Role: Trickster/Shape-shifter
Lesson: Trust &
Seeing through Illusion
Element: Fire/Air
Wind: South Recalling
the Child Within
Medicine:
Herbs & the Standing People
Keywords: Wisdom &
Folly. Guile & Innocence. Stealth. Ability to Laugh at one's Self. Hidden
Lessons. Intelligence. Childlike Trust. Song of Life. Trickster. Shapeshifting.
Teaching the Importance of Fun & Play.
A cry fills the night
the haunting sound, a
familiar one.
Carried upon the
ribbons of moonlight,
a song that has been
heard for centuries,
never changing, yet
heralding change.
Generations &
tribes of two-leggeds have long since come and gone
and always, across
shifting times and People
Coyote’s song lingers
on . . .
the melody often
strong in our ears,
in other moments, but
a distant echo we vaguely hear.
He sings to us of
Family and the sacred bond of love.
Coyote asks of us to
expand our hearts beyond blood ties
to include all the
People
human, winged,
four-legged, finned,
as members of our
Clan.
Coyote sings to us of
Changes to come.
He is Trickster,
Joker, the Fool & the Sage.
Both the Wise Master
and the Servant of Folly,
Masleca sings to us
that Truth lies within
the Paradox
Trickster/Shape-shifter
Native American
culture is rich with lore featuring Coyote as a central figure. Masleca is known as The Trickster, a
paradoxical mixture of wise sage and foolish prankster. In the tarot deck, The Fool card.
The Trickster, always
carries with him, lessons that are crucial to growth and change, yet the lesson
he brings is usually one that is contained within a grand joke that Coyote
plays upon the unwitting human. As such,
though he is a Teacher Spirit, his lessons are taught via the vehicle of humor
and wisdom found within folly.
For the two-legged
beside whom Coyote walks, there will be an aspect of their personality that is
deeply playful and mischievous, yet they are equally capable of deep
contemplation and introspection. Though
this may at first appear to be a great contradiction, such dichotomy is all a
part of the paradoxical Medicine of the Trickster that is both the Wise Sage
and the hapless Fool.
Coyote souls will most
often learn their lessons the hard way as they go through the Earthwalk
trusting those who are incapable (or unwilling) to be worthy of such innocent
trust. Such faith in Others is beautiful
in its simplicity and geniuses, yet ultimately it brings to Soul of Masleca,
lessons in discernment.
The Coyote individual
will often make things much harder on him/herself than they need be, and part
of their Lesson as they journey around the Sacred Hoop of Life, is to
uncomplicate their life and enjoy the “simple” pleasures. For one whose outer personality is marked by
a great curiosity, this can be exceptionally difficult to master as the focus
tends to shift frequently and they become easily bored or distracted. Yet if they can learn to discipline their
sharp intellect, much can be accomplished.
This is not to say
that they should attempt to focus only on one project until completed, but
rather to find their own way of following projects through that can also
appease their proclivity for multi-tasking.
Perhaps in realizing that it is acceptable to have a variety of projects
going simultaneously, so long as the projects are completed, Coyote Soul can
begin to “own” their success. Often
times, society teaches us that we must focus on only one thing at a time and to
not veer from that one venture until it is completed. For those who walk beside a Totem that is
singularly focused (such as the Mountain Goat), this is a natural and “easy”
process, yet for one beside whom Coyote journeys (a multi-tasking Totem), this
is contrary to their inherent Nature.
Attempting to meet societal expectations and then “failing,” Coyote can become
discouraged and lose faith in him/herself.
By recognizing that it is part of their nature to have several projects
going simultaneously and combining this self-acceptance with a degree of
discipline geared toward finishing those projects (even if this is done
simultaneously), the two-legged with this restless Animal Spirit comes to
recognize that there is nothing “wrong” with their approach, it is merely
unique.
Trust & seeing
through Illusion
In Earth Medicine, it
is recognized that each Wind or Direction possesses its own unique
Medicine. In the South, we see the
Cycles of Summer and Mid-Day. The
Directional Totem for the South is Coyote with the Medicine of this Direction
being that of herbs and the Standing People. Three is the Sacred Count for the
South and it governs the Soul with the Powers of Trust, Faith of the Child,
Enthusiasm for Knowledge, Understanding forged in the fires of Experience,
Innocence and the ability to heal through the use of Herbs and Plants. The South Wind teaches us the importance of
retaining our child-like (as opposed to childish) Faith and Trust despite the
adversities and challenges we all must surely face on this Walk of Life.
As the Animal Spirit
that is recognized as the Totem for the South Wind/Direction on the Hoop of
Life (Eagle is the Totem of the East, Grizzly Bear is the Totem of the West and
Buffalo is the Totem of the North), Coyote reminds us of the importance of
Keeping our Faith.
Observing the Coyote
in his/her natural environment can be a study in comedy and drama as this
beautiful wild canine endures all that is currently stacked against it to
survive as the two-legged encroaches further and further into the wilderness
and is becoming increasingly intolerant of Coyote’s rightful place on the Sacred
Hoop of Life. Yet in watching the
enthusiasm of Coyote interacting with members of his/her family, or (as seen in
the background to this page) when chasing prey, there is an unbridled and
child-like playfulness about this Creature Being that reminds us all of the
need to retain our joy and discovery of life.
Coyote as a Primary
Totem will bring to the two-legged beside whom Masleca journeys, many lessons
in Trust and Seeing through Illusion.
This can be a challenging aspect to Coyote Medicine
At heart, the Coyote
individual will be an exceptionally trusting individual who will enter the
Sacred Hoop with a heart that is virtually wide open and trusting. Unfortunately, the two-legged with Masleca as
a Totem Spirit begins the process of discovering not everyone is “worthy” of
such trust as he/she encounters many individuals who take advantage of their
open and trusting nature.
The lessons themselves
may be presented in a variety of ways from lending money to a friend under the
guise of being reimbursed only to be left “holding the bag” to having
unquestioning faith in a romantic partner who betrays such trust in acts of
unfaithfulness and/or deceit. These will
be exceptionally painful experiences that often leaves the Coyote with blaming
the Self for being so “gullible.”
If the lessons
represented by those painful experiences are not embraced and integrated in
Conscious Awareness, the result can be a developing sense of disillusionment
and the Coyote will become suspicious of even the most trust-worthy of
individuals. For those who are operating
from a standpoint of automatic suspicion, partners, friends and associates who
are honest and faithful, unable to operate any longer under such questioning of
their integrity, will ultimately leave.
Hence, the wounded Coyote’s belief that the individual couldn’t be
trusted in the first place will be reinforced and justified as it becomes a
self-fulfilling prophecy.
The irony is that the
Coyote individual is often very keen and perceptive, and on some level they
will intuitively know those who are worthy of trust. A subtle “knowing” will inform them of those
who are out to take advantage of their nature, and they will invariably be
proved right every time, yet equally that same inner knowing will tell them
when another can be trusted.
When operating from
the Shadow or Contrary Medicine, the Soul of Coyote will be untrustworthy
themselves, weaving tales and betraying the faith of loved ones. If this is the instance, then the lessons
encountered are much harder, as ultimately the lies spoken or unfaithful acts
will ultimately be exposed. The
culmination of these lessons will often result in the Coyote losing one whom
they cherish until they are forced to face themselves in honesty and truth.
In both instances,
when the two-legged beside whom Coyote trots can learn to listen to his/her
intuition rather than what they either want to believe or refuse to see, or if
they are the individual who cannot be trusted and learn to become honest and
truthful, the lesson in Trust is well
and truly absorbed as Masleca learns to pierce beyond the veil of Illusion of
Self and Others to the Truth that dwells beneath.
Song of Life
The desert Southwest
is often filled with the haunting cry of the Coyote’s howl. Higher-pitched than that of their cousin
Wolf, the Coyote’s song drifts across mesas and through sandstone canyons with
a song that is simultaneously mournful and wise. It is the call of unity amongst family
members sung back and forth across vast distances as a means of staying in
contact.
This same song is also
a rallying cry between pack members before a hunt or to chase of intruders, or
the serenade of a lone Coyote in search of a mate beside whom they will journey
the rest of their lives. As there are so
many circumstances in which Coyote will sing, the call has become known as the
Song of Life.
The one beside whom
Coyote journeys will be an individual that feels they are here for a specific
purpose or “mission.” However, the irony
often is that despite this strong sense that there is a goal to be accomplished
on this Earthwalk, the Coyote Soul will spend many years in attempting to
discern what that special purpose is. At
times glimmers of their “destiny” will appear clearly before their questing
eyes only to suddenly disappear as ensuing doubts and issues of self-worth
clouds their vision.
Only through exploring
many different avenues will the Coyote eventually find the Path that his/her
heart resonates to, and along the way a variety of interests will capture their
restless curiosity. Above all however,
the Coyote individual needs to explore and investigate as theirs is an active
and inquisitive mind. Hence, fields in
which they are challenged intellectually or spiritually will resonate the
strongest with them as well as a field in which they can share their insights
and knowledge gained with Others.
Some professions which
the combination of qualities mentioned above might be found are in the
communications field such as writing or journalism, the educational field or
any Role in which they are able to transmit their philosophy, ideas and ideals
to their fellow Two-Leggeds.
Once the Pathway has
been found, the Coyote’s soul with resonate with a sense of ultimate
fulfillment as they begin the exploration of their “mission,” their voices will
raise in celebration as their Song of Life rings forth.
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