Welcome to
HEALING TO HAPPINESS
A Journey Through Animal Loss
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR CARD
Before you ask Spirit your question, drop down to your Heart Center by focusing on your chest. Come into your body by feeling the contact of your feet on the floor, and yourself on your seat. Be quiet, and centered, and follow your breathing for a few minutes.
You can also ask Spirit what you need to focus on now or what you need to know
to assist you on your journey. Then pick a number on the Number Generator.
Click HERE for the number generator
NOTE: The maximum number on the Number Generator needs to be 43
(for 43 cards in the deck).
If the number is not set at 43, manually type that number in.
Next, click "Generate" to get your number.
Always click "Generate" every time you wish to pull a card.
Return to this page and hover over your selected card to read its message.
ENJOY THE CARDS!
CLICK HERE to The Spirit Wisdom Animal Oracle
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—CHICKEN—
Animals come into your life to teach you unconditional joy. They want you to be happy. They don’t like it when we argue, are sad, or are not in alignment with our soul’s purpose, that which makes our heart sing. They certainly don’t want their absence to dim your light, the true essence of who you are, the part of you they knew and
loved most, and worked tirelessly for you to experience. Honor your animal’s profound message: keep the heart open, no matter what, for this is their most important teaching. In what ways can you support yourself now? What needs to be done to make you content? Is your self-talk kind or judgmental? Be kind to yourself and pursue those things that bring fulfillment. Keep the flame burning. The teaching is to not close down.
I CHOOSE TO KEEP MY HEART OPEN FOR MY ANIMALS, MYSELF AND ALL LIVING BEINGS.
UNDERSTAND
THE TEACHING
—CHICKEN—
Change rattles our found- ation, up-roots us, and can tear us down. Your animals have done their jobs! They're here in your life to wake you up, shuffle your cards, and shake the floor of your foundation. Time to prioritize your life. What are you compelled to do now?
Are you listening to your hunches?Hunches are intuition guiding you to where you should be and what you should be doing for your greatest good. Take time to grieve your losses, then welcome the new energy and opportunities awaiting you. Your companions have opened your heart and given you a door to explore new possibilities. They guided you then, they guide you now. Walk through, be brave, don't look back.
I START OVER COURAGEOUSLY, LISTENING AND FOLLOWING MY HUNCHES WITH EACH
UNFOLDING MOMENT.
WAKE UP
—CHICKEN—
Enter the silence of your heart. Feel the longing, regrets, the sorrow in the vast emptiness of loss. Sit with this. Breathe it in deeply and sigh it out. And then burst with gratitude; for breathing, for loving, for the gift of time spent with your companion, no matter how long or short. Embrace the silence of the breath and feel
your connection with life, yourself, and your animal. Sit in the quietude knowing you’re never alone, that your sorrow is touched and held in their hearts and soul. Allow your emotions to surface and acknowledge whatever rises as you welcome your feelings to be. Rest in the stillness amidst all this, and focus on your breath and your animal’s presence. Only you can enter your heart and find the courage to sit with it.
I BREATHE IN MY SORROW AND EXHALE JOY.
ENTER YOUR HEART
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—CHICKEN—
We are never alone. Our guides and angels watch over us, assist when we ask them, and help us cross over when it’s our time. I can rest assured that my animal companions and angel guides are ready to swoop down to lift my heavy heart. No one has abandoned me. Feeling alone is only in my head, and I replace those
thoughts with Truth. All I need to do is ask for guidance when I’m lonely, frightened, or sad, and help streams in. I can talk to my animal companions, knowing they are listening and ready to be of service and comfort when I believe it is possible. When you wake, ask your companion what you need to learn or know today. Ask to be shown what to do. Whatever you need, ask. Allow me to see, hear, and feel what I need today. Love and support always surround you. Believe it, and you’ll feel it.
I KNOW I’M SUPPORTED WITH MY COMPANION’S EVERLASTING LOVE AND ANGELS GALORE.
ANGELS AMONG US
—CHICKEN—
On the more significant page of Life is the fine print; there are no accidents or coincidences in the universe and no one to blame. Are you ready for that? All of us, including our animals, have life lessons and a unique spiritual journey. We all experience what we came here to do, even if we haven't found our purpose. Short or long life makes no difference
in further chapters of our soul's journey. But regardless, a loved one's departure may make our life forlorn. What is important now? Did your companion teach you patience, or how to love yourself more, focus more, work less hours? Did your friend take away your stress or sadness? Practice the life lesson your companion has shown you. Do a good job. It's your job and assigned purpose. Begin today.
THANK YOU FOR MY LESSONS AND
NEW PURPOSE IN LIFE.
LIFE LESSONS
—CHICKEN—
In the end, we never have them long enough. Fleeting memories remain in their place. Our friends pass through our lives in a flash, and our loved ones leave us as quickly. Today will pass without a trace. Tomorrow can only be imagined; yesterday is as tangible as a dream. No need for grasping
today; there’s nothing to hold on to. Our companions teach us to love, release, and let go without attachment. Observe the rise of every moment and the absence left behind, the pause between breaths, the eternal you. Today I release attachments and stories that create suffering. Today I let go of grasping what is gone. Everything is emptiness, despite the appearance of solid form. Find balance in the Divine contrast. How will you spend each passing moment? Think tenderhearted thoughts because the energy remains.
INHALING, I AM WILLING TO LET BE. EXHALING, I LET EVERYTHING GO.
EVERYTHING
IS EMPTINESS
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—CHICKEN—
The density and confines of the mind could easily take control. Life then appears bleak, our days can feel hollow or blurred together, and getting up in the morning can be extremely difficult. Gaze at the sky when you’re entangled in despair, sorrow, or feeling distracted, ungrounded, or lost. Lay or stand barefoot on the grass, or do this
exercise inside: imagine a narrow tube at your tail-bone reaching to the center of the earth. Now breathe violet light from the earth through the soles of your feet and legs, to the tail bone, the root chakra, and exhale stress and unwanted thoughts and emotions down the violet tube into the earth. Do this a few times, feeling grounded in the arms of Mother Earth as feel your connection with Father Sky. Feel the limitless space of possibilities above and the timeless nature of your soul on earth.
I RELEASE TO MOTHER EARTH, AND RISE TO FATHER SKY.
ABOVE AND BELOW
—CHICKEN—
You are light. When you're not at peace, you're not in the light. Tranquility and well-being become erased in the darker, lonely parts of you. Lost in the roller coaster of emotions, we rob ourselves of joy. If we don’t ride our emotions, they’ll ride us. Try this, sitting or standing, perhaps with music: sway back and forth, side to side,
around and around, gently, effortlessly moving from the base of your spine. Imagine light flooding in through the crown chakra. Rotate like the Earth and draw in light with each breath. Feel limitless radiant light pouring into you. Imagine your animal friend within this vast sea of Being. Feel held, protected, and understood by this light, your animal's joyful spirit, and know you're not alone in the driver's seat. Feel connected. Just for today, be the light.
I FEEL JOY IN THE LIGHT OF WHO I AM.
LIGHT
—CHICKEN—
Are you flowing or strug-gling? We do have a choice. Make friends with yourself and your life. Dive deeply into your memories, desires, and plans, and accept that some dreams won’t manifest as imagined. Are you feeling cheated and angry at the universe? How to surrender amid overpowering emotion?
When you're ready. And only then. Today, let the flood sub-
side as you place a serene lake in your mind’s eye. See a reflection of the sun sparkling on the lake. Bring that radiance and comfort to your heart, and exhale it to every cell in your body. Now inhale as you spin the sunlight in a spiral at your heart center. Exhale the circle of sun to your companion’s heart. Connect with the Golden Cord, then say hello, and express your feelings and thoughts. Trust what you see, feel, or hear back. The connection is real.
I SEND SUNLIGHT FROM MY HEART TO MY COMPANION’S AND CONNECT THROUGH
THE GOLDEN CORD
SURRENDER
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—CHICKEN—
The earth is thought to be one of the most challenging schools. Our souls have chosen to be here together in this lifetime. Welcome the challenges and heartbreaks. They’re in the script, and we don’t have a choice. But we can choose our reactions and influence our well-being. Your companions have passed with high grades and
graduated to a higher learning school. They want you to be happy, proud of yourself, and free from the burden of sorrow that hardships, or their exit, may have caused. Are you impeding their mission of unconditional love, loving without judgment and attachment, and are you implementing this into your life for yourself? Someday all of us will graduate from the first grade and reunite with one another. You can heed your lessons by living by their word and learning from their selfless actions.
TODAY I CELEBRATE MY COMPANION’S GRADUATION.
GRADUATION
—CHICKEN—
Perhaps you made a contract with your companion before you took birth. You probably arranged beforehand how you'd meet and what lessons you'd learn in this lifetime. Do you believe in soul contracts? Or do you think everything is random and accidental? What if our arrivals and departures and everything in between are divinely arranged? Our agreements
are not meant to keep us happy and safe. We're intentionally thrown off the edge and jolted from our comfort zones so that we grow. When we understand contracts, we don't blame others or ourselves or think life is unfair. We see growth through devastation and grief, although often years later. What have your companions taught you? What did you experience together? Are you stuck, or have you found a way to grow from your pain?
I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING IS DIVINELY
PLANNED FOR MY HIGHEST GOOD.
SOUL CONTRACTS
—CHICKEN—
You are part of the united field, the creative intelligence lives inside you, and you exist within that embodiment. If you feel separated or lonely, remember who you are; united with greater whole and your loved one in spirit living within you. Call your animal friend into your mind’s eye. See their face, feel and smell their fur, feathers, skin, or shell. Talk to
them and see them helping you with your projects. Anytime projects. Anytime you’re feeling anxious or stressed, think of their uplifting energy. Raise your frequency with happy memories, dance, and sing. Positivity makes it easier for your companion to greet you. Our companions never leave us. They are here when you remember who you are. Play more! They’re waiting and wanting you to live your life fully and unhindered. You deserve it. And so do they. Be joyful in their memory.
WHEN I AM JOYOUS, VIBRATORY, AND RADIANT, I FEEL MY COMPANION’S PRESENCE.
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE
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Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. Life is indeed a dream. No Birth, No Death. We slip out of our space suits, drop back in, and out again and again, and here we are. Many cultures believe life is a dream, and we wake up when we die. Of course, none of that matters or comforts us through loss.
We miss the support, love, and physical presence of our companions. But if life is but a dream, perhaps when we’re ready, we can thank our companions for reminding us our physical lives are as fragile as a water bubble and not meant to remain forever. We can thank them for showing us the illusion so we can wake up now, see every obstacle as a guidepost, and continue to row our boats merrily down the stream unhindered my sorrow. Sooner or later, we all wake up together.
EVEN THOUGH I FEEL PAIN, I KNOW IT WILL PASS,
AS ALL FRAGILE MOMENTS DO.
THANK YOU
—CHICKEN—
Your animal companions are your wacky, little wisdom teachers of impermanence. Their transformation into spirit teaches us about the transitory nature of our lives. Everything is changing, ex-cept for the deepest part of your being, that which never changes, the eternal YOU. Your animals live here at your infinite core, with you all
the time and forever more. Don’t allow clouds to mask your sight. Your thoughts are seldom accurate, yet we believe them without question, as they shape our moods, our view of ourselves, others, every situation, and thus our feelings, emotions, and reactions. A loss will always rearrange your life or tear you to shreds. Expect the unexpected, prepare for change, and accept whatever comes your way. Re-establish your footing. Thank your companions for showing the way. Now step into the next phase of your life.
WITH MY ANIMAL’S TEACHINGS, I NAVIGATE
THROUGH CHANGE.
YOUR TEACHERS
—CHICKEN—
Eternal, joyful beings surround you. Get out in nature today. If you live in the city, find a park or appreciate the blades of grass sprouting from the sidewalk. Nature brings us presence and new perspectives as we restore our peace and happiness. Listen to the birds. What do they say? What do you smell? What feelings are aroused? Feel the breeze against your face, the
contact of your feet upon the ground. What sensations arise? Hear your footsteps, see the textures around you, the insects crossing your path, the arms of the tree. Shift your perspective to see the space between the branches, the patterns of light and shadow on the leaves. What thoughts arise? Use all your senses to awaken! When conscious of our surroundings, we bring in gratitude and feel alive again.
TODAY, I COME ALIVE AGAIN WITH LIFE AROUND ME.
BRING LIFE INTO YOUR LIFE
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—CHICKEN—
You’re always where you’re supposed to be, and so are your animals. Do you believe this deep in your heart? Or do you resist what is, what’s passed, or presently unfold-ing? Well, welcome home. You’re not alone. Few of us trust and believe there is Divine order in our lives. The truth is there is no other path. Any outcome you imagine
better or different may exist in a parallel universe, but your experience is here, NOW, and not without purpose. Your vehicle has brought you here to grow. No matter what path you find yourself on, you will learn what you need to. Your life is guided, and your way is illuminated. Don’t focus on the shadows. Accept what you can’t undo. Trust yourself moving forward. Ask questions on the New Moon. Receive answers when the timing is Divine. You’re on the right path.
I LEARN WHAT I NEED TO IN DIVINE TIME, AND TRUST
THE PROCESS ALONG THE WAY.
RIGHT PATH
Every day is an opportunity to recreate your life, change an attitude, consider another perspective, and be grateful for the little things we take for granted, like our breath and heartbeat. Each day, add something new to your routine. This will rearrange the brain pattern and create healthier habits and well-being. Your companions don’t
want you to be sidetracked or fall into a rut. So do one kind thing for yourself daily to honor your animals in spirit. What will that be? Cook your favorite foods or enjoy a movie? Will you write or read or go for long walks? Light a candle and recite prayers? Every little niche we carve carries an impact and ripples through the universe—every action or thought boomerangs back. So cultivate juicy, fun boomerangs today. Your life is a gift. So are you! Unwrap yourself every day!
WHEN I TAKE CARE OF MYSELF,
I HONOR MY COMPANIONS.
GO FORWARD
—CHICKEN—
We begin communicating telepathically with an animal by using our imagination. Bypass the inner critic and do this exercise every day. Relax and sense your animal’s energy, essence, and your connection with them. Ask them questions and imagine what they might say. Everything is the imagination, and the imagination is real.
Yes! The imagination is real. Hold your animal’s face in your mind’s eye and feel them at your heart center. They hear and feel your thoughts. Ask them questions. Imagine what they might say. Don’t think about it. Trust the first thing that comes to mind. Know that your communication is both imagined and real. Thoughts are boundless. Time and distance cannot keep us apart.
WHEN I IMAGINE MY COMPANION TALKING TO ME,
I KNOW IT’S REAL.
IMAGINATION
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—CHICKEN—
If only I had taken action quicker, if only I hadn’t left, if only I hadn’t waited so long, if only I had listened…the list is endless. Would the results have been different if you had taken another action? We don’t know. If you believe in Divine timing, then you believe things play out as Thy will. We don’t know what the soul came here to finish or accomplish. Take a bird's
eye view of your narrative. Marishi once said, No one dies before their time or stays one moment after. Spirit leaves the body when its job is complete. Understand if only as the bargaining stage of grief to mask our pain. But healing begins when we face the pain head-on. Eventually, when we’re ready, we’ll move on from there. Take the time you need. Facing pain is a slow process and part of the journey. What if nothing is as it appears?
EVEN THOUGH I WISH THINGS DIFFERENT,
I’M WILLING TO ACCEPT EVERYTHING AS IS.
IF ONLY.
Change rattles our founda- tion, up-roots us, and can tear us down. Your animals have done their jobs! They're here in your life to wake you up, shuffle your cards, and shake the floor of your foundation. Time to prioritize your life. What are you compelled to do now? Are you listening to your hunches?
Hunches are the intuition guiding you to where you should be and what you should be doing for your greatest good. Take time to grieve your losses, then welcome the new energy and opportunities awaiting you. Your companions have opened your heart and given you a door to explore new possibilities. They guided you then, they guide you now. Walk through, be brave, don't look back.
EVEN THOUGH I FEEL I MESSED UP,
I DID WHAT FELT WAS RIGHT AT THE TIME
SHOULDA WOULDA
COULDA
—CHICKEN—
Regret sweeps in when we fight against what is, can't accept the outcome, or blame ourselves. Many of us hold anger or beat ourselves up over what has transpired. But we do the best we know at any given moment. Even if we might have worn blindfolds and would now do things differently, we made decisions based on what we
knew or thought at the time. Remorse is a healthy acknowledgment of our actions and consequences. We see what we may have done differently, and we learn from that. Regret carries a crippling effect, and we shrink instead of grow. Choose to free yourself from this self-defeating cycle. Honor your good intentions instead. You are not careless but a divine child growing through painful experiences. There are no mistakes in life, only learning.
I LEARN WHAT I NEED TO IN DIVINE TIME,
AND TRUST THE PROCESS ALONG THE WAY.
REGRET
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—CHICKEN—
Attachments rip a hole in our hearts. When we can’t let go, our losses can be magnified. How do we move on? Honor your timeline. Every night as we fall away from the stream of thought, we fall asleep. We let go. We leave our bodies when ready, even when death comes suddenly. Letting go of suffering
doesn’t mean forgetting, not caring, or denying. It means opening our hearts to a larger space within, finding strength, and loving again. For now, ask what you can do for others. Perhaps foster or volunteer in shelters with frightened, abandoned animals? Reach out. Even momentarily, you can let go a little each day and restore your purpose. It may be as easy as falling asleep, when ready.
I CHOOSE TO KEEP MY HEART OPEN FOR MY ANIMALS, MYSELF AND ALL LIVING BEINGS.
FREE YOURSELF
—CHICKEN—
Where will you place your attention today? You may be stuck in the head with troubling stories if you don’t feel at peace. When we rehash our stories verbally or mentally, we keep them alive, relive them with all the emotions. Remember your God breath if you’re missing what’s no longer here. Breathe
it up your feet to your belly and exhale through the heart, throat, and out through the crown. Hold your universal connection here. Now inhale down through the crown, to the throat and heart, and pause at the belly. Sigh it out through the feet. Ground and expand with this exercise. Your breath is a comforting friend. Ride the breath and anchor it at the belly. Be at peace.
WHEN I AM ANCHORED IN THE BREATH,
I GROUND AND EXPAND.
PAY ATTENTION
—CHICKEN—
Do you believe in miracles? Maybe it’s time to step aside and allow the universe to speak. Listen to your inner voice, the intuition. With practice, the voice becomes more distinct. How to know the difference between the voice of intuition and ego? Your guidance is reassuring, clear, quick, and never wrong. It can be subtle, everyday hunches. Ego voice
is fearful. Before you go to bed, ask for clarity on whatever you need, and to be shown or told in a way you’ll understand. Then be willing to receive answers that may come in conversation with a stranger, lyrics to a song, on a license plate, on a billboard, in a book, from a voice, or through these cards. It’s time to live each day mystically, magically, with relentless gratitude and curiosity. All around us, life is speaking. Make sense of your life. See the synchronicities. Create the magic!
WHEN I STEP ASIDE,
I HEAR MY LOVING GUIDANCE SPEAKING
MIRACLES
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—CHICKEN—
Emotions come in waves and wash over you at unexpected moments. Like the ocean tide, they rise and retreat on their own time, and we have little control over that. So allow them to saturate you, stay focused on the breath, sit in the midst of them as you allow them to leave. There’s nothing else to do. Anything can trigger a memory and bittersweet
smile to your face. Emotions are associated with the sacral chakra, the element water. People in india heal themselves in the Ganges by throwing water over their shoulders. Do this symbolically or take a shower and let the water wash over you. Let the tears wash away. Feel hugged and supported in a bathtub with essential oils. If there is no tub, use a salt scrub in the shower to cleanse stagnant energy. Make healing time for yourself today and every day.
WHEN EMOTIONS WASH OVER ME, I WASH OVER THEM, AND SO IT IS.
WAVES
—CHICKEN—
Forgiveness may be the most difficult. The hurt and pain can be so deep there is no room or reason to forgive. Holding guilt and blame is part of the grieving process and may be a means to cope. But after a while, these emotions will sabotage your life and rob your happiness. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we con- done another’s actions, deny
or let ourselves off the hook. And it certainly is not a betrayal of our beloved departed one. You’re simply releasing resentment and the burdensome narrative we tell ourselves. Something powerful transpires when we break through the dam; our heart cracks open, and the healing begins. Forgiveness is massive, but start small. Start with yourself. It’s challenging to do. Our animals do it so well. Do it for them.
I AM WILLING TO FORGIVE MYSELF AND OTHERS, AS MY COMPANIONS HAVE FORGIVEN ME.
FORGIVENESS
—CHICKEN—
Are you blaming others or yourself? What if you turned that around? The day before my cat, KuKu, was killed by a car, a premonition warned me something catastrophic would happen. How did I know beforehand if the "accident" wasn't already in motion? Who was to blame? Me, for not being there? The
friend who let him out? The driver? What if there areno accidents or coincidences in the universe? Regardless of our thoughts around parting, what if our lives are karmic, lessons braided with meaning and purpose? We are never the cause of anyone's death, nor is anyone else. The universe takes care of that. There is no one to blame. We don't need to torment ourselves. Release blame and be free.
BLAME
I AM WILLING TO LOOK
AND SEE THINGS FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE.
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—CHICKEN—
If you are an empathic person, you deeply feel another’s pain. Self-empathy is acknowledging that, like others, you deserve loving- kindness and compassion too. Can you hold this space for yourself? Or are you hammering yourself to the ground? We must show empathy for ourselves, feel the depth of our feelings and pain, and not let others
diminish our sorrow or tell us how to feel. Forgive good-intentioned friends who say the wrong things, and find support elsewhere. Self-empathy encompasses "mis- takes", yours and other's. Be empowered by the words of the Buddha: Life is suffering; created with our stories, reactions, and attachments around every situation. Place a red rose of empathy at your heart. Place your stories in a red balloon and release them.
I AM WILLING TO HOLD MY GRIEF
WITH COMPASSION AND KINDNESS.
EMPATHY
—CHICKEN—
If you’ve chosen this card, you have a big task ahead. Take it slow. Find a quiet, sacred place, either externally or inside your mind or heart. Relax wherever you are, and breathe into your heart center by focusing on your chest. Now, imagine or physically bring your hands in prayer pose to your forehead. Bow, as you send love to your loved
one. Imagine love, light, and peace around them. Now do this again, for yourself. If this is difficult, ask the universe to send love and light to you. With your third bow, send love and light to anyone you feel may have caused harm. You’re not condoning anyone’s actions, but acknowledging their light is the same light in you (Namaste and Sat Nam). Bow, mentally or physically, to every living being you see, including nature and even inanimate objects. Bowing cultivates gratitude.
THE LIGHT IN ME SEES THE LIGHT IN YOU,
DESPITE CIRCUMSTANCES.
BOW
—CHICKEN—
Rituals can help to support you and honor your com- panion. A ceremony can give closure, purpose, and a means to release sadness. Find time to move into a larger space within you. Get out of the house. Walking is as powerful a ritual as lighting candles and prayer. The whole world becomes your altar, cradles you with love, and hears your requests.
Saunter and be consoled. If you can't walk, sit, or imagine yourself outdoors. Expand your attention outward. Move with the wind, ground with the earth, stand tall with the trees, bend with the branches. Which living beings grab your attention? What is their message for you? Find meaning and answers around you. Rest your back against a tree trunk. Ask a question and feel its message. Today, listen and feel the world within and without. See the Divine in everything. Make your life a ritual.
TOUCHING THE WORLD AROUND ME,
I AM SUPPORTED AND GRACED.
GET OUT
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—CHICKEN—
Accepting what is can be challenging. Acceptance
doesn’t mean feeling happy about the loss, denying it, or pretending everything is fine and getting on with life. But instead, to accept what is present; loss, pain, guilt, the roller coaster of emotions taking us for long rides into darkness, with breakthrough peaks of gratitude and joy. The contrast can be
confusing and unpredictable. Acceptance means embracing it all while taking small steps toward a new future with some positivity and intention. How will you let the loss and the life it has left you impact your life to come? With the broad brush of acceptance, we drop the fight and own it all; our actions, the actions of others, our mishaps and good deeds, and every single emotion. We accept all the circumstances around what has passed and what we can’t change. If we can weave light and hope into grief, we can let this guide our day.
I ACCEPT WHAT I CAN’T CHANGE AND MOVE FORWARD WITH LIGHT AND LOVE AROUND ME.
ACCEPTANCE
—CHICKEN—
When feeling lonely and misunderstood we’re left alone to shine our own lantern along our path. But this is good, and the path to clarity. We might consider journaling at this time. Expressing yourself is essential for reflecting, acknowledging
and accessing your innermost thoughts. Animals are known to
exhibit unwanted behavior
mirroring what you’re repressing. Your health will take a toll too. So get it out. Write to your companion about everything on your mind. What might they say back? List those things you feel you messed up with and the great things you did. Put things in perspective. Focus on those loving things you did, not on what “went wrong.” Embrace the positive memories, and recall the good times together while you address your loss and pain. It’s time to journal your your way to wholeness.
I DIALOGUE WITH SELF
BECAUSE HEALING BEGINS WITHIN.
JOURNAL
—CHICKEN—
Years later, we may see the blessings our companions have left behind. What beautiful things have they shown you? What painful memories remain in you? Can we embrace the higher learnings of loss and suffering? What new directions or undertakings draw you? No coincidences! Death can be a Divine teach-
her or a crippling force. But remember, we can open every closed door. What realizations have the absence of your animal friends revealed? How has pain changed your life in positive ways? From the dark timbers sprout new seeds. We grapple in the dark before we see the light. There’s no rush. Blessings await when we’re ready to untie the knots. Take as long as you need. Long or short, we arrive when we do.
I’M READY TO FIND BLESSINGS THAT AWAIT
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
BLESSINGS
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—CHICKEN—
Boost yourself with color. Consider the rainbow colors, the colors of the chakras, to shift moods and heal. Either choose colors intentionally or surround and adorn yourself each day with colors that intuitively draw you. Your soul knows what you need. Red stimulates energy and rids of depression. Orange is healing and pro-
motes happiness. Yellow stimulates intelligence and helps digestion. Green is restful, good for the heart and lungs, and growth. The spiritual color blue creates calmness. Purple is linked to intuition and helps the brain and nervous systems. Stay away from grays and blacks until you feel content and balanced again. Consider white for protection and reflection. What colors are you wearing right now? What color best suited your animal’s essence? How did they bring that quality into your life? Bring it in with a rainbow quest!
I BLOSSOM INTO MY BEAUTIFUL, BOUNTIFUL SELF.
I AM.
RAINBOW THERAPY
—CHICKEN—
Have you moved on too quickly and gotten “over it,” filling the void with another animal or busy schedule? Are you avoiding former activities to avoid memories? Or perhaps you’re carrying on, as usual, tucking sorrow in your back pocket? Have you done the deep work, sought the support you need, cried a flood, found
a good listener, and meaning through your loss? Some find meaning through their grief to inspire, strengthen, and walk others through the process. Where are you now in your journey? Face your pain and express your feelings, rekindle your spiritual flame, and your healing process begins. Become a warrior of compassion because this is what your animals nurtured in you. Step forth with dignity and grace because this will motivate and support others and give you meaning too.
I HONOR MY SOUL’S JOURNEY AND FIND INSPIRATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT
BEGIN NOW
—CHICKEN—
Time may diminish our pain, but it doesn't dissolve grief. Amidst significant change and upheaval, the purpose our companions once pro-vided seem gone. Loss can make us feel like abandoned children. How can you re- claim your power and pur- pose now? Perhaps your companion offered safety, security, and joy. How can you create for yourself what
your animals selflessly gave you? Go within and above, and ask your guides, the universe, and animals to lead you to the people and animals who need YOU now. Sometimes our animals need to move on to help others. Their souls have more work to do. Our work doesn't stop when we die. So say a prayer for their new adventure in the afterlife as you embark on yours in 3D. The world awaits you with loving arms. Open yours, reach out, and unmask your new purpose for renewal and growth.
EACH DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW
MY INTENTIONS AND PROCESS LOSS.
REDEFINE YOUR SHINE
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—CHICKEN—
Death is a transition from one form to another for the living too. We wake up to our fragility, impermanence, les-
sons, challenges, and growth.
Grief reminds us that we are alive, human, with emo- tions. Pain reminds you that you are part of the human condition, part of the living, and therefore, part of that which is in constant change. Nothing
stays the same, and neither will you. Loss may rip a piece of your life away, change you forever, and you will become a different narrative of your former self, just as you were another person at age five and even two years ago. Who were you then? Who changes? Your identity or ego changes but your consciousness never changes and sustains you throughout life and after death—blessings for your on-going adventure, and your animal companion who’s gone first.
MY LIFE IS A PORTAL FOR GROWTH, FORM IS ALWAYS CHANGING, BUT I AM ALWAYS WHO I AM.
TRANSFORMATION
—CHICKEN—
Give yourself a break today despite the circumstances. What stories is the mind feeding you? Loving What Is, a book by Byron Katie, is a powerful practice of asking four questions that challenge your mind’s assumptions and projections about what’s upsetting you or when it’s arguing with reality. The questions are: 1) Is it true?
2) How do you absolutely
know it’s true? 3) How do you feel when you think that thought? 4) Who would you be without that thought? What happens to guilt, blame, anger, and fear when you do this work? Let’s take a simple example question. “I should have done more for my animal.” Apply the four questions. The fifth and final question turns it around, ex: “I should have done more for myself.” The turn-around is important. Do the work. Feel the shift and freedom and how you feel when you stop believing your thoughts.
I FEEL PEACE AND FREEDOM WHEN I STOP LISTENING
TO MY THOUGHTS.
LOVING WHAT IS
—CHICKEN—
If you had known how to do it better, would you have? Well, of course, you did the best you knew at the time. If you had known what you know now or knew the outcome, you may have chosen different actions or words. Cut yourself some slack. Life is about growing. You are growing, and your compan- ions are growing in a new way now. Holding ourselves
in error can prevent us from moving forward and feeling compassion. Without proper understanding, we may quickly sabotage our life and our dreams. It isn't fair to us or our companions, whose presence and companionship brought us joy and happiness. Embrace what they gave you. Treasure the good times. You deserve happiness. What if you had seen that accident ahead of time? Well, you would have taken another route. We make decisions on the spot based on what we know, which is all we can do at any given time. It's OK.
I DID MY BEST, AND CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW.
WHAT IF
—CHICKEN—
Notice if you feel lost, disconnected, and ripped apart. Divine wisdom and angels find a way to enter your heart through the crags and breaks. Profound com- passion and protection ac-
company suffering. Identify- ing where you are in your grieving process brings understanding and clarity. The five stages of grief for loss are: 1) Denial: are you
feeling numb and viewing life as meaningless? 2) Anger: are you angry toward yourself or others? Behind anger is pain and intense love. 3) Bargaining: do you think things could be different if you did or now do the right thing? Carrying "if only" and guilt on your back? 4) Depression: Feeling empty, unmotivated, and thinking you must snap out of it? 5) Acceptance: Have you recognized that things are different now and that this is your reality? Whatever loss and stage of grief you're experiencing, ask to be shown the wisdom and understanding behind it. And feel the Divine pervading your life.
WHEN I ASK AND AM GIVEN THE WISDOM
TO UNDERSTAND
THE WISDOM OF GRIEF
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—CHICKEN—
Condor, in Peruvian Shaman- ism, is thought to carry the soul into the afterlife. Journeying is the Shaman’s way to find answers, meet with guides, or journey to communicate with the
departed. The full instructions are in the companion book for this deck. Below is a brief summary.
1 ) Listen to Michael Harner's drumming. 2) Lay comfortably with a blanket and eye covering, 3) Focus on your breathing. When your mind is relaxed, let your imagination flow with the drums. 4) See your animal in your mind’s eye, call/ask them to come, feel your connection, and ask your question. 5) Notice any visuals, words, feelings, symbolism, or even other animals that may come to impart messages. You can later read about that animal’s archetypal meaning.
TIME TO JOURNEY WITH MY ANIMAL COMPANION
CONDOR
—CHICKEN—
A woman asked the Buddha to bring her dead baby back to life. Buddha said, Well, to do this, you must first find a mustard seed that comes from a house where death has not been, and then I will help you. When the woman couldn't find a house where anyone hadn't died, she grasped the nature of death and realized her thinking, Only
my child has died, was incorrect. Death co-exists the moment we take birth. We will grieve the loss of our animal’s absence or any loss, but instead of asking why, ask for the wisdom to understand and grow, because this is part of our collective journey. Our animals allow us to experience life's transient nature and the connectedness of Samsara, the cycle of birth and death. Let go attachment as everything will fall away. And this is perfectly OK. We are always here in one form or another.
KNOWING THE FRAGILITY OF LIFE, EVERY MOMENT
BECOMES PRECIOUS
EMBRACE THE TRUTH
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The End
—CHICKEN—
Do you know creativity helps your grieving process? Find a way to express whatever is inside you. You might create a sacred space for medita- tion, or communing with the Divine. Place your animal’s memory card nearby, and use this time as remem- brance and intention setting to hear Divine messages. Know your companion is with
you. In what other creative ways can you inspire your soul? If you feel lost, demotivated, and depressed, apply some effort and commitment. Do it for your companion. A regular creative practice might be writing, hiking, photography, drawing, gardening, cooking, sewing, woodworking, or joining a group practice with like-minded people. A creative routine is solid and comforting where you can pour your heart, soul, sadness, or apathy into it. It’s therapy for the soul and something to look forward to!
WHEN I FILL THE VOID WITH CREATIVE EXPRESSION,
I REINVENT MYSELF
EXPRESS YOURSELF