I paused, and he screeched again. I walked closer to his cage, and he rolled over on his back and began to purr. For a moment there was no cage, and not even a mountain lion and a human, just two beings joined in spirit. Since that time I have felt deeply connected to Mountain Lion medicine. It is an energy which is important for humans who are determined to fully experience their personal power, and to move forward on their chosen paths, regardless of the opinions of others.
Cougar cubs learn how to hunt primarily from watching their mothers and by trial and error.
The lesson for us as humans is an important one. We may thus be tempted to believe that there is something inherently corrupting about being a leader. As the mountain lion teaches its cubs by example, so true leaders follow the wisdom of their hearts and don't look back to see whether anyone else is behind them, either as followers or detractors. The key to this kind of personal power is confidence in the direction one has chosen. Those who choose to practice Mountain Lion medicine aren't threatened if any of their followers veer off to paths of their own, for they nurture the desire and ability of all individuals to, through connecting to their own deepest intuitions, express their personal power.