An old Cherokee Indian was speaking to 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 is evil--he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret,
greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority,
lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good
-- he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and
faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside
every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a long minute, and
then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one I feed."
1
The U.S. election season has taken a sharp, angry, ugly turn
in recent days. Advertising is increasingly negative. Disturbing
rhetoric has found its way into partisan rallies. Meanwhile,
the spine-tingling tumble of the financial system colors the
atmosphere with a deep shade of tension and fear. Even in
a country with a long tradition of mean-spirited and divisive
election cycles, this one is shaping up to be something special
- and not in a good way. At this Full Moon in Aries, it would
appear that the angry, wounded wolf is temporarily winning
the battle for the supper dish.
I've been monitoring the extraordinary pageant of recent
events from my laptop computer, voraciously consuming political
blogs and marveling at the vicious comments left by readers,
and it's beginning to affect the way I perceive my everyday
world. I watch videos, captured at rallies, of zealous partisans
shouting for violence, and I worry that those few faces, twisted
with hatred, reflect a wider trend. In shops, on the freeway,
simply walking down the street, I suddenly feel prone. The
guy bagging my groceries smiles, but if he knew and disagreed
with my political views, would he throw something heavy onto
my carton of eggs? I survey the views expressed on the bumpers
of my fellow motorists' cars, and I wonder whether, if I displayed
a bumper sticker in support of my candidate or cause, I would
be harassed by motorists who disagreed with my preference.
Yet this morning, after watching the Dow Jones Industrial
Index plunge another 500 points and catching up on my blogs,
I took a little bicycle ride around my neighborhood and everything
seemed pretty normal. There were no anguished investors hurling
themselves from the roofs of their houses, no disgruntled
voters wielding pitchforks and lighted torches. Birds sang,
motorists waved at me, and neighbors smiled and bid me good
morning as they walked their dogs.
So which is reality… the twisted, angry faces in
those videos, shouting for blood? Or the smiling faces
of my neighbors? Well, both. But by choosing our response
to this reality, choosing what we will focus upon - we decide
which wolf gets fed.
When I overfeed my vicious, wounded Aries wolf by gorging
on incendiary blog posts and reader comments, I'm nurturing
a reality of vengeance and violence. This morning, as I enjoyed
the world's abundant blessings and shared friendly interactions
with others (Libra), I was feeding, grooming, and loving the
wolf of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
But although the story of the wolves is a good metaphor,
I prefer to think that the "evil" wolf - Aries/Mars
energy that has become corrupt and twisted - can be rehabilitated.
I prefer to think the wolf is simply wounded or sick, and
that's why it's behaving so badly. I like to think that if
we could heal that wolf and assure him that he still has a
place in the pack, then he can become what he was meant to
be: an effective, energetic, and beautiful alpha wolf, the
leader and protector of his pack.
It's not that Libra is "good" and Aries is "bad"
- but certainly the wolves in the old Cherokee's story describe
the archetypal Libra at its best (the "good" wolf)
and Aries at its worst (the "bad" wolf). The Libran
wolf in the story represents the need for harmony and teamwork
within the pack. The Aries wolf represents the competition
for scarce resources. Each needs the other for survival, but
as with all opposing signs, it's important to get the balance
right. For too long, the wolf of violence, greed, and arrogance
has been overfed and has become domineering. And now, as the
pendulum begins to swing in another direction, the dominant
wolf, fearing for his survival, begins to snarl and bite.
Make no mistake: This wolf is inside all of us. It
knows no political party, no religion, no gender; it's part
of our common evolutionary urge to survive and to dominate.
It is not inherently evil. But when society loses its balance
and this wolf becomes dangerous, it must be confronted before
it can be rehabilitated. This takes action and courage; and
fortunately, the positive side of Aries is the ability to
bravely confront whatever threatens the wellbeing of the pack.
Whatever your political beliefs, striking balance during
this Libra/Aries Full Moon offers some vital challenges.
Instead of exciting your lower instincts with messages of
anger, attacks, and retaliation, feed your positive Aries
warrior wolf by taking positive action to support your beliefs.
Volunteer time or money to causes that inspire you and elevate
others. Refuse to denigrate other points of view. Be guided
by fairness and compassion, and prepare to stand firm against
intolerance and violence.
There is a fight going on inside you, and me, and every other
person, too. Which wolf will win? The one we feed.
1 From "Is the Fourth Estate a Fifth Column?
Corporate media colludes with democracy's demise,"
by Bill Moyers. Retrieved October 10, 2008, from www.InTheseTimes.com.
