Photo by Hannah Meinhart
Pet Day
Apr 11
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"Look deep into my eyes ..."
Animal magnetism was the term given by German doctor Franz Mesmer in the 18th century to what he believed to be an invisible natural force possessed by all living things, including humans, animals, and even vegetables! He believed that the force could have physical effects, including healing, and he tried persistently but without success to achieve scientific recognition of his ideas. The terms "magnetizer" and "mesmerizer" used to refer to people who studied and practiced animal magnetism, but in 1843, Scottish doctor James Braid proposed the term "hypnosis" for a technique derived from the concept of animal magnetism which he described as: "the induction of a habit of abstraction or mental concentration, in which, as in reverie ... the powers of the mind are so much engrossed with a single idea or train of thought, as, for the nonce, to render the individual unconscious of, or indifferently conscious to, all other ideas, impressions, or trains of thought." So the next time you stare into your pet's eyes ... 🐈🐕🐎
Animal Magic
National Pet Day was first held 10 years ago not just to celebrate all of the joy pets bring their human companions, but “to create public awareness about the plight of many different kinds of animals awaiting a forever home in shelters and rescues around the globe.”
Whether your pet is furry, fish, fowl or scaly, we celebrate them today and every day.
This dance appropriately contains an animal figure, the "Weasel Reel" adding to the collection of Scottish Country Dance animal reels (dolphin, snake, and weasel).
Click the animal collage to see a list of more exotic pets that you can add to your menagerie.
