Lynn McKenzie is an internationally renowned expert in animal communication and healing, with a deep passion for helping others unlock their intuitive gifts and connect with the wisdom of all sentient beings. Over her 30-year career, Lynn has trained more than 150,000 students across 52+ countries through her Animal Energy® Certification Training program, empowering individuals to develop their psychic and healing abilities. A three-time author, she offers a free animal communication and healing webinar sharing her insights and guiding others on their journeys toward personal and spiritual growth. MysticMag finds out more.
Lynn, how did your early connection with animals shape your spiritual journey and help you discover your innate psychic and intuitive abilities?
I was born with a deep love and fascination for all living beings. From an early age, I felt a profound connection to animals and was always deeply concerned with their well-being. While my family didn’t initially have many pets, we did have a budgie named Billy, my sister’s bird, and I had a hamster named Trixie, whom I quickly anthropomorphized. I was captivated by all living beings: goldfish, turtles, and even mice – I would bring home any animal I could, and they brought me endless joy. I begged my parents for a bigger, furrier pet, and finally, in fourth grade, they surprised us with a dog. That day was one of the best in my life.
Once we had a dog, I became obsessed with the idea of having a horse. I was horse-crazy, and to satisfy that longing, I set up a little jumping course in our backyard, training our dog to jump over it as if she were a horse. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was essentially practicing agility training. I wanted a horse with such intensity that it felt like my life depended on it, and I felt horses had something deeply profound to offer humanity, something that most people didn’t yet understand. Growing up in the 60s, I had this sense that animals held wisdom beyond our understanding – they truly understood us in a way people often overlooked.
Eventually, I saved every penny from my first job to buy my own horse, an investment that marked the beginning of a transformative chapter. Supporting a horse was a big commitment, but it was worth every bit of sacrifice. I rode as much as I could, sometimes two horses a day, and I spent endless hours just sitting with them. Over time, I realized it was horses who opened me to my psychic abilities. Information in a herd moves like the wind, almost imperceptibly, but I spent so much time with them that I felt part of the herd myself. The intuitive connection they shared began to flow through me as well, teaching me about the power of subtle energy and the depth of our connection. Through these experiences, I discovered that animals, especially horses, have an extraordinary way of bridging the seen and unseen, allowing us to tune into a richer, more connected world.
What role do you believe animals play in helping humans unlock their psychic, intuitive, and healing gifts? Can you share an experience where an animal guided someone to a profound personal transformation?
I truly believe that animals are guardians of our souls and keepers of our soul’s blueprint or mission. It’s as if they hold the key to our highest potential, much like the Akashic Records, knowing what we’re here to do and helping us fulfill it in the most profound way. This partnership is unique for everyone—not everyone is meant to walk the same path. But I believe animals are here as partners, teachers, guides, healers, catalysts, and bridges to our deeper understanding. They connect us to a higher wisdom that transcends their everyday needs or preferences.
Animals are profoundly attuned to our higher selves and soul-level wisdom. When we connect with them, we receive guidance that is transformative, beyond the surface. They guide us and heal us, serving as catalysts for growth and profound change. They also act as bridges, helping us connect to other realms and the spiritual world. Their shorter lifespans, relative to ours, teach us about the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, showing us how to embrace this journey with wisdom and grace. This connection with animals—understanding life’s sacred cycles and embracing it as they do—is one of the core messages in my book, Bark, Neigh, Meow: Awaken to the Transformative Wisdom of Your Companion Animal to Activate Your Soul’s Highest Calling. The book is organized into six sections, each filled with multiple stories exploring the roles of animals as our partners, teachers, guides,healers, catalysts, and bridges.
For those who love animals, I believe they hold a doorway to our spiritual awakening, guiding us toward self-discovery and a fuller understanding of our divine gifts—our intuitive, psychic, and healing abilities. I’m convinced that these gifts are within all of us, though they may express differently from person to person. This belief is a foundation of my training programs, where I emphasize that everyone can benefit from truly connecting with animals. By deepening this communion, we have the chance to awaken our gifts in profound ways and walk our spiritual paths with greater clarity and purpose.
In what ways can connecting with animals, both in life and the afterlife, provide insight into the deeper spiritual reasons for their presence in our lives?
I’d like to share a personal story about an animal who has touched my life profoundly, my beloved golden retriever Jiggs, and then a couple of other stories about client’s animals; a Pomeranian dog who traversed various lifetimes, and a rabbit whose story appears in my book.
Back in 1993, I was selling real estate in Toronto and was compelled to get a dog. I adopted a golden retriever puppy, whom I named Jiggs. At the time, I was going through a rough period—processing a recent breakup and questioning a lot about my life. Getting a dog wasn’t necessarily practical; I was single, worked long hours in real estate, and had a busy social life. But despite all that, I went for it, and it ended up transforming my life in ways I could never have anticipated.
Having Jiggs led me to explore animal communication and deepen my spiritual journey, all while searching for a more meaningful career. I’d been successful in real estate, but I didn’t feel it was my true calling. When Jiggs faced health issues that allopathic medicine couldn’t resolve, I found myself drawn toward holistic approaches, which was almost unheard of for animals in Toronto at that time. Eventually, I discovered a few holistic vets, and this path opened up an entirely new way of thinking about healing. Over time, I began integrating the training I’d undertaken for working with people into a system that could help animals as well.
My career as an animal communicator and healer began to take shape, and I actually coined the term “animal intuitive” around 2000. Unlike “animal communicator,” this term reflected the blend of psychic work, animal communication, and healing I was doing. Now, “animal intuitive” yields billions of search results, but back then, it was groundbreaking. I even trademarked “Animal Energy®” for my sessions and teachings, both in-person and remote. Jiggs was truly the catalyst for all of this—he helped me find my true calling.
Another memorable story is about a client in California who had a pet rabbit. Her rabbit inspired her to make a complete career change, eventually leading her to open a boutique named after him. This rabbit even accompanied her to the store, becoming a beloved part of the customer experience. Her story of transformation, guided by her rabbit, is remarkable, and I included it in my book (with some names and details changed for privacy).
Lastly, I’d like to share a story about a client who was deeply involved in obedience training and agility sports with her dogs. One of her Pomeranians even had a role in a movie with Faye Dunaway, famously stealing the show. This particular dog had such a strong connection with my client, that after he passed, she felt he would return to her in a new dog body. She looked for a Pomeranian in a distant state, and when she found a litter, she sent me a photo. I immediately identified the exact puppy that was “him” returned. Sure enough, she brought this little one home, and they had many more years together.
Each of these animals has left an indelible mark, guiding me—and their humans—in ways that are nothing short of magical. These experiences are a testament to the transformative power of the bonds we share with our animal companions.
I truly believe that every connection we share with animals—whether in life or the afterlife—has a profound purpose, often beyond what we can consciously plan. Interestingly, I’ve become known as an expert in the afterlife and the process of death and dying, even though it wasn’t a path I deliberately sought. While I’ve worked in areas like medical intuition, it’s this connection with animals in both life and spirit that has felt like my true calling.
Animals are, in a way, keepers of our soul’s divine blueprint. They seem to intuitively understand our best direction, not just on a physical level, but from a place deeply attuned to our higher self. They work with our souls, connecting us to our purpose and, often, to insights we wouldn’t otherwise have access to. Through connecting with animals—or with the help of an animal intuitive—we can gain deeper insights into our own lives, our soul’s mission, and the true essence of who we are. In my private work with clients, while I do more writing and teaching now, this profound spiritual purpose of animals remains a central theme.
Animals don’t just serve as companions; they open us to a broader spiritual awareness. They help us realize there is so much more to life than the physical realm we see. Many clients I work with report profound shifts in their perspectives through these connections, especially those that involve an animal that has crossed over. These animals act as spiritual guides, often bridging connections between us and loved ones who have also passed. There have been countless sessions where an animal, still connected in spirit, will allow a deceased family member or friend to “piggyback” on the session, using the animal as a conduit for connection. This form of mediumship feels so natural and flows so smoothly through the animals’ presence.
I have many stories that demonstrate the spiritual depth of animals, especially when it comes to teaching us about the death and dying process. In my book, there’s a story about a horse who crossed over in a remarkably mystical way. As the horse was being euthanized, it leapt into the air, and at that exact moment, a hawk that had been circling above swooped down. In a beautiful, shimmering moment, it felt as though the horse’s spirit joined with the hawk’s, and the two flew off together. It was a profoundly sacred experience, one that I believe captured the powerful and mysterious connection between animals and the unseen realms.
How do you help individuals develop their animal communication skills and awaken to the spiritual wisdom that animals are here to share with us?
One of my primary roles in this life—and my soul’s divine mission—is to teach others about the profound wisdom that animals bring forth for us. Animals are here as our partners, teachers, guides, healers, bridges, and catalysts. My purpose is to help people access this divine wisdom, and I do this by guiding them toward self-mastery, which is essential for effective spiritual communication and understanding.
I lead people through numerous exercises and protocols that are about letting go of what doesn’t serve them and uncovering their divine essence. In line with Deepak Chopra’s idea of “discarding what you are not,” I believe that spiritual growth involves stripping away external noise to get in touch with our true, unique mission. It’s crucial to do the inner work and develop spiritually so that we can serve others in a meaningful way. Connecting with animals and relaying the messages from the spirit realm is something I’ve been practicing for over 30 years, but I’ve also trained extensively to ensure I’m relaying these insights to others in a way that is clear, respectful, and healing.
My approach combines psychotherapy training (from the Transformational Arts College in Toronto) and over 80 different modalities, which I’ve synthesized into my unique healing system, the Animal Energy® Healing System. This system isn’t just about communicating with animals—it’s about healing, clearing, and shifting energy. I believe true communication with animals includes healing them and ourselves, as it is a reciprocal process.
Initially, I taught weekend workshops in the early ’90s, traveling and hosting intense sessions. While powerful, these transformations these workshops invoked tended to dissipate over time, and I found that people needed a longer, immersive experience to truly internalize the powerful shifts and teachings. That’s why I created a certification training program that immerses students over time. This training includes everything from connecting with spirit guides and animal totems to balancing chakras, including an extended chakra healing system that I developed specifically for animals. I also include individualized readings geared to help students start their journey with clarity and purpose.
The certification program is a transformative immersion with additional wellness programs and twice-monthly live coaching calls. Additionally, there’s a supportive forum for long-term community and growth. My students often share that this training has changed their lives—my goal is that, through this work, the lives of animals and humans alike are positively transformed.
What common barriers do people face in the process of developing their animal communication skills and awakening to the spiritual wisdom that animals are here to share with us, and how can they overcome them?
One of the most significant barriers people face is self-doubt—believing they’re blocked or that only a select few can access this gift. I believe everyone has the ability to connect spiritually with animals. My training program is designed to help people clear these blocks, using the Animal Energy® System as a tool not only for animal communication and healing but also for self-healing. Through this work, people gain the confidence to connect more deeply with themselves and with animals, embracing their unique path.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to deepen their connection with animals to enhance their personal spiritual growth and psychic abilities? Are there specific practices or rituals you recommend?
I offer a free mini training on my website, https://lynnmckenzie.com/ (you can also access it via AnimalEnergy.com), where you’ll find exercises to help you start connecting on a deeper spiritual level with animals. It’s important to note the correct spelling of “Lynn McKenzie,” as there are multiple variations, but if you go through AnimalEnergy.com, you should be directed to the right place.
The free mini training is titled Making the Heart Connection with Your Animal Companions and comes with a beautiful workbook and includes exercises which are essential for connecting with the animals both here on this plane, and in the spirit realm. We also include a free webinar that dives even deeper into the world of animal communication and healing, where I walk you through additional practices that set the foundation for this spiritual work.
We also offer a series of emails with valuable information about healing and communicating with the animals. This was a significant endeavor to create, but it’s my way of sharing knowledge with you over the long term. I also have a YouTube channel @https://www.youtube.com/@AnimalEnergyHealing, my Animal Alchemy Facebook page @https://www.facebook.com/AnimalAlchemyLynnMcKenzie, blog articles, and more—each packed with tips and insights to help you learn and grow.
