04/10/2024
“We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.”
—St. Francis of Assisi
October 4 is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment.
It is also World Animal Day: "The day calls for action and awareness about the well-being of animals and to improve the standards of welfare around the world. The day is not just for the domesticated animals but all wild animals, endangered species, and also those animals who are threatened by the environmental devastation or lack protection."
When A Walk on the Wild Side at Earthfire Institute first came into being in 2010 as an event designed to unite the animals and the people in ceremony, my guides insisted that it take place in connection with this important day. From a shamanic healing standpoint, it was the perfect time for the people and the animals to come together to create lasting change. That event was held annually for nine years.
This day holds power for a simple ceremony in your own yard or neighborhood. A few words of gratitude and appreciation with an offering of sacred to***co, sage, or alcohol poured on the Earth or as a mist offered to the Winds as you stand in nature, is much appreciated by All Our Relations and helps reweave our connections.
If you would like to learn more about this wild way to heal, take a moment to read mountain lion Windwalker's Message for the World: https://reikishamanic.com/2011/11/24/windwalker-message-for-the-world/
Art: Pauline Diana Baynes (1922-2008)
