The Shamanic Energy Medicine Wheel: An Introduction – Part 2
4 April 2023
PART II
Consciousness is what the shamanic medicine wheel is trying to tell us: Everything is connected; It might seem separated, but it is not. Like our fingers, they look like they are separated, yet, they make up the hands.
If you can hear what the Sun says, you have transcended the directions and you sit in the Centre of the Medicine Wheel.
The Four Directions of the Shamanic Medicine Wheel
The East Direction
Element
Fire. Fire is the beginning of everything. Scientists call it the big bang. Fire is light.
Season
Spring.
Colour
Yellow.
Totem animal or spirit keeper
Hawk, eagle, owls, birds of prey, condors.
Medicine tool
The Sacred Pipe.
Herb
Sage.
Some related professions
Guru, artists, priests, visionaries, prophets, clairvoyants, pipe carriers, fire walker, facilitators.
Shamanic profession
Vision Quest Guide.
Quality
Illumination. New beginnings, birth, has the medicine of illumination, vision, seeing, transcendence. It is where our spirit is, our full spirit.
The Healing power of the East is Vision, being able to see into the problem. In human life it is the birth, new beginnings, baby, infancy. The spiritual body. Male energy sits on the East. Although the Pipe is balanced, it sits on the East because it represents Spirit. The calling of the East is Vision Quest Guide. That is where the calling for the Soul is. It is the start of anything new in life. The beginning of the journey.
The South Direction
Element
Water.
Season
Summer.
Colour
Red.
Totem animal or spirit keeper
Fish, dolphins, snakes, anacondas, cobras. Coyote, deer, mouse, giraffe, rabbit, bees, peacocks, beavers, water birds and animals, porcupine, hedgehogs.
Medicine tool
The Drum.
Herb
Sweetgrass.
Some related professions
Nurse, doctor, the healer, the herbalist, peyote ceremonial leader.
Shamanic profession
The healer.
Quality
Trust.
This is the place of growth. Also the place of movement of water. In human life it is the time of childhood. The South is the place of blood, passion, body, feelings, heart, sensuality, inner child in healing terms. The emotional body. Red race, Atic people, South America. Laughter in humour, gentleness, innocence, trust, growth and love. Divine feminine is the energy. The plant kingdom stays in the South of the medicine wheel.
The West Direction
Element
Earth.
Season
Autumn.
Colour
Black.
Totem animal or spirit keeper
Bear, badger, black panther, cougar, tiger, bats, big cats, jaguar.
Medicine tool
Rattle.
Herb
Tobacco.
Some related professions
Farmers, mechanics, plumbers, cooks, chefs, professions where you work with the hands, practical people, grounded people.
Shamanic profession
Sweatlodge keeper.
Quality
Strength.
The living goddess of the Earth. Female energy, silence, stillness. Quality: strength. The physical body. Time of the day is late afternoon, when the shadows go and darkness comes. The Spiritual power: Introspection, reflections, looking within place, questioning who am I, where am I going to? In human life it is adolescence. The rebel, the one who wishes to change the world. The thunder beings.
The North Direction
Element
Air.
Season
Winter.
Colour
white.
Totem animal or spirit keeper
Buffalo, elk, moose, stag, insect people like ants, the ones who live in community. Hummingbird, the one who serves by spreading its love, kissing all flowers. Dragon, dog (the one who serves).
Medicine tool
Flute, the smudge fan or the feather.
Herb
Cedar.
Some related professions
Teachers, intellectual pursuits, historians, record keepers, healers, wind talkers, warriors because they serve the people.
Shamanic profession
Teacher, wisdom keeper, storyteller, councillor.
Quality
Wisdom.
The mental body. Old and wise, we have passed through birth, childhood, adolescence and we move into adulthood. The North is the place of elders, grandmothers, grandfathers. Place of purification, renewal and cleansing. Snow covers the ground and prepares the earth for rebirth, renew. Air brings the healing medicine of clarity, expansion. The aha! Realisation moment. Bones: All our knowledge and wisdom are written in our bones. The North is the place of the mind, Science, European ways, logic, left brain activity. The North is the place you serve your community.
Acceptance is the power of the Goddess. Acceptance is a difficult word in our culture. When we accept the Medicine Wheel as a teacher, a reality, a tool, that is when it starts to work with us.
How to problem solve by using the Shamanic Medicine Wheel
Guests work with me for a variety of reasons… Crisis intervention, personal growth, and very often for problem solving. Time and time again, I’ve seen the effectiveness of shamanic wisdom as a template for problem solving, especially through the use of the medicine wheel. The movement of the shamanic medicine wheel starts in the east, goes to the south, moves through the west and finishes in the north.
Just as the sun rises in the east every morning and ushers in a brand new day, we have the opportunity to enjoy renewed energy, inspiration and new possibilities. This is what the EAST represents; all of our potential choices. Sometimes a problem has so many layers to consider we feel overwhelmed and move into fear, so the first thing to do is to find a place of calmness, the eye of the storm. When faced with a problem, it’s a great idea to write down all of your choices, every possible option, and give yourself the gift of not needing to know the answer right away, trusting that clarity will come. But the first step is to cultivate a sense of inner peace and inspiration in the middle of chaos.
The direction of SOUTH on the medicine wheel represents community, the heart and a sense of belonging. Once you’ve written down all of your choices, from a platform of neutrality it’s time to cultivate your support team and bring in your community. Make a list of everyone who can support your process, this can be family, friends, teachers, mentors… Don’t forget to include your guides and allies from the spirit world. You may want to talk things over with a few of them but it’s not necessary to actually connect with everybody. The knowledge that you are fully supported by all of your people is incredibly powerful. Allow yourself to enjoy a felt sense of connectedness and to fill yourself up with it.
Once you have an idea of every possible choice that would address your problem and you’ve also connected whole heartedly with your support, it’s time to move into the west. The WEST brings us the ability to cut through the fog of confusion and move into clarity about what we actually want. The work of the west is to release the obstacles that are in the way of creating the life we want to have. It’s essential to take the time here to identify and release those fears which are based in outdated beliefs such as “I’ll never be good enough”, “It never works out for me”, “It’s too hard”, etc… Once we’ve let go, we’re free to take ‘right action’, the best solution for our problem from all of the options we identified in the east.
The NORTH is the place of power, leadership, good timing and right action. Now that you are feeling inspired, supported and clear it is much easier to be active. You can step out into the world from a very powerful, conscious platform. This is the time to develop and implement a plan of action.
Spirit is the anchor to each of these steps. When we’re operating from essence, connected to our internal wisdom teacher and in alignment with Spirit then our walk around the medicine wheel will be fruitful, although not necessarily easy. When we find ourselves confused, stuck, isolated or struggling, all we need to do is step back into the east and start over.
The symbolisms of Four
- 4 Directions – East, West, North South
- 4 Seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
- 4 Periods of the Day – Dawn, Noon, Dusk, Midnight
- 4 Races of Humanity – Red, Black, White, Yellow
- 4 Stages of Life – Child, Adolescence, Adulthood, Elderly
- 4 Disciplines – Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual
- 4 Sacred Medicines – Tobacco, Sage, Sweetgrass, Cedar
- 4 Celestial Aspects – Sun, Moon, Earth, Stars
- 4 Life Forms – Plant, Mineral, Animal, Human
- 4 Elements – Fire, Water, Earth, Air
- 4 Qualities – Hot, Dry, Moist, Cold
- 4 Elements of Life – Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus
- 4 Food Nutrients – Water/Liquid, Fiber, Protein, Mineral
- 4 Basic Requirements for Human Life – Food, Water, Shelter, Clothing
- 4 Basic Requirements for Other Life – Food, Water, Shelter, Safety
- 4 Temperaments – Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, Melancholic
- 4 Emotions – Anger/Disgust, Love/Happiness, Fear, Surprise
- 4 Aspects of Womanhood – Maiden, Mother, Queen, Crone
- 4 Aspects of Manhood – Warrior, Provider, Leader, Guide/Mentor
- 4 Stages of Celebration – Preparation, Purification, Consecration, Thanksgiving
- 4 Stages of Agriculture – Planting, Cultivating, Harvesting, Thanksgiving
- 4 Aspects of Sustainability – Social, Economic, Ecological, Cultural
- 4 R’s – Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Repair
- 4 World Religions – Christian (30%), Muslim (20%), Hindu (10%), Unaffiliated (50%)
You can read here the first part of the introduction about the Shamanic Medicine Wheel.
Book your appointment now online or visit me at Sacred Space here in Athens and experience your own Shamanic Healing.
Give your body, spirit, soul and mind the opportunity to finally embrace all its finest qualities… the ones blessed with from Spirit…
Always here, always yours,
KC The Greek Shaman
