Elk wandered through the forest looking for a partner. The mating season
was in full swing, and the bucks that usually traveled with the other
males had dispersed to find mates for the season. As Elk bellowed his
mating call through the forest, his bugling alerted Mountain Lion that a
feast could be in the making.
Mountain Lion circled Elk, getting closer to his prey moment by moment.
Elk sensed the impending danger when the forest grew suddenly silent. He
broke for the high country when he spotted his pursuer, but Mountain
Lion was far behind. As Elk made a running leap for the timberline,
Mountain Lion gained on him, but Elk continued to run onward, displaying
tremendous stamina. Finally Mountain Lion gave up, having spent his
energy in spurts as he tried to jump over boulders to reach Elk. Elk
paced himself, making headway as he climbed skyward toward the high
country. Elk had no other defense except his ability to go the distance,
setting a pace that allowed him to utilize his stamina and energy to the
fullest.
Elk medicine teaches that pacing yourself will increase your stamina.
Elk medicine people may not be the first ones to arrive at a goal, but
they always arrive without getting burned out. If you have taken on too
much recently, it might be a good idea to look at how you plan to finish
what you have started without ending up in the hospital.
Elk have a curious kind of warrior energy because, except at mating
time, they honor the company of their own gender. They can call on the
medicine of brotherhood or sisterhood. In discovering the strength which
is gained from loving the gender that is your own, you will feel the
comradeship that arises from similarity of experience. tis is a special
medicine that allows the friendship of others of your same sex to
overcome potential competition or jealousy.
If you have picked Elk medicine, you may be telling yourslef to seek the
company of your own gender for awhile. You may need a support group to
realign yourself with the stamina of the warrior/warrioress energy that
you are a part of. This communication with others of your own sex allows
you to air your feelings in safety and to get feedback from others who
have had the same experiences. You may need a new sense of community---
communication in unity.
Elk could also be telling you to look at how you are holding up
physically to the stresses of your life, and to pace yourself so that
you maintain an equilibrium of energy over the distance you plan to
cover. Vitamins or high-energy foods may be one solution, along with
some personal quiet time for replenisment.
CONTRARY:
If Elk has appeared in the reverse position, you may be stretching the
rubber band to the breaking point. Be careful of undue stress levels, or
you might just create an illness to force you to take a break.
On another level, you may not be honoring your desire for companionship
with the opposite sex, and you may have forgotten the excitement of
mating season. If this is the case, you may find that your best option
is to invite friends of the opposite sex for dinner or an afternoon
outing. This is not to say that you would be sexually interested in
these friends; it is merely suggesting that the exchange of opposite
energies could be rewarding.
If you are in a relationship, it may be that the honeymoon is waning and
that you need to stir up some excitement. Persistently creating a
"change of pace" is the kind of stamina needed for any relationship to
last.
In all cases, Elk is telling you to look at how you choose to create
your personal pathway, and how you intend to perpetuate it to reach your
goal. Your best weapon is the same as Elk's: to stop when you need to,
to persist when you need to, and to allow room for change and exchange
of energies.
