#fourdirections

Every Shamanic lineage shares in common a deep reliance and rooted belief in the power of the directions. Shamanism is, by it nature, dependent on the natural physical world. I gave my apprentice RJ a teaching once about this. I believe the jist of it was me musing one day about how being of-earth and on-earth, it is only logical that we honor and use the energy of this earth in our general spiritual exploration. There is power to be had in the Earth, and not only that of the physical resource here. The Earth itself is a multidimensional space with its own layers of spiritual energy.

So lets break that spiritual energy down into something we can all understand: directions. There’s North, South, East, and West  - most of us on Earth believe this to be factually correct. Did we give the directions these names? Apparently we did. But did we construct these concepts out of nowhere? Absolutely not. As scientific observation of physical reality grew, so did our comprehension of the universe that surrounds us. Science and Shamanism have always walked hand in hand. So when our ancestors discovered navigation, the system of orientation was based upon on our relation to the heavens, and to the Earth: the constellations and the magnetic pull.

The energies of the different directions were discovered in like, by spiritual meditation and reflection on the experiences of the people creating their medicine wheels. This is why you will notice that some tribes or shamanic lineages use different directional associations within their wheels. It is this individuation that gives shape to the system of each lineage.

You will hear my opinion of “experience over information” frequently throughout my speaking on the lineage. Although written information like this can be useful, it can also be highly distracting on the shamanic path. This is because Shamanism is a highly experiential path with a value emphasis on spiritually and emotionally gained insight and wisdom above intellectual knowledge.

You will find differences between medicine wheels because the spiritual qualities of each direction has been revealed to the direction keepers in their own way. The revelation of spiritual information as it pertains to physical reality is a daily part of a Shaman’s life. Here is the simplified directional wheel that I use in my shamanic practice:

My Wheel starts in the East.

The Eastern direction is protected and guarded by the Hawk, the Fox, the Deer, and the Eagle. The East is where the Sun rises, and it brings us new energy. This is the morning of the medicine wheel. The power of the East rises in the Spring. This is where yin falls and yang rises. The emissary of the East is the element of Wood. The Color is Yellow or Green.

Next Comes the Southern direction, ruled by the spirit of the Elk, Possum, Squirrel, and Antelope. The Sun is directly over us, and we are at the highest yang point of the year. The South is the peak power of Summer Solstice. The emissary of the South is the element of Fire. The Color is Red or Orange.

The West direction is the most mysterious direction of all, and is our portal to the road of the Ancestors. We often call it the Blue Road. Bear stands as the watcher of the West. This is where yang falls and yin begins to open. This the feast of All Soul’s, the celebration of All Saints. The emissary of the West is the element of metal and air. The Color is Black, White, or Blue.

The Wheel begins to turn again after the direction of the North. The North is a lesson of gratitude and wisdom and is ruled by the Buffalo Spirit. The earth’s yin sets the pace of time. The emissary of the North is the element of Water. The Color is White or Red.

There are also the Above, Below, and Within directions.

The Above direction points us towards the heavens, the most yang aspect of the medicine wheel. Certain spirits are honored here, such as the Wind and Cloud Spirits, the winged ones (all of our shamanic bird kin), the Star People, the Moon and Sun, and other beings. This is our connection to Father Sky, the yang aspect of the spiritual being. In my traditions we do believe in a “Heavenly Father” and have a name for God.

The Below Direction points us towards the Earth... all the way into the earth. This is the most yin aspect of the medicine wheel. Here we honor all the Earth Spirits, but most especially the Grandmother and Grandfather Stones, the Stone People, the creepy crawlers, the waterways, and the locationally based spirits we may work with such as the spirit of a mountain or other land spirits present.