“Vistas in Color”, by Justin Favela, was a marvel to witness at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Currently showcased in one of the galleries, “the piece surrounding merges imagery from deserts across the United States and Mexico… It honors the power of these sweeping landscapes and highlights the ways in which they offer symbolic connection across different Latinx communities… It’s made of hundreds of pieces of tissue paper layered together to create an expansive environment.”
I resonated deeply with the expansiveness of these images while I stood in awe in front of these magnificent paper tapestries. Reflecting on my journey, and soon becoming an Ordained interspecies and non-denominational Animal Chaplain, I thought my contentment stemmed from a greater understanding and how much more could I really learn. How much more could I practice? The tapestry in our Animal Chaplaincy training program, offered through the Compassion Consortium, was grounded in a wide range of research, wisdom, and Ahimsa. Animal theology, the human-animal bond, interspecies and cross-species spirituality, animal ethics, inner-work, and more were woven into the makings of the fabric towards becoming an Animal Chaplain.
At the heart of these studies and practices is the practice of being a healing presence. As a non-denominational and interspecies Animal Chaplain, I bring entangled empathy in all that I do. Soon, my studies will expand to encompass other supports such as animal reiki (as taught by Kathleen Prasad, co-founder of the Shelter Animal Reiki Association), and in the Winter of 2023, offer vegan coaching as a result of completing the Main Street Vegan Academy and becoming a Certified Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator. My capstone project for the Animal Chaplaincy program resulted in the creation an intersectional approach to grief care and the offering is made available to all through the completion of this website.
My work, centering the transformative idea and practice of presence within absence, allows people beyond a story into healing. Creative activities that we can embark on together include loss timelines, directed journaling for meaning-making, photo collages, new daily rituals, and much more. Starting in 2014, I have spent the past nine years volunteering in grassroots social and environmental justice organizations primarily in Denver and Boulder. I sought to create mutually beneficial, compassionate, and equitable opportunities for humans, other-than-human individuals, and justice for our beautiful Earth. Transformation, just like the pieces of tissue paper woven into a landscape, is the heart of my journey and how I continue to move forward in service to others.
If you would like to join me and others at the next service with the Compassion Consortium, I’ll be pleased to know that you’re present in our community in recognition of our journey. Please register here to attend on June 25th on Zoom.