The REIKIDOGS Blog

On Christmas -- please remember the significant place of  animals in the  story of Jesus's birth.  He was born in a manger alongside the animals....no greater, no less.  Whether you accept the story of Jesus as religious doctrine or you appreciate it as relevatory myth, the lesson is clear: the animals, too, are sacred. Considered either fairy tale or filtered word-of-mouth history, the story presents a Divine lesson whether we claim Christianity as our personal faith or not.  The lessons of Jesus evident in the actions and statements attributed to him have retained strength over the millenia.  They contain an inescapable truth that some still don't promote:  those whom society regards as throwaways are indeed primary in the eyes of God.  I see no greater evidence of this than  the words attritubed to him when he delivered what's come to be known as The Sermon on the Mount:  Blessed are the poor in spirit,   ...

Twice every Sunday I lead a Distance Reiki Circle for Animals. It's an spiritual meeting for like-minded animal lovers to gather for 20-30 minutes, wherever we may be, to tune in to higher energies for the welfare of our animals and our selves.  People don't need to be trainedinany way....Hi to our we quietly for about 20 minutes, listening to meditative music while I give prompts for relaxation and visualization, all the while sending Reiki energy to the animals and their people in the circle. All Reiki pracititioners are welcome to send as well...and if people aren't Reiki certified, then their presence and good intentions are enough to amplify the vibration. We always see power in group prayer and meditation.  I also recommend listening to healing music and provide links to the circle members.    Below are a few of my favorites: 1 Aeoliah's Music for reiki  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HejSiqQLF54 . ...

This week I inaugurated our Ft. Lauderdale meetup group, Introduction to Psychic Energy: a Women's Learning Circle.  I took a deep breath, posted the info on Meetup.com, and tossed this idea out into the Universe, an idea I've tried before but an idea that didn't manifest until this week.  The word of the moment was  "trust:"  who would respond? who would show up?  how would they benefit?  would they benefit?  where should I hold this?  what if no one comes?  what if only one person comes?  what if, what if, what if? The one question I saved for last was what if it was a success? It was!  Five women of varying backgrounds and ages showed up, enthusiastic about exercising their intuitive abilities.  We sat in my cozy little living room, introduced ourselves, talked about our spiritual goals, and began the first of  what I hope will be 12 weeks of ongoing experiential classes. Here's the lineup of topics for the next ...

I just did a reading for a dog I'll call Mandy, a Rottie mix with uncontrolled aggression. Unprovoked, she attacked my client's smaller dog, who died a few days later. The  woman, a veterinarian,  was distraught helplessly watching the attack,  losing one dog and struggling with the fate of the other.  The attacking dog, otherwise sweet, could not be trusted with other dogs and the vet feared that this would eventually grow into aggression toward people.   I was asked to read for both dogs after the incident, but it took me a few days to clear my schedule, and by then, the smaller dog had died. The  vet chose euthanasia for Mandy. She described the death as loving and peaceful. My first reaction was the typical human reaction: if only I'd had the time to do the reading on the day it was requested, not four days later, maybe the ending would have been different.  But then I realized that wishful hindsight was not and could neve...

About 7 years ago,  I received an interesting phone call from a Fort Lauderdale woman named Beverly who identified herself as “skeptical but desperate.”   She’d been given my name and phone number by a friend who’d seen my card somewhere and said she loved her dog enough to have me talk to her even though, she kept repeating, she had doubts.   She had made a veterinary appointment for 7 am t o euthanize Boo, an 11 year old Dalmatian  with Cushing’s syndrome, a disease that damages both the muscular system and internal organs.   She wanted to know if it was the right time.   I had never faced the loss of my own dogs with grace and dignity, traumatized each time and thrown into serious depression during a longer than normal mourning process.   Suddenly within two weeks, I was called to help two dogs with their transition process and knew this was as much a lesson for me as it was therapeutic to the dogs and their families. I knew that afte...

In the over 25 years I've been a spiritual counselor, I've heard many comments, testimonials, and questions at the end of a reading, whether that reading was in person or via distance. All the responses express gratitude for the information and insight, but many of them conclude with a  remark about being "blessed with "the gift." At that time I do an instantaneous mental replay of my life, searching for the moment I "first became aware of this gift"  and frankly, I come up empty. There is no great gift, I tell people. I am not, as you say, "special." Being an intutive is a matter of directing a very specific intention. We are all able to do this.  You can do this.  Intuition is the root.  An animal communicator is not a dog trainer or behaviorist. An animal communicator is a psychic, an intuitive who works with animals through telepathic transference of thought. Through this communication, animals and their human caretakers can lear...

Animals and Humor In communication sessions I may receive stunning insights from my canine clients about the temporary nature of life on earth, the power of higher energies that direct us, the medicinal properites of love....but often, in a reading, the animals simply want to share the joys and pose questions about the fun side of earthly life. Like young children with unfiltered speech, they honestly and spontaneously share what seems exciting to them.      Soon after I acquired 5 month old Seamus,  I decided to make one of our evenings a gadget-less evening -- no t.v., no computer, no telephone -- during which we would listen to New Age music and commune on a higher level through a deep spiritual commuication session.  I just knew that when I tuned into this magnificent dog, I would be receiving the wisdom of the Masters. I placed my hands on him, closed my eyes, and began slow, rhythmic breathing until I r...

In  Jerusalem in 1978, I brought home Chafifa,   a miniature poodle,  after I'd spent nearly a year as a volunteer in Israel. (Many single young Jewish women would go to Israel and return to the U.S. with an Israeli man, headed for the altar.   I came home with a dog.  That laid the groundwork for my next 37 years). She was, at the onset, a very spunky and sprightly c ompanion who lived with me in Israel, Brooklyn, and Fort Lauderdale.  At five, however, she fell into unexpected  irreversible kidney failure and in less than a week, her coat faded, her eyes grew dull, and she hovered on t he brink of physical death.    I brought her to my parents’ house since they lived just blocks from my veterinarian, and I witnessed an astounding and loving display of telepathic communication between the animals themselves.      On her last day, the vet sent her home; I don't think he wanted to make the decision to euthanize ...

I'll never get used to the anguish of a person grieving a pet's "death." We've all been there. We feel a physical hole in our hearts, in our auras; our homes feel hollow; we can take years to recover. This is where a reading helps a grieving pet owner. I act as a conduit between the human and the departed animal and people come to realize that not only does life continue after physical end, but our relationships with our departed loves ones continue as well. Grief-burdened people ask, "Will my dog come back to me as another animal?" or "Can you ask her if she will come back to me as another animal?" The answers I get from the animals themselvesare pretty consistent. Sometimes our animals do return to us. Sometimes they assure us that although they're physically undetectable, they're still watching and guiding us, and some choose to remain in that realm as our guides. Sometimes they promise to "send" a new ani...

This is a video of my macaw after his weekly Reiki treatment.   Before the treatments, which happen every Sunday morning and evening  in our free online Reiki Circle for Animals, he assumes his "ready" stance and soaks in the energy.  You can see how deeply relaxed he is...he almost looks drugged!  Imagine how your animals feel after a complete Reiki session or how you feel after one hour on the Reiki table.....it's a compete cleansing and a deep aura massage that reaches the soul.

Yes. In my readings I frequently come across dogs who not only see spirits of other animals but actually interact with them. When I do a distance reading and hold the photograph of the dog, I may see other animals alongside that dog. Sometimes it's clear that the dog is one who has departed and is acting as a spirit guide and companion for the still earthbound friend; other times I need to seek clarification from the human.  In many cases, I'll ask questions that get an enthusiastic "yes!" or "I can't believe you saw that!" Such questions aren't an invitation for the human to think I'm taking shots in the dark or giving a vague /generic reading. I have asked questions and shared specific images like these: "Did you have a tri-color sheltie at one time? I see a sheltie sitting next to your dog"  or "Why am I seeing a black pug?"  Earlier this week I did an e-mail reading for an ailing dog who was just diagnosed with c...

Human beings too often assume that their particular worries, needs, and concerns are shared by their animals.  If we have a blind dog, for instance, and we worry about his inability to navigate the house, fearing he'll bump into walls or tumble down a few stairs, we naturally assume the dog has these same anxieties.  When we bring a rescue dog into our home and see  some behavioral clues that all was not well in his previous home, we assume that the trauma will remain central to his consciousness forever.  I've learned through my readings that this is not always the case, that the most valuable gift of animal communication is that instead of  projecting our own anxieties onto our animals we can learn what our animals actually feel and need.  With animal communication sessions, the reader gets information objectively to steer the human toward the most relevant issue that the animal expresses. Take, for example, the case of the...

People in the Palm Beach/Broward/Miami Dade area take note. Next week  I'll be doing an animal communication class to teach you how to be your own pet psychic.  Proceeds benefit the Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue organization.  This will be a fun night of experimentation and realization.  Bring photos of your animals, both living and in spirit. Here's the link to the site: http://www.justinbartlettanimalrescue.org/     Discounts for early registration:   http://jbarcommunicationclass-efbevent.eventbrite.com/ #

Reiki is a gift that last a lifetime (and more).  It is actually Universal Life Energy that is transferred from the spirit through the Reiki practitioner to the client, who can be any species  or any vegetation, or I'll say, any object.  Yes, I've used Reiki on inanimate objects quite a few times.  You can Reiki your food to eliminate impurities.  You can Reiki your aura to cleanse it of unwanted energies.  You can Reiki newly acquired quartz crystals and other stones to cleanse and ready them for  use.  Most importantly, for me is its use on animals and hopsice patients.  If I say the word Reiki, my macaw assumes his relaxed, fluffy neck position with his head cocked and his claws in his mouth and he fits his head perfectly into the palm of my hand to receive his energy boost.  My female Irish Water Spaniel responds to the word "aura."  When I say "aura!" she lies on her back, legs open, ready to receive a Reiki bath. I took...

 After seven months of Hospice chaplaincy training, I can evaluate my experience and share with you how I accomplished what I intended to accomplish and where I feel I need additional growth.  In this evaluative process, I realized that the details would serve as a very precise answer to those who ask (and that means most people), "Why would you want to be around death and dying?" The effects of  CPE (clinical pastoral education) reach far beyond the limited setting of the hospital or homebound patient;  this was an opportunity for profound personal growth, the definition of the phrase "moving out of your comfort zone."  Here is the culmination of my internship with the italicized points identifying the particular areas I targeted: ·          Judgment and Impatience:   I found to my surprise that I rarely experienced   impatience   with or judgment of others. I was very cognizant and tolerant o...