There is a lot of information available about coping with grief after pet loss, but from what I have seen, very little of that information includes the animals – the pet who died and surviving pets who are grieving the death of their friend. Great benefit can be obtained through shamanic journeying which is very effective and can be an invaluable tool for healing pet loss.
Here are some of the main benefits of shamanic journeying in connection with pet loss:
- Healing and support for the pet owner so that he or she can cope with and avoid being stuck in prolonged grief and guilt after the death of a pet
- Healing and guidance for the deceased pet in getting settled safely in the afterlife.
- Communication between the pet owner and the deceased pet, so messages can be exchanged and unfinished business taken care of.
- Healing for the surviving pets in the household who are grieving their deceased animal companion.
- Very effective as distance or remote healing, so the pet owner and their grieving pets can remain in the comfort of their own home.
A holistic approach
One of the main advantages of getting help from shamanic journeying after pet loss is that both the deceased pet and the pet’s surviving animal companions are included in the process. Shamanic journeying is a holistic approach which affects all aspects of a situation. It works on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels, so where pet loss is concerned, healing is not exclusively for the pet owner but also for the deceased and surviving pet – and wherever else it might be needed. The intention for the journey will be to provide healing and restore harmony, but how exactly healing will take place and what will happen in the journey cannot be foreseen or known beforehand.
Sometimes the deceased pet needs help
Most people do not realize that there is actually something that can be done to help pets after they have died. A body dies, but the spirit lives on, and sometimes the spirit of the deceased pet does need help, especially if the animal’s death was sudden or violent. The animal’s spirit could be stuck in a state of confusion and fear and needs help to move on – if that is the case, there is always something that can be done to help the deceased pet through a shamanic journey.
Helping the dead is well known in several cultures, for instance the Tibetan. And in shamanism, one of the key tasks of the shaman is to escort the deceased to where he is supposed to go or connect him with a guide who will take him there.
Animals grieve too
When you suffer the loss of a pet, it is often not just yourself who is grieving and having a hard time coping with the loss. If you have other pets in your household and they have been close friends with the pet who just died, then they might be grieving too.
The signs that your pets are grieving can vary, but you will probably notice a change in their behavior. The grieving pet might get restless, anxious, depressed, lose their appetite, crave more attention, wander off searching for or calling for their departed companion, etc.
A well known example of a grieving pet is the dog Hachiko who waited 10 years for his deceased master to return. (You can read more about Hachiko here.)
I had two cats who were best friends, and when one died, the surviving cat had a very hard time coping with the loss. He could not seem to get through the grief of the loss by himself, so I used the gentle process and healing power of shamanic journeying to help him through the grief and get happy again.
Helping the pet owner by helping the pets
The benefits for the pet owner from including healing for the pets is that helping the pets will not only speed up but improve the quality of your own recovery after losing your pet.
The reason for this is that most pet owners love their pets very much and are very concerned with their pets’ well-being – in life and in the afterlife. Helping both deceased and grieving pets will quickly give the pet owner comfort and peace of mind.
If you don’t do shamanic journeying yourself, you can have a journey done for you. After the shamanic journey has been done for you and your deceased pet, you will be much better prepared to handle and continue the work on the daily emotions that surface due to your loss.
You will learn to allow yourself to grieve, but you will also learn to see past the pain of the loss – you will see and remember the love you shared with your pet and be grateful for everything your pet has given you. And you will learn to use that love and gratitude to not only improve your own life, but also to help others you meet on you path, whether they be human or animal.
Points to remember
It’s okay to grieve, but avoid feeding the grief with your mind and thereby prolonging it.
- Remember the love you shared with your pet.
- Share that love in the world.
Is there something in particular you would like to know more about? An issue you care about that you would like covered in more detail? Let me know in the comments below so I can consider your interests in future articles.
This article may also be read at Shaman Portal:
http://www.shamanportal.org/article_details.php?id=832
