Recently I conducted a Peruvian despacho ceremony in honor of Earth Day and Spring. Despite there only being two human participants the energy was very strong, in part because we invited the Stone, Plant and Animal People and the natural elements (Oceans, Rivers, Winds and more) to add their prayers, too.
As he had done for the New Year’s Despacho Ceremony, my cat Manitou decided he was going to participate by sitting on the despacho paper to bless it. As a recent addition to the household (he added himself, see Guess Who Came to Dinner?) he and I are still working out how to interact appropriately. So far Manitou has made it very clear that he MUST be present for all ceremonies, but he is still figuring out exactly what participation entails. Apparently he takes the concept of participation very seriously—I had to create an energetic fence around the despacho to keep him out as the offerings were added.
He then decided that the next best best place to be was in my lap. At the time I was blowing my prayers into the kintus (a trio of three leaves) and it took quite a while as I had many prayers and so did All Our Relations. By the time I was about halfway done Manitou was draped over my legs like limp spaghetti—he was definitely enjoying the energy! Seemingly sound asleep, his tail suddenly flicked up and the last two inches placed itself precisely between my folded fingers in direct contact with the kintu itself. Undisturbed by occasional puffs of my prayer-laden breaths his tail remained in contact with the kintu until I moved on to the next. Apparently his tail had prayers of its own to add!
As the despacho ceremony evolved it became clear that the message was that of restoring balance to the Earth by balancing ourselves. We were told that people need to be in harmony with, rather than dominant over, Nature.
When it came time to cleanse everyone with the completed despacho I asked who wanted to be first. Before anyone else could say or do anything Manitou once again marched over to be first in line, purring happily as the despacho was rubbed over his body, clearing him of any negativity standing in the way of his prayers (-:
After the other cats and people were cleansed, the despacho containing all the prayers and gifts was placed on the fire. Manitou sat in front of the fire with his back turned (as the humans were doing), thereby respectfully allowing the spirits to enjoy the offerings without being stared at. Offerings and prayers were happily accepted. The despacho was consumed quite quickly, and the energy was very peaceful. And Manitou finally settled down for a nap (-:
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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
In private practice since 1996, Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic practitioner, author and artist. As an animal shaman she views her mission as one of building bridges between people and animals through healing sessions, classes, ceremonies and events such as A Walk on the Wild Side: Answering the Call of the Wild.
Her book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism features heartwarming stories about animals and their role in her evolution as an energy worker and shamanic healer.
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