The Medicine Wheel Welcome to the Wisdom Teachings of the Medicine Wheel Way. The spiritual tradition of the Native North American Indian. It is good to remember that this way of human emancipation, is in its essence a mystic heart path and comes from a nomadic, oral culture. Thus, there are few books on the subject. As a spiritual path it is very simple, practical and earth loving, but also highly sophisticated and deeply mystical. The medicine wheel acts as a map, so that on our journey of discovery, we don't get lost in some 'ego' back alley. As a spiritual path of personal growth and progression, it has to be lived. And, as we do so, the wheel will turn, as the seasons turn and reveal to us DIRECTLY, its teachings, wisdoms and sacred powers, aiding us on our adventure of liberation. The medicine wheel way is the love song of the Earth and the Sky, a medicine song of harmony in creation, enabling us to walk tall in the spirit and in beauty upon the good red road of unity. HO! The following diagrams may help to explain the first teaching wheels of wisdom. There are seven wheels in total, here are just the first two. How the Medicine Wheel is Created   1st EAST   4th NORTH 2nd SOUTH   3rd WEST   (above) The four directions of the Medicine Wheel This is the ancient symbol of the medicine wheel way. It was not created by mankind, but is a wisdom/teaching gift from the Earth Mother, so that we may find our way home, back to the stars. Now lets begin to build the first teaching wheel. The wheel of the Earth, the wheel of the four directions, the wheel of the four seasons. The Mid-Points or Quarter Points   1st EAST   4th NORTH 2nd SOUTH   3rd WEST   The mid-points are very important, for they hold the wisdom of impermanence and the medicine of change and growth. Moving sunrise/clockwise around the wheel, there is a transition from one direction/season to the next.   (left) The mid-points of the Medicine Wheel The Three Moons of each Season   SPRING EAST   NORTH WINTER SOUTH SUMMER   AUTUMN WEST   The moon is called the night sun, or unci, meaning Grandmother. She is considered to be the consort, the lover of the sun - a Grandfather called Tankashilah. Together they regulate the fertility/tides of the Mother Earth. The outer circle represents a lunar year time cycle and at the center is the sun.   (left) The three moons of each season and sun at the center on the Medicine Wheel A Medicine Wheel   EAST ROAD   NORTH ROAD SOUTH ROAD   WEST ROAD   (above) The four roads of the Medicine Wheel. Now let us complete the wheel, so that we have the first teaching wheel of the four directions. I have now added four spokes, or the four roads of the wheel. These four roads connect the outer physical life experience's with the inner sun/spirit experience. For a person to be complete or whole in their life, they will in turn, walk the four roads and experience the four seasons of a life span. The first road is the yellow road of the East. Second, the good red road of the South. Third, the black road of difficulties, West. Fourth, the white road of old age and wisdom, North. Finally, there is the last road of spirit, the blue road of the ancestors. The road home, back to the stars. The First Teaching Wheel -  This is the basic wheel of the four directions.     Colour: Yellow Element: Fire Season: Spring Time of Day: Dawn 1st DIRECTION EAST   4th DIRECTION NORTH Time of Day: Night Season: Winter Element: Air Colour: White 2nd DIRECTION SOUTH Time of Day: Mid-Day Season: Summer Element: Earth Colour: Red     3rd DIRECTION WEST Time of Day: Sunset Season: Autumn Element: Water Colour: Black     The Polar Axis Blue Masculine Sky Father the Above the Below Feminine Earth Mother Green Now, let us begin to build the second teaching wheel. The wheel of the six directions - the wheel of the spirit Grandmothers and Grandfathers. So, we now introduce another dimension which gives the wheel tension. This represents the dynamic of opposites - duality and our place as humans on the wheel of life.   (left) The Polar Axis .   This is not complete as yet. I would like to develop the outer wheel further, so that we shall come to the fifth and sixth directions. The Second Teaching Wheel of the Six Directions     the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, keepers of the sacred wisdoms of the East. SACRED WISDOMS: Illumination - Enlightenment EAGLE: Initiation - Incoming Spirit - Clarity WOLF: Pathfinder - Guide - Teacher LIFE SEASON: Birth 1st EAST   4th NORTH LIFE SEASON: Old Age - Elder hood BUFFALO: A Chief - Give Away - Endurance OWL: Magic - Illusion SACRED WISDOMS: Peace - Tolerance - Compassion the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, keepers of the sacred wisdoms of the North. 2nd SOUTH LIFE SEASON: Childhood DEER: Powerful healing through gentleness COYOTE: Playful Trickster - Contrary - Clown - Master showman of illusion SACRED WISDOMS: Innocence - Trust the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, keepers of the sacred wisdoms of the South.     3rd WEST LIFE SEASON: Adulthood BEAR: Introspection - Powerful earth healing energies THUNDER BIRDS: Contrary - Procreation - Energy - Vitality SACRED WISDOMS: Understanding through experience the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, keepers of the sacred wisdoms of the West     The Polar Axis, of the Six Direction's Teaching Wheel     the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, keepers of the sacred wisdoms of the Sky Father. SACRED WISDOMS: Power of the light to awaken BUTTERFLY: Transformation - Beauty DRAGONFLY: Illusion of form SUN EAGLE: Spirit SKY FATHER: Expansion of consciousness       7th DIRECTION the Pipe-Prayer the Sun the Great Spirit the Great Mystery the Love in our Hearts Non-duality Unity - beyond separation     EARTH MOTHER: Fecundity - Fertility TURTLE: Earth Mysteries SNAKE: Sexual Energy - Transmutation SPIDER: Weaves the web of life SACRED WISDOMS: Power of the dark - Womb - Conception the Grandmothers and Grandfathers, keepers of the sacred wisdoms of the Earth Mother.     A Return to the Center If we now stand in the center of the wheel, we will see that we physically live out our lives within this teaching wheel. We stand upon the good green Earth our Mother, and above us is the blue of the Sky Father. In each of the four directions lies the seasons of a journey of experience that will bring us the understanding and wisdom of a whole human being. New Beginnings Each time in the yearly cycle that we return to our starting point on the wheel, our birth date. We begin another round of learning and growth upon the wheel of life. Thus, our life becomes a spiral (left). The soaring, majestic flight of an eagle, as it rides the mountain thermals, in the wide, over-reaching, blue expanse of Sky Father. Material on this page is copyrighted © by Sacred Earth, Sacred Spirit This website owned and created by J.L. Hester aka Raven Windwalker. Copyright © 2006-2007 Shaman Pathways™