phone with the client (and the client can ask their animal questions), but I do the distance Reiki session without the client present, focusing on a transferring of energy. Some intuitive information from the animal can come through during a Reiki session, which I relay to the client afterwards, but it is not an active conversation with the client and their animal.
Petworks: What format does a typical session follow? How does a remote session work? Is it as effective as an in-person session?
Julie: In a distance Reiki session, I send the energy from my home to the animal, wherever they are—it can be anywhere around the world. I focus the session on the concerns that the client has shared with me about their animal, and also address any issue that may come up intuitively in the session. I email the client afterwards with a summary of what happened in the session.
Doing a distance animal Reiki session is just as effective as doing an in-person animal Reiki session—it’s even easier, in a way, because there are no physical distractions, and it’s a seamless connection of energy—in other words, the animal doesn’t need to sniff me and decide if it’s okay for me to be in their home!
An intuitive animal communication session is done over the phone, and I first connect in with the human’s energy, because their energy is connected to their animal’s energy. I spend a few minutes reading the person, and then I invite their animal’s energy in and start the conversation with the animal. I can then connect to the animal’s body to see how they are feeling physically, and ask them any questions the human has for them.
Petworks: What does an animal communication feel like for you?
Julie: Like magic! I say that because when I first studied animal communication and first tried to intentionally intuitively connect with an animal, the experience was mind-blowing. It opened a door to a whole new world I didn’t know existed, and that’s magic to me. I feel it’s really the most fascinating thing ever. Every animal is unique in personality, so I never know how they are going to come through or what they’re going to say. It’s also humbling, because animals have the most amazing wisdom to share. It feels like a beautiful adventure each time I do it.
Petworks: How did you first know you had this gift, and how did you learn to harness your talent? Can you turn it on or off?
Julie: I studied Reiki before I ever thought to study animal communication. Soon after I became a Reiki master, a client asked me to do distance Reiki sessions for her three senior cats on a regular basis. As I was doing the sessions, I started to see and hear things—messages that seemed to be coming straight from the cat I was sending energy to. I use intuition in Reiki to sense where the energy needs to go or how long I need to spend on a certain part of the body, but this was different. It really felt like direct communication. Barney, for example, told me he wanted his human to buy him cat grass to chew on.
After this had happened repeatedly, I decided to enroll in the Danielle MacKinnon School of Animal Communication. Danielle is a well-known animal communicator with whom I had booked a session a few years prior to read my cat who had crossed over. I completed four levels of study in her school, got certified, and took two master classes as well.
Yes, I can turn it on and off. I do a special preparation before each reading to get myself to a higher vibration, because animals operate at a higher vibration—they are masters of unconditional love, so they are ahead of us there! If I operated at that vibration constantly and were open to receiving nonstop intuitive information, it would be exhausting and overwhelming. And I’d probably miss what was going on in the 3-D world around me!
By the way, I don’t see it as a gift—everyone on the planet has the ability to intuitively talk to animals. Through study and practice and learning how to manage your own energy, anyone can do it!
Petworks: What kinds of things do animals relay to their humans through you?
Julie: When I first connect in with an animal’s energy, they often show me their favorite things to do and certain traits of their personality. As we get deeper into the reading, they usually start talking about how they are helping their human. Our animals often try to communicate messages to us through their behavior—and they will amp up the behavior to get our attention. Their messages are always about how their human can get past something that’s blocking them and how they can live their best lives. But it’s not always easy for us to understand why our animals are doing what they do. For example, I had a client whose cat meowed loudly all the time, and she was concerned something was wrong with him. When I asked him about it, he said his human has so much to offer—in her career and relationships—but she doesn’t speak up. He was modeling a behavior he thought she could learn from. The cool thing is, if we work on the lesson our animals are teaching us, their behavior shifts to reflect our growth. So a lot of times, you can get your animal to stop misbehaving by working on yourself!
Petworks: Do you ever work along with or for traditional practitioners, such as vets?
Julie: I have never worked with a vet, but I have a few vet clients for whom I do distance animal Reiki sessions and intuitive animal communication sessions. I love that they are so open to this side of the work!
Petworks: Do you encounter skeptics in your work? If so, how do you handle them?
Julie: Fortunately, I don’t encounter a lot of skeptics—and definitely not aggressive skeptics. I always try to put energy out there that helps me attract people I resonate with and who resonate with me. But when I do meet a skeptic, it goes something like this: They ask me what I do, I tell them, then there’s either silence or they change the subject. I’m okay with it—I know that everyone is on their own journey and in their own unique place in terms of how energy plays a role in their lives.
Petworks: Is there a type of animal with whom you communicate best?
Julie: No, there’s not one type of animal that’s easier or harder than another to communicate with. I’ve talked with all kinds of animals (alive and crossed over), from cats and dogs to horses, turtles, and geese—one of my most profound readings was with a hamster! All animals talk intuitively with each other all the time and are usually pretty excited when a human tries to connect with them in that way.
About Julie Ulrich:
Julie Ulrich is a certified Animal Communicator and Reiki Master based in New York City, New York. She received her Reiki Master certificate from Jean Bromage and her Animal Communication certification through the Danielle MacKinnon School of Animal Communication. Julie offers distance energy sessions as well as intuitive soul level animal communication™ readings for pets.
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