Thursday, April 16, 2009

The spirit of the wolf


I'm an animal lover, there's no doubt about that. But I feel a special connection with wolves. Perhaps it's their mysteriousness, or cunningness, or maybe it's their resemblance to domestic dogs. The PBS Film, "The Wolf that Changed America", certainly strengthened my reverence for them, as did one of my all time movies, Dances With Wolves.

So when I received an e-mail yesterday from Defender's of Wildlife that said gray wolves in the Rockies, especially Idaho, are in danger it made me very sad. According to them,

Idaho’s Department of Fish and Game has announced that they will target the Buffalo Ridge pack -- and 25 more packs -- for extermination once U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s decision to eliminate life-saving federal protections goes into effect on May 4th.

First of all, I just can't understand how we can still, with all of the knowledge that we have in our midst, still think we have the right to exterminate any species, regardless of what they have done. I really thought we were past the phase in human history where we believe it's o.k. to slaughter wild animals at the drop of a hat. (Wait, what am I thinking, wasn't it just last month that we kept hearing about governor Palin's aerial gunning campaign of the Alaskan wolf?) This exact thinking is what now puts the Mexican Gray wolf on the verge of extinction, and quite certainly will do the same for the Rocky Mountain gray wolves once again.

Fortunately, Defenders of wildlife, is running a campaign to stop this madness by taking legal action and helping ranchers to find alternatives to wolf killing. They are asking for donations to help their efforts, and since I don't have much money to donate, I devised another plan...

I've created a mixed-media painting that is for sale in my Etsy shop. This painting is done on a chip board card with found objects (like the leather strings from old shoes), acrylic, paper, pencil, and marker. I'm selling it for $35 in my shop (shipping included), of which $30 (my profit) will be donated to the Campaign to Save America's Wolves.
...and it was inspired by this poem:

The spirit of the Wolf resides in my heart
Mostly peacefully, yet ever wild
Running in time to the blowing wind
Dancing in the clouds that drift in the Heavens.

The spirit of the Wolf resides in my soul
Longing to hear the song of the Great One
Striving to be that which I am in my natural state
Succeeding only because of the Love that the Universe grants me.

Theme from Dances with Wolves


6 comments:

  1. When you are drawn to a particular animal it is said that they are our animal totem or animal guide. Not sure if you believe in that, but the Indians believe that we have an animal that protects us and is with us all the time, I wouldn't doubt for a minute that the wolf would be yours. Here's what they say about the Wolf Totem: "When a lone wolf is spotted in the wilderness it embodies the energy of freedom. When seen in a pack it embodies a sense of community. If wolf appears to you alone or in a pack it is asking you to acquire the same within your own life. In spite of their negative press wolves are actually friendly, social and highly intelligent." Check out more what they say here: http://www.sayahda.com/cyc5.html

    People should know that we DON"T own the land. It's not for us to claim something that doesn't belong to us in the beginning and we should have respect for all animals that walk within this world. Because humanity is over populated, should we start eliminating them too? Just because? Doesn't make sense, right?


    Julia

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  2. Thanks Julia!
    I went to that webpage and it's really interesting to read...it's nice that they have descriptions of so many animals. There are a lot of things about the wolf that resonates with me. For instance, I both enjoy having my independence and being around people...balancing the two. The other animal that I feel a deep connection with is the buffalo...when I was growing up we had buffalo in the park at the end of my street and we used to go feed them carrots. It's a memory that has stayed strong with me to this day. It says "The buffalo reminds us to give thanks for what we have, to respect all life forms and to honor the integrity of our own divine essence." In away this is something I have always been keenly aware of my whole life...so it would make sense that I have a buffalo spirit guide helping me along. :)

    I also agree with you 100% on your comment about us not owning the land. We are all visitors here and we need to treat this amazing place with respect.

    So, I have a question for everyone then...is there a specific animal that you think is your spirit guide or that you are particularly drawn to?

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  3. Hello Kim,
    Thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful comment on my blog. We DO have a lot in common.
    wonderful to find a kindred spirit here in blogland.
    I love this post about the wolves, your beautiful painting and also such a beautiful poem from dances w/ wolves.
    All the best,
    Krista

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  4. Amen Kim!! It is sad, and I just want to know what kind of world it is that we are leaving for our kids and their kids.....it makes me yearn for what has already been lost. That's why I'm working so hard to help instill a love of nature in my own children.

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  5. I am just going to share my wolf poem that was given to me by a wolf spirit in my dream, although my spirit animal is a Toad.....it is a rather short poem.


    With no one to confide in
    The lone wolf screams his question at the moon
    The sound carries out over emptiness of night
    Only to come back to him
    Unanswered
    Unchanged
    So the wolf stands proud
    And continues to scream

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  6. HearsTheDay,
    Thank you for stopping by my blog and for sharing your beautiful poem. I love it! It's amazing what can happen in our dreams, isn't it?

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