Wolf medicine found me long before I knew what it was. Ever since I was young, I would have wolf dreams. If you’ve worked with me, you know I teach that everything in a dream should be treated as an aspect of self. When I was little, though, wolf dreams were scary! I usually found myself frightened, timid, or seeking escape.
My Wolf Dreams
In my late teens, I had another one. In this dream, a pack of wolves was running through the woods toward me. This time, instead of running, I turned toward them. As they drew closer, I began to tremble in fear, but my heart was ready for them. They began to merge into one. Once it was upon me, I reached out my hand, turned the wolf into a ball, caught it, and rolled it back out to the woods. I didn’t know what it meant, but it felt different than the other dreams. I was enamored.
Power Animals as Shadow Selves
A few years later, I began a deep study of shamanism and spiritual leadership. A woman in one of my classes shared a dream about Cougar trying to get into her house. I found myself asking, “Did you let it in?” It seemed clear to me that if she was always trying to keep it out, she would experience it always trying to get in. I could also see this was a power animal of hers, so why wouldn’t she want it in her house?
And then I remembered my wolf dream.
Many people think of power animals (or spirit animals) as animals that are a lot like them. This can be true to an extent, but often they are also our shadow selves. They represent the part of ourselves we either fear having, need to learn from, OR DON’T THINK WE ARE.
What Wolf Medicine Teaches
Wolves are known for many things: their instincts, their steadiness, and their supernatural power. They are loyal. They embody wildness. They use their body, their voice, and their sharp senses to heal.
Wolf had been a shadow to me because, for many years, I feared seeing myself in my power. I knew I was called to be a spiritual leader. I knew I was wildly magical, but I kept it secret. I knew I was a genius healer, but I kept it tucked away under the guise of humility.
Welcoming Wolf Medicine Into My Life
I started to work with Wolf in ceremony and journey work and welcomed it into my life. It taught me how to use its howl to call in my power. It taught me how to hold steady my vision when I’m floating off in the swirl of indecision.
Our relationship continues to grow. I know I still hold some timidness around this wild and mysterious creature, and I love the dance we have of getting to know one another more deeply each year.
If you have been hearing the call of an animal messenger, or perhaps one has been stalking you, stop and listen. It has a teaching for you. Welcome it home, and let wolf medicine or whichever medicine is calling you show you what’s ready to be seen.
If you’ve been noticing animal messengers, recurring dream symbols, or parts of yourself asking to be seen, it may be a sign that your spiritual gifts are beginning to surface in a deeper way.
When Your Power Is Ready to Come Home
If you’re a practitioner, you may know what it’s like to keep your gifts tucked away under humility, playing small with clients even though you know how much you carry. The Way of the Hollow Bone Master Healer Certification is a nine-month path for healers ready to welcome their power home, deepen their work with spirit helpers, and step into their practice fully seen. Apply now if you’re ready to stop hiding your medicine.