Touching Animal Souls

 

She has inspired me to strive to be a good person. Shown me the need to be clear and true when I communicate. Shared wisdom about being present whenever I am with another. She taught me that the quality of my attention is more important than being good enough. Frodo. Been gifted to have known you for more than half my life. You have probably taught me more than any other soul. I adore and thank you. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for the gifts🥰 You are a blessing. A miracle. Thank you. Here’s to many more magical moments together and me hearing all the lessons still to come🌹

Loved the little bit of evidence of some monkey business in the cathedral. Stunning old cathedral in Marianhill just outside Durban. A catholic space. I grew up catholic and am now non denominational. Reasons for broken allegiance was when church leaders let me know that the church held that animals had no souls. So today I could not help smile at the respectful footprints left by some monkey visitors. True non-judgemental church goers. My kin❤️

Training requires obedience. It is achievable without consent. It is not why I began working with animals. It was intuitive to relate to animals before I learned the rules. Like airs and graces and social norms distort our authenticity - until we become aware that boxes are for new shoes and not relating to another souls. Of we just ask permission and hear the other, real miracles are possible. It's not about getting the dog to "heel". It's about going for a walk❤️ Most species knowhow to work together. How to be in sync with another is a natural way. We only don't do in sync when we protecting our rightness. When we safe in a relationship we can play and collaborate and work towards something together. Same for animals. Are we their safe space?

My mum passed when I was 23. I never really had the opportunity to come back home to a respectful relationship with her after my teenage rebellious tribulations and assaults on her goodwill. So this blog is to honour and thank her for her contribution to my love for  nature.  She was an avid bird watcher and had dreams of travelling through the bush. I have many memories of her being fascinated by animals on our weekend getaways to the Kruger National Park.  My first memory of her was her riding a horse called Thunder. That is a beautiful memory and the name of the horse is as mystical and awe inspiring as her impact on who I am in relationship with animals.  She was fearless. And always confident that all would be well. She had faith in my animal relationships always. As a very young child I was given the task on many occasions to hand rear orphan wildlife and pets. She never micro managed the process but would offer helpful insight that came naturally to her. ...

Shelter guard trust facade Property hard fuss bard Where here always a way Say be, neigh see Allow annoy coy Troy Breakdown frown mourn torn Here now allow bow Arrow shoot suit duet And it is then that i feel and know Between you and me Relative joy or sorrow All that I borrow While I search for me Free done freedom Liberated satiated done with the sun And I lie in the sand and cloud bust Pure Oblivion Cloud busting - intend more of that Be Without apology Like the tree I cannot name That damned me with rotting compost-moist mosquito companions Doing a job Blessed I held my back close against its bark Remarked and marvelled at its faith to stand and grow and thrive and live right here Unapologetic Worthy Unjustified Not right Not wrong Presence alone gentle and constant Enough

 Just love that nature finds a way.  It is testament to the fact that nature is intelligent.  Listened to a talk by Dr Philip Shepherd who is the creator of The Embodied Present Process.  He spoke of how our society has become patriarchal over time and separated us from nature so that we control her.  When working with animals and being able to be completely present, we have all had moments where we connect on a deep level and understand where the animal is at.  Nothing better than those moments.  In the moments where I have felt that it feels like love and is followed by big gratitude.   This pic is a whole group of bats who have found a way to roost in an urban setting.  Long may that connection with us last.  It is cool that nature has not given up on us.  Even though we try control it.

When they judge or throw stones (the people) - grace makes us the blank screen or the still water onto which they can see themselves and take personal account for their actions. When we train animals can we be that clear. So as to wisely be and act rather than contest and fight for what we want🥰

Been a while since I shared. Everything and nothing has changed. Everything because my perspective has shifted. Covid happened. My father passed away. My kids grew up and moved out. My husband had a huge shift in his life.  I realise more and more that being is allowing. And this is true respect. No need to fix. When we train, let’s look for consent so we truly are respectful: problem with the word respect is that it has taken on a sense of ensuring others obey. That’s not appropriate. When we can truly communicate, we can allow expression and gently move it with the consent and agreement of the other.  Open to experiencing my own resistance to what is before me allows me to be gentle with you. For when I allow myself to express, I don’t need to project my fears (usually around self worth) onto you.  Other is anything. The world, my garden, person, dog…. She remains my centre. My measure of the goodness and darkness that is me. She is my Sage  

> > Dear PenguinPromises > > The penguins are now back home in the colony after their month long feeding trip. > They have had a very relaxing time just floating in the water and recovering > their weight after the exhausting period of chick-rearing. > > Whilst they were away the penguins did not spend much time swimming, except for > when they were hungry and decided to go fishing. Most of their time was spent > bobbing up and down in the water, rising and falling with each passing wave. > Sometimes the waves can be huge, and floating out in the open ocean can be like > being on a roller coaster. I can say that from personal experience of using inflatable > launches to reach offshore penguin colonies. > > I often visit the Rockhopper colony on Isla Pinguino which is about 40 km offshore > from Puerto Deseado in open ocean. Even in what fisherman would call good weather, > going over the peak of each wav...

> > Dear PenguinPromises > > The penguins have been doing really well since I wrote to you last. The weather > has been very mixed, with some really hot days, and some cold windy days. The > temperature reached 26°C (79°F) just a few days ago, which is very hot for southern > Patagonia. > > Thankfully we have not had much rain in the colony, so that has been good news > for the chicks. Despite being penguins, the chicks do not like getting wet. They > do not have the waterproof feathers of Promises when they are small. The fluffy > feathers keep the chicks warm when they are dry, but are like a woolly sweater, > and do not help in the rain at all. > > It is up to Promises to keep the chicks safe and dry during rain when they are > little, but the chicks are now big enough that rain no longer bothers them. They > are now big enough to leave the nest and explore their surroundings. I attach > ...

> > Dear PenguinPromises > > The penguins are still up in Brazil and having a relaxing time no doubt. Meanwhile > spring has arrived down here in the empty penguin colony. The days are starting > to get longer, which means that Promises will be arriving back home within the > next few weeks. > > Even though Brazil is a lot further north than the penguin colony, it is still > in the southern hemisphere. Penguins have never lived in the northern hemisphere. > From the very first penguin over 50 million years ago, wild penguins have only > ever lived in the southern hemisphere. We know that is true because penguin fossils > have only ever been found in the south. The only penguins living in the northern > hemisphere live in zoos and aquariums. > > It is not certain why penguins have never lived in the north, but the most likely > explanation is just chance. Penguins need warm feathers for living in cold water...

Dear PenguinPromises The penguins finished their annual moult, and left the colony on their winter migration to Brazil. The journey took them out of the Straits of Magellan, and up the coast of Argentina, and then Uruguay, until they finally reached the coast of Brazil. It is a beautiful journey that follows a spectacular coastline. There are numerous lighthouses perched on top of tall cliffs, which would make ideal settings for a Netflix suspense movie. There are rocky coastlines with huge Atlantic waves crashing against them, and also lots of lovely sandy beaches. Of course penguins do not have an artistic eye for these things like humans do. That kind of artistic beauty is very much a human concept. Sitting on a snow covered mountaintop looking out across the rivers and valleys below can be a spiritual experience for humans, and something which humans will go to long lengths to enjoy. Few animals share that concept. Dogs would love running up the mountain with you, but woul...

In this "Me2" age I find a lot of confusion about rights and responsibility. When we have a "right" to something - a way of thinking or being or ownership, what does that mean? I would like to suggest that it means we are asking to be responsible for our actions. Sadly all too often we get lost in the rule and give our power away. I love watching respectful responsible relating - Sikhona in this pic has that understanding with Zulu

 Best lesson I ever had is summarised as “live what you feel is right rather than fight for it”. I used to be activist about everything. Idealistic to a fault. Setting high standards for myself and focussing on anything threatening. What does this have to do with animals? If I am continually focussing on what I fear I have my defences up. And in this state I cannot see what is good or focus on what works. In so many interactions with people and their animals the script I find that works is to get folk to drop their defences. Help them start to see when things are working. And then celebrate the fact that the more we do this, the more it happens.   Age old wisdom: what we focus on expands♥️ I see a lot of judgment in the worldand notice than when I am in a state of judgement unable to focus on solutions. Judgement keeps me stuck. Becoming present is where I can fall in love with life again. And experience the joy and miracle of the life that surrounds me. 

 This is a celebration. When I see news like this I figure someone is trying to sell me something! I promise - no strings attached to this story. I simply feel grateful joy that I wish to share❤️ Gandalph arrived as a miraculous event in around 2003. A story for another day. If you look at him in perfect light you can see his magic. My kids grew up knowing he had a unicorn horn. He teaches so many lessons. End of 2020 was a hard lesson.  Two rounds of chemo and the vet visited once more with the news “- a surgical procedure in our surgery is required. We need to remove his eye”. I felt devastated.  I am the daughter of an amazing vet. An intuitive man who taught me about respect for all life forms. He had just left to be a vet in heavenly realms. He had always been my go to at times like this. I called on him for heavenly guidance… I found some interesting alternate therapies through a great rebel. Felt like I had nothing to lose. So dived in and began what I figured woul...

For dreams and wishes, fears and failures, thank you For spirit movers and dull intruders, thank you For joyful breezes and stifling still, thank you For life in colour and end in spite, thank you. As I walk the gentle path, toward a now that is the spark, I miss the fill that you provide So trash the mill that is my mind. You create and so do I When I attach you push me to fly into oblivion until I find That grace is here, not in my mind I search for magic like an obsessed seeker You twist my drama you grim reaper The miracles are here for all The gifts unlimited, life and more There is no need for nought but grace And gratitude in Wirikuta space Thank you for the steps I walk And every moment I don't talk Thanks for all the time I be And for when I see and see Thanks for touch and when they hold And let me return the gifts of gold The fortress that surrounds my heart Is fragile when I sense Your art And thankfully erodes in time When oneness...

Merry Christmas from Promises  Dear PenguinPromises The eggs have hatched and there are now two beautiful baby penguins for Promises to take care of. Hatching out of the egg is hard work for the chicks. In children's cartoons the eggs just pop open and out jumps the chick, but it is not like that in real life for penguins. It takes many hours for a penguin chick to fight its way out of the egg. Penguins are heavy birds, so to prevent the eggs from breaking under the weight of Promises lying over them, the egg shell has to be strong and hard to break. That is good for stopping the eggs from breaking, but it is bad news for the chick inside trying to get out. The chick is also squeezed inside the egg and hardly has any space to move around. However the chick has been provided with a special tool that can help it escape. Inside the egg the chick has grown a little spike on the upper tip of its beak, which is called the 'Egg Tooth'. This spike has just one purpose; to make a h...

> > Dear PenguinPromises > > The penguins began arriving back in the colony in early October. The male > penguins arrive about 10 days before the females, and gather on the beach > waiting for the females to arrive. The pairs become separated during the > winter migration, and this is how they meet up again. It is a reunion in > which it is okay for the female to arrive late, but not the male. > > There are more male eggs laid than female eggs, so there are always more > male penguins than females in the population. If the male looses his > partner, it is more difficult for him to find another unattached female. It > is therefore important for the male to be ready and waiting when his partner > returns to the colony, in order to avoid loosing her to a competitor, of > which there are many. > > By contrast, not only is it easier for the female to find a replacement > partner, but she is also running ag...