Here's some blurb about me, and an explanation of how my business came to be called 'Otis'... At the top you will find the short version, and for those who are comfortably settled with their brew of choice, scroll down for the tome!
I am mum to two children and live in the West Midlands with our elderly cat, Smudge, and as of the New Year 2010, a new member of the family is 'Winter', a stray cat... and mustn't forget the collection of fish. I became interested in animal communication after buying my first horse, several years ago. That very special horse, Cody, helped me to re-connect to myself, to the Earth and the animals that I'd been so devoted to learning about and caring for during childhood (including many waifs and strays!). After taking a course in animal communication that I'd felt 'drawn to', the requests for readings arrived thick and fast, particularly among the 'horsey' community. All of those early readings were done for a donation to charity (EMW), an animal welfare and rescue organisation that I'm delighted to continue being linked with.
When not doing readings and not busy looking after my children, I can be found doing any or all of the following, although not necessarily at the same time: administrative work for local youth centres; pursuing a counselling course and voluntary counselling; writing - blogs, reviews, poetry, stories; dream interpretation; Reiki healing; trying to get better at photography!; playing the piano; and walking in the countryside. Sadly, I don't at the moment have a horse who shares our family's life, but I hope that one day the horse will find us who needs and would like to stay with us, for the rest of his or her days.
The longer version, for those who are sitting comfortably...
When deciding what to write here in the biography section, I first thought I should mention that I came across animal communication several years ago, when a communicator appeared on TV, and I was intrigued, if sceptical. However, the more I've thought about it, the more I realise that my awareness of communication with animals goes way back to childhood. As children, we are all more frequently 'in touch' with and unquestioning about our intuition, and close to the animals around us that are, for example, beloved family pets. When I recollect the many and varied animals that came into our home and in some cases stayed for years, it's with a sense of what closeness I had to them and an innate, easy understanding that gradually became clouded over the years as more pressing, human issues took over.
Horses have always been a great love of mine, although I'd had to wait something like twenty three years before finally accomplishing a long held dream and buying a horse of my own; in this case, a Fell pony, named Cody ('Lownthwaite Gem'). Little did I know what a teacher had come into my life. I had a 700 mile round trip to see Cody and to eventually buy him, and smiled all the way there, and all the way back - it was simply meant to be.
Cody
Within a couple of weeks of Cody making his new home with us, I had the first evidence that he had 'tuned in' to me and could sense far more about me than I could about him. I was walking at the far end of his large field, and he was down at the other end, grazing, a dot in the distance. I'd had an upsetting day, and found myself quite tearful and sad, contemplating the August sky. I looked down the field at where Cody was grazing, and as anyone who knows ponies will know it takes nothing less than a bucket of carrots being shaken at them to persuade them to leave tasty summer grass, particularly Fell ponies! As I gazed down at him, he stopped grazing, lifted his head, and looked directly at me. Then he turned and began walking slowly in a direct line straight towards me. He didn't stop until he'd reached my side, when, after a moments pause where he simply stood with his head inclined towards me, he began to graze again. I remember the feeling of astonishment that, somehow, Cody had known that I was upset, and his reaction was to come over and just be with me. Everything about what he'd done, about his body language, about how he stayed with me, said to me that he'd come to see what was wrong, and to be by me. As I stroked his luxuriant mane and thanked him, I knew in an instant that there was going to be more to this horse 'owning' business than I could ever have anticipated.
I can only describe the two years Cody shared my life as 'transformative', a deliberately chosen and appropriate description, as all love is transformative. Within that time, my marriage came to a mutually agreed end, I had to let go of much security and literally rebuild mine and my young children's lives from the ground up. Cody remained a teacher, and a furry mane to cry into, throughout that time. The connection between us grew and grew as I began to accept what I now believe was healing from Cody. If I'd have known two years earlier that I would have to re-home Cody after my divorce, and that despite finding a lovely home for him, I would cry at every mention of his name for a year afterwards, I would still have made the 700 mile round trip. For raising my awareness, for 'opening the door' if you like, for healing, and for transforming my attitude towards myself and the people and animals in my life, Cody had come from heaven (and Scotland!) and the gratitude and love I feel for him continues to this day.
Me (in blonder days!) and Cody looking very regal in purple whilst searching for carrots.
In retrospect, that I should be drawn to studying animal communication is a clear and natural progression right through from childhood experiences to adulthood. At this point, I will explain the name of my company: Otis. Otis ("keen eared") was the first cat to come into my life, in 1992. He was to become the head of an ever growing collection of cats, who seemed to hear on the cat grapevine that strays and lost kitties could always find a welcome at that little house down the road. Otis was a large, black and white 'moggy', with enormous green eyes, hugely affectionate and with a penchant for hurling himself from the floor or any handy table or staircase, straight onto your shoulder, where he would demand kisses and make himself thoroughly at home for however long you would let him stay there. He met everyone at the door, with inquisitive eyes and a friendly, open heart. Even those who only tolerated cats, would be won over by Otis and his magnetic personality. You simply could not enter or leave the house without holding a conversation with Otis.
A young Otis and a younger me!
As Otis approached the age of ten, he began to present physical symptoms of pain that resulted in two operations and many visits to the vet. On the occasion of his third bout of illness, my veterinary surgeon said that he couldn't consider operating a third time, as this would be too unfair to Otis and he recommended that when the next bout occurred, Otis should be put to sleep. Otis, when not suffering, always appeared so bright and healthy, it was a terrible decision to have to take. He became ill again, and with a heavy heart I returned with him to the vets to be monitored. The next day I visited him at the surgery, he peered out from his pen, I opened the door, and despite the tubes and bandages, he stood up waveringly, and before I could stop him, launched himself at my shoulder, where he purred and headbutted me as I carried him through to the room where the vet was waiting. Through tears all I could whisper was 'I'm so sorry Otey, so sorry....'. I left, distraught, not knowing if I'd taken the right decision and in so much sorrow at the loss of our beloved head of the household.
Some years later, and after many dreams in which Otis had appeared, sometimes, it became apparent, to chaperone my elderly cats as one by one they passed over rainbow bridge, I was in a room with a number of other people, all there to learn about animal communication. I had felt drawn to the course as if my feet were being guided, brought about largely by my experiences with Cody. We had been asked to bring photos of our pets with us, for other trainee communicators to work with at the end of the day. I had brought a photo of Otis, and told my fellow trainee nothing about him apart from his name - not as a 'test', but simply not to confuse anything she might pick up from him or to influence her in any way. She looked hard at his photo for some moments, and then, to both her and my surprise, burst into tears. This started me off immediately! She apologised for crying and mentioned that she could feel how much sadness I had felt. Then without hesitating, she gave me a message directly from Otis, which went like this: 'You did the right thing. I was in a lot of pain, and i thank you for making the decision you made. I know how much you loved me.' If there was anything I had wanted to hear, but hadn't dared hope to, that was it. Otis had connected with us, and taken the opportunity to answer a question I'd carried in my heart for many years. I could feel him again on my shoulder, and through tears and closed eyes, I got to hug him again.
To remember Otis, and that first startling, but cherished, message which made so clear to me that animal communication was something I had been led to for all the right reasons, my website and business is named after him.
Play joyfully over rainbow bridge, dear friend.
Otis, with his eyes that searched your soul, preparing himself for a 'shoulder launch.'
As for me, I am a mum with two children, and live near the Worcestershire/Shropshire border, in the English Midlands. Our home is shared with the inimitable Smudge - a more characterful cat is hard to imagine. It is a very exciting and positive, inspiring life I find myself honoured to enjoy and cultivate just now. When I'm not doing readings, or being mum, I have my 'feet on the ground' doing administration for a number of youth centres. I sometimes have my writers hat on, developing a novel, stories and occasionally blogging or writing reviews. I've done dream interpretation for myself and for others for twenty four years. I'm qualified in Reiki 1 and hope to continue with Reiki 2 and Reiki Master during the next year or so. As tends to be the case when a path becomes clear, mine, that of healing and communication, seems to be opening many doors. I've recently started a Counselling Course and consider myself very lucky to not only work with animals, but to aim towards working more closely with humans, too.
Developing my intuition has been and continues to be an amazing journey and I consider myself very fortunate to be experiencing a life filled with compassion and 'life tutors' who appear often from the most unexpected quarters, and frequently with four, furry legs.
You are very welcome to my website, and I look forward to getting to know you - and the animals who share your life.love and light
Be.
