Brandilyn Tebo did not necessarily see herself as a children’s book author, but sometimes the best things in life come unexpectedly. During her career as a Transformational Coach, Brandilyn has committed her energy and passion to aiding individuals in the synthesis of the body, mind, and spirit. Above all else, Brandilyn sees compassion at the center of everything.
“It is so easy for us to diffuse our hurt onto someone else rather than fully feeling and processing it," says Brandilyn. "This creates a chain reaction of the wounded becoming the wounder until someone stops the next domino from falling by being brave enough to fully witness the pain. Sing to the Wolf, Howl to the Moon is an example of the courage it takes to stop that vicious cycle.”
This principle of compassion that Brandilyn prioritizes in her work as a coach, translates beautifully within the pages of her first children’s book.
In Sing to the Wolf, Howl to the Moon, a self-described children’s book “for all ages,” the readers find themselves transported back in time to a village in Normandy, France. We meet our protagonist, Lena, a Celtic medicine woman with three children and a husband. Lena is extremely introspective, compassionate, and unique. When Lena has a terrifying encounter with an enraged wolf named Elyna, instead of succumbing to the fear, Lena opens her heart and mind to the possibility of what could be if she just loved. With this love and grace, Elyna finds it in herself to forgive. As Brandilyn so rightfully acknowledges in the preface of this book: “When someone is least lovable, that is when they need love the most.” The love shared between Lena and Elyna, two kindred spirits, demonstrates hope for humanity and encourages readers to imitate the story’s message of acceptance in our own lives.
The idea for this story came to Brandilyn in a special way: a vision. One day, while Brandilyn was deep in a Holotropic breathwork experience, the whole story of Sing to the Wolf, Howl to the Moon began to channel through her, as if she was living it from the protagonist's perspective. Once Brandilyn finished her breathwork immersion, she decided to share her vision, and this is how her children's book was born.
My conversation with Brandilyn was profound, as we talked about the child in all of us and how adults over time try to suppress this inherent part of ourselves. For Brandilyn, one motivation behind sharing this story is her belief that “intergenerational conversations are missing in our society.” In publishing books like Sing to the Wolf, Howl to the Moon and initiating tough conversations, Brandilyn hopes to stir change.
“Children still live in the world of archetype," says Brandilyn. "They’re constantly stimulating their own imaginations and we often lose that as we grow into adulthood.” Archetypes play a very important role in Brandilyn’s work. She has found that using archetypes helps adults reclaim the beauty of adolescence and relinquish any burdens that are overcomplicating their lives and causing distress.
"This book reminds us all of the miracle-working power of our own compassion, that we are never truly alone in our pain, and that the cycle of hurt can end with us,” says Brandilyn. A strong message that pertains to people from all walks of life. Brandilyn shared with me a quote from C.S. Lewis as part of her inspiration: “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
Indeed, Sing to the Wolf, Howl to the Moon makes even the cynic in us believe that anything is possible when compassion is your superpower to wield.