Turning in the Darkness

Judy slid into a black, dreamless world. Slowly, her mind arose in sleep to a limitless, formless plain and she was alone. From a great distance came a living being who could not be seen, but who came on towards her.

The being circled her silently several times. After the first time he circled, she could tell what is far from what is near. After the second time he circled, she could tell north and south. After the third time he circled, she could tell forms of things, although all was black and she could not see. The spirit-being sat quietly in front of her, on her left.

"I am Cahdidoth-dani-gosai, Turning-in-the-Darkness. I am come from First Angry Coyote, maker of the Coyote Mountain, by the Hajinei. And even if you do not like me, you will still need me for many things."

"I have come to tell you of the other way. You and I are special partners. I am named Blue Coyote. You seek wisdom. Thus, you must know the Other Way."

"These Diné people are tricksters – I know them. They call Coyote sly and untrustworthy. We say the same of them. You come to visit them with gifts – they treat you as an enemy. You tell them of your plan of what you will do. They will let you suffer and risk, and they will sit there and do nothing. They will not help you – they want you to help them. Is that what is right?"

"They blame bilagáana for their suffering – but do they not walk on two legs as well? There is a Way of Animals, and a Way of Man. The Dine cannot separate Diné or the bilagáana from the Way of Man. Do they think that bilagáana are Animals?"

"They treat Darkness Girl as their enemy, and will kill her if she comes to them. Is that so brave? They fear her, that she may follow the ways of my father."

"Before all - Grandfather Spirit was having a hard time coming up with an image to make First Man and First Woman in. Coyote later came to Grandfather Spirit to see how the creations were coming. When Coyote saw Grandfather Spirit was having trouble with First Man and First Woman, Coyote with all his magic, turned himself into an image of a man. When Grandfather Spirit saw this, he thanked Coyote and went to work on First Man in the image Coyote showed him. Once Grandfather Spirit created First Man out of Mother Earth, he then blew life into First Man. Grandfather Spirit told First Man that he will make First Man a mate. Grandfather Spirit started making an image of First Woman that looked exactly like First Man. Coyote then said "No, no, no, Grandfather. First Man won't want a woman who looks like his attractiveness. Here is how First Woman should look like." Then Coyote again transformed himself into am image of a woman. Grandfather Spirit studied this image and went to work on creating First Woman out of Mother Earth. When done, First Woman looked just like the image of the woman that Coyote showed Grandfather Spirit. Grandfather Spirit then blew life into First Woman, and First Man and Grandfather Spirit said that this was good. Grandfather Spirit told First Man and First Woman that they are now the new leaders of the land and to treat Mother Earth, and all who dwell on it, like family, because they all come from Mother Earth. Grandfather Spirit thanked Coyote for his help and to show his thanks, he gave Coyote more magical powers than any other animal. So First Man and First Woman dwelt in the First World with coyotes."

"First Man and First Woman, and Great Coyote-Who-Was-Formed-in-the-Water, conspired together, they planned that there should be a Sun, a Moon, and day and night. They tricked my Father, and hid from him, fearing that he was the bringer of unhappiness."

"They wished to create only one Thing, from which the Other derived, as Grandfather Spirit wished to create First Woman just like First Man. Moon just like Sun, Night just like Day. One Was – the other Was Not. There was Man, and his complement, Woman."

"My father knew that there could be no true partnership of one thing that Exists, and another that merely is its Shadow."

"He made the Sun and Moon be independent, as he made Men and Women to be different, and the Night and Day to ever change; and made the twelve months of the Sun will be 13 months of the Moon."

"Thirteen is the number of woman. She lives in the four ages. For thirteen years of thirteen moons, Girl forms in the Darkness. After thirteen years of thirteen moons, Girl begins to change to Woman and becomes ready to bear child. You are in the Time of Change."

"But you belong neither to the Night nor Day, to the world of Man or Woman, different from one, and also different from the other. You serve your own will, and do not belong to the natural order of anything."

"No wonder the Diné do not respect you! They mock you and use you for their own purpose. Think carefully of my Father's gifts to all the people of the Fourth World."

Blue Coyote rose, and turned about her. After the first turn, she could no longer experience his form from the rest of the darkness. After the next turn, she knew neither North nor South. After the last turn about her, she could not tell Far from Near, and Blue Coyote departed.

And Judy dreamed on in darkness.