Paro the Coyote
Paro is at heart, a trickster, but often he is seen in a positive light. Paro blurs the lines between sage and fool, often playing tricks that lead to a deeper discovery about ones true self. Why the coyote can never be forthcoming with its pupils is impossible to know, and it is infuriating. This could perhaps explain why despite its helpful nature, Paro seems to always feel such loneliness and yearning. Paro is often deceitful, but usually doesn't intend malice. Honesty may be the best policy, but dishonesty is the second best policy.
A trickster spirit, but not malevolent. The days leading up to the Summer Solstice are when Paro shines the brightest; a cluster of ten stars that seem to outline the visage of a coyote. Sitting on its haunches, it howls its endless cry into the void of space. Perhaps more than anything else, its a guardian spirit. None demonstrate this more clearly than the legend about the first Coyote Brush. A shrub known for its hardiness and adaptability, it’s able to thrive in a wide variety of environments because of the various tricks it can employ to aid in its survival. The first of these bushes is said to have grown after a particularly devastating forest fire. From the heavens, Paro wept, raining glittering rain mixed with stardust upon the ashes. When the storm cleared, Coyote Brush grew, signaling the return of life to the desolation. Since then, Coyote brush is always among the first plants to grow after the clearing of a forest. Because they share a common goal, Paro frequently supplies aid to druids, dryads, shamans, witches, and other forest guardians, often whether they know it or not.
Those seeking its aid suffer a particular type of ordeal; as Paro revels in demonstrating its cleverness and trickery. Paro never gives a straight answer to a simple question, responding in clues or riddles that might lead one to insight, or could simply be a wild goose chase. One can never be sure.
There are several rituals that can aid in the outcome, but only if one was in the habit of making offerings to Paro already, and expecting nothing in return. Petty Paro isn’t fond of friends who only honor him when they need something from him. But a few offerings of daffodils, chrysanthemums, and hyacinths throughout the year can help ensure his cooperation.
If one hasn’t been making regular tributes, he can perhaps be mollified by trinkets and treasures featuring his favorite stones; especially citrine, lapis lazuli, and apatite. Humble treasures of the earth complement his features nicely, and could spin his affections toward you in desperate times.
And when it is time to make the request, there aren’t many better than Paro at revealing truths, about someone in particular, or about something being sought. The best way to make a connection to Paro is with the fruits of a harmless trick. A small critter duped harmlessly into a trap, and signaled in some way to be meant for Paro is a powerful way. The more convoluted the trap, the more clever the quarry, the more likely it is to get a response. In your dreams, you might be visited by a person of great beauty regardless of their gender, of an appearance marking them as typical, according to the context of your dream. The one clue that it was actually Paro, is the eyes, bright yellow-white, and dark eye shadow surrounding it. A forgettable remark is often much more meaningful than it appears, and upon awakening, an object has often replaced the trapped prey. Meaningless to anyone who hasn’t shared in this dream, but the beginning of a scavenger hunt for those seeking truth.
A common legend surrounding Paro is when he was supposedly first discovered. A tribe of refugees fleeing from the battle that cost them their home, find themselves starving and lost in a foreign land. They pray desperately to the coyote in the sky that seems to mourn with them. They beg and he ignores them. Only when they’re desperate enough to bargain, does he respond. Suggesting that if they offer a daffodil, a hyacinth, and a chrysanthemum, he will guide them to their new home. Three seekers venture forth in different directions. The first finds a meadow containing daffodils and trips on a rabbit hole. They return with a flower and nourishment. The second finds a trail of hyacinths that leads to a babbling brook, and brings back life-giving water. The third runs into a massive rock-wall, impassable. But seeking the edge, he finds a chrysanthemum, and a secret path leading to a plateau hidden from the world of men. When they return, they realize: they didn’t just find flowers, they found their new home.
Those Born under the Sign of the Coyote
The coyote is clever, fun-loving, and full of guile. Their eyes glowing in the night hint at their ability to see things differently, and to see hidden truths. They are proud to use their cunning minds to get what they want without being forceful. Those born in the days leading to the Summer Solstice under the sign of the howling coyote are often known for being wily and fun-loving. But they’re also known to cry loudly.
A Paro wants to see the funny side of every situation. They often craft humor during dire straits as a way to diffuse tension, though this may not always work, and may have the opposite effect intended. Many times making jokes during times when they should be in despair is extremely off-putting, even offensive, though the Paro usually doesn’t intend that. Yet they often thrive in social situations, where their ability to liven up any group with laughter and joy makes them popular. They tend to make friends easily, though most of these relationships don’t last.
Many excel as diplomats, quickly charming or flirting their way into their counterparts graces, and then stunning them with their incisive wit and elegant solutions. When you have eyes like a coyote, you can use them to identify people’s tendencies, and act accordingly.
But coyotes are also characterized by an insatiable yearning. When they want something, they feel entitled to it. They believe they deserve to get what they want, and they’re not above using creative interpretations of the truth to get it. After all, who knows the truth better than them? For these reasons, those born under Paro’s howling visage are often seen as manipulators who can’t be trusted. But deprive them of what they feel they need and deserve, and be prepared to hear them howl. As the coyote’s howl echoes into the night, so too does the echo of someone born under its sign reverberate again and again until the wrong is made right.
Paro’s should be wary that their tricks and deceits don’t accidentally offend the wrong person. Crossing the line is usually unhealthy; coyotes flinch in the face of brazen combat. With good reason, they aren’t fighters. No, better to use their cunning to distract and confuse their attackers. But a Paro should also be mindful of their vision. A coyote’s eyes can see just as well in darkness as they can in light. It may be difficult to tell when cunning becomes conniving. When harmless tricks become malicious mischief. When harmless deceits become hellbound schemes.
Written by Lanlan.