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Appeal from Lava Lady

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I rarely post my communications, but what follows is a portion of a reading I did with a person who runs a horse rescue. We were speaking to two horses, both named Lava Lady. One who was a racehorse in the early part of the 20th century, and one, a pregnant racehorse who currently resides in Florida.

The latter is for sale for $10,000 including her future baby. For the sake of simplicity, we have combined the words of both horses into one. However, the main communicator was the Lava Lady who was in spirit. She was acting as a guide and caretaker for the horse who is still in body, who is highly distraught at the thought of her baby becoming a racehorse. She wants to be adopted by a loving family. The message, however, became bigger than I could even imagine.

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Lisa: She is showing me her environment and this place looks freakin’ huge! She’s saying the people are nice enough, but there’s no emotional connection whatsoever. It’s almost as though she knows what an emotional connection with a person is, but she doesn’t really have it.  She knows what that connection is because somebody maybe at some point took care of her that way.  The connection that we understand a connection to be is just not there. She does not want to be a broodmare; she does not want her baby to be a racehorse.

Lava Lady: You (were contacted) were the only hope.

Lisa: … if there can be something done, and she understands that there may not be able to be, but if there could be, she feels that you (my client), given your spiritual understanding of things, might be able to find a place for these horses.

Lisa: She says that this is a time in your spiritual evolution, where you bring to light to a wider audience of people, the lives of racehorses, and the kind of lives that racehorses have. People look at them and they get taken care of, and have nice shiny coats and all of that, and they live in nice clean stalls, they think their lives are really nice.  She says “we are nothing but slaves. It’s time that the world awakens to that.”   She’s saying that there is validity to the whole 2012 Mayan Calendar thing, in that there can be a change in consciousness if, number one: people are willing to listen and, number two: there are enough people willing to speak. 

Lisa: Racehorses have a unique difficulty because they are “owned” by rich people.  That goes back to how they look from the outside as though they are very well taken care of, but they’re not loved.  Not like we think of love. 

Lava Lady: … For horses as a species to survive and thrive, we need to be heard.  Think of where we came from.  (She’s showing a picture of horses out in the wild.)  Basically this doesn’t exist in this space continuum anymore.

Lava Lady: We contacted you because you are a friend of the horse. You understand us like no other.  It’s a very dismal time for so many of us because we live in such big bodies, even those who do understand and love us, it’s just different than the domestic animals you have, where you sleep with your pets, etc. 

Lava Lady: There are a few who are very lucky but relatively few.  If those who were not guided by money could share their love with us things would be far different. 

Lava Lady: I fear for the species. Breeding, as it is done, is breeding out the beauty of us all, the beauty of our true nature, the wildness of our true nature.  We can be Zen Horsie, as you would call it.  But so much of our lives are constricted.  And if you can help us you can help many.  (The spiritual aspect to this is if she could find the right home, she has a lot she could teach.)

Lisa: You would be a good person to do racehorse rescue.  There’s a need for it.  Racehorses have such a unique problem when they are rescued, that most of these other places (other rescues) while they are very compassionate, and are very loving, they don’t have the access for understanding, or ability, or consciousness, of connecting and communicating with them, in a way that is really necessary at this point in time to stop this. 

Lisa: She is concerned that racing is huge part of what is damaging her species. The breeding and what they do to racehorses, is taking away their very nature.  It’s making them something else, to the point where these broodmares have babies and their babies don’t even know how to be real horses in the true sense of the word.  In true soul sense of the word, because they’ve had it bred out of them. 

Lisa: But she hasn’t had that happen to her yet.  She’s held on with a thread to her ancestral ties, to her nature. They breed the nature out of theses horses to the point that they are nothing but robots.  Then they get thrown away and they don’t even know what to be.  They don’t even know how to reconnect ancestrally. 

Lisa: And it’s very nice that these racehorse rescues take care of them and everything else, but they aren’t moving that step further. They’re not going to the step further which helps these racehorses come back into the fold of who they really are. No matter how damaged they are … they can still be damaged, and still be touching who they are … but they never quite get there (in some other racehorse rescues) because they don’t do what you (rescue organization) do. 

Lisa: They don’t look at it like you do. They don’t connect with them in the same way, they don’t talk to them in the same way, they don’t communicate with them in the same way, and they don’t feel them. It’s not saying anything bad about these people, they’re taking wonderful care of them and they’re doing everything they know how to do but  she’s saying “we need something that takes it a step further. We need something that does what you do to help these horses reconnect with their true nature.” These kinds of alternative things are the things that racehorse rescues are not getting.

Lisa: Now let’s see if there’s a suggestion on how to do this.  That’s a big friggin job!  She’s saying the first step is to set the intention into universe.  (comment made about feeling overwhelmed)  Doing that (feeling completely overwhelmed) automatically puts a limit on it – (by saying) “no we can’t do it.”  She’s says instead of looking and saying “oh my gosh, how are we going to do that!” she says look at it and say, “oh!  how are we going to do that?”  Focus on “we are here, (in this current situation) how are we going to make it better?”

Lisa: Rescuing horses isn’t just about the starving, the abandoned, etc.  There is emotional rescue as well.  She (Lava Lady) is not hurting, she’s not being abused, she’s well fed, she’s well brushed, she’s well taken care of, and she say’s that in part is the problem.  Because people look at her from the outside and say, “oh my God this horse has a wonderful life,” but here this SOUL is hanging on by a thread to the true nature of what she is.  She wants an emotional connection. She wants love and she wants to feel SOMETHING!  Racehorses don’t feel anything.

Lava Lady: …this is the reason why we came to you. So many people don’t understand that it’s not about humans; it’s not about the human way of looking at us. It’s about them understanding.

Lisa: And for some reason, it is so much more difficult for humans to understand horses than it is for them to understand dogs or cats because they live with them. Horses live someplace else, they (their people) see them at a separate time, and it’s not the same.  They don’t seem to understand horses from the same point of view they understand their other domestic animals. (she shows a close up picture of a horse’s eye). 

Lisa: There is an inherent sadness creeping it’s way into the horse species (she shows a graphic like we’ve seen in the movies of the enemy spreading across Europe.) It’s like a wave of disconnection from self that is becoming an epidemic in horses as a species. 

Lava Lady: I am afraid that what the heart and soul of a horse IS, will cease to exist. First on an emotional level, and then on a physical level.

Lisa: She knows you will do everything you can, everything that is possible, and she is now giving it up to the universe.  You can’t do anything without first being aware of the situation.

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~ For more information about speaking to your own animals, please visit my site: Pawstalk Animal Communication & Reiki

Horse as a Spirit Guide

HORSE

Keywords:
Freedom, Independence, Strength, Grace, Speed, Power, Travel

When Horse crosses your path:
~ If feeling stuck, it’s time to move on
~ You have the freedom to forge new directions
~ You have the ability to make changes in your life with strength, power and grace

Think about Horse:
At one time they roamed free and in herds. It was the horses’ domestication that was the single most influential event that decreased distance between humans. With strength and power, they carried people great distances.

Having a physical ‘wide field of vision’, they hold great magical and divinatory power. They are also, in this modern world, bought and sold like property, teaching them, determination, internal strength, spirituality and acceptance.

Call on Horse energy when:

~ You need to clarify which path in life to take
~ You need a ‘break from current confinements and restrictions.’ *
~ You feel the call of the wind (i.e.: to travel or move forward) but are having trouble finding the courage and strength

Horse medicine teaches us:

~ to broaden our vision, and widen our horizons”.**
~ to tap into our ‘inner power’.
~ to understand the confines of our circumstances, yet use our own determination and will to change the lives we lead.

Tarot Card Correspondence:
~ The Chariot
~ The Sun
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References:
Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer
Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews
— * StarStuffs
— ** Shamanism, Vol. III, Animal Medicine Powers, by Dolfyn (Out of Print)

How to Choose: Animal Communicator v. Pet Psychic

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[T]he world of animal communication is experiencing a boom. Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, not everyone who takes that jump is qualified to do so.

More and more the internet has been flooded with people calling themselves “pet psychics”. But what is a pet psychic, and more importantly, what is the difference between a pet psychic and an animal communicator?

In simplest terms, all animal communicators are pet psychics but not all pet psychics are animal communicators. It’s an important distinction, especially if you are in need of not only receiving information from your animal, but sending information to your animal. This critical difference is important because if an inexperienced person tries to correct a problem without the proper training, they may very easily make a situation worse rather than better.

This applies to both behavioral and emotional problems. The process between just connecting to an animal psychically, and actually communicating with, them carries stark differences in technique. I, myself, will certainly use some psychic ability within readings, but its really more to fill in the blanks more than anything else. It is not the focus of the reading.

Don’t get me wrong, there may, indeed, be many pet psychics who are very competent and have vast years of experience, but what many pet psychics fail to understand, those who have never had any formal communication training, is that animals can be very suggestable and it takes great care, training, experience, and understanding the animal psyche, to give suggestions to them without creating more problems than you are trying to solve.

Animals who are not communicated with properly may increase behavior such as aggression, inappropriate elimination, or even start exhibiting emotional problems because of lack of the proper way to send information.

Even those speaking to animals in spirit, while not making a situation worse, may not deliver the same types of messages from your pet. People who study the art of animal communication have a certain understanding of animal behavior, and an experience with the types of messages animals in spirit send. In other words, they know what questions to ask, more so than those who have just simply hung up a “pet psychic” shingle.

Think of it this way, would you want your primary care doctor to do open heart surgery on you? Of course not. It’s a specialized field. So is animal communication. When you want to speak with loved ones on the other side, you want a true medium who has studied the craft, not a person who may be a good psychic but has no mediumship experience. When you want to get information about your life, you want an experienced psychic, not someone whose only psychic experience is stocking the bookshelves at a psychic book shop.

It stands to reason, then, that when choosing someone to assist with your pet, that innocent family member who trusts and depends on only you, you want to choose a qualified animal communicator, who has studied the art specifically, understands the dangers and the pitfalls, and has had years of experience speaking with animals, lots of them, rather than someone who has really just jumped on the “pet psychic” bandwagon, to add money to their coffers, because it’s now the “in” thing.

So when choosing someone to assist you with your pet, here are some questions to ask:

Do you ‘communicate with animals’ or ‘read’ them?

Are most of your sessions with animals or with humans?

Who did you study with?

How long did you practice before going professional and how many animals per week or per month did you talk to in that time? (I would look at around 3 years as a minimum amount of time to practice extensively before going professional.)

How long have you been speaking with animals professionally?

How many animal sessions do you perform per week/ per day?

Is this a “full time” profession? How many hours per day do you work specifically on your business? (This does not necessarily connote an ineffective animal communicator if they are not full-time, some people are just getting on their feet, but it does give you an idea of how much experience they have.)

Do you have a website and testimonials to look at? (People taking this seriously should have a dedicated professional looking website to help people understand what animal communication is and how it works.)

These questions will not guarantee you a good communication, but with them you should have a more clear idea of who to hire and who not to hire when wanting to communicate with your most precious fur-dependent, be it in body or in spirit. And why would you want any less than the most experienced among them?

For more information on animal communication please visit Pawstalk Animal Communication & Reiki.

Symbolism of Lion, Witch & Wardrobe

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Allegory of Christ & the Symbolism Within

What do a talking lion, who is both feared and revered; an evil witch, who casts spells; and a wardrobe, in an otherwise empty room all have in common? An unlikely combination? AslanYes, but they do have something in common: they are all part of a literary allegory written by C.S. Lewis (a born again Christian and literary scholar who wrote many such Christian allegories) and serve as symbols relating to enlightenment and the coming of and rebirth of Christ.

THE CRUCIFIXION
One does not necessarily need to be Christian to recognize the allegory in the story, “The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe;” One need only have the most basic understanding of the story of Christ. In fact, Lewis is very blatant, in one respect, as to his religious intent in the fact that four of the major characters, the children, are called the sons and daughters of Adam & Eve. This sets up foreshadowing for later points in the story in that traditional Christianity views Adam & Eve as the original sinners; therefore, their sons and daughters carried those sins for which Christ eventually died for.

The story’s metaphor of Christ dying for their sins is not quite as linguistically blatant, but certainly clear. The exposition for this begins after Aslan the Lion, the Christ figure, speaks privately with the White Witch, who symbolizes the Devil, or the embodiment of evil, to negotiate the release of Edmund, one of the children who had turned himself over to the White Witch. Edmund symbolizes the sins of man. After this conversation, Aslan becomes very quiet and solemn. What follows is his slow and somber walk up the hill to the Stone Table. This is representative of Jesus’ walk through the streets of town carrying his cross and being followed by his disciples, just as Aslan was escorted by characters Lucy and Susan.

Once arriving at the Stone Table, Aslan, courageous and majestic (the traditional connotations of a lion) is tightly bound with ropes and muzzle, and beaten unmercifully. Aslan has the capability to resist, but doesn’t because of his code of honor and is killed while Lucy and Susan watch. This is the metaphor for Jesus dying for the ‘sins of man.’ The fact that Aslan is killed on the Stone Table is significant because the Stone Table, with it’s carvings of an unknown language, symbolizes the Ten Commandments. Aslan The fact that the White Witch and her followers, representing the Romans, killed Aslan on this table signifies the breaking of those commandments, particularly that of “Thou Shalt Not Kill.” It is also interesting to note here that in this story, as in much of children’s literature, the evil force is represented as a witch. In the days of Jesus, the Romans worshiped pagan Gods. Witches are self-proclaimed Pagans, and even though the Gods that Wiccans follow may be different than those that the Romans followed, it makes a statement on the religious aspect of many of these stories: the statement that in Christian belief, Pagans killed Jesus, therefore, all Pagans are evil. This is a stigma that, to this day, those of the Wiccan faith carry.

This allegory continues with Lucy and Susan crying, as did Jesus’ disciples. They go to a lifeless Aslan and remove the muzzle and the ropes (after being gnawed away at by the mice). This symbolizes the disciples preparing Jesus’ body for burial. In their grief, they turn and watch the sunrise, representative of a New Day (Easter). At that moment they hear a loud sound and turn to see the Stone Table broken and Aslan is gone. This represents the bolder of the tomb being moved and Jesus rising from the dead. Aslan goes on to ‘save’ his disciples by removing them from under the witch’s spell.

THE SEARCH FOR ENLIGHTENMENT
The basic theme that this story follows is that of the battle between good and evil. This is shown, not only in the death of Aslan and the ensuing battle, but throughout the story, on other expeditionary levels as well.

The children, who are symbols of Jesus’ disciples, stumble into the world of Narnia, quite by accident, through a wardrobe in the house they are staying in. The house is huge with numerous hallways and empty rooms. This represents the confusion and searching that people experience before “finding God.” In fact, at the beginning of the story, there is a segment alluding to their ensuing, if not sub-conscious, future journey. They hear a noise and all make comments on what it might be.

“It’s and owl,” said Peter. “This is going to be a wonderful place for birds…Did you see those mountains as we came along? And the woods? There might be eagles. There might be stags. There’ll be hawks.” “Badgers,” said Lucy. “Foxes,” said Edmund. “Rabbits,” said Susan. (Lewis, 1950, pg. 3, ¶5.)The significance of these symbols are as follows:

Owls are associated with being wise and they traditionally sit “in the East, the place of illumination.” (Sams, et al., 1988, pg. 121, ¶1.) This relates to the fact that in several areas of the book, once the children met Aslan, they looked to the East. This symbolizes their illumination and enlightenment through their association with Aslan.

Birds represent freedom; the freedom from evil the children strive for and eventually attain.
Mountains represent attainment; attainment of their goals of enlightenment.
Woods are made up of trees. This stands for the tree of knowledge and the protection the children receive.
Eagles represent spirit; the spiritual association and guidance they seek.
Stags represent strength, endurance and stamina; the things that the children need to overcome evil.
Hawks are thought of to be messengers; this represents the message of Christianity.
Badgers represent aggressiveness; the aggressiveness needed to stand up for conviction.
Foxes represent camouflage; in camouflage they take flight from persecution.
Rabbits represent fear; the fear that they will be overtaken by evil.

This may be an appropriate place, also, to mention the significance of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Beavers are builders. The fact that the Beavers take the children under their wings, so to speak, is symbolic of the fact that the children are building character by taking this journey to God and spiritual enlightenment.

The first plot point for the children is the decision to explore the house, which ultimately leads them to the wardrobe. This wardrobe stands for the gateway to their enlightenment, as symbolized by the lamppost upon their arrival in Narnia.

The characters of Lucy and Edmund are more major, hence, more complex than the other two. We know that Lucy is the youngest, so it is fitting that she is the first to enter the wardrobe because younger children are more trusting and believing. And by Edmund lying about his first individual adventure, we find he is dishonest and self-absorbed, seeking only his own immediate gratification. All of the children are dynamic characters; their adventures lead them to maturity and a spiritual awakening. However; Edmund (symbolizing Judas) is the most dynamic of the four in that he is the one who “loses his way” and betrays the others by going to the castle of the White Witch, then finding his way to “salvation,” so to speak.

The other theme that is very evident here, is that of the monomyth. One aspect in which this is evident is in the use of the moon as a symbol. Not only is the moon circular in image, to this day it is widely regarded as cyclical. It is interesting to note that the moon doesn’t make it’s first appearance until some time into the story. Once it does, the frequency of it’s appearance, in reference, is directly related to unfolding events. The more fervent the events, the greater the reference to the moon.

Another indication of the monomyth is the use of the seasons. The fact that it is always winter (without Christmas) in Narnia, then turns to spring when Aslan arrives, symbolizes not only the state of mind of the region and characters, but the rebirth of a new day. In a way, it is also a foreshadowing to the rebirth of Aslan after his death. In fact, the scene in which Kris Kringle arrives, prior to the appearance of Aslan, and bestows gifts upon the children, is symbolic of the three wise men bearing gifts for Jesus at the time of his birth, as well as that things are changing. Additionally, the use of seasons make the comment that before the birth of Jesus, life was dark and dreary because evil ruled the world. It was not until his coming that people became enlightened (springtime) by his example, guidance and teaching. Such is the role of Aslan.

So we can see, although Lewis succeeded in writing a highly successful and fantastic tale for the enjoyment of children, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” is much more. It is a highly multi-dimensional tale that weaves Lewis’s own personal convictions into a tale of adventure and insight that can be appreciated by adults as well. Where children may learn these intended messages on a sub-conscious level, adults can look at Aslan, the Christ figure who died for other’s sins; the White Witch, the embodiment of evil that must be overcome; the wardrobe, the gate to a new world; the lamppost, a guide to enlightenment; the animals, representing the qualities needed to overcome adversity and grow with change; and at the cycle of life, represented by the light of the moon and the change of the seasons.

Finally, although all who read this book may not believe in the teachings of Christ, the theme of good vs. evil stands as the mountains people must climb, and the choices they must make.

REFERENCES

Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. New York: NY, 1950.

Sams, Jamie, and Carson David. Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Animals Through the Ways of Animals. Santa Fe: New Mexico, 1988.

Rabbit As A Spirit Guide

RABBIT

Keywords:
Quick reflexes, observation; gentleness; fertility; abundance; creativity

When Rabbit crosses your path:
~ Move quick! Take advantage of the unexpected opportunity in front of you or it may disappear.
~ Be highly vigilant; if something doesn’t feel right, remove yourself from the situation as quickly as possible
~ Let go of your fears. Focus on the positive so that you will attract the positive.

Think about Rabbit:
In fear, they stay very still long enough to be acutely aware of what is going on around them. But their lives depend upon moving quickly, once they identify that fear, and when they move, they move by ‘leaps and bounds.’

They are vegetarians, so they are light in their movement and able to move quickly, even from a frozen position.

Call on Rabbit energy when:

~ You need to ‘act quickly’ to take advantage of an opportunity
~ You feel things have been moving too slowly and want them now to move by ‘leaps and bounds’
~ You’re looking to re-energize your creative juices

Rabbit medicine teaches us:

~ To be highly observant of both opportunity and danger
~ To know when it’s appropriate to ‘freeze’ and listen, and when it’s appropriate to act quickly
~ To be ready for all possibilities.

Tarot Card Correspondence:
~ The Empress

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References:
Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer
Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews

Reindeer as a Spirit Guide

REINDEER

Keywords:
Journey, Safe Travels, Wandering, Strength, Endurance, ‘Going the Distance’

reindeer
When Reindeer crosses your path:
~ The long journey you’ve been on, be it spiritual or emotional, is coming to an end and you will soon reap the rewards
~ If your journey seems long and arduous, the emotional support you seek from others will assist you in succeeding
~ While the road ahead of you may seem dark, you have a great ability to go long distances

Think about Reindeer:
They wander and have the strength and endurance to travel long distances. They retain their personal power while remaining confident in allowing social group support.

Call on Reindeer energy when:

— You need strength and endurance in moving forward and ‘going the distance’
~ You feel the need to wander, and want protection in doing so
~ You want to keep your social ties strong while retaining your personal power

Reindeer medicine teaches us:

~ That we have the strength and endurance to make great strides both spiritually and emotionally
~ That we can be mobile, adapt to new surroundings, yet retain our personal power

Tarot Card Correspondence:
The Chariot

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References:
Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer
Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews

Adopting a New Kitty

HOW TO INTRODUCE A NEW CAT INTO A HOUSEHOLD WITH ANOTHER CAT

Many people come to me with the question of how to introduce a new cat into the household where there is an existing cat. It’s a time that can determine, from the outset, how your cats will perceive each other and get along for the rest of their lives, so it’s critical that you understand how to do it before you ever bring your new little one into the house.

PLAN ON TWO WEEKS OF SEPARATION
First of all, many people think they can bring them in and keep them separated for a day, and all will be well. This is NOT the case. 1 day, 2 days, even 3 days is way too short of a time. The last time we did it, I think the vet recommendation was a good two weeks. That’s hard, but you need to do it way longer than a day. For one thing, you need to make sure that the kitten has no hidden communicable diseases that might show up.

GIVE THEM FREQUENT ‘SNIFF TIME’
You need to give them plenty of time, day after day, and night after night, to sniff each other under the door and get accustomed to each other’s smells and the idea that this is not temporary, but this is someone they’re going to smell every day, every day. This is especially important for the established cat.

LET THEM SEE EACH OTHER FROM A DISTANCE
Once you’ve given them a few days to do that, start bringing the kitten out by hand, one person holding the kitten on the floor, the other the cat and let them look at each other from a distance. Do this several times throughout the day. After that when you do it, let them get a little closer and closer, still holding them, until you can let them get close enough without hissing to smell each other. (Again, this is more for the cat than the kitten.) (If you live alone, either bring in a friend to help you, or just hold the new cat and let the established cat take his or her time coming up to sniff.)

GIVE NEW CAT SHORT PERIODS OF ‘INVESTIGATION’
Once that has been accomplished, start letting the kitten out to run around, for very short periods of time, when you are home and can watch over things. Let the kitten investigate, by this time, hopefully, the cat will look at it with curiosity, rather than jealousy and animosity. Again, do this several times throughout the day, extending the number of times/day every day, and the length of time out as you go. Doing it this way, you are increasing the chances of their getting along. The transition has been gradual and monitored.

GIVE EACH PLENTY OF INDIVIDUAL TIME
Make sure during that time that you spend plenty of time in the bathroom (or a spare bedroom if you have one — that’s even better) with the kitten giving it plenty of love and attention, as well as giving extra attention to the established cat. If there are two of you, don’t both go in to spend time with the kitten together. Each needs to feel loved, not excluded.

USE YOUR INTUITION TO DETERMINE WHEN THE NEXT STEP IS
Remember that there is no “set time limit” to do this. It will depend on how quickly the cats (or cat) adjust. You don’t want to rush it. You need to use your intuition and be highly conscious of their emotions and reactions and let those guide the time apart or together, rather than having any kind of set time limit. For instance, if you feel in a shorter time that they are doing well and can take more time or more contact, move closer or to the next step. But if the cat is still hissing and such, you need to move more slowly.

I think our last two it was a week and a half before the kitten was out and about a large amount of the time, maybe two weeks by the time he started sleeping with us, maybe a little less. But it’s really important to take as much time as it takes so they have a good relationship.

I remember it being really hard to try to take so long, the kitten really wanted out of the bedroom, but our cats are *great* friends now, so it was worth it.

Introducing cats takes a lot of effort, care and being in tune with how the animals are reacting and feeling. Make sure you plan out, in advance, how you will introduce them and you can foster a long and loving relationship between them. Congrats on your new addition. May you all live together in peace, harmony and happiness for many, many years to come.

Spiritual Lessons of Remodeling

CREATING THE VISION, AND KNOWING IT WON’T BE PERFECT

Perhaps this is a little late in the process, but as I sit here in my bedroom, hunkered down with my cats, loud power tools – very loud power tools – buzzing and vibrating right outside of the door .. I thought this would be the appropriate time to start some blog posts on ‘The Spiritual Lessons of Remodeling.”

Okay, I know you must be saying, “There is nothing spiritual about remodeling.” This is especially true if you’ve ever been through one. But if you have been through one, you also know what a challenging experience it is, and if we are not learning our spiritual lessons from the challenges in our lives, where are we learning them?

I only wish that I had some insight before I started this journey, to know what to expect. If there’s one thing I’m understanding today, now that I am seeing the pantry is way bigger than I envisioned, and the counter way smaller, is that we tend to fall into the idea that since we are making the decisions and doing it ‘our way’, it will be perfect. Remodeling tip #1. It will not.

The spiritual lesson here is acceptance. The entirety of your remodel is not going to be perfect, just as the entirety of your life is not perfect. You designed your new kitchen (or bathroom, or living room or whatever) just as you designed your life.

But as we look at our lives we can choose to focus on the points that aren’t perfect, and obsess about how this little thing about our job or our spouse or our social life is not perfect, or we can choose to look at the things that are.

We make mistakes. We make decisions we regret that can’t be changed …. windows and doors can’t be returned once ordered, cabinets can’t be made smaller once the doors are ordered (unless you have a heck of a lot of money and don’t care how many more weeks your refrigerator will be sitting in the living room…), just like we can’t go back to a relationship we left or a house we sold. You can never go back. And even if you did, it would never be the same. The best we can do is visualize how we see the remodel of our lives, and know that not everything is going to be perfect, no matter how hard we try. Some things we catch in time, other things we don’t.

For those things we don’t, we learn lessons. In shamanic terms, if I were to look at my pantry as a symbol, I can look at it as it’s taking up too much space and looks odd. OTOH, if I look at food as a symbol of knowledge, then there is just that much more capacity to store all of the things that I’ve yet to learn in my life, and a place where I can store all of the blessings that I know I have in my life, so that when the noise gets a little too loud,and the walls shake a little too much, I know right where to go to open the pantry and count my blessings.

Remodeling Tip:
— You may have designed it, it doesn’t mean it will be perfect. Don’t expect it to be.
Lesson:
— Accept the things that can no longer be changed. Focus on the things that did turn out right. Look at the beauty in the ‘right’ decisions.

Gecko as an Animal Spirit Guide

GECKO

Keywords:
Dreams, Detachment, Sensitivity, Psychic Perception

When Gecko crosses your path:
~ Speak up! Don’t be intimidated by others, what you say matters!
~ Take note of your dreams. Write them down and contemplate on them in the morning
~ When a problem is unsolvable, detach yourself from it. There is no need trying to control something beyond your control.

Think about Gecko:
When they get into a bind, their tails detach so they can save themselves. They then go onto regrow their tail which gives them their balance back following the experience. They are sensitive and perceptive to subtle movements and aware of all that surrounds them.

Call on Gecko energy when:

— You want a different perspective on a situation
~ You’re in a conflict, situation or have made a decision over which nothing more can be changed or resolved
~ You are intimidated by a situation and need to speak up.

Gecko medicine teaches us:

~ To be aware of the subtle messages in our lives
~ To be perceptive to the changes around us
~ To detach ourselves, by letting go of things over which we have no control

Tarot Card Correspondence:
The Hanged Man

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References:
Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D. Farmer
Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews