Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

How do you tell someone that her cat is suffering allergies because her home is so dusty that when I was through with the session and got home, I tore my clothes off, threw them into the hamper and showered?  Whew!  Poor kitty! But, as an animal communicator, it is my job to communicate what I receive.  The thing is, I had no idea that I'd be hearing about dust.  The wonderful thing about communicating with animals is that one is often surprised by the communication.

I remember a time when I had a table at the Quest Bookshop Psychic Fair in New York City.  A woman came to me with a drawing she had done of a cat at one of the city shelters.  The woman, whom I'll call Anna, had been working with this particular cat to socialize her and get her ready for adoption.  She felt that she was making real progress with cat.  When Anna got to the shelter the previous Sunday to continue her work, she was told that the cat, Lily, had been euthanized.  Anna hadn't even had time to say goodbye.  She felt guilty as well as betrayed by the shelter system.  You can imagine her devastation.  Anna, who usually takes photographs of all the animals she works with, hadn't taken one yet of Lily as she thought she'd have much more time with her.  I usually work through a photograph.  It helps me to focus my energy and intention, but this time, I had a little line drawing on a crumpled piece of paper.  As I looked at the drawing, the essence of that little being came through loud and clear.  And, the communication I received confirmed that you never know what you're going to hear.

Although I endeavor to put my own feelings and thoughts aside when I go into a session, often I  have judgements and preconceived ideas that I mentally put on a shelf.  When Anna first told me the story of Lily and the shelter, I was expecting to feel sadness and maybe fear and longing from the cat's perspective.  What I got proved to me again how little I know.  What Lily communicated to me was gratitude and joy.  She told me how important is it for beings who are transitioning to be sent off enveloped in love and light.  She told me to thank Anna so much for the work Anna had done; that it was because of Anna that Lily was able to transition peacefully and joyfully; that love is all that matters.  She reiterated how grateful she was to Anna for the love she was able to feel before she passed on to continue her journey in spirit.  It was because of Anna that Lily was able to transition without fear.

In the case of the dust-mite-allergy-cat, what I thought might be a stress-related reaction turned out to be what I think is an allergy to dust mites. I encouraged the client to vacuum and get an air purifier.  I also firmly suggested that she take her cat to a vet to make sure that what I intuited was correct.  As always I reminded my client that I am not a vet nor a medical professional of any kind, that my services are informational only.  I do not diagnose nor treat.  Hopefully, she'll take my suggestions seriously and get her cat to a vet, vacuum her apartment and dust the furniture.

Communicating with animals takes me from the sublime to the mundane, from Dust to dust.

Macduff, Mirror and Mentor

My cat, Macduff, is a fighter.  Like me, he's very vocal about what he likes and what he doesn't like.  I don't know if he and I were born fighters or made fighters by the circumstances of our lives, but I tend to believe that a being is born with certain characteristics and those characteristics are either strengthened or weakened by environment and circumstance.  I also believe that our lives unfold exactly as they must in order for us to learn our soul lessons.  I believe we are all connected and that the Universe does not play favorites, that we and all those whose lives we touch, are living out our highest good.  I don't pretend to know what that is or why sometimes life is harsh and unfair. I just believe that life is just even when it doesn't look like it is.  Because I believe life unfolds as it must does not mean that I don't take up causes and fight for justice.  I became an animal communicator to give voice to the voiceless.  Had I been living in the 1920's I would have been a union organizer.  As I said, I'm a fighter.

Macduff is still hissing and growling at Misty and, at times, at me.  I've been running around like a crazy woman, ordering supplements and remedies online, talking to other animal communicators and calling on my angels and spirit guides to help me help Macduff.  And, finally, this morning when Duff turned to me, growled, hissed and jumped off the chair we were sharing, it came to me.  I closed my eyes and once again asked heaven to help me.  I connected with Macduff and understood that Macduff is a fighter.  He was born a fierce warrior and whoever had him before I adopted him tried to break his spirit by declawing him and doing worse.  I know my cat was hit by whoever had him.  I always see him in a family who mainly ignored him.  When Macduff struck out or growled at the child in the home, he was yelled at and hit by a man, things were thrown at him.  I see Macduff being chased.  I always see the same man when I tune into Duff's past.  He is slight, between the ages of 30 - 40 years old.  He's not a mean person, but he is ignorant.  He's the same man who brought Duff to Animal Control.  He's a smoker.  I always smell cigarette smoke when I see him.

So, what I am saying here is that I understand now that remedies and potions and massage and TTouch may soothe Duff at times, but I cannot change his basic personality which was cemented by abuse.  I merely need to accept who is and why he is the way he is.  I have to stop trying to change him.  I've spent hundreds of dollars on animal communication sessions, a homeopathic vet, internet purchases, but more than that, I've spent hours stressing about how I can help.  Today, I've stopped.  If my cat needs to hiss and growl, so be it.  Sometimes I need to as well.