Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC

We've Moved!

2009-10-06T08:05:00.001-07:00

We've moved!
Follow us on over to Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing Blog at Wordpress. We've got lots of new articles and photos!

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Think Outside the Cage
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Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is a mesa carrier in the Peruvian Andean Medicine Tradition. In addition she is also a Reiki Master Teacher, animal communicator, author of the acclaimed book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, and creator of Animal and Reiki Art. As an animal shaman, she views her role as a healer as one of building bridges between people and animals, and of empowering them to reconnect with Pachamama, Mother Earth.

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Purrs and Catcalls in Interview with Rose De Dan on A Life on Fire

2009-06-02T22:05:00.001-07:00

This Wednesday, June 3, 2009, my interview with the Sisters of Sizzle, Elise Kloter and Jill Pagano on A Life on Fire, airs on ContactTalk Radio at 3pm PST.

Elise and Jill's mission is to search out people who are living their passion and and get them to share it with others. Their excitement is contagious, this was the most fun I have had so far doing an interview. You won't want to miss our purring contest, or our standup comedy routine on cat calling. And yes, we do cover serious issues such as my dream of bringing the benefits of energy healing and animal communication to zoo animals.

You can listen online around the World and in Seattle on 106.9 HD Channel 3 this Wednesday at 3PM Pacific Time, and if you can't listen at that time the show will be archived for your convenience!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Gun Shy, Murder Mystery that's Dog-gone Good

2009-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

When the intensity of the type of work that I do gets to be a bit much, and I'm feeling like I need a break, I take a mental vacation. My favorite form of doing that is to dive into a good book like Gun Shy (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries, Book 3), by author Donna Ball.

While the book has well-developed characters, including the dogs, the best part of reading it was arguing mentally with the main character. This supplied an unexpected pinch of zest to my usual reading style which is more passive. Raine Stockton is quite dog savvy, yet finds it difficult to wrap her mind around the concept that animals and people might be able to communicate telepathically.

However, when the only witness to a murder is a golden retriever, Raine finds herself seeking the help of Sonny Brightwell, an attorney with an uncanny knack for animal communication. What did Hero really see? Will he overcome the trauma?

Now I found myself mentally taking stock on the type of energy healing approach I would have taken to help Hero (I do the same thing sometimes when I watch Cesar Millan work with some dogs that I feel could transform more quickly if energy healing was included with the rehabilitation process). At this point I realize that I may be working rather than taking a break from work, but I am too caught up in the story to stop.

Add a dash of the dysfunctional relationship that Raine has with her sort-of ex-husband (it's complicated does not even cover it), and you've got the makings of a great soap opera as well! Now I find myself mentally cataloguing the many shamanic ways to clear out relationship baggage. I resolve to stop armchair coaching, and read on to the end of the book.

Gun Shy is a murder mystery with dogs, dog training, and animal communication all blended together into an enjoyable page-turner of a book. Now, after all that mental activity over fiction, perhaps I should take a break from reading, and escape by watching some reality TV?

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic.

Answering the Call of the Wild

2009-04-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am in the process of writing a series piece on the nature of our relationship with animals. This series was inspired by an encounter with a wolf in the local zoo in Seattle, and details a shamanic journey into deepening awareness of our connection to the Other Nations, our animal brethren.

Entitled Answering the Call of the Wild you can follow the series as it is filed under the Articles section of my website or sign-up for our newsletter.

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic.

Reiki Attunements for Animals

2009-04-07T07:10:00.001-07:00

Beth Lowell posed the question Attuning Animals: Yes or no? in the online publication The Reiki Digest on October 30, 2008.

I thought about answering but shelved responding for later. I was very busy, and surely others would reply.

It came back to the forefront of my mind today in relationship to a recent ruling by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops committee on doctrine where their group denounces Reiki.

Reading that brought back memories of when, as a teenager, I had broken away from the Catholic Church. Up until that point I had a strong love of the religion I had been raised in from birth, so strong that I had seriously considered becoming a nun.

As a teenager I learned the true history of the Catholic Church, which historically is one of persecution. Disillusioned I rejected both organized religion and spirituality. I never returned to organized religion, but taking training in Reiki in 1996 restored my connection to universal energy and love, and my belief in a spiritually based world.

Reading the article about the stand of the Catholic Bishops confronted me with the real reason I had not immediately written in response to Beth Lowell’s question, and that reason had little to do with my being so busy, and everything to do with fear of persecution.

In checking back to Beth’s article I discovered that only one person had left a comment but that comment only focused on the benefits of Reiki sessions for animals, something very different from offering attunements to animals.

What’s the difference? When taking a beginning class in Reiki, a student receives a series of attunements by a Reiki Master Teacher that opens their energy channels, connecting them up to the universal life force energy known as Reiki. The process of attunement to the Reiki energy offers personal benefit to the student as well as the ability to facilitate the healing Reiki energy for people and animals.

Experiencing the healing energy of Reiki in a session also helps to balance and calm, but the recipient does not leave with the ability to carry that energy forward and offer it to others. In my Reiki classes students are taught how to offer Reiki not only to people, but also to animals and plants. And in Master Level training I teach my students how to do attunements for animals as well as people.

Why would I do this, you might ask?

When I took my Reiki Master Teacher training in 1996 in Massachusetts there was no mention of attunements for animals, and it never occurred to me to ask about them. My Master Teacher was a nurse who worked in a local hospital and she taught many nurses and a few doctors the art of Reiki for their patients.

In my Level I and II Reiki training with a different teacher there was only a passing reference to the fact that Reiki could benefit pets, there was no mention of how to do sessions for animals, never mind any mention of attunements for them.

It was not a human teacher but the Reiki energy itself that reawakened me to my dashed youthful dreams and sense of spiritual connection. It happened during the first attunement in Reiki that I received in my Reiki Level I class. Suddenly I could feel energy coursing through my hands, and a new level of awareness washed through me along with great love and joy as I connected fully with the Reiki energy. Simultaneously I reconnected with myself and knew in the core of my being that I was born to be a healer and that I would work with animals.

From that moment on I was in love with Reiki and all its many benefits. It transformed my life in a very positive fashion and, when I opened a practice in 1996 immediately after my Level I class, that of many of my clients and students, human and animal. I named it Wild Kingdom Reiki and to the best of my knowledge, it was the first Reiki healing practice for animals on the East coast.

Not long after finishing my Reiki Master Teacher training I began to feel pulled toward offering Reiki attunements to the animal companions that shared my life and my practice. I did a lot of soul searching about that desire, no one talked about it in the Reiki community, none of the books I had read mentioned anything about it, yet the pull would not go away.

With a great deal of trepidation I offered it to my animals and they accepted, and they enjoyed the process. I mentioned what I had done to no one in the community, I was afraid that people would shun me, after all, who was I, this newly trained Reiki Master to bring something new into the tradition?

And I probably would have kept quiet indefinitely if it had not been for an elderly dog named Abbie.

My friend Joanne Wilson called me one day, in tears, because they had made the decision to put their canine companion of many years to sleep. She and her husband felt that Abbie’s quality of life was no longer good enough to justify their keeping her in her ailing body just because they loved her -- that she had reached the point where she was suffering. She had developed hot spots all over her body which she tried to scratch constantly, she didn’t move around much, and when she walked she would often lose control of her bowels, and would hide in embarrassment. She no longer wanted to do any of the fun things she used to love to do, like going for rides in the car. In short, she had no joy in daily living.

I felt that pull again, and found myself offering to come over and build Abbie a Bridge of Light and offer her some Reiki. Joanne, a fellow Reiki practitioner, told me that when she offered Reiki the dog would walk away. I replied that I would ask her permission and if she did not want any I would respect her decision.

When I arrived Abbie was accepting of my presence, and I asked her if she would like to receive a Reiki attunement. She was uncertain what that was so I explained that it was an energetic process that would reconnect her to the universal life force energy, and that it might help her feel better and could assist her in getting ready to leave her body or in healing. She was willing to give it a try and so I began the attunement process. During it I suddenly felt a weight lift off her, but had no idea what it was, and kept going with the attunement until it was complete. Abbie seemed quite content, and I left.

I received a call from Joanne the following day, and fully expected to hear her tearfully tell me that Abbie was gone. Instead Joanne joyfully explained that they had cancelled the euthanasia process because Abbie was outside playing like a puppy! She further added that Abbie had asked to go for her first car ride in two years. I was speechless, and amazed.

As the days unfolded Abbie’s hot spots healed up and she no longer had issues with her bowels. And from the time of the attunement on Abbie enjoyed receiving Reiki sessions, which she never had before. Her quality of life, and joy in life, continued for another six months until her body simply wore out.

With Abbie’s response to her attunement I acknowledged that it was time for me to come out of the Reiki closet and begin offering this to my animal clients where appropriate. It was made very clear to me by the Reiki energy that if I was not supposed to offer Reiki attunements to animals then Abbie would have had no response. Instead, with her miraculous and positive response to the Reiki attunement, I received validation that the animals needed and wanted the attunements. They, too, were spiritual as well as physical beings.

From that point on I began offering it to my animal clients within the context of a healing session (always asking their permission), and began teaching the process to my Reiki students (there are some adaptations to the attunement process necessary when offering it to animals).

And I mentioned it in passing from time to time in the articles that I wrote over 11 years that were eventually collected into the book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism. Animal Reiki attunements were very important to the healing process for the dog, AJ, in “Freedom from Fear,” and to the many animals injured during a pet store burglary in “When You Care Enough.”

But I realized that I had never fully stepped out and said bluntly, publicly, yes, I do attunements for animals. Some part of me was still in hiding.

I do not know how many other Reiki Masters there may be out there that do attunements for animals that may also be in hiding, but with the latest article I am writing, Answering the Call of the Wild, I am now very aware that the needs of the animals and the world are greater than my personal fears. Perhaps there are other Reiki Masters who may read this, and who may be inspired to speak up so that the world can know that animals are spiritual beings deserving of, and responsive to, Reiki attunements.

So, I now consciously and fully step forward and declare, “YES, I do attunements for animals, and they can be very healing.” And I also offer them to trees, but that is a story for another time!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Dogs Speak On Peace for Dogs

2009-04-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

An amazing and beautiful video Peace for Dogs has been released as a Public Service Announcement (PSA) in the campaign against dog fighting. Rather than appeal to the public by presenting the usual truthful and horrifying images of dogs that have been wounded or killed in dog fights, the creators were inspired to tell the story from a different point of view, that of the dogs.

I was moved to tears by the simple, yet poignant tales that each dog told of what a fighting dog endures when the loyalty and love that dogs naturally have for people is subverted into the unnatural world of dog fighting. And some of the dogs that appear in this video know the experience first hand, having been rescued from dog fighting rings and breeding operations.

As an animal communicator I know first hand the abuse that some rescue dogs have suffered because they share their stories with me, and I feel that the creators of this moving video have accurately depicted the perspective of the dogs. You don't have to be a professional animal communicator to do that, you simply have to open your heart and be open to shifting your viewpoint to that of a different species. Compassion will do the rest.

The idea for the video originated from the director, Michael Killan, the man responsible for animating the California Cheese cows. Driving to work one morning, listening to the story unfolding regarding Michael Vick's involvement in dog fighting, he thought of his nine year-old daughter Erin and her love for animals, and how hard this story would be for her to hear. And from that thought the video was born, and support gathered.

If you want more information about the making of this video, you can visit their site, Peace for Dogs and read a full account and see behind-the-scenes photos of Erin and the dogs.

Spread the word, the dogs are counting on us, one person can make a difference!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Rescued Greyhound Jasmine Pays Love Forward

2009-03-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't post forwarded stories I receive by email, but this one was just too good to pass up. The photos are as beautiful and heartwarming as the story. Jasmine, the rescued greyhound, is an example to all of passing the kindness we have received on to others — paying love forward.

I could not find an original source for the copy, I apologize to the author. If you contact me I would be happy to include well deserved credit and congratulations for having gone viral!

"In 2003, police in Warwickshire, England, opened a garden shed and found a whimpering, cowering dog. It had been locked in the shed and abandoned. It was dirty and malnourished, and had clearly been abused. In an act of kindness, the police took the dog, which was a greyhound female, to the nearby Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, run by a man named Geoff Grewcock and known as a willing haven for animals abandoned, orphaned or otherwise in need. Geoff Grewcock and the other sanctuary staff went to work with two aims: to restore the dog to full health, and to win her trust. It took several weeks, but eventually both goals were achieved. They named her Jasmine, and they started to think about finding her an adoptive home. The dog had other ideas.

"No-one remembers now how it began, but Jasmine started welcoming all animal arrivals at the sanctuary. It wouldn't matter if it was a puppy, a fox cub, a rabbit or, probably, a rhinoceros, Jasmine would peer into the box or cage and, where possible, deliver a welcoming lick.

"Geoff Grewcock relates one of the early incidents. 'We had two puppies that had been abandoned by a nearby railway line. One was a Lakeland Terrier cross and another was a Jack Russell Doberman cross. They were tiny when they arrived at the centre and Jasmine approached them and grabbed one by the scruff of the neck in her mouth and put him on the settee. Then she fetched the other one and sat down with them, cuddling them.'

"'But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits. She takes all the stress out of them and it helps them to not only feel close to her but to settle into their new surroundings.'

"'She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.'

"Jasmine, the timid, abused, deserted waif, became the animal sanctuary's resident surrogate mother, a role for which she might have been born. The list of orphaned and abandoned youngsters she has cared for comprises five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and 15 rabbits.

"And one roe deer fawn. Tiny Bramble, 11 weeks old, was found semi-conscious in a field. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, Jasmine cuddled up to her to keep her warm, and then went into the full foster mum role. Jasmine the greyhound showers Bramble the roe deer with affection and makes sure nothing is matted in her fur.

"'They are inseparable,' says Geoff Grewcock. 'Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other. They walk together round the sanctuary. It's a real treat to see them.'
"Jasmine will continue to care for Bramble until she is old enough to be returned to woodland life. When that happens, Jasmine will not be lonely. She will be too busy showering love and affection on the next orphan or victim of abuse."

Photo below: from left, Toby, a stray Lakeland dog; Bramble, an orphaned roe deer; Buster,a stray Jack Russell; a dumped rabbit; Sky, an injured barn owl; and Jasmine.

12 Steps to A Shining Spirit

2009-03-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Feeling dragged down, held back?
Having trouble staying grounded, focused, and centered?
Want to communicate better with animals?

In December of 2008 Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing released the first ever shamanic calendar/workbook created as a 12-step healing process for people and the earth. And we created matching Journals to enable you to deepen your experiences and chart your progress.

Now we've paired the theme of each month's photo and energy healing exercise with a single, powerful crystal/flower essence mist from Vi Miere to increase the shift possibilities. Each mist was chosen shamanically by Rose De Dan, WRSH, to support the particular theme of that month.

In the Calendar, January's theme is how to keep your energy, your family's, and that of your companion animals, clear. Daily practices for staying clean in a dirty world help clear hucha, or heavy energy, before it has a chance to settle in to the physical body, thereby creating the potential for physical illness and emotional stress. Clear mist is the paired Vi Miere essence for this purpose. Check out our shamanic gifts for other ways to clear heavy energy.

February's theme is the ability to stay focused in the present moment, to be fully connected to the Earth. Lack of such connection can result in feeling unfocused, scattered, emotionally overwhelmed, spacey, etc. Ground mist is the paired Vi Miere essence for February. Check out our energy jewelry for other stone allies for staying grounded.

March's theme is about developing our abilities to connect and communicate with our wild animal and bird neighbors. This ability furthers our connection to ourselves and to the Earth, and can result in powerful shifts in perception and a sense of well-being and reason for being. Communicate mist is the paired Vi Miere essence for March.

The remaining months and their paired mists are listed below. In the coming months we will explore the themes for each in greater depth.

April - Gratitude
May - Environmental Oneness
June - Wisdom
July - Sky
August - Serene
September - Create
October - Manifest
November - Transformation
December - Shining Spirit

Vi Miere mists were created to raise our vibration; removing blocks and old, self-defeating patterns that no longer serve us. You don't have to purchase the Calendar to benefit from any of the Vi Miere mists, compact, affordable, and easy to use, they make great travel companions as we walk through the world each day.

To order or to see the rest of the Vi Miere mists click here. If you have questions or need help with choosing the right mist for you call 206-933-7877, or send an email for a consultation.

COMING SOON! An ebook version of the shamanic workbook/calendar so that you can practice year-round.

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

15 Year-Old Cat, Roger, Looking for Love

2009-02-26T19:33:00.000-08:00

It is my great honor to know some truly wonderful people and organizations that I come across in the day-to-day operation of my alternative healing practice, but Kindred Souls Foundation based in Steilacoom, WA stands out.

I first met Kelly Nelson, founder of Kindred Souls, at a Psychic Fair, of all places. Somehow I felt drawn to her booth that offered information on her totally volunteer organization, and we struck up a conversation. In the course of that conversation she told me about a street dog that they were trying to rescue, that they called Hobo, and that no one seemed able to catch. I volunteered my services as a "dog whisperer" and animal shaman, and became part of the team, which included both human and canine rescue members.

I was very impressed by the dedication of Kindred Souls Foundation to rescue and foster work combined with alternative healing and training methods, all without benefit of an actual physical facility.

I just received an email from them regarding a senior cat, "Roger," who needs a foster home/forever home, and was astonished to read that their adoption policy matching senior humans with senior cats includes lifetime veterinary services and transport, and donations of food and cat litter! What a wonderful program!

Here is more information from them, do you know how to help Roger find his new home?

“Roger was found abandoned with no food or shelter. We do not know his history, but do know that he needs a family! Weighing in at a mere 5 lbs when found, he is now a hulking 6 lbs. since being on the Chambers Body Building Circuit! Doctors estimate him to be 15 years old, neutered, FeLV and FIV NEG, and having remarkably normal lab work results.

Roger is currently boarding at CCVH and needs to be moved in to a foster or adoptive home. If you cannot care for him, please help us network to find him a home.

If you know of a senior person who would like the company of a cat, Roger would be a great fit! We do have a senior program open to anyone 72+ where we match senior humans with senior cats. This program is limited to those living locally* as we provide transport to CCVH for medical services throughout the lifetime of the cat. In addition to the medical services and transport, we also provide donations of food and cat litter for the remainder of the cat’s life. Contact us to learn more about this new program.

*Steilacoom/Lakewood/University Place/Dupont, or other local cities in which we have a volunteer who can help with transport.

Contact Kindred Souls Foundation or call 253-226-3135.

Click here for other Animal Shelters and Rescue Groups listed in our Resources section on our website.

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Dare to Care, the life you save may be someone's future pet

2009-02-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

February 24 is officially Spay Day USA 2009, an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States to inspire people to save animals lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats.

Originally I thought that I might republish one of the very first articles I had ever written as a way to inspire people. In rereading it I realized that not only was it dated and too regionalized, having been published in The Laramie Sunday Boomerang, December 19, 1982, but that after all these years I finally wanted to follow the advice of a teacher, and write it differently. I guess with my increase in age and experience his wisdom finally had a chance to sink in!

At the time I was living in Laramie, Wyoming, and decided to take a class on how to get published. The teacher was Donald Murray, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist. I was not really certain why I was taking the class other than the opportunity to be guided by someone who could write well enough to win such a prestigious award. In retrospect I think it was my writing blood yearning for an outlet.

My assignment for the class was to choose two topics on which to write, write them up as a query to a publisher, and submit the final for publication. Having no idea what to write about, I decided to write about what I did know, animals. Topic Number One was a story about my pet rats (which ultimately resulted in a cooking column for the University of WA student paper, a story for another time). For Topic Number Two, I approached the local animal shelter and asked if I could research an article about the shelter and the animals they tried to save. They agreed, and I spent a week tracking the animal residents, looking for the angle that would result in a good story. And I got it, but like so many stories there is always more under the surface to be unearthed.

But before the final choice of story was made there were others that did not get told. The Laramie Animal Shelter is a city shelter like so many others across the United States, small and underfunded. Staffed by dedicated and hardworking men and women who did their best to make the right choices and care lovingly for the many animals that came their way—an overwhelming tide of animals. At that time over 10 million animals were euthanized in shelters every year due to a lack of enough homes. The Laramie Animal Shelter was no exception, as of 1982 an average of 25 percent of its dogs and 12 percent of its cats had to be euthanized.

Most of the 24 cages and 35 kennels at the shelter are usually filled. The animals are well taken care of, but they lack one thing — a loving owner. Everywhere you go the paws reach out for you, and the eyes of the animals are filled with the hope that you might be the one they are looking for.

As I cruised the aisles, face after furry face stared back at me. The dogs would lunge joyfully toward me in hopes that I was the answer to their canine prayers. Number 4717, an eight-month old puppy, was no different. For every visitor she put on a tail-wagging exhibition guaranteed to soften the hardest heart.

My attention was caught by one large black dog who did not greet me eagerly, he huddled in the back of his cage, and his gaze spoke volumes to my heart, he wanted to trust but was no longer sure that he could.

I took notes of the numbers on each cage, and the occupant, and asked the shelter workers for what background stories they had. Most of the dogs had been found wandering, numbers increase dramatically during the summer. Tourists frequently left Fido behind by the side of the highway, apparently a dog was too much trouble to take care of while having fun on vacation. One story that stood out for its special lack of humanity was the dog surrendered because the owners had redecorated, and he did not match the new décor.

The cats were less effusive in their greetings, but nonetheless hopeful. My gaze was caught by one way up top who peered down at me and meowed. The size of his big apple head belied the information on the cage that he was female, and when I questioned a shelter worker his sex was double-checked, and it was discovered that she was a he. My question bought him another week of life, and the possibility that he might find a good, loving home.

I spent a great deal of time interviewing the shelter workers, asking about their lives and how they handled the difficult task they had chosen to do. Every week there are animals that have to be euthanized to make room for more, an unending cycle. One worker said, “You get used to it, but you never get to the point where you can accept it.” Another stated, “Sometimes I almost cry if I have too put an animal to sleep by myself. I look at it this way, I would rather put an animal to sleep than have it be pregnant or be a puppy out in the cold, be hit by a car, come down with disease, or be neglected.”

Much as I dreaded the thought, I finally asked the workers if I could be present when the next group of animals was euthanized. I felt as though I would be letting the animals down if I was too much of an emotional coward to witness the reality of what happens when lack of spaying, neutering and proper education results in overpopulation. The workers were concerned as to how I might respond, and were reluctant at first to agree to my presence. Ultimately they made me promise that I would not cry, a promise that I sincerely hoped that I could keep.

When I arrived that day I was understandably nervous, and as it turned out, I was about to get my story.

The cats were first, a paw was pulled out of the cage, and the injection was administered quickly. Next were five dogs, and Number 4717 was among them. Four dogs in turn were placed on the examination table, and given an injection to the heart. Each dropped instantly. It was all so quick, and so business-like, that I was able to hold strong emotionally as I had promised, although I imagined that I would pay for my current emotional distance later, in private.

And then it was Number 4717’s turn. And the injection missed the heart as sometimes happens. She did not drop instantly, it would take more time for the injection to take effect. So, they put her down on the floor so she could wander around freely, and everyone continued on with their morning chores.

The puppy was thrilled to be out, and ran from person to person, tail wagging happily. Her movements got slower and slower. Finally she went to the man who was washing up the food bowls, and with a quiet sigh she laid her head upon his foot, and died.

At that point I lost it, in order to honor my promise I had to go cry in the bathroom. Even now as I write this I am crying, even after all these years. I will never forget that moment as long as I live, a moment that spoke so eloquently of all the years of devotion and love that those shelter animals had to offer, lifetimes that now would never be.

When I emerged from the bathroom, somewhat under control, the bodies of all the dogs and cats euthanized had been laid out in neat rows in the garage in preparation for transport to the city dump. There their bodies would be tossed into an earthen pit, alongside any road-killed animals, and some dirt would be bulldozed over them.

Lest you think this heartless, the city did what they could with what budget they had. There was not enough money to cremate the animals, this method of disposal was quite common in rural areas. It was tough to stay, but I hung in there, feeling as though my presence at least bore witness to the lives of these animals, victims in a quiet war on overpopulation, and gave them some honor in their passing. They did not go unmourned, I cried for them, and for the countless others who had gone before, and the untold numbers yet to come.

Here is the original beginning to “The Animals Are Waiting At the Shelter,” and the epitaph that I wrote for the puppy:

“Number 4714 waited for her owner for five days.

“No one came.

“She waited another five days for someone to adopt her. Again, no one came. She was given a shot of Sleepaway, and at the age of eight months the black and white puppy went permanently to sleep with her head resting on the feet of the only person who cared, an officer of the Laramie Animal Shelter.”

At the time that article was submitted to my professor, Donald Murray, he thought it well written but suggested that there could be more emotional appeal in it. I disagreed, wanting to reach people with logic. In retrospect I realize that deep down I was scared to expose myself emotionally, I just was not brave enough.

Now, years later, I realize that someone else besides the shelter workers did care; I did, and I still do. I now have both the emotional chops and the courage as a writer to dare to share how I felt. This new article was written in hopes that my words will inspire others to care, and to take action.

In checking up on Professor Donald Murray I discovered that he passed away in 2006 at the age of 82, immersed in an internet project to mentor aspiring writers. Wherever you are now, Prof. Murray, I hope you are pleased that I finally took your advice to heart, and put mine out there in hopes of making a difference.

We have made progress in the intervening years, now only 4 million animals are euthanized each year, due in part to aggressive spaying and neutering programs, but that is still 4 million too many. The bad guys are not the shelters, but people who add animals to an already taxed population. The choice you make when you adopt a pet could take a home away from a shelter animal in need.

Here are some suggestions on how you can help.

Don’t buy from backyard breeders. Check with purebred rescue organizations before buying a puppy, there are many adults needing homes.

Encourage your neighbors to spay and neuter; while they may dearly love Fluffy, want kittens like her, and promise to find them good homes, the birth of those kittens means less homes for animals on death row.

Pass this article along to as many people you can think of, whether they have pets or not. They may be in a position to help educate someone else.

Got feral cats in your neighborhood? There are organizations that can help you get them spayed or neutered. Check out the Animal Shelters and Rescue Groups in the Resources section on my website for some suggestions.

Dare to care, and to show that you care—the life you save could be someone’s future pet.

Postscript: After he ran out of time for the second time, I adopted the male cat mistakenly identified as a female. He was a big, loving mush-bucket of a tiger cat, and we named him O’Malley. Goes to show you the power of a single glance!

Rose De Dan©2008

An early pioneer in the field of alternative healing for animals since 1996, Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, offers a unique perspective on animals and the natural world through her writing, art, sessions and classes. As an animal shaman, voice of the animals, and author of “Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism,” she views her role as a healer as one of building bridges between people and animals, and of empowering them to reconnect with Pachamama, Mother Earth.

Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

FDA Re-Issues Cautionary Warning About Chicken Jerky Products for Dogs

2008-12-28T17:58:00.000-08:00

Just received this notice from another animal person and felt it warranted inclusion in the blog. The more people that know about this, the better.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.

Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.

FDA believes the continued trend of consumer complaints coupled with the information obtained from Australia warrants an additional reminder and animal health notification.

Chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be used occasionally and in small quantities. Owners of small dogs must be especially careful to limit the amount of these products.

FDA, in addition to several veterinary diagnostic laboratories in the U.S, is working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA has conducted extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not identified any contaminant.

FDA is advising consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to watch their dogs closely for any or all of the following signs which may occur within hours to days of feeding the product: decreased appetite, although some may continue to consume the treats to the exclusion of other foods; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, stop feeding the chicken jerky product. Owners should consult their veterinarian if signs are severe or persist for more than 24 hours. Blood tests may indicate kidney failure (increased urea nitrogen and creatinine). Urine tests may indicate Fanconi syndrome (increased glucose). Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports to the FDA have involved dogs that have died.

The FDA continues to actively investigate the problem. Many of the illnesses reported may be the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with pet foods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state.

Click here for direct link to article.

Here's hoping that you and your animal companions enjoy a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Tidings of Joy

2008-12-24T14:18:00.001-08:00

Still snowy here in Seattle, although the precipitation is now our customary rain, and I am getting caught up on uploading the last of my winter wonderland photos. Our Christmas card, above, features my dog, Puma, on a run across the bridge in Schmitz Park, last old growth forest in Seattle. You can check out the rest of the photos at my Flickr site, and you can see a winter wren having breakfast, and what cats do while dogs are going crazy in the snow!

And if you have not already read them, there are two more posts in this photo essay snow and holiday series: Winter Solstice Animal Celebrations, and Dog Walking in A Winter Wonderland. Enjoy!

So, from all of us, may your Holiday and New Year be as joyous as the expression on Santa Puma's face!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Winter Solstice Animal Celebrations

2008-12-22T20:08:00.001-08:00

MORE snow yesterday, on December 21st, Winter Solstice, and Puma and I set out on our morning walk into Schmitz Park with camera in tow. When setting out I had thought about walking all the way through the park, but rapidly discovered that a tough crust on the snow made walking very fatiguing, just like aerobic stair climbers, so we saved the full tour of the forest for another day.

Returning to the park I noticed a black labrador retriever dog running. In his mouth he was carrying a Kong toy with a rope attached. He was so focused I realized it had to be Benny, a dog that lives near the park, and who lives to retrieve. He was there with his person, Laura, who would throw the Kong for him. When he retrieved it he would celebrate by holding it by the rope end, swinging the weighted Kong end from side to side and around and around, before finally returning with it to Laura to be thrown once again.

Benny's black coat stood out in sharp contrast to the snow, and he was having so much fun I decided to take some pictures of him. I swear, as soon as I got out the camera and started clicking away he pulled out all the stops, and I realized that he was showing off! You can view his photos, as well as the rest of the walk on my Flickr site. If you view Benny's in slideshow mode you can kind of get a sense of the action, although only a video could have truly captured that much activity!

Heading back to the house I was just in time to capture a shot of the only cat I have seen out in the snow for days.

Dexter, the cat from two doors down, was trying to navigate through the snow, and failing miserably. You could see his body tense, and then cringe, as with each step he broke through the top crust, miring him in the snow. He looked extremely undignified and graceless, and he radiated disgust with the whole mess with every inch of his body. Robin, one of his people, had told me the day before that since the snows he comes back into the house growling!

It was still snowing when Puma and I returned to the house, and I recalled that I had not seen much bird life around. I had some leftovers from the holiday Open House the day before, so I figured I could see if the birds would like to try some more new and interesting gourmet items. I put out some leftover shrimp, dip and chips, and the bacon drippings from the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts glazed with brown sugar.

The shrimp went first. The crows never got any, one lone seagull just inhaled them. The chips and dip were fun. I had put them both in the same bowl, and the crows would smash a chip into the dip and scoop up a mouthful just as though they were routine party goers!

They were replaced by a flock of starlings who reveled in the bacon drippings. One starling decided to perch on the ledge right in front of the second story window, giving me some great shots. He was unfazed by his closeups, although curious about the flash, making me wonder if all the animals I had seen that day had just been waiting for me to wander by to capture their 15 minutes of fame, or perhaps infamy in Dexter's case!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Cat Northern Lights

2008-12-21T17:38:00.000-08:00

Recently I purchased a long-overdue, new computer. My new iMac has sped up my work life immensely, and is a sculptural work of art, for a computer (thanks, Apple and Steve Jobs!). However, it has an additional, and probably unanticipated benefit: my cat, Kiya, loves one of the screen savers.

Originally I had used one of the Apple slideshows of trees and Nature, visually stunning and restful, but suddenly I needed a change of pace, and the beautiful streamers of moving light called Flurry seemed just the thing, so I reset it and left the room.

When I returned, it was to find Kiya parked right in front of the screen, actively patting it and chasing the streamers as they moved (you can see her pawprint smears from previous passes in the photo). I should have known this would happen, this was the cat that once spent a half hour with me watching Jacquie Lawson animated Christmas cards (see The True Joy of the Season).

Now it appears that my new computer was not just a business purchase, but also a Christmas present for Kiya and I, making it, paws down, the most expensive cat toy I have ever purchased.

Then she did something even more entertaining and amazing, she just sat and watched the light show. I wondered if I should pass her some popcorn, or perhaps some catnip would be more appropriate?

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: http://www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Dog Walking in A Winter Wonderland

2008-12-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

This morning when I woke up I knew, even without my contact lenses in, that something was different. There was a kind of glow coming from the window. I did not have to squint, there was snow on the rooftops! Having lived in Massachusetts for 22 years before moving here you would think that snow would not be such a big deal, but in the eight years that I have lived on Alki, here in West Seattle, we have not had a major snowstorm.

While engaging in my morning routine of feeding the animals and preparing to walk my dog, Puma, it became clear that I was going to have a snow day for the first time in a long time, as all of my clients made the decision to reschedule.

While making lists in my head of all the things I could get caught up on, such as laundry and holiday party prep, I realized that I had perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get out in the snow, have some fun, and take some photographs. Time to play a little hooky from chores!

My dog, Puma, was adopted from a shelter in Montana, and has not really seen snow since. With his snowshoe-like feet and thick winter coat (I think his parentage is Anatolian Shepherd/Alaskan Malamute but will never know for sure), he was ideally equipped for the weather, and after donning a coat I have not been able to wear since living in Massachusetts because it is so heavy, furry boots, leg warmers, scarf, hat, and fingerless gloves (for camera operation), so was I.

I also packed some all-natural beef dog treats. Today I was going to let Puma off-leash so that he could fully enjoy his time in the snow. Normally I do not do this as Puma has a tendency to not listen tome off-leash, forging ahead and leaving me behind. I think it is the sled-dog heritage, very helpful when he helps you drag out the trash, which he does with tail held high and waving, not so good otherwise.

Arriving at Schmitz Park, we had it all to ourselves, although there was evidence in the snow that others had been there before us.

Saying a prayer to Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer, for all that I have learned and was now about to apply, I had Puma sit, and when he did I rewarded him with a treat. He is a smart dog, having seen me prepare the treats he could see that there were more where that one came from, and that I was the purveyor. It was my hope that that piece of knowledge would enable me to call him back when needed.

I unleashed Puma, and he was off like a shot. Charging down the path, diving off into the underbrush, he was a wild man, and then he disappeared from sight. I called his name—no response. Sigh, maybe this would not work. Taking a deep breath, I grounded and centered myself and called again. No response.

Placing my faith in Puma’s innate intelligence, I decided to simply move forward and trust that he would return. Sure enough, here he came, at top speed. I whipped out my camera and managed to get a shot before he arrived, panting and smiling. When he sat I rewarded him with a treat. From that point on, every time he would return to me I would reward him. He did not always respond immediately to my calls (and then he did not get rewarded), but he did a decent job of not making me wait too long. Long enough, I guess, to establish that I still need some work on being alpha, but not long enough that he was demonstrating that he had no respect for me. A delicate balance in dog protocol.

I got some lovely shots of him in the falling snow, my favorites are the one of him catching snowflakes on his tongue, and another where he is running down the path under the arches of snow covered branches. (You can see all the photos from our Alki adventures at my Flickr site.)

We had so much fun that we decided to check out Alki Beach and see what it was like there. By now Puma was back on leash, and back to being his usual well-behaved self. He is truly amazing. He will always stop while I am taking pictures, and if I take a moment he will sit and wait patiently until we move on.

We made a stop along the way to watch people standing around in groups talking while dogs played tag in the snow. The funniest was one golden retriever, who I swear was making snow angels while his person talked on his cell phone!

Down by Alki Beach, on the shore of Puget Sound, the wind was quite brisk, and the snow was still falling heavily. I watched pigeons struggle to make headway against it, finally managing to stay in one place while airborne, and then simply giving in, and resting as a flock, on the ground. Seagulls made hovering in gusts of wind look easy, spreading their wings wide and staying motionless, I have no idea how you do that when the wind keeps changing direction.

Watching them made me wonder how difficult it must be to find food in such weather. One seagull had it handled, however. He waited by the seawall for a crashing wave to dump whatever it carried at his feet, where he could look it over and beat any other contenders to a tasty morsel.

By this time the wind had picked up even more, and my legs were starting to feel frozen. But I kept taking pictures, trying to capture the right moment where the waves crashed against the seawall. Now my fingers were getting numb. Still, I needed to take one more set of shots, of Lady Liberty, the Statue of Liberty that was recently restored and dedicated on Alki Beach. Looking at her from her right side, her figure and garments were dusted with a blanket of snow from the midline to the front, making her appear as though she walked forward into the teeth of the snowstorm holding her torch aloft and not faltering. Unfortunately that angle also included a backdrop of trees, wires, and stores, which ruined the effect. I had to content myself with a shot of her from the front—she still looks resolute.

Puma had been really patient through all of this, and my fingers were now definitely getting harder to move, and I wondered at one point does a camera get too cold? Time to head home. We’d had our walk in our Winter Wonderland, and like any child who has been playing in the snow on a day off from school I suddenly yearned for comfort food. Calling it a day, Puma and I made our way back, and I decided that after downloading the photos, I would kick back with a cup of hot cream of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. My day off would be a day of memories to treasure—the chores could wait.

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: http://www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Cat Christmas Spirit

2008-12-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

Here Kiya, the Box Queen, age 13, and Saqqara, age 15, engage in a bit of play. After so many years together as a family, it was really fun to see the older cats wake up as soon as they heard the sound of the wrapping paper being unrolled. More than one present has a bit of claw work added to its holiday glamour, never mind the cat fur!

The shot I missed was the one where Saqqara leaped after the paper ball and caught it in mid-air. The excitement of wrapping paper, ribbon, and presents can bring out the kitten or child in anyone.

And in case you are interested, my hot new read picks for this Christmas as seen in this photo (all animal-related, surprise, surprise) are Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (well written and heartwarming, definitely at least two hankies), Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl (next on my read list), and cats photos with funny captions from one of the internet's hottest blogs I Can Has Cheezburger?: A LOLcat Colleckshun. Hopefully the gift recipients aren't reading this blog!

Merry Christmas to all,
Rose, Kiya, Saqqara, Cougar, Sand and Puma
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: http://www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com"
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

The Gift of Spirit

2008-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Spending three days in shaman time usually results in interesting insights and occurrences, but the first session of the year-long training, Spirited Living: A Journey into Self-Healing, was more interesting than most.

Part of the three-day workshop was held at Camp Long. Located in West Seattle, Camp Long is a Seattle park with a focus on education about local plants and wildlife, and I had chosen it for precisely that reason.

My first realization that the weekend might be out of the ordinary (whatever that might be for shamanism!) came the morning before the class as I was walking my dog, Puma, in Schmitz Park, the last old growth forest in Seattle. As readers may recall from previous columns and my book, Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, I have a close relationship with the park and the trees that grow there.

That morning the trees in Schmitz Park greeted me with the information that the trees at Camp Long were really excited about the class, they said that it had been a long time since any on this path had danced in the energy and walked there. I realized with a bit of a shock that I was being told that the trees in Camp Long would be holding space for this weekend and for the students as they took their first steps into the Peruvian shamanic tradition of the Q’ero.

Later that morning the weekend began with my opening Sacred Space for the class, taking us all into shaman time—between the worlds and into the limitless possibilities for shift and change—a space that we would all inhabit for the entire weekend. Given the early morning message I had received, I made a point of acknowledging, with deep gratitude, All Our Relations who would be holding space and assisting in guiding the people attending: animal allies, Stone People and Tree People. And when I began to call upon the apus (mountain spirits) for their assistance, I realized just how appropriate the choice of venue for this weekend really was, on the wall facing me were painted wooden plaques commemorating each of the local mountains! I asked all the archetypes and allies for assistance, guidance, wisdom, and strength as well as for their love as we set our feet upon this shamanic path. In retrospect I realized that perhaps I should have put on my shamanic seat belt!

Training at Camp Long took place in the Lodge, a wonderful space built in the 1930’s, which means it has high ceilings, lovely dark wood, and a working fireplace—perfect for a class in shamanism.

In keeping with its focus on education, it also had an extensive adjoining library on every local animal and plant you could imagine, as well as a display case which contained valuable information on owls. I had always wanted to go on one of Camp Long’s nighttime owl walks, and paid special attention to the case and the stuffed owl that flew above it, an act that was to have great significance in the following days.

Odd things can happen during shamanic training, as Sacred Space remains open for the entire duration. That night, in Dreamtime, I watched some chipmunks and birds feeding on food and seed that had been put out on a grassy area. I was glad to see them being taken care of, the yard where I live is certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat, and I realized that I could offer them the leftover apple pie I just happened to be carrying.

Just then I noticed an owl on the ground, feeding among the other wildlife. The logical part of my brain noted that an appearance by an owl at any time of day would normally send birds and small mammals running for cover in terror, yet all were peaceful.

As I was trying to assimilate that information while glorying in seeing an owl, Owl suddenly jumped, not flew, landing at my feet on my right side. As I looked down at Owl I realized there was something odd about his face, it did not look like any of the illustrations of living owls I had seen. Before I could explore that thought further Owl spoke. Looking meaningfully at the apple pie I carried he said, “I like apple pie.” Feeling rather like Dorothy in Oz my jaw dropped in astonishment, and I replied, “I did not know owls liked apple pie, but you are welcome to have some.” And Owl hopped up onto the tin and proceeded to dine on apple pie with gusto.

When he was finished Owl hopped down, and with the primary feather on one wing made the same beckoning motion that one would make with an index finger. As I bent down Owl said, “The next time you speak with God, ask for what is missing in your life.” A tremendous feeling of awe came over me, could it be that simple? With it came the realization that this was definitely not a dream, this was a gift from Spirit, as I would not normally refer to Spirit as God. Owl had more to say, but unfortunately we were interrupted and the rest of the wisdom that would have been imparted was lost, and I woke up.

The dream that was not a dream stuck with me. I was guided to bring it to the class and share. As we sat in circle, I suddenly recognized my nocturnal visitor and realized why he had looked so odd in the dream—the physical form of Owl was none other than the stuffed owl that flew above the display case—only now there was a power animal spirit inhabiting it! With the dream I had suspected that I had perhaps gained a new power animal of my own that weekend, but now I realized that the class as a whole had one too, something I had not known might happen.

In thinking back I realized that Owl had been making himself known over several weeks prior to the class. On several nights, while walking Puma by Schmitz Park, I had heard an owl hooting just at the edge of the trees, a rare occurrence. Feeling very blessed, I tracked the sound to a tree each time and stood at the base just listening and wishing that I could actually see the owl, but regretfully, it was too dark. Each time I thanked the owl for making his presence known and for not being frightened off.

That day in class at Camp Long, one student actually got to see an owl while doing some outside class work. Apparently he was sitting in a tree about 20 feet from her, ironically flying off only when someone came over to warn her not to frighten the owl!

That evening I reflected on the possible meaning of Owl for the class and personally. As a power animal Owl has great healing powers and wisdom, and is an old symbol of Spirit. In some traditions Owl is a symbol of death, and as a nocturnal being is linked to the cycles of the moon, representative of the feminine and of change. The owl is a bird of the night, a symbol of the darkness within, the Shadow side; in shamanism, the side that we dance with and get to know intimately, for there is tremendous potential for growth in the healing of our wounds. However, in order to realize that potential, we must be willing to let go of the old and familiar, to allow our old ways of being to die in order to make way for the new.

As I researched Owl further in my books on animal spirits, I noted that Owl also enables one to hear what is not being said, what is hidden, including the ability to see into the darkness of others’ souls. From this also arises the gift of clairvoyance and prophecy—the ability to see the future. Unsure of the meaning of all of this I closed the book, and headed off to an uneventful sleep.

The following morning, and final day of the shamanic weekend, and I was again walking Puma in Schmitz Park.

The leaves were drifting gently down off the trees. Already many lay on the path, making dry shooshing sounds as we walked through them. Then, as though there were no other leaves present, my attention focused solely on one from a Big Leaf Maple. As I picked it up I marveled at its size and beauty and yearned to take it back with me. Further examination revealed a spider egg case on the other side. Taking the leaf would mean interrupting the life cycle of the spider babies it held, so reluctantly I laid it back down and walked on.

Several minutes later I was still fretting about that leaf. Despite the multitudes of leaves around it seemed that no other would do. As I felt the yearning tug once again, with an audible “ping” one leaf detached itself from the Big Leaf Maple overhead and literally fell at my feet.

I picked it up with a sense of gratitude for the gift. Less perfect in appearance than the first, I wondered why I had been given this one particular leaf. It was mottled in sections, and there were holes where an insect had dined. And then, like the paper that falls away from a present that is being unwrapped, the Leaf revealed the gift in its entirety. I saw the new green of spring, and felt the inhale of carbon dioxide, poison to us, but life for the Tree; and the exhale of oxygen, life for us and many other inhabitants of Pachamama. I felt sunlight caress the Leaf and the Sun’s energy transformed into food for the Tree, and the Leaf into food for the Insect. Seeming endless summer finally eased into Fall, when the Tree withdrew its energy from the Leaf and prepared for the dormancy of Winter. This tattered Leaf shared its glorious story with me, with no sense of sadness, only joy in its dance with the cycle of life. A story and gift that I brought back to the class who were engaged in their own dance of growth, transformation and death. And interwoven into that story, with great beauty, was Owl, harbinger of days that grow longer—days of increasing darkness as we approached the season of Winter—the traditional season of death and rest before the resurrection of Spring.

But the story of Owl and the Trees did not end with the inevitable closing of Sacred Space at the end of class.

The following weekend I was scheduled to attend a fundraiser for Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, an organization that was founded to rescue a group of seven chimpanzees who were waiting for sanctuary after decades of use in research. The fundraiser was being held at a private home of a friend of one of my clients.

As Kim, one of my students from the shamanic training, parked the car, I noticed a yard that had so many squirrels and birds feeding in the grassy area it looked like the ground was in constant motion. Hanging from the numerous trees were what looked like at least a dozen feeders.

As I noticed a familiar sign from the National Wildlife Federation designating the yard as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat, I realized that this was the house the auction fundraiser was being held at. I thought, “I like these people already!”

In an effort to lend whatever support I could to the fundraiser I had brought copies of my book to add to the raffle that they were having. In looking for a place for them on a table crowded with the donations of others, I was startled to see two homemade apple pies! I immediately flashed to my dream, suddenly there was similarity between the animals and the birds in Dreamtime and the ones feeding on the grassy lawn where the fundraiser was being held.

Turning to Kim, who knew the story from her class, I smiled and remarked, “Wouldn’t it be funny if I won the apple pie?” Since I normally don’t win a thing at raffles I simply bought three tickets to support the cause and thought no more of it—until my number was called as the winner of the first apple pie.

I held that apple pie with a deep sense of reverence and of humbleness. I had been given a very special gift, but what to do with it? As a single person I could not possibly eat a whole pie myself, so I offered a slice to Kim and Becky, another of the students who had been at the shamanic training. Perhaps they could enjoy it on behalf of the rest of the class.

In thinking about the symbolism of apple pie I wondered if it also stood for the American Dream, the concept of home and community—of connection with all that we hold near and dear. So, in honor and gratitude for the dream, the Trees, and Owl I left a slice on the Earth as an offering, and what I did not eat I offered as a gift to my local wildlife. Perhaps the true gift of Spirit lies in sharing what we have with those most important to us.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a prosperous New Year from all of us at Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing!

Rose, Kiya, Saqqara, Puma, Cougar and Sand

The Big Leaf Maple photo and an excerpt from this story appears in the new Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism 2009 Calendar and Workbook. Matching spiritual journals are also available.

Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: http://www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com"
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

New Animal, Shamanic and Reiki Gifts with Spirit!

2008-12-11T08:13:00.000-08:00

We've been busy shamanic elves here at Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, and have some wonderful new gifts available for you, a loved one or friend.

Spiritual Journals
Created to pair with our new Shamanic Calendar/Workbook so that you can record your experiences in greater detail, these journals are also great solo acts for special times and events: Journeys, loss of a loved one; Fire Ceremonies, tracking change and transformation; Mother Moon, for harmony with the natural cycles, and more.

The perfect journal for when you want to do some spiritual housecleaning, photo shows a deluxe smudge kit containing sage, juniper bundles, palo santo wood, abalone shell, and wild turkey feathers for ceremonial clearing work. The smudge kit pictured is also available for purchase, see our NEW Grande Smudge Kit for another great gift idea.

Reiki Hats That Tell the World Who You Are!

Who's the boss? The energy! There is something really appealing about a trucker hat that lets everyone know you are a Reiki Woman! There's even one for Animal Reiki people complete with cat or dog pawprints! Hats are available in different colors/styles as well as with slogans "got reiki?," "Reiki Dude," and "Reiki Master."

Power Up Your Reiki Practice!

Your car, your t-shirt, hat, purse or shopping bag can all be vehicles to help drive your healing practice to success. Check out our Reiki wares: License Plate Frames, Mugs, Earth friendly canvas shopping bags, buttons, etc. Tell the world what you offer!

License plate frames are an excellent way to generate free advertising buzz. Available in several slogans: "got reiki," "reiki on!," "reiki practitioner," "reiki master," reiki for better living," "the reiki way...helps keep the doctor/vet away," "animal reiki practitioner," etc.

New Reiki Wear: Clothing with Meaning

Just in, popular hoodies and sweatshirts for women, men, and children in your choice of colors and slogans.

The Japanese kanji for Reiki, pictured here, was designed specially just for Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing by calligrapher David Engstrom. It looks different from the modern style Reiki symbol you are used to seeing because this kanji is done in old style calligraphy. In essence, this style shows the word "Reiki" as it would have been written during the time period in which Dr. Mikao Usui, founder of Reiki, was living.

Happy Holidays, and a wonderful New Year from all of us!

Rose De Dan, Saqqara, Kiya, Puma, Cougar, and Sand

Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: http://www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com"
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

12 Proven Ways to Help Heal the Earth and Yourself

2008-12-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

After many months of hard work, I am thrilled to be able to announce the arrival of a new shamanic calendar inspired by the need of so many people and animals for healing, both personal and global. Here is the official announcement!

Are you feeling rushed, tired and drained?
Our world seems to be moving faster and faster, causing us to feel depleted and off balance. There seems to be little time for us to replenish and renew our life force. In addition the news about global warming and its impact on us, the Earth, and all its inhabitants seems overwhelming.

New and Unique Shamanic Calendar/Workbook Helps Restore Balance and Promote Healing for Self and the Earth

Rose De Dan and Carolyn Riley are proud to announce that the new Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing 2009 Calendar has just been released. Entitled Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism Calendar and Workbook, each month contains energetic and insightful photographs paired with carefully chosen accompanying quotes. Photographs and quotes are by writer, artist, shaman and Reiki Master Rose De Dan, some never before published.

Printed in oversize 11 x 17 format, this calendar is more than just a beautiful and articulate face. Accompanying the photos and stories are 12 powerful shamanic ceremonies and meditations, custom crafted by Rose De Dan and shaman, Reiki Master and self-improvement coach Carolyn Riley, that can assist you in gaining deeper connection with your animal companions, the natural world, and with yourself.

These heart-centered exercises are shared with you from their collective 25 years of training and experience in the Peruvian shamanic tradition, and can be just what you are seeking to help restore your sense of connection and well-being. Carolyn and Rose have carefully designed the ceremonies and meditations so that they can be done by anyone—no prior training or experience in energy work is needed.

By following monthly or daily practices in this unique calendar/workbook you will be able to increase your intuition, restore harmony, and improve your relationship with domestic and wild animals while at the same time helping to heal the Earth. Each exercise is designed to empower you on your journey as you embrace your connections to the Universe.

As you discover greater insights about who you are becoming, you will also discover the unique nature of your relationship to the Earth and all of the beings with whom we share this world. The pages have oversized date boxes that not only provide plenty of room to write in important events, you can also track your progress with the workbook exercises.

In 12 months you can learn how to:
• Stay energetically clean in a dirty world
• Restore balance using only a stone
• Speak with Animal and Plant Teachers
• Connect with the Earth and the Sacred anywhere
• Embrace the Light
• Synchronize with the natural cycles
• Create transformation and release limiting fear

Tails of a Healer: Animals Reiki and Shamanism Calendar and Workbook is available now, and with a variety of shipping options you can have yours, or a gift for someone special, delivered in time for the holidays or the New Year!

Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism Goes Wild on Kindle, Oprah’s New Favorite Thing

2008-11-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Acclaimed book, Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, by author Rose De Dan, is now available as an ebook worldwide through Kindle Books and Mobipocket.

Acclaimed by reviewers as “a gem,” “packed with wisdom and heart,” this book is a singular collection of inspirational anecdotes based on De Dan’s personal experiences as an animal communicator, Reiki Master and shamanic practitioner. Tails of a Healer is one of only a handful of books on Reiki or shamanism available at this time on Kindle or Mobipocket, bringing these ancient healing modalities into the new technological territory of virtual publishing for the first time.

What’s a Kindle you ask? Who is Mobipocket?

This summer Oprah received a gift that she says changed her life. "I'm telling you that it is absolutely my new favorite thing in the world," she says. The device she refers to is called a Kindle, Amazon.com’s Wireless Reading Device with instant access to more than 200,000 books, blogs, newspapers and magazines. Simple, portable, easy to use, it has a screen that looks like real paper. Mobipocket is a free software package that consists of various publishing and book reading tools for PDA, Smartphones, cellular phones and e-book devices such as Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, J2ME, BlackBerry, Psion, Kindle and iLiad, etc.

De Dan is thrilled that her book, “Tails of a Healer” is now available in ebook form. De Dan says, “I feel good knowing that having my book in paperless form will help save trees. Every tree is needed to assist with our current global warming crisis.”

Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism can be purchased as either a print or e-book at Amazon.com or as an e-book at Mobipocket. Currently in production is a matching Calendar and Workbook featuring De Dan’s photographs and articles, and earth-friendly daily shamanic practices created by De Dan and fellow shaman Carolyn Riley. Release of the matching Calendar and Workbook is anticipated by end of November 2008.

Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, offers private healing sessions for people and animals at her home office in Seattle or by phone consultation. She also teaches classes in Reiki and shamanism.

Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

For Healthy Change, Vote with Your Dollars

2008-10-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

Food Animal Concern Trust (FACT) is dedicated to making farms healthier and more humane places for animals to live through research, advocacy, and education. Founded in 1982 by Robert A. Brown, they rely on firsthand, on-farm research to make science-based recommendations to federal regulatory agencies and as the basis for organizing a broad public response.

I have been a supporter of FACT for many years, there is no reason other than greed and ignorance that farm animals cannot be raised humanely. Indeed, it is in the best interests of our own health that they are, and I have written about this in another article, The Dance of Life.

FACT believes that all farms should be humane and healthy places to raise animals. In support of those aims, and others in the Animal Rights links in my Resources section of my website, I wanted to share their vision from a recent FACT newsletter:

"Scott and Roxanne Bok, FACT supporters since 1995, are a positive example of what is possible. They operate Twin Lakes Farm, a small, humane and sustainable farm in northwest Connecticut that supplies grass fed beef, free range eggs and fresh produce to their restaurant a few miles down the road. The Bok's, with the help of two young, third generation farmers, are giving dozens of cows and chickens a better life. They are also improving environmental health, protecting green space, and contributing to their local economy.

"In this time of industrial-scale, confinement agriculture, Twin Lakes Farm illustrates a healthy and humane way of raising animals. The laying hens roam freely on a grassy meadow and can retreat to an enclosed house during inclement weather. The beef cattle have access to pasture year-round, as well as a state-of-the-art barn that is equipped with a sand floor for cooling and fly control. The barn is also outfitted with a large brush wheel the cows use for scratching. Currently the herd consists of 75 adult cows and 12 calves, all experiencing a happy and social life on the pastures at Twin Lakes. They are curious animals and creatures of habit. The cows can be heard bellowing to each other, perhaps signaling that it is time to go out to graze on the pasture or return to the barn, a routine that happens four to five times per day. It is not uncommon to see the calves playing together with one adult cow watching over the group, and image that reveals and innate awareness and distinct personalities these animals possess."

This is how farm animals should live; laying hens should not be confined to cages so small that they cannot even stand up. Farm animals should not live in such appalling conditions that they must be continually fed antibiotics to keep them healthy, and that are then passed along to us.

So, what can you do? Vote with your dollars, one of the most persuasive arguments in a supply and demand economy such as ours, and support local, organic farmers. As more of us make caring and healthy choices we can change the marketplace and educate others.

Labels can be deceiving, the word organic can be used very loosely, and cage free does not mean free range, so educate yourself by shopping at someplace like PCC Natural Markets. PCC is a certified organic grocery store and co-op, located in Seattle that specializes in natural food, organic produce, and naturally raised meats. They go the extra mile and research every item that they carry. You can find a link to their list of PCC-approved ingredients in my Nutrition Resources section under Human Nutrition.

And make a donation to FACT, so that they can continue to create positive change for farm animals.

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Voter Guide for the Environment ELECTION '08

2008-10-08T02:03:00.000-07:00

Where Does YOUR Congressman Stand?

In addition to working towards personal solutions, we should all hold our elected officials accountable to offering Americans the policy solutions that will help to protect wildlife for their sake and our children's future. CandidAnswers.org allows you to put the Congressional candidates from your district side by side and compare their answers to some of the most pressing questions for America's conservationists. So before you make your way to the voting booth next month...

Please take a few minutes to find out where your candidates stand on some of the most important issues for the future of wildlife. Visit the CandidAnswers website, where you can join others in asking your candidates for Congress where they stand on pressing environmental issues.

Special Report: The Presidential Candidates on Environmental Issues

Senators John McCain and Barack Obama state their positions on some of the key conservation and environmental issues facing the United States today. In this Special Report, National Wildlife Federation offered both the opportunity to answer the same questions on some key conservation issues, limiting each answer to no more than 200 words. The unedited responses to their questions provide an opportunity for you to learn more about their policies and plans.

And now I'm done being politically correct, and it is time for something different...

Douglas and Benny Catpaign for Animal Rights

Catidates Douglas and Benny are two black cats that have jumped on the catpaign trail in order to highlight animal rights issues in the 2008 Elections. Check out their Official Campaign Hindquarters (no, that is not a typo) for an up-to-date scoop on the latest issues.

82 Year-Old Grandmother Tells It Like It Is

Helen and Margaret have been friends for over 60 years. To celebrate that bond her grandson helped Helen Philpot set up a blog so that they could keep in touch. In response to some comments that Margaret made Helen posted HER take on Sarah Palin and the current political situation. Someone who read it posted a link to her blog in comments on the recent Saturday Night Live Sarah Palin skit, and since then Helen has become a blogging celebrity. Check out her intelligent, feisty, pulls-no-punches perspective, "Sarah Palin is a Bitch...there I've said it." And don't forget to read the reader responses, a fun treat in itself, one commented, "You said it all, and have set the rest of us free. The emperor has no clothes..." And if you want more Helen, she wrote a follow-up blog responding to all the hundreds of comments she received "Yep. I called her a bitch and I am not taking it back." Helen, I hope I am as sharp as you are when I'm 82!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Blessing for the Animals, and One for the Shaman

2008-10-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a whirlwind and a roller coaster last two months! In this month’s newsletter we focus on some of the highlights, as well as a preview of current attractions.

First, thanks to Rhonda Hanley who graciously volunteered her photographic eye, I have a pictorial history of my participation in the Blessing for the Animals Day, which took place on Sunday, September 14, 2008 at Heavenly Spa, a therapeutic canine hydrotherapy spa located in Fall City, Washington. My thanks, also to Georgette Mendez and her two new puppies (so cute), and K.C. Anderson, both of whom were kind enough to assist me at the event.

Group blessings began at 2:00pm, offered by a series of people of various backgrounds, Native American, Sufi, Christian, Peruvian shamanism (yours truly), Reiki, crystals, etc.

There were a fair number of people and dogs who showed up, first for the blessings, and then to meet those of us who had booths set up (I got to reconnect briefly with fellow energyworkers/friends Polly Klein and Vicki Draper. There is one photo where I am working with my boxer-type dog client and his person (I am giving an individual blessing), and behind me Rhonda captured the swirl of energy of many excited dogs and their happy people. I was so focused that I had no idea that so many had arrived until I saw the photo, later! I also vaguely recall seeing someone taking photos while I was working (that was not Rhonda), who later turned out to be a photographer for the local paper. One of those photos, in which I was blessing a very happy mini American Eskimo dog named Q-tip, was published in the Snoqualmie Valley Record.

In addition to the fun She Walks and I had interacting with all the dogs and people, I was deeply moved by how well my dog, Puma, played his role. He was my emotional support and held energetic space while I offered the group shamanic blessing. Then, throughout many individual blessings, he stayed quietly by my side, never once needing my attention, staying in a down position, calming the dog clients, and graciously accepting the attention of friendly children. Not once did he get up to greet another dog. At the end of the day, I thanked Puma thoroughly, and let him off leash to explore the grounds, which he did happily, returning straight to me when I called him back so that we could leave. Bless you, Puma, and bless you, Cesar Milan, for all I have learned about transmitting calm, assertive energy!

So, if you would like to see the full story of the Blessing of the Animals in photos, with explanatory captions, click here. If you were present at the event, and your dog is one that appears in a photo, I apologize for not remembering names. If you contact me and tell me your dog’s name I will be happy to include that information, and if you would like a digital copy of that photo I would be happy to send one as well. To everyone who came and visited, thanks, I had a wonderful time meeting all of you and your animals, and I hope all are doing well!

I, however, had been struggling with sinus problems the whole week prior to the Blessing Day, and it finally caught up with me. The day after the event this shaman was the one who needed a blessing, in the form of the very traditional “Gesundheit!" (perhaps I can get a blessing of another type when Puma and I attend the Blessing for the Animals at the Alki United Church of Christ).

Of course, with clogged sinuses, I now sounded like Donald Duck, just in time for my second internet radio interview, The Wisdom of the Animals and Global Warming. I did my very best to be not only clear in my intent and message, but also voice-wise, and hopefully I succeeded.

The first interview was an amazing success, Liana reported that within the first week afterward there had been 4,000 downloads of it! Of course, she told me this right before we started in on the second interview. I had to put the thought of how many might hear this one right into a closet and slam the door firmly on it so that I did not get more nervous than I already was. That interview and the first, Wisdom of the Animals: Shamanism for Modern Times are available online.

In Ceremony for Healing of Self and the Earth

The despacho ceremonies have been taking an interesting turn, Spirit has been very clear that I am to focus on ceremonies for healing the earth, the animals, and global warming. This focus began with the New Year’s despachos, see New Year’s Revolutions, Part 1, progressed through the fire ceremony for the Woodland Park zoo animals, and continues to evolve in each monthly despacho. Last month Spirit focused on healing the animals affected by mankind’s breaking of our contract with them. This month’s Ayni Despacho Ceremony will focus on personal healing and healing of the waters and ocean dwellers. If you are interested in attending please sign up ASAP as space is limited.

As part of my preparation for the October despacho, last night I traveled up the Duwamish River with representatives of various agencies dedicated to clean-up, and tonight I will be at REI attending a Effects of Climate Change on Puget Sound. In support of the focus on healing the earth I have created another page under Resource Links, Global Warming Resources. I took lots of photos on my trip up the Duwamish, gained more information, both shamanic and factual, and will blog about both experiences soon.

Other features in the October newsletter:

• Will your political candidate help save the environment?
Find out where they stand on environmental issues.

• NEW Peruvian rattles with animal carvings:
Condor, Dolphin Owl, Llama, Hummingbird, Eagle, Serpent, Scorpion, there’s even a monkey and a coatimundi!

• NEW Reiki Pet Bowls for the dog or cat who knows what they want!

• NEW one-of-a kind healing pendulums

• NEW Advanced Shamanic Training: Inca Initiation

And more in the October newsletter:
• Story of the Tortoise Who Went Walkabout
• 2009 Reiki Classes
• Humane choices for farm animals
• NEW Reiki Review and Advanced Training Classes

And finally, Keiko, the darling foster cat who has been with me for over nine months is still looking for her forever home. Do you know where it is?

If you would like to read more musings by Rose De Dan, sign up for our newsletters.

Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Wisdom of the Animals, Shamanism and Global Warming

2008-09-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

The following are two recent interviews, now archived for those who might have missed the live broadcast on the 7th Wave Network program, "Living Wisdom" with Dr. Liana Carbón, Institute of Shamanic Wisdom.

The Wisdom of the Animals: Shamanism for Modern Times
with Rose De Dan and Dr. Liana Carbón

Do you love animals or have an animal companion that shares your life? Ever wondered what it is like to experience the world through their eyes, what is it like to be an animal healer? Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, energy worker and animal communicator and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism has been a voice for the animals since 1996. Our technology has set in motion rapid change worldwide, and the animals those changes affect want to be heard. Join Dr. Liana Carbon as she interviews Rose on what it means to be an animal shaman for domestic and wild animals and what messages they have for us. To listen to this archive, click here.

9/16/08
The Wisdom of the Animals and Global Warming
with Rose De Dan and Dr. Liana Carbón

Have you wondered how the animals are being affected by global warming and what their perspective is? The animals are reaching out to us to help restore balance, are we ready to answer the call and help save them from species extinction? In this show Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism shares her shamanic vision from the animals of how to change the trajectory of global warming through the use of ceremony, energy work, and practical changes in our daily lives. Rose has been a voice for the animals since 1996, helping reconnect people, animals, and the natural world. Join Dr. Liana Carbon as she interviews Rose on how the ancient technologies of shamanism can be used alongside modern science to bridge the gap we have created and restore balance. To listen to this archive, click here.

The Wisdom of the Animals and Global Warming

2008-09-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I did my first ever live radio interview yesterday and thought it went well despite our having computer challenges that did not enable Liana Carbon to communicate to me when the breaks were coming up. At least it made us sound like we are really excited about the conversation we are having! If it was the shamanic energy interfering with technology at least it was gentle (-: Thanks to all of you who listened and offered positive feedback!

Yesterday's broadcast "The Wisdom of the Animals: Shamanism for Modern Times" is available in the archives at 7th Wave Network.

To listen at any time, go to 7th Wave Network click on the Tuesday schedule, scroll to "Living Wisdom" show and click on the title Living Wisdom. Then click on "9/9/08 - Broadcast Title Unavailable (title and description will be posted soon)." This will take you to a link to listen to archived recordings.

And, I will be a guest on the show again, next week, speaking about how the animals want us to get involved in halting global warming.

The Wisdom of the Animals and Global Warming
Guest Speaker Rose De Dan
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 11 am Pacific
7th Wave Network

Join Dr. Liana Carbon, Institute of Shamanic Wisdom, as she interviews Rose De Dan, author of the acclaimed book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism. Rose is the founder of Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC. A gifted animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, and artist, Rose was invited to work with the animals of the Philadelphia Zoo, as well as other major zoos in the USA. She is currently involved in speaking on how global warming is affecting all animals, as well as shamanic approaches to working with the animals and Mother Earth, and has a new book in progress.

Rose is actively involved in how we can energetically work toward changing the current trajectory of global warming. Relying only on technology we cannot reverse the trend in time before many species perish. There is a chasm between the old ways (shamanism) and the science of today, we must bridge that gap and reincorporate a shamanic way of being in this world in order to heal what has been torn asunder.

In practice since 1996 and in partnership with her companion animals, Rose offers private sessions and ceremonies for humans and animals, and teaches Reiki classes and shamanism workshops in Seattle.

Call TOLL FREE 866-472-5794 to speak with Liana and special guest speaker Rose De Dan.

If you cannot listen live recordings are archived, to listen at any time, go to 7th Wave Network, click on the Tuesday schedule, scroll to "Living Wisdom" show and click on the title "Living Wisdom" which will take you to the archives.

Photo of Rose De Dan and Puma by dane + dane photography

Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Island Countries May Be Underwater As Global Warming Increases

2008-09-04T21:13:00.001-07:00

As a shamanic student my teachers advised me to choose my responsibilities carefully. As an individual and a shaman I am feeling called to work toward reversing the trend of global warming, a trend that threatens all of the inhabitants of Pachamama, Mother Earth. Our so-called advanced civilization created this crisis, it is time for each of us to accept responsibility and to unite to create positive change. The following call for action came from Avaaz.org.

"Imagine the sea rising around you as your country literally disappears beneath your feet, where the food you grow and the water you drink is being destroyed by salt, and your last chance is to seek refuge in other lands where climate refugees have no official status. This is not a dream, it's the fearful reality for millions of people who live on islands around the world, from the Maldives to Papua New Guinea.

"That is why these small islands are planning the unprecedented step next week, ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting, of calling on the Security Council itself to address climate change as a pressing threat to international peace and security.

"This is a creative move born of desperation, a challenge to global powers to end their complacency and tackle this lethal crisis with the urgency of wars. This effort could help shift the tenor of the world's debate -- from a far-off storm cloud to a life-threatening crisis here and now. But the island states' campaign will meet fierce opposition from the world’s biggest polluters, so they need our help.

Sign the petition now to raise a worldwide chorus of support for this call -- our signatures will be presented to the UN by the islands' ambassadors as they introduce their resolution next week."

It is time to step up, how will you answer the call to action?

Photos by Rose De Dan©2008
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Warning: Dangerous Dog Toy Recall

2008-08-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

If you have a toy called "Four Paws Rough and Rugged Pimple Ball with Bell" it has been recalled due to a design malfunction that can cause a vacuum to be created when your dog plays with it, potentially resulting in your dog's tongue being sucked through the opening. This has resulted in injury to several dogs, some with severe results. It saddens me greatly to think that any business would not have the best interests of their clients at heart.

Check out Four Paws' website for recall information.

(Snopes.com is still verifying the following, but the recall is real)
If you would like to read a personal account from someone who claims their dog, Chai, was severely injured by this toy you can follow this link.

When Hope Flies In: The Return of the Purple Martins

2008-08-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

This week I attended a networking gathering put on by the Port of Seattle. Attending this sort of event is not my usual style, however I went for three major reasons.

First, I went as a member of the Alki Wildlife Habitat Project (AWHP), and unofficial photographer. Our hard-working leader, Dolly Vinal, was presenting a certificate of certification of Jack Block Park as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat from the National Wildlife Federation along with a sign for display to the public. Our group has been working on community certification of Alki for five years. We will finally achieve that goal this year; certification of Jack Block Park fits into our future vision of certifying all of the West Seattle peninsula and the Duwamish area specifically.

Second, I went as a shaman. My recent experiences conducting the monthly public Peruvian shamanic despacho ceremonies have raised my awareness of the need for me to begin seriously applying everything I have learned about shamanism toward the goal of reversing global warming and reconnecting people, animals and the natural world. Sometimes that role takes the form of simply showing up with the intention of being available to Spirit and seeing what happens.

Third, I went because I love Jack Block Park, and any excuse to hang out by Puget Sound and watch the marine wildlife is good.

Jack Block Park is perhaps one of the least well-known of the Seattle parks, even in Alki. Located on 15 acres next to Salty’s Restaurant on Harbor Avenue, Jack Block Park contains a walking path, 45 foot high observation tower, a walking pier, and a kicking view of the Seattle skyline and Mt. Rainier (on a good day). And something else few know about, a breeding colony of Purple Martins.

The following information is extracted from the beautiful handout for the presentation at Jack Block Park, designed and written, respectively, by fellow AWHP members Wilda Boyd and Kara Whittaker.

“Purple Martins are a migratory swallow species that breeds in North America and winters in the Amazon basin of South America.

“In Washington, Purple Martins were once locally common near marine shorelines, but their populations have declined steeply over the past 50 years. They are now a Washington State Candidate species, meaning the species may meet the criteria for listing as State Endangered, Threatened, or Sensitive. The primary reasons for their decline are the removal of natural snags and nest cavities and increased competition with exotic bird species for nest cavities…”

“Purple Martin boxes were first erected in West Seattle at Jack Block Park by local volunteers in 1996. The lower Duwamish waterway is home to three nesting colonies which together make up one of the most productive sites in Seattle. A fourth colony site was established this spring with six new gourds at the Seacrest Park Pier, but no new nesting activity has yet occurred there. It is expected that Martin ‘scouts’ will locate these new gourds late this summer and return to nest in them next spring.

“The Seacrest gourds were installed by members of the Alki Wildlife Habitat Project, whose goal is to promote neighborhood involvement in restoring the natural legacy of our community.”

After the certification presentation and some truly mouth-watering food prepared by Blue Willow Catering (so maybe I had a fourth reason for attending!), I decided to break away from the networking and go off and explore the scenery. The hour was getting close to sunset, and the light was perfect for taking some photographs.

I checked out the purple martin gourds, hanging from the walking pier, but they all seemed pretty quiet, no one in attendance. Suddenly, at the end, I spotted a lone martin just sitting on the pole. The angle for the shot was perfect, straight geometric lines of the pier framed the graceful steely curves of artificial lampposts and the natural curves of the gourd houses, and in the background, the one lone purple martin. To me the shot captured the essence of urban conservation—finding ways to balance the wants of our society with the needs of nature.

I returned to the networking group wishing I had been able to see more of the martins. As the sun sank lower I was alerted by Greg Whittaker of Alki Kayak Tours that some purple martins were congregating at the gourds closest to the end of the pier.

I hurried to see, and arrived in time to take some amazing photos of a purple martin family in full feeding swing. With two babies to feed, the parents were quite busy; one would land on the gourd, stuffing the insect it carried into one gaping mouth, while the other parent waited on the sidelines with the next mouthful. I just kept clicking away, hoping to be able to capture some sense of the beauty and grace of the parents as they swept in and out.

Finally satisfied that I had done my best, and with the light fading, I made my way back toward the group.

Along the way I paused for a moment to take in the cloudy sunset illuminating the shorelines of Alki and Seattle, the passing ferry, and the barge moored nearby, and noticed a flying Caspian tern carrying a fish in its beak. Largest tern in the world, its clean, aerodynamic lines enable it to drop like an arrow into the water to catch its dinner, and as it made its way past our urban skyline I felt hope.

Hope that through places like Jack Block Park we will be able to watch future generations of purple martins, as well as other wildlife, raise their families. Hope that we can not only preserve the beauty of the natural world by creating more oasis and corridors for wildlife within our urban landscapes, but that we can increase the presence of wildlife in our neighborhoods and in our hearts. Hope flies.

For more information on how to get your backyard or community certified as a Backyard Wildlife Habitat visit the National Wildlife Foundation website.

Photos by Rose De Dan©2008
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Blog: www.wildreiki.wordpress.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Author and Shaman Rose De Dan Offers Blessing for the Animals

2008-08-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Blessing for the Animals Day
Sunday, September 14, 2008
12 noon – 4:00 p.m.
Fall City, Washington

Blessing Ceremonies to Honor the Animals Begins at 2:00 p.m.
Rose De Dan, a Pampamesayoq (Earth Steward) and mesa carrier in the Peruvian Q’ero shamanic tradition and owner of Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, will offer blessings to animals on Sunday, September 14, 2008, during the Blessings for the Animals Day at Heavenly Spa, a therapeutic canine hydrotherapy spa located in Fall City, Washington.

Admission is free and all animals are welcome to the event, which runs from 12pm to 4pm. The series of group Blessing Ceremonies begin at 2pm and will also include representatives from Native American, Christian, Buddhist, and Hindi faiths. For everyone's safety, dogs should be on leash, cats and other small animals should be in carriers. If your animal companion is unable to attend please bring a photograph.

De Dan says, “Animals who share in our lives also share in the energy of all of the sorrows, frustrations, and challenges that we face and can be knocked off balance mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually, resulting in less quality of life. A blessing for the animals promotes wellness and helps to reconnect animals to the natural world, reuniting them with the larger circle of life.”

Learn How to Keep Your Pet Healthy
There will also be booths offering presentations by holistic healing modalities: practitioner, tools, products, and information all day, from 12 noon - 4:00 p.m. From her booth, De Dan will also be offering free individual blessings to animal companions. Copies of her popular new book, Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, will also be available for sale. Come meet the practitioners and learn more about how to help your pets achieve their perfect wellness!

For Event Information:
Teri Sahm, All Pets Go To Heaven, 35022 SE Fall City Snoqualmie Road, Fall City, WA 98024, 425-222-7221, www.allpetsgotoheaven.com

About Rose De Dan:
Founding her practice, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing in 1996, Rose De Dan was an early pioneer in promoting the need for alternative healing for animals. De Dan received her Karpays (transmissions of power) directly from Don Manual Quispe, Q’ero elder, master shaman, and Altomesayoq trained in an unbroken shamanic lineage. She maintains a private healing and teaching practice in Alki, Seattle, WA. For more information about Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, visit her website.

Voting for Our Future, Vanquishing the Spectre of Global Warming

2008-07-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I taught the final of four classes on “Spirited Living: A Shamanic Journey into Self-Healing.” It was a very powerful weekend for all participants, myself included.

The focus of this class was on how the students could weave the shamanic support and techniques they had learned into their lives after class. As mesa carriers and pampamesayoq’s (Earth Stewards), I hope that each student will continue to do their own personal healing as well as make themselves available in their communities.

One of the topics raised was the issue of global warming and its effects on all the inhabitants of this planet. I told the class that the spirit world and the animals had asked me to make this a special focus for everyone. We discussed the idea that doing our personal clearing work helps to heal the planet as well as ourselves since we are all connected, but the question was raised as to what more could be done.

In response I have now created a new page on my website under Resources, Inspiring People and Animal Videos, some of which are simply humorous (laughter is very healing), but other videos fulfill the criteria of being geared toward inspiring personal, community, or global change. They may not seem overtly shamanic in nature, but each of those videos I have selected deals with aspects that shamans concerns themselves with: understanding and communication with All Our Relations, the animals that we share this world with; visions of sustainability, green perspective, and harmony with the natural world; and issues of life and death, all of which lies within the purview of shamans of any culture. Shamanism is a living tradition, adapting over time, maintaining a liaison with spirit and community in the language of both. Nowadays our popular culture is contained on YouTube, and within TV, movies, music, and books, etc., and I am very comfortable using all of them as a means of education and communication.

In addition to the new webpage I will be featuring some action steps in future blogs that can be taken by anyone. It is estimated that we have 10 years in which to turn global warming around, to change the climate crisis that we have created and save our planet, the animals and ourselves from certain destruction. The actions of each person is crucial at this time in our history, one person can make a difference!

For my first step I offer the opportunity for you to determine which of three videos you think should win the video contest created by U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), to promote the creation of more and better transportation options. There are three videos that you can vote for: “I Love Traffic,” a tongue-in-cheek (at least I hope so!) look at the beauty of traffic jams and rising gas prices; “Carrick Video: Transportation of the Future” which stars nine-year-old Carrick who pulls out all the stops with his charming and humorous on-stage personality as he takes us on a fun tour of the world of the future (can you tell this was my favorite?); and “Dear Diary,” a look at the struggles of one young man who tries a few alternative transportation methods of getting to work.

Take a moment to watch all three videos at U.S. PIRG Help Us Pick A Winner! and place your vote! I believe that popularizing videos like these can inspire people to take the steps needed to vanquish the spectre of global warming.

P.S. Young Carrick Gareth has other sustainable videos at YouTube. He is one prolific nine year-old!

P.P.S. In case you did not know, U.S. PIRG takes on powerful interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being. With a strong network of researchers, advocates, organizers and students in state capitols across the country, they stand up to powerful special interests on issues where powerful special interests stand in the way of reform, like product safety, identity theft, political corruption, prescription drugs, and voting rights.

The Nectar of Joy

2008-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was the June Peruvian shamanic despacho ceremony, but lately I feel like I am living in synchronicity-land. It was an ayni despacho ceremony, designed to bring one's life into balance and harmony, removing blockages that stand in the way of your manifesting your highest potential. It is said that when you are in balance and harmony with the natural world then the universe actively conspires on your behalf. Based on the following events and a separate set of experiences I shall relate in a later post, it must have been a doozy of a ceremony.

It all started with the article of the day on DailyOm which was Messengers of Direction: Animals in Nature, a topic near and dear to my heart in light of my healing and teaching practice, shamanic and otherwise. I took time to join in the discussion, adding my two cents that I had indeed had wonderful and amazing experiences with animals as teachers and messengers, and referenced my recent article “Animals Healers, the Cats of Kitty Harbor.”

Then, over breakfast, I finished up this great novel I had been reading, “Manless in Montclair,” which concerns a woman who becomes a widow mid-life. She struggles with feelings of aloneness, searching for a man who can give her comfort and love, and who can be a father to her children.

After numerous dating foibles including some classic internet dating experiences, she draws on her background as a publicist and comes up with a very creative and early version of viral marketing combined with the reward system. Whoever circulates her email amongst their friends, resulting in matching her with the man who ultimately becomes her husband, gets a vacation for two to a location of their choice. The campaign snowballs and she finds herself questioning her life, her motivations, and what she really wants.

Without spoiling the end of the book (I hate it when that happens), I think I can safely say that she concludes that it is not the goal that counts, but the people along the way and the joy that the journey brings, a theme that is woven through the book by focus on the word “naches,” the Yiddish word for joy.

I found myself shedding a few tears along her journey, resonating with her process that strongly paralleled my own relationship hurdles. I found myself thinking that I might yet overcome the issues and pitfalls that had marred my search for a romantic partner, and as I reflected upon all that I had learned along my journey I could recognize the gifts woven in amongst the challenges.

Still musing, I stepped outside for a moment to enjoy the sunshine, along with my cat, Kiya. The juvenile starling that had been feeding at the suet feeder flew to a nearby branch and began to berate Kiya for disturbing him, continuing to object as I attempted to reassure him that she meant no harm. I told him that as long as I was there she would behave herself and leave him alone. He was joined by an adult starling who was evidently familiar with me and who simply sat and observed.

As we were all communing I heard a rush of wings and a small blur sped by, a hummingbird questing for flowers. I thought he had gone, but before I could blink he was back, hovering eight inches from my face. I could see the iridescence of his feathers clearly, and the colored patch at his throat designating him a male. I was so delighted that I began speaking out loud to him, telling him how lovely he was. He stayed there for a good bit, perhaps 45 seconds, occasionally making that little “tick” sound that they do, and then just as suddenly as he had arrived, he flew off, leaving me standing there with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

Returning to the house I wondered at the timing of his appearance, was there some significance? In the Peruvian tradition hummingbird represents strength for the long journey as we reach for our highest potential, but it felt like there was something more.

Opening up my copy of Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small, I began to read about hummingbird as messenger. I got no farther than the first few words of the keynote “Tireless Joy and the Nectar of Life.” Quickly scanning, my wonder grew, phrases leapt out at me, “Anyone who has ever seen this tiny bird is filled with a sense of wonder and joy,” “associations with relationships, past and future.” I laughed aloud over the description that hummingbirds have knowledge of how to use flowers for healing, in addition to the amusing knowledge that my name is Rose and I am a healer, it seemed a clear enough message that as a healer I could access my own inner joy.

Whatever the ultimate message, the beauty of the journey that took place in the span of an hour or two that day, woven as it was from an article on the internet, a book, and a hummingbird, is one that I shall hold close in my heart. When the going gets tough, as it does from time to time, I will be able to pull out the sunlit memory of my tiny hummingbird messenger and the nectar of joy that I felt in that moment.

Photo by Rose De Dan©2008
Note: The photo that accompanies this article is of honeysuckle in bloom in Schmitz Park, the last old growth forest in Seattle, and a favorite food of hummingbirds and adults who remember the joy of tasting the sweet nectar as a child. It was taken shortly after the despacho ceremony mentioned in this article. Another piece of synchronicity?

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
www.reikishamanic.com

It's Their Country, Too

2008-07-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Our national holiday, Independence Day or the 4th of July, is usually considered a day of fun with family and friends. We celebrate by having parades and gathering with family and friends to share food and companionship. Sometimes our fun includes firing off fireworks, the louder the better.

I'd like to take a moment to point out that not everyone enjoys fireworks, legal or illegal (which they are where I live, King County, Seattle, Alki). Many dogs and cats experience deep anxiety, fear, even terror at this time of year; an anxiety that their people often share as they watch their loved furry ones suffer. Gracie, the cat who lived across the street from me, actually approached me one year, the day after the 4th of July, seeking Reiki for emotional healing and to share her feelings (see Gracie the Cat and Fireworks). She did not just tell me how she felt, she let me feel her fear and desire to hide. She did not understand why her safe and quiet neighborhood suddenly turned into a terrifying place to be, with no hiding place far enough away from the noise and vibration -- there was no escape.

Domestic animals are not the only ones affected, wildlife feels the same way. Jacquie Lawson has released another stunningly gorgeous e-card entitled "E Pluribus Unum" (translated from Latin: Out of One, Many) that reminded me of the great beauty that is America and that it is the wilderness and the wildlife that help make it so. Wildlife that deserves our protection not only in great tracts of land far from our cities, but also within our urban landscapes. We should rejoice in the animals that have been able to survive among us and celebrate our independence with a care for them and for our environment.

If you can't entirely bring yourself to do away with fireworks completely, a very American tradition, perhaps you could tone them down. When I was a child fireworks were illegal in my home state of New Jersey (I think they are still), so my grandmother and aunt would supply us with slender wands called sparklers that when lit could be waved around illuminating the dark with miniature fountains of colored streaks of light. My sisters and I looked forward to this once-a-year event eagerly; family memories do not have to involve loud explosions, they can be made up of smaller experiences that become a tradition, year after year.

However you choose to celebrate the 4th of July this year, please remember that you share your neighborhood and homes with other species. Have a care for them, and have a safe, and fun, 4th of July.

Rose De Dan, Puma, Kiya, Saqqara, Cougar, and Sand
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
www.reikishamanic.com

Beating the Heat, Pigeon-Style

2008-07-01T21:13:00.001-07:00

These pigeons have the right idea, beating the summer heat by a dip in a puddle created by the sprinklers by the Alki Bathhouse, West Seattle, Washington.

Photo by Rose De Dan©2008

Animal Healers and Orcas, the Newsletter

2008-06-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

At long last, the June/July 2008 newsletter is out! When you see the incredible content you’ll understand what took me so long.

Don’t miss our inspiring feature article, “Animal Healers, the Cats of Kitty Harbor,” you just never know where you will find your teachers.

Also included in this issue:

• New Custom Healing and Dowsing Pendulums In!

• Celebrate Orca Awareness Month, support the endangered Southern Resident Orca community

• New Peruvian Q'ero Imports include mesa cloths, chumpi belts, and palo santo wood

• Healing Spirits and Animal Communication Workshop offered at East West Bookshop this July

• August 2008 Peruvian Ayni Despacho Ceremony, restore balance and harmony in your life

• Learn to Cook for Your Pet, Free Workshop

• Spirited Living: Shamanic Training for Daily Life starts in October

• Lost Pet Recovery Tip

Thanks for your interest, and best wishes for a great summer!

got 'nip?

2008-06-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Dexter lives two doors down from me. Originally he lived diagonally across the yard, but his people moved and he was adopted by my cat-friendly neighbors who are always a soft touch for those left behind. The benefit to me, of course, is that I often end up with extra cat friends who come calling.

Dexter, however, is in a class by himself. His very friendly, outgoing personality does not admit a shadow of a doubt that the world will love him. As he is a very large, handsome gray and white cat with a sort of bumbling and insistent charm, most of the world seems to agree with him, myself included.

My first introduction to Dexter was as I was digging a hole to plant a newly acquired addition to the garden. Suddenly there was this strange cat right next to me peering into the hole with intense concentration, almost as though he was an inspector for Better Homes and Gardens. So intense was his interest that I had to elbow him back from the hole as I dug because I was concerned that I was going to accidentally stab him with the Japanese digging knife I was using!

From that point on Dexter made regular visits to see what I was up to, and discovered in short order that I had a secret stash of catnip in my garage. I have a student who is a gardening wonder, and who brings me fresh stems of catnip in season. I take these fragrant offerings, hang them to dry, and then store them in the garage where my cats can’t get to them. This way I can dole the catnip out in measured doses rather than having an entire household turn into feline junkies on a bender for days.

I left the garage door open one day, and Dexter wandered in and discovered the stash. He ripped the bag down and proceeded to have a glorious time. The next time I saw him the garage door was again closed, but Dexter was having none of it. Meowing loudly and longingly, he proceeded to tell me just how miserable his lot in life was without that luscious scent that rolled up warm radiators, sunshine, cushiony beds, and sardines on toast into one whisker-twitching burst of glorious nirvana. Listening to him made me yearn momentarily for my long-gone stupefied early college years! So, I caved and gave him a hit of my super cat stash, and that was my undoing. Now every time Dexter sees me outside he wants what he knows I’ve got. I am now his favorite dealer of choice!

P.S. Dexter knew I was taking these photos. Rather than being ashamed of his addiction he obviously decided that any fame is better than no fame at all. So, here he is, looking rather like a furry version of Carmen Miranda with a catnip stem, rather than a rose, clamped in his teeth!

Calling All Reiki Stories!

2008-05-23T12:41:00.001-07:00

As a Reiki Master Teacher I am privileged to watch my Reiki students learn, grow, and change. And part of the beauty of their journey and mine are the awesome opportunities we are presented with to use Reiki in our lives on a daily basis. Out of those opportunities arise some incredible stories, stories like the following from LeAnne Livingston, a Reiki Level II practitioner, and diver.

Sea Star Reiki

"Tuesday evening, out for a swim in my favorite 'salt bath,' the Edmonds Oil Dock. After about 1.5 hours goofing around in the currents and tides of the water it was time to come back to land. Walking up on to the beach, I laid my fins and mask down on a log and noticed a large wash of shells, kelp and various other sea accessories on the beach. Amongst the tangled trove of goodies a pale flash of blue caught my eye; a sea star had been washed up with the last high tide and left in a somewhat inhospitable environment for one of its kind.

"Kneeling down, I greeted the creature and did a quick appraisal of its energetic and physical condition. It had a feeling of exhaustion and resignation, but looked physically intact. From the little bit I do know about our Universe, one thing that has been strongly impressed upon me: we are not in charge of the outcome of another's journey. I'm good by that. Still wanting to provide any assistance for its highest healing good, I offered Reiki. It was accepted in a very easy kind of way.

"Gently picking it up, one hand underneath holding the main body, another resting very lightly on top; I turned and walked into the water, immediately feeling my hands warm and the sea star respond. Standing waist deep in the light surf, I glided the creature in the water and washed off some of the debris that had partially covered it on the beach. With its body relaxing, the creature began to move its five arms around and touch my extended fingers and exploring the back of my hand. First time I'd ever shaken "hands" with an echinoderm. If I didn't already have such a profound love, respect and awe of the sea and her creatures that would have tipped me over the edge.

"Hanging out in the water for a few more minutes, enjoying the quiet joyful connection with the little cousin, I asked if it would like to be placed somewhere underwater below the next low tide mark. The offer was accepted as its five arms slowed their exploration of my hand. Making my way into chest deep water, I went close to the rocks and pilings of the dock. One last prayer of love and light for the sea star as it was placed on a hospitable looking rock and left to continue on its underwater journey."

—LeAnne Livingston, Reiki II

LeAnne's latest beautiful marine critter Reiki story made me yearn to hear more, once again, and finally galvanized me into action on a project that has been on the back burner due to lack of time. However, I just can’t wait any longer, I have to have more Reiki stories!

In class and at the monthly Reiki Review I listen as students share powerful experiences, and all present are inspired, not only in new applications for Reiki in different situations, but by the sheer beauty and wonder at the loving and healing energy that we call Reiki. Hearing those stories inspires me to be a better teacher, practitioner, and person in my healing and teaching practice as well as my life, and I want to share that experience with everyone. If ever there were a time in history that our world needs inspiration of that nature it is now.

So I’m sending out an appeal to all Reiki practitioners, of any level: send me your stories, and I’ll collect them into an e-book. They can be any experience related to Reiki you have had, whether a healing response when working with an animal or person, an encounter that involved Reiki, a sudden personal aha! that changed your perception or your life, etc.

You do not have to have been a student of mine to submit a Reiki story, either. I welcome stories from practitioners of all Reiki trainings, and from all levels, beginner to Master, so feel free to pass this along to Reiki groups.

You can send your stories to me contained in an email or as an attached Word document. Please include your Reiki level (level I, Level II, Level III, Master) and contact information (address, email, phone) in case I need to clarify something. Also state how you would like to be attributed, i.e., Jane Doe, Jane D., J. Doe, etc. If your story is included in the book you will receive a free e-copy as a thank you. If you have photos that go with your story you are welcome to submit them as well.

Your submission constitutes permission to include your story in the book, but does not guarantee its inclusion. I reserve the right to edit as needed, but will try to preserve the original tone of the writer. Stories must not have been published previously. Deadline for submissions is July 31, 2008.

Know someone who has great Reiki stories? Then please, pass this request along to them.

So, bring them on, let’s inspire the world with incredible Reiki stories!

Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
www.reikishamanic.com

P.S. The photo, "Reiki Paws," that accompanies this article is of my cat, Saqqara, who often helps instruct my students in the proper art of hand placement at my Reiki classes. He has quite a few Reiki stories of his own!

Video, Two Dogs, inspired by Dalai Lama

2008-05-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

My fledgling video effort, "Two Dogs, a story of compassion and animal communication" is up on YouTube!

“Two Dogs” is the true story of two lost dogs, and this video lovingly portrays the miracles that can happen when you communicate from your heart, and features my reading an excerpt from my new book, "Tails of a Healer: Animal, Reiki and Shamanism," to my dog, Puma. Two of my cats, Kiya and Saqqara, also make cameo appearances.

The making of "Two Dogs," produced and directed by Reiki Master Rhonda Hanley, was inspired by the Seeds of Compassion press conference video that His Holiness the Dalai Lama made prior to his recent visit to Seattle, Wash.

My intention was to see if I could get the video widely distributed, perhaps raising consciousness about compassion and communication from the heart, especially among children, our hope for the future of this world.

You can help spread the word by passing the link to the video on to others, and by rating the video with stars and leaving your comments, it helps to increase traffic and viewership.

Enjoy, and thanks from all of us!
Rose De Dan, Puma, Kiya, and Saqqara
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC

Dancing the Shamanic Jitterbug

2008-05-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have survived my first book reading, and I am happy to report, I actually had fun!

When I arrived at SoulFood Books in Redmond, and toted in my shamanic gear, I got my first look at where I would be reading, and seriously questioned if I knew what I was doing. For some reason I had imagined that I would be ensconced in an armchair somewhere among the bookshelves (perhaps I had delusions of being Alistair Cook on PBS). Instead I was led over to the café area and a STAGE, complete with a chair, spotlights, and a microphone on a stand. More the kind of setup I would expect for a musician, rather than an author, and indeed there was a guitar case lurking nearby.

So riveted was I by the idea of having to appear on that stage that I completely overlooked the overhead sign announcing “Rose De Dan, Author.” If I had not been so deer-in-the-headlights I might have taken a moment to appreciate the first-time joy of seeing my name, if not in lights, at least paired on a chalkboard with the lovely title “author” for all to see. Instead I can thank Rhonda Hanley, who documented the evening photographically, for the opportunity to at least savor it in private later.

While setting up and greeting some familiar faces kind enough to support me on this maiden venture as an author, I recalled a long-ago experience as a child, my first and last voluntary venture onto the stage as a performer.

My best friend at the time thought it would be a great idea for us to participate in the church play. Never shy, Lisa painted a rosy picture of the fun we would have. The reality of it was entirely different for me, merely setting foot on stage, even for rehearsals, raised my normally shy nature into the realm of the panic-stricken, rendering me completely wooden as an actress.

I do not recall the name of the play, but I do recall my part, a little old lady who knitted and was blind as a bat. My stage fright was so bad that they put scotch tape over the prop glasses that I wore in order to take away most of my ability to see the audience. It also made it more believable when I stumbled into things, as my character was supposed to do. I can clearly recall understanding at the time that my character was important to the play in her physical comic relief, and knowing that I was unable to loosen up enough to deliver, never mind being able to say my lines in any relaxed or funny fashion.

The night of the play’s actual performance passed in a blur, my lines (mercifully few) were inaudible and no one laughed at the parts of my performance that should have been funny as I am certain everyone could see me shaking with sheer nerves. It was a wonder at the time to me that I did not actually throw up. I felt very clearly that a career as an actress was not my path, and promised myself to never attempt something like that again.

It was ironic to me in those moments setting up that—despite having engaged in one of the world’s most solitary pastimes, writing—I now found myself on stage—and on stage, alone. It was a one-woman show, or was it?

Didn’t I now have years of Reiki and shamanic training and teaching under my belt? Hadn’t I done major personal healing work, and wasn’t I a different person now than that poor, terrified child who had wanted to have some fun on stage? And wasn’t my mesa with me, all those many stone friends connected to places of power such as oceans, earth, mountains, rivers, and so on? And wasn’t She Walks there, spirit guide who takes up residence in a bobcat pelt when visibility is needed? I was not alone on stage—I had the entire Peruvian and Reiki lineage standing with and behind me. As a matter of fact, now the stage seemed smaller than before—would there be enough room for all of us?

Suddenly it was time to start, and as I sat down in the chair and faced the audience fully, for the first time, I felt my sense of humor bubble up, and I could not resist smiling at them, and sharing, “I feel like I should have a guitar in my hand.” They all laughed, breaking the ice, and I took my first tentative steps into the world of book and shamanic performance art.

I had chosen five pieces from “Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism” to read, and began with “Two Dogs,” a relatively simple story, but powerful in its message that if we focus on our hearts we can communicate with other species.

The audience seemed attentive, so heartened I launched into “As the Stomach Churns,” and while I read I made a conscious decision to lighten up and let that small child finally have her fun on stage. The piece, if told well, is humorous, and I began to focus on the funny parts, playing with timing and delivery, and lo and behold, they laughed, in all the right places! I could feel that inner child smile.

I followed with “The House That Love Built,” the story of the death of my father and the events of 9-11 that followed directly afterward. I had never read this piece out loud before, and I suddenly found myself connecting emotionally with a part in the story regarding my father, you could clearly hear the tears in my voice. I could feel the audience respond sympathetically, and I thought frantically, “I can’t cry onstage!” I took a deep breath and there was a significant pause as I grounded and rebalanced myself, and then, bless the universe and the spirits, into that emotional pause burst the outrageously loud sound of the expresso machine being turned on. The timing was so perfectly absurd that everyone laughed, including me, the tension broke, and I was able to continue without incident.

It was with the fourth piece, “Guns and Mesas” that I had originally determined to include something that I suppose I can call shamanic performance art. The first part of the story involves my detainment at the airport while returning East, four months after my father’s death, for my youngest sister Claudine’s wedding. As I read the part in the story where my shamanic items are lifted from my travel bag to be inspected by airport security, I physically brought same items forth on stage: first, She Walks’ pelt, then my mesa, and finally my Florida Water.

Now for the climactic part, the shamanic wedding blessing I gave at my sister’s wedding. With a swirl I donned my shamanic cloak and gave the actual blessing, all while juggling microphone, bottle of Florida Water, and gourd rattle. That was actually the hardest part, to remember to shake the rattle, and not the microphone, all while speaking, and blowing sprays of Florida Water. I can honestly say it was a challenge, but it seemed to come off fairly well.

I concluded with a relatively sedate piece, “At the Edge of Two Worlds,” which paints a picture of the beauty of the Alki shore and the awe I felt in my encounter with two seal pups I met there, and then opened the floor to questions.

The audience was very supportive and curious, and thanks to insightful questions from people that knew me, some of whom were also mesa carriers, I think that the rest of the audience learned a few things about the nature of shamanism and its relationship to the natural and spirit world. By this time I was feeling a lot more comfortable, and why not, wasn’t all of my shamanic gear spread around me? With my mesa open the spirit world was having a party on stage, it was getting quite lively.

Then, for me, the best part of the evening happened. As I was packing up, a woman who had asked me questions about a stone that she had found that insisted on coming home with her, approached and asked if she could touch She Walks. I told her I had to ask permission, and when I did She Walks said, “Hand me to her.” As the woman took her she cradled She Walks in her arms, holding her lovingly, and began stroking her soft fur. Then she looked up at me, eyes wide, but shining with the light of discovery, and exclaimed, “It’s like she’s alive! It’s like she’s breathing!” And I smiled back at her with answering joy and delight, for I well remembered my first connection with the being I call She Walks and how that changed my life. So taken was the woman with the energy that I had to gently extract She Walks in order to finish packing.

So, I feel that my first book reading was a great success. I literally brought who I was to the stage, both personally and professionally, and the audience responded by embracing that energy. My inner child is still dancing with delight; it appears that we have now transformed the "First-Time Book Reading Jitters" into the Shamanic Jitterbug!

First-Time Book Reading Jitters

2008-05-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

I will be appearing at SoulFood Books in Redmond, WA this Thursday, May 8 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. reading excerpts from my new book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and answering questions from the audience, of which hopefully there will be at least a few!

As a first-time author new to the book reading circuit I thought I should research my role online and perhaps pick up some tips on how to make a decent presentation and not bore my audience.

One article entitled “Tools of the Trade: Readings” by Charlie Stross made me smile with Rule #1: “The audience is not your enemy.” It had never occurred to me to think of them that way, but the author went on to make a good point—we are not performance artists. Writers are unaccustomed to creating in public, writing is a very slow and private undertaking which would bore most people silly to watch take place. A reading of your book (especially mine, which chronicles the amusing, and hopefully sometimes inspiring progress of my adventures in healing with animals and people) is an airing of your innermost thoughts in a venue where the audience can SEE you and make observations about you not just your work. Great, never that comfortable with public speaking to begin with, Charlie has now made me more nervous than ever!

So, how to turn my angst into a source of strength? Charlie continues with the information that “to start with, people who turn up to your reading with be either friends, fans, or the randomly curious, in descending order of probability.” Hmm, while not a native of this area having emigrated here in 1999 from the East coast, I have called the Alki neighborhood of West Seattle home for seven years. If I think of everyone from this geographic region as my neighbor that should help (note to self, I will clear the popular Seattleite reference to Redmond as “the Evil East side” from my mental storage compartments). So, I now have my plan of action, in my mind every person in the audience will be a friend or potential friend.

Now, on to the program, what do I read? An hour does not seem like a long time until you are the only person speaking. Although my years of teaching Reiki and shamanic classes to captive students has given me some ability to hold the attention of my audience at least until that last cup of Seattle coffee necessitates a bathroom break, I can’t rely on the same techniques, this event is not for paying students invested in learning a healing modality, this event is free to a more general audience. After deliberation I decide that I should choose an eclectic mix, something for everyone: humor, suspense, pathos (sometimes all in the same story!), with perhaps a strong leaning toward animal lovers (not a difficult choice considering the book contents).

So far I plan on including a reading of “Two Dogs,” a true story of two lost dogs that found their home again through an emotional appeal to me and the kind efforts of two elderly neighbors. For me it was an early experience of the validity of animal communication before it became a part of my professional life. Then perhaps a segue into my move here from Massachusetts entitled “As the Stomach Churns,” a comic chronicle of the madcap adventures of moving with animals. To honor my connection and appreciation of the beauty and wildlife still present in the city, specifically in Alki, I think I might read “At the Edge of Two Worlds,” a story of my first encounters with seal pups on the beaches of Alki and the use of Reiki for babysitting. Still a toss-up whether to stick to the humorous with “Guns and Mesas,” a recounting of what happens when a shaman encounters a security check at the airport and the shamanic wedding blessing that the guests at my youngest sister’s wedding will never forget (and I can include the use of props which should qualify for performance art), or to get serious with “The House That Love Built,” a story of my father's death and my revelations about his life which coincided with the events of 9-11. I am leaning toward getting a bit serious in light of the situation in Tibet as well as other hot spots around the world, but perhaps there will be time for both.

In any case, no matter what I read, I will actively use what I have learned from my healing and teaching practice: I will send Reiki to the situation so that I will remain calm and that my words may be heard as I intend, and that the listener will receive whatever they need. This means that I must let go of attachment to outcome and simply be present and available. I will do my best, and set my intention toward welcoming many new friends and neighbors (Eastside and Westside) to my first book reading event, SoulFood Books, here I come!

Building Bridges with Animal Reiki

2008-04-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Recently I was one of several practitioners offering mini Reiki sessions at an annual retreat for women and girls. Everyone was receptive and appreciative, except for one teenager. I was in the initial stages of a Reiki session with a woman when the door burst open and this teenage girl rushes up to my client and bursts out, "Mom! How could you have signed me up for Reiki! I mean, massage is just fine, that I get, but Reiki!? It's just too weird having someone lean over you with their hands on you and then declare, ‘You're all better now!’” The girl then turns to me and says, "No offense."

If I had not been aware that the mother was mortified by her daughter's actions I would have laughed out loud. Far from taking offense I could certainly see the daughter’s viewpoint since many people are not as aware of healing energy as animals. I thanked my many years of doing my own personal clearing work which now enabled me to look beyond myself in order to see what the real issue was.

After the daughter had departed, secure in the knowledge that she did not have to participate in a Reiki session, I reassured her mother that I took no offense. I added that it was good to see her daughter so vibrant and healthy, and apparently not in need of a Reiki session. Mom’s response was, "Well, I really thought she could use a session, she needs it." At this point, now having a clear indication from the mother that she was seeking help in some form, I stepped back and took a "look" shamanically. Was there something that could benefit both of them?

I asked if her daughter liked animals. Mom’s face lit up, and her energy expanded and she told me her daughter was crazy about them (it turned out that Mom was, too).

So I began to tell her my own personal stories about Reiki and animals. Reiki is a really cool way to connect with animals—it increases one's "animal magnetism." What that means is that all animals perceive and respond to good, positive energy and an open heart. Animals are drawn to the practitioner through the love embodied in Reiki energy. A student of Reiki facilitates self-healing through daily personal Reiki treatments, promoting energetic balance and healing emotional issues of trust which then increases the student’s openness and re-connection to the natural world, something the animals really appreciate.

In my career as a Reiki healer I am often approached by animals who take one look into my energy field and want the brand of energy I have on tap, namely Reiki. A classic case was Gracie, a cat who lived across the street from me, and who used to show up on my doorstep whenever she did not feel well. I would open the door, and there she would be, looking for her personal Reiki healer (read the full story at Gracie the Cat and Fireworks). And she never failed to get her session, who could turn down such a trusting compliment?

It was not my intention to use stories about animals to entice either mother or daughter into taking a Reiki class, although that is a possible outcome, but rather to promote the commonality they shared—a love for animals. Perhaps the animal stories might bring them closer together, building bridges across the sometime too-wide gap between generations during the teen years, something I sensed that both desired.

By gently steering mother and daughter to my articles or book, perhaps they might feel validated in their own perceptions, which in turn might encourage them individually to follow their own intuition in taking further steps on their paths toward wholeness and happiness. And most likely along the way they will be encouraged and supported by their own domestic animals, who love us unconditionally, and who are so perceptive in reading our emotional and physical needs, and so very willing to offer us their own healing assistance and guidance.

One of the most important intentions in any healing modality is to support your clients in achieving healing for THEIR highest healing good. This means that the practitioner must let go of attachment to a certain outcome; the client should receive what they need, not what the practitioner thinks might benefit them the most. Allied with that is the intention to empower the client so that they may be an active participant in their own healing. So, once I told my animal Reiki stories I let go of attachment to the possible outcome, trusting that the universe knew best. But I’m still very human, I can’t completely disengage from personal attachment—I still hope that mother and daughter at least enjoyed reading my articles, which is the fervent hope of every writer!

Inviting A Tiger Home to Play: Unleashing A Shamanic Book

2008-04-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Shamanically speaking, everything has a spirit. In which case, you could say that my new book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism is evidencing wild and spirited behavior just like the image on its front cover.

Initially my book managed to make itself invisible online at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble, much to the puzzlement of my publisher. For quite some time no one could figure out why that was happening. It is now fully visible and searchable at Amazon, apparently having learned to trust the user-friendly atmosphere there; but it is still in hiding at the Barnes and Noble jungle. Unless you search for the title exactly you will not find it, it does not appear in any keyword search, apparently due to the book’s title being only partially listed as “Tails of a Healer.” I guess I would not want to come out of hiding either if I did not feel fully accepted.

There were many rejected drafts and numerous scratches for those who tried to define the book’s spirit and purpose within the confining limits of a one-page press release. When the final press release heralding it’s publication was sent out to the news media it, too, quietly disappeared for more than 24 hours, to the amazement of the press release service who, like the publisher, could not figure out what had happened. During that time both the book cover image and the company logo fought being posted in my online newsroom, only appearing after several phone calls and much head-scratching by the techies.

While the book seems determined to play a form of hunter/prey, stalking around the internet and pouncing at unexpected moments, it appears as a kinder, gentler feline spirit to the people who read its tales and their companion animals.

Throughout the manuscript-reading process and soon after publication I began receiving reports of cats sleeping on it. If the book was moved to a different location the cat would simply take up residence on it again. One cat client, in the last stages of his life, seemed to use the book as a sort of energetic heating pad which appeared to be plugged into my household. He was able to tell his person via the book telegraph exactly when my elderly cat Shaman crossed over into spirit.

And like any curious cat the book began to seek out new homes on its own. An autographed copy, intended for one of my wonderful friends who had helped with the final stages of the book, somehow mysteriously got accidentally addressed and mailed to a client of mine (who had not ordered a copy herself). My client called to say that she had received it, and I suggested that she simply tape it up and mark it “Return to Sender.” She called back to say that before she could do that her dog, who had never done anything like this before, actually ate a part of the envelope, making it impossible to mail it back! She ended up physically giving me back the autographed copy (which did finally complete its intended journey) and ordering a copy for herself since the book seemed determined to stay.

Finally, and happily, I am also receiving feedback from people who have found the book so enticing they tell me it is difficult for them to put it down, and they have shared with me their thanks for its energy which has inspired them to deeper levels of healing and change in their lives.

So, here’s to the spirit of my book, a true original. May you continue to seek out and inspire people and animals, and if I place a particularly tasty bit out on the internet as an offering, could you please stop fighting with the technology?

Got a story of your own to share about the book? I’d love to hear it, send me an email.

Want to invite this tiger to your home? Click here to order a copy or to read Reader Reviews and an Excerpt from "Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism."

Ancient Healing Meets Modern Car

2008-04-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Shamanic inspiration often surfaces in interesting ways. Shamanism is not just about being spiritual, it is about walking in this world in a spiritual fashion. I always find it amusing when I receive a new idea that can do both.

In the Peruvian shamanic tradition sacred palo santo wood (or holy wood) is used for offerings in ceremony and as an incense for smudging and clearing of heavy energies. It has a wonderful scent that is difficult to describe, but everyone who smells it finds it unique and delightful. Unlit, its aroma and energy can produce a relaxation response, which is why I like to keep some out at home and in my office.

One day I suddenly had a vision of creating a palo santo wood pendant that could be used as a car air freshener. If blessed shamanically the palo santo wood could also assist in keeping the space in the car clear while assisting in reducing driving stress!

I smiled as I realized that this natural wood could be a more beautiful, sustainable and spiritual alternative to the popular, but chemically enhanced “Christmas tree” air fresheners I see hanging from many rear view mirrors. The palo santo wood is longer lasting, too, making it economical and earth friendly. You can rejuvenate the scent by sanding lightly with a nail file, or simply scratching it with a thumbnail.

So, I now offer the Palo Santo Wood Car Air Freshener Pendant under my Peruvian and Shamanic Gifts page on my website. A package contains three energetically blessed pieces of palo santo, each decorated with a different hand-painted bead from Peru (two Inca designs and one desert scene with llama), strung on a hand-cut leather thong to hang or carry. And with three I figured you can use them all throughout your house, too, they work great as a closet or drawer sachet, or you could pass one along as a gift.

I like the thought that the pendant might bring down the stress level of people stuck in traffic (I live in Seattle where gridlock on I-5 is becoming a major occurrence), or perhaps might help a driver stay grounded, balanced and centered for an overall safer driving experience. I can’t wait to see how other ancient traditions might suggest adaptations for our modern world.

Press Release, Heartwarming Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism from Author Rose De Dan

2008-03-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE, Wash., March 18, 2008 - Animal lovers have long believed in the power of communicating with their other-legged friends, and Rose De Dan has recorded her explorations of the human/animal conversation divide with Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism. Meet the colorful and unforgettable animals that populate the pages of this inspiring collection of tales, and follow De Dan’s journey as she discovers what happens when worlds collide - human vs. animal, ancient traditions vs. modern world, life vs. death.

Using the ancient techniques of Q’ero shamanism from South America, Reiki from the Far East, and her skills as an animal communicator, De Dan shares her triumphs and her struggles, the highs and the lows of a healer, and relates it to each person’s individual potential for sharing similar experiences and communication with animals in ways that may have only been previously imagined.

A singular collection of inspirational, emotional and informative anecdotes - based on De Dan’s personal experiences over 11 years as an animal communicator, Reiki Master and shamanic practitioner - Tails of a Healer offers more than a few hours of delightful reading. According to De Dan, "It is my hope that this book will help people regain the sense of wonder and awareness they enjoyed as children - and the belief that they, too, can connect with animals and the world in magical ways."

Since her earliest experiences in 1999 in Worcester, Mass., through her present day practice as Wild Reiki & Shamanic Healing LLC in Seattle, Wash., De Dan describes with humor and compassion her interactions with pets and animal companions.

"What I do for a profession may seem exotic," De Dan says, "but the emotions and perceptions portrayed in these stories are universal. I share my experiences because I think people are hungry for validation of what they already know at a deep level - namely, that there is more to this world than meets the eye."

Reviewer Cat Saunders, Ph.D. Author of Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook says, "Most of all, De Dan's stories will teach you about the fine art of bridging worlds - between animals and humans, between heart and mind, between body and soul, and between consensus reality and the deeper levels of reality that nurture and sustain us all. Tails of Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism” is a gem!"

Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism can be purchased online at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble or at local bookstores Square One Books, West Seattle or SoulFood Books, Redmond.

the flowering of my tears

2008-01-04T19:00:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I received an e-card from a student that featured an image of a Quechua guide resting on a carved stone at Machu Picchu. I became intrigued, and while exploring the rest of the photographer's images I got interested in her bio which sounded like she might be from the same Peruvian shamanic tradition I am part of.

The words on her home page struck a chord with me, since some days it seems as though the journey of self-healing and growth is very difficult. Perhaps I can keep the following in mind when I have farther to travel and the road seems hard.

"The Incas of Peru had an old expression 'the flowering of my tears'

"This represented the time of fulfillment which came after a long period of difficulty and sorrow.

"Our tears continually water the Earth and finally, after we have cried and cried, after we have let go of so much, after we have passed through the searing fires of initiation and the dark night of the soul, the flowers start to grow. These aren't just ordinary flowers, they are precious, sacred flowers. Flowers that can only grow after we have passed through a time of struggle and transformation, a time of rebirthing into a new life."

By Kathy Doore, http://www.labyrinthina.com

The First Day of Christmas

2007-12-27T21:49:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning I was coming back from walking my dog Puma when I heard the familiar tic-tic-tic sound of a hummingbird. For those not from the Seattle area we actually have hummingbirds that overwinter here wherever there is food supplied. In this case it is my neighbor across the street who has the hummingbird feeder and lately I have noticed one bird that keeps a watchful eye on what he considers to be his personal food supply.

His appearance on a dreary winter day was a gift in itself, and I rushed to get my camera. The hummer was obliging enough, providing me with nice closeups and profile shots before swooping off for another go at the feeder. So, I started the first day of Christmas gifted not with a partridge in a pear tree, but rather a hummingbird in a bare tree!

The True Joy of the Season

2007-12-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

I have just spent the last half hour playing animated Jacquie Lawson Christmas cards for my cat, Kiya!

It started with Jacquie’s latest card, “A Christmas Story,” a lovely animated tale of a kitten’s gift to Santa Claus. I was playing it while Kiya was sitting in my lap. Suddenly she tensed, watching the end of the kitten’s tail twitch on screen. Kiya moved closer, tromping on the keyboard in the process, which is why the screen image seems a bit dim in the photo.

Since the card was at an end I replayed it to see how she would respond to the rest. She adored the movement of the image loading bar, and with her paw she chased the toys moving behind Santa. With every page turn she took in all the action, swatting at Santa’s clothes as he reached from behind a screen to prepare for his Christmas Eve journey, and when the card finished waited for more. So I replayed it for her, and again she enjoyed it immensely.

Since my eldest cat Shaman’s diagnosis of cancer a lot of my attention has been on him, taking time away from the rest of my animal family, so I felt moved to try another card on her and then another. She sat raptly through all of them, occasionally raising a paw to chase the images across the screen. I don’t think I realized until this moment how many birds and animals are in Jacquie’s cards—must be why I love them so much!

Besides “A Christmas Story” Kiya’s favorites were “The Olive Tree,” “A Winter Waltz,” and the unseasonable Halloween “Feline Fright” where two mice take revenge on a black cat. Kiya chased the black cat the whole time it played.

I’m really glad I took time from my day to share with Kiya; it was time well spent. The true joy of the season can be found in togetherness and playfulness with the ones you love.

To see more of Kiya, check her out on the front cover of our new book, Tails of a Healer. Kiya was born to be a diva, she really does think she is a tiger inside. I joke with her that she reminds me of Miss Piggy, it's all about moi!

If you would like to read more musings by Rose De Dan visit Articles.

Rose De Dan©2007

Saving Keiko

2007-12-13T15:30:00.000-08:00

Over a month ago I received a call from a local vet’s office. They were seeking information about the possibility of placing a cat that had been brought to them to be euthanized. Since she was perfectly healthy they wanted to see if other options could be found. She was surrendered to the vet by the family that adopted her as a stray that turned up in their yard at about 6-8 months of age. They had her spayed, declawed on all four feet (poor dear, declawing is a cruel procedure as it removes the toe on each foot to the first joint, otherwise the nail grows back). Keiko is now three years old, and up-to-date on her vaccinations.

The reason for Keiko’s surrender is that she began to hide and to not always use the litter box. Keiko was checked and there was no evidence of a physical issue. My experience with cat clients has definitely taught me that they will develop these behavioral responses when something happens that causes them to feel unsafe in their environment. When threatened they will begin to display territorial marking behavior.

The vet was concerned that they were still going to have to euthanize her because she was extremely aggressive in her cage and would hiss and swat at them and try to bite (declawed cats feel very vulnerable and when really scared will use the last weapon left them, their teeth). I felt I needed to go visit her to better be able to assess the situation and to see how I might best offer advice. As I was very busy I asked a student to take a look at her photo and see what she might learn through animal communication. The picture emerged of a very sweet cat that needed someone who understood her need to be able to trust in her own fashion, and who was very afraid of where she was. She did not want to die.

When I first laid eyes on Keiko she was hiding behind a comfort barrier that the kind vet people had put in her cage, and was growling and hissing. I immediately knew what the solution was going to be. Unfortunately it involved my taking her home as a foster cat. It was very clear that she was never going to be able to settle in a vet clinic environment, there was too much noise and distress from other animals that came in for appointments. No one was ever going to be able to see who Keiko really was in that environment, she needed a quiet place to recover and for me to observe how she really interacted.

Keiko was informed of the plan, and when I went to pick her up the vet tech placed heavy gloves on her hands to try to grab Keiko and put her in the carrier. I could see Keiko’s response to that, and suggested that perhaps we open the carrier and place it in the cage and see if she would go in voluntarily. And she did, with a little guidance and encouragement, and she sat quietly as I picked her up and took her back to my house and a cage in the cellar.

When I first foster a cat I almost always cage them so that we have a secure environment in which to interact and so that I can build trust quickly. Keiko emerged from her carrier with ease, and immediately took up residence in the cat bed teepee that I had gotten for her to feel safe. Not once did she hiss at me, although she was clearly scared. I made no attempt to touch her for the next few days, simply giving her time. When I finally did reach out to her she tipped her head with relief and gladly accepted some loving touches. From that point on she was eager for contact -- when I bring her food she would rather have me pet her than eat!

My schedule does not allow me to spend much time with her, but I make a point every evening to sit down in front of the cage and do some Reiki with her. Keiko knows the routine and rushes to her mat, eager for her session. I place both arms in the cage and Keiko piles in between them, curling around inside, rubbing her face in my hand, flipping her body, and purring like mad the entire time (and she has a lovely, loud, rumbling purr). If she really gets going she drools, just a little bit. By the end of 15 minutes of Reiki she is curled into a ball within my arms, head usually tucked into one hand, purr trailing off as she falls asleep. I still cannot believe that this is the same terrified cat that I saw at the vet, but, when I bring someone else to visit her, Keiko gets scared and tries to hide. She is getting better, accepting my reassurance that it is okay, trusting me, but it will evidently take her time to bond with someone else. In my opinion Keiko is a semi-feral. She will make someone a lovely companion so long as they allow her to build the relationship at her comfort level, and she will probably not be seen when company visits (unless they are doing Reiki, in which case I think she will be front and center!).

Keiko has now been with me for a month. Events with my eldest cat, Shaman, kind of put the focus of getting her adopted on hold, but she is getting tired of being in the cage, and I don’t blame her. It is time for her to find her forever home, I have given her great food and supplements, her coat is really glossy, she uses the litter box without fail, and she has had more than enough energy work!

So, do you know someone who would love this very sweet lady? I believe she needs a quiet home, one without children or dogs, although I think another laid-back cat would be fine. And the person definitely needs to be someone who is comfortable with letting Keiko be who she is rather than having specific requirements.

I will screen any potential adopters, and there is an adoption fee (fee will be donated to rescue work, it is good to have a fee to discourage impulse adoptions). It would be nice if Keiko’s person was already a Reiki practitioner but I am willing to consider a discount on Reiki training if the person is willing!

Keiko is waiting. Do you know where her forever home is?

If you are interested in adopting Keiko, please call Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki & Shamanic Healing at 206-933-7877 or send an email.

If you would like to read another article regarding building trust with ferals see Building An Interspecies Bridge.

The Shamanic Muse

2007-11-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

This blog marks my return to writing after a lengthy absence due to my being deeply immersed in the production of my book, Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism.

The book is a collection of previously published articles spanning the eleven years of my healing practice, and chronicles my adventures, mishaps, and growth as an alternative healer for animals (and people). It also contains dozens of my photos. I would have thought that it would be a relatively easy process to assemble the articles and lay them out in a pleasing format for publication (my career as a graphic designer comes in quite handy at times!). After all, they had appeared in publications such as The Kaleidoscope Journal, The New Times, WomenNetWork, and VerveWomen, how difficult could this be?

What I learned was the true nature of a core aspect of shamanism, which is that all things have spirit. In this case, the book literally took on a life of its own, and while doing so, took over mine. Additionally the book seems to have an energy of its own for others; several people who were reading the manuscript reported that their animals would try to lie on it no matter where they moved it to, and further the people reported that they were having a difficult time actually editing it as they would get caught up in the stories and forget what they were supposed to be doing!

While the 45 articles had been previously published, they had never before been assembled together under one roof (or cover). I have done a lot of personal healing work around the various events chronicled in the book, but had never thought to tackle them from the standpoint of integrating them as a whole, something the book demanded. While I had tackled the major issues, there seemed to be pieces that had gotten overlooked, or, perhaps, that I was simply not ready to clear at that time. So, in addition to running a healing practice and teaching classes, I also had to add time for my own personal healing. No slacking was allowed, I had emotions and hucha (stuck heavy energy) coming to the surface on a daily basis!

In amongst all of this was the actual book production, which required some orchestrating and balancing between people who had agreed to review the book, edit it, overview it, and so on, as well as coordinating with the publisher. Was it all exciting, yes, absolutely. Was it scary, YES, absolutely. The next emotional hurdle I encountered was my own fear of being seen for who I am. There is no way to hide from scrutiny with a book containing your innermost thoughts and feelings while embarked on your own personal journey! Yikes! What had I done? Back to the energy healing drawing board for more of my own clearing work.

Finally, I encountered some technical problems with software, fonts, and hardware. All of which culminated just when I thought I was going to production. One week of very intensive trouble-shooting detective work, and a final crucial session with my Macintosh technical support (Ruben Jeffries, MacDaddy), and I was ready for a very long vacation. But the book was finally at the publisher!

So, I am happy to report that it is due out sometime in mid-January. Tails of a Healer is available as a pre-order which does entitle one to an autographed copy at no additional charge! Now, maybe I can catch up on my writing!

The Penthouse Suite

2007-10-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

My attic now smells like moth balls. No, we don’t have a moth infestation, we have squirrels. Squirrels, I might add, that may enjoy talk radio. Wonder what they’ll think of Rush Limbaugh?

If this all sounds a little squirrelly, let me explain that squirrel experts swear that plugging the entrance holes with steel wool, filling the air with the pungent reek of moth balls, and playing a radio that makes it sound like the space is occupied with people is guaranteed to keep the little tykes outside where they belong. We’ll see, previous attempts to plug the holes did not work.

The little nippers have been keeping me entertained at 4:30 in the morning (apparently their hyperactive natures don’t let them sleep in), using the entire attic space for early morning races and calisthenics.

When I originally complained to my landlord, he actually seriously asked me, “Have you tried asking them to leave?” I had two responses to that question, one was the thought, “How nice that he supports what I do as an animal communicator,” and the second went something like, “Squirrels may like nuts, but they are not crazy. Why would they exchange their penthouse suite with partying room for 100 of their best buddies for a drafty nest made of twigs and leaves?”

I am very glad that my landlord is animal-friendly and environmentally conscious. He actually bought a squirrel box and had it installed in hopes that they would move out of the attic. However, next to the penthouse suite it looks like squirrel shantytown, and they were not tempted. Instead the mama squirrel gave birth in the attic to triplets this past spring, so we had to wait until they were raised.

Summer came, and they moved out; too hot. It appeared that they were using the more air-conditioned squirrel box, so I had hopes, but nope, come cooler fall weather they moved back in. At least two did, I think. Two that sound like they have lead feet early in the morning.

And just as I was trying to think positive thoughts, that maybe all of this might work, someone sent me a link to a video that displays the James Bond capabilities of a squirrel to perfection. Check out Squirrel Obstacle Course. I sincerely hope ours are not as smart as the ones in this video!

Dog Shaman

2007-09-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

Once a week Cassie Sawyer and I work with an elderly black lab named Max, who used to be quite athletic, but advancing years have slowed him down and made him stiff. Cassie does massage and acupressure with him, and I do Reiki, shamanism and animal communication. The purpose of the sessions is to give him better quality of life through increased mobility, good energy balance and flow, and reduced pain. He has gotten quite used to our sessions, now as soon as we approach he lies down and obligingly presents one side for us to begin his session. His walking and vitality have improved as well.

That particular week the lab’s person had to leave early and it was her mother that spoke with us at the end of the session. She shared that she and her daughter had taken a walk the other day in my neighborhood and that she was very inspired by my garden with its Certified Wildlife Habitat sign. She was curious about how she might be able to do that for herself even though she lived in a condo, so I told her about the campaign that the National Wildlife Federation is running nationwide to make every backyard a certified wildlife habitat. So many habitats have been certified in the Pacific Northwest that we may become the first certified region, which I think is wonderful.

Then she dropped the line that made me smile, she said that as they walked past her daughter pointed out my home office and told her that that was where her dog’s shaman lived. The phrase just struck me as humorous, it is not every dog who can say they have their own personal shaman!

Pachamama's Ambassador

2007-09-27T21:18:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I taught the last class of the shamanic 4-part series Spirited Living: A Shamanic Journey into Self-Healing.

On Saturday night we had a potluck dinner before the fire ceremony. As part of the Peruvian shamanic tradition we have a single bowl set aside into which each person places something from their plate. This offering of the first and best to Pachamama (Mother Earth) is done in thanksgiving for all that we have received and enjoy with this meal. The Pachamama Bowl is then taken outside and placed on the ground and left overnight. Usually the contents are gone by next day.

That night we gathered under an almost full moon for our last fire ceremony together. As was usual my dog, Puma, joined us, however this time he snuck away at some point and went off exploring. I had to push my concern away and focus on the ceremony, something I managed to do until he came back quite damp, and I had a moment of angst wondering what mischief he had been up to, but decided that I would not ask. Sometimes with dog moms it is better not to know!

Next day we had leftovers from the previous night’s dinner for lunch, and again we put out the Pachamama Bowl in offering. With a sense of satisfaction I noticed that the previous night’s offering was gone.

Later in the day we again went outside for another fire. This time we were burning individual despachos to give thanks for all that we had received in healing during the training as well as to bring ayni (balance and harmony) to who we were becoming.

I noticed that Puma was quite eager to join us; he bounded down the stairs ahead of everyone. Once outside the reason for his haste became clearer; he made a beeline straight for the Pachamama Bowl, and quickly gulped down the contents!

The students have now tagged Puma with the nickname “Pachapuma” in honor of his chosen role as representative for Pachamama.

It Takes A Cat to Create A Village

2007-08-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

It is with deep sorrow that I announce the passing of a truly great personality and personal friend, Gracie the cat.

Last night, at about midnight, there came a knock on my door. It was my neighbor Casey, and she was obviously in distress. Apparently Gracie had been found in a neighbor’s yard after having been missing for several days, and she was not looking good. Casey said she did not think Gracie would last the night and asked if I would come and see her. In my official capacity as an animal energy healer I would have done this anyway, but as Gracie and I had shared special moments as friends I immediately replied that I would be there.

While I gathered my mesa and other healing tools together I reflected on our friendship. Gracie had the most open and trusting heart of anyone I had ever met. Everyone, friend or stranger, was greeted with joy by Gracie. Apparently she had never met someone she did not want to know, and in conversation with the neighbors I discovered that she literally knew more people on the block than any of us did (see Gracie the Cat Star). She would run down the sidewalk or cross the street to greet you, meowing in welcome, and when she reached you there would be purring and great affectionate gestures. If you were really open to her, and willing to crouch down a bit to her level, she would make her way into your lap, eventually placing herself across your shoulder, rumbling purr vibrating in your ear. A little kneading to soften you up further, and when you were putty in her capable feline paws, she would drape herself, like a boa, around your neck.

When she was in need of healing she would instigate a variation on this theme (see Gracie the Cat and Fireworks); she would lie in wait outside my house, and when she had my attention she would curl herself up in my arms, tuck her head under my chin, and get as close to my heart chakra as possible. At those times I could feel how open she was; Gracie was 8 lbs. of unconditional love, and my feelings of affection for her would just well up.

As I recalled her energy, her sunny disposition, and the many memories I had of her including my recent pajama-clad photo shoot of Gracie (see Gracie by Morning Light) I felt fear that she might be lost to us. What would we all do without her?

As I entered Casey’s house to see if there was anything I could do to help Gracie I made a deliberate effort to put those fears and memories aside so that I could best be a hollow bone for the healing energy that she would need. At my first sight of her my heart sank into my feet, she could barely raise her head, and she seemed very out of touch with her surroundings. As I knelt by the chair I acknowledged that we might lose her and put that feeling aside.

And then it happened—Gracie broke through my hard-won professional balance. She heard my voice; the voice of the person who had always helped her when she had been sick in the past, and although she was very weak, she began to crawl toward my heart chakra which was level with her on the chair. As I leaned forward to meet her Gracie shoved her face into my chest and wrapped her right paw around my bare arm, claws digging into my skin and leaving marks, and she hung on for dear life like someone drowning, I could feel the tension and the fear in her and there was no purring this time. At her demonstration of complete trust in me I felt my heart break into little pieces, and I had to put that aside, too. Gracie needed me.

As I began to assess her energetically I could feel some strange kind of disturbance in her upper energy field, something like disconnected signals. I dimly registered that information and continued looking for what might be causing the problem. She did not appear to have any external injuries, there was some evidence of what was probably arthritis (Gracie was 13), but nothing jumped out at me for what could cause these symptoms, and it became clear to me that Gracie was not going to be able to tell me, Whatever was going on was causing her ability to communicate to break down.

At this point I needed to open my mesa and turn the session over to the universe. When in doubt my philosophy has always been to get out of the way and let the energy and the client dialogue. It is then that miracles can occur.

It became very clear to me that I could not disengage Gracie to open my mesa in order to open sacred space, thereby create a place for healing between the worlds (consensual reality and the spirit world; this is the realm of the shaman). Gracie made it very clear that physical contact was emotionally important to her, and she wanted to be able to draw on the Reiki energy freely. I had to ask Casey to open my mesa and to distribute the stones in a circle around Gracie and I. It is a tribute to my mesa that it allowed this, as the general rule is that no one handles the mesa except the shaman.

As Casey distributed the stones, and the rest of her family watched quietly, the energy began to build. Search as I might I could not see a thread of possibility that led to Gracie surviving this, but neither could I find certainty that she would not. I set my intention for her highest healing good, allowing the shamanic energy to enfold both of us, opening my feelings, feeding the energy with my love for her, and at the same time attempting to put aside my fear of loss.

I performed a Reiki attunement for her, re-connecting her fully to Source for her highest mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, and I could gradually feel the tension in her body ease, her fear subside. She entered a trance-like stage of healing where I sensed her soul journeying through the universe. Her breathing slowed, and I wondered if possibly she might choose to use the energy to leave her body permanently. As I had no idea of the outcome I clearly set intent for her to receive whatever she needed. I built a Bridge of Light for her so that whenever it was her time to leave she might do so in as joyful and a painless a fashion as possible, and then be met and guided to wherever she was to go next.

When we finished Gracie was calm, but still clearly not right. Realizing that we had done all that was possible, it was now time to get her to a vet.

As Gracie drove off with her family my heart was heavy with the sense that I might never see her in body again. When I re-entered my house my animals clearly picked up on how I was feeling and decided that it was time to lighten me up. So, at 1:00 a.m. we had a silly play session, re-affirming our connection to one another and joy in life. When I finally crashed for the night all the cats snuggled up with me, blanketing me in care and concern.

I woke up once during the night with the sense that something had happened, but it was not until after noontime that I learned that Gracie had passed. All tests at the Burien emergency clinic showed no elevated levels of anything, however her behaviors indicated neurological compromise, and the conclusion was that Gracie had a brain tumor. With great difficulty her family made the decision to humanely euthanize her.

When Casey called me the next day I heard in her voice that my worst fear was confirmed—Gracie was gone. A part of me was glad that she would not continue to suffer as she clearly had been; another part keened in grief at the thought that she would never wrap her paws around me again. It was as though for me a light had gone out in the world.

Casey shared with me some of Gracie’s early life. Apparently Casey and her then-husband had been looking to adopt from the shelter. Casey said she did not see Gracie because she is short, and Gracie was in a top cage, but her tall husband saw this paw reaching out at them, and suggested they check out the eager cat.

In the petting room Gracie leapt from one lap to the next in a frenzy of affection. She had been found behind a building with her kittens and was about one year-old. The kittens were weaned and Gracie needed some more beings to love. Casey and her husband complied and adopted her.

So, how did an unwanted stray with no place to raise a family maintain an unlimited amount of trust in the goodness of the universe and the kindness of mankind? I have no idea, I only know that Gracie is my hero. As the neighbors and I carried the news of her passing from one house to the next, and stories were shared, I realized that Gracie, a small gray and white tabby of unknown origins, had woven a thread of friendly connection through a block of disconnected people simply through the power of her unconditional love. One little cat created a village.

Good-night, Gracie, may your legacy of love live on.

In memory of Gracie I invite you to post your comments and share your memories of Gracie here, or perhaps you have stories of other animals who have inspired or blessed your life like Gracie blessed ours.

There will be a Peruvian despacho ceremony held at Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC for all friends of Gracie once her ashes are returned. A death despacho is a beautiful celebration of the life of the individual and all participants get to share in the ceremony and add their prayers and memories. A notice will be sent out at that time.

Who's Alpha Now?

2007-08-21T21:37:00.000-07:00

I recently went on a road trip to Eastern Washington to visit Kimberly who is interested in turning her property into a workshop retreat center. Newly-minted Reiki Master Teacher Rhonda Hanley and my dog Puma were also part of the adventure.

Kimberly and all of her animals (cats, dogs, horses, donkey) welcomed us heartily. Puma had never really seen horses up close, and it was interesting to note that he attempted to communicate with them as though they were really big dogs, turning his body sideways so that they could sniff and wagging his tail to let them know he had friendly intentions. One of Kimberly's horses, Tulle, kept an eye on Puma throughout the visit. I think she was trying to figure out if he was part wolf (-:

Tulle has a dominating nature, she was trying to show him who was alpha as Puma is an alpha dog. Puma, bless his heart, ceded the field to what he considered a vastly larger being. His respect did not extend to staying out of the grazing area—while I was doing some Reiki and shamanic work with one of the horses Puma felt he needed to be part of the action (as he is in my healing practice) and perhaps protect me from the other large horses who were crowding around me wanting to be part of the action, too. This led to a somewhat tense moment as he ducked under the fence, and being on his leash could not easily get back to the safe side. I had to move quickly to get to him first; Tulle was clearly intent on teaching him whose pasture it was!

Tikki, Photographer's Model

2007-08-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

I have many cat friends throughout the neighborhood, Gracie, who I have blogged about before, is one of them. Another is Tikki, the calico cat who lives next door.

I first met Tikki before I met the new human neighbors that she shares a household with. She strolled into my cellar while I was doing laundry, introduced herself, and, for the first of many occasions to follow, appointed herself my companion and project overseer. As long as my cat, Kiya is not outside with me Tikki will be by my side, being companionable and offering comments from time to time. If Kiya is out, Tikki sees how far she can push her luck, testing Kiya’s jealousy meter to see how close she is allowed to hang with me that day.

This week I needed to get some shots of some new pendulums I had gotten in for sale and that I wanted to offer on the internet. I did not have the proper lighting for an indoor shoot so I thought I would experiment with setting up in the natural light at sunset outside in my front yard.

I used a black wool cloak from Peru as a background, and made certain to clean it carefully of animal fur (living in a multiple cat/dog household always offers these challenges). I draped the cloak carefully over my Adirondack chair and then created an ingenious way of suspending the pendulums against the background. With all in place I got my camera and began taking a few shots. I did not get very far before Tikki showed up and, sizing up the situation, she determined that there was definitely something missing from the composition…her!

Despite my verbal protests, which of course included pleas to not get cat hair on the cloak, she climbed up on the chair, turned to face the camera, struck a pose and stretched both front paws out with an expression of great satisfaction. And note, she was very careful to not even brush her very fluffy tail on the cloak and pendulum display. I could not resist such thoughtfulness, forcefulness and charm, I took many photos of her, one of which appears here. I regret to say that the product shoot was not a success, but thanks to Tikki’s wisdom I did at least get a great picture of her and a wonderful memory (and she now has her own greeting card, note cards, and journal too).

Gourmet Recycling

2007-08-06T22:11:00.000-07:00

Like many people I lead a busy life. As an entrepreneur I wear many hats in my business and practice, and in my personal life I am sole caregiver for several cats and one dog. Sometimes this means easy-to-fix meals for myself consumed while working at the computer. And at the end of the week it can also mean overlooked leftovers and food items that are not spoiled, but that are not fresh as I would like them to be.

Rather than toss the food in the garbage, or the yard waste recycling bin, if it's not spoiled I'll offer it to the local wildlife first and see what happens.

This has resulted in some very interesting and unusual discoveries. It is very clear that crows have taste buds and preferences for certain foods. For example, if you place out a variety of disparate items such as fruit, garlic mashed potatoes, cream cheese, and gourmet cheese, most crows will go for the garlic mashed potatoes first, followed by the cheeses, leaving the fruit. Who knew that crows liked dairy products? And it is a very funny sight to see a crow with cream cheese squeezing out either side of his face trying to grab just a little more before flying off!

Another day's offering included cheez-it type crackers, BBQ potato chips, and cheese puffs. That day afforded me a bird ballet, as the crows would fly off with a tidbit (BBQ chips first, then cheez-its, and finally the puffs) and then a wave of starlings would sweep in followed by a phalanx of sparrows. As the crows returned the smaller birds would retreat. It looked like a beautiful and carefully choreographed display, and the ground was clear of food in no time.

Today's offering was cherries and cream cheese. I was alerted by crow alarm calls to the presence of a different form of wildlife in the courtyard, one of the local cats was sampling the cream cheese! I laughed as I took her picture because you can see the footprints of a former cat resident in the cement next to her.

A while later one of the three triplet squirrels born in my attic this past spring found himself a treasure trove of cherries. Daintily consuming the first cherry, after finishing he neatly buried the pit in one of the cracks in the cement. Hopefully we will not have a tree growing there next spring!

Gracie by Morning Light

2007-08-02T18:14:00.001-07:00

As outgoing as Gracie is, being the official greeter of our block, still she is shy of paparazzi. Rhonda, one of my Reiki Master students, has been armed with camera for the last several weeks. Every time she has come by for class she has kept an eye out for a Gracie sighting, with hopes of being granted a photo op. So far Rhonda has landed only one opportunity, and of course on that momentous occasion she had been late for an appointment and could not dally for more than a couple of shots.

And, of course, Gracie is not an easy subject because she is so friendly (see Gracie the Cat Star). As seen in the photo that accompanies that blog, the best shot that Rhonda was able to capture was at very close range with Gracie sitting on her knee. (Check out Rhonda's other photos.)

Many students and clients have quizzed me on whether they have had a Gracie sighting, offering descriptions of every other cat on the street (and there are quite a few). It was really driven home to me this past weekend while teaching Reiki Level I class just how much of a celebrity Gracie has become. While the students were practicing offering Reiki through chair sessions someone spotted Gracie across the street. There was a sudden rush of excitement that went through the class and I noticed that the students that were receiving Reiki had to quell an impulse to stand up and try to see her!

Yesterday morning as I greeted the day and looked out my windows across the street, I saw Gracie enjoying a morning sunbath before beginning her busy day of greetings and rounds. In the spirit of a true paparazzi I grabbed my camera, ignoring the exclamations of disappointment from my animals who were expecting their breakfasts, and headed out the door in my pajamas.

Despite the fact that she had not yet completed her morning toilette, sans briskly groomed fur or breakfast, Gracie graciously consented to a star turn in front of the camera. Several shots were taken in the doorway, with Gracie even turning her head to present a perfect profile. Next she posed surveying her domain, and then obliged me with her signature walk, always used when hurrying to greet her next new friend. I thanked her profusely for taking the time to work with me, she curled up against my side for a moment of affection, and then strolled off to begin her day.

And so, you see it here first, folks, a star is born! And since every star has her fan memorabilia, Gracie now has her own greeting card, journal, note cards, and pin-up poster!

Call of the Wild

2007-07-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

I’ve been busy this week revamping the greeting cards section of my Animal Art & Gifts site. Greeting cards are now available as single cards at only $3.49, making it easier to mix and match rather than having to purchase a group of the same design! This means you can stock up on the great series which focus on shamanism, cats as urban tigers, joyful and expressive dogs, and many other images promoting our connection to the natural world.

Even better, there’s a new greeting card available featuring the art of Robert Blehert in the form of an incredible impressionist-style painting of a wolf.

Robert is a friend of mine, and he had been working on some paintings for the recent fund-raising auction for the local Seattle Woodland Park Zoo. When he sent me an advance image of the wolf I fell in love with it and asked his permission to add it to my greeting cards (the wolf is also available as a journal). In addition to the wolf image I also carry Robert's gorgeous "Cat Think" painting as a greeting card, ornament and magnet.

If you would like to see more of Robert’s Blehert's paintings you can visit his website.

Gracie the Cat Star

2007-07-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I paid a visit to Alki Art and Gifts. Located several doors down from me, just off Alki Avenue, they feature gifts by local artists and I wanted to see if they would be interested in featuring some of my animal art from my online store.

When I mentioned to the woman in charge that I lived on the same street she immediately asked, "Oh, do you know Gracie the cat?" I smiled and shared that I lived across the street from her, and that Gracie's story had actually inaugurated my blog. After some discussion of Gracie's wonderful nature she requested my blog address so that she could read about her. I was happy to supply same and left after obtaining the information that I could talk to the owner the following day regarding my gift art.

When I returned to the store the owner, Alina, startled me by telling me that Gracie often came in and entertained the customers! My goodness, that cat gets around! I have seen her at every BBQ and yard sale on the street, checking things out and chatting with everyone who passes. If Gracie were the gossiping type I imagine she could tell stories about all the neighbors, but fortunately she is an affectionate soul who wants nothing more than some loving attention.

So, I guess I'm famous because I live across the street from Gracie, the neighborhood icon. Perhaps I can get a testimonial from her for my healing services (see previous post Gracie the Cat and Fireworks). I can be healer to the cat stars (-:

After the Pet Food Recall: Why natural is the way to go

2007-07-13T19:41:00.001-07:00

For years I thought I fed my companion animals a good compromise diet. Neither expensive and “boutique” or bargain basement “supermarket.” A good quality, middle of the road compromise. I resisted any efforts or education to examine higher quality foods or raw food diets, which I thought excessive, costly, and time consuming. And one of my cats paid the price for that decision. He threw up daily, and had never really did well from the time I brought him home as a little black and white kitten. He was always very slender and almost frail looking. I thought it was his breeding, part Siamese, or just a weak stomach. Boy, was I wrong.

When I moved from the East coast to Seattle I was no longer able to obtain the same brand I had been feeding, and was forced to consider other options. So, I changed the diet of all my animals, and was stunned by the results for EVERYONE. Shaman stopped throwing up as soon as I changed the food. Within a month all of my animals’ (dog and cats) coats became silky and glossy, and Shaman finally filled out to average rather than skeletal. All because I changed their food. That simple. (Shaman, now 15 years young, appears in the photo.)

Is your dog or cat’s fur dry or dull looking?
Do they have dandruff?
Need to be bathed frequently?
Does your cat or dog scratch constantly? Groom excessively?
Have they created “hot spots,” (open wounds from licking)?
Does an area of their body feel hot to the touch?
Are they hyperactive/have difficulty relaxing?
Do they have seizures?
Do they exhibit strange behaviors, such as dirt eating or ingestion of foreign objects?
Are they obsessed with food?
Will they only eat one brand of food?

If the answer to any one of these is "yes," you need to consider changing their diet because chances are food may be causing the behavior. Even if they are not exhibiting any of the above you should still read up on pet foods because what you learn could not only lengthen the lifespan of your companion, but lower your vet bills and give your pet a brand new healthy look.

If you buy your food at the supermarket, discount outlet, or even your vet (most vets receive no training on nutrition in school, and base their food recommendations on the reps of the pet food companies) there is a good chance that you are not giving your loved companion a diet that will help them stay physically healthy and emotionally balanced. The reality and bottom line are that not all pet foods are created even remotely equal. It is true that you get what you pay for. Think about it, how can a food contain plump, juicy chicken and prime cuts of beef and still cost only $4 for a 5 lb. bag? Our companions are carnivores and there is no way that you can buy a prime cut of meat for less than $1 a pound.

So, what else is in a bag of dog or cat food that makes up the rest of that weight? Fillers. Wheat, soy, corn, peanut hulls, and possibly even the sweepings off of the factory floor. Little of which would ever be in your pet’s diet in the wild. Think wholesome and natural and choose accordingly. Think, “What do wolves eat? Cougars?” Do either of these animals eat grains? No. Many companion animals who exhibit itchy, scratchy behaviors have allergies to ingredients they would not normally encounter in nature. Our dogs and cats do best on diets that use high quality animal sources for protein, not plants.

Then there are the additives and chemical preservatives, some of which can be addictive, resulting in the animal desiring only that one food brand—other agents, such as BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin, are potential carcinogens.

Now for the stunner, unlike human food there are no regulations governing where the protein sources in your pet’s food come from. This means that the meat in your food can come from downer animals (which can have any number of health problems) and that have been euthanized by lethal injection. Those drugs are NOT destroyed during the processing and hence go directly into your pet’s body. It also means that all the leftover parts that we don’t eat, such as hooves, feathers, beaks, horn, etc. can legally be added to your pet’s food, and are included in the label under “Chicken By-Products, Poultry By-Product Meal, or Meat and Bone Meal.” There’s nothing wrong with these animal parts, they just do not constitute a good, high quality protein source. The manufacturers are required to gauge the percentage of protein in the food, but are not required to disclose or consider the protein sources.

A little known fact is that three of the five major pet food companies in the U.S. are subsidiaries of major multinational companies, for example Nestle (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, and Ralston Purina products such as Dog Chow, ProPlan, and Purina One). What this means is that multinational companies that create human food products have a secondary market for all of their waste products; those by-products that are deemed not fit for human consumption.

What can you do? Research on the internet is a very good place to begin. One excellent site is maintained by the Animal Protection Institute. In addition to clear information about what is in your pet foods they also have a list of suggestions and further reading lists.

Seek out non-chain, natural pet food stores and ask questions. Most of the time the staff are quite well educated as to what is in the food they sell and which one might best fit your dog or cat’s individual needs. Evaluate raw, natural food diets, or consider adding some natural foods to a high quality kibble (dry food) diet. There are many excellent options to fit your lifestyle and comfort zone.

If you are changing over to a new food what you are looking for is one that contains human grade quality ingredients, with whole chicken or chicken meal (for example) listed first on the label. Also note that while higher quality food will cost more per pound than a lesser quality food you will actually have to feed less of the quality food because it contains more nutrition per pound.

If you do decide to change your animal’s food do so gradually, say over the course of a week. Add more and more of the new food and less of the old. Because of the addictive nature of some foods your companion may resist the change at first and will undergo a gradual detoxification process which is what happened with my own dog when I first adopted him. He had been used to a very cheap, poor quality “supermarket” brand and would not eat the higher quality food at first. Be persistent, your companion will not allow themselves to starve to death no matter how much they may dramatize! Please note that not every food, no matter how high the quality, is right for every animal. Some do better on one food than another. If diarrhea results from the changeover, it may be due to the detoxification process or your companion may do better on another food with a different protein source—chicken, lamb, turkey, buffalo, salmon, etc.

Here are a few quality foods to research: Canidae, Merrick, Solid Gold, Wellness, Wysong, Precise, Newman's Own, Pet Guard, Innova, Origen, Timberwolf Organics (see Nutrition Resources on my Wild Reiki & Shamanic Healing website for listings and sources). (Addition: please note that due to the massive and tragic pet food recall it would be wise to check out sites such as Little Big Cat for the latest information before buying.)

So, let what you feed your animal be the first line of defense in helping your companion lead a long and happy life. You’ll be amazed at the difference and they’ll love you for it.

©Rose De Dan 2004, updated 2007. All rights reserved.

got reiki?

2007-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

A three year-old brightened my day recently.

His father is my Japanese-style acupuncturist, and is also the person who created the beautiful old style calligraphy of the Reiki kanji for my Reiki store and practice. As a thank you I gave him a t-shirt for his son, Ryan. On the front it says got reiki? and on the back is the kanji.

Ryan’s mother shared with me that he is going through a stage where he like to wear t-shirts with words on them, such as “Superman” and “Spiderman” so that he can say what is printed there. One morning he chose my “got reiki?” t-shirt and when his mother asked him what it said, he enthusiastically exclaimed, “Rose!”

Now that’s what I call brand identification! So, need reiki? Think of me (-:

Gracie the Cat and Fireworks

2007-07-06T18:07:00.001-07:00

Gracie is a little grey tabby & white female cat who lives across the street from me, and is considered the neighborhood greeter. She is friendly with everyone who walks down the street, and despite the fact that she is wearing a collar I have had to come to her rescue several times to prevent her being carried off by well-meaning people who thought she was lost.

She has figured out what I do, and when Gracie is not feeling well she will march across the street and demand some energy healing from me. Every time that has happened I have had to let her person know that she needs a vet visit, and each time she has required medical attention in addition to Reiki and shamanic healing. Her person was kind enough to gift me at Christmas with a gift certificate as thanks for Gracie's impromptu sessions.

Very affectionate and appreciative when she receives Reiki, Gracie purrs, kneads, and often positions herself in my arms like a baby, belly uppermost, and then she gets this incredibly blissed-out look on her face, and sticks her tongue out. If she is really transported, she drools. Of course every time she does this my arms are too full to take a picture!

Yesterday, first thing in the morning, Gracie met me at my front door. She was crying and asking to be picked up. When I obliged she immediately snuggled into my neck, tucked her head in tight under my chin, placed her front paws delicately on top of both of my collarbones and then began to knead, gently shredding my skin. Although she purred with pleasure, her mental voice tone was complaining and frightened. She told me all about how awful the fireworks were the night before and how scared she was. It was not physical healing she needed this time, but emotional. So as I used Reiki for emotional/spiritual healing I also rocked her from side to side as you would a child who was scared of the monsters. It was truly heart-breaking, and gave me deeper insight than ever before into how traumatic our celebrations can be for animals.

I think this time when I tell Gracie's person about her visit I may recommend a crystal essence mist by Vi Miere called Panic Ease that I use with my clients' animals who have fear issues around thunderstorms, fireworks, and other scary things. I will suggest that her person use the mist for three weeks, misting 3-4 times daily above Gracie so that the spritz falls like a mist down on her and her energy field, and then use the mist as needed particularly around challenging times such as the 4th of July and New Year's Eve.

I am happy to report that when I finally put Gracie down she marched off with her tail in her usual self-confident and upright position. I love a satisfied customer!