Our wondrous planet flawlessly follows its journey around our sun, in perfect harmony with its neighboring planets; our avian fellow beings of the sky embark on their amazing journeys of migration, in faultless accord with the seasons; your heart is beating in rhythm within you now, and has been, ever since you were conceived in your mother’s womb; and the system of predation, the ancient dance of predator and prey, life from death, continues to assist in the creation of the earth’s incredible diversity. The dance of life and death ~ it is intrinsic to the health of our planet.
Yet in our human society of today, the reality of wild predators killing prey is most uncomfortable to us. We have alienated ourselves from this reality entirely. And in our disconnection from the natural world, we cease to understand the immense value of our wild predators to the planet. And we ourselves want no part in any risk when venturing into nature, whether it be our backyard or a remote wild place. We have ceased to see ourselves as potential prey in Nature’s scheme, and do not wish to see any other living beings as potential prey either. So when it comes to the natural order, we have decided as a society to step out of it entirely, and in doing so observe any predator prey relationships in the natural world through our human eyes and our human experiences, and our human judgements.
So …. enter Coyote … Teacher. Teacher of what? How possible a teacher to us? Coyote is like no other carnivore on our American continent. Having survived here for over half a million years, coyote continues to adapt to the ever changing landscape and food sources. As coyote moves among us in the unending search for food and survival, we find ourselves being drawn back into the natural world, that of predator and prey, life and death.
Coyote is removing the veil that we have placed over the mirror, so as not to see ourselves as part of the natural order. Coyote is challenging us to look at our fears. Where do they come from and where do they lead us? Coyote is challenging us to reconsider our relationship with nature.
Will coyote teach us that we do not live on this planet alone? That we are all connected? Or shall we close our eyes and ears to this teacher, and continue to live in our isolation?
