Raven and Coyote Medicine

Totem animals are an integral part of the Native American culture. To assist me in clarifying answers to questions I have posed, over the years--especially when I'm feeling out of balance or confused by various events in my life--I have turned to animal medicine and the Medicine Cards (by Jamie Sams & David Carson, St. Martin's Press New York). Because, for the past several weeks, I've been feeling more and more restless, and required insight into my situation, last night I turned to the cards. I decided to do a simple two-card spread--one to represent my male side, the other my female side. What's this restlessness about? I asked before picking the cards.

Even without reading the explanation, upon seeing the cards, I laughed out loud...My male side had selected 13 Coyote, the trickster, the symbol for the cosmic joke. Destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, he is the roadrunner, dusting himself off after another misadventure, there to remind me to laugh at myself, to have fun. I had definitely been taking life too seriously.

My female side selected 16 Raven, the symbol for magic and healing, the harbinger of a shift in consciousness, a reminder of the synchronicity that occurs whenever we step out of the way. A reminder remain healthy by appreciating and honoring my authentic self.

As I held the cards, one in each hand, I suddenly understood what my restlessness was about...I need to laugh more and have fun, something that only requires a shift in my awareness, a refocusing of my attitude, a letting go of things around me that are definitely out of my control. Because I need to put pen to paper to make sense of things, I made a list of all the activities that generally fill my ordinary day and ranked them on a scale from 0-10, with 10 being the most fun for me and 0 being the worst. In case you're curious, some of my 10s were writing, meditating, reading a gripping, suspense-filled mystery novel, enlightening and interesting conversations, dancing,and taking walks with my dogs. As you might imagine, items on the other end included cleaning, laundry, and people who require "too much work." My restlessness was simply an indication that I need to move toward the light, toward laughter, and toward fun.

With a grateful heart, I thanked Raven and Coyote for giving me the insight I need to restore my inner balance. It's only 9:30 A.M. and today, for fun, I've already walked the dogs through the snow, and published this blog. So far, my day's been a 10!