It takes more than sage

In recent weeks, I have learned that it can often require a lot more than sage to cleanse a house and address some of the things that may be occurring in our homes.  It all started last month, when I was first working with Kino on the "sit" command. I was at the kitchen table working on my laptop and throwing the ball across the room for Kino (because it is a requirement that he get as much attention as my computer).  :-)

At one point, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him stop at the base of the stairs and stare at something on the staircase. I stopped what I was doing to observe him and it was then that I saw him sit, in a perfect sit, and then cock his head to the left and to the right, the way he does when I am talking to him.  I figured it must be the little girl spirit that has been in my house as long as I have been here.  I forget she's here, since I don't see spirits, but from time to time, either a child or a dog who is visiting will remind me that she is here.

I mentioned the experience with Kino to a friend and she pointed out that even though I didn't mind having spirits in the house, that it's actually not fun for them to be stuck here.  I decided to have someone come over the next week to help the little girl cross over.

I thought the focus was going to be on helping the little girl, so I was quite shocked when the gal began picking up all sorts of other things when she got to my house.  She felt dark, murky energy and she sensed it originated under my house.  She asked me, "How do you concentrate?  This energy is so dense, I don't know you can focus."  The wheels in my mind started to churn, as I realized that I DID have a very difficult time concentrating.  I had also been having a really difficult time grounding myself and releasing energy that I absorbed from others.  The tools I had used for years no longer seemed to work and I couldn't figure out why I was having so much trouble doing things that had always been relatively simple.  I had been on a mission all year to find new tools to help me and had only been mildly successful.

As I sat with the information I was getting, more of the puzzle pieces started to click into place.  It had all started about a year ago when the city was doing a major sewer project outside of my house.  I thought at the time it was just the incessant jack hammering that was making it so difficult for me to focus, or ground myself or release energy but the more I thought about it, the more I began to realize that it had never gotten any better after the project was complete.

She was able to determine the origin of the disturbance under my house (a very ugly battle that took place on the land many many years ago) and it made sense that things got stirred up when they were doing all that digging outside of my house.  She was able to release all the old, murky energy and restore balance to the land under my house.

With her help, the little girl, who passed away when her father was working on the construction of my house, was finally able to cross over.  It seems she had been trying to find him all these years and I was glad she was finally able to leave this plane and I pray she has at long last reunited with her father.

I had always thought a house cleansing was just about saging.  I have done it many times, not just at my own house, but at friend's houses as well and I assumed that was all that was needed to cleanse a space.  I never thought about spirits who may be stuck on this astral plane or wounds in the land underneath the structures we live in.

It was an eye opening and very positive experience for me.  It has been a relief the last few weeks to be able to stay grounded, to release the energy I pick up from others, to concentrate (well, as long as I don't have a 90 lb. puppy vying for my attention) and I'm even sleeping more peacefully at night.  I wish I had thought to do it sooner, but I also trust that we find our right next step exactly when we are supposed to . . . so I will assume this all unfolded the way it was meant to.

The Fostering Adventure Continues

It's never a dull moment around here with my foster dog Kino.  One of our challenges has been that he gets over-excited the first time we do something he’s never experienced before, so each "first" can be a bit overwhelming. 

The first time he saw me dust the house he went wild. “Is that a toy? Can I have that? Should I bite that? How can I help?  Are you sure I can't bite that rag?”

The first time I sunbathed on my stomach in front of him, he was thinking “Wow, the small of her back is the perfect place to put my tennis ball” and he proceeded to munch on his tennis ball in the small of my back, again and again until I finally gave up trying to get my back tan.

The first time I stood in the tub and shaved my legs in front of him, he thought we were playing a new game--one where you try to lick the water and soap off my legs in a wild frenzy before I can touch my leg with the razor. 

The first time I took him to a pet store, he yanked me all over the store to the point where one of the employees handed me a brochure for their beginner training course.  I was humiliated that we looked like we hadn't done an ounce of training prior to that afternoon.  She looked at me like I was fibbing when I told her that I was an animal communicator.  

The first time I asked him to “Wait” while I put his food down, he was befuddled.  “What are you doing?  Are you crazy?  That’s my food!  Why would I wait for it? I want it NOW! If this is some new game, I don't like it.” 

Fortunately each time we do these things, his reaction is less over the top, he's calmer and not frantically trying to make the most of the new experience - well, with all of them except the sunbathing.  I haven't had the guts to try laying on my stomach again since that first time because feeling those gigantic teeth in the small of my back is not what I would call relaxing, but with everything else, each time he is more at ease than the time before.  

One of our other challenges is that he has still been over protective of me and the house, so greeting people at the door was something I was beginning to dread.  I knew we needed to get better at this, so I had several friends come over last week so we could work on having him sit and wait while I opened the door and they entered the house.  The first couple times, it was a disaster, (Sit? Stay? What? Do you want me to bite them?) but eventually, he started to show signs of progress and I was feeling less stressed about having people come to the house.  There was still the issue of him competing with my friends for attention, but one thing at a time, right? 

Yesterday, a man came to the house and once again, we appeared to not have done an ounce of training as he barked and lunged at the guy.  It hadn't occurred to me that it had only been my girlfriends coming to the house and that he might react differently with a man.  

So today, I got one of my guy friends to come over and we worked on our door greetings.  Kino sounded pretty ferocious the first time I opened the door and he did attempt to lunge, but my friend Joe wasn't deterred.  He kept leaving and coming back and with each knock on the door, Kino got better and better.  When we wrapped up our official training session, Kino decided that Joe was alright and insisted on laying on the floor with him, frequently resting his head on Joe's leg.  

I know training is a process. It's all about consistent practice and positive reinforcement so that's what I am committed to doing.  Hopefully in time, we will have covered all the "firsts" we could possibly cover and we'll look less "untrained" to the casual observer.  In spite of our focus on training, I'm also making sure that Kino gets a chance every day to be a puppy.  After all, he's only a year old and he deserves to have goof-off time every day.  It's a nice reminder for me that sometimes it's good for the soul to just goof-off and act like you don't have a care in the world. 

End of Life Decisions

In the last couple of weeks, I have had two animal clients make their transition.  It is such a difficult time for us two-legged folks and we labor over the decisions we need to make, wanting to ensure that we make the right choices as far as our animals are concerned.

Both clients had two of the same questions for their animals and I realized they are the same two questions that most people want to ask their pets.  1) Do you want help from a vet to make your transition? or would you rather do it naturally? and 2) Do you want to be buried or cremated?

No matter how many animals I have asked these questions of, the answer is always the same:  "Whatever my mom and/or dad wants."

To them, what is most important is US and how we feel.  They want us to be comfortable, they want us to be at peace, so whatever will make us comfortable and give us peace is what they want.

They don't care what happens to their bodies after they transition because they don't associate with it anymore.  If their guardian wants to bury them in the yard, that's fine with them.  If their guardian wants to cremate them and spread the ashes somewhere, that's fine with them.  As long as their guardians feel good about the decision, the animals is on board.

As for euthanasia, I will say that most animals would prefer to not go into a vet office to make their transition and would prefer to be in the safety and comfort of their home with their loved ones around if they need assistance making their transition.  I do find that since animals are here to teach us and help us grow, they often are working on fulfilling their purpose right up the very last minute, therefore, they don't necessarily want their time cut short, and would rather have a natural passing.  They also know that can be really hard on us, so animals will usually tell me that if it gets to to be too hard for their guardian to let them go on their own, they are fine with getting medical assistance to make their transition.

It is a time where we struggle to do what is right for them but I can assure you that what is most important to them is that we make decisions that give us the peace, the closure and the comfort that we need.  In their eyes, we can do no wrong.  They have the wonderful ability to see everything through the eyes of compassion and understanding and they always trust that what is meant to be is what will unfold.

Bless our beautiful animal companions-teachers-guides.  We are so lucky to have them in our lives.

Adventures in fostering

Almost 3 weeks ago, I decided to foster a 90 pound 11 month old german shepherd named Kino who was in danger of being euthanized.  I was told that he hadn't received any training and had pretty much spent most of his life alone in the family's backyard.  I didn't quite grasp what that meant until we got home from the shelter.  :-)

Week one:  On top of discovering that he had a raging ear infection that had not been treated, and finding that he was going to fight me with every tooth in his mouth to keep me from getting the medicine in his ears, I found myself having to "correct" him almost every minute of every day.  He wasn't potty trained, he wasn't leash trained, he thought it was OK to put his paws on the stove, the kitchen table and any other place he felt like.  He threw himself into my lap if I tried to eat, he lunged at people when we were out for a walk and every time I tried to get dressed, he assumed that I was inviting him to a game of tug of war when I attempted to put underwear on.  He stepped on my feet fifty times a day and at 90 pounds, it really hurt.  Holy-Moly, I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into.

Week two:  He stopped having accidents in the house.  He learned to sit and to take a treat from my hand without biting my hand.  When we were out for a walk, he pulled less on the leash and was a little calmer when we encountered people, although he would still yank on the leash to try to greet them.  After only one reminder to leave my food alone, I could eat while he laid calmly at my feet.  He discovered Lucky's toy basket and began letting his playful side emerge.  We still had our challenges though.  He barked and jumped on people who came to the house and started becoming overly protective of the house.  He refused to spit out things he wasn't supposed to have in his mouth and would defiantly swallow them in front of me. Consequently, I repeatedly found my ear plugs as well as the stuffing from almost every toy he ever played with each time I cleaned up poop in the yard.  And still, my friends started placing bets on how long I was going to pretend I was just fostering him.


Week three:  Our communication has greatly improved.  When we are out for a walk, I remind him that it needs to be the person's choice if they want to greet him and he will calmly walk past people who haven't expressed an interest in petting him.  He knows that when I say, "Clean up after yourself" after I've given him an ice cube to munch on, it means he needs to get all the little chunks of ice that he left on the floor.  He doesn't believe me yet when I tell him that we need to allow birds and squirrels in the yard so that's still a work in progress and I still don't know how he would behave with other dogs if he was off leash, so we've still got some work ahead of us.  When we're in the house by ourselves, we are in almost perfect harmony.  He no longer feels the need to "help" with the crossword puzzle by pulling the pen out of my hand and I'm getting dressed now without any "assistance."  I am truly enjoying my new "not-so-little" companion.

and I am still trying to profess that I am merely fostering him.

Positive Squirrel Experiences

On Father’s day, we were sitting around the table sharing stories, when we got on the subject of animals.  I told a story about a friend of mine who couldn’t figure out why the almonds she kept in a small bowl on the coffee table kept ending up on the floor.  One day, she discovered the answer when she saw a squirrel coming through the sliding glass door that she had left opened, and helping himself to her almonds.  Apparently word got out that a) my friend had almonds on her coffee table and b) that she often left the sliding glass door opened, because she now has a whole host of squirrels who come by her house for a snack. 

My dad said, “That reminds me of another squirrel story” and he proceeded to tell us about the day he found a baby squirrel in the yard. He was a black squirrel, which are pretty uncommon in our old neighborhood.  Thinking he was dead, he put on a pair of gloves and when he went to pick him up, he realized the squirrel was still alive, although just barely.  My dad told us about how he gave water to the little guy, by using a dropper and how he continued to do so all day long.  My jaw was hanging open, as I listened to my former Naval Academy “I-don’t-do-feelings” dad talk about how he doted on this little squirrel.  I always thought I got my compassion for animals from my mom.  After all, she was the one who took care of stray cats, not just feeding them but knitting them blankets to go in the beds she would make for them in the yard.  I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing.

My dad continued to tell us the story . . . After nursing the squirrel all day, he put him up on the top of the fence, hoping that it would be easier for his family to find him up there.  When he went out a little while later to check on him, he was gone.  My dad didn’t know if his family had come to find him, if he was well enough to walk away on his own or if he had fallen off the fence and landed in the neighbors yard on the other side.  He said he thought about it quite a few times and wondered what ever happened to the little black squirrel . . . and then one day, almost a year later, my dad was in the yard and a black squirrel came hopping down the fence, stopped right in front of my dad and stared at him for a while . . . and then continued on his way.  My dad said he suspected it was the same squirrel stopping by to let him know he had made it. 

I couldn’t think of anything else to say besides “Wow.”  It was “wow” on so many levels. My dad didn’t believe I could communicate with animals when I was a little girl and quite honestly, I don’t think he believes I can do it now, but he was pretty sure he got a “message” himself from the black squirrel, who wanted him to know he was OK.  Maybe he isn’t as closed off to what I do as he likes to make me think.  It was also a sweet realization for me that my compassion for animals didn’t just come from my mom, I got it from both of my parents.  

New Opportunity to Practice Gratitude

Last week, I sat down in the backyard to relax after a long day and saw a young rat walking slowly across my patio.  Initially, I was shocked at the guts he had, sauntering across my yard like that, and I'll admit, I'm never excited to see a rat running through my yard.  My irritation that a rat was in my yard gave way to compassion though when I realized he was dragging his back leg a bit and seemed disoriented.  Seeing that something was wrong with him compelled me to start sending him Reiki, as soon as he settled behind my lawn chair.  I stayed several feet away, as I didn't want to scare him, and for about twenty minutes, I sent him Reiki.  When I got up to go inside, he disappeared into the crack in the fence.  I felt relieved and hoped the energy had helped him.

The next afternoon, I was in the backyard making a mental note of the fact that I had exactly enough time to shower, get dressed, have a bite to eat and get to an appointment, when my little rodent friend appeared from behind a potted plant.  I watched him as he tried to walk across the patio and then collapsed.  I saw down on the ground next to him and started to send him Reiki, this time from less than a foot away.  I was worried about him and wasn't sure what to do to help him.  I thought maybe he was thirsty or hungry, so I got some water for him and some bread.  He drank some water but didn't touch the bread, so I went back inside and got some cheese for him.   He didn't seem interested in that either and it was then then I looked at the clock and realized how late it was.  After a very quick shower, I assured him I'd be back soon if he needed more Reiki, and flew out the door with wet hair and an empty stomach.  I hoped that he'd feel better by the time I returned.

Rushing back from my appointment, I ran straight into the backyard to find my little rodent friend laying on his side, gasping for breath with little drops of blood coming out of his nose.  I couldn't stop the tears from flowing as I realized the Reiki wasn't going to make him better, but instead was going to help him make his transition.

I don't know why it upset me as much as it did, but my heart was breaking for this little guy.  I called a friend of mind and tearfully told her what was going on, knowing she would understand since a baby crow had died in her yard a few weeks earlier.  She reminded me that everything is always in Divine order and that if he was going to die in my yard, it was because he was supposed to.  She suggested that I try to focus on gratitude, which we both agreed felt like an impossible feat at that moment and yet we were equally sure it was the right things to do.

For the next four or five hours, I sat with him and gave him Reiki.  I sat on the ground next to him, with my hand cupped over his little body and I could feel how much he appreciated the energy. The Reiki would help him get into a very peaceful state and he would fall asleep for a little while.  A few times, I wondered if maybe I needed to give him more space, so when he was asleep, I would get up and sit down somewhere else in the yard. When he would wake up, he'd try to move again, and each time, he would make it over to me and then collapse at my feet.  As I continued giving him Reiki, I kept telling him he was safe, that he was loved and that he was not alone . . . and I cried.  I realized it is the thing that we probably all want to know and my heart swelled with love, compassion and sadness.

I tried to focus on what I was grateful for . . . I was grateful that he felt comfortable enough to make his transition in my yard and I was grateful that I didn't have anywhere else I really needed to be so that I could hold the space for him and honor him on this last part of his journey here on earth.

Finally around 7pm, I decided the headache I had was probably not just from all the crying I had been doing but because I still hadn't eaten.  I went inside to make myself some dinner and when I returned to the yard, he was gone.  I suspect he went under my deck to finish his transition there.

After as emotional as I had been all day, I was surprised to find that I felt nothing but peace.  I knew I had done all I could for him and I trusted that it had unfolded the way it was supposed to.

It reminded me of the importance of honoring all life . . . even the lives of beings that we may not normally be drawn to.  I felt comfort in a deep knowing a had, that things really had unfolded in Divine order.  And I truly felt gratitude, for the opportunity I was given to play a role in this sweet little rat's transition.

Fun with Flashes

I recently went over to a friend's house to visit with she and my god-dogs, Mingus and Nina.  I was humored by what I saw playing out before me . . . sibling rivalry as strong as I have ever seen it in human form.  It brought me back to my own childhood and the memories I have of my siblings and I, and how intense our sibling rivalry could be.  At Christmas time each year, my mom went out of her way to make sure us kids had exactly the same number of gifts under the tree, as a way to avoid the pouting and declarations that "so-and-so was the favorite child."

The entire time I was with my god-dogs, if I pet one of them, the other one would push their way in to make sure they got a pet too.  It had to be even the whole time.  I marveled at how many "human" behaviors are exhibited by animals and wondered how people could believe they were "just dogs."

After dinner, I wanted to take some pictures of the dogs but since we were inside and my flash kept going off, their eyes were changing color, but not in a way I had ever seen before.  I have seen dogs and cats end up with red eyes in pictures, or green eyes, but this was something I had never witnessed before.  Each picture I took, one eye turned glowing green and one eye turned glowing blue.  My friend and I were laughing so hard, I could barely hold the camera still.  I kept reassuring the dogs that we weren't laughing AT them, because I didn't want them to feel bad . . . and yet with each picture, our laughter got more intense.

I asked my friend what kind of radio-active dog treats she was feeding them and that made us laugh even more.  Then I tried to say, with a straight face, that I was concerned about my god-dogs and wasn't sure I should leave them there with her, given that she must be feeding them toxic substances, and that made us laugh again.  I finally gave up trying to get a normal picture and told my friend that next time I'd come back in the day time to photograph them.  :-)

In case you have never seen an eerie blue eyed/green eyed dog before, I am including a few of the pictures.  I don't know if it will make anyone else laugh.  You might have had to be there.  But just in case you don't, enjoy!!