Buffalo, Birdsong and Chickens Greet the Day

August 4, 2019
Rose
A Walk on the Wild Side, Animal Communication, Birds, Spirit Owl Ranch, Videos
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Recently, I returned from leading the very first A Walk on the Wild Side at Spirit Owl Ranch (many stories to tell, of course!).

Prior to leading the event, I had the opportunity to camp out in the orchard, which was a lovely setting—thank you, Charolette Anderson and Family!

Buffalo wanted to be present for the event, and the only place large enough to accommodate the hide of an adult male buffalo was the Pavilion I was staying in.

So Buffalo and I spent a few special nights in a very large and ornate canvas tent that made me feel like King Arthur and his knights would be showing up shortly.

And it wasn’t just the nights, greeting the dawn was also a VERY special experience. In front of us was the 100-year-old barn where most of the horses were still sleeping, plus the young Barn Owl, who was just going to sleep after a very busy night receiving food and visits from his parents. To our right was stallion Cowboy’s pasture.

One particularly early morning, I woke up with the birds, and together we greeted the dawn. Cowboy was still sleeping, as were the chickens.

The beauty and passion of the songs of the birds made me feel I was part of something sacred. It is a memory I will always treasure, and one I wanted to share in video Dawn Chorus at Spirit Owl Ranch (above).

I also made a video of what happened afterward, when I decided to stake out the coop to create The Chickens Greet the Day (below). Apparently, some of them were planning a dramatic entrance!

After the event, when I returned home, I had to take special care of Buffalo. Even though we had a tarp for the floor of the Pavilion, his hide was slightly damp. In addition, I discovered that many small spiders liked him, too.

I had to lay Buffalo out in my back yard to dry in the sun. I gave all the spiders strict instructions that they had to relocate off of him into the garden, as I would be bringing the vacuum cleaner for a nice tidy before bringing Buffalo back into the house. When I returned an hour later, I noticed that all the spider hitchhikers had thankfully moved on.

After some grooming via modern appliance, I was able to bring Buffalo into the house and lay him out on my living room floor so that he could fully dry over the next few days.

This turned out to be a cause for rejoicing for my cat Night Sky, who I frequently found buried up to his eyeballs in Buffalo’s dense fur. He used the neck ridge as a kind of furry backrest. I don’t blame him; many folks over the years have found Buffalo to have a strong connection to the Earth, and he is marvelous for shamanic journeying (which he loves).

I’m sure Night Sky has had some interesting dreams, given how much spiritual energy Buffalo has. I really don’t want to roll Buffalo up and put him away myself, but he is difficult to keep safe from kitty litter and the occasional cat hairball accident.

Ah, the challenges of balancing ancient allies with modern technology and cats…

Animal Healing with Smudging

For many years, I have taught my students that smudging is essential for the health of both people and animals. And I share the same information with my clients. Recently, I saw those benefits dramatically illustrated in the case of dog Lizzie.

When I first met Lizzie, she wore a vest that proclaimed that she was blind and deaf. If those weren’t challenges enough for one senior dog, Lizzie had also been diagnosed with canine dementia. She would often pace and circle anxiously—bumping into furniture and walls. My client was losing a lot of sleep trying to keep Lizzie calm, day and night.

My client wanted to offer Lizzie as much quality of life as possible for her remaining time. We initiated a series of energy balancing sessions, and there was a noticeable improvement. But when my client began smudging her house and Lizzie, additional benefits were observed immediately. Whenever Lizzie would begin her anxious pacing, my client would smudge her, and she would instantly relax and peacefully lie down.

So, what is smudging, and why did it help?

Smudging utilizes the energetic and spiritual properties of a sacred plant, such as white sage, in the form of smoke to clear spaces (such as a house, office, or car) or personal energy. Before lighting the smudge bundle, you ask the spirit of the plant for assistance and healing. When lit, the smoke cleanses and purifies.

Our bodies are comprised of energy. As we age, our energy fields become more porous—rather like leaky jars. And that means if there are cracks in the energy field where energy can leak out, those same cracks also let heavy energy in.

Where does this heavy energy come from? Put simply, every living being has an energy field. Whether engaged in day-to-day life or facing significant challenges filled with trauma and drama, we are all affected by the energy of others.

To illustrate, let’s use the example of what happens when you and your animal companion go to the vet.

A vet office is a place where both animals and people are under stress, fearful, and/or in pain. This creates heavy energy, which gets into your energy field and that of your animal companion, and which then comes home with you. Unless cleared, that energy begins to work its way into the inner energy pathways of the physical body.

Once entrenched in the physical body, heavy energy can have a major impact on health and emotional balance. It is also much less easily dispersed. It’s much better to clear it by smudging before it moves in and sets up housekeeping.

Whether dealing with illness or maintaining wellness, smudging is a very simple technique that supports the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of all species.

Additional tips:

• Some animals are not enamored of the pungent smoke, so explain to them beforehand why you are doing this and be respectful of what their personal comfort zone might be, distance-wise, when you approach.

• For situations (or animals) where you can’t have flame/smoke—such as stables, zoos, and kennels—you can substitute a smokeless smudge spray.

• Many health food stores now carry white sage smudge bundles, but if you can’t locate a supplier near you I suggest checking out Shaman’s Market. They also carry some lovely smudging kits, White Sage, and Palo Santo sprays—look under Sacred Offerings (see below).

• To easily light or extinguish a sage bundle, I cut the strings that wrap the bundle and remove one stem for use. It is also helpful to have a seashell or ceramic bowl to catch any embers while smudging. When done, you may lay the sage stick in the shell or immerse the burning end of the smudge in a small pot of sand. Never leave unattended until safely extinguished.

RESOURCES
During these challenging times, we are essentially living in the hucha (heavy energy) swamp, so my recommendation is to smudge daily and take care of your energy body.

1) Learn how and when to Smudge.

2) Protect your energy with Shamanic Energy Boot Camp: Activate Your Energy Body Badassery.

3) I use Mini Sage Bundles because you can take them apart and light a single frond, which is easily extinguished.

4) My favorite place to send folks for smudging supplies is Shaman’s Market. Everything they offer is beautiful (take a look at their smudge kits and Divination cards), and they make a point of only offering sustainably sourced and Fair Trade products. They also carry the Sage Spray that I mentioned.
Look under Sacred Offerings: Smudge & Herbs for Sage and Palo Santo Wood.
Look under Ritual Items for Sacred Sprays of Sage, Palo Santo, and Agua de Floral.

5) Click here to find the Vi Miere Clear mist.

*Fair disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate. Purchases may result in commissions that help support my pro bono work for animals.
**Fair disclosure: I love and trust Shaman’s Market so much that I became an affiliate. Your purchases help support ceremonies with the animals and All My Relations.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails. Her classes, sessions, and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.