COYOTE

Section of the original pen and ink SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH

Wisdom or folly
Bring on the trickster
Lessons of life
Come from the jester

Coyote is a relative of the wolf found primarily in North America.  While there have been a few reports  of coyote as far south as Central America, their primary range is the entire North American continent, from the sub tropical areas of Mexico to the sub arctic areas of Alaska and Canada.  These canines are a little smaller than wolves and tend to live in small family groups.  Coyotes have been known to hybridize with both wolves and domestic dogs.

A rich tradition of legends and spiritual teachings revolving around the coyote comes from the Native Americans and First Nations peoples of Canada.  Sometimes the coyote is the savior.  Sometimes coyote is the villain.  Sometimes he is wise.  Sometimes he is foolish.  Each culture has its own set of stories and ways to tell them.  Almost always, coyote is the clown or the trickster.  Most of the time, he is the victim of his own trickery.  This is why coyote sits in the south node of many of the medicine wheels.  It is the direction that represents growth, trust, and play.

In many ways, coyote represents duality.  In some stories, brings fire to humans.  In some stories, he sets things on fire.  Sometimes he brings abundance, sometimes he is a thief.  Is coyote the wise councilor, or is he the arrogant fool?  In all cases, he reminds us that ultimately we all are both.  He is full of himself and doesn't recognize his own folly before he falls into the trap of his own making.

Coyote is seen as the clown, the trickster, and the fool or the jester.  He is clever, but more often than not, his cleverness backfires and gets him into trouble.  Even when things do go right, it is often through a collection of amusing happenstances that are beyond his control. 

The Native American stories around the coyote are designed to teach those who listen to not take life too seriously.  In these stories, coyote represents the ability to laugh at our own mistakes.  He is a reminder that wisdom and folly are two sides of the same coin.  And a reminder that all of life's experiences, ultimately, are sacred lessons.  When we approach the lessons with a sense of humor and gratitude, all of life's follies become an adventure.

Coyote teaches us to let go of our facades, arrogance, and self-importance, and live in the trust of the adventure that is your life.  He shows us how to live life with a sense of playfulness.  The coyote spirit for many Native American cultures teaches the balance that comes from creativity, strategy, and cunning that is not taken too seriously.  Always keep in mind that all of our cleverness and mechanizations have the capacity for folly.  So, like the coyote, laugh at it all, as it is all a sacred lesson.

Here are some places to read more about coyote:
spiritanimals.org
animaltotem.com
uniguide.com
yourtango.com
books by Jamie Sams: SACRED PATH CARDS and MEDICINE CARDS

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