I'm standing at the edge of a crystal clear pond. At the far side is a great and ancient tree. Through the tree, I will find my spirit animal.
This is a journey that must be undertaken with relaxation and without preconception.
I swim across the pond, straight through the middle from this bank to the far one. It is a long swim but I keep going, even when the sun blinds me from its reflections in the ripples I cause.
I reach the bank by the great tree. Looking back, the water has already become still again, and the pond is calm once more. I step into the tree, the great Oak, Pecan, and Elm all in one.
Inside the tree, I know, this is the world tree. Older than time, it reaches out to all times and places. To places beyond space, and sequence outside of time. It reaches to all worlds, but I only need one.
I step out into a forest, old as time and young as anything. The trees are saplings and ancient. It is dark and bright at once. I begin to dance and sing.
There is a rock, for sitting, just beyond the great tree from which I came. After dancing around it I sit down, and continue to sing. There are no words to this song, but it calls to my spirit.
Emerging from the trees, into the clearing around the world tree, it walks. Great and terrible, old and young like the forest. Beautiful, true, good, ugly, false, evil. It is all of these.
I try to be sure not to let any ideas I may have brought with me block the true nature of this creature, but of course, that doesn't work completely.
I see its fur, and I see its face, and I know this is the Supreme Being, and it has come to me wearing the form of coyote, the trickster.
It is more than coyote. It is a she, a woman and coyote at once. And she is also all tricksters, but coyote I know best. And still she is the finite God of time and space.
I'm still singing to her. I reach out to her, but she turns back into the forest and is gone. I nearly follow, but I know I will not catch her that way. This is her forest, and she will return at her own choosing.
I have done what I came for, and so I step back into the world tree again. For a moment, I am everywhere and nowhere. In and at the edge of all places, and just beyond them.
I step forward and again I am at the crystal pond, still as ever. I dive in, for I know I must get to the other side before I look at my reflection.
It is a hard swim, because I am tired from my journey. But the knowledge that I encountered my spirit drives me on. Despite tiredness, and blinding reflections, I swim across.
I have come back, full circle, to the place where my journey began. I turn, and look into the pool. There is my reflection, and the reflection of coyote too, both canine and woman.
I reach down, and take a drink from the pool. So quickly the surface stills. Coyote is no longer reflected, for she has left the pool and entered my heart.
Now my journey is done. This journey. Still looking to the pool, I step back once more, and return to my body, sitting just where it has been the whole time.
I take several deep breaths, and ground myself where I am. I look to the sky, to the pine trees. I listen to the sounds of insects and frogs and other night creatures.
When I am ready, I stand up. In the process, I get a small scratch on the corner of my left hand. Coyote's scratch. Now my journey is done, I turn and go inside.
Still I am left wondering. Did the spirit who came to me choose coyote, or did I? I know coyote has been on my mind, and if I would bring a preconception, she is one.
But I know, beyond the form of coyote, I met the great and powerful Supreme Being. The God of all that is finite, and the closest to our infinite Father we mortal children can grasp.
Besides, isn't that just like coyote? After such a journey, hoping to find clarity, she shows me herself and still leaves me wondering. Another trick for some purpose.
Coyote the trickster has always been with me. Sometimes as rabbit, sometimes as spider. Occasionally as raven. More than a few times as Whiskey Jack. All these tricksters are reflections of one.
I have never left myself an easy life. Even when I sit in ease, something calls me on to greater purpose. Rarely do I know the end, even when I think I do.
All this is dedicated to the will of Our Father, and so I know, whatever confusion I may suffer, whatever detours I may take, someday I will reach Him, and always I serve Him.

What name would I choose if I could not use the one I have now? Well, in some sense, I answered that question over a year ago. My name is Chris, but I choose to go by Jack with some.
But since the question is asked now, and not that year or so ago, I answer anew: Nanabozho.