From the Collective Voice of the Animals....and Freddy
One of my students wrote to me: “I am often thinking of what the Collective Voice of the Animals might have to say about their suffering in factory farms. It's a real pain in the butt sometimes being a vegan and if it's not necessary, I'd love to scale it back. I have recently become vegan because I don't want to contribute to animal suffering, and I don't want to consume anything that has the energy of suffering in it. So I have these questions.”
This is something a lot of humans wonder about. I’ve asked about this before, but in receiving this current question I wondered if the Animals and the Earth had developed any new perspectives that might help humans align with them in support, with ways that are smoother for humans.
I opened a communication space and invited the Collective Voice of the Animals to step in…I had no idea where this was going, deep into my own personal history….
Hi. You can call me Freddy.
E: Hi Freddy, I think I know who you are.
F: You do. I can provide a name to the format you usually speak with - you asked for that.
E: I did. It’s been suggested many times that I find a relatable name for the Collective Voice of the Animals, but I really never imagined it would be as earthy as Freddy. (I can’t stop laughing - the core nature of the Universe is surely humor).
F: Well, I saw you and your siblings honoring me in protesting energy, many many years ago, and we did not forget; none of us forgot any of you.
E: I must explain. Note to reader - when I was somewhere around 10 yrs old, my family was living on 33 acres that my parents had bought along with around 5 cows, a bull and a pony. We always heard dad talk about raising beef cattle, but it never registered until the truck came and loaded up Freddy and took him away. Magically, a freezer full of hamburger meat appeared a few weeks later. And when my mother humorously served ‘Freddy burgers’, something within us kids popped, and we made signs, marched around the dinner table, refusing to eat them. My parents were both children of the depression and were appalled, absolutely furious, particularly at me since I was the oldest and instigator. I remember being aware of their memories of the depression as their own backdrop, and also aware of how hungry we weren’t, and that we were children in a time of great change during the 70s. There were hungry kids in our county in the foothills of the Appalachians. This was all a great incongruence in our young minds, and eventually I think all of us had some Freddy burgers, but not without consciously remembering our friendly Freddy, and feeling very conflicted about the burgers and much more in life.
F: I’m glad you enjoyed what I left behind in my body; I am speaking as Freddy, now. Your spirits brought great amusement to an old bull. I knew what was happening when the truck came, and I was mostly sad to leave you all in your confusion.
E: We couldn’t grasp that they were going to kill you, for what seemed like no reason, to me. But mom was quite clear when the meat from your body arrived.
F: I had no ill feelings towards your parents. You see, we know. Those of us who incarnate for an ultimate purpose of food for humans, we know that. But life on Earth can be so much more than that you see. There is a beautiful collective harmony when we are lucky enough, as any animal or even plant, to live as collective among different species, within cycles. What do you call it?
E: Biodynamic?
F: Yes! I believe so. We live in harmony in a more or less circuit manner. It is not always a closed circuit, but it can be. And I was lucky enough to have something like that in that life experience because I lived with you, and my flesh ended up as part of your bodies. So in that way, I had no ill feelings towards your parents at all. We were quite amused at how your father played with you as children - allowing you to sit at the back of the wagon, legs hanging off the edge, dragging rakes. We watched him balance awkwardly while standing in the wagon throwing grass seed as your mother drove the tractor pulling this concoction of human endeavor. We as cows, are bright enough to see how funny this was. We laughed at your father’s inventive efforts a great deal, did you know that?
E: No, but we did too. He didn’t have the hands-on experience handling cows that my mother did.
F: Yes, it was your mother who pushed us across the creek barrier when we first came to live with you from the next pasture over. We knew this was going to be an adventure even then. And it was. And so be it.
E: You’re so calm…you feel like -
F: A cow? Yes, I’m still a cow. A bull. I live in a colder area now, but it is quite pleasant. Would you like for me to patch you through to who you came to talk to now?
E: Sure, Freddy. I’m really touched that you showed up today.
F: Well, I wanted to set a certain tone. I felt that was important.
E: Thank you. I’m going to read the questions I received from someone curious about this while you make the connection. A client and animal communication student wrote to me, “I am often thinking of what the collective voice of the animals might have to say about their suffering in factory farms. It's a real pain in the butt sometimes being a vegan and if it's not necessary, I'd love to scale it back. I recently became vegan because I don't want to contribute to animal suffering, and I don't want to consume anything that has the energy of suffering in it. So I have these questions.”
Freddy with the Collective Voice of the Animals, now. I hear their familiar harmonics.
F: Yes, we are here and eager to discuss this issue with you, Rebecca. (they are speaking directly to the querent)
E: Do you want her direct questions first?
F: Yes please.
E: “Do animals in factory farms suffer? Do they suffer as they live there, and/or do they suffer as they are killed? Do chickens and cows kept for milk and eggs suffer as they are kept in the small cages and pens? Do bees who are kept by humans for honey and beeswax suffer in their hives?”
F: Animals, like humans, suffer when they live in subpar conditions. Humans must learn all the ways that they unconsciously live in subpar conditions before we believe they will stop subjecting animals to the same, so it is a broader, more interwoven issue on Earth, than simply torturing and killing animals in cruel ways.
The off-balance in this stems from humans deeply imbedded in suffering, and their core beliefs around suffering as way of life that are passed down generationally, and become embedded in their very DNA. They develop blinders, and cannot see any other choices. Now, this is changing, and there are new breeds of farmers emerging who look at the welfare of their animals differently, because they are beginning to sense the connection between how the quality of life of the animals affects what the animals provide for humans, whether it is the milk or eggs that their bodies produce daily, or the meat that their bodies provide after death.
Death is not the issue. Disrespect and ignorance on the part of humans, is the issue. Cruel life conditions are the result of that issue, which can be extremely painful for us in our suffering.
We don’t care about dying, as long as it occurs with respect and as little pain as possible. Under conditions of appreciation for what we provide for you, we will leave our bodies before the moment of death, in a painless transition, with honor and grace IF we have been able to live a harmonious life. THAT, is the issue: What was our life like? If you provided humane conditions for us in a peaceful environment and cared for us with your heart, then we have lived with an intentional purpose of providing nourishment for you, for which you are grateful. There is the equation we are looking for when any of us enter into a life with an agreement to be raised with an ultimate purpose of assisting humans through nourishing their bodies.
Now, this will likely change along with the process of the food chain ending on Earth. Mm, more about that later.
For now, how many of us live these agreeable lives? Not many, and not enough. How many humans live disagreeable lives? Well, certainly less than in the past, but not nearly enough. And there are many different modes of expressing a subpar or disagreeable existence as a human in life on Earth. How many of you wrestle with stress of some sort every day? Peace is available to you, as a choice, but for so many that choice has been lost long ago.
Animals come to Earth to support humans in many different ways, those of us who interact with you. Look at the number of companion animals who wear the vests that openly state ‘support animal’. Currently, your bodies need support too. And doesn’t lettuce scream when you pick it?
E: Yes. (Note to reader, Freddy/CoA are referring to part of the lyrics for a song I wrote decades ago called Why is There Pain in the Food Chain?)
F: Pain is part of the Earthly experience as a physical being. But cruelty and suffering do not have to be part of anyone’s experience. And, we are changing, we animals, and we, the Earth. We haven’t decided exactly where we are going, but we know we are going somewhere as everything does change. We don’t expect to serve you in this way too much longer (as food).
But for now, in this present moment, our joy comes from living a humane and comfortable life with quality interaction with others, including you, humans. In exchange, we are complete in our purpose with supporting your bodies in various forms of nourishment as long as you offer us dignity, respect and appreciation along with a graceful life, you see.
And with our message today, we again point out that you as humanity, must live this way as well.
E: Thank you, I think you have conveyed this well. We appreciate your speaking to us about this, and particularly you, Freddy, for introducing yourself this way today as a conduit.
F: Very well. Go in your grace, with peace. Bye for now.
E: Bye for now.
