Horse friend talks about Horse Slaughter

Back about 4 years ago I had a young lady who, at the time was 11 years old, that loved horses and would do anything to be around them.  Kelly spent a lot of time with me, doing chores in the barn and around the farm just to spend time with the horses.  She did some of the dirtiest jobs with a smile!  Kelly soon learned about the work I do with humans and horses.  She used her knowledge to write a paper for school.  I recently came across this paper and wanted to share her story with you.

What’s holding you back?

I’ve heard many times from friends, family and clients that they wish they could change.  My response to all of them is “What’s holding you back?”  Well, when I’m talking with friends and family I try not to put on my “coaching hat,” but with clients that’s what they want from me.  To push them into thinking differently and explore what is holding them back from changing, getting more out of their lives, sorting out their dreams and goals, pushing them into developing an action plan, supporting behavioral changes, and being with them as they move their goals into reality.

Visiting the Buffalo

We have been welcomed back to do a 2-day Women’s Leadership retreat for a client.  Last year we had a phenomenal time with these women exploring leadership with a herd of horses.  They walked away with many individual and collective lessons about themselves, how they show up in their leadership roles and in their relationships, the impact of their feelings on their actions, and a new awareness of how to utilize themselves in accomplishing their goals and dreams.   

The location for the Leadership retreat this year will be in Freemont Indiana at Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve.  I had the pleasure to visit Wild Winds last week with my mother and experience the beauty of this place.  It sets on 400+ acres of sacred land with over 200 head of buffalo, with many new born calves frolicking around their mothers and 15 horses.  

Birthing the Rattles

In preparation for birthing my rattles, my spiritual guidance surrounded me.  I had been given the vision of birthing the rattles during a sacred fire ceremony which would take place with a circle of women whom I’d been doing shamanic journeys with for 5 weeks.

As I gathered wood for our fire ceremony I received several messages (I’ve heard some people do not trust in what they hear for they believe it is themselves talking or something their mind makes up.  For me and many people, it is the voice of creator, spirit, God, what ever you choose to call a Higher Power.  I trust the voice I hear to guide my journey in life). 

Decorating my Rattles

Meaning making of decorating my rattles was a profound as making the heads were.  My rattles are similar in their decorations but hold very different meanings.  Both have deer hooves as the handles.  The masculine deer hoof is scared, wounded and even had some fur coming off in the process of the making because it had not dried properly. 

Continuing my healing journey…

As I continue on my path to healing my feminine side, I have yet to finish my rattles.  During a shamanic journey (kind of like a waking meditation) I asked what other preparations were needed to birth my masculine and feminine rattles.  What I saw in my journey was a ring; this is to represent the marriage and joining in union my masculine and feminine sides of myself.  I was also given the guidance to go to “The Works” in Kent to find the special ring.

Iron Jawed Angels

Last night I watched an amazing movie starring Hilary Swank.  It was an HBO film so many of you might not have heard about it.  Before I tell you anything about it maybe I can stir your curiosity by asking a few questions.

1.  Who had the right to vote first, African American men or women?
2.  What year was slavery abolished?
3.  When were women given the right to vote?

If you need your curiousity stirred a bit more, watch this mind blowing clip on YouTube: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO70ZjZ0wrw

Life happens…

Its summer time which means lots of exciting things to do and family gatherings.  For us, we started the summer off with bringing our grandson’s to visit from Florida. 

While we had a wonder-filled time with the kids, it started out a little rough.  Driving the boys back from Florida to Ohio was amazingly simple.  Portable DVD players are amazing.  They watched 7 movies on the way to our place and were wonderfully well behaved sitting in the car for 13 1/2 hours one day and 9 the next.

Feminine healing continues…

As I continue my journey to heal the wounded feminine side of myself, my rattle making took on new meaning. 

In working with my feminine rattle head, the stitching done first was loose and incomplete.  I needed to make the stitching closer together in order to hold the items that would make the beautiful sound of the rattle. 

My journey to Feminine healing…

In my May 19^th posting “Re-Claiming my Feminine side” I talked about my journey in discovering that through a divorce years ago I had pushed my feminine side deeper within to a near non-existent state.  At that time I felt that I had reclaimed a part of me that had been on a long vacation and it did feel that way on that day.