Working with animal teachers is very rewarding. One of the places I offer Reiki is to the animal teachers at my local Wildlife Park. Maybe you’ve been there before, Two Rivers Wildlife Park, near Marion Bridge, Nova Scotia, Canada, or heard the famous folk song Allister McGillivray wrote, “Song for the Mira”, about this beautiful community nestled along both sides of the Mira River. The Park actually touches on two rivers, the Mira River and Salmon River, that surround most of the 500 acre Park. They have a very open and loving atmosphere at the Park. I do Reiki with the over 12 varieties of animals in their petting barn areas and the over 40 varieties of animals along the walking trail that stretches out and loops around for a leisurely walk in the beautiful natural surroundings. I always leave the Park feeling refreshed and longing for more time with the animals. They are all my favorite friends and offer me great healing power as I offer them Reiki.
Sometimes the animals talk to me, sometimes they accept from me and sometimes I dream about them. Last night I asked the Angels to send me messages in my dreams to help me with my animal journey and to let me know if I am on the right path with them. Sometimes we don’t remember our whole dream upon waking but this morning was different.
I was with a school of friends traveling and learning about animals, love and compassion. We had animals with us too, wild animals; tigers and leopards; our teachers. Along the way I got separated from the school with my mighty loving white tiger. As our journey unfolded I was stranded at the sea with my tiger friend hanging along a cliff overlooking the sea. Somehow magically I was able to get myself to safety and as I looked back over the cliff I saw my tiger and many other tigers. I didn’t realize we weren’t alone. They were all gripping onto large stone shards that gutted up toward the sky and were becoming weary of their plight. “Hang on, I’m coming”, I called to them all. As I desperately searched the sea for signs of help, I saw a ship come into port. The ship was severely weathered from a storm but was gliding in to shore. The tarps were wavering in the sea winds exposing several rows of crates the ship was carrying. It was an older “Tall Ship” style. Something about it seemed familiar to me as it drew my attention. Then I saw a man living on an island not far from the shore, a small bare island of dirt only with his animals, cooking a meal for them all to share.
I heard a sigh from one tiger who could hold no more and fell to the shores below. Then the sea caught my eyes again. As I looked into the sky a Phoenix rose from the sea in the distance straight up into the blue sky. “Moksha!” I called out to the Phoenix. As I looked below to the shore the tiger had disappeared into the ethers with the Phoenix; the tiger is free from this world, as I shed tears of compassion for his mighty walk on this earth.
As I reassured the tigers again, searching for signs of help, along came the man with a boy. As they got closer the man was a white leopard with black spots. The boy was a baby black leopard eager to help. I asked the man if he needed help, even though I was the one in desperate need of his. As the man spoke he changed from being an animal into a man and said to me, “We came for you”. I stopped and looked at him inquisitively. He asked which tiger I wanted to save and I replied, “The one that touches the earth, that lives and breathes here before us, even if to the last of their breath and then some, the one that touches the earth that touches us, the earth that spreads along the ground from speck of dust to speck of dust to every rock, tree and mountain and sea, touching each and every person, animal, mammal and living creature, plants and beings”. “That is all of them”, he replied of which I said, “Yes, we are all one and all touch the earth together at the same time.” He looked pleased with me and we both welled up and out came our tears of compassion. “That is why we came for you”, he said.
I sent the boy for bottles of fresh water and a long ball of string which he seemed to magically have in his pockets. Quickly we tied the string around the bottle cap area and then at the bottom of the bottles, I wrapped my hand around each bottle and prayed over them for the water to contain great strength and lowered them to each of the tigers to drink from, using the strings to tip and maneuver the bottle for water flow. “This will hydrate them and give them courage and strength when we need them to have it most as we rescue them,” I explained.
The man told me that my school of friends were looking for me. “That is good”, I said, “as I will need them all to help rescue these friend of ours”, having faith they would find us in time. “First we will help my tiger that walks with me everyday for I know she will help me and the others to safety and teach the others how it is done, then we will all be one again”. As I looked down at my tiger she appeared lighter than usual but with no time to spare we carried on in rescue mode.
As I searched the sea for rescue answers, a large floating pink device looking like a half deflated blow up boat bobbed up and down through the waves. I motioned for the man to see it as the waves crashed over parts of it making it disappear and reappear in the waves. “There is no boat,” he said, “that is the heart of the sea you see, beating for us all.” He looked around and eagerly asked, “How do you want to rescue them, the sea is rising fast and will sweep them and us all away before we can get to them all?” Being determined to succeed I explained, “We will have faith”, as I knelt and prayed for the answer which came to me. “Our tears of love for them will fill a pool around the tigers to allow them to swim up to us to save them before the great sea rushes in to sweep us all away. Allow the tears you flow to come from love, compassion and acceptance that all will be well.”
Just then the ship that sailed into port earlier unfolded my school mates who came like mighty dwarfs carrying ropes and tools to save the tigers. As the sea rose, the pink heart floated near enough that I was able to lower myself with rope to the sea and catch onto it. We wrapped it like a hammock and one by one we lifted it under each tiger and rose them up onto the safety of the flat of the land. Each one at that time was strong enough from the drinking of the water to help rescue the others as well.
As I turned to the tigers we had rescued, they had all became one. My tiger explained that he knew it was easier to rescue more of him than the weight of him all as one. I hugged him dearly and was sad that he lost a part of himself when the phoenix rose. He explained that part of him was ready for rebirth and that was the part of him that helped rescue me so I could in turn rescue him. I hugged him even more deeply. I thanked my school of friends who said they followed their feelings of Light and Love to find us. When I turned to thank the man and the boy, they had turned back into leopards and walked with us forever more. “You came for me but it is I who thank you my forever friends” as I humbly lowered to kneel to hug them too as we all watched the sea take back its pink heart and beat for us all.
I was so humbled upon waking up to have had such a wonderful dream. I quickly wrote the story down and thanked my Angel beings of Light for bringing it to me. I love dreams because they comes to us in ways to tell us what we need to know and focus on. I call upon what the animals taught me during this dream in my Reiki sessions now. Throughout our lives we learn new things and shed parts of ourselves that we no longer need. When we openly give of ourselves with love and compassion, we receive back true love; do not anger. There is no love greater on this earth than the love of animals. Allow yourself to be silent as your heart opens with each beat and accepts the love the animals have to offer you; do not worry. When your intentions are pure, the animals will come to you; be humble. Stay true to yourself as there are no substitutions with the animals. Animals see within you for the true you; be honest. Have courage and confidence and be loving on your journey. Although you won’t see tigers and leopards at Two Rivers Wildlife Park, you will see others animals of different colors, shapes and sizes. Inside each animal, as in humans, is a unique being with their own special gifts; be compassionate. Hold the space for animals and they will hold you in their forever heart.
Maria Lisa Polegatto
SARA Practitioner
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