Postcards from Beyond

“How will I know he or she’s visiting” is a question which often comes up during readings for my clients with their deceased animals.

The days following the death of our beloved animal companions is a very sad time for us, but we must not allow our grief to close us down and block the flow of love and communication which still exists between us. If we keep our hearts and minds open, we will be aware of the many different ways our loved ones keep in touch.

 These visitations come in various guises and they always leave some form of confirmation, like a 'post-it' or postcard, confirming their visit. A popular one is a leaf or flower from the garden, a clump or tuft of fur on the lounge chair or bed, which you know was not there the day before. Sometimes there are rumpled pillows on the bed or couch where our pets used to sleep.

A client asked me to communicate with her cat in spirit to see if he was ok and asked him to give her a sign when he was visiting. He said “tell her to look out for the fur”
She phoned me the next day very excited, she suddenly woke up around midnight and was amazed to see a clump of fur floating in the middle of the room. She was almost speechless with joy as she knew that it was a message from her cat Magic.

A few days ago, we found a huge rain spider in our bedroom around 3.00am. My husband caught it and I went to open the front door so he could take it outside. I stayed on the veranda while he deposited it in the hedge. I suddenly got a feeling that Maxi was nearby and as I turned around I saw him lying on “his spot” by the front door. The vision was so vivid and the feeling so strong that there’s no doubt in my mind that he was definitely there.

The following morning I got another surprise when I rolled back the bed covers and found a tuft of black fur inside my bed, which I knew was definitely not there when I went to bed.  I asked “o.k. who’s hair is this?” I immediately got a picture of Nikki’s  laughing face and I got a sense of her saying “Got you!”  My pendulum confirmed that she had indeed been visiting. I smiled as I saw the three of them psychically. I picked up their sense of laughter, they thought it was very funny.

Last night I was sitting in bed reading, it was around 22.30h when I heard the floor creaking in the dressing room as it does when someone walks through to our bedroom. Inca my cat was sleeping next to me. Her head shot up and she just stated and stared into the dressing room. There was no breeze in the room but I saw the fringe on the fabric throw on my dressing table sway, just as it does when somebody walks past.

I said: “Ok so who’s out there, who’s visiting this time? Immediately a picture of Maxi flashed into my mind. Inca seemed quite relaxed about it and put her head down and went back to sleep.

This morning I found his postcard, a tuft of the dear Border Collie’s fur on the coffee mug beside my bed.

Karma in the ashes at the Labyrinth of Animal Remembrance

Our family had agreed to the ritual of scattering Nikki’s and Maxi’s ashes at the labyrinth on Sunday the 30 January. Our daughters Colleen and Bronwyn and grandson Cayden were joining us. Sadly Bronwyn had decided to release Karma, her beautiful Boxer during the previous week, as she’d been suffering from cancer for some time.

I’d connected with Mac-Tavish, Nikki and Maxi and asked if they would meet Karma at the Rainbow bridge as Bron was worried that she’d have to cross over on her own. I got the assurance that as Karma was part of their soul group, they would definitely meet her.

We painted the names of the dogs who had left us onto the stones and Cayden had great fun decorating his stone with bold splashes of colour. Bron asked me to connect with Karma and check if she was ok. I visualised the Reiki symbols and immediately felt the connection as my hands starting heating up. I saw the Boxer's face surrounded by the golden aura, she looked young and beautiful. She said she was ok and that our dogs had met her when she crossed. I saw them all together and told them that we’d be scattering their ashes and that it would be wonderful if they could come through too. Bron asked Karma to give her a special sign that she was alright and happy.

We walked the labyrinth in turn, scattering the ashes and placing our stones along the path as we made our way around the circle, while Cayden played the djembe drum. I passed the gently moving prayer flags and felt the presence of the dogs. They’d loved walking the labyrinth with me and I was certain that they were with us now. As I scattered their ashes in the wind, I felt the lingering sadness of our parting, but knew that the special bond we’d shared would last forever.

We received confirmation of their presence in the photos Colleen took. Bronwyn got her requested sign from Karma. There’s a stunning photo of Owen scattering Maxi’s ashes and Karma’s beautiful face can clearly be seen.

Hi... from heaven

Having the knowledge of Reiki and the sacred symbols opened a new world of  exciting experiences for me. I had a lot of fun experimenting with Reiki and its symbols; and I discovered it was great for connecting with people and animals in the spirit world.

Very often humans and animals require some healing once they’ve crossed over, especially if they suffered from a serious illness, accident or trauma at the time of  death. I found that Reiki was the perfect modality to assist them.

The day after Maxi departed, I decided to check in with him to see if he required any healing. I went into my healing room and lit a candle. I focused on him and visualised the Reiki symbols flowing to him. I sent him love and light by visualising a beautiful pink light flowing from my heart to his heart. I felt my hands heating up and I asked if he wanted or needed some Reiki. He said he would love some and I felt a stronger pulling in the center of my hands as he accepted the energy. His face was surrounded by the golden aura which I usually see whilst communicating with animals on the other side.

I asked him if he’d been alright while crossing over. He confirmed that he did and that Nikki and Mac-Tavish had met him. I beamed Reiki to him and I saw him looking young, vibrant and healthy. He was playing with his ball, an activity which he loved most here on Earth. Nikki and Mac-Tavish also came through, surrounded by the golden aura. They just seemed to hang there in my psychic vision, suspended in the bright golden light, as they absorbed the Reiki energy.

Eventually I felt the pull of energy lessen in my hands. I thanked them for allowing me to communicate with them and for the chance of sending Reiki to them. I released them in love and light, by visualising beautiful pink light flowing to them and the vision of their beloved faces slowly faded.

I was so grateful that I was able to connect with them in this manner and to know that they were happy and well. It was comforting knowing that they were all together and enjoying life in that place of golden Light which we call Heaven.

Fields of gold

After Mac-Tavish’s death it was comforting to know that his sister was still with us as her presence was the last remaining physical link to him. But now the absence of both these black Setters left a deep sadness in our hearts and a vacant space in our home.

I didn’t get a sense of Nikki still hanging around on that first night. She just seemed to be gone. I got a sense that she was at peace and had been very ready to go the Light on the other side. Each time I thought about her, a wonderful warm feeling of peace and contentment came over me. It would be there for just for a little while, then the sadness would blast through me again.

Often newly departed people and animals require healing before they can advance on their journey. Lighting a candle, saying prayers for them and sending distant Reiki can greatly assist them

The sacred Reiki symbols which a Reiki Master teaches students in the 2nd degree level enables the energy to be sent over vast distances, including time and space. I use these symbols to connect and communicate with animals who’ve crossed over to the spirit world.

The following day I lit a candle in my healing room and sent Reiki to Nikki. I immediately had a psychic vision of her smiling face. She looked young and beautiful. Her head was surrounded by an aura of gold light, which is the band of light I usually see when I communicate with animals on the other side.

Then Mac-Tavish’s face popped into the picture, also looking young, with his usual lopsided grin. They looked at each and suddenly took off, running wildly, with their heads up and tails stretched out behind them, just like they used to do when they were young.  What a beautiful scene, the whole area was filled with gold light and the dogs were running through a field of golden wheat. There was a beautiful rainbow in the background.
I was so grateful for the knowledge that they were both together and happy. Also for the confirmation that they were enjoying life on the other side, still doing what they loved best……..running wildly…… just as they did during their younger days here on Earth.

Mac’s visits from the Other Side

When I was growing up I always knew that animals went to Dog Heaven when they passed and that they, like humans have an immortal soul and continue to live after their life on Earth. I refused to believe that their death was simply the end of their existence.

I really can’t say how I came to this conclusion, but now I know it was something that I intuitively knew, it had always formed part of my psych, lodged somewhere on a sub-conscious level. You probably know the feeling, you know but you don’t know how you know.

I was overjoyed when I discovered that my deceased animal companions came back to visit me, making their visits apparent with a sound or with the enactment of a familiar action, immediately recognizable as their own.

In the months after his passing, Mac-Tavish continued to visit his human and animal family. He announced his arrival in quite an unique manner. There was definitely a deep connection between him and the dove as it would call loudly from the tree outside our bedroom window and then the most beautiful fragrance would fill the air. It appeared to be a mixture of lavender, rosemary and rose geranium. It didn’t matter whether I was in the house or garden, or if it was day or night, when he chose to visit, always accompanied by the herby smell.

I would often sense him at the front gate, a favourite place where he used to lie and wait our return home. I could see his laughing eyes, his smiling mouth, tongue lolling to the side, as he “smiled” a happy-to-see-you-back- home-smile, with his tail wagging furiously. It was amazing, the fragrance was so strong and the vision very vivid, clear confirmation that he was really there.

His other favourite time for coming through was of course when I was cooking. I would hear his claws clicking on the ceramic tiles behind me, just as he used to do. The fragrance would waft through each time and I could still hear his voice in my head, ‘so what’ve got cooking', or 'I want some of that.’

The smell of the herbs continued to waft through the house during the night and in the early hours of the morning as he kept up is visits, often with the dove’s call. Sometimes I’d just be sitting, not doing anything special and he would tickle my nose with his special smell, I’d get a ‘hi, just popping in’ sort of impression.

I realised that Mac felt the need to visit and comfort us with his presence as our hearts were still on the long journey to healing. As time progressed the pain lessened and so did his visits along with his special fragrance, except for an occasional whiff wafting through, just a gently reminder that he was still looking out for us.

Farewell beloved MacTavish

16/08/1994 – 24/12/2009
Farewell dearest Mackie boy, may your soul fly on wings of love to the Light. We love you. Thank you for everything you taught me about animal telepathic communication and reincarnation. See you at the Rainbow Bridge one day.

In mid December ’09 Mac’s health began a downward spiral and we knew that his departure was imminent. During this time I gave him numerous Reiki treatments and sent him distant healing when things got rough during the night, asking for help with his transition. We hoped that he would make the decision to pass on his own, but he lingered on, with a diminishing appetite.

I asked him to give me a sign indicting that he wanted to be released from this world when he was ready, should the deterioration escalate. On 23 December a dove flew into the house, it circled the kitchen where I was busy preparing a meal, flew into the dining room, circled a few times before flying back into the kitchen and exiting. I knew that this was a message from Spirit, as birds are universally considered Divine Messengers as they move between the earth and the heavens.

Confirmation came that night. His hind legs collapsed and we had to carry him inside, being a big dog it wasn’t easy.

It was a difficult night and sleep eluded us. Mac-Tavish cried out periodically, while the dove called relentlessly from the tree outside our bedroom window, seemingly offering him his wise counsel. I send him distant healing as often as I could and shed many tears into my pillow, as dawn’s long fingers unfurled and caressed the slumbering earth.

Before we left for the vet I said good bye, I told him that I released him in love and Light, I thanked him for everything and for the wonderful life we’d shared together over the past sixteen years. I told him it was time now, for him to fly quickly to the light on the other side.

We brought his body back home. While we awaited the arrival of Louré from Petangels Pet Cremation Services, I lit a candle in his honour with some incense and sent Reiki again to assist the journey of his soul to the Light.

A few weeks later we had a family ritual at our Labyrinth of Animal Remembrance and scattered Mac’s ashes. We also honoured him by painting his name on a stone and placing it on a special spot in the labyrinth. This small act is symbolic of the healing that takes place over time. The writing on the stone will fade with time; and in time we begin to recover from the grief and loss of losing a loved one. Healing the empty feeling we carry inside that is the aching hole in our hearts.