Paw-lliative care
Marie-Lune Fortin talks to animals.
According to the Low resident, as a child, she could acutely understand her dog’s plea for cold water. Years later, she chats about the concept of death with cats and engages in philosophical musings with horses.
“It’s something that’s always been there for me — since I was a child. It was this deep love for animals. I felt I could recognize myself in animals a lot,” said Fortin.
Now a business owner, Fortin offers her services to help locate lost pets. She also facilitates conversation between dying animals and their guardians — a process she calls palliative care.
Fortin explained that she uses three main communication methods when working with animals: she perceives, listens, and feels. Some animals communicate telepathically, sending images, voices, and physical sensations into Fortin’s mind and body. “I can feel in my body what the animal feels in theirs,” she explained. “So, if they’re hurting in their left hip, my left hip will hurt too.”
According to a 2015 study published in the OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, those who seek guidance from clairvoyants tend to struggle with hardships and anxiety.
Based on what these researchers documented, the bereaved are especially partial to psychics because they seek comfort.
Another study published in the Journal of Religion and Health found that – for some – spirituality improves personal happiness. Dr. Peter Beyer, a religion professor at the University of Ottawa, formed a similar conclusion. He added that it is natural for spiritual people to move closer to their faith in times of crisis.
“When someone is already spiritual, it acts as a blueprint for how to deal with difficult times,” he said.
Dr. Beyer also explained that it is rare for people who are a-religious to become religious. For a person to move close to believing in psychics and clairvoyants, they must have an underlying interest or belief that would compel them to embrace those beliefs.
These observations help to explain why some gravitate to people like Fortin.
She once worked with Braden, a cat who was old and dying. “Braden’s guardian knew that he was [approaching death],” said Fortin. So, he wanted to talk with the cat before he died.
Even though Fortin did not know Braden for long, the medium thinks about him often. She described the cat as a “gentleman who was not very chatty. “If I were to describe his human version, he would be a tall man with dark hair and piercing eyes.”
Fortin said that Braden’s passing was, for her, a watershed moment. “This beautiful cat taught me that when we pass away, we are always there,” she said. Fortin assisted Braden when he died on the veterinarian’s table. During that process, “I could hear him before he passed, during the transition, and after [his death]. There was no disconnection in our conversation [even after he died].” According to Fortin, this is proof that the souls of animals live on, no matter what form they might take.
“I am always amazed by the lessons animals teach me,” said Fortin.
On Aug. 13 at 10 a.m., Fortin offers a seven-hour course in animal communication for beginners. Located at 56 Ch. Neely, Low, the in-person class costs $345. She will teach the basics of animal communication. Those who attend the session will practice their communication skills with the animals on site. For more information about Fortin and her services, visit www. marie-lune.ca.