animal human bond

Wisdom in the PAWS Oracle Reading – For Your Pet & You – What to Expect Video

Posted by Barbara Techel
Sweet Gidget who is the inspiration behind my Wisdom in the Paws Oracle Readings for pets and their human friend’s Photo: ©Lisa Lehmann

It was truly an honor to be part of the Animal Oracle Card Summit on Monday and Tuesday of this week hosted by Dr. Cara Gubbins. Though the free pass offer has expired, you can still purchase an all-access pass (which includes bonus interviews) if you’d like by clicking here.

I remember when I was watching a previous summit Dr. Cara did about animal communication, that I had a light bulb moment! Listening to the various speakers during that event, it was then I realized with another shot of confidence that there is a myriad of ways we can communicate with animals.

It is, along with what I learned through my relationship with my sweet Gidget, that inspired me to combine my love of animals, oracle cards, and helping people and animals live in harmony with each other, and my offering of oracle readings for pets and their humans.

I’ve personally experienced, as well as, with my clients, that when we tune into our animal friends, we are also tuning into ourselves, and together this is what can positively impact the lives of both two and four-legged in a transformational and beautiful way!

Inspired by this summit and my desire to be a guide for more pets and their human friends I put together this video to answer the question of what to expect during a reading. I hope it will help if you’ve been wondering this very thing.

Click here or on the graphic below to watch. And if you have a question I didn’t answer, feel free to leave a comment or email me. Also, feel free to pass the video along to anyone you know who may be struggling with their animal friend and is looking for support. Thanks so much!  XO, Barb

P.S. Click here for the video on my Wisdom in the PAUSE readings – Just for You.

Happy News! My Memoir is a Finalist in Two Award Categories from Dog Writers Association of America

Posted by Barbara Techel

It was the beginning of the pandemic when I released my third memoir, I’m Fine Just the Way I Am – Healing Emotional Pain through the Wisdom of Animals and Oracles. While I’d contemplated holding off on the release because I just didn’t know what to expect during a time of upheaval, I made the choice to just allow what was to be, to be.

A part of me felt strongly my story fit in with what we were experiencing as we moved deeper into the pandemic as we all tried to make sense of what was happening. 

As we are nearing the close of 2020 it has become clear to me that so much of this year has been about learning to tune into our own hearts and follow the guidance that feels right for us – despite what we may hear from the outside world, which has been conflicting on so many levels.

How often we fear the judgment or rejection of others and how many of us have felt unworthy. My memoir shares my journey of exploration, uncovering, and revealing the root cause of why I felt unworthy most of my life. It was my dear and wise dachshund, Gidget, that lovingly walked beside me, mirroring for me what I needed to look at and finally heal.

While it was a journey that was filled with emotional pain unlike any I’d felt before, and it was the unseen that felt so scary at times, it was also one that as I took the necessary steps to heal from within, that my path became lighter and gave me a sense of freedom and peace I’d not experienced before in my life.

My journey with Gidget was one I have bowed in deep gratitude for often this past year. I have no doubt what she and I went through is what prepared me for this past year (thank you sweet girl. I love you so much!) While I’ve had my moments of struggle and fear like so many, I’ve also been reminded many times with a nudge in my heart from Gidget, that I have a choice to struggle or embrace peace.

So Monday morning when I saw an email from Dog Writers Association of America and the fact my book is named as a finalist in two categories, I soon saw the words I was reading a blur as tears filled my eyes. After sharing the news with John, I walked into the living room.

On what I call my ‘wall of love,’ with photos of all my dogs and of John and I, I took a moment to stroke the photo of Gidget, letting her know the special news. I thanked her once again for all she brought to me while alive and continues to in spirit.

The two categories my book is a finalist in are: Human/Animal Bond category and a special award category sponsored by Jen Reeder and Bryan Fryklund in honor of their beloved Labrador retriever mix, Rio – the Rio award is for an article, book, or essay that profiles a dog who changed someone’s life in a profoundly positive way. 

No matter the outcome, I’m deeply honored to have been placed in these two categories as a finalist. Awards will be announced during a virtual ceremony on February 14, 2021.  Any positive vibes you’d like to put out into the universe for Gidget and me and our book would be most welcome and appreciated!

All my best to all my fellow animal writer finalists. The way I see it is that we are all winners because of the love and joy we are honored to experience from our animal friends!

xo,

Barbara

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Dachshund Goddesses. Say What?

Posted by Barbara Techel

Ok, so perhaps you are wondering why I’ve called these paintings, which I did a few years ago, dachshund goddesses? Clearly, they are tree goddesses.  

But it started shortly after when my mom saw the paintings I’d done that she asked if they each had a name. Huh. I’d not thought of that. And so I let it simmer. And simmer it did for all this time.

The paintings are in our lower level where I see them every day when I work out on my pilates machine. And just like that, one day it hit me what their names are!

So perhaps no surprise for those that have been here following my writing and blog for some time, and you’ve likely already guessed…but yes, each is named after my special needs dachshunds that graced my life — Frankie, Joie, and Gidget.

And this is when I sat with each of the paintings, especially drawn to the center of each of them. Who was who, I wondered?

It then occurred to me looking at the center of each goddess the color at each center near the heart, each dachshund has helped me heal some aspect of myself. This is when I thought of the Chakras – energy systems within our body – and knew immediately that the goddess with the red center is Gidget.

After looking up the other meanings of the colors representing the Chakra’s I realized that the orange was Joie and the blue, Frankie.

Blue represents the throat chakra and its emotional attributes are about communication, creativity, and healing. Frankie, being my first special needs dachshund opened a world to me of writing two children’s books and a memoir about the journey we took together with her in a wheelchair, sharing her message with many. It was never on my radar to write children’s books, and even more so to think I’d become a public speaker. The girl that was so shy all those years pushed herself out into the world sharing a message that she became passionate about.

Orange represents the sacral chakra and its emotional attributes are intimacy, emotions, boundaries, addiction, and trust. When Joie passed away just ten months after I adopted her, I just didn’t understand why she had to leave so soon. But it was a time of me learning to appreciate transitional times in one’s life, to be with the fact that I knew I wanted to slow down and go in a new direction in my life, but uncertain of what that was. It was also a time of trusting the universe would provide a new path and setting boundaries for myself to learn to just be and allow what was to unfold.

Red represents the root chakra and its emotional attributes are security, grounding, sexuality, and survival. As I shared in my latest memoir Gidget guided me to finally look at a vision of a childhood wound I’d carried with me for most of my life of being touched inappropriately as a child. This led me down the path of healing so many aspects of myself from learning to trust my intuition, that I was safe, and that I was worthy.

Realizing each goddess was one of my dachshund friends, my mom suggested writing their name somewhere on each painting. Today is the day I did just that and oh, how it has made my heart smile.

Our animal friends are always with us. What a blessing and treasured gift.

xo,

Barbara