Something delicious was cooking. A lush rich gumbo, actually three. One for vegetarians full of root vegetables, a second full of fish and seafood, the third had duck and chicken. All happily bubbling away. Wolf sisters gained their feet, ,listening to others speaking.

Yet a few wolfies spoke of hearing voices that sounded like their mothers, their grandmothers, great grandmothers, aunts. Cindy was seen crying as she heaped shrimp into the seafood gumbo. Her tears subsided as Seal helped her lay out loaves of bread. Riverwolf laid salads, cheese, olives from Greece upon the massive oak table.

One new wolf continued to listen and thought 'Did I hear them correctly? Were they hearing a woman's voice?' Her question radiated onto her face just as Cindy looked up at the new wolfies.

"You have questions."

"Yes, most of the women have heard a woman's voice....." she let her voice trail off, feeling as if she had done or spoken something wrong.

Cindy just smiled. "Yes, most of us do, but not everyone does. You see, the voice you hear is up to you and up to us."

"Up to me? I don't understand." said the new wolfie.

"Well what you hear depends on where you are in your journey. Some hear their family, some hear from friends. Others hear a male voice, and some hear a feminine one. I've talked to a few wolfies who hear their own voices. One or two actually hear a chorus of voices blended so perfectly as to confuse some into thinking it is one. But all hear something different with changes in the Den."

"But what I heard was male." the new wolfie was bewildered. She joined the Springs in search of the woman she wants to become, the woman she needs to become. How could she hear a male voice?

Cindy understood her questioning, "That is the voice you are supposed to hear. Was it a voice familiar to you? Did it remind you of anyone?"

"I can't say that it did right at the moment. But I wasn't expecting to come to this place and find a male in the mists."

"It might not be what you are looking for, but someone inside of you was or you wouldn't have heard the big wolf speak in a man's voice. Give it time, your answer will come to you. And someone will help you when you need it. That is why we are here."

Cindy handed a load of plates to the new wolfie as she grabbed baskets of silverware and napkins. Both wolfies placed their loads upon the table. Looking down the table Cindy saw Crystal laying pies at the far end. Next to Crystal was Prairie Star with platters of double fudge brownies. Indeed every wolf around was adding to the table. Food from every region could be found. Fruits and cheese platters, vegetables of every description cooked every way possible, bread from around the world, the gumbos as the main course, more desert than anyone could eat!

Cindy turned back to the new wolfie. "As time goes by you will learn something about that big wolf. That big wolf is a bit of yourself. That wolf is the collective power this den has. That wolf is a bit of all of the people of your life who helped form you and me and this den. Mostly they are women. You will feel the wolf more than see it. We channel our power into PMP, pack mate power. Sometimes all of that energy comes together to speak words that all of us need to hear. Usually its in the midst or the end of some upheaval." Cindy cocked a smile, "Ain't it great!"

Turning back to the table, checking the food one last time, Cindy laughed "Now this is a spread. Three gumbos (and I didn't ruin one of them), rice, veggies, fruit, salads, breads. And look at all of that chocolate!! It just keeps going and going this old oak table."

The new wolfie watched as Cindy climbed onto a stool and shouted.

"Y'all dinner is ready, come and get it!"

It seemed to the new wolfie that Cindy didn't just shout, her voice grew loud enough to cover the Springs and the Mountain. That is when the new wolfies started to see more wolfies coming from the pond, out from under bushes, dropping out of trees, and even emerging from caves. Wolves of every color and age. They came from buildings, tents, campers, and a tee pee none of the new wolfies had even noticed. These wolves transformed into the women they are. All came to the tables for food, and the real conversations started.....

The old oak table had been set in the middle of Star Mountain's Great Room and smiled inside. It had known a millium of wolfies just like these who came to her table, new ones, seasoned ones, quiet ones and those with a voice loud enough to be heard across the Grand Canyon, but each with her own wisdom. Her back was laden with food that would soon be gone and relax each wolf to open up with her own persona and knowledge. Each of us had arrived with our own set of questions that, if not answered at the end of the night, would shed some light on our souls. Cindy was correct when she told the new wolfie that each of us is on our own path and in different places in our lives. And, it seems like the last 3 or 4 have been particularly difficult for each of us in one way or another.

That is why we stick together as we do with PMP, Full Moon Ritual and Tuesday night candle lighting. Cindy's tears used to salt the shrimp was both from sadness and for happiness that we have this chance to gather, grow and understand. Seal's help showed each of us how supportive we are to one another.

Just then, Amber came strolling in with a twinkle in her eyes. The new wolfie wanted to know why she appeared so happy.

SpiderWoman explained to her that she had found someone she deeply loved and was considering marriage.

Is this the manly voice I keep hearing?” she asked?

“No,” Spider said. “I suspect it is a part of your masculine side. The man that Amber loves, has nothing to do with a voice. It is a part of you, perhaps from another lifetime or other family member long gone who is sending you messages to help you grow strong and become the person you are meant to be.

As the chatter rambled on, it was difficult to hear ALL the conversations at once but they basically centered around who we are and where we are going. All of a sudden, Mikoda jumped up and shouted, look out the window! I had not realized the position of the moon.

Everyone grabbed their drinks and ran to the window. The stars lit the mountain as though it were daylight.

The candles on the table at each wolf's seat simultaneously dropped a circle of wax onto the great table as a symbol that each of us is special and ready to continue growth. The table smiled within. It had been used for so many years that it was smooth and little indentitations for the plates were there from years of use. This was not the first time it had seen such a gathering.

When we returned to our seats, each of us noticed the puddle of white wax. River began passing around the backlava and tea.

I wonder what these wax puddles symbolize, the wolfies wondered.

The table knew from years of this kind of feasting. It was the task of all wolfies, young, old, filled with growth and needing support to figure out..