What is Heartwings Foundation?
Heartwings Foundation serves as the umbrella organization for Cat’s work in the world, including her counseling and consultation services; her work as a minister, teacher, and workshop facilitator; and her work as an artist, author, and publisher.
In June of 2000, Heartwings Foundation released Cat's first book, Dr. Cat’s Helping Handbook, and in June of 2007, the Foundation published Cat's 64-image deck of drawings called "Shadow and Light: Images of Change and Transformation for Women in Recovery."
Heartwings Foundation also publishes this Web site as well as Cat's free online newsletters, "Winging It with Dr. Cat" and "Dancing with Death."
The Story Behind the Logo
One night in the spring of 1987, a couple of close friends helped me pack up and leave a short, abusive marriage while my husband was away. We put my stuff in storage, and I was given shelter by another dear friend, Deborah Smith, who generously provided a safe and nurturing environment for me to heal within the circle of her love.
Deborah and I had such a great time living together that we decided to look for a home we could share long-term. However, just as I was about to move in with her, I received guidance to be in Southern California instead. While I was looking for a place down south, I housesat for a friend in L.A. while Deborah stayed in Seattle.
One night, Deborah and I had an hour-long conversation on the telephone. It wasn't as good as being with her in person, of course, but our connection was deep and true in any medium. During that call, Deborah kept talking about "living the question" and "the importance of letting go." Since we'd often had long metaphysical discussions, those subjects didn't seem unusual at the time.
The night after we spoke, on September 10, 1987, I received a call from a mutual friend who said that Deborah had been just been killed in a car accident. A drunk driver with multiple DUIs had crossed the center line and hit Deborah's car head on, crushing her heart. She died instantly.
I was devastated by this news. Through my tears, I dialed the number of one of my best friends who was good with death. He listened quietly about what had happened and then asked me to tell him stories about Deborah. What a wise thing to ask! In the midst of my grief, it was sweetly comforting to remember all the good times Deborah and I had shared.
Even though the stories helped, I couldn't get to sleep afterward, because my heart was so overcome with grief and my mind was still deeply agitated in a state of shock.
Earlier in my professional career, I'd been trained by my longtime shamans (Michael Harner and Sandra Ingerman) to journey shamanically to assist human spirits after death, in case they needed help with their transition between worlds. That night, I decided to do this kind of shamanic journey for Deborah.
Within moments of beginning my journey, I quickly found Deborah—in spirit—dancing in the sun on the green grassy plains of Africa (she was African-American).
As soon as I saw Deborah, I could see that she was radiantly happy. Even though I was terribly sad to lose my friend, the journey greatly alleviated my pain and my concern about the violent way she died. It was profoundly healing to see that Deborah's spirit was well and did not need any help in her transition. After the journey, I went right to sleep with a peaceful heart.
In the coming days, I heard from other mutual friends of Deborah's who had also checked in with her spirit through their own disciplines of approach. Without exception, everyone had gotten the same information—that Deborah's spirit was free and happy and didn't need any assistance at all. All was well.
During the next three weeks following Deborah's death, I kept drawing the simple image of a heart with wings flying into the sun. Over and over I drew this flying heart and sun. At the time, I didn't understand what this image was all about, but it felt important somehow.
I did know that the sun had become a personal "God" symbol in other drawings I'd done over the years. As I drew and redrew the winged-heart-and-sun image in the weeks after Deborah died, I realized that my simple drawing had something to do with death and "flying to God."
On April 6, 1988—seven months after Deborah died—I founded Heartwings Foundation, the "umbrella" company for my various kinds of work in the world. I founded Heartwings on Ram Dass' birthday in honor of his work and his influence on me as a longtime mentor-friend and spiritual teacher.
My simple drawing of a heart flying into the sun became the logo for Heartwings Foundation.
Years later in 1992, during a personal phone conversation with shaman Sandra Ingerman, Sandy taught me a shamanic journey specifically designed to help remember one's purpose in life. When I did that journey, I was shown the flying-heart-and-sun image as a symbol for my purpose in life, which I was told was to "liberate my heart."
In the late 1990s, during the production of my first book, Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook, I needed a more elegant version of the rather primitive original logo to use in the book. I spent several months drawing and redrawing the winged heart and sun, until it felt just right.
Over the years, I've come to see that the heart in my logo—my heart—can be seen as flying into or out from the sun. Either way, it's a playful and liberating dance!
Contact Information
To obtain additional information or written permissions related to Dr. Cat’s Helping Handbook or Cat’s other writings and services, please e-mail Cat, call her at (206) 329-0125, or contact her care of Heartwings Foundation at the address below:
Heartwings Foundation
P.O. Box 31161
Seattle, WA 98103
U.S.A.
