In our Coyote story escaping the cave means successfully completing the Road of Trials. In our story, Coyote symbolically dies to his old way of being by being ritually torn apart by the dancers in the cave. His spiritual death to the old way of being was a metaphorical emptying of his cup so that it might be refilled when he is re-born to his new spiritual self. Once the symbolic death to the old way of being has occurred, the cave has fulfilled its purpose. The time in the ashes is over. It is time to escape the Belly of the Whale and to take up the Road of Trials.
The cave in our Coyote story that represents the Belly of the Whale may be a symbol for many things on the path of the Coyote. At the threshold to the cave, the Seeker may once again face some of the doubts and fears that first surfaced upon his Call to Adventure and his subsequent Refusal of the Call. He may need some time to reflect and meditate upon his journey and the treacherous Road of Trials ahead to find the courage to continue. It is also a time for ritual purification as the Seeker casts aside any remnants of the old ways of being, burning them in the sacred fire of enlightenment.
It is also a time for casting away any lingering self-doubts, regrets, and recriminations. This ritual process of elimination and purification is necessary so that the Seeker may step out of the cave and into the light as an empty vessel for the journey to fill with wisdom.
At this point on the journey of the vision seeker, the transition to the Road of Trials involves caring for others by caring for yourself. Healers love to help people. It’s what we do. Just remember when you are healing people to include yourself in the people being healed. Those of us who nurture and care for others sometimes think it is selfish to take time to care for ourselves.
In fact, just the opposite is true. If we never care for ourselves we will eventually have nothing left to give others. If others depend on us and we allow ourselves to become exhausted or burned out, we won’t be able to do them any good either, so it is highly important to take time out once in a while to recharge our own batteries. One of the best ways to do this is to spend time in nature. So crawl out of that cave and get out into the sunlight!
As the Seeker climbs out of the cave onto the Road of Trials, she is face-to-face with the portion of the path that will test her to the limits of her endurance. It is as if the Universe wishes to evaluate our sincerity and commitment by throwing everything it can at us. The wisdom of the healer on this portion of the journey allows us to care for our own needs as well as the needs of others.
It is also a reminder to know when to lead and when to follow. We don’t have to do it all. We can sometimes delegate and let others take charge for a while, relaxing and following their lead.
The Road of Trials in the Way of the Coyote involves learning a new way of being in the world. It is the way to escape the cave. It is a journey into the unknown and a setting aside of old patterns of thought and behavior. It involves an element of trial and error as we learn to do things in new ways without falling back into old habits. As you contemplate your own Road of Trials, meditate on your answers to the questions below.
Questions to Escape the Cave
As you cross onto the Road of Trials, it may be helpful to escape the cave by meditating on your answers to these questions:
- What rules did you follow in your life before and after your Belly of the Whale experience?
- Who do you follow in your life now? Who did you follow prior to your time in the ashes?
- What things that you have followed in the past might be hindering your walk on the Way of the Coyote?
- What is the key to letting them go and leaving them behind?
- What things that you plan to follow in the future might be helping you to walk on the Way of the Coyote?
- In what ways can you follow a healing path rather than a path of harm?
- In what ways may you use the wisdom of the Coyote to heal others?
- In what ways may you use the wisdom of the Coyote to heal yourself?
As you meditate on your answers to these questions, call upon your own inner healer so that you may heal yourself by healing others. If it helps, you may draw on the archetypal energy of your totem animal’s supernatural aid. You may also wish to burn a bit of healing herb or incense in thanks for the healing you have received while completing this exercise.
Conclude this exercise with a spirit of health and wholeness, knowing that you have already received the healing you need to live in the Way of the Coyote.