Following the contrary rabbit, I found myself in a funk; it was a thursday of a long workweek, and i had not been out balancing since the weekend. Several possibilities came to mind as to what stresses the rabbit might have referred to.. by the end of work on Friday, I found myself at a near breaking point.. or bursting point. Tension was high, the creek was calling…
Unsure of my ability to balance a cherish-able moment, I arrived at my creek side spot late afternoon after work. Tension still. I sat. Eyes losing focus in meditative observation. absorbing the constant sound of water. appreciating the beauty of an early Autumn evening. I went for the roughest part in the creek to make my next balance, determined to balance against the current. I had one HUGE rock pried up from the creek bed, tip perched six inches out of the water like an iceberg. The balance (pictured here) was stubborn amidst the strong current. it required a mastery of patience and intuition as the waste deep current raged against my body. Balance normally requires stillness but the creek denied such intention. Rather fitting considering my turbulent psyche. The turbulence in the water served to dampen the mental chatter more than calm. My entire body shook as I desperately realized my intended balance. Nothing short of determined success after half an hour of burning muscles and fighting the current. Letting go through intuition defined the precise moment. Pure Bliss; water rushing, completely focused and out of focus, oneness, shimmering sunlight, zero point, and as I turned around, my eyes met those of a friend in pleasant surprise. I felt like I was glowing, along with everything else. Divine Alignment.
The sun set and home came quickly. My experience at the creek left me energized and the shift had me curious about what medicine card I could possibly choose. I shuffled and cut the deck with intuitive deliberation. The deck yielded the right-side-up Wolf card, which I found to be particularly interesting and unknowingly useful…
WOLF: Teacher
Wolf…
Teacher, Pathfinder,
Moon-dog of my soul.
Howling, Singing,
Teaching how to know.
“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. Wold 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 may 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 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.”
from “Medicine Cards” by Jamie Sams & David Carson
Wolf was a necessary contemplation in the evolution of my being in these recent days. I drew the card on Friday night, 2 days before I would be conducting my balance art during a memorial service for a strong teacher in the local Yoga community. It would be a chance to balance with specific intention and offering for spirits in both realms; living and dead. The garden I created became a profoundly intimate and grounding process. The north edge of the creek (in Lyons) was bordered by a vertical wall of red rock, which towered many many times my height. Powerful and inspiring scenery. The spacial layout of my garden was arranged to keep the eyes moving from one balance to the next and back. The elegance of my balances was intended to mirror the elegance of the present spirits. I sensed intense beauty, which flowed through me into every balance in collaboration with the local rocks.
Contemplating Wolf gave me considerable strength to perform my art for hundreds of mournful spectators. I felt my job was, in a sense, to present serenity, beauty and joy in the midst of mourning and remembrance. Balances have a very intimate connection with the reality of death, which makes them an ideal contemplation in this context. Balancing for all of those people and participating in the rest of the memorial filled me with infinite compassion and appreciation for what I have been blessed with in this life. Just as I may have been seeking a great teacher, the entirety of the memorial proved to go beyond what I expected to learn. The Friday balance, followed by the Wolf contemplation, guided me toward the strength and consciousness needed to teach and to learn during the Sunday Memorial… So many people fell in love with the garden I had created. The surrounding area was filled with happiness and wonder, as many people were deeply touched by the simple yet profound nature of the balance. As far as creating and attracting positive energy, the balanced rocks had once again succeeded. :)