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MEDICINE WHEEL TEACHINGs in the twenty-first century |
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The call of Wolf sings the magic
of the natural world Thunderbird is a Medicine Wheel Teacher having received her knowledge and teachings from her own intense research and from a variety of Elders who willingly taught her what they knew; Medicine Wheel teachings are vast and limitless and form the basis of most First Nations belief themes, for example, the great circle of life; the natural world was created in groups of four; all things in the natural world are connected; harmony and balance reigns supreme. Native people on the west coast, including the Tsimshian People did not create Medicine Wheels. Anthropological discoveries have shown that the wheels are mainly clustered in southern Alberta and various spots in North and South Dakota, Montana, meaning tribes such as the Lakhota and Blackfoot probably were the main builders. An Elder once told Thunderbird that there was no wrong way to build a Medicine Wheel; that the grains of sand on a beach would never equal the number of teachings contained within the mysteries of the Medicine Wheel. After years of studying and researching these teachings, Thunderbird has come to discover that he was right! Note: What direction does each of the four colours of human belong? There have been many books written about the Medicine Wheel, and they often differ as to the placement of some of the teachings, for example, there are some Lakota teachers who place the yellow race in the west and the black race in the east; Anishinaabe version places the Red Race in the South and the Black Race in the West; others suggest the wheel is walked in a counter-clockwise direction. As so little is really known, there is really no wrong way to build a wheel, a circular walk after all has no beginning and no end. It is more of a question of what resonates with each individual as she studies the teachings. Thunderbird can only speak from her own knowledge of the teachings based on sheer geographic logic alone, White in the North and Yellow in the east are 'givens'. Black Race in the West and the Red Race in the South. Thunderbird elects this placement because she accepts the logical explanation that the races originated in these directions. All My Relations.
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Unity Button Celebrating Four colours of human (Red in West, Black in South, White in North, Yellow in East) |
Medicine Wheel in Southern Alberta - you can see the spokes extending out from the centre
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Big Horn, South Dakota (largest), Age estimate: 2500-3000 years) |
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WALKING THE MEDICINE WHEEL Medicine Wheel teachings are among the oldest of First Nations people and are based on the seven directions (North, East, South West, Father Sky, Mother Earth, Centre. They create a holistic foundation for human behaviour and interaction; the teachings are about walking the earth in a peaceful and good way; they assist in helping to seek healthy minds (North) strong inner spirits (South), inner peace (West), strong, healthy bodies (East). A Medicine Wheel can best be described as a mirror within which everything about the human condition is reflected back to you. Among other things, It requires courage, honesty and trust to look into the mirror and really see yourself because some of it is painful, while others joyful and reflective. However, it is ultimately facing the pain that makes you stronger. The term "Medicine" as it is used by First Nations people does not refer to drugs or herbal remedies. It is used within the context of inner spiritual energy and healing or an enlightened experience, in other words, spiritual energy. The Medicine Wheel and its sacred teachings assist us along the path towards mental, spiritual, emotional, physical balance and enlightenment. A good starting point is by your birth date. The Medicine Wheel is walked in a clockwise direction (the direction of the Sun). The time needed to walk a complete circle is whatever time it takes - time, in other words, is relative to the process and no one else's business.
There is no right or wrong way to walk the wheel or live your life, how each of you lives your life is a personal choice(s) and it should not be judged by anyone. This is where the five Native Ethics come in, which id a whole other teaching. Suffice it to say, that Ethic #1 is the Ethic of Non-Interference, teaches it is not our place to judge how another person chooses to live her life. It is our place to be there in friendship, love, balance, support and harmony when needed and even then our personal opinions remain our own. After all, Great Mystery does not make mistakes, and each person is created as a 'perfect soul' which reflects the central essence of the medicine wheel. After that, you make your own choices which are more often than not influenced by other individuals (families, co-workers, friends). It is hard to understand sometimes that where you are at this point in your earth walk is where you are supposed to be. Not of all life experiences are good, there is a lot of hate, terror, jealousy, fractured families and societies in our world. Sometimes you are not successful in working around all that and you become caught up in the jungle of tangled emotions, followed by ‘not right action’. There is no question that It is difficult to walk the earth walk with care always looking to your endless personal horizons in a healing way, understanding that each day you arise, you are facing a perfect uncluttered day; a blank canvas upon which you can paint whatever story you choose. But, then, this is the challenge isn’t it? To learn from the experiences that have not elevated your life, make the appropriate changes (even though it can be a scary process!) and keep moving forward in a manner that pleases our Ancestors. In other words, moving around the great medicine wheel circle is an ongoing journey of personal redemption and evolution. How you live your life within the great circle is the greatest challenge. If you wish to become a self fulfilling prophecy, it is best to think and walk in a positive way, for if you are angry, remorseful, and bitter, then your earth walk will reflect that anger. The Native People in Hawaii who follow the traditional Huna teachings have a saying, "As you think so it is." In other words, if you believe you are a worthy person, then you are. If you believe you do not matter in the Universe, then you will not matter. In ancestral times, Indigenous People greeted every sacred day with honour songs and prayers because physical life was considered to be a fleeting thing. There were songs to greet the morning Sun, songs to put Grandfather Sun to bed, Songs for Guardian Spirits, Prayers for Mother Earth. Everyday should be a good day with good thoughts, good feelings and prayer because being called to your day of quiet could be at any time. As one of my teachers once said, "If someone says to me, "I'm not spiritual", I'll say, you breathe, don’t you’? If you breathe you are spiritual for Spirituality is breath." As the beginning of the Great Spirit Prayer says, "Oh Great Spirit whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me...." The ‘Old’ People say that you are never the same person coming out of a circle as when you went in because so many new connections have been made. All things that live within the Sacred Hoop are equal and protected, because a circle cannot do otherwise, it is not logical. It is a place where people come together in safety, trust and sanctity to share stories and feelings and help each other heal through communal laughter and tears. Eventually you will return to your starting place older and hopefully a little wiser to begin the process of walking the Wheel again, this time with new understanding, insight and inner strength.
MEDICINE
WHEEL AS A UNIVERSAL SYMBOL OF The Medicine Wheel is also a major symbol of peaceful interaction among all living beings on Mother Earth - it represents harmony, balance and connections. Scattered across the plains of Alberta are a number of stone Medicine Wheels. Some are extremely large, greater than 12 meters across. They are the remains of special ceremonial dance and spiritual events celebrated by the Plains First Nations people. The term "Medicine Wheel" was first applied to the Big Horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, the most southern and one of the largest in existence. That site consists of a central circle of piled rock surrounded by a circle of stone; "Rays" of stones travel out from the central core of rock and its surrounding circle. The whole structure looks rather like the wheel of a bicycle. Alberta has about 66% of all known Medicine wheels (46) which suggests that Southern Alberta was a central meeting place for many Plains tribes who followed Medicine Wheel ceremonies (usually on and around the Summer Solstice - June 21st). Despite their physical existence, there is a lot of mystery that surrounds the Medicine Wheel, because without written records, so little is understood as to their true meaning. Many theories abound, including: (a) the wheels contain significant stellar and cosmological alignments, specifically designed in other words to point towards the rising sun or to certain star nation constellation(s); (b) the performance of specific rituals and ceremonies that have been lost to the mists of time. Suffice it to say that Medicine Wheels have since morphed into many different kinds and have provided a tangible mechanism upon which the healing of individuals, communities and nations can be focused. Like all things First Nations, adaptability is the key to survival, therefore, the medicine wheel teachings have been adopted by many tribes. One of my great joys is to create a human medicine wheel, with cards containing the teachings and then placing each person in the appropriate place on the wheel. Participants get so much more out of it in terms of understanding their own lives.
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"Spiritualism is the highest form of political and social consciousness. Native people are among the last surviving teachers of this kind of enlightened experience. It is important to use spiritualism wisely and well in the 21st century -- which will be a time of bridging ancient wisdom into the creative tapestry of contemporary times. "No one knows this better than Natives whose 'religion' is a deep connection between nature and spirit." (Author unknown) Here is a simple song that Thunderbird wrote, it is sung with drums.
Sit in a circle,
talk in a circle
Over the
mountains, under the sea
Dazzle
your spirit with Nature's Beauty
Sparking
Starlight and Pearls of Rain
Dance
in A Circle Love Mother Earth
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The teachings are anchored by the Seven Directions:
The Medicine Wheel teaches people not only to talk the talk, but more importantly, to walk the walk. You moved along your healing path embracing the unlimited teachings and resources available to you on the medicine wheel, connection to culture, personal and collective vitality, identity and spirit will once again be everyday occurrences. This is what Indigenous Renewal Ceremonies and Teachings are all about, this is why legitimate Traditional Teachers and Elders are needed -- sacred connections to each other and to all things in the natural world. TEACHERS: THIS IS WHAT CHARACTER EDUCATION IS ALL ABOUT. All My Relations. Thunderbird has available for sale a book on the Relationship between the Medicine Wheel Teachings and Character Education. Email Thunderbird to find out more.
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THE SEVEN DIRECTIONS ON THE MEDICINE WHEEL
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EAST |
SOUTH |
WEST |
NORTH |
FATHER SKY | MOTHER EARTH | CENTRE |
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East Wind |
South Wind |
West Wind (Grandfather of the Winds) |
North Wind |
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SELF. A Rose represents the Earthwalk thorns and all! | |
| Birth: Children | Youth | Adult | Elder | |||
| Good Life | Fast Life | Wandering Life | Truth Life | Planning Life | Doing Life | Inner Wisdom Life |
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Courage,
Leadership, Stamina, Clarity |
Trust, Growth (Sun), Gentleness, Cleansing | Humility, Prayers, Introspection, Dreams, Visions, | Honesty, Wisdom, Honour, Illumination, |
Respect Growth (Sun)Renewal |
Truth, Balance, Nurturing (Moon) |
Love of Self, 'Light Bulb' Moments that alter entrenched thoughts |
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | |||
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Physical Realm |
Spiritual Realm |
Emotional/Heart Realm |
Mental Realm |
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Warrior |
Healer |
Visionary |
Teacher |
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Air |
Earth |
Fire |
Water |
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Yellow Race |
Black Race |
Red Race |
White Race |
Blue | Green | Purple |
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Rooted: Sunflower, Honey, Maple Syrup, Trees, Flowers Wild Rice, Wild Grass Seed After 1500 |
Vegetables: 3 Sisters: Corn, Beans, Squash Turnip, Onions, Wapato (potatoes), Sweet Potatoes, Peppers
Berries:
Strawberries |
Swimmers: Fish (Salmon), Seal, Walrus, Whale Meat, Shelled Fish (Clams) |
Wild Game Meat
(Moose, Elk, Caribou, Turkey)
After 1500 |
Flyers: Ducks, Pigeons, Partridges, Quail + Bird's Eggs |
Nuts & Seeds: Acorn, Hickory, Chestnuts, Walnuts, Pine, Cacti, Sunflower, Pumpkin |
A particular member of the Wild Game Group Bison and Pemmican |
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Sweetgrass |
Cedar | Sage |
Tobacco |
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Grandfather Sun |
Mother Earth |
Grandmother Moon |
Father Sky |
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Male Spirit Guide Elk, Mountain Lion, Weasel, Fox |
Female Spirit Guide Deer, Moose, Buffalo, Swan |
Female Spirit Guide Raven, Bear (Brown, Grizzly, Kermode), Orca |
Male Spirit Guide White Bear, Caribou, Horse |
Male Spirit Guide Eagle, Hawk |
Mother Energy: Turtle, Wolf, Kokapelli, Turkey |
Female & Male
Spirit Guide Bear Paw, Crane, Dog, Opposum, Frog, Dolphin, Otter, Porcupine, |
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Gemstone Bloodstone, Sapphire, Malachite, Apatite or Azurite
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Gemstone Quartz Crystal, Green Tourmaline, Soldalite, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz
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Gemstone Rock Crystal, Jade, Amber, Cirtine
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Gemstone Turquoise, Green Adventurine Coral, Ruby, Black Obsidian |
Gemstone Aquamarine |
Gemstone Agate |
Gemstone Garnet |
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ORIGINAL ELDER SPEAKS FROM THE UNSEEN WORLD
"All My Relations. I have spoken. Kopet, that is all." More Spiritual Teachings, see: |
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BRIEF EXPLANATION OF FOUR MAJOR ARCHETYPES ALSO KNOWN AS THE FOUR REALMS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE WARRIOR (EAST) - STAMINA, LEADERSHIP We come into our leadership skills by staying in our power, by extending honour and respect. We do this by showing up and being responsible and accountable. In other words, we do not hide or hold back. We respect limits and boundaries. We do not, in other words, power ourselves into someone else's world without being invited. We demonstrate always the right use of power. We listen to the messages from Father Sky and the four great winds. We empower ourselves by using a rattle, dancing, meditating while standing, connecting to nature and finding our power animals. Watch out for the shadow aspects of leadership: rebellion, power-over mentality, riding coattails of powerful people. Stand in the sweet territory of presence, communication, responsibility and position. HEALER (SOUTH) - LOVE Pay attention to the heart and its meaning. We attend to the condition and well-being of the four-chambered heart (full, open, clear, strong); when we extend acknowledgement and the arms of love to ourselves and others, when we hold a balanced view of health we can experience all kinds of love; Love between mates and lovers, between parent and child, between friends and colleagues, between professional alliances, Love of self, Unconditional or spiritual love. We embrace the sweet territory of Storytelling, Singing, Dancing, Silence. We cradle ourselves in our own self-love and acknowledge our strengths, and the qualities we like about ourselves. We acknowledge the contributions we are making and that we have made. We acknowledge the love we have given and received and the love we are currently giving and receiving. When we recognize ourselves as persons of worth, we can do the same for others. Avoid the following addictions: living intensely (lighten up, in other words), seeking perfection, concentrating on what is not working instead of what is working, you simply don't have to know everything. VISIONARY (WEST) - INTEGRITY Tell the truth without blame or judgment. Honour the power of prayer and humility; when we give voice to what we see internally and externally and when we bring forward our creative spirit and life dream we bring with us intuition, perception, insight and vision. Stand in the sweet territory of dynamism, magnetism, integration and strength/vigor. Meditate either standing, lying down, sitting up or walking. Align your right words with right action, Honour yourself in equal proportion to others. Avoid the following addictions: Free yourself from patterns of denial and self indulgence. Never say, "I'm just a housewife, I'm just a postal clerk, I'm just a veterinarian. The word "Just" does not exist within the context of the Visionary. Avoid, in other words, self-abandonment, always seeking approval, love, trying to keep the peace, looking for harmony at any cost. TEACHER (NORTH) -WISDOM When we express the Teacher, we develop our capacities for detachment: we honour our heritage; we become flexible and fluid, like the ocean; we demonstrate wisdom and its four major components of clarity, rightness, objectivity and discernment. We find our inspiration from our Ancestors, immediate family, friends, inspirational and historical figures. We sit in the sweet territory of silence. Immutable laws include: Whomever is present should be there; When it begins, it is the right time; Whatever happens, it is the only thing that could have happened; When it is over, it is over. Avoid the following fears: loss of structure, loss of turf, feeling out of control, feeling abandoned, looking always at a bleak future. Turn to your Healer Self to correct these things.
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FOUR DIRECTIONAL PRAYER MANTRAS EAST Today I acknowledge that my body contains a fantastic genetic code unique only to me. It is a vehicle of expression designed to transport and enable me to function within the physical realm. I do not devalue myself, therefore I will not devalue my body, for my body is the temple that houses the Mental, Spiritual and Emotional realms of my existence. I understand and accept that learning and changing takes time and that leadership within myself is an ongoing quest. I may not be able to expect an overnight miracle but I can expect a miracle over time. SOUTH Today I acknowledge that I am connected to a spiritual power greater than myself and that this greater power (known as the Breath of the Invisible) loves me and created me in perfect balance with Noo Halidzoks (Mother Earth). I will continue to heal myself by releasing my fear, and loving myself and others unconditionally. I place no boundaries, in other words on the love I give myself. I understand that self-worth comes from within my own soul. I understand that I do not have to be defined by wider world. WEST Today I will acknowledge that changes in my life must begin with me. Today I will speak from the depths of my wise self. I know that to lock up my heart locks up my emotions. I will listen to my dreams and visions and create a new reality for myself. I will stop denying that problems exist. Instead I will honour them for they have helped make me who I am at this moment in time. To deny my difficulties is to deny who I am. What I will do is dream new dreams for myself and lift up my spirit. NORTH - Today I will acknowledge that to change my life requires the twin elements of honesty and wisdom. Honesty to understand when a change(s) is necessary and good, Wisdom to change my patterns of behaviour even if they fly in the face of what others think and believe about me. Today I acknowledge that I have a sacred right to live my life as I desire, and I reject any roles imposed or assigned to me in a dysfunctional situation for then the gifts freely given to me by Great Mystery will be wasted and Mother Earth will die a little more.
GREAT SPIRIT PRAYER Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind Whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me; I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice Make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people. Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me. I seek strength, not to be greater than my brothers and sisters, but to fight my greatest enemy - MYSELF Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
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Note to Gentle Readers: Due to the almost mythical number of SPAM emails Thunderbird receives per month (average: 8,000), she has had to install anti-spam software - be patient and answer the question from IPermitmail; Ms Thunderbird looks forward to hearing from you. |