Face to Face with the Trickster
Photo by Mark Rabinowitch
Fairly often, I hike up to the spring on the property where I live. The hike takes maybe 20 minutes and you end up at this lovely small spring that flows down along the mountain. Another property member had previously dug out the spring so that there is a little basin there and attached a pipe to which I connected my own hose. So, I go to the spring sometimes to fill a water bottle, or a gallon jug or occasionally a 5 gallon container.
I had hiked up to the spring with my little dog Pinto Bean, it was a cool morning so she had on her Carhartt jacket. I was hunched down in the small stream that flows from the spring source, collecting water in my jug. I heard a couple leaves crackle and I looked up at Bean and saw that she was sitting maybe 8 feet in front of me and trembling like crazy while staring straight forward, behind me. Bean sometimes trembles like that when she sees a rabbit or a squirrel – the want for chase – so I didn't think too much of it. I heard a few more very quiet leaf crackles and figured maybe a rabbit was walking up behind me. I turned around and was face to face with a coyote, only a literal arms length away from me, I could have touched it. I could see the individual hairs of it's fur. We were both equally surprised and I leapt back as the coyote made a quick 360 arch away from me. It occurred to me it might have wanted to eat Bean, but I also thought it might not have even known what to make of a small dog in a Carhartt jacket sitting out in the middle of the woods. The way I was hunched in the stream, it very well had no idea I was there and had maybe just wanted a drink.
When the coyote turned away and I leapt up, this triggered Bean and, as the coyote ran away, Bean tore after it. Though my initial feelings upon witnessing the coyote were of awe and joy, they were very quickly replaced by deep concern for my small friend. I yelled after Bean “No, Bean, stop! That's a bad idea!” and I started running after both of them. “Stop, Bean, stop! Bad idea! Bad idea, Bean!”
All the commotion was not what the coyote had bargained for this morning and it started on a series of yips and howls as it ran. I felt like it was cursing the situation and cursing at us, “Damnit! I was having a nice morning stroll! What the Hell?” To my great relief, Bean came tearing back over to me and the coyote disappeared off into the mountains, leaving a trail of yips and howls in it's wake.
This experience left me extremely thankful. Thankful for the woods where I live and the quiet experiences that allow up-close encounters with wildlife. I was excited for Bean, because she is scared of the strange and chaotic sounds of coyotes that we sometimes hear in the distance, but this time she got to feel the thrill of chasing one and, seemingly, scaring it away. I thought about how tough she must feel and how maybe the coyote howls wont feel so scary to her now.
When I got back home I looked up the spiritual significance of the coyote as a symbol. I know of the coyote as a trickster in folklore, but I felt like the value of this experience came from a different place. I read that the coyote as symbol is considered a reminder to bring more humor and playfulness into our lives and that the coyote is very adaptable and encourages us to learn from our mistakes and grow. The coyote reminds us that “life is unpredictable, and while we cannot control everything, we can choose how we respond. Even in serious situations, the Coyote teaches us that there is value in finding lightness, and that this doesn’t mean we ignore the gravity of the situation but rather face it with resilience and joy.” (https://tanyacasteel.com/project/coyote-meaning/)
Thank you, Coyote. That you for your presence in my life. Thank you for your visitations, for providing the opportunity to connect with another being in this world, for your cunning, strength, beauty, and your eerie, heartfelt song. See you soon, I hope.