In this issue * Tribute to Grappa * Message from Grappa * 2015 Highlights and Energies * 2016 Workshops and Events * Christmas Wish * Some Pig Magic * Sammy's Snippet * Animal Message Cards * Angel Cards
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Hello Everyone,
I trust that you and your animal families are well and are all gearing up for a safe and happy festive season.
Tribute to Grappa
I want to start this newsletter off with a special tribute to an amazing soul who has left the physical plane and is now in his most powerful soul form.
I met Grappa over ten years ago when he came to me as a client. I connected with him on a very deep soul level for about a year before I finally got to meet him in person. I can still remember it as if it was only yesterday. It was the very first workshop that I ever presented in Cape Town and Grappa was one of the participants.
He was amazing. The first thing that struck me about Grappa was his extreme wisdom. Over the years I was lucky enough to be able to tap into his wisdom on many occasions. He always had the most profound lessons to teach in every connection we made.
In the work I do with the animals, I often get to meet the human side of the relationships and through my connections with Grappa I got to meet Michaela, his human soul mate.
Michaela and Grappa were literally connected through the heart as if they were one soul. They often went for long runs on the beach in Noordhoek where Grappa would lead the pack.
Everyone who met Grappa loved him. He was such a popular and loving dog. Every year Michaela would organise a huge big event for his birthday. She would even send out invitations for his birthday celebration. And every year there would also be a Christmas message on a card coming from him.
I remember one year Michaela bought him a huge big flat screen TV for his birthday and on another occasion she bought a sports car so he could travel in it with the top down. He always knew exactly how special he was to Michaela.
A couple of years ago I got to go and visit Michaela, Grappa and the rest of the pack. It was so special to be able to spend time with him in his own garden with his family with ''dogs and humans'' all around.
I have so many memories of this amazing dog, it is so difficult to put it all into words. There are no words that can do enough justice to this special soul.
â€Grappa, as difficult as this is for your family, I do know that you have risen above this heavy dimension that is earth and moved into the light. Just like a butterfly emerging from his cocoon. Your soul is powerful, your soul is strong and your soul is pure. And yes we will connect again because the soul connection is constant and can never be broken. There is now one more angel in heaven and one more star in the sky.Let your light always shine inside Michaela's heart and the hearts of your entire family.â€
Message from Grappa
As I connected with Grappa to get this message I saw him surrounded by the most beautiful gold energy. The entire room just filled up with this gold light.
This is what he said:
“It is always so much more difficult for a human to lose an animal companion than it is for an animal to cross over into the light.
The reason for this is because the physical dimension is so full of pain, fear, anxiety, ego, loss and the necessity to want to control. These are all the negative emotions experienced in the physical dimension.
All these emotions are necessary for the growth of the soul. Because if you have never experienced any of these negative emotions then you will never be able to experience any of the positive emotions. It is only through experiencing the dark will you be able to experience the light.
Once the soul leaves the physical body and emerges into the light all physical restrictions and emotions just drop away and the soul is yet again in its true power and its true beauty. It is totally pure, full of love and will always stay near the people and animals who it is close to and who have shared many experiences and love while in the physical dimension.
I am now left with the deepest feeling of love, contentment and love. I am the light that shines in the dark.â€
2015 Highlights and Energies
One of our biggest highlights this year was when Gabriel joined the family on the 7th January. He has brought such fun, love and laughter into the home. Not to mention the destruction of certain items of furniture, clothing and numerous hose pipes and sprinkler systems. He has also developed a huge talent for landscape gardening. He certainly keeps us on our toes. He tells me that the best way to keep grounded is to DIG! Yes, we do have a very grounded dog.
This past year has seen a lot of change and growth for many people and their animal companions. It has not been an easy year but it has been a year filled with laughter and filled with tears. As humans we have a tendency to ''hang onto things'' to try to ''control'' everything around us and to ''resist'' change and the things in life that we are not happy with. So when we come to a year like 2015 where it is all about ''letting go'' (releasing the old and making place for the new) we resist. This resistance causes great conflict within our bodies and we start to feel huge amounts of stress, anxiety, fear and loss of hope.
I have had many people always asking me how we could change the hectic energies around us to bring calm and peace back into our world. It is not about changing the energies around us. It is more about changing the energies within us. Once we work on our own energies through meditation or other means of re-connecting with our own soul, our own energies will shift and we will be far more able to deal with anything the universe might throw at us in a much more positive and creative way. The change of energies within us will then lead to a change of energies surrounding us and we will start attracting the energies into our lives that we so badly want and deeply deserve.
The energies within us and around us also impact in a huge way on the animas we share our homes with. For this reason it is vital that we keep our own energies strong, healthy and clear so that our animal companions can be strong and healthy.
Over this past year I have presented many workshops from Benoni, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and many other areas. Some of these workshops are held at various venues with bigger groups of participants while others are held in the privacy of private homes. These workshops give me the chance to meet so many amazing animas and their human companions. I always love to see the interaction and connection between the animals and their human companions.
The animals are always so willing and so excited to join our workshops so that they can teach and also tell THEIR side of the story. Sometimes with hilarious results. The animals around us have always got such profound messages and lessons to teach us. However, because of our extremely busy lives we are not always open to hearing or receiving these messages.
Our lives are centred (most of the time) in our heads. If we can start to listen with our ''hearts'' we will be far more in-tune and connected with everyone and everything around us.
It is SO important for us to be a part of the world we live in and not move off to one side and isolate ourselves from experiencing everything around us.
We tend to focus so much on our domestic animals. These ones are closest to us and this is good. However, we must not forget about the wild animals, or the birds in our gardens, or the ants, bees, rabbits and even the larger animals we find in the wild. The insects also have a huge purpose in this universe we live in. Here where I live with my family, we also have snakes which are extremely special as long as they keep out of the house. Snakes have a very powerful energy. They are connected with the Kundalini energy and are extremely grounded. These animals also have a profound effect on all of us. There is a connection between ALL of us and everything surrounding us.
One of my favourite things to do it to sit outside in a quiet part of my garden under a tree and just close my eyes and absorb the sounds of the birds in the trees. Once I totally feel at one with the birds I can start to feel and sometimes hear the tiny sounds of the ants and the beetles scurrying around in the grass. It is a great way to start the day.
At the end of the day I often sit outside under the stars and connect with the energy of the moon. It is beautiful to feel this amazing moon energy surrounding me and the dogs who are usually with me at this time. I always feel so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing souls, energies and beauty.
Yes life is all about the connection!!!
2016 Workshops
Valentine's Day fundraiser workshop in Henley-on-Klip:
On Valentine's Day 14th Feb 2016 I will be running a very special fundraiser/workshop in Henley-on-Klip at the Henley Hound Restaurant, Ewelme Road. The Henley Hound are proud supporters of Rainbow Nation Animals and welcomes the opportunity to host this unique workshop.
This will be a special and different workshop focusing on the heart and soul connection with the love-of-your-life animal companion. We will be concentrating on the soul of our animals and how to make the ultimate heart connection with them.
A fantastic buffet lunch with vegetarian options prepared by a top chef will be included and all proceeds will go to Rainbow Nation Animals Township Project. Please join us and bring your partner and friends and help us make this a day to remember for these awesome and very special township animals.
For more information please contact Helen on 082 553 7700 or helen@net1.co.za
February 2016 - Durban, KZN
I am very happy to say that in the beginning of 2016 I will be back in KZN for a two day workshop. This will be held in Warner Beach on 27th & 28th Feb. Space is limited so please book early to secure a spot of this workshop. See our website for more info.
Christmas wish
Please give some thought to the animals less privileged that are living in rescue centres around the country as well as the township animals this festive season. Help them and support them so that they too can enjoy this time of year without fear, pain or anxiety. A little can go a long way so please donate even a small percentage of what you would spend on yourselves and your families this December. Please remember to make adequate plans for your own animal companions for the time you are away. They give us so much love and support throughout the year, so let's not make THEIR worst fears come to pass. Keep them and yourselves safe and protected this festive season.
Some pig magic!
How many of you have ever spent some quality time connecting and being around pigs? Pigs have got THE most terrible reputation of being smelly, dirty and vicious. Well, let me dispel all these myths. And yes, I am talking from experience as I have two of my own little pigs who have been a huge part of my family for around ten years now.
Pigs in actual fact are listed as one of the most intelligent animals around. They are also extremely clean and very loving and friendly most of the time. The reason people think of them as ''dirty'' is because most farmers with pigs keep them in small pens where they are forced to do all their business in their pen.
It is very degrading for a pig to walk and sleep in their toilet area. When I look at Merri and Pippin (my piggy ladies) they always do their business in one place on the property. Their sleeping quarters are always spotlessly clean.
They are also extremely sensitive and don't respond well to loud noises or harsh words. They are gentle and loving and give us so much pleasure. Sometimes they are even easier to train than the dogs (but please don't tell the dogs).
When I work with pigs on a telepathic level they are generally so open and have a lot of wisdom to share with us. However sometimes they can be a little emotional!
Pigs also need care, love and respect from us just as all other animals do.
Recently my friend Keli and I spent a lovely morning visiting the Pigs & Paws Rescue Centre in Hennops River Valley. This is an unbelievable rescue centre for pigs and dogs and is run by Lesley. As far as we know it is the only registered pig rescue in South Africa.
Lesley runs the entire Centre on her own, with the help of her two very committed staff members.
It was a long drive on a very bumpy dirt road to get to the Centre. When we arrived Keli said to me, ''Someone should have warned us to wear our sports bras!''
We were greeted at the gate by a huge number of dogs and pigs happily wandering around together. There was such a lovely happy energy on the property.
We were introduced to lots of pigs with different shapes, sizes, colors and personalities. All of them were so happy and content and followed us around as we went to meet everyone. Even all the dogs came around with us. There were only a handful of recent arrivals who were still adjusting and in the process of becoming happy and healthy. One of these pigs had been there only two days. He had been confiscated from a very abusive home and brought to the Centre so that he could be safe, happy and loved.
Each garden had its own mud pool for the pigs (and dogs) to play in. Mud is an essential for pigs as this is the only way they can cool down in the hot months (pigs don't have temperature control in their systems so they can over heat very easily) The mud also keeps their skin protected from the sun amongst other things.
We also met some amazing happy and VERY muddy dogs. By the end of our visit we had more mud on us than the pigs (thanks to the dogs).
The work Lesley and her team are doing is amazing. Thank you, Lesley, for allowing us to spend time with your pigs and your dogs. We wish you all the best for the amazing work you are doing.
Please, if any of you would like to foster a pig or adopt a dog or donate to this cause, connect with Lesley on Facebook at Pigs 'n Paws.
These next few words were taken off the home page of their website.
“Thank you for joining us!
We are based in the Hennops River Valley in the province of Gauteng, South Africa - and as far as we know, are the only registered Pig Sanctuary in South Africa, possibly in the whole of Africa. I hope to be proved wrong as there is a sad need for pig friends this side of the world.
Living on a continent that is in the midst of one human disaster or another and with a fast disappearing iconic Wild life, you may ask…
Why Pigs? For starters, we love lost causes and this battle is lost before we have even begun. While we save one pig, millions are being slaughtered every minute. And of course, we love Pigs. How could you not? As a Sanctuary we have had to learn the hard way - on our own with no precedent, no one to turn to when things went horribly wrong. Mistakes? We have made a few. We have learned and are still learning. I don't think we will ever stop learning.
Come with us on this rich, rewarding, Sometimes sad and frustrating journey.
Come meet the pigs …. And some paws.â€
Let's see if we can help to give these pigs and dogs a happy food filled Christmas.
Sammy's snippet
Warmest of soul greetings to all,
For this newsletter, I approached my dog, Abbey, and asked if she would share a message with everyone as this was a special End-of-Year newsletter.
Here she is busy with “kiddie-trainingâ€â€¦ (training the next generation of human puppies in the art of walking mindfully with a dog).
Her message:
â€What is a year, and why do you humans feel the need to separate things into smaller things and then celebrate endings?
Just Be and Allow. What is time? It is something you humans have created and have now become captured by your own creation. You look backwards and mourn the passing of it, you look forwards and worry about the coming of it, so much so that you forget to just Be… right here right now. Allow things to go by, allow things to happen, time itself does not change you. Only you change by allowing yourself to change. And for that, you do not need time. You need love, forgiveness, understanding and a furry pawprint across your heart. â€
So all our love and best wishes to just being at this time of year.
Sammy, Abbey, Peanut, Puffin and Kiara (and Christopher in spirit)
Animal Message Cards
Enzo
This animal message card was chosen by Enzo. He is a fun loving, entertaining and happy boy who loves attention and swimming.
Guinness
Here we have Guinness who chose the next card. Guinness is such a loving, stable and wise cat with a lovely personality, and loves his tummy being rubbed.
Thank you Enzo and Guinness for these message cards.
Angel Card Messages
These cards are drawn from Stephen D. Farmer's deck, “Messages from your animal spirit guidesâ€. They are drawn with angel guidance for the benefit of all who read them.
A message for December 2015:
December can be a time of heightened emotions for many. In-laws, family dramas, holiday stress… Condor asks us to take a step back from everything. Observe and watch before reacting. Have patience with yourself and others during this time. The moment will pass and taking yourself outside of the event or emotion and just watching it will bring a greater sense of peace and calm.
A message for 2016:
Kiwi asks us to introduce a new level of mindfulness to our lives in 2016. Meditating, finding that inner centre of calm and quiet, can sometimes be difficult to do. Try finding a quiet spot and walking, either around your garden or in another part of nature, and while walking, go within, become aware of your every step on the earth, breathe in the scents, notice the little things in nature all around you, and you will soon find yourself calmer, more at peace, and better able to handle the stresses of society.
With all our love, until next year
Jenny, Sammy and the animals
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