At University, I was introduced to The Medicine Wheel concept of all of creation. It is a way to speak of The Four Directions that are found in many cultures and traditions that corresponds with all persons, places and things of Creation in a cyclical nature.
There are four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each season is designated a color. Spring is yellow. Summer is Red. Fall is Black. Winter is White. Each season relates to the seasonal color with Spring as renewal of life, seeds sprouting, and new beginnings. Summer is the time of fruition and abundance. Fall is the time of harvest, of fullness of time. Winter is a time of completion, dying, and death.
The Medicine Wheel teaches us about the four elements, as well: Earth, fire, water and wind. Yellow is the warmth and light. Red is |Mother Earth – our life blood. Black symbolizes the water flowing within us and all things. Wind is white; the air we breath and a lifegiving force we cannot see.
The Medicine Wheel teaches us about the animals and their medicine. Some cultures or groups may have different animals for the quadrants but |I will use the ones I know. Yellow, Spring, carries the medicine of the eagle and the medicine of vision, insight, a messenger from Creator since he flies so high. The buffalo is the Red, Summer, with medicine of endurance, abundance and growth. The black, Fall, is the Bear with its confidence, maturity, knowing when to rest as well as medicine for when we distrust or fear. The white, winter, wolf is medicine for the spirit about loyalty to what we believe in, for spiritual guidance, for all things sacred.
The buffalo is frequently represented in the red quadrant. The buffalo is a provider, a strong spirit with great endurance and emotional courage. In some cases, red also symbolizes the mouse or rabbit, spirit animals that are associated with abundance and busy working.
The wolf or coyote is normally shown in the black quadrant. The coyote is a spirit animal that is playful, adaptable and is often characterized as a “jokester”. The wolf spirit animal is intelligent, has strong instincts and demonstrates freedom as an essential way of life. The wolf at times can also represent distrust and fear of being threatened.
The white, or northern, quadrant is frequently associated with the bear, a brother to people. The bear is strong, confident and is a powerful image of healing for both the physical and emotional. The white section is also often associated with the white buffalo calf, which is a sacred animal to the first nations.
As well, the Medicine Wheel teaches us about the aspects of being human; The child of Spring; the youth of summer, the adulthood of fall, the elderhood of Winter. At the conjunction of Elderhood and Childhood is the coming And going to Creator and why both Elders and children are so sacred and to be revered.
Plants fit on to the Medicine of the Medicine Wheel. Tobacco of the East, to honor Creator. Sage of the Summer to remove negativity, for ceremonies and teaching. Sweetgrass of the f\all for calming smudge and purification during sacred ceremonies. Cedar of the North for purifying, and protector.
The Medicine Wheel is not a flat circle, it is spiral upon spiral and I have only touched on some very basic medicines that it teaches about.
As I look at the Medicine Wheel and study its myriads of meanings, I find succour and lessons to be learned, and understand the many medicines for the many reasons we might need them. I will share more of what I know in further blogs, to be sure, but in case you were wondering what it meant, at all, I thought to share this with you.
©Carol Desjarlais 9.17.20
***Art journal page done with With Toni Burt
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