Crescent Moon Bear Part 3

(This is the last of 3 posts that contain the Japanese folk tale of the Crescent Moon Bear, paraphrased from the version found in Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes).

The Crescent Moon Bear, Part Three

The young woman reached the village. Her hair was a mess, her clothing was torn and dirty, but she didn't stop. She went straight to the hut of the healer and knocked on the door. The old woman answered and let her in. "I got it, I got it," said the young woman, "I've brought a hair from the moon on the throat of the crescent moon hair." She held out the hair.

"Why it looks like a genuine crescent moon bear hair," said the healer. She took the hair and weighed it in her hand. She held it up to the light. She smiled and said "Congratulations my dear. You have succeeded." Then with a quick flick of the wrist she tossed the hair into the fire and it burned up, poof, in an instant.

"Oh no, what have you done?!" cried the young woman, "what have you done with the hair?" The healer said, "My dear, do you remember the journey that you just made?" "Yes," said the young woman, "I remember every step." "And you remember all that happened with the bear?" asked the healer. "Yes," the young woman said. "Well," said the old healer, "Now go home to your husband with what you have learned."

The end.

Do you ever wish for a magic potion in lieu of patience? I know I do. And although everything is in dynamic process and cycles up and down and in and out and around and we know this, we still want an immediate resolution of difficulties. The presence of the bear in this story reinforces the theme of cycles and patience and eventual rebirth, and also shows us the kind of courage this approach can require.

This tale contains many insights and nuances so please go where it takes you. But take a moment to consider, for yourself and for the culture, how we try to heal and what we expect. Do we respect the changes wrought by hard times and adversity and contact with death, or are we like the young woman, who expects life to resume as usual with her husband after some gifts of food and celebration? Do we integrate wounds, our own and those of others, with compassion? One of the things that I love most about this story is the fact that healing happens for both man and woman, and it's a group process, it requires the participation of the healer and the bear, spirit and nature, wisdom and instinct, and a lot of love.

(Painting is "Crescent Moon Bear" by Lucy Campbell).