How are you living with your Wolves?
Have you ever pondered the parable of the two wolves living inside you? It’s a powerful message, indeed, but here’s why I think it’s completely untrue.
Have you ever pondered the parable of the two wolves living inside you? It’s a powerful message, indeed, but here’s why I think it’s completely untrue.
There’s an old Native American Parable about two wolves.
In the tale, a grandfather teaches his grandson that within the grandfather there is a fight. It’s a fight between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, self-pity, lies,
arrogance and all the dark sides of the ego. The other is good – he is full of kindness and love and forgiveness.
The grandson asks, “In this fight, which wolf wins?”
To which the old man replies, “The one you feed.”
It’s a powerful parable about the battle between good and evil raging inside us.
Inside… each and every one of us.
In my mind I always see two wolves in a cage. One white, one black. I see snow falling and I see a man approach. He’s arrived by sled and he’s come to feed the wolves and they watch him approach; each one on opposite sides of the cage.
It’s a powerful message to teach us that we should feed the good, the kindness and the love inside us. It implies that by feeding the good and the love and the kindness we turn our backs on the darkness and shame.
It’s a powerful message. But its completely untrue.
Why?
This story indicates a few things.
There are two wolves.
There is a person (the grandfather) who feeds the wolves.
The person must feed one or the other wolf. This means there is a choice to feed one or the other wolf.
Feeding both is not addressed. But it should be. And that’s why.
Let’s look at logistics.
Here’s two wolves in a cage. One white. One black.
Let’s assume both wolves are alpha-males. I’d imagine they’d stay on opposite sides of the cage, right? When they’re not fighting, that is.
It’s a powerful parable about the battle between good and evil raging inside us.
Inside… each and every one of us.
Both of these wolves will go for the food first.
They’ll tear off a piece and eat it, then another.
Only on the last piece would they bicker.
There they are, minding their own business. Then some guy in a parka and a beanie and boots (ugh!) arrives and throws armfuls of food into the cage. Hocks of ham and legs of lamb and bullion of beef, along with some kibble and maybe a chicken or ten. He might even give them some water or beer, or vodka, if they are Siberian wolves.
Both of these wolves will go for the food first. They’ll tear off a piece and eat it, then another. Only on the last piece would they bicker.
Have you ever fed two dogs at once? Dog-lovers, help me out on this.
Point being, that when the man leaves, both wolves have been fed.
Now, let’s say he took both wolves into separate cages and then fed only the white wolf. All of that juicy, yummy food only went to the white wolf. The white wolf gorges himself on the food. Then the man takes both wolves and puts them into the same cage.
First of all, the black wolf is looking at the man, saying, “WTF, dude?” The white wolf is lying in a corner all fat and happy. Tongue lolling, wishing he had a snuggy to curl up into.
Then the black wolf thinks, “Hmm… whitey over here is all sluggish and droopy…” So black wolf gets in on white wolf, because black wolf is actually fighting for his life; and oh… surprise-surprise suddenly white wolf is red-stained wolf.
Red wolf’s legs are not twitching from pleasant dreams. Not anymore.
Black wolf is enjoying digestive-state nutrients. His nose is red. His eyes are red. There’s electricity coruscating along his body and his hackles are made from steel.
White wolf dead. Black wolf strong.
And tummy full.
And when the man returns, black wolf gets all the grub. Please rub tummy.
The white wolf was a sacrifice. And the food-guy is next.
Do you get it?
If you feed only one, the other one will fight for its life and it might, actually… will probably… win.
Now the man has only one wolf. And it wants more. It needs more.
So the man feeds it because that’s all that he has left to feed. He has only his darkness left to feed. He allowed his darkness to kill his light.
Is that you?
Are you standing outside the cage, mourning the death of your white wolf? Are you standing there with arms laden with food to give only to your darkness?
Go ahead.
Feed your darkness.
You don’t have a choice. You have to feed the wolves… only now its wolf.
And if only the dark one is left… Guess who’s going to get big and strong and break the cage and eat you?
And now you have a long list of regrets.
If only you’d fed them both.
I say feed them both. Both wolves.
I say feed them and rub their bellies and maybe their ears. Let them sit beside you and slobber. Let them lick your face and wag their tails.
Harness them both to your sled. For two are more powerful than one.
You can train them both. You need to work with both of them.
The white wolf should chase after it’s prey, just as you should chase your goals. The black wolf should howl at the moon, just as you should cry about your darkness; resolve your darkness.
Yes.
Cry.
I say feed both wolves.
Harness them both to your sled. For two are more powerful than one.
Your darkness is not here to harm you or others. Its here to teach you something.
The howl of the black wolf is the expression and the embrace of your darkness.
I’m not an expert on wolves. Or Light. Or darkness. But I’ve seen my wolves. Mysty the Majestic and Vargan the Vengeful (Names may change as I get to know them better).
I’ve seen my wolves and I’m working with them.
And, I dare say, I have a rather splendid sled.
Your darkness is not here to harm you or others. Its here to teach you something.
The howl of the black wolf is the expression and the embrace of your darkness.
Harness it, channel it, give it voice in constructive ways so that it may run alongside the white wolf when both are tethered to your sled. Mysty’s harness is made of fine raiment and sparkling beads. Vargan’s harness is made from lighting and leather.
We live in duality. We live on a plane where you can’t have light without dark. We are dualistic creatures. We have both light and darkness inside us.
You need a way to let the light shine and you need to find a way to embrace your darkness. Just not in a Dexter Morgan kind of way.
You need to acknowledge that the darkness exists. Then you need to make friends with it; find it, tame it, channel it, harness it. You need to rub their bellies and let them slobber on you, without hurting anybody else. And without hurting you. This takes time. This takes patience. And a lot of meditation.
Both the light and the dark need expression. In my blog about humility (Insert Link) I mentioned that humility is knowing your place in the Universe; and harnessing both wolves is part of that.
When anger flares, that’s the darkness. It’s not, actually, meaning harm to anybody. It’s meaning to teach you something.
Acknowledge it. Give it voice; and when that howl is channeled to the moon then the rage is reduced and something may come of it that you never expected. It’s curious, you know - when Vargan farts, flowers bloom.
Our darkness serves our light because the channeling of the darkness can create change within you, create transmutation and resolution or revelation and it can bring something into the light and then the light is stronger.
The white wolf runs on purpose. The black wolf runs on resolve.
Together they are stronger.
Two wolves running alongside; pulling one sled.
Can you see them? Both of those powerful wolves – those powerful forces - harnessed, charging forward, tongues lolling, eyes ablaze, fixed on target, focused on purpose?
I can see them.
The snow doesn’t bother them. They bark occasionally. I’d like to think they’re sharing a joke in wolf-tongue; but I think they’re excited because the person in the sled can reach their destination, faster, with greater clarity.
And my wolves know that a feast awaits them both. And they don’t have to fight about it.
You need to feed both wolves. Because you can’t run from either of them without losing your sled.
Besides, who would see a wolf starve?
And then, I must mention, that in the story of the two wolves there’s a party that’s often overlooked.
And that’s you.
Your free will. Your choice.
Your consciousness.
Are you running from your darkness only to find it catches and devours you?
Then…
Isn’t it time you stopped fighting with yourself and tried uniting with yourself?
If you have two wolves inside you, then you also have the sled. Don’t lose your sled.
It’s time you journeyed within and resolved your darkness.
It’s time to harness white and black; light and dark.
It’s time to let both wolves run.
You need to feed both wolves. Because you can’t run from either of them without losing your sled.
I’m not an expert on wolves. Or Light. Or darkness. But I’ve seen my wolves. I’ve seen my wolves and I’m working with them.
I can help you work with yours.
Book an appointment.