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LIFESTYLE For more lifestyle news, visit www.journalstandard.com/features Companion thoughts Animal communicator talks to pets BY JANE LETHLEAN j leth lean@journalstandard.com C an people really talk to animals? While Dr. Dolittle did it in the movies, Asia Voight of Stoughton, Wis., does this locally. Joe and Diana Sebastian and Pam Porter of Galena are some of her believers. Voight spent time with Sebastian and Porter and their animals recently at Sebastian's home at the Galena Territories. Voight was hired by the two families to talk to their horses and dogs. Both Sebastian and Porter have been having issues with their pets and because of their love for them, they hired Voight to learn more about the behaviors they witness on a daily basis. This is a meeting that had been postponed several times. Porter said she has been trying to connect with Voight for more than a year and is happy the meeting finally took place . . JANE LETHLEAN / THE JOURNAL-STANDARD . Asia Voight, an animal communicator, puts her hand on Zla, a dog owned by The spring-like day was a perfect setting for the meeting at Sebastian's home, with horses iri the yard by the Joe and Diana Sebastian 0' Galena. Voight translates Imagesand words animals convey and shares the In'onnatlon with their owners. barn and the dogs inside the house. Being Receptive Getting Started An animal communicator, such as Voight is a receptive person who Before Voight will agree to a session can communicate with the animals with animals, she asks a picture mentally through words and emotions. of them be sent to her at her office It is a telepathic communication that days before the session. Voight said is from the heart and mind - an open she doesn't want to know specifics, channel between the person and the preferring to hear from the animals she animal where this information comes communicates with during a session. . in varied forms to be sent and received. "Ninety percent of my work is "I consider myself a translator for done by phone with the clients," the animals and I listen to what they Voight said. "I like to get pictures are saying," Voight said. "I put together of the animals first. I don't read pictures and feelings into a speakable the pictures, I just use then as a springboard to my connection with the animals. Once I have the animals in the physical presence, I get to the heart of my connection with them." Voight began this day .,).J J ] 1 . , format to the people - I am a language translator." Voight said she first became aware of "this gift" when she was a child . . When she was young she said she was always able to hear what animals we saying to her and at that time in her life she thought everyone could do the same. She thought everyone could do this. At 5 years old, she was playing with a friend and a dog ran up tp the two girls and Voight said she asked her friend if she, too, could hear the dog speak, which the friends replied in a "No" that inade Voight sad. "Dogs rock my world and when my friend thought I was strange, I decided to keep my communication silent - it just made life easier," Voight said. Voight said by the time she was a teenager, she "just wanted to be " "Y::;Vt:IOre-meses5lon. Olgnt sala . is from the hecirt and mind _ an open" to her and at that time in her life she she want to know channel between the person and the thought eveJYone could do the same. prefernng to hear from the anImals she animal where this information comes She thougp.t everyone could do this. communicates with during a session. . in varied forms to be sent and received. At 5 years old, she was playing with a "Ninetr percent of my work is "1 consider myself a translator for friend and a dog ran up tp the two gir1s done by phone with the clients," the animals and 1 listen to what they said she asked her Voight said. "1 like to get pictures are saying," Voight said. "1 put together . If too, c,?uld hear speak, of ;the animals first. 1 don't read pictures and feelings into a speakable which the friends rephed III a "No" that the pictures, 1 just use then as a made Voight sad. . springboard to my connection with "Dogs rock my world and when my the animals. Once 1 have the animals friend thought 1 was strange, 1 decided the physical presence, I get to the to keep my communication silent - it heart of my connection with just made life easier," Voight said. them." Voight said by the time she was Voight began this day a teenager, she "just wanted to be with'the hopses'Owned. by. normal" an.d:asked GodJ;.o..Plake..the Sebastian and his wife Asia Voight communication stop, which she said Diana. They have four ExperIence: During her nine years did. For years Voight lived without horses: Diego, Neenah, of professional practice, Voight aninIal commurucation, but one day Callie and' Khrystal. All said she has worked with more when she was in her 20s ahd had four horses are spirited, than 20,000 animalS. survived a serious car accident, she yet one, has been Web: www.asiavoight.comadoptedanewdog. This dog had puzzling her owners for E-mail: asiavoight@aol.com issues, which Voight said I Wh Phone: (608) 432-2742 she needed to address. a ong time. at Voight "1 really wanted to reach my dog, learned from Callie is she so 1 prayed to be able to talk to him wantsto live on a different and then one day all the images from farm. This horse told Voight him just flooded into me and 1 knew she didn't want to ride what he needed," Voight said. "From trails like the other horses, that day forward, we just connected." preferring to race. It was then Voight realized she "It's amazing what my needed to tap into "the gift" she had horses told Asia and 1 am taking and the business of aninIal this information to heart," communication. Diana said. ''Now that Joe "The animals 1 work most with and 1 are aware that Callie are dogs, cats and horses and isn't happy living with us, we 1 find there are people who . are going to look into finding a deeply have an inclination better situation for her. to be in tune with theix "After all, it's all about making animals," Voight said. "1 work our animals happy and putting them through the personality of the animal in a situation that keeps them from and once 1 make that connection, 1 _ stress." 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ThjOURNAL- STANDARD 27 South State Ave. Freeport, IL 91032 815-232-1171 1 am most excited to become the head couple, which axe the two people at the front of the . e. They lead-the dance and make what is called a "London Bridge" by holding hands in an axch for the other dancers to go under. After multiple times of dancing the "Virginia Reel" me same person mUlople tlmes. What a great way meet new people. Now I need to find a new party dress and a pair of gloves. Hilary Matheson is a reporter f01' The JournaZ- Standard. She may be reached at hmatheson@ journalstandard.com. JANE LETHLEAN I THE JOURNAL-STANDARD Animal communicator AsIa Voight sits on a fence next to a bam as she walts to "talk" to horses. COMPANION continuedfrom CI invite the animal to send their essence or spirit to me and I begin to hear their words in my mind" Dogs and Horses Voight met with Zia and Cody, two dogs owned by the Sebastians. Voight said her session with the two dogs went very well. Voight sat with the dogs in the living room. The dogs walked freely around her "and it was Zia who began to . communicate first. "Zia is a very practical dog - warm, strong, confident and , wise," Voight said. "The dog went through all the children in the family and told me she helped raise these children. She als0 spoke of one of the girls that had typical teenager issues." " Joe said the information Voight received through Zia is what made him a believer. . "I have to admit, I was a skeptic about her, but what she told me about our children, through Zia, well, it was very accurate and there is no way she could have known those stories, except from Zia," Joe said. Porter brought her two horses, Strider and Sky. Her reason for the meeting was I simple, her horses don't come when she calls them and this irritates her. "I am so aware of my animals," Porter said. "I found out the reason Strider doesn't come when I call is he sees this as a big game. But the most amazing thing I learned was Strider is really a counselor to me and my husband Bob. Strider told Asia, . he loves Bob and me and he just wants us to be happy. struggle I have with Strider is putting the bit in his mouth. He always fights me with this and Strider told Asia that he wants a new bit, that the one I use hurts his teeth, so now I am going to measure him for a new one. "When Asia talked to the horses, all the horses came together in the barn at the same ! time. They never do this and it was like they were all1istening to each other at the same time." I Voight said her purpose is to ' improve the life animals have in their home and to let the owners know how to improve their living conditions. "Being an animal communicator completes me," Voight said. "It's not just about behavioral issues - it helps improve their world Animals axe unselfish with humans and we all ' just need to understand they just want to be loved and their love comes back to all of us." 1ft