Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 112 - OBSERVING LESSONS FROM COYOTE

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
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OBSERVING LESSONS FROM COYOTE
By CinnamonMoon

I have been witnessing the lessons of Coyote with Spirit's help...and my own Coyote Totem who
has been at my side to shed some light in the process. When I saw what was coming through to
me I was asked to back up and witness the unfolding. Drawn into these lessons from time to time
as well, each step was a rocking motion, forward, back, forward, back and balance came in that,
a lulling in the rocking that brought me a sense of peace and the patience I needed. I felt I needed
to share what I'd been shown with all of you.

Clearly, when Coyote enters to teach a lesson the joke is the irony of that lesson being on us, and
to be told Coyote was coming our way everyone here should have seen a challenge
coming...should have studied the teachings of Coyote Medicine that were posted in this library.
Did you? Clearly people were responding in the best way they could, it was pure poetry! One by
one, each in their own way, people began to voice themselves over the challenges, or stay silent
wondering what was going on. I was moved by it deeply.

Maybe the light started to come on just a little? Maybe the shells and shields started to crack just
a little? To me, it felt like things were "starting" to bump within the community and I knew that
Coyote was indeed Dancing through here. I came to see there were many Coyote lessons being
presented with this visiting creature-teacher....for us as individuals and as a community, and I
had my share too. As I list them I ask you to consider how you have been touched personally,
and how you perceive the community being touched.

1) Patience in helping those who do not, cannot, or are afraid to open up enough to let the Light
of Spirit into their lives.

2) Seeing challenges as lessons in confirming or re-confirming your own beliefs.

3) Overcoming opposing views with tolerance while defending sacred space with grace.

4) Re-exploring truths as you recognize blessings when they are disguised as a disruptive force
and showing compassion for others who do not understand your ways.

5) Finding one's voice while respecting boundaries and gently breaking them down to find
common ground vs. differences.

6) Exploring the Shadow Nature of your own depths to find the higher nature as it struggles with
the more primal instincts.

7) Seeing in the challenges the lessons in character, integrity and faith.

8) Facing your own fears and insecurities as well as seeing them in others and the need to honor
them, work through them, release them.

9) Ego mirroring and shielding for the wrong reasons to overcome blind spots or tunnel vision--
observation skills vs. knee-jerking reactions. The ability to respond vs. react seeing the weight of responsibility.

10) Games we play with ourselves and on ourselves and finding the humor in our mistakes.

11) Seeing when Spirit is putting the spotlight on us as individuals and a community to bring
forth unity, solidarity, and openness to growth.

12) Character and integrity behind intent calling for compassionate impeccability or lack thereof
being brought to our attention.

13) The pure poetry of Spirit in action as a tapestry of lessons is woven for the individual and the
whole as the blessings, the good, the silver lining in the dark clouds reveal themselves.

14) Offering a helping hand and seeing when it's time for one to assume responsibility for
themselves.

15) Seeing when others mirror our own faults back to us, along with the examples we as
individuals and a community set into motion.

Yep, I've been taking notes. These and other lessons are for us all when the Creature-Teachers
come. We are blessed by Spirit to be put on notice when we have guest teachers coming to us.
Did you come into this lesson or group of lessons fully aware of Spirit's presence through Coyote
who was the one Spirit chose? And...to have Coyote with us, well, Coyote is a royal pain in the
butt when s/he's up to tricks. Do you see the humor in them? Now that Badger is here, will you
work with that energy or is it going to have to grab you by the collar and pull you in?

When Coyote is in action we often find ourselves asking: "When is enough really enough?" Here
it seems the answer to that is the same as in any other lesson we have: "When the lesson is over."
So think about that and ask yourself if Coyote really is done with you? Believe me Coyote had
me pulling hairs out and spinning in my chair, but I was told to be quiet, listen, see, and *then*
take action. Did you do this? In these lessons did you open to the possibility of growth? Did you
find a flicker of hope or desire spark within you?

I know Coyote was rough on many of us, but that's because negative issues and Shadow aspects
of ourselves had to be brought to the surface to be purged. Do you know what changed inside
you as a result? Inside the community? Were you able to look beyond the challenges far enough
to see what is there waiting to come out? Coyote is a companion of the Heyoka, so little by little,
when Coyote Dances with us, there is mirroring to bring about change; our own shadows are
mirrored and cast before us and the Light of Spirit burns through them. How has Spirit chosen to
touch you and help you grow?

I have seen Spirit is touching us through the example of the community itself, the dedication that
is shown, the loyalty, love, healing, and even defensive nature that protects the Lodge. People
recognize and love what we have created together and they speak out to that, they find their
voices. I'm impressed. I've found myself judging too in all this, but I'm also seeing where maybe
that judgement was wrong, where I could have handled matters differently, and maybe, just
maybe we've found a way, a very gentle and loving way to solve these types of issues in the future.

No one is so different in nature from anyone else, and in all this we are being shown to find our
own light and let it shine...mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, so we can light the
way for others to find theirs. I see things moving now in a more positive direction with Badger
coming in. I suggest you study the lessons of Badger well because with that presence comes
aggressive work, digging to find truths, and healing as we assimilate all that has happened.
Welcome Badger to our sacred space, and give Coyote a hug. We *all* needed this. I'm being
shown the whole of the lessons as the threads come together. I had to be quiet and step back a bit
to do that and then lift up, but that seems to be the way Spirit likes to move me ... the back-up technique!

Coyote will be one who exasperates us at times but Spirit would not have brought this challenge
to us if we were not to arise to the occasion. I see it as an evolving, a new level of community
that is embracing all of us that is surfacing. I think we made the choice, each of us who stepped
into the circle that Shae so graciously led, and those who witnessed it ... to be a community based
in our similarities and differences and in that I saw a rainbow of beauty gathering, it's touching
each of us separately and as a whole. I saw each of those who partook of the circle giving what
they had to give from their hearts, with their most gracious spirits and I give thanks to them and
to Coyote, as I smile. Do you?

EarthOakSprite:
I've had an uncomfortable relationship with Coyote for some time now... and actually had a
challenging day this week when I did ask Coyote to let up on me for a bit
When going through some of the posts here tonight I also saw how busy Coyote has been here in
this forum.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful info on Coyote Medicine.