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photography

Gifts for Animal Lovers, Reiki and Shamanic Practitioners

by Rose De Dan

When I became a Reiki practitioner the energy woke up a part of me that had lain dormant for many years, my creative side, and I began to combine my photography and graphic design background with my Reiki, shamanic and animal communication training.

The result? Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing’s Online Store featuring gifts for animal lovers and Reiki gifts created by me, Rose De Dan.. Designed from my personal art and photos, each piece evokes the primordial soul, supports healing and reconnection, and fosters a sense of joy and playfulness in this dance we call life.

It is now several years, and many designs later. Since it is the holiday season, a time when the search for the perfect gift for a loved one can become stressful, I offer an abbreviated tour of our numerous designs. And, if you purchase gifts on Cyber Monday, November 30, 2009, you can shop online and get *FREE shipping as well!

TRIMMING THE TREE with Ornaments (we have a Reiki Kanji ornament, too)

STUFF STOCKINGS TO THE BRIM with Animal Lover Buttons, Magnets, Mugs or Reiki Gifts

STAY ON TRACK with Calendars and Journals (we have a Reiki Kanji Journal also)

GREEN GIVING for Environmental Consciousness: Animal Lover Canvas Grocery Totes, Reiki Totes and SIGG Water Bottles

BEACH GEAR, GYM GEAR, YOUR GEAR: Animal Lover Carryalls, Reiki Beach Bags and Reiki Gym/Messenger Bags

DECORATE THE HALLS: Coasters, Keepsake Boxes, Framed Tiles or Reiki Gifts

POSTERS AND PRINTS: Animal Lover Posters/Prints, Note Cards/Greeting Cards or Reiki Prints & Greeting Cards

CLOTHING for the Wild Child, Tiny Tot to Adult or Reiki Spirits of All Ages (Dog T-s, too!)

DOG OR CAT FOOD/WATER BOWLS or T-SHIRTS:
Pet Gifts or
Reiki Gifts for Pets

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NOVEMBER 30th
(Cyber Monday)
Free economy shipping* on orders of $60 or more
with coupon code: MONDAYSHIP
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*Free Economy or Standard shipping for CafePress shop orders of $60 or more, excluding shipping charges and applicable sales tax. All orders must be added to cart from CafePress shops only. Excludes CafePress Marketplace and CafePress Groups orders. Delivery address must be within the United States and cannot be a PO Box. All orders will be Economy shipping unless the order is not eligible for Economy shipping (e.g., order exceeds Economy weight restrictions). Coupon code MONDAYSHIP must be entered at check out. Promotion starts on November 30, 2009 at 12:00 a.m. (PST) and ends on November 30, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. (PST). Cannot be combined with any other CafePress.com coupons or promotions and this offer may change, be modified or cancelled at anytime without notice.

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Think Outside the Cage
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Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is a paq’o and mesa carrier in the Peruvian Q’ero Andean Medicine Tradition. In addition she is also a Reiki Master Teacher, animal communicator, author of the acclaimed book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, and creator of Animal and Reiki Art. As an animal shaman, she views her role as a healer as one of building bridges between people and animals, and of empowering them to reconnect with Pachamama, Mother Earth.

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Gifts for Animal Lovers, Reiki and Shamanic Practitioners

Halloween Fun: Ghosts at the Movies, Witch Dogs and Panther Cats

by Rose De Dan

<b><i>Panther Prowl</b><br /> ©Rose De Dan 2009</i>” title=”Cat Halloween card” width=”504″ height=”360″ class=”size-full wp-image-955″ /></a>
<p><b><i>Panther Prowl</b><br /> ©Rose De Dan 2009</i></p>
</div>
<p>Looking for some unusual <a rel=

Halloween Greeting Cards or 2010 Wall Calendars?

Panther Prowl greeting card shows the true primal nature of the housecat as reflected in her shadow (card is available in single or 10-pack.). Photography model is Jewell, a neighbor-cat of mine who is a lot more friendly than she looks in this image. Jewell adores my dog, Puma, and rushes to greet him whenever we walk by, throwing herself at his feet and rolling in ecstasy. Most of the time Puma politely ignores her, but occasionally (I think when he thinks other dogs aren’t looking) he will give her a hello sniff. Panther Prowl also appears in the calendar series Cats: Urban Tigers. Shadow art was done by artist Alex Guillotte.

Adorable Yorkie Witch Dog is portrayed by Yorkshire Terrier Cody, who has a complete closet of outfits which he was patient enough to model for in A Yorkie for All Seasons Calendar, and for the greeting cards (available in single or 10-pack). For this sitting Cody gave the cow skull a nervous glance at first, but after that he sat like a pro for his portrait.

Ghosts at the Movies greeting card combines a photo that I took many years ago in a Boston cemetery with a really humorous poem inside by Dean Blehert. Cards are available in single or 10-pack. Another of Dean’s short poems appears on Lucy Cat from the calendar series Cats: Urban Tigers.

Happy Halloween!

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Think Outside the Cage
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Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is a mesa carrier in the Peruvian Q’ero tradition. In addition she is also a Reiki Master Teacher, animal communicator, author of the acclaimed book Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism, and creator of Animal and Reiki Art. As an animal shaman, she views her role as a healer as one of building bridges between people and animals, and of empowering them to reconnect with Pachamama, Mother Earth.

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Halloween Fun: Ghosts at the Movies, Witch Dogs and Panther Cats

A Walk Between Worlds, Truth is Beauty, The Q’ero by Denise Kinch

by Rose De Dan

In July I conducted a series of three audio interviews with Denise Kinch, Pachamama Healing Center, practitioner and teacher of the Andean Healing Traditions. It is not well known, but Denise is the only western shamanic teacher to have had the privilege of staying at Don Manuel’s village year after year, hosting him in her home with her family, and in the process learning the truth about the Q’ero and this wonderful lineage that we share.

Not long after the interviews, Denise surprised me with an advance proof of A Walk Between Worlds, Truth is Beauty, The Q’ero, a book that took her nearly 18 years to write and which contains 200 full-color professional photographs documenting her time with the Q’ero, and with Don Manuel. A book that was written to honor his dying request — sharing the truth of the Q’ero, their history and their traditions; clearing up the myths and misconceptions that are so prevalent today among students of his tradition.

Eagerly I read her book cover to cover in one sitting, at times moved to tears. When finished, I sat, filled with the warmth of Don Manuel’s energy and words once again. The book brought him, his village, family and traditions to life for me.

In reading I reconnected with the feelings that had inspired “A Shaman’s Legacy,” concerning Don Manuel’s last visit to the U.S., receiving clear validation of the beauty and simplicity of the Q’ero tradition. A tradition that has been complicated and distorted by overlaid Western ideas and practices that often did not resonate with me.

Reading Denise’s book also changed how I taught the last class of four classes to my Spirited Living students, inspiring me to reach deeper during the weekend of teaching that followed, and fueled more of my own personal healing.

While I had been to Peru, I had never visited a Q’ero village. Seeing the stark simplicity of their lives set amongst the breathtaking and harsh reality of life at 17,000 feet put the entire tradition into perspective and placed it in context. Filled with photos of Chua Chua, the village where Don Manuel Quispe and his family lived, and with stories about community and the Peruvian shamanic traditions, Denise takes you into the heart of the village and shows you exactly what daily life entails.

The following is an excerpt from the book’s description:

“The Q’ero people do not ‘have’ a spiritual tradition, they ‘are’ their spiritual tradition. Living at such high altitudes they are completely dependant on their relationship with each other and their environment. They understand that every element is an integral component of the whole picture, a necessity for survival. That to live in balance with their land they must be in ‘ayni’ with all their relations. Ayni is a Quechua word for reciprocity. To come into Ayni with something means to be in an equal exchange of energy. Don Manuel Quispe embodied this tradition, incorporating it into his healing work and his teachings. Reminding us that we are not separate from spirit, that we do not need a ‘go-between’, and that we too are a part of the whole picture.”

Thanks to Denise Kinch’s quest to discover the roots of the healing tradition she was studying in the U.S., readers can walk alongside her on a personal journey that is often physically and emotionally wrenching—a journey guided by faith and Don Manuel.

This book is a gift beyond price—not only is it a window into a world and tradition that is quickly disappearing, it also affords us loving and humorous glimpses of a very special relationship between a determined woman who followed where Spirit led, and Don Manuel Quispe, one of the most respected and revered elders of the Q’ero nation, thought by some to be the last of the great Altomesayoks.

A Walk Between the Worlds, Truth is Beauty, The Q’ero is one book that every student of the Andean Medicine Tradition, indeed of any shamanic tradition, should have in their personal collection.

Note: You can order a signed and personalized hardcover copy of A Walk Between the Worlds, Truth is Beauty, The Q’ero from Denise Kinch at Pachamama Healing Center. The book is also available at Xlibris.

Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC, is a mesa carrier and Pampamesayoq in the Peruvian Q’ero tradition. In addition she is also a Reiki Master Teacher, animal communicator, artist, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism.

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Originally posted here:
A Walk Between Worlds, Truth is Beauty, The Q’ero by Denise Kinch

What Do Squirrels Do on Sunny Days?

by Rose De Dan

<b><i>A Maple Seed, Some Sun, and Thou</b><br />©Rose De Dan 2009</i>” width=”300″ height=”199″ /></a>
<p>A Maple Seed, Some Sun, and Thou©Rose De Dan 2009</p>
</div>
<p>My kitchen window affords some fine photo opportunities, and this sunny day was especially fun.</p>
<p>Two young sibling squirrels found themselves a great place to catch some rays—my garage roof. Covered in black asphalt tiles it soaks up warmth, and with a huge maple tree within easy jumping distance they could let down their guard and kick back for a bit.</p>
<p>I just loved watching the sequence of events (you can see all the <a rel=

photos on Flickr). Squirrel 1, on the left, was more cautious about lying down, waiting a bit, and making sure that the crazy papparazi woman (me) was just curious. Squirrel 2 was comfy, but needed something to nibble and play with. A nearby maple seed appeared to work just fine and then, of course, Squirrel 1 had to see what Squirrel 2 had.

In sorting through the many photos I took it was tough to choose favorites, one is a later photo (shown left) where Squirrel 2 is propped on his elbows while Squirrel 1 relaxes. Reminded me of squirrel bedtime reading.

Squirrel 1 finally settled down for a bit, until he got too warm and headed for shade, but Squirrel 2 stayed, chasing the maple seed down the roof on his belly in very slow motion. The photo where he stretches out one front paw is just too cute for words.

Original post:
What Do Squirrels Do on Sunny Days?

Awakening Owl Medicine

by Rose De Dan

I was having one of those days, feeling a little down and very rushed and overwhelmed. As Puma and I were midway through our usual stroll around the neighborhood, I became aware of a small group of teenage boys. They were clustered together by the path that meanders through Whale Tail Park, armed with cameras and cell phones, taking pictures upward into the branches of a cedar tree. I might have thought nothing of it if I had not overhead the word “owl.”

Responding to my enthusiasm, the teenagers were kind enough to take the time to carefully guide my eyes to where a gorgeous barred owl was trying to take his daytime nap.

Deliberately choosing to upend my schedule, Puma and I hurried back to retrieve my camera. While I have heard Western screech owls in my neighborhood from time to time, I have never seen a wild owl on our walks. Here was my first opportunity to photograph one!

Upon returning, I put Puma on down-stay and angled for the best shot I could find. It was not easy, besides the limitations of my neck injury there were numerous branches in the way, and the lighting was quite dim. I only managed to get off a few shots before the owl swiveled his head around so that it was now facing backwards.

For a while shots of the back of his head were all I could obtain, so I waited patiently until finally he resumed a face-forward position. Eyes tightly closed, he attempted to ignore the crowd of amateur paparazzi who passed beneath his tree bedroom. I was encouraged by how many people excitedly ran off to tell others. It was truly inspiring to see the wonder and awe he was greeted with and the care that everyone took to speak as quietly as possible so as to not disturb him. Having acute hearing I am sure he could hear us all quite well if he wished, but hoped that he was able to angle the feathers around his ear holes so that he had the owl equivalent of cotton balls muffling our noise.

Just when I was wishing that I could get a shot that did not include so many branches, all of which seemed to block some part of his handsome face, one man called me over to stand about 20 feet back up a slight incline where I discovered I could see the owl in all his magnificence. Score one for the kindness of strangers, as well as the maxim that sometimes you are too close to see the forest for the trees. In my focused desire to get as close as possible I had neglected a cardinal rule of photography, to explore other angles and options. Point taken for the larger life picture as well as future photo ops.

In photography mode, I had gradually migrated to a spot fairly far away from Puma who had patiently stayed in down position while the world had passed him by, including people with dogs (bless you Cesar Millan!). Finally his protective genes clicked in, he decided I was too far away to take care of properly, and that I had obviously forgotten the importance of that. Getting up, he walked over to where I was before assuming the down position once again. Not picture perfect obedience, but I could not argue with his logic.

By this time I felt I had plenty of photos of owl with his eyes closed. Occasionally he peeked by opening one eye slightly, and I hoped against hope that he might open them fully. I tried asking him, to no avail. I considered sending Reiki to the situation but wondered if that would be selfish. Before I could resolve the debate an unexpected event occurred, round the bend of the path came the local coon hound, one who could never resist greeting Puma by baying at him in ringing bugle tones, wanting to play. Puma stayed where he was, bless him, but the volume of the hound’s voice caused the owl to finally open his eyes fully, looking downward to see what all the commotion was about. Owl did not look at all worried or disturbed, just mighty curious. I got several good shots before finally thanking the owl (and patient Puma), and taking my leave.

I returned to my schedule feeling uplifted and relaxed, and realized that I needed to allow more time each day to consciously enjoy the gifts that can be found along the way, some of which come wrapped in feathers. That special day I had received a gift of Owl Medicine.

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Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
building bridges between people and animals
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

Continue reading here:
Awakening Owl Medicine

got ‘nip?

by Rose De Dan

Dexter lives two doors down from me. Originally he lived diagonally across the yard, but his people moved and he was adopted by my cat-friendly neighbors who are always a soft touch for those left behind. The benefit to me, of course, is that I often end up with extra cat friends who come calling.

Dexter, however, is in a class by himself. His very friendly, outgoing personality does not admit a shadow of a doubt that the world will love him. As he is a very large, handsome gray and white cat with a sort of bumbling and insistent charm, most of the world seems to agree with him, myself included.

My first introduction to Dexter was as I was digging a hole to plant a newly acquired addition to the garden. Suddenly there was this strange cat right next to me peering into the hole with intense concentration, almost as though he was an inspector for Better Homes and Gardens. So intense was his interest that I had to elbow him back from the hole as I dug because I was concerned that I was going to accidentally stab him with the Japanese digging knife I was using!

From that point on Dexter made regular visits to see what I was up to, and discovered in short order that I had a secret stash of catnip in my garage. I have a student who is a gardening wonder, and who brings me fresh stems of catnip in season. I take these fragrant offerings, hang them to dry, and then store them in the garage where my cats can’t get to them. This way I can dole the catnip out in measured doses rather than having an entire household turn into feline junkies on a bender for days.

I left the garage door open one day, and Dexter wandered in and discovered the stash. He ripped the bag down and proceeded to have a glorious time. The next time I saw him the garage door was again closed, but Dexter was having none of it. Meowing loudly and longingly, he proceeded to tell me just how miserable his lot in life was without that luscious scent that rolled up warm radiators, sunshine, cushiony beds, and sardines on toast into one whisker-twitching burst of glorious nirvana. Listening to him made me yearn momentarily for my long-gone stupefied early college years! So, I caved and gave him a hit of my super cat stash, and that was my undoing. Now every time Dexter sees me outside he wants what he knows I’ve got. I am now his favorite dealer of choice!

P.S. Dexter knew I was taking these photos. Rather than being ashamed of his addiction he obviously decided that any fame is better than no fame at all. So, here he is, looking rather like a furry version of Carmen Miranda with a catnip stem, rather than a rose, clamped in his teeth!