I sometimes surprise people with my picture of reality and my version of the truth. The reason, I believe, is that I was taught to see life through the eyes of my father and through the lessons taught to me by Fox.
“Question everything.”
~~ Euripides (480 BCE - 406 BCE)
I was reluctant to go so far as to say I'm fortunate to have been guided by Trickster, and yet to say anything less would be misleading.
“Re-examine all that you have been told.”
~~ Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)
The Trickster is recognized in many different disguises in cultures around the world. For example, he is Hare to my Creek and Cherokee ancestors; Fox to my Celtic ancestors of Britain and Britanny. He is Coyote to the Indians of the American southwest and he's Anansi, the Spider, in Ashanti and Yoruba cultures of West Africa.
No matter what form he takes, he’s always a thief and a liar; he's the patron of wanderers and the lost; and in his most interesting form, to me at least, he guides the souls of the dead into eternity.
"Red hair, in my opinion, sir, is very dangerous."
~~P.G. Wodehouse, Very Good Jeeves
The last time I journeyed to the spirit world with Fox was in that automobile accident a few years back. It wasn't really Death who brought the image of Death's Doors, but Fox in the guise of Ferryman, the one who transports the dead across the River Styx in Greek mythology.
That's Fox for you, always irreverent and joking around no matter what he’s up to.
"It's always when a fellow is feeling braced
with things in general that Fate sneaks up
behind him with a bit of lead piping.
~~ P.G. Wodehouse, Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest
Being shepherded through life by Trickster isn’t always a satisfying experience but it isn’t as bad as you might think. Yes, he is subversive, which is always unpopular, and his schemes sometimes backfire landing him and me in the soup.
The short of being tutored by Fox is that I'm not always good and noble. I may be the hero of my personal life story but I have my off moments. Still, my virtual mentor, P.G. Wodehouse wryly observed:
"Everything in life that's fun is either immoral, illegal, or fattening."
“Teachers hated to see me in class because they knew I'd question everything.”
~~ Carl Jirlds (1922 - 1992)
Fox, I believe was also my father's personal guide and that's probably why I'm so much like my dad. Dad taught me to question everything rather than follow blindly along with the crowd. He was the kind of shepherd who nudged his son off the familiar path and out into the wilderness because that’s where our own true path is found.
My feelings for Fox are very much like the feelings I have for my father. I admire and respect them both but have a healthy little bit of distrust at the same time. It's a difficult dichotomy to explain, probably because I don't really understand it myself.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
~~ Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)
I can't imagine a more fitting spirit guide for someone on the path of self-improvement, nor can I imagine a more fitting father for a son, but I confess that I'm biased because for better or for worse, I've become fond of them both.
I haven't seen Fox since the day of that traffic accident. I've searched without success but eventually accepted that he's gone, at least for a while. I think of him often but have little hope that I'll see him again. After a lifetime of getting used to his tricks and lies, I find that I miss him.
My new guides have no shortcomings. I am grateful for their help, their guidance, and their compassion. But I miss you, Fox. I miss your tricks and your lies, and mostly I miss your laughter.
Be well, my friend. I will always remember our time together and I will never stop looking for you.