I lived in Oregon for twenty years, which often feels like an entire lifetime when I review the many worlds that I was involved in while living in that beautiful, lush, green part of the world. One of the most special experiences in my lifetime was my involvement with the Cascade Raptor Care Center as their medical intuitive and on call Reiki practitioner for the eagles, hawks, and owls.
The first bird that I treated was a huge, golden-eyed, great horned owl, which was without a doubt the largest bird I had ever met up close in person. It was an incredible, breathtaking experience to stand face to face with this great horned owl, while holding his injured foot in my hands and offering him Reiki. I think it was one of the most amazing moments in my life, being an owl lover and family member since early childhood. My shamanic family in Eugene often teased me about a journey I once had in which I was wed to a great horned owl ... after which my shamanic nickname became Mrs. Owl.
I also had the tremendous honor of meeting my first spotted owl at the raptor center, which I named Shalom because of her amazing peaceful, soulful energy, which she maintained even when she had life threatening injuries. We spend several days staring into each others eyes while sharing Reiki, and I realized after the first hour that her eyes were the deepest pools of wisdom I had ever encountered in my life. We got so closely connected during our Reiki sessions, that I was literally adopted into her owl clan as a human member, an honor that will live in my heart and spirit forever, as does Shalom.
Raptors are some of the most gentle, wonderful beings I have ever encountered in the natural world. Their wisdom is honored for many good reasons, as they are fully aware on levels that often seem far beyond our human awareness. I noticed early on that every bird I worked with knew fully that I was there to help them, and actually assisted in our treatments once they got to know and trust me. I was constantly amazed at their openness, and their radiant, wild beauty. I was actually able to take one of the little Sawett owls home for his treatments for many months, because he needed Reiki on a daily basis. I named him Sidney, and was delighted at how open he was during our Reiki sessions each day. As soon as we began his treatments he would fall over onto his back in my hands, close his eyes, put his little feet strait out into the air, and enter into a complete altered state that surprised me every time, as I was able to pet him all over his little boy, including around his eyes and beak. As soon as the treatments were over he would jump up and ruffle his feathers, as if to say... where am I and what happened? He was one of the cutest, most endearing birds I have ever met, and will live on in my heart forever.