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.

Pass the spinach?

Learning to communicate with animals telepathically was not only a lot of fun, but it also led me to discover who my animal companions really were. I discovered their likes and dislikes, their fears and phobias and a whole lot more. I was amazed that I could “hear” their voices clearly in my head.

Whilst cooking supper one evening, Mac-Tavish sauntered into the kitchen and approached the stove. He greeted me in his usual fashion, a lopsided grin, mouth open with tongue lolling to the side, eyes bright with anticipation. I was busy stirring cream into the spinach when he made an upward motion with his head towards the pot and asked: ‘So what’ve got cooking there?’ ‘Spinach’ I replied.  ‘Can I have some?’ was his quick response. I said ‘Mac you’ve never eaten spinach and I’m sure you won’t even like it.’ ‘Try me’ he said.
 

I ladled a small amount of spinach into his dish and he wolfed it down. I was surprised, as I know many humans who can’t stand the taste of it and here was this hound simply loving it. He repeatedly asked me, ‘can I have some more,’ until he’d eaten almost half of our  portion.

Each day Mac-Tavish came to check on the cooking and always asked ‘can I have some of that?’  Perhaps my vegetarian way of life had influenced him, because he went absolutely mad for beetroot, raw grated carrots, gem and butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas and mielies.

I checked with Nikki and the border collies Maxi and Tess and they also enjoyed the veggies, so it was incorporated into their daily meals. No more boring dog food, they were on a BARF diet of raw minced chicken, brown rice, gravy (with only a sprinkling of dog cubes). Beetroot contains a lot of fibre which can cause tummy upsets, so it was only given in very small quantities, much to Mac’s dismay.

It became a habit, Mac continued to check on the cooking each day, in the hope of a hand-out, like a canine Oliver Twist, 'please can I have some more?’ was his constant refrain!

Memories of our animal companions

Nikki and Mac-Tavish, our Labrador/Irish setter cross companions, entered our lives in 1994, as two black fluffy bundles of mischief. The brother and sister duo were inseparable, they would often sit in mirror image to each other. They appeared to be deeply connected on a subconscious level, as they continued to act simultaneously, but independently of each other.

Living on a small holding they were able to enjoy the freedom of the countryside. Much to our dismay they soon discovered the location of a game farm, situated several kms behind us. They would disappear early in the morning and  return sometime in the late afternoon, tired, panting and covered in all manner of twigs and greenery. Obviously very thirsty, they would plunge their faces, up to their eyes, in a bucket of cold water, expelling a number of bubbles as they slaked their thirst.

It was around this time that positive proof of animal telepathic communication entered my mind. I would notice that the setters were missing and I'd think 'Nikki and Mac, wherever you are, you'd better come home NOW!' Initially I was amazed that within about twenty minutes they would suddenly appear, running like the wind. They would look at each other, with a look which could be interpreted as saying; "Oh Boy....now we're in trouble."

I felt intuitively that this was not just a series of coincidences, so I embarked on a journey of animal telepathic communication.