JUMPING MOUSE The Role of the Raccoon , the Guide

As soon as the raccoon completes his task of guiding Jeremy to the River, he leaves quietly, unnoticed. He will return to the edge of Mouse Village and await the next person who needs a guide to the River.

Raccoons are midwives who assist in the birth of consciousness. Although the role of the midwife is critical, the focus is the birth, not the midwife. Once the birth process is complete, the midwife is often forgotten. As soon as the raccoon safely delivers Jeremy to the River, he appropriately averted Jeremy’s attention away from himself and his role as a guide and directed attention, instead, toward the next phase in the mouse’s journey. The raccoon’s timing was impeccable. He knew when his task with Jeremy was complete. He sensed when to introduce Jeremy to the frog and when to slip away unobtrusively.

All animals, including raccoons, represent the instinctual self. Meeting with the raccoon was also an indication that the little mouse was coming face-to face with his own instinctual self and was beginning to trust inner impulses.

Raccoons have no need for control, no need for adulation, and no attachment to outcome.

No limit is placed on the number of Raccoons we can have in our journey. And our Raccoons need not only be people. Raccoons can be turning-point experiences that can appear in any number of forms. A book, for example, can appear at a critical juncture and serve as a guide to the next stage of our journey. But no matter how many Raccoons we may have, the experience with our first Raccoon is always a cherished memory.

Activity

Pause a moment and reflect on a significant Raccoon in your life. Who was that person and /or experience waiting on your path once you left Mouse Village?

In what way did that Raccoon guide you into the next phase of your journey?

 Write you reflections down and then can share them with us in our next session.