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“Say no goodbyes to those we love, 
Though they have passed from view. 
Our mortal eyes seem not to see 
The truth that our hearts do. 
Love is of the spirit. 
It exists beyond these shores. 
And love still flows between us, 
Now and forever more.”

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Hello Friends! I hope this finds you and yours well in all ways.

Have you been enjoying your Summer?? And how is it almost September!?
We’ve had some important pet days recently ( Take Your Cat to the Vet Day & International Dog Day) But today is a really special one. Today is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, so I am feeling very inspired to share something special with you.

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🎙NOTE: You can LISTEN to this as a two part podcast here!🎙

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If you have been flowing with Conscious Companion’s blog from the get-go, then you know that animal companions, Mother Nature, and the lessons they all offer us can be life-changing. From the highs to the lows, there is always something to glean. Whether we are talking about a beloved animal companion, person, teacher, or favorite Tree, time spent together is precious.

But time together on this Earth is not eternal.

Life always seems to have a way of appearing to “take” something away. Whether it’s a lover, sibling, child, or parent, or a furry, scaly, or feathered family member, a burning forest or a dear friend, the sense of separation and loss can be crippling. I know this all too well, having experienced loss on an unimaginable scale a multitude of times. At times I thought I would never recover. More than once I wanted to leave this world to be with my beloveds every time they said goodbye. As awful as that sounds, I have no doubt that I am not alone in this experience. For the sense of loss of a loved one can sometimes seem worse than death.

But even in death there are gifts in strange wrapping paper waiting to be discovered.

A Time of Transtion

If you have been blessed with unconditional Love in any form, then you know that one of the most difficult challenges in life is saying goodbye to a beloved. But what if we learned to say goodbye in a new Light? What if, when our beloved’s body is laid aside, we knew in our heaped-up-broken-heart that the love that they are can never die? What if we knew that Who they are will always be by our side?

In our Cherokee language there is no actual word for “goodbye”; this word is too final. We say “Stiyu”, which means “Be strong”. Instead of saying goodbye, we honor their many stages of life while standing strong. We choose to know their body’s death is an ending to one chapter of life and the beginning of another.

I now refer to the Dreaded D-word as A Time of Transition. If we look at the word, transition, we can better understand what our beloveds are doing when they lay their physical vessel aside.

transition[ tran-zish-uhn, ] is a noun. It is defined as “movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, concept, to another; a change.

Their physical life with us is one chapter in their lives. When our beloveds transition, they are much like a caterpillar to a butterfly; they become. They return to the Wholeness of Who they Are. Our Cherokee heritage teaches there is no death; only a door to another realm. A new beginning. A new chapter. A new world awaits them. And they are ready to begin.

This may sound trite, but I promise, it is true.

If we choose to step back and see their passing objectively, (after we Ride The Waves of Grief,) we are able to bless their new Journey. Rather than seeing their body’s death as an ending, what if we chose to see it as a new amazing beginning? What if after we let ourselves move through the myriad of emotions, we could come to celebrate their Life and Love that IS eternal?

Love cannot be limited by the body.

And who are beloveds are, IS LOVE. The death of the body has no effect on who they Are. What if we chose to focus on this fact? Could we honor them by celebrating where they are? Could we live a life in remembrance of them every day by knowing that who they truly are cannot die?

I choose to believe this.

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“From what we are, spirit; from what we do, matter. Matter and spirit are one.” ― Philip Pullman, The Subtle Knife

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Behind the Veil

The Cherokee people, like many first nation tribes, believe that most of mankind is conditioned to be blind and deaf. When I refer to being blind and deaf, I am speaking of subconsciously or consciously choosing not to See or Hear a world beyond this one. Of being unaware of a world that exists alongside this physical one.

But these worlds exist.

Most are unable to See it. Maybe they are afraid. Maybe they have never been taught. Maybe they haven’t experienced it for themselves. Maybe they are totally resistant to seeing the truth.

Regardless of the block, there is Life Beyond the Veil.

As we reside in the physical world, we know there is life here. But there is also life Behind the Veil. In this place, outside of time and space, our beloveds no longer know fear, scarcity, pain, or suffering. They are free. They are never-ending expansion. They are truly at peace.

And they want this peace for us, too.

“We teach best what we most need to learn.” ― Richard Bach

After much suffering, I finally learned that our beloveds want us to be at peace, more than anything.  I guess that’s why I am so passionate about sharing my experiences with others. I have been there; in the deepest, darkest depression of days. I thought I would never heal my broken heart. And I still have my moments when I miss them.

But now I know we are always connected. The pain, grief, and suffering was a door. I chose the key to unlock that dreaded door. And beyond the door gave me the gift of knowledge, understanding, and insight. I now know that every beloved who walked this world with me is never really gone. I know now that there is no death.

Love IS.

Through working with my Guides, and the countless In-Spirit readings I’ve provided for families who’ve said goodbye to their beloved, I’m humbled and grateful for what I continue to discover.

I Am in awe.

The peace, joy, and freedom they are enveloped in, is astonishing. Regardless of how their earthly vessel was laid aside, they are very much alive and at peace. In fact, even in what appeared to be a violent death of several of our human and animal family members, was not as it appeared.
Their suffering was not as it seemed. And they were not alone in their transition. From the beginning of the death of the body, to the transition into Spirit, our beloveds were greeted by a host of angels, Guardians, and Guides.

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“So Lyra and her soul companion turned away from the world they were born in, looked toward the sun, and walked into the sky.”
― Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass

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https://vimeo.com/316443281

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Death is but a Door.

In the animal and elemental kingdom, “death” is not a word.  It is untrue.  It is unreal.  It is an illusion.  To these highly evolved beings, there is no death; there is only an awakening.  There is only a returning Home.

Our True Home.

Our animal companions understand that when it’s time to lay the body aside, there is nothing to fear. They know that the death of the body is a release.  It is freedom. Expansion.

It is all that their physical world withheld from them.  It IS the only reality that gives them Life.  It is a celebration of the soul.

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“This is what’ll happen,” she said, “and it’s true, perfectly true. When you go out of here, all the particles that make you up will loosen and float apart. If you’ve seen people dying, you know what that looks like. But your beloveds en’t just nothing now; they’re part of everything. All the atoms that were them, they’ve gone into the air and the wind and the trees and the earth and all the living things. They’ll never vanish. They’re just part of everything. And that’s exactly what’ll happen to you, I swear to you, I promise on my honor. You’ll drift apart, it’s true, but you’ll be out in the open, part of everything alive again.” ― Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass

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Now Our Guardians and Guides

Who our animal companions and human family members were in their physical body, while they were here with us, is only a glimpse of Who they Are after they transition. They Become their fullest expression. But most incredible of all, they are Standing by, always on call, loving us unconditionally.

We loved them unconditionally while they walked the world with us. We carefully cared for them. We guarded them from harm. And we looked after them while they were here during their Earthly life.

Now they look after us.
Our beloveds are now our Guides.

The roles are reversed. And they want to be in service to us. They want us to know and trust that they can hear us. They want us to know that we can call on them. They can hear us if we take the time to be still, go within, and listen.

Their lives do not end when the time comes for them to lay their earthly vessel aside. Do you really think Who They Are can be contained in a body??? Who they are cannot die. Their spirit lives on. And they still walk alongside of us.

“In quietness are all things answered.” ― A Course in Miracles

When people say, “the ones we love live on in our hearts”, they really do, friends. This is true because that is where we loved them, and love never dies. Goodbyes are only temporary. The ones we say goodbye to are always there when we think of them, when we remember our times together, and when we speak to them.

Our heart and Higher Mind IS the Rainbow Bridge.
Our Heart and Higher Mind is the key to the connection.

When you think of your beloved animal companion that has passed, know that they hear you. Feel their love. It is unconditional and it is endless. Believe that their spirit is free and never dies.

If you were connected in life, you are still connected in the afterlife. Call on them when you miss them, when you need inspiration, or when you just want to say hello again. They are always there for you.

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Our beloveds are not gone. Do not forget them. They walk with us, In Spirit. They are healed, whole, at peace, empowered, and perfect in every way. Who they Truly are cannot be contained by this world. They are Eternal Beings. My heartfelt wish is for everyone to know and feel this, too.

​“For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.“ – A Wrinkle in Time

Recently, I shared something vulnerable with my friends and family on Facebook. -Something i have been scared to share until now. The response (or lack of by some friends and family) has been interesting, but it was time to come out with it. No more hiding. Below are a couple pictures from that post. What do you see?

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Over a year ago, this art endeavor came directly from Spirit while I was on a walk with Miss Hocus. I was shown a new way to move through the multi-layered grieving process, while honoring the ones who laid their body aside. It’s called Art From Ashes.

And that is is exactly what I Am Creating … Art from their ashes.

Each person and pet (either physical or nonphysical) holds an energy signature that is incredibly unique to them. This is my Maggie💗

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There are many levels of life which we cannot see and know, yet which certainly exist. There is a larger world, vast enough to include immortality … Our spiritual natures belong to this larger world … If death is apparently an outward fact, immortality is an inner certainty. – M. Hall

In her earthly life, she was known as my “shadow”; an ever-present and faithful canine companion through childhood into college and beyond. Sixteen years ago, Maggie left this world for another just after Valentine’s Day. Fast forward to present day … she is still with our family, but In Spirit.

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I had zero intention of connecting with Maggie. She wasn’t even on my radar honestly. If you read this post, then you know I was stoked about working with King Albert for the first art-from-ashes-endeavor. But when I meditated on how to create what I was shown, my Guides were loud and clear: Begin with Maggie.

There was so much resistance to do this.

Mainly because there was a lot of guilt. But I pushed through the fear, and I am forever glad I did. Maggie was there, waiting patiently for me to connect with her in all of her glory. She was perfect. And she was truly at peace.

Never did I think I would find the courage to do this, but it has healed me on many levels. Connecting with Maggie In Spirit was astonishing. She is now in her ascended aspect. The nervous-nelly I knew is no longer. Maggie has also healed into who she is at her True Essence.

Maggie had much to show me and I had much to learn.

Not only was creating this art out of her ashes deeply healing, but during the Journey, I was amazed to discover that Maggie’s faithful presence is still with me and Mr. Beaux.✨ She and he were in constant cat-and-canine-cahootz for nearly twenty years! And apparently, they still collaborate!

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Stiyu, Instead of Goodbye.

Maggie’s ashes art has lead to others. And there are more art-from-ashes-endeavors in the works. I guess that’s why I am Guided to share this process with you all now. I wish for everyone to understand what I have been shown. There is no separation In Spirit; We Are One. I wish for broken hearts to heal. My prayer is for everyone to find peace. My wish is for the grieving to know there is a world alongside this one, where our loved ones are reaching out to us. All we need to do is place our heavy hearts in theirs. Their love is unconditional. Our Beloveds Are … Always.

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Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be the household word it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was;
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near just around the corner…
All is well. Nothing is past, nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before,
Only better and infinitely happier,
And forever we will be one together.
~ Henry Scott Holland

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Discover more about Art from Ashes at Conscious Companion.

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