Some of the most painful and most glorious teachings I've received in my life have come from four-leggeds. Dogs and cats, in particular, have graced my life with unconditional love that I cannot begin to fathom. I am truly in awe of the capacity of animals to keep loving and hoping, no matter what.
I saw a documentary about the pastor of a church who also bought dogs for resale. His compound was a place of torture for those animals. A horrible, horrible thing. I did not want to watch, I almost couldn't watch as they threw these sweet little dogs into vats of pure flea and tick medicine in the cold of winter. As they were drug out of the vat, they were paralyzed and dragged back to their cages.
Why did I keep watching? Much like the young man who was there undercover, filming it all and documenting the abuse so that this man and his staff could be stopped, I watched to bear witness. As horrible as the abuse was, the worst part of the whole thing was seeing the dogs after they had been rescued. The depth of pain, suffering and abuse in their eyes was almost unbearable but I witnessed that too, for them. I saw them. It's important to see them.
And even after such abuse, the dogs still wanted to love and most were still willing to love. You could see it as they allowed the pet advocates to pick them up and give them baths. Such an incredible thing. Such a tremendous ability to love.
This story comes from another contact I had with an abused four-legged. Her name was Tasha. She was a beautiful wolf.
I journal as I retreat for my Moon Lodge, a time of isolation during the menstrual cycle. This was after meeting Tasha.
"I am suddenly ravenously hungry! I sent my husband a note asking for food and food came. It is so good. I am wolfing it down. I suddenly remember that I have placed Bahk and Sunke's hair (both full-blood wolves) under my pillow for dreamtime and healing help. Could it be their appetite I am feeling?
I begin to eat in a more and more primitive way, focusing on the energy of the food going into my body. I have never felt this awareness of food as energy like this before. I am totally and completely focused on the food. The food is all I know. I am aware of the need for food at the cellular level. I begin to feel less and less human as I stoop over the bowl of food, literally shoveling it into my mouth.
I begin to feel like a wolf. Then I know. I am not just wolf, but Tasha. I feel her anguish, her pain. My throat aches to howl. I suppress it because it feels like I might never come back if I do, but there is no stopping the sound. I began to howl and feel my humanness slip from my own brain.
I am wolf. I am in pain. I am trapped with my choices taken away. It is not panic or fear that I feel, as much as grief unto death. I am dying.
I pace back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Where is Bahk? Where is my mate? He is in another place. I am alone. I am half. I am dying.'
Dear God, let this be a healing for Tasha. Please God, let it release through me and be gone from her forever." Moon Lodge Journal
This experience is from my isolation time in Lodge after my return from a journey to an event where I was speaking. On the way back home from that event, I had stopped over to meet some spiritual friends I had met thru email.
Wolf medicine had been coming to me for about four months before this visit, in Sweat Lodges and through people I met, so I knew this meeting was a part of that medicine. I knew Spirit was sending me the wisdom of Wolf, to help with the new directions opening up in my life.
At the Hokshichankiya farm, I was blessed to be able to be in the presence of full-blood wolves. I even hugged one of them, what a feeling that was! Their names were Bakh and Tasha, and they were mates.
Both these glorious, glorious creature beings had been abused. The female, Tasha, was still tremendously fearful and unsettled. It took many minutes of being in their presence before Tasha would allow touch and even then, she cowered in a way that made me want to weep.
She deeply touched my heart that day but I had no idea how much she would affect me later on.
In the Lodge that day, something happened that had never occurred before. I was asked to integrate an emotional imbalance for an Animal Relative. Although I had done Reiki for injured animals and had utilized herbal remedies to help them, I had never facilitated an emotional release. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. They only know "now". Whatever is now, is forever to them. This is even far beyond what a baby feels when traumatized. The emotional depth of it has no equal that I have experienced. Tasha's grief, fear, and loneliness was beyond anything I have ever known.
I share this, as I share all spiritual insight from Moon Lodge, because I know I may not be the only one who goes through it and I want to offer the benefit of experience to those who may struggle as I have with the enormity of the task. When we open ourselves to receive the teachings of non-human teachers, we are connected to them in new ways.
About the Author: Neva has walked a blended-tradition path of spirituality that has included embracing the teachings of many paths, including the path of the Native American teachings. Because of those who believe in Mitakuye Oyasin and opened their teachings to her, she has been blessed with shamanic journeying experiences that continue to help shape her spiritual reality in strong ways. Available to answer questions about shamanism.
Since 1991, this author has worked as a wellness counselor. She maintains several health and wellness portals online, including an online wellness library. Writing is in her blood. She wrote a spiritual prophecy book, authored two inspirational card sets and, on the lighter side, has written screenplays and theatrical plays for fun. Neva also maintains a health and wellness blog
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