March 1, 2020 by Bright Star Studio

The Missing Element in Healing from Pet Loss

How many of us feel empty and at a loss after we lose a beloved pet? It can be devastating and there can even be a void that remains for years and years. I see it every day and have experienced it deeply myself.

The simple fact is that pets have entered our lives. They are our companions, our friends and our family. However, society has not yet caught up with knowing how to manage this and deal with their loss or how to honor and show reverence for their gifts and all they gave us during their life.

cat Pet Honoring What happens pet dies, is that we have to integrate their loss in to our lives. During this time, we go through an ‘Evaluation’ stage. Sometimes after a pet death, we realize we were given much more than we ever realized. We want to say thank you and give back to one who has given us so much. We know this inherently, even if not consciously, as it just plain feels good to say thank you and return the love.

In healing from pet loss, the ‘something missing’ is often a way to express honor, thanks and reverence for this beloved one and the value they had in our lives. This is true with any loss, and especially true with pet loss as we have very little in our society to help us with this. Not knowing what else to do, we can remain stuck. We don’t know what to do or how to give back since the loved one is no longer here with us in the physical, and we can no longer interact with them the way we used to.

There are, however, still ways we can express thanks and give back.

What we can do is something to honor them, their soul and the value they brought to our lives. Give some time to think about what this would be for you and your beloved pet.

Choose something of meaning that links the two of you and dedicate it to them, in their honor. This could be volunteering, starting a new career, quitting smoking, exercising, eating better, praying more, writing a book or anything else you wish to do which feels right to honor your pet and help you during this time. One of the simplest, but most profound activities, would be to hold a ceremony or memorial service event just to honor your beloved. Why is this?

Honoring is an important element in healing because recognizing value helps us ‘own’ what is important to us. Coming to understand this deeply, is sole reason I offer many different types of service around this. I hold a Monthly Pet Honoring & Memorial Service (free), orchestrate private pet memorials, as well as dedicated grief healing sessions, for when more is needed.

Exercise to try: Take a few minutes to think about one you dearly love, a beloved pet, who has passed. ‘When’ the death occurred does not matter. Choose someone you miss having in your life. Bring this loved one into your awareness. Now, pause for a moment and think about dedicating a time just to honor them…a time to recognize and appreciate their divine qualities and all that they meant to you. A time to, in a meaningful and special way, say thank you…thank you to this one you love so much.

Notice how you feel, notice how it makes you smile and the joy it brings. Notice how happy it makes you feel. Notice how meaningful it feels.

Think about how good that would feel to send a gift to them of honoring the value they held (and still hold) in your life.

Because the gift and the giver are connected, this connection with them increases in your awareness and being. It becomes easier and lighter for you to make this connection with them in your heart. Pet Honoring dog sunset

Expressing honor and appreciation can also help us move away from feeling sad and empty about the relationship. It can connect us back to the love and wonderful qualities of the relationship and can provide an anchor (in time and experience) for reconnecting. This anchor is in our heart and our memory. It is a life experience we can have, hold dear to our hearts and have with us to refer to for always.

Showing gratitude is a great heart opener. And with an open heart, we can be in a place which is beyond time and space. With an open heart, we can connect in eternal time, experience love and healing. Honoring is a special way to share love and gratitude which will forever exist in time.

Check out PetHonoring.com to learn more about the free Monthly Pet Honoring & Memorial services, private pet memorial services and grief healing energy sessions. Let me help you honor your pet, heal and restore love.

in kindred spirit,

L. Leigh Love

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L. Leigh Love is a Spiritual Counselor/Teacher, Animal Communicator, Certified Intuitive Counselor and Certified Life Coach. She is a Reiki Master Teacher and Advanced Pranic Healer. As well, she draws on over 20 years of training in Psychology, Spiritual Studies and the Healing Arts. She has a passion for helping clients heal and live their best lives. She holds a non-denominational ordination and is the author of the award-winning children’s book, Roly-Poly and the Light. Author website is LLeighLove.com Spiritual website BrightStarStudio.net

Pet Honoring is a division of Bright Star Studio, llc.

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November 16, 2014 by Bright Star Studio

Pets as Partners…Lessons for Life

Mattie flopped her head on me the other day. She actually does this quite a lot. It is one of my favorite things, mostly because there is such an expression of affection and tenderness. My heart melts every time.

This time though, she looked up and held her gaze a little longer. I felt the energy of the words sweetly as “I love being your doggie-daughter.” It made my heart smile and got I choked up.
I think she knew I had been feeling sad about some choices I made which caused us some very unhappy times. And though, that is past us and it has been a while, I had deep regret about the whole thing and still feel we are regaining ourselves.

During an animal communication session, I apologized to her for it all. I feel I failed her…and myself and I had been struggling with that.. Her response was so incredibly gracious. She said she knows that I love her, said it was ok and that life is about being partners and sharing life…all of it, mistakes included. She reminded me that it was for a short period and wanted me to be gentle with myself.

At that moment I felt the deepest level of connection and support from her.

Mattie embodies what true partnership is. It is love. It is commitment. And it is support. It is being there through thick and thin and sharing life. It has made me more committed than ever to returning the favor and doing my best to give her a happy, healthy and loving life.

Interestingly enough, it has also expanded into other aspects of my life. It has made me look closer at what partnership means and how I can improve this in my role with others, as well as with myself.
People can say what they want about pets. They can say ‘it is just a dog.’ They can choose not to be open to the miraculous love, relationship and gifts our animal companions offer, but not me. To quote ‘Pack of Two’ author Caroline Knapp: “I unapologetically love my dog.”

In fact, all of my pets have been amazing partners and teachers. I truly get the value our pets can have in our life and it is why I do the work I do.

People close to their pets know they have a sense of humor. Pack-of-two, Mattie and I, were walking around the neighborhood at night recently and I was smiling thinking about her saying she loved being my ‘doggie-daughter’ and how it touched me.

Then, strutting down the street, Mattie looked back, ran towards me with a gust of energy of saying “…and you my Human-mama”, (the same way someone would say ‘baby-mama’). I think I laughed out loud.

If Mattie had a page in Ted Andrew’s book, Animal Speak, which covers spirit totems of animals, one of her themes would be ‘Partnership.’ Her soul, and mission in life, is to help bring out divine partnership, with yourself and others. Then there would be a statement something like ‘if Mattie shows up in your life, even if just briefly, here are some questions to ask. Are you being a good partner to yourself? Where can you better support yourself? How are you a partner to others? Do you give too much without taking care of yourself? Do you know how to protect yourself? Do you know how to nurture yourself?’

Wow, I love that dog. Every day, I get to say “I have my very own Mattie.”

She has made me a better person.

If we are open, our animal companions can be the most amazing teachers and partners in life. They can not only show us what we need and what can help us, but they also can help us feel how truly connected and loved we are.

How is your pet a partner? How have they helped you? What qualities to they promote? I’d love to hear!

warmly,

L. Leigh Love

Mattie pre kiss

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pet Honoring is a division of Bright Star Studio, llc.

January 6, 2013 by Bright Star Studio

‘Better Communication with your pet: Part 2: Receiving’

‘Part 1’ of Better Communication with your Pet covered the basics of delivering a message while communicating with your pet. These include being clear with your message and speaking from your heart, as well as using mental images and corresponding emotions to convey messages.

In Part 2, we will cover the other half of communication, receiving messages. This tends to be the more difficult and challenging part for most of us.

It helps to keep in mind that communication with your pet works in a similar fashion to communication with humans, just without words. What I mean by this is that there is a time to deliver a message and a time to receive the response.

When beginning to get information this way, the first thing to remember is to ‘take it slow’.

A calm mind is crucial. It would be good to practice slowing your thoughts down as it is difficult to receive messages with a cluttered mind, just as it is nearly impossible to hear another if all we are doing is talking.

There also needs to be a clear space in the inner realm for you to be able to receive messages. This is done by settling the mind and emotions. Constant self-talk or inner thoughts don’t leave room to receive messages. Likewise, emotions such as worry, anxiety, fear or excitement get in the way, as well. So, it helps to be centered.

Sometimes I use imagery to imagine I am in a field with the pet in front of me. Other times, I imagine a clear energetic field to receive information.

Once there is a space to receive, start by just noticing the clear space and what it feels like. This will help you later to discern where the information is coming from.

Also, note that there are different ways of receiving information. This can be through sounds, images, smells, colors, symbols, feelings, pictures or just knowing. I’ve worked with animal communicators who ‘hear’ the voice of the pet and those that get feelings or mental pictures. Both are valid and both can deliver great information. You might find you receive information from one particular manner over another. Be open to this.

How do I know I am not making it up? This is probably the number one question asked and what a great question it is. It might feel like you are making it up in the beginning. You will feel like you are unsure if what you are getting is ‘real.’ Try not to worry about this too much. This is a natural part of the learning process. However, I’ve included some tips here to help address this.

The communication is happening in the inner realm and this is also where our inner dialogue is occurring, so it is important to be able to distinguish between the two.

The more familiar you are with clearing a space and knowing what is yours, the better you can become at knowing what is not yours and coming from another. It might be prudent to spend some time with your thoughts. This might sound silly, but it is helpful to know what your own thoughts and feelings feel like to you. Then you can double check the answer by asking yourself “Is this thought/feeling mine?”

To start, picture your pet in front of you. Specifically state the intention of wanting to communicate and to receive messages from your pet. You can also ask for guidance.

Practice with simple questions, like “Do you like your food?” or “What do you think of this person or that person?” We already know far more than we realize, but try to remain unattached to what the answer might be.

Give yourself permission to notice and explore what you are getting. It might be helpful to keep a journal or chat with a friend about the exercises.

This is a simple overview of the basics of receiving messages during animal communication. Receiving messages takes time and practice. Remember to set the intention, settle the mind and emotions, clear a space for receiving, and give time to waiting for the answer. Knowing your own inner world also helps.

The more you practice, the easier it becomes.

Don’t forget to thank your pet at the end of the session.

Have fun and keep me posted of the results!

Warmly,

L. Leigh Love

To read more about the services for people visit: BrightStarStudio.net

Pet Honoring is a division of Bright Star Studio, llc.

December 12, 2012 by Bright Star Studio

Better communication with your Pet – Part 1

Wouldn’t it be nice to more effectively communicate with your pet?

Unless you are a professional animal communicator, you probably wish you could understand and communicate better with your pet. Most of us feel somewhat limited in our communication with them and wish we could be better at it.

I am not a professional animal communicator. I have studied animal communication greatly and am an animal intuitive. I use this intuitive ability in my practice when doing animal Reiki, distance healings, Grief healings from pet loss and Pet Honoring & Memorial services.

These intuitive abilities allow me to get information about the pet that is useful for the session. These same techniques can help you communicate better and have a closer relationship with your pet, as well.

I will first overview how animals communicate. This will help you understand where they are coming from and what they are looking for. Then, I will give some ideas on what you can do on your end.

While animals do use sound like we do, they also take it a bit deeper. They feel ‘completely’ the message they are sending. There is no discrepancy with what they ‘say’, think and what they feel.

They look for the same in you. They often get confused when your mind is picturing/thinking one thing and your emotions/voice are emitting something different.

They are in tune with the images you carry in your mind. How you picture things matters. Where your heart is matters.

So, first, it is important to slow down and be clear with the message you are sending. Humans tend to be very rushed and hurried with communication. We have a tendency to put greater emphasis on the actual words than anything else when, truly, it is everything else (intonation, tone, gestures, feeling, etc.) that really
matters.

So, rule number 1: Match up the words/meaning of the message with the image in your mind.

i.e. If you are trying to tell your cat not to pee in the bed…repeated images of the cat peeing in the bed will send the wrong message. The cat may get the message that you are saying it is ok to pee in the bed. So, when trying to communicate an alternate behavior, picture the desired behavior. Rather than seeing the cat peeing in the bed, see the cat peeing in the litter box or outside.

Rule number 2: Match the feeling with the message.

We, as humans, are often so rushed with thoughts that we can think things like “I love you” and not necessarily have the same feeling at the same time. Your pet picks up on the feel of what you say rather than the actual words. You can say “peanut butter” in a stern, mean tone and you can watch your pet slink away as if they had done something wrong. Then, you can say the same words in a loving, sweet way and they just melt.

It is the feeling behind the words that they pick up on. So, practice pairing the words with the feeling, and remember to slow everything down.

I like to think of the last part as saying the words ‘with your heart’. It is easiest to practice, at first, with the phrase “I Love you”. We all know these words and we all know how these words feel in our heart. We know the feeling this phrase evokes within us. So, I recommend practicing saying this phrase, “I love you” while truly feeling in your heart how this
feels. Then, feel in your heart how this feels. Then, you can easily feel how it is to say “I love you” with your inner voice, from your heart. Pretty cool, huh?

This is what our pets do. They say ‘words’ with their heart. This is why you can look at them and ‘feel’ when they are saying “I love you.” They are communicating with us at a nonverbal level. We are doing this with them, as well. So, it is just a matter of recognizing this and practicing and working more in the nonverbal realm.

Once you do this a bunch of times, you can practice this with other words and phrases. This is how to more effectively be clear with your message to your pet. You can even do this with expressing things like you’ll be back tomorrow. Pair this with a feeling and an image. See the image of the sun setting, rising and you entering the house door, delighted to see your pet.

Doing exercises like these will truly increase the closeness and communication you have with your pet.

Warmly,

-L. Leigh Love

Pet Honoring is a division of Bright Star Studio, llc.

June 14, 2012 by Bright Star Studio

Xander Honoring Ceremony

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My beloved cat, Xander passed away recently. He had an unmatched depth of spirit and soul.

He was a remarkable presence and gift in my life.

Pet Honoring, llc offers animal reiki, welcoming engery sessions and provides services and products to to help with pet loss, pet honoring memorial ceremonies, pet memorial kits, pet loss care packs, honoring wraps for health and transition and offers pet sympathy gifts. These help us transition grief from pet death. Ideal for individuals and families.

His burial site started to bloom purple flowers and it seemed the appropriate time to Honor his soul.

Honoring Ceremony Table for Xander

Xander Honoring Script

My lovely friends Anya and Anita sent a Cherub holding a cat

Mattie joined in love and honoring Xander…

This is a lovely card and Poem a dear friend wrote for Xander…

More Xander pictures

Thank you all for your love and support!

January 3, 2012 by Bright Star Studio

Gifts of a Great Pet: Connecting deeper

Do you have a great pet?

I mean, a seriously great pet? Do you have the most amazing, wonderful, beautiful soul of a pet in the world?

If you do, take a deeper look at yourself.

Great pets don’t hang out with just anyone. There is a reason they picked you. This deep and beautiful relationship is there partly to help you recognize your role in it.

Your pet is not only here to be with you in a partnership of creating and experiencing a wonderful, loving relationship, they also extend an invitation to go deeper within yourself to experience and bring out more of these wonderful qualities in you and in your life.

All too often, we just keep the greatness felt contained to the relationship or attribute it all to the pet. We do not explore further our roll and our greatness in it, what we bring to the relationship.

As humans, we limit our experience of our own divinity; we carry negativity, guilt, heavy emotions. This can weigh us down tremendously and prevent us from realizing our true value and core being.

Our pets can help us in ways that other humans can’t. This is partly because the pet relationship does not carry the complexity that human relationships can carry.

There can be a deep love experienced without introducing the dynamic and difficulties of family relationships or romantic love. These complicating factors can include jealousy, rejection, fear, uncertainty, insecurity, dependency, resentment, etc. In our love with our pets, these dynamics are not introduced and we can simply enjoy the love and true heartfelt connection.

Our pets touch our soul differently, deeply and simply.

Also, because animals don’t use a spoken language, we rely on simpler, more direct means of communicating with them. This is mostly through looks, glances, feelings, etc. There is purity in this without us really being aware of it.

Our communication with our pets often turns into a ‘just knowing’.

For us, we can look at them and just know. In doing so, it touches a deeper part of us and the communication and knowing become a part of us. The more we understand this, the more we can open up to it and explore greater communication and a deeper relationship with them.

We can also learn to acknowledge and feel more of our own greatness as part of the relationship. Anytime we can explore and understand this, it can help us to expand and grow it. We can use this as a way to become more aligned with our divine nature and higher self.

Here is an exercise to try:

Connecting with Pet Love Exercise

When you look at your pet, see that they are truly looking at you with love. Take a moment to see the love in their eyes for you and go a little deeper.

Just take a moment to be with it. Allow yourself to feel it.

Take a moment to truly see the love. See and feel what they see.

They are seeing and connecting with your soul, your higher self, your divine self. They do this whether we do it for ourselves or not.

They see the deep part of you that is radiating love. They see your greatness. Go into it.

Sometimes, in the deeper pet and human relationships, pets even see the beauty and love in past experiences with you, many times of lives together.

The next time your pet looks at you, take a moment to look at and feel deeper what you are experiencing in that moment.

Allow that in. Allow that possibility to exist. Just spend some time in it. Allow, just slightly the possibility that you are divine and have this great part of you.

Start to feel this and open up to it, and as you do you can expand and develop this so that you feel more and more of it every day and it becomes more of who you are. Know that feeling this deep love within yourself is your solid core being.

Allow this feeling to expand into every aspect of your life and every relationship.

In addition to just sharing love and sharing life, the truest gift of a great pet and a great pet relationship is the mirroring our inner self back to us, guiding us home.

They help remind us of ourselves and what it is like to experience divine love. They help us access our divine self and inner love.

They keep us connected to nature, reminding us all the while that we are part of nature, we are all connected and there is great love within.

Play around with it, have fun with it.

Explore a deeper knowing and communication with it.

Thank your pet for being a loving, reminding presence in your life.

Thank yourself for the love you give, the love you are and for reaching deeper.

-L. Leigh Love

Pet Honoring is a division of Bright Star Studio, llc.

December 29, 2011 by Bright Star Studio

Pet Love Poem

What great love I have for you.
You touched a very special part of me.
I look into your eyes and I feel love,
I think of you and there is love.
I honor you. I love you.
And I thank you for blessing my life.

Though we must part physically,
you will always be with me,
in my heart, in my soul
and in my life.
I will focus on this
and will continue to love
and appreciate you and all that you gave.

Let me remember…
Love exists in all realms,
and then love exists in its own realm,
in its own space in our heart and in our being,
it is bigger than the physical,
it is more than the emotional.
The love I have for you is always there.
The love we share is a permanent part of me,
I can reach anytime.

Our relationship and love is timeless.
You will continue on with me, and I with you.

-L. Leigh Love

Pet Honoring is a division of Bright Star Studio, llc.

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