Time To Gather

There is a river flowing very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold onto the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart and will suffer greatly. Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves.

-Hopi Prophecy

My Relative,
Currently we stand on one side and the future we want is on the other. Between the two is a bottomless river of searing lava. The purpose of our presence is to build a bridge over that.
Elder Lisping Wise One

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Food is Medicine

FOOD IS MEDICINE

Why are so many of us sick and plagued with disease?

Let's say you have a beautiful plant but one day
you decide to mix a tablespoon of motor oil in
with the daily dose of water. The plant still looks
great but as time goes by it starts getting some
blemishes on its stem. It still looks healthy but
what you don't see is that its roots are rotting
and by the time the leaves are turning yellow it's
too late. What went wrong here? You fed the plant
harmful motor oil instead of pure water and
good compost.

Let's look at the teeth of a cow. A cow is an herbivore,
their teeth are not sharp like a cats but are flat for the
chewing of fresh grass. But man has taken these
animals and fed them corn (to fatten them up) and
dead grass so it is not surprising that more than 90%
of cows are diseased as this is not their proper diet.

Now man has created brutal drugs to keep most of
these cows alive and the hormones given make them
grow bigger and faster than they should. These drugs
and hormones ruin the animal's liver and since many
men only care for money, they do not care that the
meat is of very poor quality for carnivores who eat it.

Now carnivores are going through puberty at young
ages and fatter than ever. What went wrong with this
one? We turned the cow into a CARBOVORE,
poisoned its liver, screwed up its hormones and did
not feed him what he needs to survive.

Let's look at a cat. Cats live on meat and their
teeth are pointed and meant for breaking down
the small rodents that they eat. If you feed a
carnivore nothing but vegetables and grains,
the carnivore dies. I'm not telling you anything
you don't already know, right?

Let's look at human teeth. This is strange. It
looks as though they were herbivores but
developed two sharp teeth for eating a little
meat, so we will call them omnivores. We
were meant to eat mostly fruits and
vegetables and an occasional mouse or
egg here and there.

A hundred years ago, almost everyone had a
garden but now everybody has a grocery store.
Look at it this way: The pharmaceutical
companies and large corporations who supply
the grocery stores are the cattle ranchers and
we are the cows. Our main survival foods
"vegetables and fruit" are full of pesticides,
our meats are full of steroids, drugs and our
unsprouted grains are genetically modified by
Monsato.

Our milk is dead as they pasteurize
it (heat it to hundreds of degrees in temperature
or irradiate it so as to kill it completely) and
homogenize it. Wait a second.........humans are
the only species on the planet who consume
milk after being weaned from their mama.

Raw milk is good for you but it is illegal in most
"civilized" countries. So we could point our finger
at "The Man" for passing laws that made raw
milk and medicinal plants illegal but we were
the ones who stopped planting gardens and
contributed money to their drugs, poisons,
governments and GMO food. We are dying so
young and the "ranchers" are achieving great
wealth. We are the cows that eat nothing but
grain and poison. We are the rabbits that eat
meat. We get very little exercise as we watch
TV so much. This is why so many of us are sick
and plagued with disease.

There is a SOLUTION

We eat the way we should. Humans have been
found to live more than a hundred and twenty
years when they eat raw fruits, vegetables,
sprouted grains, nuts and seeds without pesticides.
These healthy 120 year olds get lots of exercise,
drink fresh water (no fluoride) and raw goats
milk and eat small amounts of organic meat.
Exercise is very important (use it or lose it).

Your TV is in actuality killing you so
throw it out and start exercising!
Eat right, get exercise and plant
a backyard garden....or else!

An Organized Garden



Lisping Wise One "Eternal Bells"
Elder Blue Person
http://lispingwiseone.blogspot.com

Keeping An Organized Garden

Illustration by Narda Lebo

I'm not the most organized person in the world, but a
gardener once gave me a valuable idea that I still use.
It's a garden notebook — a simple three-ring binder
that you can use to keep a record of everything in your
garden. You can make photocopies of seed packets,
punch holes in the page, and put it in the binder. Then
when you lose your seed packet or marking stick, you
can still tell what variety of tomato you're growing.
Some people mount the actual empty packet on a piece
of paper and put it in the binder.

If you take pictures of your garden, you can put them
in the binder to follow the growth of each area, or get
a panoramic view to help with future planning. I like
taking pictures of my bulb beds in the spring. Then,
when I want to change or add to these beds in the
fall, there's a record of what's already there. I never
remember what color is where, so without the photos
I'd just be guessing. The pictures in my garden note
book let me be absolutely sure of where everything is.

The notebook is also great for making seasonal
observations and comments and keeping them in one
organized place. I also put in tip sheets from nurseries,
extension services, or garden centers, and I'm actually
able to find them when I need them.

By: Roger Cook, This Old House online

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Craft Creations

Elder's Meditation of the Day

My Creator, let me use my gifts to further Your work on the Earth.

"My pottery is the handiwork of God."

The Great Onehas given every human being at least one special

talent and one special gift.

We need to develop and practice these gifts because they are the

handiwork of God. Maybe we are a quilt maker.

Maybe we are artists who make medicine bags-when people
look at our work it puts joy in their hearts; maybe we are singers

"ho ay ha, oh ya hey, ho ay hey ya hey ya, ho ey ya"

when people listen to our songs, their hearts are happy;
maybe we are writers of song or poetry-

Today we are welcome to find a path of peace. We've come so far to find our way.
Together we are finding the love we have inside the love of the living fire.
Keep the warmth aglow with all of love's masks.
Keep the fire alive brightly in our dreams. Know wisdom will find you
if you just look inside and listen to all of your dreams.

My kinsman, I love you forever and a day. My heart abounds for Heavens sake.
Keep peace when you know liberty comes home to play.
Keep watch eternal faithful we keep inside.
My love is eternal and bright as the fire. The warmth I can never leave,
but flight gives me freedom to spread my warmth around,
a fire that's bright until the end!
the song of the soul's flight

then people hear or read our work, it may hang on the edge

of their lives.

Or maybe we are a painter who has a vision to gift to the

world,

or a bead worker. And of course what about our craftsman,

the jewelry maker. How about a sculpture!

We need to honor ourselves and our gifts.
We beat the rhythm

to know the rhythm of Mother Earth, united we walk the Red
Road, the law of love. We need to thank the Creator for our
talents and our gifts.

"We need to honor ourselves and our gifts."
Come and join us at the once a month, gifting a craft class
held by Melanie Lisping Wise One, our Elder Blue person!

Join us at the gathering, where the Rainbow Clan become United!

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Mar2009.CraftCreation.EldersMeditation.LispingWiseOneBlog.pdf
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White Wolf Woman

WHITE WOLF WOMAN

by WOLF MOONDANCE A Shaman of the Osage People

It’s a good time to be alive. In this day and age in America, we have a freedom of religion that allows us the opportunity to express our individualism. That has never existed before. This is a time where we have come as people to stand in the space of the emergence of a new age; a time when many religions are gathering together. It is a good time to be alive! When I thought about doing this article, I listened quietly. I listened for a long time to the She Wolf inside myself. I listened. And I became the Wolf within me, the White Wolf Woman.

The concept of Wolf Medicine has come to be greatly misunderstood. It has come to be associated with other creatures and apparitions, like WereWolf, astral Vampire, Big Foot, Druid, Faire, Nature Spirit, Night Hag, Skunk, Ape, WereBear, the Yeti, the Ponik, and the PolyMode. These names are attempts at describing dimensional shifters, or shape changers. These are terms that, for the most part, are born of superstitious mind, working from incomplete knowledge of the things of this plane and their natural rhythms.

I choose to give teachings about the She Wolf, for in this time our consciousness is expanding regarding Women and the energy of Women. We are exploring the many avenues of the psychic abilities of Women. Women possess a psychic sense known as intuition. This is Wolf Medicine.

The Mothering instinct in each one of us is Wolf Medicine. For the Wolf is a “Motherer,” a “Fatherer.” Simplified, that means Wolf holds the parenting energy in its vibration. That is real Wolf Medicine.

To understand the term She Wolf and some of the other terms I have used, you have to open your mind. Simultaneously, as you open your mind, you must remember within your heart that it is a good time to be alive. Remember, it is because you are alive in this time that you can explore all the methods of personal and spiritual expression available within the human drama.

In America we have been indoctrinated with many narrow-minded religions. Theosophies of limitation have produced fear, and on the whole, are based on materialism. Most Americans were raised on religions that teach us to judge others based on the lofty principles of what you wear, how you got it, and what you do for a living. This has resulted in lifestyles expressed through limited viewpoints and shortsightedness.

These are the teachings that have been passed on to our children, instead of the deep spirituality that comes naturally from Great Spirit, GrandMother, and GrandFather Spirit.

The Wolf Medicine that a Woman walks with, what we call intuition, is her Friendly Wolf. In the old way, the Friendly Wolf was known to come into the village to protect the children. She would appear when times of sickness were at hand, or when a child had gotten lost at night on their way home through the woods. This Friendly Wolf energy comes from the psychic. It is the psychic part of the Woman that knows how to shift her love, her intention, and her nurturing abilities into the form of the Wolf. Thus she comes to the village, in the form of the She Wolf, to protect the children and the old ones in need.

No ordinary person can take the form of She Wolf, for in taking this form, both a psychic and a dimensional shift must occur. This ability to shift comes from a vibrational frequency that must be sustained over a long period of time, thus allowing the transmittal of energy that fosters love, nurturing, and protection. These are the energies that are naturally within Woman, and these energies must be present and called upon in order to enter the energy field of the person in need, the one crying for help.

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 to you the principle of the Mother embracing the Child. The very act of allowing the desire to come forth will cause a vibrational shift within the individual’s energy bands, thus allowing the transference to occur.

The She Wolf does not just come to her own Children. She comes for all Children, and for all the Old Ones. She is connected to the Mothering instinct within all of us. This energy travels through our energy bands, and when it connects with the energy of the person in need, it expands within that individual’s energy field, causing a change in the vibrational frequency around the individual in need. She Wolf Medicine is connected through the nurturing Spirits of the Women within the community. This process intensifies the feelings and emotions within the Women of the community. This allows that energy to embrace a feeling of comfort which is experienced by the individual in need through their psychic openings to other planes of their existence.

This is the process through which She Wolf travels to guide a person—through emotional communication, when they are sensing danger, or feeling fear. She Wolf accomplishes this emotional communication by lying down before the individual a heightened intuitive sense which affords the opportunity to access and experience the realm from whence all guidance comes.

This is the realm we often call the fourth dimension. This dimension allows the energy of a Human Being to travel, so to speak, and tend to the psychological needs of another, to be in two places at one time.

This dimension allows the Woman to change form and become the energy of the She Wolf. In that form, she is able to connect with, and attend to, the energies of the person in need. Sometimes the person in need feels, or even sees, the presence of the She Wolf, the Friendly Wolf, the Wolf the Children see on the pathway in the woods, the Wolf who leads them on the pathway home when they have gotten lost.

As I said earlier, the ignorant often compare this energy to energies such as WereBear, WereWolf, and others mentioned. The She Wolf differs from these others mainly in that she harms no one. She Wolf is the Mothering energy of Great Spirit GrandMother Wolf. GrandMother Wolf often comes to us in this time in the form of the She Wolf. She can be seen along the pathway while the Children are berry picking. She is the Friendly Playful Wolf, gently guiding them back, pointing them in the right direction along the path of harmony—the Good Red Road of Great Spirit.

There is also a grand teacher who is seen through the form of the Great White Wolf. She comes to us, especially in these times, when we find our minds suffering from anger, depression, sorrow, confusion, and other results of the shadow form of social tyranny. We can easily find ourselves restricted by religious dogma and traditionalism at every turn, and in every methodology.

This time is not unlike the old times, when the sickness came upon a village. GrandMother She Wolf, the White Wolf hears these things. She feels the need of the people. She hears their cries in the night.

It is said that the She Wolf will often lie down in front of someone in need, and protect them. It is said that the Wolf Medicine will weave its way towards those in psychological need of nurturing and spiritual protection. It has always been known that the White Wolf Medicine has belonged to the Shaman. For the most part, this knowledge has been lost to us in these contemporary times, these times when our automobiles kill, when our machines kill. Even the way in which we live our lives, and the way we raise our children kills. Even our laws kill. Even in taking nourishment from the earth, we kill.

We are passing through a dark time. We are like the Children lost in the woods.

I would hope that this knowledge will help those of you awakening to the search for the old ways, the ways of the Animal Spirits, the Earth Spirits. I hope it is helpful to those of you ready to truly see the values and the impeccability that can be realized in our lives by living in balance with the world of Spirit.

In the stories of the White Buffalo Woman and the White Wolf Woman there is a warning. In these stories, we are told how we can so easily go beyond taking from the Earth, more than what we need. Once that line is crossed, we become subject to the demons of greed and selfishness, and we have broken the Sacred Hoop. That is when it seems as if our world is collapsing.

When we break the Sacred Hoop, when we go beyond that Sacred Circle of life, then we have gone beyond the realm of earthly balance. That is when we find ourselves lost in a world of chaos and fear. It is to the World of Man, this realm of illusion and limitation, that the She Wolf can come. Or the WereWolf can come. The difference is this: one is snarling and red-eyed and vicious. The other is smiling, and the sun shines through her yellow eyes, and tiny rainbows bounce upon her hair, and in her mannerism, there is a balance of both the whimsical and the solemn.

The White Wolf, in its manner, is telling you that you are straying from the path. It is telling you to return. She calls you to return to the Good Red Road.

“Grand Mother and Grand Father have sent me to guide you to seek out the teachers who carry the Wolf Medicine. Go to these teachers. Listen to the Mothers, and learn how we can return to the old ways. Listen to the GrandMother teachings,” the White Wolf says.

This reminds me of the first time I witnessed shape shifting. I realized that it was a matter of a person being totally in one place and thinking themselves in another at the same time. This form of medicine can be viewed as illusionary medicine. But the She Wolf, the Big Foot, the WereWolf, the Vampire, the way of these medicines is very real. They are ancient forms of medicine that have been with us since the beginnings of our time here upon this plane.

So. Is there “a” She Wolf? No, but there is “a” White Wolf Woman, the GrandMother Wolf. There can be many She Wolves.

It has been said that it is too controversial to teach that a person could change their form into the She Wolf. Some would say that shape shifting is so controversial, that this knowledge should be hushed, coveted, kept secret. Some say that we should not speak of these matters. Some say that we should mask our presence if we possess this ability, for there are those who would kill that which they do not understand.

We see this madness demonstrated countless times in our everyday existence living in modern society. It is demonstrated in our hatred for those who are a different color, or have a different way. We see it demonstrated in the hatred Women have for Men, and the hatred Men have for Women. These emotions are running rampant in our society. We see it in the newspapers and on our television sets. We are losing our Children, as well as our Old Ones. It reminds me of the times we experienced back in the 1890’s. People are again destroying that which they do not understand. They are falling back into darkness, following religions of superstition.

So! I feel it is the time for the White Wolf Woman to come once again to our villages. It is time, again, for GrandMother Wolf to come into the village, and spread the teachings at your feet so that you might see the truth of things. This, so that once again you might return to confidence in purpose, so that you might see the light.

It is time for balance to return to our Earth Mother, not just upon Turtle Island, but for the whole of the planet. It is time for us to look deeper at things like dimensional shifting. It is time for us to become aware of Spirit energy again — it’s movement, and it’s nature.

Once the energy of this great universe was linear. Then things shifted, and the energy began to move back and forth. Then it swirled about, and expanded and contracted, creating sixth dimensional reality. In this manner GrandFather created the universe. In this movement the Earth plane was created. One of the things created here was time and space. So here, in this plane, we are subject to the laws of that reality. We are subject to the illusion of time and space.

But in the fourth dimension, where the She Wolf lives, these things do not exist; they are but an illusion of this plane. To understand this fullness of dimensional reality, it is necessary for us to develop our spiritual dedication, as we venture forward along the pathway that returns to the Sacred Self, the Self that is one with GrandMother and GrandFather Great Spirit.

As the She Wolf returns to walk through our villages to protect the Children and the Old Ones, she watches how we have developed, how we have grown, and where we have faltered.

And she brings a warning.

It is time to return to the balance of the Sacred Hoop. It is time to listen to our Mothering instincts. It is time to change our way of living. It is time to let the softness of the Woman speak once again in our society. It is time to let the teaching of the GrandMothers be brought back to the Daughters and the GrandDaughters. For the She Wolf has come home, as is her way when the cries of the Children and the Old Ones wake her from her dream time.

It is time to bring back the Woman’s Circle. It is time to remove the shame that Women carry from the lack of understanding of the menstrual cycle. It is time to bring back the teachings that are shared from Mother to Daughter, from GrandMother to GrandDaughter.

The Friendly Wolf is walking through the village once again.

There would be no need for abortions if we understood the sacred ways of child birthing. It is time for the awakening of the She Wolf within all Women. For the baby She Wolf is nurtured by the knowledge of the Women’s Circle. Her psychic abilities open. And she is then able to nurture the Male of her choosing with her energies, to open doorways in his being, so that the ManChild once again walks in balance with the Earth Mother.

It is time, as the She Wolf walks through our villages once again, to start paying attention to the call of the fourth dimension, where both roads—the one known as good and the one known as evil—exist; the place where we can clearly see, once again, our choice in choosing our direction.

Sometimes, even the most evil things, the WereWolf, the WereBear, the Horned One, the Vampire, the Beast, even the most evil itself, the one known as Lucifer, can be listened to. Sometimes it is true that a great strength can be drawn from observing evil.

This is not a time to shut our minds to the magical realms of our reality. It is time to listen to the Medicine of the old ways. It is time to reach out to the Little People, to listen to the Medicine of the Whales, the Dolphins, GrandMother Grizzly, and the She Wolf. It is time to hear the Medicine of the Great Eagle, time to go beyond our closed realities of microwaves and television. In our material consciousness, our lives of existence have been made easy by technology, but somehow we have forgotten the human struggle. We are becoming small minded, and we are closing down. We are loosing the friction that causes our growth and expands our spiritual awareness and understanding.

These things of the material reality are illusionary. They could be gone from our reality in the twinkling of an eye. In the twinkling of the eye! The She Wolf walks through our villages once again, offering peace of mind. She offers it along a pathway containing Seven Sacred Teachings. She draws upon these Sacred Teachings as she turns towards the GrandMother Wolf. Each She Wolf, through her intuition, draws upon these teachings as a natural part of the Sacred Cycle of Life. She draws from the White Wolf Woman, the knowledge of GrandMother Wolf.

So the next time the White Wolf appears in your dream time, or in your vision time, listen to your intuition. Follow that path. For in the integrity of Woman’s intuitive emotion, you will come to know one of the secrets along the Shaman’s path. It will take you on a journey that leads to an individual quest, one that will allow you to have creativity in your life and show you how to expand into the realms of the visionary. There you can walk through the rainbow mist, into the rain, and be cleansed, and see the truth.

The She Wolf, the White Wolf Woman brings these things, for she has not forgotten our oneness. For we are all Sisters of the Moon. Your howls have been heard.

From the heart of the Wolf, aho!

WOLF MOONDANCE

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Wolf Teachings

Lisping Wise One, our Eternal Bells


has a guardian black wolf with white around both dark green eyes. The Dog soldier is the most feared. Happy to know she is on our side. The dog family (wolf) is the emblem of faithfulness and guardianship. Dogs are considered loyal and temperate and the dog is a symbol of a skilled hunter. They were also associated with priests since priests were thought of as watchdogs against the devil.

Meaning Wolf Key words Loyalty Adaptation Community Intuition Element Water Lesson

Wolf teaches us: Wolf is a great teacher and is here to help you adapt to change as she adapts to her environment, embracing the coming seasons and the availability of food She accepts reality as she sees it and teaches us to see truth through her eyes From birth wolf is forever transforming as she meets the experiences of her world, embracing the changes and the lessons they bring. She shows us the value in transformation.totem wolves Intuition and to trust our decisions To accept the dark side of ourselves Aligned with the moon energies she teaches us to honor the feminine qualities within ourselves.


How to apply wolve teaching in our lives What is changing in your life at present? Notice your resistance to it and then chose to embrace it. You may want to use affirmations for this such as "I embrace change as a natural process of my life". What illusions are you clinging too? Are you seeing the world through clouded vision. Is your view influenced by past experiences or expectations? Let it go so that you are able to see clearly with the vision of wolf. Are you being called to share what you have learned with others? This could be through a traditional role as a teacher or as a leader in your field of expertise. It could be that you have much to share with your children. However you feel called to expres your teacher within Wolf is their to guide you.

Totem wolves Seek solitude. Set aside an hour where your family and friends know not to disturb you. Sometimes it is easier to relax outside of your home environment if this is possible go for a walk in the woods. This time will allow you to connect with the teacher within. Look for lessons where ever you are. You may find it in the smallest feeling of irritation towards someone or by asking more questions. Situations to learn from are being presented to you so stay alert. How to harness the spirit wolf Wear wolf jewelry Read about wolf Walk in the woods.


Honor the energy of the moon taking notice of how its cycles effect you Wear Moonstone or other luna crystals Howl at the moon but be careful not to do this in wolf populated areas as they may mimic you and forget the original way Utilise your feminine and intuitive ability by writing poetry or drawing Notice the smell Let your wild side out, dance with wolf and grow your hair. Communication Speak from the heart and wolf relaxes. Speak from the intellect and wolf becomes tense. You cannot hide anything from him. Communicate with the utmost respect and gentleness. Prayer Wolf howling in celebration of your transformation. Teacher of adaptability, who embraces the moon and her cycles of change. "May I see the truth through intuitive eyes as you do."


Returning to my pack to share the learning's Myth Wolf is connected with Sirus the Dog Star It is believed by many cultures including Australian Aborigines and the Dogan tribe of Africa that our ancestors came from there

http://www.religions-and-spiritualities-guide.com/power-totem-animal.html

Meaning Wolf

John Williams / 1996

All cultures have myths that embody a basic belief system about nature. Often myths originate from things encountered in nature and how they relate to man's existence. Myths can take many forms though and are not limited to the exploits of gods tossing lightening bolts, pieces of stone having special powers, or the stories of creation, but embrace any cultural experience that communicates something important about the world to the people of that culture. Unfortunately though, some myths relate things that are not rooted in truth or have little relevance to the human experience within a culture.

Many myths relate stories and wisdom drawn from animals in the world. Other myths relate fears and prejudices symbolized by animals, but one animal in particular has obtained an ubiquitous status in myth; the wolf. No animal has so thoroughly captured the imagination of so many cultures around the world. In European civilization, myths surrounding wolves evolved to eventually represent evil or malice and have become quaint stories as a result. The wolf in other parts of the world is frequently portrayed in a positive manner still holding much meaning in the lives of the people of those cultures.

This positive portrayal of the wolf is perhaps best represented by myths of Native Americantribes of North America. What the wolf represents through myth in European culture is sharply different from Native American culture. These differences are illustrated clearly by how the myths of these two cultures treat the wolf. Nearly all European myth surrounding the wolf is irrelevant having little to do with actual day to day living of European peoples, or even the purpose of the wolf in nature. The wolf myths of Native American people, however, have great relevance and have many things to say about the day to day meaning of living of Native American people.

The first example of European irrelevance, and the most universal wolf myth not only in Europe and Native American culture, but throughout the world, is that of the werewolf (Religion 432). The werewolf myths have many variations through the ages, but by far the most prevalent are myths that originated in medieval Europe. The popular notion of the werewolf in today's world has its roots from this time. The fear of this imaginary man-wolf beast reached near hysteria in France reaching its peak in the 1600's and resulted in the killing of hundreds of innocents for their alleged powers by burning them at the stake or other cruel acts of punishment. Werewolf myths persisted in France until the mid nineteenth century (Busch 86).

One theory why the belief in werewolves became so prevalent is attributed to a "mythical-religious complex of wolf gods or in rituals of the return of the dead"(religion 432) where the wolf figured prominently in the ceremonies and the catalogue of gods kept by ancient man. European fears surrounding the werewolf, such as the hysteria in France mentioned above, can be traced to religious beliefs about the wolf during the middle ages and medieval period. As in the examples concerning werewolves, myths that induce the strongest beliefs are tied inherently to a prevailing religion or popular religious thinking and practice.

This is true both in Native American and European culture. European religions tend to become disconnected through time losingtheir context to a culture or people, but certain themes seem to persist beyond the context where they originally had meaning (Deloria 66). Myth about wolves is just one such example of beliefs which had no real value to a people after the context of their origination had disappeared. However, the ideas persisted and were re-interpreted to fit a changing world. An example of realistic context falling away is the European Catholic church using the fear of werewolves to further its suppression of heresy during inquisitions (432).

It was thought during the middle ages that werewolves are people who made a pact with Satan ( Bucsh 91) and the church capitalized upon these fears to further their own means. Belief in werewolves and the inquisition seem to have little relation to one and another, or for that matter people living in a more meaningful way as result of such beliefs. European religious beliefs are plentiful outside of Christian tradition concerning wolves. They exemplify the wolf transformed from an animal involved in many important and meaningful processes of life to one primarily associated with evil as society evolved.

For example, the classical Greek goddess of death, Hectate, had three heads, all wolves (Busch 86). Another is the ferryman Charon in Greek myth that traversed the river Styx delivering souls to Hades wore the ears of a wolf (86). Both examples show the wolf, or wolf qualities to be important in the spiritual transition of death. In older European traditions the wolf often symbolized transition, an emergence from one state to another (Religion 431). The Celts of the British Isles worshipped the wolf and deemed them the companions of gods (Busch 86). Even outside of Europe the wolf was worshipped as a great god.

In Japan, Iran, and Scaythia the wolf is a god in these culture's archaic pantheons, too (Religion 431). In many of these cultures hunting was a primary means of existence. The wolf easily became the symbol of great hunting skill and was incorporated into religious tradition, but as European society shifted away from hunting to agrarian and animal husbandry as a means of living: "The wolf's reputation...became that of a voracious killer" (Busch 87) and the prevailing religious traditions supported and advanced this new belief.

The religious tradition to have the most impact on European beliefs about the wolf is Christianity. Early Christianity on the European continent employed the wolf, too, but instead of a symbol of nurturing or supernatural transition, the wolf became associated with evil and damnation as the agrarian way of life grew.

The Bible describes Jesus as the shepherd protecting his herd of sheep from the wolf (The Bible, John 10:12). This would imply an intrinsic belief of the wolf as a symbol of sin and prurient influence. In Isaiah verse 11:16 of the old testament states "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb." This phrase is thought of as a metaphor of coming together of both the upper and lower under the Christian god (Religion 431), a stark contrast in comparison to the previous example and a throw back to an earlier time when the wolf represented more positive ideas. Another very prevalent notion in both the old and new testaments of the Christian Bible is the wolf as a tool of Satan and his henchmen.

Wolves in this context are thought of as ravening or stealing away the souls of men (Religion 432). The wolf naturally preying upon domesticated animals easily transforms into the metaphor of Satan seducing the innocents of the Christian flock, drawing them away from their true nature as Christians into a state where they are compelled to unnatural acts. This is perhaps the most frequent religious wolf related thought to inseminate Christianity and popular European culture. The sad fact though is the image of the wolf in this context has little relation to anything based on reality and only serves not to enlighten thinking regarding this animal and its role in our world.

The fear and hatred of wolves European myths and religious thinking spawned over the centuries have resulted in the near extinction of the wolf upon the European continent and where ever European man has ventured. Bounties on wolves appeared early in both Greek and Roman civilizations and then in the rest of Europe by the fifteen hundreds (Busch 100). Europeans followed this pattern in North America, too. The first North American bounty for wolves originated with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the mid seventeenth century (100).

This process of eradication reached its apogee with the settlers movement west across the North American continent. Between 1883 and 1917 nearly eighty thousand wolf carcasses were brought in for collection of bounty moneys in Montana alone (102). Many men made glorious careers out of wolf bounty hunting in the west of the North American continent. This movement and subsequent eradication along the way of the wolf as Europeans crossed the American continent is the clearest example of European attitudes concerning the relationship of man and wolf.

Throughout the majority of European myths and fables, whether religious or popular in origin, man has to fear and conquer nature. The only good nature is that nature which is controlled for the benefit of the European, or for that matter what could now be called Western Civilization. The wolf, wile and untamable, and also a fierce predator, easily becomes the symbol of uncontrollable nature. The European traditions of wolf myth show a belief of man eternally pitted against nature and the tragic results of such belief.

As Europeans crossed the North American continent they also came into contact with the cultures native to that land. These Native American cultures held a widely different view of the wolf in their traditions and way of living. It is obviously diametrically opposed to what Europeans thought to be the truth about man's place within the European tradition. Native American traditions perhaps reflect what early European traditions held before the Christian tradition and complex social and technological advances took root.

The native peoples of the North America have many myths and traditions associated with the wolf and most, if not all, have something intrinsic to tell the people how to live in the world. The Pawnee of the great plains identified so strongly with the wolf and what wolf stories and myth represented that their hand signal for the wolf and the Pawnee people were nearly indistinguishable (Busch, p96). The Pawnee and many of the other Native American cultures revered the wolf for its great hunting prowess and would emulate this animal in ceremonies hoping to embodying these desirable characteristics, but the wolf participated in many other important stories aside from hunting.

The Eskimos have a story of an aged women abandoned and forced to survive in the cold. She turned into a wolf to do so(Busch 96). The Eskimos admired the great survival skills of the wolf.. Native American shaman held the wolf to be the source of great spiritual power (Religion 433). In the pacific northwest, "the doctoring societies of the Quilete and Makah Indians"(433)did wolf dances to heal sick members of their tribe. For many other Native American tribes wolves were thought to represent the corn god (433). With these example it is quite clear that the wolf took on many rolls in the myth of Native Americans. It is also clear that the image of the wolf was often of a creature who could teach, or give man wisdom about the world. Certainly the wolf is seen as an intrinsic part of the world around these peoples.

Like European cultures that crossed the continent, the beliefs associated with the wolf are deeply rooted to the religions practiced by these peoples. Unlike the Christian tradition though, Native American religions are closely associated to how these peoples live. Vine Deloria Jr. makes this observation in the book God is Red concerning the differences between Christian traditions and Native American traditions, "American Indians and other tribal peoples did not take this path in interpreting revelation and religious experience" (Deloria 66) meaning Christian tradition is thought to be valid by how well it explains the cosmos and man's place in it. He goes on to say in regards to Native American tradition, "The structure of their traditions is taken directly from the world around them, from their relationships with other forms of life"(66).

Man has a vastly different role contextually in the world around him in Native American tradition. This contextual relationship of man to nature is illustrated very well in a wolf myth titled Who Speaks for Wolf? This myth is presented as a learning story passed from generation to generation about the journey of a people in such for a new home land. It is meant to teach many things about the world in which these people live, but most importantly though it uses the wolf and the relationship the people have with this animal to teach these lessons, something grossly missing in European culture.

The story is related through a grandfather telling it to his grandson as they sit by a campfire. He tells the grandson how his people needed to find a new land to support their growing numbers. The elders sent out many young men to look for a new land where the people could be themselves. All had returned, each with a place selected, accept one, the one they called Wolf's Brother. Wolf's Brother knew all there was to know about brother wolf. The elders of the tribe listened to each young man: "They listened to each among them, he who understood the flow of the water, she who understood long house construction, he who understood the storms of winter" (Underwood 25) then after listening to each they reached agreement.

Then someone amongst them cried out, "But Wait, where is Wolf's Brother? Who, then, speaks for wolf?, but the people were decided"(26). The people began to move to the new place, then Wolf's Brother returned. He asked about the new place and said at once after hearing where the people had chose, "You have chosen the center place for a great community of wolf...but the people closed their ears"(27). The people settled into the new land and thought it was good. The people began to see after a time that food disappeared "and wolf beyond"(29) in the shadows. At first this seemed a fair exchange to the people, some food for a place to live. Soon though it became much more for wolf became bolder and ventured into the village looking for food.

The boldness of wolf caused the women to fear for the little ones. The men devised a system where they would drive off wolf should he come too near. The people discovered this required much energy and none was left to prepare for the long winter ahead. The elders of people gathered and "saw that neither providing wolf with food, nor driving him off gave the people a life that was pleasing. They saw that the wolf and the people could not live comfortably together in such a small space" (32). They considered then to "hunt down this wolf people until they were no more....They saw, too, that such a task would change the people: they would become wolf killers. A people who took life only to sustain their own would become a people who took life rather then move a little. It did not seem to them that they wanted to become such a people"(34).

The boy asks his grandfather whether the people always remembered to ask Wolf's question and in reply the grandfather says, "They remembered for a long time...long time. And when the wooden ships came...what we accomplish by much thought and considering the needs of all, they accomplish by building tools and changing the earth, with much thought of winter, and little of tomorrow. We could not teach them to ask Wolf's question....Tell me now my brothers, tell me now my sisters, who speaks for wolf?" (40). It should be clear now regarding the differences of these two cultures, European and Native American, and how their myths relate the world to them.

The differences perhaps are best outlined as the, "Tribal religions find a great affinity among living things....Behind the apparent kinship between animals...and human beings in the Indian way stands a great conception....Other living things are not regard as insensitive species. Rather they are people in the same manner as...human beings are people"(Deloria 89).

European myth and beliefs fail to recognize this, and in fact maintains its subjective stance in regards to the world around us. Some progress has been made though, but only in the last generation. The peoples of European cultures are finally beginning to consider the all in questions they ask and the things they consider. As time progress hopefully the myths about the world we hold to be true, but irrelevant, will fade away and be replaced with ideas that have value not only to our selves, but to all creatures.

(c) Copyright 1996 by John Williams, all rights reserved. http://www.wolfsongalaska.org/wolves_and_religion_meaning_wolf.html

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