For a long time humans have been attempting to shoot, poison and trap coyote into non-exsistence.  Instead, birds like the Condor have been nearly wiped out with poisoned meat, and the clever coyote may be more numerous today than ever.  Despite humanities encroachment and aggression, coyote has found a way to walk its walk and survive.

Coyotes usually mate for life.  They live in the sides of hills or in underground dens where the family unit is well protected.  They prefer open grassland and thinly wooded brush, but can adapt to almost any environment.  Because of this they have been able to survive and grow in numbers.

I once heard a story about a female Coyote who got caught in a trap and gnawed off her own paw---twice.  At last report she was doing fine, hobbling around on her two front stumps, and she had borne a healthy litter.  Coyotes hunt small game not with speed, but by pouncing and snapping with their jaws.  She was able to do this quite well and was fulfilling her role as a mother.  Those with this medicine will go to extreme measures to protect and nurture family members.  Words that rip and tear another to shreds should be avoided.  Sporadic bursts of energy are common and balanced action is required for ones overall well being.  Excellent caretakers coyote medicine people put other peoples needs before their own.  Care is advised however to give to yourself equally.

In some native tribes the coyote is referred to as the trickster.  I prefer to see the coyote as cunning and clever.  There are many stories about the coyote.  He is known as the great one and the foolish one.  Coyote does not consciously try to trick us, he mirrors our own human capacity for displaying cleverness and stupidity.

Like the coyote we can work with others to get what we want in life, or we can dive into a lake to catch a reflection.  We can send troubles away or invite them carelessly.  When coyote wanders into your life you are being asked to look at something you have been avoiding.  Coyote is our mirror for the lessons we need to learn in order to walk a good sacred road.  It will hold up the mirror relentlessly until we finally get the picture.

Call on coyote as an ally for negotiating a difficult situation.  Or thank him for coming and showing you a trap that you are caught in, or a way that you are fooling yourself.  Coyote is an especially powerful teacher with regard to relationships because it is when we are in a relationship that we can fool ourselves the most.  Coyote is not out there to get us, but to teach us, whether we want to learn or not.

By sayahda and Ted Andrews