"Enchantress" and Deb Natola
Requiem for a Matriarch
"Enchantress" and Deb Natola
On
July 7, 2001 , we lost our Matriarch Mare, "Appleton Enchantress" to natural
causes--Old Age. I do not mind telling you, here, that there is more than just mist in my
eyes as I write this page, not so much that I truely miss the presence of this great Mare
in the pastures, Teaching and Guarding our Foals as she did in her retirement-- but moreso
because of the Great Gift she bestowed upon me a few moments before she passed this Life
to run, forever, Mystery's Pastures. This is the story of that event, and what I learned
from it.
When my Partner, Deb, came in to tell me that Tessa was down in the
pasture, I knew immediately what was happening, and told her to call the Vet. I had sensed
that Tessa was shutting down earlier in the week, and knew then that it would be only a
matter of days. I also knew that some time would pass before the Vet got the message---it
was a Saturday-- and that all I could do was sit with her and try to use my healing gifts
to ease her pain---knowing nothing can stand in the way of Death. I thought of
Traditions, and that we do Ceremonies for People-- but I had never done this for a
Horse. That thought really hit hard, so, before I left the house, I grabbed the
appropriate "tools" for that ceremony.
I thought about the appropriateness of such a ceremony as I walked to
the pasture, and decided to go ahead with it. I found Tessa on her side and in pain,
sweating and matted, as I had expected. I positioned myself in such a way as to shade her
head from the Sun, sitting down in front of her head and leaning over her eyes. In all of
her pain, her eyes were clear as crystal; and she recognized me. I layed my hands on her
head and neck and began to softly talk to her, and Mystery, hoping my prayers to ease her
pain would be answered. They were, I know, as her breathing eased and she relaxed a bit;
the time between the spasms having lengthened. I took my hands away only long enough to
load my Antler Pipe and light a bowl of white sage to smudge her and myself with. I was
told, later, by a Friend who was standing by, that my whispering speech had, early on,
lapsed into the dialect of my native tongue; I was totally un-aware of this. I did the
smudging, layed the Pipe between my legs, and returned my attention to Tessa. I became
rather lost in all of it, concentrating only on Tessa's clear and alert eyes, keeping that
contact; keeping the channel between us open; stroking her neck and forehead.
Somewhere in the Moment, the Vet arrived, carrying only the syringes
and drugs for euthanasia-- she knew. It was "Deb", and for that I will be
forever thankful. We are indeed fortunate to have a team of AAA Equine Vets who work with
us-- a P.A. of 3 of the very best in the State. 'Deb the Vet' is quite well aware of the
way we do things here-- the communications and the healing work I do with Horses--and has
supported it. I remember telling her " Deb, thank god its you--anybody else would
think I'm weird". She replied, "Nothing 'weird' about you at all --I think its
wonderful-- don't let me interupt you". She then went about the preparations for the
injections while I began to softly sing the chants for Tessa's Spirit and its release.
About halfway through the first song, Tessa raised her head, took a deep breath and
let out a loud Call to the other Horses---and EVERY Horse on the Farm--all 39 of
them--answered it. As I finished the song, Tessa moved her head to my upper thigh and made
the 'bonding nuzzle'-- the rotation of the upper lip that Horses use in mutual grooming
behavoir-- all the way down to my knee, never breaking eye contact with me in the process.
My eyes watered at this, and I began the second, and final, chant, nodding to the
Vet to make the injections. I lit the Pipe and let the smoke flow out with the chant,
moving my free hand to Tessa's muzzle. As I finished the chant, it was over--the last of
the smoke went with these words spoken into her ears, " Ride the Wind, Tessa, Mystery
waits-- I'll see you on the other side of the Bridge"
I looked up at Deb the Vet, who had stood up, and she was wiping away
tears. I stood and put my arm across her shoulders, telling her it was OK. I said, "
Deb, I'll tell you a secret, you are not alone, Dr._____, does the same thing, but he will
never tell you that." She just said, "__ , it was a beautiful thing you
did, this ceremony." Yes, this marked the first time I had done the Spirit Release
ceremony for a Horse-- but it will NOT be the last.
So, what was Tessa's Gift to me ? The affirmation of my long held
Beliefs about Horses, that they are highly evolved Sentient Beings with Spirits, or Souls,
and Minds that are Conscious and Think; Beings, like us, Self-Aware, but without Ego; that
having been replaced long ago by a greater virtue---Compassion. I realized
somewhere there with Tessa that she was comforting me as much as I was her-- the nuzzling
was to comfort ME--and she reached beyond her pain to do that-- after Calling to her own
to say goodbye. I came away from this event ritcher, with a greater knowledge of why my
Ancestors built Tradition around certain things in Life and Death, a new and
revitalized Awareness of the "Rightness" of it all, and a Certainty that I now
know the Truth about Equine Communications. Then there was, in those last minutes, a
certain Spiritual Exchange for which there are no words I can find to express, either in
my Native language, or yours.
-- Horse Master --
"We who
choose to surround ourselves with lives
even more temporary than our own live within
a fragile Circle, easily and often breached.
Unable to accept its awful gaps, we still would
live no other way. We cherish Memory as the
only certain immortality, never fully
understanding the necessary plan ....."
- " The Once Again Prince" Irving Townsend -
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