Real Talk!

This morning, Rev. Sharon E. Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) led the traditional, post-inaugural national prayer service that was attended by President Obama and the first lady.

During the service, Rev. Watkins included a traditional Cherokee story about the internal battle that all people face. It is the story of two wolves.

Grandfather from the Cherokee Nation was talking with his grandson.

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves."

"One wolf is evil and ugly: He is anger, envy, war, greed, self-pity, sorrow, regret, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, selfishness and arrogance."

"The other wolf is beautiful and good: He is friendly, joyful, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, justice, fairness, empathy, generosity, true, compassion, gratitude, and deep VISION."

"This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other human as well."

The grandson paused in deep reflection because of what his grandfather had just said. Then he finally cried out; "Grandfather, which wolf will win?"

The elder Cherokee replied, "The wolf that you feed."

Watkins urged Obama to "hold your ground. "We need you to feed the good wolf within you, to listen to the better angels of your nature, and by your example encourage us to do the same."

In many Native American cultures, it is believed that much can be learned
through the wisdom of the animals, whose spirits act as guides or totems. Known as "Animal Medicine", each animal is believed to bring us different gifts that are quite powerful highly revered.

Wolf is thought to teach us how to lead, when to follow, the importance of the family unit and loyalty, among other things. Wolf is a pathfinder, a forerunner of new ideas and the wolf returns to the pack to teach and share this medicine.

Taking one mate for life, Wolf is loyal like Dog. They have an enormous sense of family within the pack and also, a strong individualistic tendency. These qualities make Wolf very similar to humans who have individual dreams and ideas while living within a society.

This morning, Rev. Watkins invoked Wolf Medicine for Barack Obama… and Wolf does not come to you unless you are ready to meet a tribe’s greatest teacher.

The senses of Wolf are keen and the moon its ally. The moon, a symbol for that energy which holds the secrets of knowledge and wisdom, provides Wolf has the ability to aid the children of Earth in understanding the Great Mystery. & Life...

Wolf is the Grand teacher. Wolf is the sage,
who after many winters upon the sacred path
and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share
new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the
radical and the traditional in the same breath.
When the Wolf walks by you - you will remember.

The old ones tell us stories about our beginnings
and of a time when human kind first came to live
upon this Earth. It was Wolf who taught Humans
the ways of living in harmony. It was Wolf who
taught us how to form community upon this Earth,
for Wolves have an intuitive knowledge of order
through chaos and they possess the ability to
survive change, intact.

Wolf medicine is very ancient and born of living
experience. Wolf will look deep into your heart
and share the greatest of knowledge, but will
demand full participation, and absolute sincerity.
When Wolf has walked by you, the very presence of
the wolf will rekindle old memories within your soul.
Through the friction of experience you rekindle
the emotional fires of the inner soul and question
the manifestations of your own consciousness.

You can own a thing only when you have come to
own the emotional experience of it, and realize
the responsibility for its creation. Then you are
free to continue. Wolf medicine can make you whole.
You will return to Wolf many times in your life as
you complete and begin your cycles of experience
and seek the inner truth.

Ghost Wolf
The Wolf Lodge

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