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Foundation for Shamanic StudiesAlthough I'm a spiritual eclectic, my deepest heart connection has always been to shamanism. One thing I love about shamanism is that it is entirely experiential. If anyone tries to tell you about shamanic theory, run fast. There are no theories!
Anything I tell you about shamanism must come from my own experience. In the shamanic worldview, if I experience something, it's real. This includes all levels of experience, not only consensus reality. Since I was a little girl, I've always known that dreams and imagination and other-world experiences are just as real as the world I was allowed to talk about at the dinner table. In those days, I didn't have a framework for talking about these "other" worlds, but the knowing was there all along. It's in my blood. In 1974, when I was twenty, I started journeying informally and met my first power animal. Several years later, a shaman connected me to the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, which was founded by Michael Harner. My study and practice of shamanism grew tremendously under the wise and compassionate tutelage of the Foundation's faculty, most notably Michael Harner and Sandra Ingerman. I am deeply indebted to these two extraordinary mentors. Michael Harner, Ph.D., is a world-renown shaman, teacher, and author of many books, including The Way of the Shaman. Michael came to shamanism via anthropology, which gave him a vehicle to study tribal cultures all over the world. Over many decades, Michael gleaned the shamanic techniques that are universal to cultures all over the world and across time. The practice of cross-cultural shamanism is a legacy that belongs to all of us, and the Foundation for Shamanic Studies is dedicated to making these universal techniques available to anyone. In addition, the Foundation is involved in many diverse projects, such as scientific research, interdisciplinary collaboration, interspecies communication, and grants to support present-day shamans as living treasures. Check out the Foundation's Web site for more information about their wide array of programs, workshops, and resources. Johanna Hoeller, D.C.
I'd known Greg for 20 years by then, and I trusted him implicitly, so I
listened with rapt attention as he waxed poetic about Johanna and said that
she had "fixed his neck." However, after 25-plus years of chronic and debilitating neck pain and many thousands of dollars spent on numerous conventional and alternative healing professionals, I was skeptical that Johanna could help me. |
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Greg assured me that Johanna did the bulk of her work in a handful of sessions over a few months, with only occasional adjustments after that. That information piqued my interest even more, but since I couldn't afford Johanna's services at the time, I tried to put it out of my mind. My efforts to stop thinking about NUCCA work failed, and I finally realized that the reason I couldn't stop thinking about Johanna was because I was needed to go see her. To make a long story short, my longtime partner, John Giovine, and two other close friends gave me a wonderful birthday present the following January (2003) by paying for my initial sessions with Johanna. You'd think I'd have been hot to go, but I remember dragging myself into her office for my X-rays, grumbling with skepticism. On the day I went back to Johanna's to see
my X-rays and get my first adjustment, I was in so much pain I could
"Oh, this will just be another waste of time and money like all the other healers I've been to." This was amazing enough in itself. But I was also amazed because I saw the X-rays Johanna took before and immediately after my first adjustment. The structural change in my neck was astonishing! I'd never seen anything like it. Even in John's childhood pictures, the swayback at his lower lumbar region is visible. Since it was there from such an early age, I figured it was some kind of congenital defect or something.
On top of this lifelong misalignment, John has been an import mechanic with
his own shop since 1980. As a result of being 6'2" and having to bend over
and crawl under cars for all those years, he developed degenerative disc disease (diagnosed by an MRI). When John came back from his first adjustment, I was stunned. The sway in
his back was gone and his shoulders were straight. In all my decades
of work in the healing business, I'd never seen anything like the change
I saw in John's body that day. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I don't
John Giovine: The Honest Mechanic
I was looking for a new mechanic—which is always a rather scary proposition for a single woman—when John Giovine's brightly colored flyer appeared out of nowhere one morning, as if on cue. I still remember the day John walked into my house when he came to drop off my car and deliver his bill after the first time he serviced my car. There was this moment—now etched in my memory forever—when we stood in the threshold between the kitchen and the living room in my home in Wallingford, facing each other in close proximity. I distinctly remember the feeling I had at that moment, and I remember thinking, "Who IS this guy?!" It was as if my body knew that the man standing before me would become my life partner years later. It's just that my conscious mind was still in the dark about it! As it turned out, after John had been my mechanic for four years, I finally got up the courage to ask him out. Yes, you heard me right. I made the first move—and at the time, it was perfect that way for us both. John and I started dating in July of 1997 and I guess you could say we never stopped. In our early conversations (during a wild courtship that took place in three different states over two years), we discovered that we'd both had the same "love at first sight" crush on each other. A few years into my relationship with John, I started writing his ads for him. When I changed the "Import Car Care" headline in his ad to "Honest Mechanic," his business skyrocketed. I knew exactly what would go through people's minds when they saw the words Honest Mechanic: "What? An honest mechanic? Are you kidding?!" I know Honest Mechanic may sound like an oxymoron, but John is truly honest, and he's a damn good mechanic. I've seen lots of people bring car problems to John that no one else can figure out, and he somehow figures them out! On the rare occasion that he can't troubleshoot a solution, he doesn't charge for his time. His integrity as a businessman is unsurpassed, and his skill as a master mechanic is truly awesome. Yes, I'm biased. But I would still bring my car to John even if he wasn't my partner, because he's the best mechanic I know. I swear that people sometimes have car trouble just so they can come and see John! If you want to read more about the wonderful way John works with people, you can check out my tribute to him in the latter part of an article I wrote called "All the Money Belongs to God: It Just Gets Recycled." You can also read "I Love John Because He Treats Me Like a Dog" and "A Warrior Dog's Last Dance" to get more glimpses of John as a person. If you live in or near Seattle and you'd like to make an appointment with John for your car, feel free to call his 24-hour voice mail at (206) 325-5377. Be sure to tell him I sent you, because every time John gets a referral through me, he gives me an extra kiss of thanks!
The Gottman Relationship Institute
This endorsement may be shorter than some of the others in this section, but that's not because I don't have much to say about the Gottmans' work. It's because I have so much to say that I could easily get carried away and be here all night! With decades of extensive scientific research under their belts, these two dynamos have helped countless individuals, couples, parents, and children relate more effectively and respectfully. The Gottmans' two-day Couple's Workshop, for example, is by far the best relationship workshop I've ever done—and believe me, I've done a lot of really good relationship workshops since 1971, when I first started down the path of personal growth work. The information and tools offered in the Couple's Workshop are practical, grounded, extensively researched, and downright fun. My longtime partner, John Giovine, and I both think John Gottman missed his calling as a stand-up comedian—this guy is hilarious! Besides his great sense of humor, John and his wife, Julie, somehow make it possible for couples to change without losing face. Stuck patterns, fear, and shame can get in the way of positive change in intimate relationships, and the Gottmans are masters at making change feel safer and easier for both parties. Whether you're interested in the Gottmans' work for personal or professional reasons, I cannot recommend them highly enough. They've made their work available and affordable through a wide variety of mediums to accommodate different tastes and styles—and your local library, if it's anything like mine, is probably brimming with their books, CDs, and DVDs. You can learn more about the Gottmans and their work by visiting their Web site. Mary Getten
Mary began studying animal communication in1988 under the guidance of world-renown animal communicator Penelope Smith. Since that time, Mary has completed numerous courses with a variety of teachers, and she opened her own animal consulting practice in 1996. Her practice offers telepathic communication, flower essences, and many other problem-solving techniques to clients worldwide. Whales and dolphins are a major passion for Mary, and she has taken people all over the world to meet with them, including Orcas in the San Juans, gray whales in Baja Mexico, and humpbacks in Maui. For the last four years, she has taken groups to swim with wild dolphins in the Bahamas. In the mid-1980s, when she was at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, she helped rescue, rehabilitate, and release a variety of seals, sea lions, and small cetaceans. In 1990, Mary moved to the San Juan Islands in Washington and became part of the research department of The Whale Museum, participating in numerous research projects. She was a coordinator of the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network for close to a decade, and served in various capacities at Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for ten years. She was also a coordinator of wildlife rescue for the Islands Oil Spill Association. Michael Tomlinson
Michael is also a truly wonderful writer and a damn good storyteller, and he's one of the funniest people I know. I can always count on him to make me laugh out loud, with or without the accompanying act of rolling on the floor. When Michael performs on stage, his storytelling skills come out between songs the way stars come out when night falls. Then when he sings, Michael is genuinely with his audience in a way that makes you feel happy just to be in his presence, because he's clearly having a good time being in yours. In addition to his gifts of music and writing, Michael has been a wonderful compatriot for me in the land of independent publishing. Since he was producing his own work long before I independently published Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook, I've looked up to him as a sort of "big brother," who has continually inspired me in the world of publishing. In addition to his gifts as a multi-faceted role model for me, Michael has been a steadfast supporter of my own work in the world. He has written me personal notes of thanks over the years when he has been inspired by one of my articles, and he gave me a beautiful and unsolicited endorsement for Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook (which is included in the back-cover endorsements on the second edition of the book). Michael is a true gem of humanity, and I hope you have a wonderful time exploring his Web site, listening to his music, and attending his performances! National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC)
There are few things I hate, but involuntary circumcision is one of them. The crusade against involuntary circumcision is one of my passions and I've been writing about it since the late 1980s. In fact, the first piece of my writing to hit the Internet was an interview-essay against circumcision, which was first published by The New Times and was later made available on NOCIRC's Web site. NOCIRC was founded by Marilyn Milos, R.N., whose personal story about her own sons is enough to break the hardest of hearts. Out of ignorance, before she knew any better, Marilyn had her three sons circumcised. Later, as a nursing student, she witnessed the horror of infant circumcision for the first time. It changed her life, and she went on to found NOCIRC, which now has more than 50 centers in the United States as well as centers in 14 other countries. The U.S. is the last country in the world that routinely circumcises the majority of its male infants for "medical reasons," despite the fact that this surgery has been proven to be unnecessary. Many physicians, including the late Dr. Benjamin Spock, have publicly denounced this inhumane practice. I don't know what it will take for this country to wake up. Our hypocrisy about human rights astonishes me. Many Americans recoil in horror when they hear about female circumcision but they don't extend the same compassion to baby boys. They discount the pain of infant male circumcision, and they deny its long-term physical and psychological effects. To me, this is the worst kind of ignorance, because it fosters cruelty. Think about it. We take helpless baby boys, strap them down to a board (or hold them down, in the case of certain religious rituals), and then we slice off the most exquisitely sensitive part of their sexual organs. This "expendable" piece of foreskin would become 15 square inches (when erect) of pleasure-stimulating penile tissue if the boy was allowed to reach adulthood intact. In circumcision, this multi-purpose protective tissue is cut off without the baby's permission and typically, without anesthesia. If this isn't horrific, I don't know what is. If you have even an inkling of confusion about this brutal and unnecessary practice, I encourage you to explore the information and/or videos available through NOCIRC. If you are already against circumcision, but you have friends or family who are not knowledgeable about it despite a coming child, I urge you to respectfully discuss the matter, so they can make a more informed decision if their baby turns out to be a boy. If you do discuss circumcision with expectant parents, you may encounter resistance, denial, or outright indignation. Many parents believe it's their right to have their son's genitals altered according to their personal preferences. Such parents may become incensed if anyone questions the humanity of their choices. However, someone has to advocate for the rights of helpless infants who cannot speak up for themselves. If that someone is you, NOCIRC can help you know what to say. Check out their Web site for information and inspiration. Every baby matters! Robert Koch, Vedic Astrologer
I'd heard about Robert a few years before we met. A man with whom I was doing professional consultation told me about this Vedic astrologer who could accurately predict the timing of one's death. At the time, I thought, "Wow! That's amazing!" But I didn't think I wanted to know about my own death timing. A while later, I was sitting in my office working with a counseling client. She started talking about her astrologer, who had been a Vedic monk for twenty years, both here and in India, before leaving the monastery to pursue his profession in the midst of ordinary life. Turns out that this former monk was the same man who knew how to predict death timing. That did it. I mean, I'd been a student of death's
teachings since I was a little girl, so Robert's work with death intrigued
me. Since I'm a monk at heart, though, it was Robert's monastic I set up an appointment with Robert to have my chart done. I'd consulted a number of good astrologers over the years, but they were all coming from a Western perspective. I was curious how my chart would be viewed from a Vedic (Hindu) perspective. Let me tell you, it was a completely different experience. I've always benefited from my Western astrological consultations, but once I experienced Robert's in-depth Vedic perspective, I was forever spoiled. For me, it's the difference between a personality-based reading versus one that is centered in the soul. One interesting thing I found out from Robert is that the Western system of astrology is about three weeks off from what the stars are actually doing. I figure if I'm going to tune into planetary influences regarding time-sensitive information, it makes sense to consult a system of calculations that reflects real time. My first reading with Robert was quite literally life-changing. When I first sat down, he told me some things about myself that my shamanic teachers had told me years before—things so deeply personal that I had told no one except my closest confidantes. Needless to say, this got my attention. One thing led to another that day, and somehow, Robert and I both knew it was right for me to learn about my death timing. I set up another appointment for that purpose. On May 4, 1995, Robert carefully explained a synopsized version of the extraordinarily complicated calculations he had undertaken at my request, in order to discern the likely timing of my death. That's a whole story in itself, and I wrote about it later in a series of articles on death (Robert is the astrologer I refer to as "Rishi" in that series). Although Robert no longer does death timing calculations for clients, there are still endless things to talk about in a reading with Robert. I encourage you to go for it if you're intrigued by anything I've said about him. You can set up an appointment or learn more about Robert's work by visiting his Web site. Links to favorites outside this site
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|| HOME || HEARTWINGS FOUNDATION || ABOUT CAT || CONTACT CAT || || FREE ONLINE NEWSLETTERS || COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION || || DR. CAT'S HELPING HANDBOOK || ARTICLES AND INTERVIEWS || || THE DEATH SERIES || "REST IN PEACE" CLASS || CAT DANCING CARDS || || RENT-A-MONK || IMAGES FOR WOMEN || || LINKS TO FRIENDS AND FAVORITES || Cat Saunders, Ph.D., is a personal and professional consultant, shamanic practitioner, and nonsectarian minister. She is the author of Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook (available at bookstores or Amazon.com). Click here to contact Cat or learn more about her work by returning to the home page. To schedule in-person or telephone consultations, please call Cat's 24-hour confidential voice mail at (206) 329-0125. For permission to reprint any of the articles, interviews, or other information
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My
dear friend and longtime colleague, Greg Ostergaard, M.S.W., first told me about
NUCCA chiropractor Dr. Johanna Hoeller in the summer of 2002 on a walk around
Greenlake in Seattle (see "
It all began one day with an "Import Car Care" flyer that had been placed
under the windshield wipers on my car. It was late summer of 1983, and
I had just moved back to Seattle after being away for a few years. 
As far as I'm concerned, Drs. John and Julie Gottman deserve a Medal of Honor for their outstanding body of work in the field of relationship research.
Mary Getten came into my life in the early 1990s when we were both writing columns for The New Times. Since that time, we've stayed in touch and I've referred many friends and clients to her when they needed help with their animal companions.
Michael is one of the most high-integrity human beings I have ever known.
I first started paying attention to him in the late 1980s and he just
keeps getting better—not only in terms of the beauty and heartfelt
depth of his music, but in terms of his talent in many other realms.
It's not often that you meet a man who feels like someone you've known
for a thousand years. When I first met