POWER ANIMALS
Robin parents share in feeding their young - on an average of once every twelve minutes. This is necessary since young robins are born without feathers. It takes several months of growth before young robins are able to take care of themselves. This speaks highly of the tenacity of the robin, and its dedication to the family unit.
Rabbit
Fear
How many times have your heard someone say the phrase "breeds like rabbits"? The story is told how Rabbit once was a brave warrior who was befriended by an Eye Watcher, a kindly spirit who gave it water to drink and food to eat. Rabbit followed her faithful friend up the mountain, glancing away for just a moment causing Rabbit to tumble down the mountain. When Eye Watcher ran toward Rabbit to see if she was hurt, Rabbit tried to hide for she was afraid. When Eye Watcher asked Rabbit why she was hiding, Rabbit said that she was afraid because following Eye Watcher had caused her to fall. Eye Watcher was furious with Rabbit and cursed rabbit to be the "caller of fear" who is often startled by its own shadow. Rabbit reminds us not to be afraid. Fearful thoughts reproduce (like rabbits) and bring the very thing we fear.
The Rabbit and His Friend
The rabbit wanted some peanuts cooked, but he wasn't allowed to have any. He said (to his wife), I'm going to the ball game. A friend of mine will arrive here. You must cook him dinner - you might cook him some peanuts - when he finishes eating, tell him to come over to the ball game."
When he walked out some distance from the house, he took out one of his eyes. (He had said to his wife, "You will certainly know him (the friend) because he has one eye.) Sure enough he took out one of his eyes and put it on a stump, left it there and went back home. When he got home, he was fed all the peanuts he wanted.
(No! When he arrived, he had two eyes because when the "friend" arrived, it was he who arrived. The peanuts had been cooked, and he ate all he wanted and then left. He wanted to tell a lie about it, so he took out his eye.)
"They hit me in the eye at the ball game and made me blind forever."
This was the story that he wanted people to believe, they say. That's all.
Coyote
Trickster
Different tribes assign different meanings to each animal, but the association of the Trickster to that of the coyote is by far the most predominant popularized today. Studying the traits, habitats, and surroundings of any animal can give one an insight into its spiritual significance. Coyote is said to trick the learner into the lesson, almost giving one the notion that things are not as they seem, until the lesson is done and the wisdom gained.
Coyote medicine is powerful. In moving from one disaster to the next, Coyote tricks himself into moving through spiritual quests in such a way that lessons learned from his antics cannot be ignored. It has been said that humor is a great medicine, maybe that is why it is associated with Coyote. If we can learn to laugh at ourselves, then we have indeed been blessed with understanding Coyote medicine.
Spider
Weaving
Spider is another medicine that varies greatly from tribe to tribe. One tribe has associated the white man with spider medicine. Their prophecy says that when the white man (Spider) has connected all of his power (electrical) lines and forms a great web over the earth, then his world will burn and he will be destroyed.
Another tribe speaks of the Spider Woman who weaves existence together like great strands of a web. Learning the stories of the Spider Woman can help one understand that we are all connected. By dishonoring one, we dishonor ourselves.