The Meaning of The Coyote
The Navajo believe that if a coyote crosses your path, you should turn back. It’s a bad omen. Other native traditions suggest that the coyote might mean good luck. The coyote is a trickster, intelligent, cunning, predatory, and even a shapeshifter. Still, others believed he brought the invitation for transformation through self-reflection.
What if she’s all of those things? (I’ll be switching gender pronouns throughout as it feels right.)
This one crossed my path recently at Griffith Park, a nature preserve spanning 4,210 acres of mountains and wilderness. I didn’t just see him. I rounded a bend on the path as he was coming towards me. He stopped, and we looked at one another. I didn’t move, neither did he. They’re terrified of humans. I suspected he’d come down the mountainside because there were small dogs about. He was coming away from a picnic I’d passed with two small dogs and an infant. People here fear them for that reason.
I remained perfectly still until a noisy couple came near. He looked behind him and darted up the mountain. I took that opportunity to snap his picture.
I’ve seen coyotes a few times before, but never that close, and we’ve never looked one another in the eye, much less exchanged curiosities. I’ve connected…
