Creativity as Mediator Between the Worlds, or Wild Dog’s Kingdom

Creativity is a mysterious journey that connects us to the unseen worlds. There was a time when all people had access to the unseen worlds, although it was the shamans, story tellers and healers who mediated between the worlds as they journeyed into the Mystery and interpreted the images found there. Today we have our contemporary journeyers into the cosmic unseen worlds--many creative people are such journeyers--but as a culture we have lost the connection to our instinctual nature. With the development of the human brain and the march of history, the pendulum has swung so far that an overwhelming majority of people do not consider the journey into the unseen worlds a possibility, much less a necessity.

It has become trite to say that modern society has lost its soul, but in truth, that's just what has happened. Soul is something that cannot be experienced in the outer world. It cannot be understood, evaluated, judged. Soul is the groundswell of the inner world, and the eyes with which we view the outer world are blind when turned inward. It is only with the eyes of the heart--the instinctual nature of our deep internal knowing--that we traverse the inner landscape and find our way to soul.

If our outer eyes are perceptive, however, and guided by our inner knowing, we can see the outcome of mystery. This happens when, for example, the invisible becomes suddenly visible, or the impossible becomes suddenly possible in ways that cannot be explained by the rational mind. Such things often happen on both a small and large scale, but in Western culture we are quick to attribute them to coincidence; if coincidence isn't sufficient, then the doubting Thomas is convinced it can "figure out" a rational explanation of the mystery.

How much richer life can be when we are open to Mystery. But to do this, we must be brave warriors of the spirit, with creativity as both our fire and our sword. I see Creative Soul Works as a community in which we support each other as we journey into the unseen worlds to bring back sacred knowledge. We support each other despite our fears and insecurities. We guide one another as we reclaim the role of mediator between the worlds.

What follows is a recent experience from my life in which the Mystery was revealed and, I believe, I unexpectedly became a mediator between the worlds.

About six months before my husband's beloved dog D'Art died, he had two dreams. In the first dream, D'Art ran off with a pack of dogs. My husband, Ned, feared he would never see D'Art again, but finally the pack reappeared. The first two dogs ran past him, neither of them D'Art. The third dog thankfully was. As D'Art raced in great joy he called out (in English!) "Dad, I went to my kingdom and it was so wonderful!"

In the second dream, about a month later, Ned was walking down a road when a pack of wild dogs raced by him. One wild dog broke suddenly from the pack and, looking up at Ned with great love, said, "I missed you as much as you missed me." My husband drew back in fear and wild dog ran off. When he woke up, he was very sad that he hadn't embraced Wild Dog. To this day, whenever he thinks of these dreams, tears come to his eyes.

About six months later, D’Art became seriously ill. When the decision to ease his passing was made, the vet, who is a family friend, came to the house. It was about 8 pm on a lovely summer evening. Any thoughts of Wild Dog and D'Art's kingdom were far away. We were grieving for the loss of D'art, and I was concerned about the impact D'art's passing was having on my husband. But we knew the time had come, and Ned, myself, my son and the vet formed an ad hoc circle around D'Art.

I saw this circle of connection forming as Ned placed his hands on D'Art. I knelt by his side with one hand on Ned and another on D'Art. My son had his hands on D'Art. The vet administered the drug into D'Art with one hand while laying her other hand on D'Art. We were all connected through D'Art, who slipped into blessed calm as the vet administered a sedative. We sat in the deep silence of the unfolding mystery, and finally, the vet quietly asked Ned if he was ready. Ned nodded and within seconds D'Arty was gone.

Relieved by the stillness and the knowing that D'Art's suffering was at an end, I closed my eyes. It was then that the inner world flew open. Instantly I saw a pack of dog spirits racing across a sun-drenched field. D'Art, freed of a sick body, was bounding with the energy of a pup. He was racing to join his pack, and all of a sudden he turned toward me and sat, as if waiting. Our eyes met and I saw that gleefully naughty expression D'Art wore when he was about to take off for parts unknown in the outer reality. But this time, he seemed to hesitate, and I felt he was asking me if it was all right to go. I nodded and called to him, "Safe journey, Darty! We love you!"

He looked at me one last time with such love and joy, then was on his feet and off and running with his pack of wild spirits, most assuredly to his kingdom! This was very real for me, but not something I felt Ned, our son or the vet would let in, and so I said nothing. We finally decided it was time to continue with the burial. Ned wrapped D'Art in a sheet and carried him out to the grave my son had dug. It was a very big grave. D'Art, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, weighed almost 100 pounds.

Ned laid him in the grave, we all said our goodbyes and began to shovel in the dirt. That's when we heard the first howl.

We live in the country, on a mountain, and there are only a few other houses near by, none of which had dogs. The howling was clearly coming from the woods that abuts our property. Now, however, there was not one but several dogs howling. It was an eerie, otherworldly sound and we all stopped and listened.

"Those aren't dogs," I said.

"Coyotes," said my son.

"Really?" asked the vet. She listened again and nodded. "Yes, I think they are coyotes. Do you often hear them?"

"No," I said. "There are coyotes around but we've never seen or heard them."

The whole time we were burying D'Art, the howling continued, its song rising and falling. No one spoke. We were connected by this call of the wild. We haven't heard or seen another dog, much less a coyote, on the mountain since that night.

Were these coyotes? Were they wild dogs from Ned's dreams? Had D'Art run into the wild of spirit with them? Were they welcoming him home? Thoughts such as these don't hold much interest for me; rather I am honored to have been a part of this mysterious opening. Even my husband and son, who are staunch believers in the what you see is what you get world, remain awed by this event. We don't speak about it often.

My family is fortunate to live in a place where silence and nature are ready companions. The most noise we hear are the birds, occasionally the neighbor's children, a lawn mower, snow blower, or helicopter, and the distant hum of a nearby parkway where no trucks are allowed. I feel certain that having the privilege of having the vet come to the house, of being by ourselves on the mountain on a serene summer evening, are part of what made this experience possible. Perhaps D'Art's spirit and I, with my comfort in the unseen and my absolute belief in the power of creativity to mediate between the worlds, became the necessary mediators that night.


Emily Hanlon is a novelist of seven works of fiction and a book on the creative writing process. She has been a writing and creativity coach for over 25 years. Her website, www.creativesoulworks.com, is based on her belief that the multifaceted journey of creativity is not limited to the arts, but nurtures life at the most profound depths, those of the soul journey. Her website, www.thefictionwritersjourney.com explores writing through her dual pronged method of teaching technique while unleashing the imagination.

by Emily Hanlon

Train your dog in a humane manner with one of our dog containment ...

Dog training is imperative. Consider the fact that dog owners (and not only them, because we have also seen cat owners or smaller pet owners that do this) take their dogs all over the place. Proper use of dog containment systems and of a bark control collar will guarantee the raising of a “well-mannered” dog. With the suitable level of training, your dog will know how to behave properly even when it faces various diversions. Your training efforts will know increased diminishing if you opt for one of the dog containment systems available.

Training will yield superlative results if you start it at the puppy stage. Your training technique will instruct your puppy about what suitable behavior means right from the start. If you start it early, the heel-and-sit stage will pass unnoticed, i.e. you will not pay to much trouble to teaching your puppy about what this stage is. After having completed the essentials of training, you two can move on to the advanced levels – just as you did it yourself throughout school years and took it gradually.

However, do not worry excessively if you have not started early the training process. Dog training will be easy enough if you choose one of the dog containment systems and a bark control collar. Such devices will take care of the aspects that you most likely want covered by the behavior of your dog, namely knowing where it is permissible to walk and knowing the allowed levels of barking.

The number one issue is pointless barking. Your dog may bark for an incredible array of reasons. However, it does not mean that it will always bark with a good point to make. With a bark control collar and the necessary amount of positive reinforcement, your dog will know when it is proper for it to bark and when it should remain quiet. It will learn the difference between necessity and annoyance. A bark control collar will apply a certain level of annoyance for the dog, which will distract it from barking excessively.

You can prompt your dog to stop barking or to stop wandering where it is not permissible for it to wander by verbal means, as well. However, you will see that this is not always successful. You need something that is more powerful. In addition, you need something that could always “keep an eye” on the dog’s behavior. Dog containment systems are the “thing.”

Such devices are secure for your dog. In addition, they will frequently lessen the amount of time necessary for your dog to complete training. It happens for some pet owners to worry that dog training devices would bring harm to their dogs. However, such devices are very gentle and do not cause but a minor level of irritation for the dog. Such irritation is enough for the dog to want to avoid it in the future. To avoid the irritation, the dog will understand that it needs to avoid the behavior that has led to the triggering of the annoyance.

In other words, dog containment systems function according to the basic rules of training. An action will trigger a reaction. Such reaction is definitely an annoyance for the dog. With positive reinforcement, a bit of patience and the suitable dog training systems, the training process will no longer be a load. Of course, you can always consult with a dog trainer and see that he or she also uses the help of such devices. This happens simply because such devices do their job without harming the “learner.”


Ask around and you will see that dog containment systems are preferable when you want to ease the dog training efforts. In addition, by choosing a bark control collar, you will also be able to supervise the barking of your dog in an easier manner.

by Clint Jhonson

Personal Development - A Dog's Life

It must be morning; I'm hungry.
Then again, I'm always hungry, so it could really be any time.
I can hear the shower and feel the sun on my back, so I'm guessing the Boss is awake.
I lift my head off my bed and look down the passage.
I want a shower too.
Sometimes I try and get in but he won't let me.
Boring.
He's not so happy in the mornings any more.
He used to be, but things have changed.
I think it's stress.

Not really sure what that is, but I know it's not good.
It's a human thing.
I've heard him talk about it on the phone.
Don't really know what a phone is either, but I know they're good to chew.
Chewing's one of my favourite things.

In the old days we wrestled every morning.
He'd pull my ears and I'd jump on his head.
These days, not so much.
Before he went to work, we'd play ball.
After work too.
He'd throw, I'd fetch.
He'd throw, I'd fetch.
Forever.
What an amazing game.
Such fun.
He'd laugh and talk human. I'd growl.
I'd laugh if I could.
Mostly, I'd just wag my tail.
I think it's sad that humans don't have tails.
Sometimes he'd lose focus, so I would nudge him.
Maybe a little nip on the hand just to keep his head in the game.
How much fun can one Golden Retriever and one human have?

But lately he seems grumpy.

Sometimes, I wonder if he still loves me.
I lick him anyway because he's my favourite human in the world.
I get so excited to see him.
When he hugs me, my tail wags all by itself.
I wonder why my kisses don't make him happy like they used to.

In the good old days, we would walk to the park every day.
We'd hang out with other dogs and humans.
I mostly played with Kelvin the fat Labrador and the Boss would laugh with Kelvin's human; a female who smelled like vanilla.
I licked her once.
She didn't taste so good.
We don't walk together much these days.
And when we do, he talks on the phone.
I hate that phone.
I'm gonna eat it when he's not looking.

I liked it more when we lived in the first house.
The little one.
Three houses ago.
He played with me the most in that house.
I loved that place.
He was happier and he didn't yell at me for getting on the couch.
Or chewing his shoes.
We used to watch TV together on the couch every night.
Well, I slept, he watched.

He would rest his hand on my head.
I like that.

Now we live in a big house, with a big stupid couch.
A stupid couch for humans only.
Not dogs.
I don't like the big house or the big couch.
He makes me stay down on the stupid slippery polished floor boards.

The other day I slid into the table and hurt my nose.
Stupid floor boards.

When I was puppy we used to go everywhere together.
We would both ride in the old station wagon and I would put my head out the window.
Or on his lap.
It was the most fun ever.
I don't know why humans don't do it.
Head out the window, that is.
Don't they know?

No more head out the window action for me these days though.
Mr Serious has a new fancy schmancy car.
Apparently, it's a dog-free zone too.
On the rare occasion that I do get a ride, I have to lie on three blankets.
And no wind in my face.
What's the point of that?
Like having a bone you can't chew.
Stupid.

We used to go to the beach every weekend in that old station wagon.
We surfed together.
Well, he surfed, I chased seagulls, played in the waves and rolled in the sand.
He liked talking to the girl humans who wanted to play with me.
They only talked to him because I was there.
Sometimes he got kisses but I always got more.
On the way home I would put my wet, sandy, hairy body on the front seat and he was happy I was next to him.
I loved that car too.
Those were the days.
We haven't done that since I was four.
Five years ago.

Too busy apparently.
Too busy being successful and important to have fun with me.
Glad I'm not successful, it doesn't look like much fun.

But I'm so adorable, I don't understand why he doesn't miss me.
In fact, I don't really understand him sometimes.
He's meant to be smarter than me but lately, I'm not so sure.
I know I'm just a dog and I don't really understand a lot of human stuff, but I do know about fun and happiness.

He's rarely happy these days.
And he's always too tired to do anything.
Even when I pull his sleeve.
Or lick his face.
If he got rid of the stupid slippery floor, the dumb couch, the dumb car and played with me more, then he would be happy.
Me too.

I used to sleep on the end of his bed.
Used to.
(heavy sigh)
But now he has a new dog-free bed too.
Of course.
It's expensive and apparently I moult.
Whatever that means.
I hate that bed.
I chew the legs when he's not around.

Next year we're moving to another house.
A bigger one.
Maybe that will make him happy.
Hope so.
Doubt it though.
If I could speak, I'd tell him that too.
I don't get the big house thing; there's only him and me.
Us dogs don't really care how big our kennel is, we just want to be near our human.

Anyway, I'm very excited about today.
I'm gonna hang out with Charlie for a while.
He's my buddy from over the fence.
We made a hole so we can visit each other.
I'm not really sure what kinda dog he is, but it doesn't matter.
He's pretty smart but not quite as handsome as me.
We do fun stuff together every day.

Mostly we chase birds.
I hate those birds.
And we chew old lady Jacobs' laundry baskets.
We've eaten three of them.

Baskets not birds.

Then I might lie in the sun.
And chew my foot for a while.
I might have a power-nap too.
Chasing birds makes me tired.

I reckon the Boss should lie in the sun with me.
And chew his foot for a while.
It's relaxing.
It might help with his stress.

Whatever that is.


Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is the #1 ranked Motivational Speaker by Google. He is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host and owner of one of the largest personal training centres in the world. Motivational Speaker - Craig Harper

by Craig Harper