This is a section that I removed from my upcoming book—Unity Begins Within: Spiritual Healing and the Four-Petaled Flower of Wholeness— and decided to share with you here.

An Animal Death

In 2003, my large, black lab, Amigo, was overly interested in Misty, our fluffy, gray, little kitten. One evening, I heard a commotion in the bathroom and ran in to find Amigo holding Misty in his mouth by the scruff of her neck. Thinking he was about to fiercely jerk her, which would have meant instant death, I yelled, “Amigo! No!” He dropped her immediately and ran outside.

I picked up limp Misty, wrapped her in a warm blanket, embraced her in my arms, and sat on the couch. There was no blood, but she seemed barely alive. I knew she needed a soul retrieval, so I closed my eyes and called to my Teacher and power animal.

They took me somewhere in the upper worlds to what looked like an endless, rapidly spinning, horizontal vortex. Misty was caught its currents and being so violently swept away I barely saw her. Panicked, I looked at my Teacher and said, “I can’t go in there,” but before I completed my sentence, Horse pranced right in and disappeared.

After what felt like a long while, he emerged with Misty in his mouth and dropped her into my waiting energy hands. We brought her to my healing water, where, once she revived, I opened my eyes and blew healed Misty from the spirit world into her physical body on my lap. My Teacher said she would be fine within twenty-four hours.

This was true.

Five days later, I heard a cacophony of dog and cat sounds outside. This time Amigo was chasing both cats and had caught and killed Misty. After severely reprimanding him, I buried Misty in the garden underneath the rosebush. Heartbroken and confused, I asked my Teacher what the overview of the week’s drama had been all about.

I learned that Misty and Amigo had a former life together as human beings. During that time, Amigo was drawn to her, but Misty had shunned him. This was an unresolved energetic dynamic, and both had chosen to be with me as teachers as they played out the karma. They wanted me to learn it was possible for soul retrieval to restore a being from near death, although it would not remain alive unless that was its karmic destiny.

Misty completed her purpose and returned to the Spirit Realm. Amigo ended up developing a harmonious friendship with my other cat, Zeke, and lived for thirteen years. He and I had a conscious connection when he passed.

My wise friend, Joy summed it up well: “Animals don’t agonize over death the way we do. They live in the moment. And if Unity is the ultimate truth, then their transformation is no different than ours. From the perspective of the Whole, I suppose the births and deaths of animals/plants/etc. are more like this—they come and go. The Universe is constantly growing, transforming, and renewing. Even cells are born and die all day long. There’s a bigger picture here. One that knows the right timing of everything. Where I can embrace the cycles of life and feel and remember my part in them.”

Interconnection applies to everything 

And teaches us about life in ways we may not have previously considered.