Medicine Wheel Made Easy
Many members have expressed their confusion about the Medicine Wheel feeling very complicated to them. I felt it might help to give a very fundamental overview so those new to this topic will have a point of reference.
Looking at a full Medicine Wheel one is often overwhelmed by the meaning of the stones and their placements. Each stone represents various aspects of life, nature, and specific lessons. That's a lot to take in at first so let me point out the main areas to focus when getting started. Hopefully this will give a foundation that can be built upon because these first aspects of the Wheel are what set all the others into place.
The Structure of the Wheel
To begin with we have a center stone, this represents Spirit/Creator and all other stones in the wheel directly relate to it. Everything goes out from and returns to Spirit. The beginning and the end.
Surrounding the center stone is a small circle of seven stones that represent: Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth, and the four Clans: Turtle, Frog, Thunderbird, and Butterfly. These 'Clans' are the elemental aspects Turtle: Earth; Frog: Water; Thunderbird: Fire; and Butterfly: Air. Each 'Clan' (as we will see shortly) contains the seasonal Moons relative to that element's seasonal influence.
From the center stone there are four paths consisting of 3 stones each. These stones represent a series of lessons found upon that path…lessons from the spiritual into daily life, and the reverse effect of daily life that leads us back to Spirit. Depending on which way the path is walked, the order of those lessons is determined as the perspective of the journey. The path leads out from the center into one of four elemental forces/Clans: Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
Taking the path from center to the Butterfly Clan of Air the three stones represent: Illumination, Wisdom, Clarity.
The path from center to the Thunderbird Clan of Fire represents: Love, Trust, Growth.
The path from the center to the Frog Clan of Water represents: Strength, Introspection, Experience.
The path from the center to the Turtle Clan of Earth represents: Purity, Renewal, Cleansing.
At the end of each 'path' there is another stone. It represents the SpiritKeeper (akin to an Archetype or Archangel) that oversees that particular elemental force. Air is Eagle, Fire is Mouse, Water is Bear, Earth is Buffalo. (Different Native traditions may vary these somewhat but they are the ones I was trained to work with.)
Now between these stones in the outer rim of the Wheel are placed 3 more stones in each quadrant. These three stones represent the three Moons of that season and their teachings.
Air represents spring, the three Moons being governed by: Otter, Deer and Raven which govern those teachings respectively.
Fire represents summer, the three Moons ruling are: Red-Tailed Hawk, Sturgeon, and Elk with their teachings.
Water represents autumn, the three Moons overseeing are: Cougar, Flicker/Woodpecker, and Snake with their teachings.
Earth represents winter, the three Moons here are: Snow Goose, Beaver, and Brown Bear along with their lessons.
(*The teachings of these creatures are going to be found in this library as well as the Totem Library for your future reference.)
The Full Medicine Wheel
A full Medicine Wheel is comprised of 36 stones…36 courses of study that have different levels to them. Often you will hear me speak of the Seven Sacred Directions. These directions consist of the four elemental forces, again: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth as well as the Three Worlds: Below/the Past, Middle/the Present, and Above/the Future. (Please see the articles on the Seven Sacred Directions for further detailed information on these.)
In essence Spirit/Creator is the center of All. Therefore the axis is in the center and it is upon that axis that all is balanced. This axis runs through the three worlds and so each lesson we receive will have an aspect relative to the three worlds. Each lesson we receive will pass through the perceptions of the Seven Sacred Directions before it is fully understood.
The Pattern
Air teaches us the concept and fuels desire to explore it further. Fire takes us into experiencing it and learning to trust it. Water takes us into the relationship with it through introspection and assimilation, and Earth takes us into receiving it's blessings and sharing them. The Below World teaches the history, the Middle World the application, and the Above World brings us to see future applications and expansion. Each lesson cycles this way and as we learn we expand our experiences based on that lesson and so the growing continues to expand ever outward and ever inward on these levels taking things deeper and deeper each time we begin anew. Sort of like going from college courses 101 to 201, 301 etc. You need the prerequisites to get to the deeper stuff and comprehend it.
There are many other articles in this library, the Main Library and the Totem Library along the lines of the elemental forces, Spirit Keepers, Clans, etc. Do check the libraries for topical material that will help you further understand these teachings. Hopefully this article will serve as an outline for those coming to the Medicine Wheel teachings and assist the new seekers in understanding the mysteries further.
">
">
Many members have expressed their confusion about the Medicine Wheel feeling very complicated to them. I felt it might help to give a very fundamental overview so those new to this topic will have a point of reference.
Looking at a full Medicine Wheel one is often overwhelmed by the meaning of the stones and their placements. Each stone represents various aspects of life, nature, and specific lessons. That's a lot to take in at first so let me point out the main areas to focus when getting started. Hopefully this will give a foundation that can be built upon because these first aspects of the Wheel are what set all the others into place.
The Structure of the Wheel
To begin with we have a center stone, this represents Spirit/Creator and all other stones in the wheel directly relate to it. Everything goes out from and returns to Spirit. The beginning and the end.
Surrounding the center stone is a small circle of seven stones that represent: Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth, and the four Clans: Turtle, Frog, Thunderbird, and Butterfly. These 'Clans' are the elemental aspects Turtle: Earth; Frog: Water; Thunderbird: Fire; and Butterfly: Air. Each 'Clan' (as we will see shortly) contains the seasonal Moons relative to that element's seasonal influence.
From the center stone there are four paths consisting of 3 stones each. These stones represent a series of lessons found upon that path…lessons from the spiritual into daily life, and the reverse effect of daily life that leads us back to Spirit. Depending on which way the path is walked, the order of those lessons is determined as the perspective of the journey. The path leads out from the center into one of four elemental forces/Clans: Air, Fire, Water and Earth.
Taking the path from center to the Butterfly Clan of Air the three stones represent: Illumination, Wisdom, Clarity.
The path from center to the Thunderbird Clan of Fire represents: Love, Trust, Growth.
The path from the center to the Frog Clan of Water represents: Strength, Introspection, Experience.
The path from the center to the Turtle Clan of Earth represents: Purity, Renewal, Cleansing.
At the end of each 'path' there is another stone. It represents the SpiritKeeper (akin to an Archetype or Archangel) that oversees that particular elemental force. Air is Eagle, Fire is Mouse, Water is Bear, Earth is Buffalo. (Different Native traditions may vary these somewhat but they are the ones I was trained to work with.)
Now between these stones in the outer rim of the Wheel are placed 3 more stones in each quadrant. These three stones represent the three Moons of that season and their teachings.
Air represents spring, the three Moons being governed by: Otter, Deer and Raven which govern those teachings respectively.
Fire represents summer, the three Moons ruling are: Red-Tailed Hawk, Sturgeon, and Elk with their teachings.
Water represents autumn, the three Moons overseeing are: Cougar, Flicker/Woodpecker, and Snake with their teachings.
Earth represents winter, the three Moons here are: Snow Goose, Beaver, and Brown Bear along with their lessons.
(*The teachings of these creatures are going to be found in this library as well as the Totem Library for your future reference.)
The Full Medicine Wheel
A full Medicine Wheel is comprised of 36 stones…36 courses of study that have different levels to them. Often you will hear me speak of the Seven Sacred Directions. These directions consist of the four elemental forces, again: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth as well as the Three Worlds: Below/the Past, Middle/the Present, and Above/the Future. (Please see the articles on the Seven Sacred Directions for further detailed information on these.)
In essence Spirit/Creator is the center of All. Therefore the axis is in the center and it is upon that axis that all is balanced. This axis runs through the three worlds and so each lesson we receive will have an aspect relative to the three worlds. Each lesson we receive will pass through the perceptions of the Seven Sacred Directions before it is fully understood.
The Pattern
Air teaches us the concept and fuels desire to explore it further. Fire takes us into experiencing it and learning to trust it. Water takes us into the relationship with it through introspection and assimilation, and Earth takes us into receiving it's blessings and sharing them. The Below World teaches the history, the Middle World the application, and the Above World brings us to see future applications and expansion. Each lesson cycles this way and as we learn we expand our experiences based on that lesson and so the growing continues to expand ever outward and ever inward on these levels taking things deeper and deeper each time we begin anew. Sort of like going from college courses 101 to 201, 301 etc. You need the prerequisites to get to the deeper stuff and comprehend it.
There are many other articles in this library, the Main Library and the Totem Library along the lines of the elemental forces, Spirit Keepers, Clans, etc. Do check the libraries for topical material that will help you further understand these teachings. Hopefully this article will serve as an outline for those coming to the Medicine Wheel teachings and assist the new seekers in understanding the mysteries further.
">
">
