Fox Medicine at the Sacred Fire Schoolhouse

In my home I am experimenting with living in community to practice ecovillage law, and I am learning that community extends beyond humans… to FOX!

Fox paid me a visit Friday, just before I left for a short visit to East Hampton to enjoy the beach in the Indian summer I never did during the real summer. I also drove an older friend, Rose to see her ailing mother upon her return home, to visit a new friend Victor who offered to visit me at my homestead in exchange, to retrieve my pillow a guest accidentally took and to meet up with a childhood friend, Tara, whom I hadn’t seen in decades.

So it was curious how Fox appeared and attacked my chickens just before my departure, making me feel as if I shouldn’t leave the homestead. During a contentious work zoom meeting, I suddenly notice Fox gliding swiftly in and around my chickens while they scattered about towards my window. I instantly left the meeting, which curiously was experiencing internet difficulties simultaneously, and ran outside yelling, “Fox don’t eat my chickens!” I saw Fox dragging my silver laced Wyndotte by the neck towards the forest and I kept running at him, yelling at him to drop my chicken. Not two feet from him did he finally look up sheepishly and run away up the hill into the forest, with me in hot pursuit, still yelling. I came back down the hill and little Wyndotte was bobbing her head back and forth, shaking her feathers, seemingly okay. Wooh!

Then while in East Hampton, I met Steve Anderson, who told me the parable from A Language Older Than Words of making a deal with Fox , and amends, not to eat chickens and providing a weekly offering in exchange.

Upon my return home, on Monday, the Fox reappeared, this time in the front of the house with the chickens heading towards my view again, and the Americana in his mouth. I ran out yelling and choosing anger again, forgetting the parable. Fox dropped the Americana, leaving a poof of feathers, and ran down the street as I yelled at him again not to eat my chickens. He looked back at me from the middle of the road, disappointed and hurt, as if he knew I knew better, and my not acknowledging his medicine and gifts. And the poor thing looked scrawny and hungry!

So his disappointed look haunted me. He hit me in my heart. The poor guy was just hungry, and I should have talked to him, like the parable hinted. So I went to the fridge, where the chicken leftover from some guests was waiting to be the offering, and I brought it to the poof of feathers where I shooed Fox away. I spoke out to Fox, hoping he’d hear me. My neighbor in his walker chair on the lawn waved at me instead. I explained the Fox was trying to eat my chickens.

Then my housemate, Rachel suggested a ceremony to Fox after our community dinner, which worked for her community. I had a guest book my place for the month the next day, and our community dinner lasted longer than we thought, and and I had wanted to offer that to him for his arrival anyway, so we waited until this evening for the Fox ceremony.

I set up the altar, and Rachel happened to have a postcard of a Fox she recently found, and integrated that into the Altar. With the feather, crystals, candle, copper glass of spring water, abalone shell with smudging herbs, fox tail looking cat toy, and turkey tail mushroom as the symbolic turkey offering for Fox, with Rachel’s piece of roasted chicken she happened to cook, and a fire set up by Eugene we were set. We opened up with mugwort offerings to the fire, calling in the seven directions and honoring the land’s ancestors, our blood ancestors and our spirit family ancestors.

We all took turns drumming, and each spoke to the Fox. I called upon Spirit and Fox to help me learn how to befriend Fox, and break through the human/fox divide. I called upon Spirit and Fox to forgive me my denseness, and being so rude to Fox, instead of respectfully speaking with him and asking if he would mind not eating my chickens. I called upon Spirit and Fox to protect Fox’s habitat, so they don’t have to eat so many chickens. I called upon Spirit and Fox to learn the Fox Medicine, and integrate it. Perhaps I will cultivate a pet fox here and learn how to live in community with Fox!

Some miracles blessed us. During the calling of the East, a shooting star appeared. Another one appeared later. And Rachel had seen one yesterday too! During our closing, asking for any last words, a coyote or fox yelped in the distance. During our talking circle, afterwards, right when we started, the coyotes all howled together for quite a bit. We closed in gratitude.

Fox medicine here we come! Remember to laugh and play and avoid confrontation. With the contention at my office, it felt like Fox had a serious protective medicine for me. I am grateful and humbled. Fox is part of my community here, and as with all communities, some members may not get along and we need to work out the relationships and deals to maintain harmony!