The velvet box

We’re so blessed to have an Earth Angel, in the form of Louré van Schalkwyk, the animal undertaker from Paw Print Pet Cremation Services, who assisted us with Inca’s cremation.

He placed a beautiful message on their website in memory of Inca. I was also invited to write my own farewell message for their Remembrance Wall and it gave me a great sense of peace in doing so.

Louré told me the time of the cremation so I was able to go into my Reiki room and light some candles and beam Reiki to Inca in spirit, while her mortal remains were being transformed and transmuted into Earthly dust. I connected with her in the Spirit World and I clearly saw her beautiful face surrounded by a golden halo of God’s Heavenly Light. I saw another picture of her bathed in golden Light, with huge sunflowers behind her. To the right of her, I saw the most magnificent sight – an entire field of sun flowers, filled with the same brilliant golden Light.

I’ve always loved sun flowers, but now they have an extra special meaning for me. Each time I see them now, I will think of my beautiful Kitzi, and know that she’s sending me love from the Summerlands, where she’s chasing butterflies, happy and carefree.  

Several days later, I received Inca’s ashes in a stunning cerise velvet box, embossed with the gold Paw Print logo. The box was enclosed in delicate white tissue paper decorated with gold paw prints. Also included in the presentation bag was a little Ceremony Book, containing information celebrating Inca’s life and a blank page for her photo, a colourful Teardrop Healing Mandala Meditation and words of wisdom on grief. 

Another surprise awaited me when I opened the velvet box. There was the little bag containing the ashes and on top of that was a beautiful rose quarts bracelet, with these words at the back of the bag “This bracelet was made with love, it will protect all your precious memories and heal your broken heart.”  

I wear the bracelet every day and I feel the beautiful uplifting energy of the stones, reminding me of the deep bond of love we share with our animal companions which continues to exist beyond time and space.

Farewell, dearest Inca

Pastel portrait of Inca by Colleen Mulrooney of PetPawtraits

“Farewell dearest Inca, may your soul fly on wings of love to the Light. 

We love and miss you Kitzi and we thank you for being a part of our lives all these years. 

Thank you for your healing paws and all the healing you gave us. You taught me so much. 

I especially valued your lessons in telepathic communication, where, amongst other, you taught me that animals do have a concept of time as we know it.”

INCA – 28 April 2001 – 5 February 2014

On the night of Inca’s passing, I felt I had to contact her in the Spirit World, just to make sure she was ok. I drew the Reiki symbols and soon my hands heated up, as I connected with her. She said she was ok, and I got a sense of her being completely at peace and safe in the Light.

But I didn’t see her as her feline self, instead I got an impression of a priestess, and I was even more amazed to discover that she and I were both priestesses in a past life in Egypt. I learnt that we were from the same soul group, so she really was my soul-mate. I knew that she’d lived a past life with our family in this present life time, as Mazzy-Starr – my daughter's cat, before coming back to us in the form of Inca. I knew that in one of my previous lives I was a witch and a healer, and I now saw that Inca was my companion in her feline form in that life time.

I’d asked my parents and our dogs in spirit, Mac-Tavish, Nikki and Maxi to meet Inca at the Rainbow Bridge, and they did. I saw them all clearly greeting her, and I was surprised to find my brother, who is also in sprit, standing in the front of all of them.

When Inca left, I felt that she’d taken a chunk of my soul with her, and I miss her so much, as she was my constant companion, especially at night, when she slept on or bed. But I know that the souls of our animal companions – and ours – are inexorably linked for all eternity. I know that they will continue to reincarnate with us, to share our lives and assist us on our spiritual path, sharing their soulful knowledge and wisdom with us, through many, many lives.

If you know of anyone who would be comforted by an Animal Crossing Over Reading – where I connect to the spirit of your animal friend and convey any messages you'd like 

to share or receive from your animal friend; please get in touch with me. 

I also have Gift Vouchers available for your loved one who may be struggling 

to deal with the loss of their animal friend. 

Please email me for prices and full info: carol@reikilight.co.za or reikilight@wol.co.za

I'm so grateful for Reiki

 

Inca in the herb garden with the catnip

My feline companion Inca, had been suffering bouts of ill health for a while and with a sinking heart I knew that the heart-wrenching day no animal lover ever wants to think of – was soon approaching.

As the days rolled by, I became increasingly grateful that I had been attuned to Reiki. Not only did it help Inca to cope with her illness, but it was also a time of special togetherness, of reflection and introspection. She would lie on my lap while I channelled the energy – purring happily. Occasionally I would move my hands to the areas of her body she specifically wanted treated. Sometimes she would lie fully stretched out on the bed, for over an hour, just absorbing the energy.

The day before her passing I put her in the herb garden, her favourite spot, where she loved to sit amongst the catnip plants. When I went to check on her later, I was surprised to find that she was not there. The gardener said he saw walking at the bottom of the garden, and I got the feeling that she was saying goodbye to all her favourite haunts.

She returned later and I began to feel hopeful as she seemed much better. But my joy was short lived as during the early hours of the morning she called loudly to us from her bed. She seemed to be having seizures. It was terrible to watch, her eyes were huge, and she was breathing heavily; her body was stiff and shaking.

I wrapped her in a towel, gave her some Rescue Remedy and I sat with her in the reclining armchair giving her Reiki. She eventually calmed down and dozed off to sleep. I kept channelling Reiki and asked my Divine Helpers to help her, with whatever she needed at this time for her highest good. I asked Archangel Raphael for his help, and to fill her aura with his green healing light. As the eastern sky ushered in the dawn, I knew this would be Inca’s last hours with me, in her physical form. Tearfully I thanked her for everything, telling her that I loved her and that I released her in Love and Light. I told her we would have to take her to the vet to help her to cross over, and was she ok with that, she said she was. I asked for Reiki to keep flowing to her every minute from then and especially during her transition.

The vet tried her best to comfort us, but it was very difficult, as our tears continued to fall as we said goodbye to her again. I told her that as soon as the vet starts the procedure, she must go quickly to the Light. And she did. She just slipped peacefully away into Spirit. 

Being an empath

Yesterday en route to the shopping mall for the weekly shopping spree, I was angered by two things I saw.  I’m not sure which one upset me more, as I felt the one was as bad as the other.

The first was a heavily laden truck transporting chickens. I felt so sorry for these poor birds, they were packed into the tiny compartments worse than sardines in a tin. The luckier fowl were the ones that obviously had been loaded first, and were privileged to have a view of the outside world, instead having their faces pressed into the backside of the bird in front of them.

Some of them had their necks extended through the wires, perhaps visualising the small hole would suddenly enlarge offering them a means of escape. Others in similar pose presented a more forlorn picture with their eyes closed and their necks limply moving as the truck trundled along. These I felt were the fortunate ones, as they’d chosen to exit this Earth in this manner, rather than in the gory chicken slaughter house. Some others seemed to be mesmerised, aware of their impending doom.

It’s not always easy being an animal empath, as we tend to pick up the feelings and emotions of those around us. I felt awful for these poor chicken.  I picked up their pain, their misery, my heart was pounding in my chest, and my mouth was dry. I felt dizzy and a knot of nausea welled up in my solar plexus.  

I was close to tears as we managed to overtake their vehicle, and I mentally sent Reiki to them, asking for love and Light to be sent to them, for whatever they needed for their highest good at this time and for whatever fate awaited them.  

I wonder if the people eating their flesh ever give a thought to their pain and suffering.

The second incident I encountered in the shopping centre, as we walked past the pet shop on our way to the parking area. There were two snakes, they could have been pythons, I’m not really sure, who were enclosed in the usual glass box. The one was lying with its eyes closed, while the other lifted its head and gazed at us through the glass. 

I had no intention of communicating with this snake, and I thought of Harry Potter when he spoke to the snake in “parseltongue” and helped it to escape, in one JK Rowling’s novels.

Immediately I heard a sort of woshing sound in my ears, and I felt indeed that the snake was communicating with me. I picked up a sense of tiredness, a feeling of being trapped, and then the most awful feeling of claustrophobia settled over me. I got the sense that if the snake could smash the glass tank and escape it would have. I experienced the most tremendous pressure in my head, it felt as if my head had expanded and was pressing on the sides of the glass. All this poor creature wanted was to be free.

As I walked away I asked myself, what on Earth gives humans the right to capture these and other noble creatures, and so cruelly keep them confined to such small enclosures, when it should be roaming free in its natural habitat. 

No wonder the World is in the state it’s in. It’s all about money, greed and the exploitation of innocent animals.  Animals are sentient beings, who have souls, feelings and emotions, and should be allowed to live and enjoy life freely as God intended they should.

When the swallows leave

Easter moon rise and orbs over the herb garden

It’s been said: “that if you have swallows living on your property, you will also have bats.” Whoever penned this saying is absolutely correct, as for the past thirty-three years we’ve lived in the country, we’ve had both.

Currently we have a pair of swallows living in their mud house in our garage. I’ve had to Reiki a couple fledgelings when they’ve fallen from their nest in the past. I’m so accustomed to their presence that I feel an absolute sense of devastation when they leave.

I love watching my feathered friends swoop and dive in the air, catching insects while I have my breakfast on the veranda every morning. I particularly enjoy watching them at dusk, when the whole atmosphere takes on an almost surreal feeling when I sense something vibrant in the air. It’s absolutely weird, how one minute I know I’m watching swallows but when I look closely they’ve shape-shifted into bats, almost right before my eyes. The exact time is never evident when the swallows swoop off to their nest and their wheeling flight overhead is replaced by the bats.

My fascination with swallows goes back to my childhood. Growing up in suburban Bez Valley, my brother used to watch these migrating birds, during our Easter school break, as they congregated on the overhead wires, with much flapping of wings and twittering to each other. We used to pretend that we could interpret what they were saying. Stuff like: “Hi Joe, did you pack your toothbrush?” as each bird arrived and took their place at the end of the line, or “why are you so late?” as the stragglers fought for a perch on the wire. This went on for a while, and there seemed to be some of the birds who were in charge of the whole operation as they kept up a tirade of twittering, perhaps they were giving flight instructions for the long journey ahead.

Eventually they rose in unison, a gigantic swirling mass ascending higher and higher heavenwards.  We would watch them until they became a tiny black dot in the sky, leaving me with a deep sense of sadness. 

Some years later when I began studying French at school, I was amused with a story in my French Manual called “Le depart des Hirondelles” – (the swallow’s departure).

The author gave a vivid description of how the swallows congregated on the overhead wires, telling how some birds got a scolding for being late and how they fought for a place on the wire causing others to loose their place. It was quite funny and certainly left me with a feeling of déjà vu.

Winter is not my favourite season. And the sadness I feel when the swallows leave, heralds the end of wonderful long sunny days and warm nights, and the looming approach of cold, bleak winter days. 

But in April last year the swallow’s leave took on an even deeper meaning of devastation for me. I knew their departure was imminent as they began perching along the power lines, which they usually do a few days before they migrate. 

I’d been nursing my ailing 93 year old mother for the past couple of months and she passed away on the 4^th of April. We knew her time to leave was close, but one is never really prepared for the actual parting and the grief that accompanies it. So it was with what felt like a heavy lump of lead in my chest, that I suddenly remembered the swallows. As soon as I entered the garage, there was no sense of their presence, and I knew they too, had gone. The synchronicity these two occurrences left me wondering if they were linked in any way with the Soul’s departure, as birds are considered messengers of the Spirit World.

Just after dusk an evening or two later  I was outside, obviously having no swallows to watch, so  I watched instead the brilliant Easter moon rise and felt compelled to take  photos. I was so surprised to see a number of orbs in the photos. Considered to be spirit manifestation captured on camera – I knew they’re were messages from Spirit.

A golden orb over the garden path...
a sign from my departed mother

I’m certain the big one in the pathway is from my Mom, I felt it was her way of saying “don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

Of course the swallows returned once more to their little mud home the following October. The seasonal wheel continues to turn and soon it will time for them to follow the sun once more.

Interesting article on orbs here.

My cat is a healer too

A portrait of my cat Inca, drawn by my daughter Colleen, animal artist at PetPawtraits

Many years ago I was intrigued to read in one of Dianne Stein’s books on Animal Reiki, that cats consider themselves to be Reiki Masters. With their disdainful air of superiority they actually feel they “own” the energy and would like to keep it for themselves.

I believe that all animals are healers, but it’s a well known fact that cats have the innate ability of sussing out the only non-animal/cat lover in a room full of people. They will make a bee line for them and rub their bodies against their legs, or heaven forbid, even jump up onto their lap. To me this is an indication that the person is in need of serious healing, probably for some imbalance in their life.

One of my elderly clients, who has her own cat family, told me that her husband had not been feeling well from the time he got up that morning. He started getting a pain in his chest, so he went and sat down in a comfortable armchair. Immediately their cat Snowy jumped onto his lap, and rested his head against her husband’s chest. He stayed like that for an hour or so and then jumped down. Harry was amazed when he realised that the pain had gone and he actually felt much better. He is absolutely certain that Snowy was responsible for healing him that day, as he has never sat on his lap before nor has he ever done so again.

Another story I read in a book on animal healing is about the cat lover who developed a passionate love affair with a bottle of red wine after a break up of a relationship or marriage, not sure now exactly which it was now. After a while she managed to pull herself together and decided to go back to her former life of healing and helping people. She had to go for a check up to her doctor, who was aware of her addictive red wine habit, so he advised a liver check. They were both amazed and relieved that the test indicated that her liver was in a healthy state.

But sadly a short time later her cat became ill, and the vet diagnosed an incurable liver dis-ease. Needless to say she was devastated when he passed away. But she felt absolutely crushed when she realised that her cat always slept on her bed at night, curled into a ball against her stomach. She knew without a doubt that her cat had taken on the liver problem, her liver problem, and died instead of her.

My cat Inca has displayed her healing abilities to us on several occasions. One night we arrived home from supper and I started feeling rather uncomfortable in my tummy area. Being a vegetarian, I was forced to eat the limited vegetarian food on the menu, but which I’m not accustomed to eating. One of the items was bean soup, and I’m sure you know what beans can do to your stomach. I took some Tissue Salts and went to bed with my tummy making the weirdest noises. I put my hands on my stomach and started doing Reiki when Inca jumped up on the bed and settled herself on top of my hands. I didn't give it much thought at first, but then I noticed her eyes took on this look of wisdom, a sort of knowing look and I realized that she was doing her special brand of feline Reiki on me.  

Since then she’s helped my husband to heal the stress he was suffering from while working in a pressurised job by sleeping stretched out along his body at every opportunity she got. She’s also helped us to heal when we’ve had flu or a bad cold, and one night she came to sit on my tummy before my stomach even began to ache.

To me this was proof once again that animals are psychic. 

So I consider my cat Inca to be a very wise and ancient being, a healer of note. I also pick up that she was a healer in a past life, when she lived in human form... but animal reincarnation is the subject of a blog post for another time.

Bees get a buzz from Reiki too

Did you know that Reiki can help you to get uninvited garden pests and insects to vacate your home and garden?  Over the years I’ve used Reiki to get the destructive moles to leave our garden, relocate bats and ants and some other creepy crawlies.

A while ago the gardening gods blessed us with a plethora of peppadews (the brand name of the small sweet piquanté red peppers) and I decided to try my hand at pickling a batch.

I followed the recipe and soon had all the ingredients simmering in my huge stewing pot.  The pleasant aroma of the pickling spice filled the kitchen and wafted through into the rest of the house.  A bee flew through the kitchen window and made a bee line for the pot, it buzzed and hovered above and seemed quite mesmerised. Then it was joined by several more bees, all acting as if they were getting a “high” from the cooking peppers.

I wasn’t really worried by the bees as living on plot in the country we’re accustomed to their frequent visits, they don’t harm us and we don’t harm them. But I must admit that I was actually quite horrified when it felt as if the whole house was vibrating with their buzzing and I found so many more of them clinging to the dining room windows.

There were now hundreds buzzing over the pot and walking up the kitchen windows and curtains.  I was unable to stir the mixture as they were sitting on the handle of my wooden spoon, and several had committed suicide by jumping into the hot bubbling peppers.

“Ok, this is it, I’ve had enough!” I said to them, I’m going to send Reiki, I want you all to leave NOW, when I come back in here I want you all gone.”  I stood in the middle of the kitchen and drew the Reiki symbols on both the palms of my hands, and in the air above me. I then stood with my hands in the beaming position, and beamed Reiki to them. I asked the Reiki Guides and Angels to ask the bees to please leave my kitchen now. I also told the bees telepathically that I liked them and honoured them and the wonderful work they did, and the honey they produced.  I told them that I send them love and Light, and I would be very grateful if they would please leave my house now and go back to where they came from. I showed them with my mind, that I wanted them to fly back out the windows now and go back to their work in the garden.  I then went into the dining room and repeated the process.  

After about ten minutes I went back into the kitchen and thankfully the majority of them, apart from a few stragglers, had all buzzed off.

I sent Reiki in thanks and also expressed my gratitude to the Reiki Guides and Angels for their help. I don’t know what I would have done to get the bees to go, if I did not have Reiki and the power of telepathic communication to assist me.

I’m sorry!

Murphy, the Incorrigible

 “Love means never having to say you’re sorry” goes the famous line from the 1970’s movie ‘Love Story.’ Well I’m afraid to say that living with Murphy, I’m continually having to say ‘I’m sorry’ to the unfortunate animals he sends to the Spiritworld.

Much to my dismay, a few months ago, Murphy started stalking and hunting the wild animals that visit our plot. I occasionally found a few dead birds or a pile of feathers on the lawn.  I sat him down and told him telepathically and verbally,  that he must stop killing the wild birds and I sent him pictures of him sitting on the lawn while the birds walked around him unscathed.   

He seemed to have got the message regarding the birds, but I absolutely horrified to find a beautiful nag aapie lying on the lawn a few days later. “I’m sorry” I told the lifeless form as I beamed Reiki to it, asking for his soul go to the Light.

I looked at Murphy, he knew he was in trouble again but he seemed confused, “ you said no birds” was his telepathic reply. I again told him that he was to leave all the wild life alone.

Tess, the Border Collie

A few days later Tess and Murphy came to walk the labyrinth with me. The dogs gave chase as a wild rabbit burst out of the bushes. I yelled at them to stop. Murphy caught up with it, and took bit a chunk out of its rump. I shouted again and he stopped and came back to me. Tess then took up the chase. The rabbit managed to get away, but in its haste it ran into the gate at the top of the driveway, in an attempt to get through the bars. As I got to the gate the rabbit just managed to get through the bars and collapsed on the other side of the gate. It lifted its head and stared at me for a few seconds, and then slowly lowered his head and died. It was so upset, I just kept repeating, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” I beamed Reiki and asked for his soul to go to the Light. This time both dogs got a scolding.

While watering the garden one day, I heard the guinea fowl's cry of alarm at the bottom of the garden. I put the hosepipe down on the ground and ran to investigate. I saw an apparition staggering through the trees, it had a yellow body, and 4 legs, but it seemed faceless. As I approached I realised it was Murphy with a guinea fowl in his mouth, the wings completely covered his face. I told him to drop it. He did and the poor bird managed to fly over the privet hedge to safety.

Everything was fine for a few weeks, Tess and Murphy behaved themselves, but I kept a watchful eye on Murphy each time he so much as looked in the direction of the birds pecking on the lawn. He still chased them as they flew overhead, especially the hadedas, but thankfully he stopped catching them… or so I thought!

One Sunday I was cooking at the stove, when I turned around and was surprised to see a dying guinea fowl in Tess’s bed. The culprit sat in his own bed, with his front paws crossed in front of him. His body language seemed to say “ don’t look at me, I had nothing to do with it, it’s not in my bed and look my paws are crossed.”

Now in retrospect, I think he may have been saying “look, I brought lunch!”

Snake speak

Cape Cobra http://capesnakerescue.co.za

I was in the veggie garden sending Reiki to the newly germinated plants when I heard Tess and Murphy barking hysterically. I noted that it was not their usual bark and psychically I heard “snake.” I dashed over to the furrow and saw the dogs had cornered a huge Cape Cobra.

I was worried about the dogs getting bitten (see earlier post about Maxi’s snakebite)

The reptile had its head raised with the hood up, ready to strike. I called the dogs off and asked them to keep their distance and told them to stop barking as the racket was upsetting the snake. Thankfully they did.

I focused on the snake and beamed Reiki to it for a few minutes, then I took my focus to my heart chakra and I sent love and light to it, by visualising a beautiful pink light flowing from my heart to it. The results were instantaneous, I visibly saw the snake relax before my eyes. I continued to hold my hands up in the beaming position, with my palms facing outwards towards it and felt my hands getting hotter and hotter.

I noticed its beautiful eyes and I sensed a feeling of complete surprise. I told the snake telepathically that he was safe and that he would not be harmed. I continued to send Reiki while the snake just stared back at me, seemingly relaxed, as its hood was down. I got this feeling of being connected to something ancient and wise. I cannot adequately find words to describe this feeling, but I felt a deep sense of humility wash over me and I felt honoured by its presence. The cobra’s eyes were locked with mine, they seemed so intent, as if he was looking deep into my soul.

I quickly phone my husband Owen at the office, (which thankfully is nearby) for help. When he arrived he got the “slang-stock” which we’ve used for many years to catch snakes so that we can release them safely away from our home.

Alertness snapped back into the Cobra when Owen placed the noose over its head, but it was not having any of this and it managed to slip out and disappear under the rocks along the bank of the furrow. I decided that I would connect with it again later and ask it to leave our garden and go to the vacant property next door.

To be on the safe side, I kept the dogs indoors for the rest of the afternoon and when I connected with the snake again I found that it had already left.

I pondered over the whole thing, and felt that it was almost as if he’d just popped in for a visit, perhaps with a message for me, so I consulted Ted Andrew’s book AnimalWise. Ted says that: “when a cobra appears we can expect an awakening and heightening of our own intuitive vision that will enable us to make swift decisions and take quick actions that will benefit us tremendously. Now is not a time for hesitation. We should keep our senses alert because the likelihood of unexpected opportunities is about to take place. Opportunities to strike in business are very near and we should be ready. And from the cobra we can learn to read the inner soul of any person.”

I felt so deeply honoured to have had a soul to soul communication with this amazing being.

Murphy and me

If you’ve read the book or seen the movie Marlie and Me you will be familiar with the antics of the hyperactive and totally over the top Labrador called Marley. He was such a handful and I felt that the only reason the author continued to share a life of destruction with this animal was because of the deep bond of love which existed between them.

Murphy, a Labrador-cross, is our latest furry family member and I’m convinced that he’s related to Marlie in some way. They could be distant cousins, they’re both yellow in colour and both have the same destructive nature.

When Murphy first joined us, he was a law unto himself. No matter how many times we scolded him for something, he would do the same thing once our backs were turned. He chews everything he can lay his yellow paws on. We’ve lost a number of our socks as he snatches them from the laundry basket and shreds them into tiny pieces. The other day I found my mint green dressing gown lying in a crumpled heap under the wash line. It was covered in brown paw marks with gaping holes instead of buttons. There was no sign of them, so no prizes for guessing where they ended up. 

My gardener stopped me in the garden one day, poop-scoop in hand and frowning deeply “What type of dog is Murphy?” he asked.  I looked at him puzzled and asked what he meant. “Well you should see all the strange things he eats, he’s not like any of the other dogs. When I go around with the poop-scoop I see bits of wood, plastic, rags all kinds of stuff -  even bird seed. This bit of information led me to change from bird feeding tables to tree feeders, so bird seed is no longer part of his diet.

What can I say?  He’s eaten my flower pots along with their plants, the cushions from the garden furniture, flower bulbs, tree seed pods, bamboo, firewood, my garden ornaments and the dog beds.  I felt sorry for Tess when I saw her staring at the remaining fragments of her bed on the kitchen floor. So I spent a day making smart new beds for both of them. I used strong material and sewed the covers double, of course it made no difference, the corners are already in tatters.

I was so angry when I came home to find my beautiful garden Buddha statute – which usually sits peacefully in the lotus position beneath the trees – standing on its head in the middle of the lawn. I still can’t believe that he managed to carry it there.

Murphy is now just over a year old and he seems to be calming down. I've noticed some subtle changes in him, though he still chases the cat. Inca has no problem in leaving long scratches on his face or giving him a bloody nose, but he keeps going back for more.

He enjoys our fetch-the-rope sessions and now waits patiently until I give the “Ok now you can eat your food ”command at meal times. He also lies quietly when I do TTouch and Reiki on him these days. When he was younger he used to wriggle like an eel and wouldn’t allow me to put my hands on him or the body wrap. The body wrap, ear and mouth work really seem to help him to calm down. 

Like Marley, we’ve also grown to love Murphy. What can you do, when he looks at you with those adoring yellow eyes and continues to offer you his unconditional love no matter what he’s done... you can only love him in return.

Diesel the Boxer Pup’s Spondolosis

At the tender age of 18 months, Diesel, my daughter’s playful Boxer pup, started displaying signs of pain and distress when he sat or tried to lie down. Tests and x-rays revealed mild hip dysplasia, the primary source of pain being spondolosis, a degenerative disease of the spine. His life expectancy was reduced to three years as the disease was encroaching rapidly and was untreatable. He was prescribed painkillers and Bronwyn made him as comfortable as possible and waited for his spine to fuse as the vet had predicted. His quality of life became severely compromised as he responded to the painkillers.

I treated him with some hands on Reiki sessions and there was a huge improvement.

His appetite improved and he stopped crying out when trying to sit or lie down. He even started playing again. I used the ‘Reiki Laser’ (a technique given to me by my Reiki guides in which I visualise the energy as a laser beam and focus it on the

dis-eased area) to break up the dense negativity surrounding his spine. I extended my psychic fingers and performed psychic surgery* on the whole area, removing the **energy blocks. I visualised a brilliant blue light flowing down his spine and saw the pain being flushed out the end of his short stumpy tail. As I mentally drew the Reiki symbols I asked for help from my Divine Helpers: God, Reiki Guides and Angels. I asked for the healing energy to flow to the cause of the problem and heal it. I felt intense pain in my hands and psychically saw scenes of a puppy having his tail docked. I asked for healing for his highest good and that the memory of this pain be released from all the cells in his body and especially from the area of his spine. 

Some months later x-rays revealed that the spondolosis had slowed down dramatically. The vet was amazed with the results, as the dog's spine was expected to have fused and it had not even progressed to the halfway mark. Diesel is almost 12 years old now and thanks to the healing power of Reiki and some nutritional supplements, he still leads a full life, running, jumping and swimming like a true Boxer.

* psychic surgery is a technique taught in my Reiki Master’s Degree course

** the removal of energy blocks is taught in my 2^nd degree Reiki course.

Murphy’s arrival

Life didn’t really return to normal after the passing of the old dogs. Having shared our lives for such a long time, it was very difficult to adjust to their absence. I especially missed their exuberant greeting early in the morning and at the front gate upon our return home when we’d been out.

Nikki had always loved doing the rounds in the garden with me each day as we walked from feeder to feeder, putting out seeds, fruit and bread crumbs for the wild birds. All the dogs usually accompanied me to the veggie patch at the bottom of the garden. They would sit in a semi circle around the enclosure, and wait for me while I picked veggies. It’s at times like these that I missed them the most.

Inca, the cat, carried on with her life as usual, but seemed to spend more time in the kitchen with Tess, the remaining border collie. I felt that she was sensing Tess’s loneliness and offered her company especially during the recent thunder storms.

I’d been giving Tess a few Reiki treatments and Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, to help her to cope with the parting of her friends.  But she seemed to sink into a depression and hardly wanted any food. I know animals suffer from grief just as we do, so I increased the Reiki and included some TTouch during the sessions as well, setting my intention for the healing to help ease the grief. We took her for walks and spent more time in the garden playing frisby with her and she seemed to perk up a little.

We’d decided that we’d not get any more dogs for a while, but then we wondered if it would help Tess if she had some canine company.  I believe that it’s a good idea to always consult the animals first about any upcoming changes in their lives. So I connected with her and asked if she would like a friend. I got the sense that yes she would like to have somebody to play with again.  I checked with Inca too, she said she didn’t really mind if it was dog, but definitely not a cat.

We decided against getting a very young puppy and opted for the chance of giving a shelter dog a good home. Our daughter Colleen put us in touch with an organization who’d rescued an eight month old Labrador-cross type dog from a busy street and was now in foster care.

For days before he’s arrival, I kept telling Inca and Tess that Murphy would be coming home soon. I’d look deeply into their eyes and visualise the young yellow dog being in our home. They seemed to understand what I was telling them.

We collected Murphy last Saturday and brought him home. Colleen, her dogs and Bronwyn and family came round to welcome him as well. It was wonderful to see all the dogs romping together in the garden.

Tess was a bit weary of Murphy all day on Sunday, but early Monday morning they’d made friends and playing together.

Murphy is hyperactive and needs lots of Reiki, TTouch and training, but I’m working on it and I’m pleased to say that Tess is helping me too, but in her own way.

Creating a sacred space for your soul

The Universe has many ways of communicating with us.  Very often when the universe feels we need a ‘cosmic klap*’ we will suddenly notice that we keep seeing messages about the same thing, in a book, on TV, an advert on a bus or hearing the same song on the radio.

My message came in the form of my Doreen Virtue’s Archangel cards. I kept drawing  the Space Clearing card. So I thought ‘yes, ok, it is time I did a clearing, as I hadn’t done it for a while. So I got busy and cleared out the clutter, old books and magazines and stuff I now longer wanted or needed.  I attacked my clothes cupboards and sent all the clothes I’d not worn for ages to an animal shelter’s charity shop. It’s amazing how clothes and stuff just seem to pile up.
 

I then performed my usual space clearing ritual with candles, salt water, Tibetan singing bowl and bell. Once the negative energy was cleared in each room, I sealed and protected everything with the Reiki symbols.

The whole house looked brighter and I could actually feel the vibrant energy as it swirled through the house. I felt a deep sense of peace and accomplishment. Another bonus is that I also sleep much better at night. I gave myself a congratulatory pat on the back for a job well done.

You can imagine my surprise, when I again drew the Space Clearing card the following day. I thought ‘naw… the Universe is playing tricks on me. The card says you can ask Archangel Jophiel for help, which I did. I immediately got the message that yes, I’ve cleared the energy in my home, but what about the other areas of my life.

 I then realised that to do a complete spare clearing, we also need to focus on clearing the junk from our handbags, the hard drive on our computers and our motorcars. After all, are the personal things we interact with every day, not also extensions of ourselves?

Like our homes, they’re not merely a means of shelter, but they’re also mirrors of ourselves. They reflect our interests and beliefs, our passions and our spirit. Our homes are the sacred space where we interact with the Universe. If we space clear on a regular basis it can be our sacred refuge from the chaotic world outside, offering peace and harmony for us, our families, our animals and all our invited guests.

*slap

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.

Goodbye Beloved Maxi

Maxi 27/11/1994 – 27/12/2010
Good bye dearest Maxi, may your soul fly on wings of love to the Light. We love and miss you. We know you’re at peace now in that beautiful place where love and Light reign supreme. Your spirit lives on and so do all our happy memories of you. Nikki and Mac-Tavish are waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for you. We’ll catch up with the lot of you there one day too.

Maxi’s health had been on a steady decline for a while and after Nikki’s death we noticed a rapid deterioration. When he refused to eat we knew he was also on his way out. Maxi had always loved his food, in fact he’d earned the name of Hoover, as he would go around and check all the other dog’s dishes and hoover up any left-overs. If there weren’t any visible signs of food, he’d still give the dish a couple of licks, with a   just-in-case-I-missed-something, sort of tongue action.

Sending Reiki to my animals had been part of my evening routine for many, years. I’d always asked for healing for their highest good and I knew that the healing energy had supported and helped them to cope with their ageing problems.

I connected with Maxi and sent the usual Reiki and also asked him if he was preparing to cross over. He confirmed that he was getting ready to go, “but just not yet” was the response, I heard in my mind. I asked him if he wanted to go on his own, or would he prefer the help of a vet. I got a sense that he wanted to go on his own, but also if things got too bad then it was ok for the vet to help. I told him that I loved him and that I released him in love and light and that he must go when he was ready. I asked Nikki and Mac-Tavish to meet him when he crossed and they assured me that they would.

He was battling with his legs, but he seemed to be hanging onto life,  reluctant to let go. After all he’d defied death twice in his life before. Maxi was actually my husband Owen’s dog. Owen rescued him from being sent to the SPCA as his previous family were unable to take him with them when they relocated to a “no animals allowed” housing complex. And of course he’d literally stared death in the face when he was bitten by the puff adder.

On the night of December 26, his hind legs collapsed. I did some hands on Reiki and TTouch, which I felt helped to ease the pain that I picked up in my hands. I saw his body visibly relax as the pain seemed to ease. I told him again, that I loved him and  that I released him in love and light.

He was still with us in the morning and we knew it was time to release him. Once again pet angel, Loure, from Paw Print Pet Cremation Services took care of the cremation and return of Maxi’s ashes.

Our grief was overwhelming having lost the last of our golden oldies. Owen in particular was devastated, as he’d formed a strong bond with Maxi during the many hours they’d spent playing ball on the lawn together. I sent Reiki to Owen that night as he slept, as I was worried what the stress could do to his heart and blood pressure.

Reiki is just one of those wonderful healing modalities which can be used to send love and comfort to somebody who needs it at that time.

The Christmas Pawtrait

On Christmas day we always tend to miss our recently departed family and friends more than other times, and Christmas 2010 was no exception for me.

Although it was a bright, sunny day, it wasn'

t how I felt inside. The day before had been the one year anniversary of Mac’s passing. I really missed both the Setters that day, as they’d  been such busy, inquisitive dogs and they’d always participated in everything we did.

I was grateful for the company of our other animals, Inca the cat and Border Collies, Maxi and Tess, who dozed in the dappled sunlight while I set and decorated the tables beneath a green canopy of trees at the bottom of our garden.

We were having Christmas lunch with our family and I felt certain that Nikki and Mac would be visiting us in their spirit form as our outdoor celebrations had been a favourite. They loved mingling with the visitors, always on the look out for a titbit or two. Mac always tried his luck. He went from person to person, sitting in front of them, mesmerizing them with his huge brown eyes, waiting for a morsel to fly from their plate straight into his mouth. It never happened, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

The family arrived and we set about opening our Christmas presents without delay, as my Grandson Cayden was anxious to see what the fat man in the red suit had brought for him. There was much ooohing and aaahing as each gift was unwrapped.

My daughter Colleen handed me a biggish package. I eagerly unwrapped it, wondering what it could be. I was absolutely stunned when I opened it, so stunned in fact, that I burst into tears. Colleen had surprised me with one of her beautiful PetPawtraits. It’s the most amazing likeness of Nikki and Mac-Tavish, they look so alive and vibrant, with their big shining eyes.

Colleen has been blessed with the fantastic gift of not only being able to capture a life-like impression of the animals she draws, but she also manages to create the divine light in their eyes, like she’s looking into their souls, bringing them back to life on the canvas.
 

I love the pawtrait. Each time I walk past and see their happy smiling faces and the light shining in their eyes, I feel comforted, knowing they’re together and happy, doing all the things they loved to do... on the “other side.”

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.

Farewell beloved Nikki girl

 

Nikki (Nikkita) 16 August 1994 – 13 December 2010
Farewell dearest Nikki girl , may your soul fly on wings of love to the light. We love and miss you. Thank you for 16 wonderful years of love and loyalty. You’re at peace now, in a beautiful place where angels sing and flowers never fade. Your happy memories will live forever in our hearts. Your brother Mac-Tavish is waiting at the Rainbow Bridge for you, see you both there one day too.

Unfortunately ageing is part of this physical life we live and our animal companions are not exempt from it. It starts with the greying of the fur around the mouth, like a fine sprinkling of icing sugar. Suddenly the grey spreads, covering their face and head. Next thing you notice your dog is finding it a bit harder to stand up each morning. It slowly dawns on you that the day you’ve been dreading is approaching.

Nikki had been deaf for a while when she also started going senile. She’d walk around and around the house for hours on end, or tread a path through the front door and out the back door, just walking in and out, that it almost made us dizzy. What was truly amazing, was that she still knew instinctively when it was meal times, as she would wander into the kitchen and wait expectantly for her dish to be put down in front of her.

She started getting lost when she went out at night. We had to go out and look for her in the bushes at the bottom of the garden. One evening we heard a strange cry coming from the rockery behind the house. Noticing that she was not in her bed, we dashed outside and found her wedged between some huge rocks and spiky plants. My husband, Owen had to crawl over rocks to reach her, while I held the torch so that he could see. She was a black dog, who was difficult to see in the dark. We managed to extricate her and thankfully she seemed unhurt. I gave her Rescue Remedy for calming and Reiki for further healing.

Towards the end of November 2010, her appetite dwindled and she slept most of the time. Only venturing outside briefly for short walks around the house. As the days progressed into December, we knew her time was getting close and we hoped that she would cross over on her own. I continued to give her short Reiki treatments which she then preferred and sent her distant healing at night. I told her I loved her, I thanked her for being part of our lives for so long, I told her I released her in love and Light, and assured her that it was ok for her to cross over when she was ready to do so.

When the 13 December dawned, we knew it was time for us to release her. I told her this and from the look in her eyes, I knew she understood. I said goodbye before we left for the vet, my tears ran down my face and dripped onto her beloved soft furry black head.

The vet said that 16 was a very good age for a big dog and wondered how she’d managed to live so long. I’m certain that the regular Reiki treatments helped her to cope with old age’s infirmities.

Once again we left Nikki’s cremation in the expert hands of Lourė from PawPrint Pet Funeral & Cremation Services and arranged for the return of her ashes.

When we returned home, I lit a candle for her and sent her Distant Reiki. I visualised a beautiful pink light flowing from my heart to hers as I sent her love and Light to help her on her journey to the Sprit World.