Grandmother Moon, Coyote and
the Marriage Renewal Ceremony
Between Mother Earth and Father Sun
photo by A. Mondragon
There was a time when people in all their selfishness forgot to feed Grandmother Moon and she became very skinny. They forgot about how she nurtured seeds into blossoming and cared for the rhythm and the flow of Water and the cycles and seasons of Life. The people forgot that Grandmother Moon gave the caregiving of Life's Cycle's rhythm and resonance inside of women. The people had forgotten that she is Grandmother to Mother Earth and Father Sun, caring for a very special harmony and love between them. The people forgot that she was there when Earth and Sun were born and was midwife for each of their 4 worlds and their children to be born. With people's selfishness they tried to control her cycles and seasons, they polluted and abused water and no longer planted seeds or had children with her blessings. Grandmother Moon was concerned about the people's forgetting because the time was near for a New 5th World to be born from the marriage between Mother Earth and Father Sun.
So one night Grandmother Moon asked Coyote Oldman to help prepare for the marriage renewal between Mother Earth and Father Sun so that people would remember her teachings and come to the ceremony. Coyote Oldman was delighted and honored by the invitation to gather gifts for this wonderful occasion. With his acceptance of the invitation Grandmother Moon gave Coyote Oldman a pouch with tobacco to offer when asking others if they would like to share something for the marriage renewal between Mother Earth and Father Sun.
Coyote ran up the mountains to Birch Woman's home and lay some tobacco at her roots. "Birch Woman would you make a basket for the great marriage renewal ceremony of Mother Earth and Father Sun?" Birch Woman rustled and swayed, uncoiling long wide ribbons of skin, and then asked the winds to weave the basket. The basket looked like a big oval canoe. Coyote Old Man was delighted, thanked Birch Woman, and then balancing the Birch Bark Canoe on his head and tail, headed down the mountain to Oldman Cedar.
Coyote lay some tobacco at Cedar's roots. "Oldman Cedar, will you share a gift to Mother Earth and Father Sun for their marriage renewal ceremony?" Coyote Oldman asked.
Oldman Cedar's leaf tufts fluttered and fell into the Birch Bark Canoe making a fragrant soft lining. "Thank you very much !" Coyote Oldman said smiling.
Feeling good about his preparations Coyote Oldman headed toward Standing Stones. Coyote came to the gathering of the tall Standing Stones and lay the Birch Bark Canoe down before talking to them.
photo by A. Mondragon
"Oh Ancient Ones, it is me, Coyote. Would you like to share a gift to Mother Earth and Father Sun for their marriage renewal ceremony?" Coyote said, as he lay tobacco upon their feet.
There was a low deep moving rumble, and then seven round stones rolled out from within the Standing Stones and came to rest at Coyote Oldman's paws. Coyote thanked the Standing Stones, and thanked each round stone as he placed them carefully in a seven direction pattern at the center of the Birch Bark Canoe.
Coyote Oldman once again carefully lifted and balanced the Birch Bark Canoe on his head and tail and then went to Meadow's Lake. Meadow's Lake lush, grass, fur, swayed and danced as Coyote Oldman approached sprinkling the tobacco offering. "Meadow's Lake, you are so calm and peaceful, i am on a journey to prepare for Mother Earth and Father Sun's marriage renewal ceremony. Would you like to share a gift for this great occasion?"
Meadow's Lake rhythmically rippled weaving sweet fragrant grass braids along her shore. Coyote Oldman gathered them, and placed them in rows at the back of the Birch Bark Canoe. "Thank you Meadow's Lake" Coyote said, and again balanced the Birch Bark Canoe on this head and tail.
The Birch Bark Canoe was getting heavier for Coyote, so he went down the ravine to Mountain River Woman. Coyote lay the Birch Bark Canoe on the riverside and gave a tobacco offering to river. "Greetings Mountain River Woman, will you share a gift to Mother Earth and Father Sun for their marriage renewal ceremony?"
Mountain River Woman's eyes twinkled as she sang and flow-weaved a song of a Waterbird that flew to the front of the Birch Bark Canoe. Coyote Oldman thanked her, and said, " Mountain River Woman, the Birch Bark Canoe is getting heavier for this Oldman, would you take me and the canoe to Grandmother Ocean?" Mountain River Woman agreed to help Coyote with bubbling laughter.
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Coyote Oldman carefully slid the Birch Bark Canoe into the river and leaped in. Mountain River Woman flowed slowly, meandering this way and that toward a far off horizon where Grandmother Ocean was beyond. The combination of river's flow and the fragrance of the cedar and sweetgrass soon put Coyote into a dream that turned into a path of stars and swirling rainbows spiraling within the Milk and Honey Galaxy. Coyote danced joyfully from star to star, dressed in a dark purple robe and a cap made from his favorite turquoise bandana. "wow!" Coyote Oldman said, happily sprinkling tobacco here and there on rays of starlight, "Starlight, starlight, would you like to share a gift for Mother Earth and Father Sun's marriage renewal ceremony?"
Fireflies fluttered out from the starlight rays and gathered like drops of dew on Coyote's robe. Then Coyote jumped and floated on Moon's glistening petals of light that came to lay softly on Grandmother Ocean. Splash ! Salty sweet drops of water awoke Coyote. Coyote sat up in the Birch Bark Canoe and looked around and was going to wipe the water off his face and instead found that fireflies were resting on his fur. The canoe was rocking gently with Grandmother Ocean as a Dolphin laughed and nudged the canoe. Coyote Oldman looked at Dolphin, wanting to shake his coat like a wet dog, but didn't and instead gave a pinch of tobacco in the direction of Dolphin. "Heya Dolphin, really good to see you. I'm helping prepare for Mother Earth and Father Sun's marriage renewal ceremony…. ummmm, i need some help, or rather would you like to share a gift to them?" Dolphin laughed and splashed Coyote again, then went for a long dive. Coyote really wanted to shake and roll now that he was covered with firefly starlight and ocean's waterdrops.
As Coyote sat in the Birch Bark Canoe, he realized that he was in the middle of Grandmother Ocean, with no paddle, not sure where home is, covered in salty-sweet water and starlight fireflies …. aaannnnd the thought that he may not get back by morning for the marriage between Mother Earth and Father Sun began to caw like a hunger in his belly.
Dolphin emerged from Grandmother Ocean, tossed a Conch shell into the canoe, and laughed. "Thank you Dolphin", Coyote said a bit forlorn, and Dolphin went on another dive before Coyote could say another word. Coyote Oldman, sat in the rocking canoe looking at the Conch shell. Hmmm Coyote thought about his situation, and then he asked the Firefly Starlight if they would live in the conch shell just until the marriage renewal ceremony. The Firefly Starlight spiraled off of Coyote's fur and filled the conch shell.
photo by Kathrin Bacher of a Thailand Dolphin bringing up a conch shell
Then Coyote began rather slowly, "Thank you, all of you, thank you, for sharing your gifts for the marriage renewal between Mother Earth and Father Sun. However, am not too sure about where we are, or how to get to the ceremony from here." None of the gifts responded, so Coyote sat in the Birch Bark Canoe swaying and bobbing with Grandmother Ocean. Coyote took out the pouch that Grandmother Moon gave him and saw that there was not very much tobacco left inside. He took a small pinch and held it, thinking about what he would say on his behalf to Grandmother Ocean.
"Grandmother Ocean" Coyote Oldman began, " please hear me, am giving you this offering of tobacco. Please make your waters take us to the shores of Mother Earth and Father Sun's marriage renewal ceremony". Grandmother Ocean did not respond to Coyote, as she had begun to swell and pulse dance in her long curling shawl of oceanwave foam. Coyote now more concerned decided on a more challenging request.
He took another small pinch of the remaining tobacco and offered the tobacco to the Winds. "Hear me Winds, this is Coyote Oldman, will you share your winds for Mother Earth and Father Sun's marriage renewal ceremony?" and then added
" and blow me and our gifts to the ceremony?"
A warm firm breeze slowly rose, raising and stretching Grandmother Ocean's swells into vast round mountains. "Uh oh", Coyote thought as mountains and valleys of Ocean grew far and wide. He looked inside the small tobacco bag, only a pinch and a few morsels of tobacco remained. Coyote decided to lean over the side of the canoe and paddle with his paws …which only made his stomach caw and his mouth dry. Coyote sat back in the canoe feeling woozy as Grandmother Ocean's valleys were now so deep that he could only see a small window of the night sky.
Feeling lost and hungry in the vast ocean beneath the sky Coyote had one last pinch of tobacco to offer.
" Oh Grandmother Moon, Grandmother Moon,
am now skinny like you,
so here is the last of the tobacco
am offering to you
and for me
to help the gifts get to the ceremony." Coyote said as the last pinch of the tobacco drifted from his paw.
Coyote sat in the canoe still and quiet, waiting, watching, as Grandmother Moon's belly began to swell. As she grew bigger and rounder, Grandmother Ocean stretched and grew and grew until Coyote, the Birch Bark Canoe and the gifts were on top of a big Ocean Mountain that touched the Sky. Coyote could now see lavender and the first glimmer of the Morning Star that welcome the coming of Father Sun, yet there was no earth to be seen.
"Oh Grandmother Moon, Grandmother Moon" Coyote cried out as Grandmother Moon gave Ocean a huge swell and wave to the great Ocean Mountain, tossing Coyote the Canoe and all the gifts high into the night Sky.
ocean by freeslideshow.com
Around and around, upside down, out and in, they all went. Everything went dark. Coyote could not see anything and felt cold, hungry and lonely. "Well maybe i have died." thought Coyote and he felt around for the small tobacco bag Grandmother Moon had given him. He opened it carefully hoping that the few morsels of tobacco had not fallen out in the tossing of the canoe. He tapped the bag loosing the last few morsels of tobacco into his paw. Closing his fingers around the tobacco and holding it to his heart, he said, "Oh sacred gifts that have been offered for Mother Earth and Father Sun's marriage renewal ceremony, here we are together. This old Coyote can't get to the ceremony alone, however maybe together we will find a way there." He opened his hand and let the few morsels of tobacco fall with gratitude for life, from his paw.
"Firefly Starlight bless us with your warmth and light !" Coyote sang out. The Fireflies spiraled out of the conch shell and swirled around. Coyote could now see the Stones in front of him. The Stones gave a low hum inviting the Firefly Starlight to join them. The Stones and Firefly Starlight began to glow and become hot. Where the Stones touched the Cedar a smoke began to rise filling the whole canoe with billowy clouds of smoke. Coyote picked up the Conch shell and blew it four times. The first time he blew to the west, and the cedar smoke turned into rainclouds , the second time he blew to the north and the sweetgrass turned into seven ancient ones glistening in the sky, the third time he blew to the east and the Waterbird sang, the fourth time he blew to the south … raindrops fell on the stones creating a great billowing cloud and lightning flashed from Waterbird's song and rhythmically thundered in coyote's heart. Then a great burst of of blue white light created a rainbow …. whoosh ….a doorway opened.
"Lelelele, welcome home Coyote Oldman!"
Coyote crawled out from the upside down and turned around mouth of the canoe, stood up, and smiled at all of his relatives. The morning Sun began to bathe Mother Earth and warm ribbons of green blossomed. Stones peered out from the bubbling stream and white billowing clouds danced in the turquoise sky where Grandmother Moon in her fullness could be seen even in the new day's light. A Tree laden with multicolored flowers stood in the center of the meadow surrounded by Cedar and Birch Trees. Coyote joined the big circle of his relatives singing, drumming and dancing the Waterbird song for the renewal of the marriage between Mother Earth and Father Sun.
~*~
May we remember that love, gratitude, generosity and our life ways are born with the heartbeat and rhythm with All Life.
May we remember that the first water drum Creationing made is our Womb/Hara.
~*~
Elementals of this story:
The following are my meanings to the elements of this story that have come with gratitude for living life, ceremony, listening and being with, the natural world... for All Life has voice, song and teachings to share with us. May you nourish your relationship with the natural world medicines that bring you joy, health and harmony with All Life.
Water is our first Medicine. Water is the caregiving, energizing and resonating element of prayers, feelings, dreams and visions. What we think, feel and how we relate with water resonates within and all around us. We are made of water, birthed from water and can not live without water, this is why we love, respect and caregive Water of Life. All of our songs and prayers permeate and continuously travel within water's cycle of life and forms, everywhere.
The Conch shell spirals like life and Conch's sound calls forth from the seen and unseen, and awakens our pineal gland, which is the receptor of being able to perceive life from an illuminated state of Being. The Conch energizes the resonance of the Breath of Life.
Dolphin journeys with joy deep within the realms of knowing and intuition.
Plant Medicines interconnect our roots with Mother Earth and Father Sky.
Sweetgrass is the medicine calling forth and offering to our ancestors and interconnects us with past, present and future simultaneously.
Cedar sends our present prayers to Creationing, and is healing medicine.
Tobacco is an offering to the spirit within all life forms. We never take without giving, or take more than we need. This is a balance that is to be respected. We also ask to enter and acknowledge where we are and who lives wherever we are…be whom is the forest, waters, plains, mountains etc...
Birds are our prayer messengers, they fly between earth and sky, between the seen and unseen worlds. The Waterbird caregives our prayers of wise ways, protection, blessings, healing forgiveness and gratitude. They are also guardians of lightning, thunders and rain. In the southwest Rain comes to say our prayers have been heard and answered.
Fireflies are one of the "little people" or guardians of the spark, flame and spirit of fire and starlight. They give illumination to one's journey and are made from Stars. Long ago the first firekeepers, were women Fireflies who made small pottery traveling houses to carry coals and sparks in them, to start the family fires wherever they traveled to.
Coyote is a trixster, helper and reminds us that humor is a great healer and teacher.
Rainbows are blessings of Joy, Peace, Beauty and Harmony
Thank you for listening.
A.M. July 2014
coyote in a canoe by wikipedia
