David from Euless, Texas asks:
I always had a strong connection with and curiosity about the Native American spiritual way of life. I feel especially connected to wolves, and believe that they might be my spiritual guides in this lifetime. What does this represent, and how can I achieve a connection with these spirit guides? How can I establish communication to ask for guidance in following the path set before me in this life cycle?
Dear David,
The call of Native American spirituality is very powerful for many of us here in North America, especially those of us who have a strong connection with the natural world. It is, after all, the spirituality which arose from this land, so it’s not surprising that it so often feels powerful and right, even to city dwellers.
However, I would encourage you, and all of us who feel that pull, to proceed respectfully. While there are shamans from many tribes who have been willing to open doors for us, many Native American groups have said that non-native people who pursue Native American spirituality are stealing from them (again).
I believe that there’s a way for each of us to heed the call of our individual souls and honor the spiritual truths which arose from our landscape without co-opting the unique expressions which various Indian tribes have created. We can respectfully learn the teachings of the Medicine Wheel, the Medicine Shield, and the Buffalo Woman, as well as the way of Wolf, Coyote, Raven, Elk, Bear and Puma, and then find our own way to integrate and express those teachings.
The best way to learn from Wolf, who is indeed your power animal, is to learn about wolves, their habits and habitat. Watch movies like “Never Cry Wolf,” and nature shows about wolves or their prey, and visit wolves at wildlife centers. Surround yourself with wolf images or get a Pueblo Indian wolf fetish. Read nature guides to learn about their seasons, cycles and complex social order. In other words, learn about wolf wisdom by seeing how real wolves apply it. Remember that wolf spirit is still a wolf, a creature of the senses, so use your senses to establish a connection.
All kinds of books are willing to “interpret” wolves for you (I recommend Ted Andrews’ Animal-Speak) , but only you can learn what your wolf has to teach you! Meditate or visualize (search the CaliforniaPsychics.com blog and old Spirit Guides columns for ways). Is your wolf a lone wolf, or the member of a pack? Perhaps an Alpha? What does he like to hunt in the spirit world? Negativity? Injustice?
Here’s the most interesting thing about your wolf. He is standing protectively in front of the small, white female deer which also lives in your energy field. This deer is a powerful representative of Druid magic called a “hind,” and symbolizes both the divine feminine, and the magical and occasionally scary realms of the faerie. The juxtaposition of Native American and Druid spirituality is extremely interesting (although there were wolves in England in Druid times), and is an important part of the message to you. Is your wolf protecting women, the feminine? Sacred sites? He will tell you and show you if you ask.
Good luck with this powerful spiritual partnership, David!
6 thoughts on “Meet Your Spirit Guides: The Way of the Wolf”
Hey Tray what ya ancestors suffered years ago my ancestors too suffered the same or similar fate. I do hope in this era and in the future people will learn from the mistakes of the past and do not do to those what was done to us. As well as atleast make peace with one another/.
my identity is eclectic- therefore- adopting systems that fit with me is natural. who i am is all i have seen. we have all consciously/unconsciously been influenced by society. my identity is also beyond the confounds of my race, creed, religion, sexual identity, job, social status, geographic location and preference. all of this is a mask i wear, a role i play….if i am attracted to cultures outside of the one i was born into THIS LIFE TIME then pursuit of the ESSENCE—spirit of that culture would be nature. man made laws and rules do not apply to spirit. in my book- spirit is beyond the rigidity of the earth and all the rules we as humans enact on one another. no one- and i will repeat- know one owns their culture and ritual. that is narrow minded man law- not spirit speaking. what if a long long time ago i walked barefoot on the land and felt her wisdom beneath my feet? what if my soul whispers to me a heritage i once lived out? who is to say?
God help me if i would have to play a catholic this time around. haha
Dear Tray,
I have to agree….as it is the same way with Wiccans, I am Hereditary ( by blood ) Wiccan Elder, meaning I can trace my Wiccan roots and bloodlines back over ten generations ….
…..Wicca is the fastest growing religion in the USA today and is even recognized now by our military.
There are witches everywhere you look now, but very few are REAL Wiccans who walk the old path. I’ve seen ancient Wiccan rituals taken out of context and used in a very disrespectful way.
Once in awhile, the REAL Wiccan community are a bit irked by it too,
BUT,***** most of the time we just sit back and smile because we realize that they are just starting a journey of self exploration,…. and that is a good thing…usually.********
Blessed Be )O(
Gina Rose ext.9500
PS….My Native American Indian friends say same as you…..in fact my X husband was BlackFoot, his GrandMother, Mom and sister were raised on a reservation….they said same thing to me, as you posted, years ago.
I have a strong link with polynesian and pacific islander culture could be due to me having an ancestor who was one or some hidden ancestry im not aware of? caue I have seen a polynesian man spirit come to me he apeared gentle.
I’m a carded part NA (Native American) from Oklahoma. I have relatives one generation up who can tell stories of discrimination, ostracization, and abuse. I had a NA girlfriend whose mother was actually taken from the Sioux Rez in North Dakota – ripped from her parents and family at the age of 5 along with other young children – and raised in a Catholic boarding school hundreds of miles form her home and not allowed to see her parents. Very sad. But enough about all of that.
However, got to say it, ever since “Dances With Wolves” (and a few PBS specials) it’s been amazing how the NA lifestyle and wolves have become pop-culture trends. Also amazing how many NA wannabes (aka “Born Again Indians”) have sprouted up everywhere, lol. And shamans? …. suddenly they’re all over the place. Many look suspiciously white but no problem because they learned their bona fide sacred skills on the Net and also while spending a couple of weeks hanging around a Rez somewhere.
Verbana’s reference to “co-opting the unique expressions of various Indian tribes” is right on. There’s a whole lot of that and it’s hollow and vain. Many NA’s tend to view it as anywhere from humorous to irksome. It’s OK to study and learn from other cultures (with the exception of the nouveau Rap, Emo, and Vamp cultures, artificial though they are) but the best thing is to be who you are as opposed to adopting your identity from somewhere else. And wolves? It’s absurd to canonize them. If nothing else, there is essentially only one thing that anyone should learn from them: they take care of their own, they take care of the weakest of their packs, and the helpless. One would do a great deal if they’d apply that lesson to their fellow men and women. …… Watonka waho.
Fav NA joke: As a NA I can’t drink tea. …. Why not? …… Cause, teapee, hahaha. Get it?
I find it hard to believe that Native Americans would believe people outside their root are stealing their practices and beliefs from them. We live on a land that emanates energies of creation- free for all to be in relationship with. Anyone who is in tune would “pick up on” Native American practices just by reading the impression that surrounds. The true essence of spirit doesn’t coincide with remarks that we are stealing from them. Whether I am Native American, Christian, Jewish, or Islamic- the land speaks for ALL who are listening. The Soul echos the earths songs, history and scars. The Spirit- although dressed in many colors- all emanates from a common source: The Universe. If a system of rituals and/or beliefs resonates with an individual- then to me- that is sound reason to explore what may be a truth in your life or at least the next direction of adventure. On another note- Wolf has been an animal that I have been in relationship with since a young child. The attraction was natural- and I am thankful that I have Native American Belief help guiding me to the rhyme and reason behind this relationship. Otherwise- I may have not looked as deeply.
Thanks for the article