Once a week Cassie Sawyer and I work with an elderly black lab named Max, who used to be quite athletic, but advancing years have slowed him down and made him stiff. Cassie does massage and acupressure with him, and I do Reiki, shamanism and animal communication. The purpose of the sessions is to give him better quality of life through increased mobility, good energy balance and flow, and reduced pain. He has gotten quite used to our sessions, now as soon as we approach he lies down and obligingly presents one side for us to begin his session. His walking and vitality have improved as well.
That particular week the lab’s person had to leave early and it was her mother that spoke with us at the end of the session. She shared that she and her daughter had taken a walk the other day in my neighborhood and that she was very inspired by my garden with its Certified Wildlife Habitat sign. She was curious about how she might be able to do that for herself even though she lived in a condo, so I told her about the campaign that the National Wildlife Federation is running nationwide to make every backyard a certified wildlife habitat. So many habitats have been certified in the Pacific Northwest that we may become the first certified region, which I think is wonderful.
Then she dropped the line that made me smile, she said that as they walked past her daughter pointed out my home office and told her that that was where her dog’s shaman lived. The phrase just struck me as humorous, it is not every dog who can say they have their own personal shaman!
See the rest here:
Dog Shaman
This past weekend I taught the last class of the shamanic 4-part series Spirited Living: A Shamanic Journey into Self-Healing.
On Saturday night we had a potluck dinner before the fire ceremony. As part of the Peruvian shamanic tradition we have a single bowl set aside into which each person places something from their plate. This offering of the first and best to Pachamama (Mother Earth) is done in thanksgiving for all that we have received and enjoy with this meal. The Pachamama Bowl is then taken outside and placed on the ground and left overnight. Usually the contents are gone by next day.
That night we gathered under an almost full moon for our last fire ceremony together. As was usual my dog, Puma, joined us, however this time he snuck away at some point and went off exploring. I had to push my concern away and focus on the ceremony, something I managed to do until he came back quite damp, and I had a moment of angst wondering what mischief he had been up to, but decided that I would not ask. Sometimes with dog moms it is better not to know!
Next day we had leftovers from the previous night’s dinner for lunch, and again we put out the Pachamama Bowl in offering. With a sense of satisfaction I noticed that the previous night’s offering was gone.
Later in the day we again went outside for another fire. This time we were burning individual despachos to give thanks for all that we had received in healing during the training as well as to bring ayni (balance and harmony) to who we were becoming.
I noticed that Puma was quite eager to join us; he bounded down the stairs ahead of everyone. Once outside the reason for his haste became clearer; he made a beeline straight for the Pachamama Bowl, and quickly gulped down the contents!
The students have now tagged Puma with the nickname “Pachapuma” in honor of his chosen role as representative for Pachamama.
See the article here:
Pachamama’s Ambassador
We recently posted information about using RFID tags in pets. There have since been some reports of tumors in pets resulting from microchipping. We will be posting more info about this in the coming weeks, as we do some research. Here is one company’s response to the allegations:
September 11 2007
VeriChip Corporation and the manufacturer of its implantable microchip issued the following updated comment:
1. VeriChip is safe and has been cleared by the FDA as a Class II Medical Device.
The VeriMed Patient Identification System has been cleared by the FDA and, as stated in the Associated Press article, the FDA stands by its approval. The article and the alleged research cited make no link whatsoever to malignant tumor formation from microchips in humans. As the article states, research protocol guidelines clearly indicate that making such a link from mice to humans is a very big leap.
Since learning of the article, we have discovered two studies from our manufacturer Chronic Evaluation in Rodents to a Microchip Implant Used for Animal Identification [D.J. Ball, R.L. Robinson, R.E. Stoll and G.E. Visscher, Sandoz Research Institute, East Hanover, NJ] and Tissue Reaction to an Implantable Identification Device in Mice [Ghanta N. Rao and Jennifer Edmondson] that examine microchip implants in laboratory mice and rats and conclude that microchip implants DO NOT cause malignant tumors.
2. Millions of dogs and cats have safely received a similar microchip over the past 15 years.
The article and the alleged research cited make no link whatsoever to malignant tumor formation in dogs and cats but for one unsubstantiated report. It is important to note this report was not a controlled, scientific study, rather it was a report of a single dog that presented with a tumor, and therefore it should not be inferred that the microchip caused the tumor without further study.
Over the last 15 years, millions of dogs and cats have safely received an implantable microchip with limited or no reports of adverse health reactions from this life-saving product, which was recently endorsed by the USDA. These chips are a well-accepted and well-respected means of global identification for pets in the veterinary community. Veterinarians would not continue to prescribe pet microchips if they believed they presented significant risk of malignant tumors in dogs and cats.
3. Laboratory mice and rats have a high probability of tumors at any injection site, regardless of the type of injection.
The article and the alleged research cited appear to be completely focused on laboratory mice/rats. It is important to note that the incidence of tumor formation in mice/rats from simple injections of any type (including vaccinations) is much higher than in any other type of laboratory animals.
Upon learning some of these lab mice/rat characteristics, the Company asked a prominent veterinary pathologist researcher, Dr. Lawrence McGill, a 30-year industry veteran, former Chair of the Council of Communications of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and former president of the Utah Veterinary Medical Association, to discuss these characteristics (and more) on an independent basis with the reporter. It is our understanding that the reporter interviewed Dr. McGill but failed to include his review or comments in the article. The Company now intends to retain Dr. McGill as an expert to assist in the review process of this article and the studies referenced therein.
Dr. McGill, said, In my experience in the veterinary diagnostic laboratory, I have seen thousands of injection site sarcomas in cats and a few in dogs. I have done extensive research with dogs and cats and am familiar with much of the research in rats and mice. As I review the reports in the literature, the sites that have sarcomas attributed to microchips are also sites where injections are given. The epidemiologic data from several different authors some of which I am a coauthor, do not show any association of these sarcomas with microchips.
4. The companies take these reports seriously and recognize our responsibility to ensure product safety and to protect our corporate reputation.
We will continue to review the content, veracity and credibility of the studies alluded to in the article, as well as all studies relevant to this and other potential health issues. The Company will take the necessary steps to ensure that our products remain safe to the end user. We are in the business of protecting people and pets and we will continue to use our fullest efforts, in all regards, towards that end.
We also believe in protecting our corporate reputation and shareholder value by reviewing all relevant press reports and determining their veracity and credibility based on their factual content, innuendo and source.
Microchips have been particularly useful in the return of lost pets. They can also assist where the ownership of an animal is in dispute.
Animal shelters and animal control centers benefit from microchipping by more quickly and efficiently returning pets to their owners. When a pet can be quickly matched to its owner, the shelter avoids the expense of housing, feeding, providing medical care, and outplacing or euthanizing the pet. Microchipping is becoming increasingly standard at shelters: many require all outplaced animals to receive a microchip, and provide the service as part of the adoption package.
In addition to shelters and veterinarians, microchips are used by kennels, breeders, brokers, trainers, registries, rescue groups, humane societies, clinics, farms, stables, animal clubs and associations, researchers and pet stores. Animal control officers are also trained and equipped to scan animals.
Several countries require a microchip when importing an animal, as a proof that the animal and the vaccination record belong together. So before traveling or shipping your pet, check on the regulations!
A microchip implant is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog, cat, or other animal. The chips are about the size of a large grain of rice and are based on a passive RFID technology.
Tattooing is another, older method for identifying animals. Tattoos can be difficult to find and won’t even be looked for on most pets.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.
An RFID tag is an object that can be stuck on or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radiowaves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader.
Most RFID tags contain at least two parts. One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a (RF) signal and can also be used for other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal.
A microchip in a cat
