More than 30 years after wolves were restored to Yellowstone, their return remains a landmark conservation achievement—and their future still calls for attention. At the end of 2025, the National Park Service counted 84 wolves in seven packs and one new group in the park, down from 108 wolves the previous year. Wolves are protected from hunting inside Yellowstone, but they regularly cross park boundaries into areas governed by different rules. This protection ritual for Yellowstone wolves, first shared in 2022, offers a way to pair spiritual intention with informed, practical advocacy for wolves and the wider ecosystem they help sustain. (National Park Service)
Gray wolves no longer roam the wild in New York; they were eradicated there in the late 1800s. Still, I have had opportunities to sit with, witness, and learn from captive wolves. Those experiences have deepened both my connection with my wolf helping spirit and my desire to support North America’s wild wolves.
When I first wrote this piece in 2022, reports of wolves being poisoned and shot were deeply distressing. Among the most painful news was that 20 Yellowstone wolves had been killed by hunters in the months after protections changed, just beyond the park’s borders. Yellowstone’s wolves had been reintroduced 25 years earlier and had become a celebrated conservation success story. That loss inspired this ritual; the continuing risks faced by wolves make its intention relevant today.
I know ritual alone cannot protect North America’s wolves. It can, however, ground us, clarify our intentions, and help us act from an empowered center—whether by contacting elected and appointed officials, supporting science-based conservation, or learning about local wildlife policy. I share this Yellowstone wolves protection ritual in the hope that it helps you feel ready to take a practical step afterward.
Yellowstone Wolves Protection Ritual Practice
Please help save America’s wolves.
Prepare Your Ritual Space
I keep a working altar ready for short practices like this one. For this ritual, I added a printed map of Yellowstone to help me focus my journey. If you do not have a standing altar, gather a few objects that you associate with protection or wolf energy.
Begin by creating a space that feels safe and sacred to you. Cast a circle in your preferred way—I use Reiki symbols to clear and protect the space—then invite the directions, helping spirits, or deities you work with. Adapt this practice to your own tradition.
Visualize Yellowstone and the Wolves
Sit comfortably in front of your altar and close your eyes. Imagine yourself in the heart of Yellowstone. If you have experience with journeying, you may use that practice; otherwise, simply picture or sense yourself in the park. Notice the presence of the wolf packs. Trust that the wolves understand your intention and that you are safe.
Build Protective Energy
Bring your attention to the base of your spine. Imagine a cord extending down into the Earth, then draw the Earth’s energy upward into your heart. Next, turn your attention to the crown of your head. Imagine a second cord reaching up to the Moon, and draw the Moon’s energy down into your heart.
With the energies of Earth and Moon meeting in your heart, imagine a bubble expanding outward. Fill it with loving, protective energy and let it surround the wolves. Allow the bubble to grow until it encompasses Yellowstone National Park and the wolves who travel beyond its human-made boundaries. Continue feeding it Earth and Moon energy until it feels strong and steady, able to hold your intention of safety. Pause and feel the protection you have created before moving on.
Offer a Prayer
Add a prayer in your own words, or use the one below:
Mother Earth, I come to you humbly, with gratitude for all you have given me, and ask that you hold this protective bubble around your children, the wolves.
Keep the wolves safe from humans who kill for sport or greed.
Provide them with clean water, abundant food, and warm dens.
Empower me with a heart full of compassion for all your beings.
Grant me the strength to stand against those who would harm the wolves, the courage to speak out, and the presence to change minds, until the wolves are free to thrive.
May it be so.
Close and Act
Thank and release the directions and any beings you invited, then open your circle. When you are ready, carry the ritual into action: contact a decision-maker, support a trusted conservation organization, or share accurate information about wolves and the policies that affect them.
You can also adapt this ritual for any species that concerns you. Replace the wolf imagery, location, and prayer with details specific to that animal, plant, or other living being, and learn about the threats it faces and the ecosystems it depends on. Let the practice deepen your connection, then follow it with an action that supports the species’ protection and recovery.