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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!