During the time I was taking an Animal Reiki Correspondence Course with Kathleen one of the options for a homework assignment was to work on an insect. Since most of my time is spent working with dogs, cats, and birds I set my intention to work with a butterfly. Not only did I want to work with a butterfly I wanted to work with a beautiful, large, yellow butterfly.

So for two days I set my intention and it seemed as if butterflies were appearing all around me, yet not one of them was yellow nor would any of them come close to me. On the evening of the second day as I was relaxing on my back patio with my three dogs to my delight an exquisite large yellow butterfly appeared in the distance and began to come closer to me.

I communicated to the butterfly that I would like to offer her a Reiki treatment if she would like for me to and she only needed to take what she was comfortable with or none at all. The butterfly started circling around my body and flying within arms distance and finally came to rest on the patio floor about 3 feet from me. I took this as a yes that she indeed wanted Reiki. So I kept my distance and proceeded.

She stayed in that position for 20 minutes only moving to inch closer to me, eventually ending up about a foot from me. One of my dogs, Tony, became very curious and he came and sat down by my side. I asked him if would also like to send her Reiki and he began to also give the butterfly Reiki. This was such a wonderful experience to be in that moment of giving Reiki to the butterfly with my dog working at my side. I knew, in essence, they were actually teaching me. I felt very honored to be in their presence.

It was such a beautiful circle of unconditional love that I knew I was really the one receiving healing on such a higher level. Our time together came to an end when children in the neighborhood began to play and frolic outside arousing the attention of my dogs. The butterfly took to flight, but not before flying around me and actually brushing the side of my face with her wing. I knew she was thanking me and I was overwhelmed with such joy and gratitude for being allowed to experience this. She then flew to a branch on a tree and remained there for the next twenty minutes without moving. I felt certain she was resting after her Reiki session.

I thanked her for allowing me the gift of giving her Reiki and I also thanked my dog, Tony, for all his work. It was so amazing to be able to work with a butterfly and to also work with my dog at my side. The both were showing me and guiding me to go even deeper in my work. I was truly blessed by this time of healing.

Felecia Calaman Childress