It would seem then that the effort to bring this knowledge into the earth is far reaching and not limited to just one culture. But for most, only remnants of the wisdom remain in verbal or written form. I am grateful that the Native American culture is blessed with the conscious awareness of their ancient beliefs.
As I consider the knowledge held within the wheel, I often think to myself how difficult it would be to describe. As my understanding of it has increased over the years, so has my awareness of what it still witholds from me. Of course not by its own choice, but by my own inability to receive its wisdoms.
But if there was a way to decribe its purpose, I think the idea that it is a map, would possibly be its best description. For in any given moment of our lives, the medicine wheel has the power to tell us where we are. Are we in its center? In balance of its energies? Or has it pulled us to the edge of its circle, preparing us for a lesson? Drawn to its edge, we become more open to learn.
In the West, the place of feminine energy, the Bear holds its vibration. This is known as the place where false beliefs are released from our lives. It's opposite vibration, being the East is the source of masculine energy. The Lion keeps the vibration there and provides the energy for new beginnings. Both opposing energies, but when balanced, hold us squarely in the center of our circle.
The North, keeper of wisdom, is balanced by the south, the place of innocense. Again, leaving us securely held in the center of power when we are able to allow these energies to flow within us.
And the many medicine animals, all part of the wheel, have the power to remind us what it is that we seek. All very delicate energies today, many people can exist with no knowledge of their pull upon our lives. But the animals remain at work, determined by their promise to God to one day help us realign and to raise our awareness of ourselves.
For further reading about medicine animals and the medicine wheel, I recommend the work of Jamie Sams.
by michelle
of written records
ancients knew the cycles
of the cosmos
There is the day of solstice
which is the true balance
between dark and light
in the seasons of life
It is a time of abundance
which precedes the
season of soulful respite
and natural passages
The cosmic plunge into darkness
and the winter of our days
gives the earth a chance to rest
before bringing forth new growth
There will be endings
which will be mourned
and lives which will find
their place in immortality
There is magick and there is
mystery but the spiral of
life proceeds through its order
until the cycle is complete
And at the moment of death
there is the moment of birth
as all nature follows the
seasons of the cosmic cycle
Rejoice in the abundance
of life and lives that touch ours
of lovers and friends
who journey with us
Go gently into the darkness
and quietly gather the power
and the knowledge we require
to appreciate the reawakening of light
Fear not the darkness of living
but embrace it for what it brings
it brings the promise of new birth
and reentrance into the glory of the light
Don't let this day pass without telling your loved
ones how you feel about them... smiling.
michelle
     
The ceremony exists as an opportunity for people to step back, to look at their lives, and to see themselves from a higher perspective. There, it is easier to see how our fear inhibits abundance and affects our state of well-being.
     
Preparation actually begins long before the lodge is entered. Days before, the mind intuitively begins to walk through its corridors searching for limiting beliefs. By doing so, the unconscious is setting into motion the changes that will come about as the result of the experience. Then, just before entering the lodge, the fire further clarifies the intent of the soul as it begins its healing effects of transmutation.
     
Hot rocks taken from the fire will eventually be placed inside, in the center of the domed shaped lodge to create heat. Water poured over them will turn to steam, evenly distributing the heat throughout. It is the heat, along with the darkness inside the lodge, that helps to alter the consciousness of each individual, enabling each one a clearer vision of their soul.
     
Although the purpose for each lodge can be unique, there is usually one common factor in most. That each person has the opportunity to speak their mind, and to put into words what is most troubling to their soul.
     
Often hiding our pain and frustrations from the world, we sometimes pretend they do not exist. Here, within the darkness of the lodge, we give them voice. We speak the truth. It is then, when the words have been spoken, or even silently considered, that healing can enter our life. It is here, where we may find our true value and our uniqueness, by acknowledging all that we are. And when we commune with our soul, we are given the opportunity to remember another piece of who we are.
I watch the sun peering through the trees just above the horizon and notice the shadows it casts across my medicine wheel. My statue of Buddha is sitting in the east with all of the glory of the morning behind him.
I am feeling the energy of a new beginning and my backyard?s lushness is giving me the feel that I am in the forest. I listen to the songs of the birds. The call of the woodpecker is one of my favorites.
I think to myself, ?What should I do today??
I?ve been interacting with many chaotic people for the last several days and within my body, I feel uneasy. In many ways, it is a typical day for me. I often feel the drain from living in the city and my energy has become depleted. I feel the desire for purification and have decided to fast.
But it will not be a long or difficult one today. I will skip only a meal or two. That is all it usually takes to help me to get my fear to the surface and within my conscious mind where I can see it. There, I can allow for its release as my understanding begins to transmute its energy. I will spend a few hours in solitude and journal about the frustrations in my life, trying to see where I can best place my energy in the days immediately ahead of me.
It is a ritual that I practice often, a few times every month. And one that has brought the consciousness I find while in the forest and among nature, into my everyday life. To live and breathe its magic has been my greatest desire for many years now and I?ve devoted much of my time into finding a way to do it.
It seems we are faced with a great challenge. The willingness to touch the most delicate recesses of the heart can be very frightening and can open up worlds of imagination, hope and possibilities. And it is difficult to the live the truths our natural world has to teach when our lives may be lived in less than magical environments. So how can we live the innocent truths that our courage has awarded us?
My awareness has shifted toward my body again and I am feeling its desires for love and the manifestation of my dreams. I am abstaining from food and allowing my consciousness to expand, enabling my body to naturally purify itself of fear. The same fear that so often pulls me into other worlds of desperation and into ones where magic cannot exist. But I am hopeful today. I am trusting in the endless cycle of life. The knowing that hope must return and that I am living God?s expression and walking a path that has been carefully laid out before me. A path that is certain to bring me back to myself, and the knowing that magic IS my reality. And knowing, that we all have the power to choose it.
