sacred coyote

close encounters with wild ones is an experience i treasure with so much gratitude and reverence for great spirit - reminding me of our interconnectedness with all living beings...

it is hard for me to share experiences verbally with others as it feels the words that come out of my mouth are not adequate for the experience of awe and wonder i have felt by the encounter...

it can feel as though i am desacralizing (de-sacred-izing) the experience in some way and not honoring to the fullest extent the life of the other being.

momo has taught in workshops that when one dances with 'other', it can be helpful to ask what dance IT would like to witness... while dancing daily for YearOfButoh in 2009 i had many encounters with animal beings that seemed to be drawn to the dance... who would look on with what appeared to be so much fascination... not common for them to see a two-legged being dancing in the wildness!

tonight brooke and i walked into the park after dark to a location i had seen a few nights before that had dramatic shadows from a nearby tree against an abandoned barn. my intention was to do a shadow dance - dancing with my shadow side...

'like the moon,

we hide half of ourselves

beautiful moon,

show me your dark side..."

drew dellinger

as we began filming, out of the dark a coyote appeared and walked within feet of where i was standing. it first snatched my mitten which i had put down on the earth beside me to do my dance but then soon after dropped the mitt and headed into the shadows. when i began dancing with my own shadow, it reappeared and for over 15 minutes stayed with us to witness my dance... at one point, it sat close by in the grass in the shadow of a light post and seemed to be riveted by the dance... ancient eyes peering from the shadows...

when we were leaving, it walked beside us along the trail for many yards in the grassy field...

this is my dance honoring sacred coyote... spirit ally who lives in the south, i give thanks to you, i honor you... please help me to remember humor and joy... our child-like innocence... may our hearts be full... oh ally of the south i dance in awe of you... oh great spirit, i give thanks to you...

music: satowa

gratitude for brooke for filming

see my butoh mentor's beautiful blog here: maureen 'momo' freehill

and one of my favorite daily dances of momo's from 2009 - dancing with elk in the colorado alpine: 'antler face'