Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 187

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Totem Animals

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
Heron Medicine	Horse	Magpie	Raccoon	Salmon Medicine	Spider Medicine	Swan Medicine	Thunder Being Medicine	Totem Loss Disc

WOLF MEDICINE
By CinnamonMoon

The Traveling Pack photo by Cesare Brai
*Quote by Barbara Hermel Bach: “A wolf pack: the first 3 are the old or sick, they give the pace
to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with
the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed. Then come 5 strong ones, the front line.
In the center are the rest of the pack members, then the 5 strongest following. Last is alone, the
alpha. He controls everything from the rear. In that position he can see everything, decide the
direction. He sees all of the pack. The pack moves according to the elders pace and help each
other, watch each other."
Wolf Medicine

*Jamie Sams & David Carson/Medicine Cards:
Teacher. Wolf is the pathfinder, the forerunner of new ideas who returns to the clan to teach and
share medicine. Wolf takes one mate for life and is loyal like Dog. If you were to keep company
with Wolves, you would find an enormous sense of family within the pack, as well as a strong
individualistic urge. These qualities make Wolf very much like the human race. As humans, we
also have an ability to be a part of society and yet still embody our individual dreams and ideas.
In the Great Star Nation, Wolf is represented by the Dog Star, Sirius, which legend tells us was
the original home of our teachers in ancient times. Sirius was thought to be the home of the gods
by the ancient Egyptians, and is still considered so by the Dogan tribe in Africa. It stands to
reason that Native American peoples would formulate this same connection and adopt Wolf
people as the clan of teachers.

The senses of Wolf are very keen, and the moon is its power ally. The moon is the symbol for
psychic energy, or the unconscious that holds the secrets of knowledge and wisdom. Baying at
the moon may be an indication of Wolf's desire to connect with new ideas which are just below
the surface of consciousness. Wolf medicine empowers the teacher within us all to come forth
and aid the children of Earth in understanding the Great Mystery and life.

If you have drawn Wolf's card, you may be able to share your personal medicine with others.
Your intuitive side ay also have an answer or teaching for your personal use at this time. As you
feel Wolf coming alive within you, you may wish to share your knowledge by writing or
lecturing on information that will help others better understand their uniqueness or path in life. It
is in the sharing of great truths that the consciousness of humanity will attain new heights. Wolf
could also be telling you to seek out the lonely places that will allow you to see your teacher
within. In the aloneness of a power place, devoid of other humans, you may find the true you.
Look for teachings no matter where you are. Wolf would not come to you unless you requested
the appearance of the tribe's greatest teacher.

Contrary: If Wolf is reversed, you are being asked to expand your limited view of the present
situation. Doing this may entail a great deal of courage and a willingness to look at new ideas. It
could also require that you delete some old ideas to make room for the expansiveness that always
comes when you are willing to learn. The gift of wisdom comes to you when you have walked
enough pathways and found enough dead ends to truly know the forest. In the discovery and
rediscovery of every inch of ground comes the knowledge that nothing ever remains the same.
Contrary Wolf may also be telling you that stagnation or fear of asserting your viewpoint has
bogged down the flow of change in your life. Wolf reversed is always urging you to seek the
teachers and pathfinders that will show you the way to new life experiences. Remember, the
teacher or pathfinder may be the small still voice within, as well as a person, a leaf, a cloud, a
stone, a tree, a book, or the Great Spirit.

To live is to grow, and growing comes through accepting all life forms as your teachers. Become
Wolf, and take up the sense of adventure. You may just stop howling and learn to become the
moon.

*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: guardianship, Ritual, Loyalty, and Spirit
Cycle of Power: Year Round--Full Moons--Twilight

Wolves are probably the most misunderstood of the wild mammals. Tales of terror and their cold
bloodedness abound. Although many stories tell otherwise, there has never been any confirmed
attack and killing of a human by a healthy wolf. In spite of the negative press, wolves are almost
the exact opposite of how they are portrayed. They are friendly, social, and highly intelligent.
Their sense of family is strong and loyal, and they live by carefully defined rules and rituals.

Wolves are the epitome of the wild spirit. Their positive characteristics are so numerous it is no
wonder that Native Americans and others practically deified them. Many believe that the true
test of America's sincerity about protecting the environment will revolve around whether or not
the wolf remains protected and is allowed to be reintroduced into areas of the country where it
has heretofore been eliminated. The wolf is the true spirit of the free and unspoiled wilderness.
There are several kinds of wolves in North America. The red wolf is the smallest and it may even
be extinct in the wild, although there are efforts to reintroduce it. it's territory was in the southern
United States. The Mexican wolf is a subspecies of the more common gray wolf. It is found in
the southwest United States and Mexico. It was hunted almost to extinction, and is now part of a
recovery and captive breeding plan. The Arctic wolf is probably the purest breed. Living in an
isolated area around the Arctic circle has enabled its survival.

The gray or timber wolf is the most common. Only in Alaska, Canada, and the region around the
Great Lakes area is it found today. It was hunted to extinction in all other areas of the country.
The gray wolf is not always gray. It may be black, gray, brown, white, or various combinations.
Probably the biggest misconception of wolves is about their size. They are not nearly as large as
most people imagine. Their thick fur gives them the appearance of greater size, but they are
usually no taller than a good-sized German Shepherd.

Wolves are very ritualistic--in as many ways as humans. They live by carefully defined rules.
There are specific territories that are sacred. Their social behavior is based upon hierarchial
structure. Each has its place and function within the hierarchy. There is an "alpha" male and an
"alpha" female.

Wolves do not fight unnecessarily. In fact, they will often go out of their way to avoid it. Though
they are extremely strong and powerful, disagreements rarely end in serious fights. Often a
glance, a posture, a growl is all that is necessary to determine dominance. They don't have to
demonstrate it, but they are capable if it comes down to it. This is part of what wolf medicine
teaches. The wolf teaches you to know who you are and to develop strength, confidence and
surety in that so that you do not have to demonstrate and prove yourself to all.

Wolves have a complex communication system--using body language. The movement of the
head, an erect tail, direct eye contact--all have great meaning. The postures are often subtle, but
each wolf learns from the time they are pups how to read and respond. The facial expressions of
the wolf are varied and useful in conveying the mood to the other members of the pack. It is a
most important visual center of communication. It also uses its tail position to effectively
communicate as well. Usually those with wolf totems are very expressive with hands, posture,
face or in some other manner. If you have difficulty conveying your moods and ideas to others,
meditate and study the wolf. It will teach you how to empower your verbal communications with
appropriate body language.

Wolves also have a complex system of vocal communications. They howl, whimper, whine,
growl, and even bark. Even the howls for which they are famous have a variety of meanings. The
howls may serve as a signal to call others of the pack or to locate the other members. They may
be a social expression. They are used to greet one another and to define certain territories. They
even howl just for the joy of it.

Every member of the pack knows its position in relationship to everyone else within that pack.
The ritualistic behaviors that establish the wolf ranks are part of its magic. Wolf packs are not
entirely autocratic--under the supreme rule of the alpha member. Neither are they democratic.
There are times when both occur, and it is this flexibility which adds to the success of the wolf
government. Wolf can teach the lesson of proper governorship--a balance between authority and
democracy. Wolf can teach you how to use ritual to establish order and harmony within your
own life. Wolf helps us to understand that true freedom requires discipline.

The alpha male and female often mate for life. Breeding seasons is usually in late winter, with
the female giving birth about two months later. All members of the pack show great care and
affection toward the playful pups. They are extremely tolerant. If the mother or father is
unavailable to care for them, then another member will adopt the young. Some wolves will even
serve as babysitters. Adult wolves are friendly and amiable toward pups, and wolf medicine
teaches respect and honro for family and for children.

Wolves become sexually mature at about the age of 22-24 months. For those who have a wolf
come to them, look for its energies and influence in your life to take this same possible time pattern.

Wolves are, of course, predators. Their prey consists most often of the sick, the young, and the
old. Deer is their most common prey animal. Wolves will not waste much time on a healthy adult
moose that stands its ground. Wolves travel great distances in their hunting. They have a stamina
and strength that enables them to travel far, and for extended periods. They have been clocked at
24-38 mph. Although the wolf can't maintain that speed for any great length of time, it does seem
to trot indefinitely at about 5mph. In winter wolves will use frozen lakes and rivers as travel
routes and can travel 15-25 kilometers in a single night.

Wolves usually consume all that they capture, gorging themselves. For those with wolf totems,
this can indicate a need to make use of all that is available to you. Sometimes wolves show up as
a totem to remind us not to waste, as much as to remind us to keep our spirits alive.

The wolf has an extreme intelligence. It goes out of its way to avoid trouble or danger. Some
believe that wolves even use ravens as aerial spotters for possible food sources. The raven has a
connection to the moose in Eskimo lore, and since moose can be a prey of wolves, raven is
linked to them as well. Ravens will often follow wolves. They will fly ahead, land in a tree and
wait for the wolves to pass, and then fly on again. Wolf expert David Mech reported a playful
behavior relationship sometimes displayed between wolves and ravvens. Ravens should also be
studied by those with wolf totems.

Wolves have extremely keen senses, particularly that of smell. It is said to be 100 times greater
than that of humans. The sense of smell endows it with great discrimination, and the sense of
smell has often been associated with spiritual idealism in metaphysical circles.

The wolf also has an excellent hearing sensitivity. Its hunting depends strongly upon its sense of
smell and hearing. This would be a reminder to those with this totem to listen to their own inner
thoughts and words. The intuition will be strong. This idea is even further emphasized by the
thick coat of fur the wolf has. Fur and hair have long been symbols of psychic abilities. The wolf
has both an inner coat and an outer, giving it the ability to reflect the archetypal forces associated
with psychic insight.

The wolf has a capacity for making quick and firm emotional attachments. Learning to trust your
own insights and to secure your attachments accordingly is part of what wolf medicine teaches.
The wolf can help you to hear the inner an dguard you from inappropriate actions. It will guard
you as it teaches you--sometimes strongly, sometimes gently--but always with love. When wolf
shows up, it is time to breathe new life into your life rituals. Find a new path, take a new journey,
take control of your life. You are the governor of your life. You create it and direct it. Do so with
harmony and discipline, and then you will know the true spirit of freedom.

*Brad Steiger/Totems:
For many traditional people, Wolf is the sage, the Grand Teacher. In the Wolf Lodge Journal,
Ghost Wolf reminds us that the Old Ones have told stories about the beginning of time when it
was Wolf who taught humans the ways of living in harmony:

"It was Wolf who taught us how to form community upon this Earth, for Wolves have an
intuitive knowledge of order...and they possess the ability to survive change intact. Wolf
medicine is very ancient and born of living experience. Wolf will look deep into your heart and
share the greatest of knowledge, but will demand full participation and absolute sincerity.
Wolf...will rekindle old memories within your soul...Wolf medicine can make you whole."

One of the most popular of all clan and totem animals among Native Americans, the wolf was
also the sacred totem of many European clans during the Middle Ages. Pick up the telephone
book from any major city in North America or Europe and count the number of names under
Wolf, Wolfberg, Wolfe, Wolfenbarger, Wolfgang, Wolfman, Wolfsen, Wolfstein, and so on.
According to Norse mythology, Fenrir, the great wolf of the North, will be set free on doomsday
to swallow the sun. Just as many Viking warriors, berserkers, wore a bear-shirt into battle to
demonstrate their ferocity, so did many don the wolf-coat to warn the enemy that they might
change into wolves before their eyes and become even more vicious in their attack.

A quick reading of history would indicate that in order to found a city, an empire, or a country, it
is a prerequisite to have a wolf somewhere in the family tree. Romulus and Remus, the legendary
twin founders of Rome, were suckled by a she-wolf. Tu Kueh, fabled founder of the Turkish
nation, later married the divine she-wolf who suckled and reared him.

Siegfired, one of the mightiest of the Teutonic heroes, who conquered dragons, the heart of the
Queen of the Valkyries, and a number of warrior opponents, had been nursed by a she-wolf after
his mother died in childbirth.

Wolf Moondance, a Shaman of the Osage people, says that the parenting instinct is very strong
in wolves. They are natural mothers and fathers. "When you are in need, when you are in danger
or feeling separated and abandoned, you can transmit psychic energy and pull to you the energy
of the She-Wolf. You can allow the feeling of that desire to draw you to the principle of the
mother embracing the child."

In the Christian tradition, the wolf is the emblem for St. Francis of Assisi, St. Edmund of East
Anglia, and St. Wolfgang.

If the wolf has been designated as your totem animal through dreams or vision quest, be assured
that you have a spirit helper that will always back you up, regardless of the consequences. This
totem guide is known for its extraordinary powers of endurance, and it will willing grant those
strengths to you. Wolf is the Great Parent, the Great Teacher, the Great Friend, and your spirit
helper will expect you to carry on its traditions and to fulfil your own responsibilities to your
family, your community, your friends, and those less fortunate than you who need your help.
Wolf will tolerate no shirking of duty, so while you have a fierce guardian on twenty-four hour
notice, you also have an example of trust and nobility to respect and emulate.

*Patricia Telesco/The Language of Dreams:
Things that you fear about yourself, a situation, or others, and have been unwilling to face
directly. Some type of obscured threat (e.g., the "wolf in sheep’s clothing"). In Freudian analysis,
this threat is construed as sexual intimacy. The loss of innocence and naive outlooks. In fables,
the emblem of evil craftiness that threatens to devour all goodness. Alchemically, a symbol of
duality; the light and dark aspects of all things. Howling at the moon: Discovering and
announcing a secret alliance or treacherous plan. Alternatively, acknowledging the
lunar/feminine aspect of self.

*Bobby Lake-Thom/Spirits of the Earth:
Wolves almost became extinct in this country because of the European fear and hatred of this
animal. But the Native American people have historically had high regard for Wolves. The Wolf
is considered a good sign, a protector, a good hunter, wise, cunning, intelligent, strong,
gregarious, courageous, and yet mysterious. Although Western people have perpetuated a
stereotype that Wolves attack and kill people, even eat them, such has not been the case in
Native mythology and lore. Shamans and warriors drew their symbolic and spiritual power from
the Wolf. Some tribes even had Wolf clans, Wolf societies, and Wolf ceremonial dances in
recognition of the sacredness of this animal.

*Timothy Roderick/The Once Unknown Familiar:
Key Words: Fierce, resourceful, enduring
Magical Influences: Grants physical and mental endurance; evokes the aid of benefic spirits,
transforms negative energy

Personality: Wolves are determined people. Once they decide upon a particular goal or
accomplishment, they will work at achieving it non-stop. They are able to endure stressful
situations without feeling too put out. Wolves don't like to live in the same place for a long time;
they want to experience a variety of climates and cultures. One setback of the wolf is a tendency
to gluttony.

*Denise Linn/The Secret Language of Signs:
Wolves have a very strongly developed sense of family and community. They act together to
hunt and raise their young, and they have a very strong sense of social hierarchy in their packs.
There has never been a case of a wild wolf killing a human being in North America (though there
are several reported cases in Europe). As a rule, wolves are nonaggressive, and very rarely do
they engage in violence among themselves. Do you feel supported by your family? do you need
to balance your personal needs with the needs of your family? This is a powerful sign that speaks
to you of your relationship with your personal family and your sense of family. Are you eating
too fast? Are you "wolfing" down your food? This sign may indicate a need for more affection or
emotional support. For some, this can be a sign of fear, especially when it concerns being
pressed for something you do not have as in the saying "a wolf at the door." This can also be a
sign of inappropriate flirtatious behavior. Are you being a "real wolf"?

*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Wolf signifies cleverness and evasiveness; will sometimes infer self-interest.

*Barbara G. Walker/The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets:
Sacred totem of many European clans during the Middle Ages, as shown by the frequency of the
name Wolf or Wulf in place names and family surnames. The old Saxon year beagan with Wolfmonath
(Wolf Month). Wolf mothers or wolf nurses figured prominently in the biographies of
pagan heroes. An early version of Siegfried was nursed by a divine she-wolf and was name
Wolfdietrich.

Worship of the wolf among heathen clans led to innumerable superstitions about wolf-demons
and werewolves. Wolves were associated with death and reincarnation, since they were carrion
eaters, formerly believed to carry the dead in their own bodies to the pagan heavens and hells.

*The Druid Animal Oracle by Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm
Wolf: Intuition, Learning, The Shadow
Wolf brings a strong sense of faithfulness, inner strength and intuition. But the wolf brings
learning too. Sometimes you need to cross barriers, to take risks, to go beyond the limited
compass of 'normal' behavior in order to learn and grow, although crossing these boundaries may
seem unattractive, even painful. You need not fear the inner power and strength you feel when
you spend time alone. come to know your deepest self and even in the darkest places you will
find courage and spiritual companionship.

Contrary may suggest that you need to come into a new relationship with your sense of aloneness
in the world. Behind a fear of loneliness may lie a fear of your own inner strength, fierceness and
power. Learn to trust this and to come to know your deeper self. Through dreams and intuitions
you may come to learn more of the hidden side of hyour being which is sometimes called the
Shadow. As well as there being 'lone wolves' in the oworld, you should know that the wolf is a
faithful animal which often mates for life. In tradition it was considered lucky when a wolf
crossed the path of a bridal party, precisely because of this faithfulness. Even though you may
need to spend times of your life alone, you should know that you will also have times of
companionship and togetherness.

*Lady Stearn Robinson & Tom Gorbett/The Dreamer's Dictionary:
This animal, as expected, a symbol of hard times or financial embarrassment, so pull in your belt,
unless you managed, in your dream, to kill it or drive it away, in which case it predicts success in
spite of all obstacles.

Northernwolf:
I was wondering why you didn't include quotes from Sun Bears book for the animals that are in it.
I know in the context of the book the animals reflect something more than just a spiritual entity
as they reflect clans and spiritual paths around the Medicine Wheel but I thought that they did
bring a spiritual depth to the animal. I mean they were "chosen" to represent those path for a
reason. Is it because Sun Bears Medecine wheel is more of a personal wheel that came out of a
vision he got then a 'standardized wheel' used and acknowledged by one of the NA nations
tradition? p.s: feel free to remove if it lacks relevance to the forum.

CinnamonMoon:
It's a fair question, Northernwolf, and a simple answer. I didn't use it because those relationships
delve into the Wheel itself, and it is his cultural tradition of placements, which does vary from
my teachings somewhat. I'm trying to focus on how the animals act as Totems, not Spirit
Keepers. I didn't want to create complications. It's an excellent reference and one I support
always, so it's not that I feel his interpretations are wrong. Mainly I'm putting down fodder here.
Once the list I have to initiate it is complete (still have 2 dozen more to add) I'll come back with
personal comments later. I've got a lot going on behind the scenes and months of articles to write
so I'm trying to stay focused there at the moment. As these articles are completed in this current
phase you're welcome to add to them. Go ahead and pull SunBear's material if you want to add
that. These are now open for discussion as soon as we get them indexed.

Wyllow:
I am increasingly absorbed by the totem animals. Wolves are a particular animal to which I feel
very drawn and I own the nearest dog I could find to the wolf...a beautiful German Shepherd
who is known as "Long-Wolf". He is very protective, but quiet and unassuming, he has great
power but seldom uses it, he is calm and sensible and very intelligent and when I was lucky
enough to see a pack of wolves in a center for those displaced, I was startled by just how wolf
like my boy is. I'm also startled by the words that wolves counsel us to seek out lonely places to
find ourselves. I've just returned from Wyoming, one of the three States, along with Idaho and
Montana, where the Wolf has been reintroduced. I certainly have found my true self out there in
the sage brush and the quiet forests. I wanted to find "The Spirit of the Wilderness"....I did and in
that I rediscovered myself. Extraordinary.

Mouse:
Role: ~The Teacher~
Medicine: Shapeshifting

How long has human kind looked into the golden eyes of the Wolf and wondered what inner
Knowledge ignites the fire that glows from the depths of those mysterious eyes?
He walks quietly through the world, slipping like a shimmering mist through the forest of ancient
trees, gathering Knowledge, attaining Wisdom forged in the fires of Experience so that he might
return again to the Pack and Teach all that he has come to know.

The Wolf cries her haunting song of Life`s Refrain,
echoing across the planes of time and space.
I honor you dear Sister, and embrace the lessons that you
have come to teach. Whisper them now
to me in my sleep.
Shed your Wisdom and Amber Light, upon the dark corridors
of my human mind, so that I too might reach that shore,
the shores of Time Unbound.
Where white sands glitter like crystals captured in the moon`s
gentle rays, refracting rainbows that illuminate Souls Unchained
with Knowledge and Wisdom gained, in walking through
Experience`s Flames . . .
I honor you.

Keywords
Teacher Individuality Group Consciousness
Loyalty Guardianship
Spirituality

~Wolf Totem~
Within Wolf Totem, there are three sub-species to consider, they are . . . Arctic Wolf, Gray Wolf
and Red Wolf and Black Wolf. Each of the three sub-species share the common role of
~Teacher~ as well as several other keywords, however, they also possess their own medicine as
well, unique to each ~type~.

Teacher
The Wolf is the Soul that leaves the comfort and familiarity of the Pack, to travel out into the
world of the unknown. In her Quest for Knowledge, she begins her journey by setting off South,
and it is here that she is schooled in the classroom of trial and error as she dances her way
through the flames of experience. This is the Direction of the ~Personality Center,~ learning to
trust herself and her own keen intuition which has been forged through confronting both external
obstacles, and her own fears. Thus, a sense of self-reliance is cultivated as she puts to test the
lessons she has learned. Then, from deep within, comes the stirring recognition that there must
be more, and she is once again off on her journey, headed this time toward the West. Here, she
embarks on the Journey ~Within~ as this is the Direction of the ~Great Mystery,~ or the ~Spirit
Center.~

In the West she finds that the labor of her actions have borne fruit as she strives to integrate the
~Personality Center~ with the ~Spirit Center.~ She contemplates here, in silent revery, on all that
has gone before. This is the time of moonlight, and as she gazes at the image of herself in the
shimmering water of her soul`s reflection, her whole being is awash in the glow of joy that
comes from the recognition that life is magical and that, having absorbed her lessons, she has
received a Spiritual Rebirth. She then arises from the ashes of the old, as a new and enlightened being.

Then, she turns her face toward the North and when she arrives there discovers a sense of new
found courage gained through resolve and determination. She reawakens to the physical state of
her being in the process of integrating ~Physical~ with ~Personality~ and ~Spirit.~ The
recognition is made that one is also a physical creature, though the Spirit is the force that sustains
the physical life. It is here that a time of thanksgiving and celebration is had for all that the
~Great Spirit~ has given, and for the experiences which have gone before. Yet the East now
beckons her as she listens to the haunting cries of her Pack and turns her noble head toward
Home. When she returns to the Pack, the Knowledge gained from her journey, ignites her Being,
as a lantern from within. The Pack draws near to her listening for the Wisdom she will impart, as
her destiny is to share what she has learned with the rest of the Pack so that the leap across the
planes can be made by All. This is the ~Path of the Teacher.~

Individual, Group Consciousness
Wolf Totem understands that the unity of the Pack is crucial to his survival, yet the Pack likewise
recognizes the vital contribution that each Wolf makes. Wolves live in highly complex social
structures called "Packs" with a dominant Male and Female pair, or the Alpha Male and Female,
leading the Pack. Every other member not only has a "ranking" within the pack, from Beta
through Omega, they also have a unique role. It is this very structure which may have been
behind Rudyard Kipling`s eloquent quote:

"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."

***The two legged with the Wolf as his/her Totem has an inner need to be of service for the
"greater good." Although the individual with Wolf Totem enjoys the company of others, there
exists as well, the need for time alone. This "lone wolf" time will be spent in quiet contemplation
and reflection upon the experiences of life before translating these ~thoughts to form~ and
rejoining the "Pack" once more***

From: wolfs_moon.tripod.com/wolftotemmain.html (mind the pop-ups!)

SisterCyber:
I've been reading on Wolf the past few days, and came across somethings that mentioned
German Shepherds along the lines of Wolf. I do know that Dog is a totem with its own kind of
medicine, but I couldn't help but to recall that I grew up with German Shepherds ~ my favorite
dog. I am a dog lover, but I am lazy so I do not have one now. We always had German
Shepherds at home. Is there any relation to them and Wolf?

Mouse:
My guess would be the canine connection - they're both pack animals, have a very strict
hierarchy in the pack, that kind of thing. Take the general correspondences between the wolf and
dog natures (the canine thing), and you may get some more insight?

CinnamonMoon:
Wolf is the spiritual side of our nature and dog is the physical. See my article on the Roadmap of
Initiation.

SisterCyber:
I already read it; it is a very good article, by the way!

MoonstoneWolf:
I found that article to be good too. I'm seeing how things are resonating more and more with me
these days. Last night Wolf came back to me in a dream accompanied by bee, so this morning I
get an email from John telling me about this German Shepard that lives next door to him. And
then I come in here and read this.

CinnamonMoon:
Wolf represents teaching, intelligence, and wisdom; resourcefulness, endurance, and cunning;
magic, dreams, and mystery; parenting, protection, and social interaction; as well as
introspection and intuition. Wolf demands much from himself and his students. he will insist you
heed his lessons and urge you to pay attention--forcefully if necessary. he and his she-wolf are
excellent parents that nurture the young and guard them well. They will defend you to the end if
they have come into your life as a Totem and teach you the importance of devotion. Wolf loves
to explore new possibilities and areas so it will encourage you to do the same. Their friendship is
extremely loyal and they will demonstrate this again and again. Once they enter your life they
are there to stay.

Wolf is a noble creature that commands respect and communicates well. he will expect you to
emulate his own traits as you study his teachings. Friendly and willing to serve he expects no less
from his student. Though he is a fierce fighter he will not do so unnecessarily and is often found
to be the totem of spiritual warriors. Wolf has learned that posturing can often accomplish quite
the bluff with enemies, and he will teach you how to do the same--often encouraging you to try
that first. He will teach you to understand yourself and develop the confidence necessary to see
you through any given situation. His intelligence will speak of your need to develop good
communication skills and an ability to draw clear conclusions.

Social order and rules are important to Wolf and he will urge you to respect those of the society
you live in as well. He will expect you to learn to balance personal needs with those of the
community and to listen to your inner voice as a guide. His own instincts are strong and he will
always signal an increase in your own ability to sense changes and danger that will require quick
thinking and appropriate actions. The deep sense of family is based on love and devotion as well
as faith in Spirit and Wolf will impart this through his or her teachings.

The cry of Wolf is haunting and their reputation of howling at Grandmother Moon is symbolic of
the ability to deeply intuit the needs of the self as well as others and to understand the primal
urgings of your inner spirit. If Wolf has come to you in a dream, vision, or the wild it indicates
that a new adventure or journey is about to take place or that some sort of change is about to
happen. If it is a She-Wolf that comes it is probably relative to personal or family issues. The HeWolf
would indicate a more social concern when he arrives. Either way, you are being urged to
seek the balance and harmony as well as the dedication necessary to see it through with the spirit
of freedom and the hunt being addressed.

Wolf will touch your subconscious and haunt you at times. This creature-teacher urges your
inner awareness to awaken and arise to new levels of consciousness. He or she will want you to
share your wisdom with others, to sing of your knowledge and guide them to their path. You will
feel Wolf as it merges with you and becomes one with your own spirit. This may require you to
find an isolated place for the attunement to be achieved, but once there you will have a totem or
spirit guide that is residing. Wolf will share the secrets of finding the courage necessary to face
all challenges and obstacles. You will learn to know every inch of ground you have traversed so
that nothing takes you by surprise. In this way intrusion or change is clear. Wolf is the pathfinder
to Spirit and your own sense of adventure.