Wolf’s Medicine According To Indians: A Reunion With Our Strength
The wolf’s medicine is a medicine of the soul. It has nothing to do with alternative therapies or other derivatives. It got its name because the Indians believe that observing wolves and their behavior helps to heal humans internally.
Native Americans view wolves as sacred animals or totems. They have probably accumulated a considerable amount of knowledge about them over the years, which led them to admire this creature so strongly. They even came to the conclusion that imitating wolves is a way to grow, compensate for wounds and have the ability to move forward despite adversity.
We do not know much about wolf medicine in Western society. In fact, these animals have a bad reputation in our culture. They are antagonists in many children’s stories where they are initially presented as evil beings. It is also the myth of the “werewolf” that is violent and harmful. However, we will soon discover that there are many things we can learn from this animal.
The Wolf: A sacred animal to Indians
The wolf is an animal that has a very defined behavior because it is “ritualistic” in certain aspects. The first has to do with hierarchies, which is quite inflexible among them. The alpha males and alpha females are the undisputed leaders of the herd. Unlike other species, the leader is not necessarily the fastest, but the most skilled and intelligent.
Contrary to popular belief , wolves are neither lonely nor wild. They are very social animals, which explains why they are in herds. If they do something alone, it’s because it’s convenient for their flock. Wolves only resort to violence in extreme cases. They prefer to avoid fighting (or end it as soon as possible). In addition, wolves do not kill them of their own kind.
Indians say that the 3 major forces of wolves are sneaking, invisibility and family protection. These animals do not show their strength or power. Instead, they observe, analyze, and prefer to go unnoticed while doing so. They like to analyze their own environment and calculate their next step. It is impossible for their enemies to see them because they know how to “disappear”. Wolves attack only when necessary and with a strategic plan.
Wolf’s medicine
For Indians, the wolf is a guide. We all have something wolf-related inside us. There are moments in life when we need to take advantage of our brave, wise, and just spirit and let it go. This is basically what the wolf’s medicine is about: resorting to our inner strength and strategic ability to meet important challenges.
Native Americans believe that the spirit of the wolf becomes our temporary ally in certain situations. By this they refer to the circumstances in which the bold, loyal, generous and free facet of us emerges. The spirit of the wolf is ruthless and brave, and therefore it looks like our ally when we decide to do something forbidden or dangerous.
Wolf medicine has something to do with cultivating and allowing this incredible power to come to the surface. Native Americans believe that wolves and witches always go hand in hand and that they feel more comfortable in the dark. This means that our most magical and free facet occurs when no one else is looking at us. Under these conditions, we find a solution to our problems and discover paths we had not seen before.
To wake the wolf we have inside us
According to tradition, the first way to awaken the wolf inside us is to follow our dreams. The wolf’s medicine is above all a reunion with our important strength. Everything that is inside us in the hidden areas of our being comes out of our subconscious in our dreams. That is why it is so important to understand the dream world in order to become better acquainted with ourselves and gain courage.
Similarly, according to wolf medicine, it is fundamental for us to spend more time with ourselves and try to be spectators of our own actions without judgment. The goal of this is to discover the elements of our daily lives that can be obstacles. What binds our spirit? Fear, commitments or past experiences?
The next step is action. If we want to do something, we do not have to wait for the perfect circumstances to arise or for our reality to change. We can start working towards what we want in this moment with determination, generosity and loyalty. According to the wolf’s medicine, the spirit of the wolf will lead our way if we have this attitude.
