Losing a beloved animal companion is heartbreaking and can hit you harder than you expect. Most of the time the animals that are dealt with in articles and books about pet loss are dogs or cats, but there are many other kinds of animals that we can form a bond with and thus also mourn when we lose them.
Today’s article is about the loss of a fish. In my opinion, fish are generally underestimated or ignored. They are our relations too. I am writing about this now, because I just lost a fish that I had for more than 6 years. He was a very special fish. He was ‘handicapped’ from the beginning and looked like he was not going to make it very long, but he outlived all the other fish. As we found him dead yesterday morning, I was struck with feelings of guilt and sadness. Guilt because in my busy-ness and tight daily schedule, I felt I had not given the fish enough attention. A fish is not like a dog or a cat that greets you by the door and demands attention. Fish are, unfortunately, easy to overlook. I decided to do a shamanic journey to connect with the fish and ask for his forgiveness and to bring him whatever healing help he might need.
The following is what happened:
As I begin the journey I find myself in the water with my spirit guide. He leads me to the dead fish.
“Hello”, my spirit guide says.
The spirit of the fish rises out of the dead body, a sparkling beautiful spirit fish full of light.
“I am glad you have come”, the fish says.
“You’re so beautiful”, I say.
“Thank you”, the fish smiles.
M: “I am so sorry that I didn’t give you enough attention. I feel so bad. My busy-ness and stress shouldn’t stop me from connecting more with you.”
Fish says:
“It’s time to stop beating yourself up for your perceived flaws and mistakes. And by the way, you did give me attention; every time you passed by the fish tank, you looked for and connected with me. Have you forgotten that? Perhaps you feel that you should have and wanted to connect more and longer – sure, I understand that – but we had a constant connection all these years and I lived in gratitude and appreciation.
I’m happy to have this opportunity to talk with you, because I have a teaching for you too. Fish are lights too, and teachers on your path; no animal is ‘better’ than another. But my specific teaching to you is to show and remind you to look beyond the surface – I was ‘handicapped’ but outlived all, because my determination and connection with the light were strong. I sent out blessings every time I saw you, just like you did to me. Connect with your own light; that is what will help you move forward, and recognize the light in others.
My friends are coming now. Thank you for letting me be your teacher and for caring for me all these years.”
“I thank you as well”, I say.
“Blessings”, my spirit guide says.
The fish beams and turns around and joins the big school of light fish that has come to guide him into the light. My spirit guide and I wave to them and watch them disappear. They look so beautiful. Then we go back, and I’m in the fish tank room again. I thank my spirit guide. He jumps up and kisses me on my cheek. I end the journey.
For help in dealing with the loss of a beloved animal companion, see my book “Healing Pet Loss – Practical Steps for Coping and Comforting Messages from Animals and Spirit Guides” – available on Amazon, and in PDF format.
What kind of animal have you loved and lost? Please share in the comments section below.
What I am about to convey re the death of an animal friend may seem as either insignificant or bizarre due to the fact that this particular animal was actually a spider, whom I had watched for several months living very happily just outside the front of my home in his web that was suspended from an exterior wall adjoining a pateo. Every time I passed his web, I saw him apart from just residing there, busily reconstructing his web on the occasions when strong winds and storms would cause the web to be torn down and generally living his life being of great service as a fly-catcher for us.
There had been some maintenance work carried out on the building where I lived at that time and the wall where this beautiful creature had his web hanging from was due to be painted, I was informed of by a team of young men who would do the work.
One night I arrived home after work and as I passed by the web where this harmless being lived, I suddenly looked aghast at the sight of seeing him hanging from his web on a single strand, covered in paint. I was immediately devastated and my heart went out to him as I quickly tried to think of some way I could help him. I could see by his almost motionless body withered under the covering of paint that he was barely alive, and just couldn’t bear the thought of the suffering that he must of been enduring having to die slowly and painfully of this coating of toxic substance. I carefully lowered him down on the strand of silken web, and then layed him in the soil nearby where I quickly covered him with dirt in order to put him out of his agony humanely so that at least he would not be suffering anymore.I cried as I did this and said some sort of prayer to the creator that my dear little friend would now live in peace from where he came from.Even though to most people ,he probably would have just been considered an insignificant creature whose life hardly mattered, I saw him as a beautiful creature who had brought me such joy daily watching him living his life in his magnificent web who never harmed anyone and who certainly didn’t deserve to end up in this distress.
Unfortunately, in modern cultures spider is often misunderstood and surrounded by fear. Spiders can be powerful allies or helpers and I would suggest that you seek out information pertaining to spider so that you may learn what teachings spider has for you. Try an internet search on [spider totem magic] or [spider totem], sift through the results and using your intuition, find what is most significant for you. See also: https://healingpetloss.com/widening-the-circle-of-compassion-spider-magic/ ~Marianne
I read a fascinating story about spider’s web. A couple who were camping near northern New South Wales, Australia, came across a most extraordinary sight. What at first seemed to be a large square of nylon, turned out on closer inspection to be a broad ‘mattress’ consisting of spider web woven closely together, and it was covered with thousands of small insects. Due to recent floods in that area, the spiders had quickly created this survival “raft” of web to seek refuge from the flood waters.