Listen. Be still. Just be. Transformative concepts, and yet if you are a "thinker" like me, hard concepts to get into! Over the years, I've read so many books, and have heard so many teachers tell me that if I got quiet, and just listened, went still, in that place I would hear the still, small voice of the soul, that inner guidance innate within each of us. But how do you get quiet in a world that is anything but? I struggled with different techniques and meditations for many years, and mostly my too-active mind would jump around like a 5-year-old hopped up on Halloween candy, while I tried to be calm, centered, focused, or I would simply fall asleep.
So I looked at what made me feel closest to God. For me, getting out in nature has always grounded me and brought me back to myself, and music has a truly soul-opening effect that has left me crying uncontrollably at rather in-opportune times. This was good, and I knew I was getting close, but somehow I still didn't get it - what is it really like when your soul talks to you?? Was this it? This wave of emotion and feeling of limitless joy that could come through a day in the woods or a bit of a symphony? Then oddly enough, the thing that finally made it click, was not working at it at all. I found that when I least expected it, wasn't really even paying attention, I would get a flood of inspiration, and that little voice would come. Journaling, much as I seem to avoid picking up pen and paper, has been a big help in channeling the guidance waiting to come through. The fear always was "I have nothing to write", and the idea of chronicling what I had for dinner each day was decidedly uninspiring. But the point IS to not have anything to write about. When we have an agenda, that is exactly what we get - our agenda blocks out anything else that might try to come through and nudge us in another direction. By letting go of expectation, by just beginning to write whatever comes, we allow our soul to speak to us through the pen. Let go and let the only effort be in not stopping the flow by thinking too much. Not always easy, if, like me, you are inclined to correct spelling and grammar as you go! Just as when we wish to hear the longing or guidance of our own souls, stillness, quietness, softness are all the qualities that allow the voice of one soul to be heard by another, and when that opening is permitting to happen, the most remarkable things happen. This is heart of communicating with animals.
This last month, the first month of the new year in Jewish calendar and a time of endings and beginnings in many traditions, has been a time of listening for me. A time to begin to become quiet, and see where my soul wishes to take me. Lots of exciting things are happening, and I can't wait to begin to share them here over the next few months. My animal communication work is changing dramatically - I am shifting away from dealing directly with behavioral, emotional, or physical "issues" to a practice based on energetic soul clearing and alignment. Rather than trying to dialogue about a problem, or "think" through a solution, this process is about helping the animal to re-connect to their own soul and Divine Source and to begin the healing process from there. I'll be sharing many more details soon, but recent clients are getting a sneak peak at this new model, and I'm looking forward to getting feedback from those who've had sessions so far.
Major changes are coming to my life, and I'm learning that the best way, the only way, to move forward in Certainty is to listen well to that still small voice within. One of my goals in starting this blog was to provide a place where I could share some of the amazing resources I've come across over the last few years. As with many things, I'm still working on the format for this, but my first suggestion is this - if you're looking for a little inspiration for your soul, click on over and check out my dear friend Shelley's fabulous new business Soul Musings. Shelley and her partner Mare have created the most gorgeous note cards, with inspired photography and thoughtful affirmations that are sure to get your soul singing, and are a beautiful way to spread a little joy around.
Enjoy...and listen!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Animal Wisdom for a New Year
Rosh Hashanah begins this year on September 8th, and for the next 10 days a remarkable window of opportunity for personal transformation opens. Now, those of you that know me are wondering what on earth I, a good Lutheran, am doing talking about a Jewish holiday. Rosh Hashanah is traditional to the Jewish faith, it's true, but it is much more. As with many "religious holidays" its roots are deep in broader cosmic truths that affect us all - whatever the denomination, and "religious" or not. This holiday represents a new year, an opportunity for new direction, a chance to take stock of where we've been, and to re-create where we are headed. It is also a chance to accept all that the Creator is trying to give us, to revel in deep appreciation, and to resolve anew to apply our energy and Light with care.
I find it interesting that this holiday coincides with the start of the school year for many of us. What better example of a clean slate, a fresh start, than a new school year? No matter how the last year ended, we can begin with new resolve - to work harder, get better grades, try something new, make new friends - and we have the power of hope in a new beginning to propel us into manifesting those intentions. It is also a time of turning inward. As the weather cools and the leaves begin to fall (at least in my part of the planet!) we see the animals and plants preparing to enter the quiet season, a time of deep reflection, of just Being.
I am often reminded during holidays such as this of our connectedness with the animal and plant kingdoms. It is so easy to miss or ignore the rhythms of life under the chaos of our daily world, but, much like holidays that return each year on the calendar, those rhythms are always there, supporting and guiding us. I recently did a few animal communication sessions with some shelter animals. Two dogs and a charming donkey! They were remarkable beings in many ways, but they come to mind today because of the personal messages they had for me. I was struggling at the time to get better at locating disturbances in an animal's energy field for the purpose of helping to understand emotional or physical problems the animal is experiencing. Very often what begins as an emotional "disturbance" in the energetic body, ends up manifesting as a physical or behavioral ailment in the physical body. More on that another time, but the point is that I was working hard, and finding that while I could get the information, I finished sessions tired and drained, despite all of my work to balance and protect myself from absorbing the energy of those I work with.
The message all three of these animals shared with me, each in his or her own voice, was "you are getting what you are meant to get". Huh? "But that can't be right", I thought, "I'm not getting what I'm supposed to get, and when I do I'm tired and it doesn't feel so good". Now, they were telling me what I was "meant" to do, and I was telling me what I was "supposed" to do. Quite different things. It finally dawned on me that maybe my gifts, my natural abilities, are not in the minutia of energy disturbances, but in the greater soul-level connections that I make easily and with a great return of energy and joy.
Once I finally got this through my brain, I felt like a huge weight was lifted - I don't HAVE to practice this work in the same way that everyone else does, I can do it my way, and that will be more than good enough! How liberating! And so, I am beginning this new year with a new resolve, to live from my own gifts, to offer what comes most easily to me, and to see what comes back to me in return. Rather than trying to make things happen, I will just try to BE, to be guided by what is instinctual to me, as the seasons change and the new year - a clean slate - begins. I invite each of you to look inward, to listen for that still, small voice calling you back to who you are, to your gifts, your own personal creative source, and to rejoice in knowing that you start this year fresh, with no mistakes in it.
I find it interesting that this holiday coincides with the start of the school year for many of us. What better example of a clean slate, a fresh start, than a new school year? No matter how the last year ended, we can begin with new resolve - to work harder, get better grades, try something new, make new friends - and we have the power of hope in a new beginning to propel us into manifesting those intentions. It is also a time of turning inward. As the weather cools and the leaves begin to fall (at least in my part of the planet!) we see the animals and plants preparing to enter the quiet season, a time of deep reflection, of just Being.
I am often reminded during holidays such as this of our connectedness with the animal and plant kingdoms. It is so easy to miss or ignore the rhythms of life under the chaos of our daily world, but, much like holidays that return each year on the calendar, those rhythms are always there, supporting and guiding us. I recently did a few animal communication sessions with some shelter animals. Two dogs and a charming donkey! They were remarkable beings in many ways, but they come to mind today because of the personal messages they had for me. I was struggling at the time to get better at locating disturbances in an animal's energy field for the purpose of helping to understand emotional or physical problems the animal is experiencing. Very often what begins as an emotional "disturbance" in the energetic body, ends up manifesting as a physical or behavioral ailment in the physical body. More on that another time, but the point is that I was working hard, and finding that while I could get the information, I finished sessions tired and drained, despite all of my work to balance and protect myself from absorbing the energy of those I work with.
The message all three of these animals shared with me, each in his or her own voice, was "you are getting what you are meant to get". Huh? "But that can't be right", I thought, "I'm not getting what I'm supposed to get, and when I do I'm tired and it doesn't feel so good". Now, they were telling me what I was "meant" to do, and I was telling me what I was "supposed" to do. Quite different things. It finally dawned on me that maybe my gifts, my natural abilities, are not in the minutia of energy disturbances, but in the greater soul-level connections that I make easily and with a great return of energy and joy.
Once I finally got this through my brain, I felt like a huge weight was lifted - I don't HAVE to practice this work in the same way that everyone else does, I can do it my way, and that will be more than good enough! How liberating! And so, I am beginning this new year with a new resolve, to live from my own gifts, to offer what comes most easily to me, and to see what comes back to me in return. Rather than trying to make things happen, I will just try to BE, to be guided by what is instinctual to me, as the seasons change and the new year - a clean slate - begins. I invite each of you to look inward, to listen for that still, small voice calling you back to who you are, to your gifts, your own personal creative source, and to rejoice in knowing that you start this year fresh, with no mistakes in it.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Faith
"Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe."
- Saint Augustine
Faith seems like a big topic to tackle after a week off and a hectic first few days back to work, but since my intention in starting this blog was to go with what comes and not judge it, today we have "faith"! I just read this outstanding quote from Saint Augustine (clearly being a Saint involves the ability to quote with laser insight!) and got chills up my spine. It is this concept - we create our reality through our belief - that has sort of been the carrot-on-a-stick of my personal journey over the last few years. Getting this concept and being it, are, it turns out, two rather different things. Deep down inside I firmly believe that Saint Augustine is right, but what shocks the socks off of me is how darn hard it is to get all of me on board with living that faith. Living from the belief that I create my world, I am not a product of it, is a quantum shift in my lifelong behavior. I think it is for many of us.
When something bad happens to you, or you hit a roadblock on the way to your goal, what do you do? Do you immediately say "well, guess that wasn't meant to be", or "clearly it's not God's will for me to do this", or start replaying all the other bad things and roadblocks that have been visited upon you? From what I see around me, that's a pretty common reaction. But, if Forrest's mom is right and life is like a box of chocolates, why do we constantly focus on the stuff we don't like rather than the fact that it's all candy? Heck, you can just lick off the coating if you don't like the filling and go on to the next one! Why are we programmed to think that if we don't like one thing life gives us, we should give up because the whole box must be junk? If you got one bad candy out of a box, would you give up and never eat candy again? Maybe you just have to go through a few walnut chews first so you really appreciate those carmels!
Assuming that we are not meant to do or have something when we hit a glitch means the Universe would go out of its way to deny us what we want. But why would we be so mistreated by that which put us here?? We are created of Divinity and each of us has that spark within us, so there is no way Divinity would reject or deny us. It's like we all have a bit of Superman in us, but the belief system we have been hanging on to is made of Kryptonite - so we don't realize we can just leap those pesky tall buildings, rather than spending our time cursing their presence in our path.
So, what if the roadblocks and the "bad things" are just distractions? What if the tall, tall wall in our way is not really made of stone but is just a stage prop? What if all we have to say to the Universe is "ok, I see you're checking to see if I reeeeally want this, and I reeeeeally do, so could you please show me what I need to do to step over this wall? Thanks very much!", and then wait confidently for the directions and act on them. Now we find ourselves in a world where believing is the mother of seeing. Suddenly, the wall shows itself for what it really is - an illusion. When we find that serendipity called "faith", suddenly we See only what we know to be Truth. Where we saw hatred, we can see the struggle of those who do not love themselves. Where we saw war we see the result of believing that there isn't enough to go around and we must take from each other. Where we saw ourselves kicking hopelessly at the walls of an impenetrable fortress, we find that the fortress was made of sand.
For most of us, there is nothing easy about the leap into living in unwaivering faith. It is so hard to accept that everything we've ever learned about the world might be backwards. That we might, in fact, have it all wrong. But why not? Are we not created in the image of the Creator? Surely then we too must have the power to create - in fact, we do it all the time, only we tend to do it within the parameters of what we think to be true, rather than what is Truth. More and more people out there are discovering that when we turn things upsidedown and begin to live in expectation of seeing what we know to be True, miracles happen. Look around and you'll see books, movies, seminars everywhere. This concept goes by the name "the Secret", "the power of positive thinking", "consciousness", "enlightenment" and many others, but it is all in essence the same thing. It is the reward of faith. To create our world as we wish to see it, not as it gets handed to us. Each time in my own life that I have been shown a glimpse of this possibility, it has taken my breath away. How amazing it would be to live fully in the breathless wonder of faith in what is possible, rather than in the drudgery of what seems impossible. Every day would truly be our birth-day! Just allow yourself to think about what that would look like for a minute, even one tiny minute - and tomorrow, maybe think about it for two.
- Saint Augustine
Faith seems like a big topic to tackle after a week off and a hectic first few days back to work, but since my intention in starting this blog was to go with what comes and not judge it, today we have "faith"! I just read this outstanding quote from Saint Augustine (clearly being a Saint involves the ability to quote with laser insight!) and got chills up my spine. It is this concept - we create our reality through our belief - that has sort of been the carrot-on-a-stick of my personal journey over the last few years. Getting this concept and being it, are, it turns out, two rather different things. Deep down inside I firmly believe that Saint Augustine is right, but what shocks the socks off of me is how darn hard it is to get all of me on board with living that faith. Living from the belief that I create my world, I am not a product of it, is a quantum shift in my lifelong behavior. I think it is for many of us.
When something bad happens to you, or you hit a roadblock on the way to your goal, what do you do? Do you immediately say "well, guess that wasn't meant to be", or "clearly it's not God's will for me to do this", or start replaying all the other bad things and roadblocks that have been visited upon you? From what I see around me, that's a pretty common reaction. But, if Forrest's mom is right and life is like a box of chocolates, why do we constantly focus on the stuff we don't like rather than the fact that it's all candy? Heck, you can just lick off the coating if you don't like the filling and go on to the next one! Why are we programmed to think that if we don't like one thing life gives us, we should give up because the whole box must be junk? If you got one bad candy out of a box, would you give up and never eat candy again? Maybe you just have to go through a few walnut chews first so you really appreciate those carmels!
Assuming that we are not meant to do or have something when we hit a glitch means the Universe would go out of its way to deny us what we want. But why would we be so mistreated by that which put us here?? We are created of Divinity and each of us has that spark within us, so there is no way Divinity would reject or deny us. It's like we all have a bit of Superman in us, but the belief system we have been hanging on to is made of Kryptonite - so we don't realize we can just leap those pesky tall buildings, rather than spending our time cursing their presence in our path.
So, what if the roadblocks and the "bad things" are just distractions? What if the tall, tall wall in our way is not really made of stone but is just a stage prop? What if all we have to say to the Universe is "ok, I see you're checking to see if I reeeeally want this, and I reeeeeally do, so could you please show me what I need to do to step over this wall? Thanks very much!", and then wait confidently for the directions and act on them. Now we find ourselves in a world where believing is the mother of seeing. Suddenly, the wall shows itself for what it really is - an illusion. When we find that serendipity called "faith", suddenly we See only what we know to be Truth. Where we saw hatred, we can see the struggle of those who do not love themselves. Where we saw war we see the result of believing that there isn't enough to go around and we must take from each other. Where we saw ourselves kicking hopelessly at the walls of an impenetrable fortress, we find that the fortress was made of sand.
For most of us, there is nothing easy about the leap into living in unwaivering faith. It is so hard to accept that everything we've ever learned about the world might be backwards. That we might, in fact, have it all wrong. But why not? Are we not created in the image of the Creator? Surely then we too must have the power to create - in fact, we do it all the time, only we tend to do it within the parameters of what we think to be true, rather than what is Truth. More and more people out there are discovering that when we turn things upsidedown and begin to live in expectation of seeing what we know to be True, miracles happen. Look around and you'll see books, movies, seminars everywhere. This concept goes by the name "the Secret", "the power of positive thinking", "consciousness", "enlightenment" and many others, but it is all in essence the same thing. It is the reward of faith. To create our world as we wish to see it, not as it gets handed to us. Each time in my own life that I have been shown a glimpse of this possibility, it has taken my breath away. How amazing it would be to live fully in the breathless wonder of faith in what is possible, rather than in the drudgery of what seems impossible. Every day would truly be our birth-day! Just allow yourself to think about what that would look like for a minute, even one tiny minute - and tomorrow, maybe think about it for two.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Letting Go
One of the hardest decisions we humans have to make with our animal friends is knowing when it is time to let go. What a strange thing it is to have this power over another life, and a life we care about so much. Strange especially because in our society, death is often an unsure, scary thing, and we feel immense guilt over the possibility of making the wrong decision for our friends.
I was faced with this decision myself this winter as my cat struggled to leave this life. She was clearly at the end, but the message she kept giving me was "I can do this, I don't need help yet." How hard that can be to hear when we watch our friends apparently suffering! I kept asking "are you sure?" I even called a communicator friend to double check. Haley's response to me was "it isn't how it looks to you." Ok, I'm learning that many things aren't what I think they are in life, but this seemed pretty clear cut. She went on to explain that there is a process of leaving the body, leaving this earth, that is very important in the animal kingdom. Most animals view death quite differently from we humans, and for them it is simply a transition out of the physical plane into the etheric - a change of state, something like when a liquid becomes a gas, but is still composed of the same atoms (please don't let my high school chemistry teacher read this sorry comparison!).
The body is a shell, nothing more..
The animals have learned what is so very hard for we humans - that we are not our bodies. We are something much greater. A Divine spark, a soul, a energetic being so complex that the greatest minds have tried to pin down this essence, describe it, and found words paltry and useless.
So, if it isn't how it looks to me, how is it?? Transitioning can be tricky, it can involve the tying up of loose ends, the coming to terms with things undone, the setting right, the permission of the human or animal friends to let go, or simply, the readying of one's self to go. It is an important process, and because humans are someone detached from this process with our scientific and religious "brain information" often leading the way, it is hard for us to grasp. Or maybe it's just hard to grasp until you've been there. I think my grandfathers both went through something like this, each in their own way. It didn't look painful in their cases, but it's not in every animal's case either. I thought I saw suffering, but what Haley was telling me, was that she had moved beyond physical pain to a great extent. The crying and movements of her body were her soul's efforts at detaching - some animals seem to be more in their body's than others and find it takes more effort to let go. It is almost like the struggle of a butterfly to break free from its cocoon or a chick to hatch from its egg, and the journey is different for each soul.
This was radical news to me, but not the only time I've heard it by any means. It is repeated over and over by numerous animals and communicators, and even in human hospices and hospitals. Dying is a personal process, and not for us to judge. The tricky thing is that when it comes to our pets, we sometimes do have to judge. This is where intuitive communication is such a tremendous gift - it give the ability to tune into what the animal's soul is saying, to move past the anxiety, grief, and fear of our worried human brains. The animals tell me that we often rush them, our desire to not see them suffer pushes them faster than they'd like to go. On the other hand, they are usually ok with this and fully understand WHY we rush, they are tolerant of our fear. I rushed Haley - not too much, but I did. I finally could not take it any more, and asked her again if she needed help, and she said it would be ok to have some help. I knew it was time, the vet knew it was time, and Haley knew it was time, she was just a little drawn out in the process. When I connected with her after it was over, several days later, she told me she was very near the end when the vet came, and that it was alright. She transitioned easily and was doing fine. If I could give that feeling of relief, of gratitude, to everyone, everywhere, I would gladly do it. What gifts they give to us, and continue to give, even in another form. Know that when the time comes, if you have to make a decision to help your friend to cross over, you will do the right thing. Help is there if you need it, but above all, listen to your heart, it feels what your friend needs, and you will not go wrong.
I was faced with this decision myself this winter as my cat struggled to leave this life. She was clearly at the end, but the message she kept giving me was "I can do this, I don't need help yet." How hard that can be to hear when we watch our friends apparently suffering! I kept asking "are you sure?" I even called a communicator friend to double check. Haley's response to me was "it isn't how it looks to you." Ok, I'm learning that many things aren't what I think they are in life, but this seemed pretty clear cut. She went on to explain that there is a process of leaving the body, leaving this earth, that is very important in the animal kingdom. Most animals view death quite differently from we humans, and for them it is simply a transition out of the physical plane into the etheric - a change of state, something like when a liquid becomes a gas, but is still composed of the same atoms (please don't let my high school chemistry teacher read this sorry comparison!).
The body is a shell, nothing more..
The animals have learned what is so very hard for we humans - that we are not our bodies. We are something much greater. A Divine spark, a soul, a energetic being so complex that the greatest minds have tried to pin down this essence, describe it, and found words paltry and useless.
So, if it isn't how it looks to me, how is it?? Transitioning can be tricky, it can involve the tying up of loose ends, the coming to terms with things undone, the setting right, the permission of the human or animal friends to let go, or simply, the readying of one's self to go. It is an important process, and because humans are someone detached from this process with our scientific and religious "brain information" often leading the way, it is hard for us to grasp. Or maybe it's just hard to grasp until you've been there. I think my grandfathers both went through something like this, each in their own way. It didn't look painful in their cases, but it's not in every animal's case either. I thought I saw suffering, but what Haley was telling me, was that she had moved beyond physical pain to a great extent. The crying and movements of her body were her soul's efforts at detaching - some animals seem to be more in their body's than others and find it takes more effort to let go. It is almost like the struggle of a butterfly to break free from its cocoon or a chick to hatch from its egg, and the journey is different for each soul.
This was radical news to me, but not the only time I've heard it by any means. It is repeated over and over by numerous animals and communicators, and even in human hospices and hospitals. Dying is a personal process, and not for us to judge. The tricky thing is that when it comes to our pets, we sometimes do have to judge. This is where intuitive communication is such a tremendous gift - it give the ability to tune into what the animal's soul is saying, to move past the anxiety, grief, and fear of our worried human brains. The animals tell me that we often rush them, our desire to not see them suffer pushes them faster than they'd like to go. On the other hand, they are usually ok with this and fully understand WHY we rush, they are tolerant of our fear. I rushed Haley - not too much, but I did. I finally could not take it any more, and asked her again if she needed help, and she said it would be ok to have some help. I knew it was time, the vet knew it was time, and Haley knew it was time, she was just a little drawn out in the process. When I connected with her after it was over, several days later, she told me she was very near the end when the vet came, and that it was alright. She transitioned easily and was doing fine. If I could give that feeling of relief, of gratitude, to everyone, everywhere, I would gladly do it. What gifts they give to us, and continue to give, even in another form. Know that when the time comes, if you have to make a decision to help your friend to cross over, you will do the right thing. Help is there if you need it, but above all, listen to your heart, it feels what your friend needs, and you will not go wrong.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Solstice
Now the soft hour
Of walking comes; for him who lonely loves
To seek the distant hills, and there converse
With Nature, there to harmonize his heart,
And in pathetic Song to breathe around
The harmony to others.
- Thomson, Seasons. Summer. L. 1,378.
I've been sitting here on my deck in the evening air, enjoying a break from the day's heat and listening to the birds give their last hurrah before sleep. This time of the day, when the air cools down and the animal and insect world gets suddenly active in the few hours before dark, is full of magic and energy. I can't help thinking about my cat Haley, and how much she loved being out on this deck in the evening. Haley was an indoor cat, necessitated by her having been de-clawed by her first human companion, and it wasn't until I moved to this place with its relatively safe and contained deck that she got a taste of the great outdoors. It may sound funny to say a cat could look blissful, but truly there is no other word for her expression while soaking up the sun or moonlight and watching the world float by. I felt so guilty bringing her in so I could go to sleep!
I'm thinking about Haley a lot these days, she died this past January of bone cancer, and thinking also of all the other animal and human departures that have influenced my little world so far this year. There have been a particularly high number of dear animal friends deciding it was time to cross over, and this has led me to more than the usual amount of pondering on the uncertainty of life and death, and how we live the one and transition to the other. In every animal I've known who has made this journey, and most personally in my cat, I witnessed amazing grace, love, and strength. I have learned so much from them all that I now feel able to find tremendous gifts both in their lives and in their presence in the other world. After the sadness dissipates a bit, there is as much to be learned from how one leaves this life, as there is in how one lives in it.
So, a few future posts here will be about transitions and the things I've learned from those animals and people whose passage to the next world I've been honored to witness. Death is something we don't really like to talk about, but it is part of living, and in the case of our pets, we make a choice to love and live with a being who is in all likelihood not going to be here as long as we are. What an a amazingly beautiful commitment that is to make, what a gift to share that small life for a short while, and how hard when reality comes. Unfortunately, all that not-talking-about-it leaves us ill-equipped to cope when we face the death of a loved one, or even, ultimately ourselves.
Now that I've gone and started on this topic, I'll leave it tonight with some things that have brought me comfort in these last few months of saying goodbye to so many. Each life is precious, and each matters hugely to someone, or something, somewhere. In our tiny little lives it's easy to get lost in the loss, and forget the wonder of being here at all. So tonight, as you go to sleep, take a little minute to be thankful for the wonder, for each of those stars that has shone in your life, and know, without a doubt, that they are with you always.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Together
Like most everyone else, I've been horrified by the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf. This is a catastrophe on many levels, but the saddest visible effect has been the images of oil overtaking the region's fragile ecosystem. As humans, we alone among all species on the planet have the power to create, and we use that gift to do amazing things. Sometimes, however, we get so busy creating we forget to slow down and consider the power of what we do. Obviously the human impact of this crisis is immense, and I don't want to discount that in any way. But, part of the human impact IS the impact this and other environmental accidents have on the animal and plant kingdoms. We are all tied tenuously together on this rather small planet, and perhaps our greatest responsibility as the "most advanced" species is to be careful stewards of those who depend on us.
We often get fooled into thinking that we have power over the plants and animals and therefore can do whatever we wish, since obviously we know better than they do. What we forget is that even the smallest life thinks and feels, and has a contribution to make. Look at the honey bee, which is facing drastic population decline and potential extinction. Without bees, a critical link in our food chain, our entire ecosystem even, disappears. We can also bring mindful stewardship to our own homes in how we care for our pets. When we consider their perspective, consider their quality of life, our bond with them increases and both of our lives improve. Anyone with a frustrated or lonely dog who is busily destroying their house knows well the dangers of an unhappy dog trying to express itself or "self comfort"! When we choose to bring animals into our human families, we do need to consider their feelings, and their needs. Dogs and cats are not people. They do not have the same perspective on things that humans do, and it's important to take the time to understand how your pet thinks so that you can help it to cope with our busy human world. There are many great books on this now, and people like Cesar Millan are slowly bringing this concept more into the mainstream. Still, there is lingering resistance to the idea that our animals think or feel at all. I find this remarkable since most any pet owner will tell you how clever their pet is, and the amazing way the animal seems to know what their owner is thinking, or vice versa. Still, animals having thoughts and feelings gets us into a realm many people are vaguely uncomfortable with. When a new client comes to me to help them communicate with their animal and expresses doubts or feelings of "I want to believe in this, but I can't til I see it happen", I let them know that it is totally okay and reasonable to question everything - actively communicating with our pets is not, at this point in time, something most of us do consciously everyday. Part of the goal of a session is for the pet's human and I to work together to build trust between us so that we can both be open to what the animal is telling us.
My hope in helping people to build a stronger bond with their animals, and thereby the planet around them, is that we stay open minded to possibility and consider the full impact of each choice we make. It does make a difference, one small step at a time.
We often get fooled into thinking that we have power over the plants and animals and therefore can do whatever we wish, since obviously we know better than they do. What we forget is that even the smallest life thinks and feels, and has a contribution to make. Look at the honey bee, which is facing drastic population decline and potential extinction. Without bees, a critical link in our food chain, our entire ecosystem even, disappears. We can also bring mindful stewardship to our own homes in how we care for our pets. When we consider their perspective, consider their quality of life, our bond with them increases and both of our lives improve. Anyone with a frustrated or lonely dog who is busily destroying their house knows well the dangers of an unhappy dog trying to express itself or "self comfort"! When we choose to bring animals into our human families, we do need to consider their feelings, and their needs. Dogs and cats are not people. They do not have the same perspective on things that humans do, and it's important to take the time to understand how your pet thinks so that you can help it to cope with our busy human world. There are many great books on this now, and people like Cesar Millan are slowly bringing this concept more into the mainstream. Still, there is lingering resistance to the idea that our animals think or feel at all. I find this remarkable since most any pet owner will tell you how clever their pet is, and the amazing way the animal seems to know what their owner is thinking, or vice versa. Still, animals having thoughts and feelings gets us into a realm many people are vaguely uncomfortable with. When a new client comes to me to help them communicate with their animal and expresses doubts or feelings of "I want to believe in this, but I can't til I see it happen", I let them know that it is totally okay and reasonable to question everything - actively communicating with our pets is not, at this point in time, something most of us do consciously everyday. Part of the goal of a session is for the pet's human and I to work together to build trust between us so that we can both be open to what the animal is telling us.
My hope in helping people to build a stronger bond with their animals, and thereby the planet around them, is that we stay open minded to possibility and consider the full impact of each choice we make. It does make a difference, one small step at a time.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
What It's Like
The question that I'm asked most often is "what's talking to an animal actually like?" People want to know how it feels to talk to another creature who doesn't speak English - or "speak" at all in the way we understand. If you talk to different communicators you will quickly discover that we all "hear" a bit differently. Often this is due to each person having particular strengths in their own way of connecting with the world. Some of us hear words quite literally and clearly, others have sensations or feelings, others are visual and get complex pictures. I find I get a combination of these, depending on the information being given, and it seems the animal knows what I need to understand what they are trying to say. While visualization has always come easily to me, sometimes understanding what a cat or dog is trying to show me isn't so easy, since their perspective is quite different from mine. I most often hear words - much like a conversation with a human. Combined with these will come sensations, feelings in my body based on what the animal is saying. Sometimes its an emotion like joy, sadness, anger, sometimes a physical feeling like pain, stiffness, tingling, etc. There have been smells and sounds, and there have been tactile sensations. For example, a human once asked me to find out where in the house was her dog's favorite place to sleep, as they were moving some furniture and wanted him to be comfortable. I saw the color blue, and felt something soft and furry against my face. Sure enough, he had a cushion with a blue fake fur cover. It was actually being washed and he was annoyed it had disappeared and wanted to be sure it would be in the new decorating scheme!
Talking to me must be for them a bit like speaking to someone who is just learning a language you have spoken all your life. A bit like me trying to use my pitiful college German, dictionary in hand. Sometimes they deliver concepts all in one bunch, or speak in rapid-fire words and picture, and I have to pick through and try to sort it out, asking for clarification and to slooow it down. A wonderful communicator I know always say "give it to me like I'm a kindergardener". While this can be challenging, especially when talking to a human at the same time and trying to translate between the two, plus connect to the animal, the three-way conversation style of session does give the owner a chance to get a feeling for what it's like to talk to their animal directly. As I go back and forth, they hear me translate their animal's sense of humor, irony, sadness, etc and they can see that often when they ask a question the animal is answering even before the words are all out of their mouth. Or, if they ask me to tell their animal something such as that they love them, the animal will often reply with, "yes, I know that already." This helps us really get that our animals are communicating with us all the time, and we with them. Also, if an animal tells me something that makes no sense, in describing it to the human companion we can often determine together what to ask for clarification. A blue furry bed, for example, meant nothing to me but that owner knew right away what I was being shown.
The most important piece is to know that everyone has the ability to talk to the animals in their lives - domestic, wild, or somewhere in between. For me, I choose to spend more time learning the language than some of us do, but that's ok - by partnering with animals and their human friends we can all get an idea of what it's like to talk to the animals, and to feel closer to our furry family members.
Talking to me must be for them a bit like speaking to someone who is just learning a language you have spoken all your life. A bit like me trying to use my pitiful college German, dictionary in hand. Sometimes they deliver concepts all in one bunch, or speak in rapid-fire words and picture, and I have to pick through and try to sort it out, asking for clarification and to slooow it down. A wonderful communicator I know always say "give it to me like I'm a kindergardener". While this can be challenging, especially when talking to a human at the same time and trying to translate between the two, plus connect to the animal, the three-way conversation style of session does give the owner a chance to get a feeling for what it's like to talk to their animal directly. As I go back and forth, they hear me translate their animal's sense of humor, irony, sadness, etc and they can see that often when they ask a question the animal is answering even before the words are all out of their mouth. Or, if they ask me to tell their animal something such as that they love them, the animal will often reply with, "yes, I know that already." This helps us really get that our animals are communicating with us all the time, and we with them. Also, if an animal tells me something that makes no sense, in describing it to the human companion we can often determine together what to ask for clarification. A blue furry bed, for example, meant nothing to me but that owner knew right away what I was being shown.
The most important piece is to know that everyone has the ability to talk to the animals in their lives - domestic, wild, or somewhere in between. For me, I choose to spend more time learning the language than some of us do, but that's ok - by partnering with animals and their human friends we can all get an idea of what it's like to talk to the animals, and to feel closer to our furry family members.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
What
I admit I find it hard to explain animal communication, especially in your average day-to-day settings. It's just doesn't strike people as an "everyday" sort of thing, and yet it is as much everyday as breathing. What has been most surprising to me, is the number of people that begin nodding in some semblance of understanding as I bumble my way through an explanation. If you have an animal friend whom you love very dearly then of course you speak with them, and if you are little bit open to possibility, of course they answer back.
As a child I had no problem imagining that a cat, a deer, a bumblebee or a blade of grass for that matter might speak to me and have something profound (or not!) to say. Why not? As children we sense the world, we do not forge through it like a crusading army. The world unfolds around us and we are quite close to that veil beyond which communication is a vibration, a heartbeat, and much more than words. So what happened? So much. Today we are bombarded with information, our intellectual brains are the size of melons and our intuitive brains struggle for any attention at all. Women often find themselves re-attuned to their intuition through motherhood. Ask any mother for a time when she has just "known" where her children are, what they are doing, if something is wrong, etc. There is a cord of electricity that binds us all, and we have only to flick the switch to ignite it.
When I first heard an animal speak to me as an adult, in a "how to communicate with animals" class, there was shock, but also familiarity. A sense of "I've been here before, but I've forgotten the where, when, and how." Of course my little cat and I communicated constantly, but I didn't recognize this as something interesting or unique, it just was. Likewise with the various horse friends I'd had over the years - and their communication could be quite loud, as in when I'd find myself lying on the ground after having been told in no uncertain terms, "no I do not wish to jump this fence you silly girl."
The thing that is hard for us as humans is recognizing the difference between cerebral communication, our spoken language, and heart communication. Having a conversation with an animal, or any being in nature, is like turning on your 6th sense and letting it drive the car. Possibly a bit unnerving for those of the intellectual persuasion. It is beyond "thinking" and ALL feeling.
I'll explain that all more someday, but for now, the easiest thing is to just take a deep breath, and feel what is around you. Close your eyes - they tend to be tricky and give you a false sense of reality. Just sense what is, and let it in. If your animal friend or your wee child is being particularly nice, or particularly nudge-y at the moment, just be quiet, and see what comes. Don't judge it, and for goodness sake, don't judge yourself.
As a child I had no problem imagining that a cat, a deer, a bumblebee or a blade of grass for that matter might speak to me and have something profound (or not!) to say. Why not? As children we sense the world, we do not forge through it like a crusading army. The world unfolds around us and we are quite close to that veil beyond which communication is a vibration, a heartbeat, and much more than words. So what happened? So much. Today we are bombarded with information, our intellectual brains are the size of melons and our intuitive brains struggle for any attention at all. Women often find themselves re-attuned to their intuition through motherhood. Ask any mother for a time when she has just "known" where her children are, what they are doing, if something is wrong, etc. There is a cord of electricity that binds us all, and we have only to flick the switch to ignite it.
When I first heard an animal speak to me as an adult, in a "how to communicate with animals" class, there was shock, but also familiarity. A sense of "I've been here before, but I've forgotten the where, when, and how." Of course my little cat and I communicated constantly, but I didn't recognize this as something interesting or unique, it just was. Likewise with the various horse friends I'd had over the years - and their communication could be quite loud, as in when I'd find myself lying on the ground after having been told in no uncertain terms, "no I do not wish to jump this fence you silly girl."
The thing that is hard for us as humans is recognizing the difference between cerebral communication, our spoken language, and heart communication. Having a conversation with an animal, or any being in nature, is like turning on your 6th sense and letting it drive the car. Possibly a bit unnerving for those of the intellectual persuasion. It is beyond "thinking" and ALL feeling.
I'll explain that all more someday, but for now, the easiest thing is to just take a deep breath, and feel what is around you. Close your eyes - they tend to be tricky and give you a false sense of reality. Just sense what is, and let it in. If your animal friend or your wee child is being particularly nice, or particularly nudge-y at the moment, just be quiet, and see what comes. Don't judge it, and for goodness sake, don't judge yourself.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Beginning
Wis-dom (n.)
1. The ability to discern what is true, right, or lasting.
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