Coyote Medicine

I spotted a Coyote on the way home from my sister’s birthday dinner today, which went well by the way. :) The anger I experienced yesterday had blown through. Nothing had been held onto. There was a sense of meeting the day and my sister with openness and acceptance, without even a twinge of residual hurt or resistance, which surprised me. There’s been growth here evidently that I’m not even aware of… I just automatically moved on, so-to-speak.

We were only about a mile from home when I spotted the Coyote at the corner of an intersection where we had stopped for the light. There are fields there, amongst the high rise office buildings in this suburban setting. The Coyote had prey in her mouth. She was standing at the corner as if waiting for the light to turn, even looked up, as if she was looking to see if it had changed, which I found amusing. My goodness, even the Coyotes know to wait for the light! Then just as our light turned green, she stepped off the curb at the opposite corner and crossed. Evidently she’s color blind. We waited as she pranced across on her little paws and made her way into the parking lot on the opposite corner. She kept looking over her shoulder as if worried that somebody might be following her. I watched as long as I could as we passed, and as she disappeared off to my right. I remembered that Coyote means “trickster” in Native American folklore, and wanted to look up more in the books I have about what meaning the indigenous people give to these animal symbols.

I know that “Spirit”/The Mystery/The Universe manifests Itself and speaks to us in many different ways, and I am always in awe of how this happens. So I knew there may be a message in this sighting today, especially in light of the intense feelings I experienced yesterday. There was probably something that I needed to pay attention to. Of course, isn’t there always!

“The books” say that Coyote medicine will teach you a lesson about yourself – Uh-huh, definitely got that. That within the trickster medicine is the cosmic joke not to take your self too seriously. “All your self-mirrors may shatter.” Yep, my self-image as “Yoda the wise” (said tongue in cheek) was definitely shattered as Darth Vader emerged… The book advised that I needed to go directly beneath the surface of my experience and ask what am I really doing and why, as I may not be conscious of my own pathway of foolishness. No, really!? :0 I know I took a rather deep nose dive into the pool of unconscious folly yesterday… Certainly indulging in the Darth Vader persona was a bit of hyperbole to the situation… Maybe that was it - an overblown reaction, taking myself and my hurt feelings a little too seriously. I read on: “The medicine is in laughter and joking so that new viewpoints may be assumed.” That is definitely true – the ability to play the jokester – bringing humor and lightness to help bridge the gap in a situation that could have been very tense. It goes on to say that Coyote’s message is also about balance, which I interpret to mean finding the harmony in a situation, finding the flow again between people in difficult situations; which, it says, has to do with being adaptable and flexible. Check.

Then it says: "If a Coyote has appeared, you are at a crossroads.” (Interesting that the Coyote we spotted at an intersection…) “It is time to trust what is right for you. Maintain your childlike poise amidst the chaos around you. Keep your sense of humor. Become again as a child, following your heart and trusting your childlike perceptions.” Ah, there it was – the medicine. It was saying to me: Be open and innocent, like a child who is spontaneous and takes things as they come, not allowing the hurts to poison your heart… The anger of a child in a sense is that way too, it seems. It is spontaneous, expressive and blows over. Then they’re off on another adventure. So I’m facing the folly of my anger, and moving on to new perspectives, looking at life with fresh eyes again. Sigh… Feeling better already…

And so I humbly bow to Ms. Coyote in gratitude for bringing me the needed “medicine” today…

~*~

istock photo