Everything is a circle or cycle: life, the wind, Earth, moon, stars, drum and dance. Lessons are hidden everywhere in creation, so look for them and the lessons will guide you. Everything has a spirit and was created for a purpose. Every being possesses their own voice and energy, and anyone can learn to communicate with everything.

The Medicine Wheel is also known as the  Sacred Hoop. It is a powerful and ancient representative symbol of the  Earth and Universe. Medicine Wheels are built in places where the Earth remembers ceremonies. The Wheel is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual tool that enables the participants to attune themselves to Earth Spirit influences and forces, teaching that we all are related and connected within the same family.

The Medicine Wheel is a silent teacher guiding us through a circle of lessons that we all must pass through in order to complete our Road of Life. It teaches that we have four aspects within us that need to be equally balanced and developed. The Wheel is a sacred place where one can gain knowledge, where addictions, abuse, obsessions and compulsive activities can be studied as life lessons and then learned from. It can help us to see things within us that have not yet been developed, and how we could be if these gifts were developed. It can be used to help us see or understand things, and it can show our strengths and weaknesses. The main factor is the participants willingness to reach out and touch these Universal truths that are presented to them. Different people will see aspects of the Wheel that will speak personally to them, and everyone who looks into the Medicine Wheel will see a different personal reflection. There are many ways to look at these reflected truths.

You may feel drawn to one direction or another due to the connection of given gifts with that of the direction, etc. But do not categorize yourself as a person of that direction only, because we constantly turn from one direction to another. One must reside in the centre and face out to all directions in order to become a whole person.

Some teachings speak of the North-South path being the Red Road of Life, with the East-West direction being the Blue Road of Spirit. Those who have finished their Earthwalk are said to drop their robe and travel along from North to East along the Trail of the Ancestor Spirits to enter the Golden Door (at the East)  which is the entry point to all other levels of awareness.

Three different examples of the Spirit Keepers according to different tribes are:
  LAKOTA: North --- Buffalo
                 East ----- Eagle
                 South --- Mouse
                 West ---- Bear
 

  OJIBWE:   North --- Bear
                    East ----- Turtle
                    South --  Eagle
                    West --- Thunderspirit
 

  PLAINS CREE: North --- Buffalo
                          East ----- Eagle
                          South --- Deer
                          West ---- Bear
 

A simplified version of a Medicine Wheel has the outer rim representing the council fires, the chiefs, clan mothers and elders. Inside the circle are the families and clans living in peace. The beads at the cross in the centre represent the four directions and the good thing s that come from them. The three feathers hanging remind us of what is within us all: body, mind and spirit.

A larger version of the Medicine Wheel contains 36 stones, according to the Cherokee teachings. The 36 stones represent different sacred symbols with different meanings. Different nations will obviously use different colours and animals, etc.

The centre represents The One True Source, the Creator, Great Spirit, etc., the centre of all life. It can be represented by a stone, or it can be left empty as a reminder of the Great Void which is the source of everything. Often a buffalo skull will be used as it is a creature that gave everything that was needed for survival.

The seven stones around the centre represent the Universe -- life, matter, time, energy, motion, dimension and spirit. They also represent the Earth Mother, Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, the Turtle Clan (earth), Frog Clan (water), Thunderbird Clan (fire), and Butterfly Clan (air).

The four paths going to the centre are spirit paths that represent the qualities of daily life that lead us into the sacred space of The One True Source. The Northern three stones are cleansing, renewal, and purity, and they form the Path of Wisdom and Knowledge. The Eastern ones are clarity, wisdom, and illumination, and form the Path of Enlightenment. The Southern ones are trust, growth, and love, and form the Path of Life and Growth. The Western three are Experience, introspection, and strength, and form the Path of Introspection and Transformation.

The four directional stones represent the Spirit Keepers who watch over the four seasons, the power of the four directions, the four sacred elements, and the four sacred medicines.

The outer ring of stones that runs between the directional stones represents the different full moons of the year. Between the North and East they are basically January, February, and March. From East to South they are April, May and June. From South to West they are July, August, and September. From West to North they are October, November, and December. There are many names for these moons depending on which nation you refer to.

The Cree call the moons (from Jan. to Dec.) Frost Exploding Trees Moon
                                                                   Eagle Moon
                                                                   Goose Moon
                                                                   Frog Moon
                                                                   Egg Laying Moon
                                                                   Hatching Moon
                                                                   Molting Moon
                                                                   Flying Moon
                                                                   Mating Moon
                                                                   Freezing Moon
                                                                   Foggy Moon
                                                                   Drifting Moon

The Ojibwe call the moons   Spirit Moon
                                           Bear Moon
                                           Snow Crust Moon
                                           Broken Snowshoe Moon
                                           Maple Sugar Moon
                                           Sucker Moon
                                           Blooming Moon
                                           Berry Moon
                                           Wild Rice Moon
                                           Leaves Turning Moon
                                           Falling Leaves Moon
                                           Freezing Moon
                                           Little Spirit Moon (13th moon)

The Cherokee call the moons  Earth Renewal Moon
                                             Rest and Cleansing Moon
                                             Big Winds Moon
                                             Budding Trees Moon
                                             Frogs Return Moon
                                             Cornplanting Moon
                                             Strong Sun Moon
                                             Ripe Berries Moon
                                             Harvest Moon
                                             Ducks Fly Moon
                                             Freeze Up Moon
                                             Long Snows Moon
 
 
 

EAST

The new day starts here. It is the place of childhood and the place of beginnings of all journeys. It is spring, elements of air and earth, and of male energy. The animals associated with the East are the eagle, mouse, and snake. The colours are gold and yellow.

The east is where we learn of warmth of spirit, purity, trust, hope, and acceptance of others for who they are. It teaches of a love that doesn't question others and doesn't know itself. It teaches us to trust in our own vision and the capacity to believe in the unseen. It teaches renewal, innocence, joy, spontaneity, and of a child's love. The East shares the gift of beautiful and clear speech, of guidance and leadership, courage, truthfulness and patience. It teaches of  healing and transmuting poison, energy exchange, healing, and vulnerability. It helps us to understand and gain enlightenment, spiritual nature, prayer and illumination through birth and rebirth. It teaches creativity, communication, and strength of will. It gives us the understanding needed to see clearly through complex situations. It gives the capacity to focus our attention on the here and now, to be fully in the moment, and to merge fully with the task at hand. Yet it also helps us to look at the overall picture to ensure happiness and well-being. It brings the capacity to watch over and guard the well-being of others by combining seeing the situation, with wanting to help, with knowing what to do. It teaches devotion to the service of others and of having hope for the people. It teaches that greatness of spirit and humility are opposite sides of the same reality. It tells how to let go of old habits.
 

SOUTH

The south is the place of the heart and generosity. It heralds a time to prepare for fall and winter, and the future in general. It is the place where great tests of the physical body are undertaken. It is the place of summer. The colours associated with the South are green and  red.  The animals connected with the South are the cougar, mouse, coyote, porcupine and the red willow tree. It relates to the elements of  fire or air.

The South speaks of fullness, youth, and physical strength and vigour. It teaches about control of appetites, purification and balanced development of the physical body. It teaches of sensitivity to the feelings of others, the love of one person for another, and of having a passionate involvement with the world. It speaks of emotional idealism, compassion and kindness, and having refined, controlled, and developed feelings. It teaches of having an open expression of feelings without hurting others, and of having an emotional attraction to good and repulsion to bad, such as a repulsion at senseless violence and anger at injustice. It teaches of having strong feeling and emotions, and the ability to set aside strong feelings in order to serve others. It speaks of needing a balance of humour and sadness, and of having trust in order to destroy the illusion of who we are to others and to be ourselves. It brings the gifts of music, gracefulness of movement, and an appreciation for the arts. It teaches training the senses of hearing, taste and sight to incorporate the powers of discrimination. It teaches determination, goal setting and of awakening inner child energy of  playfulness. It helps with overcoming obstacles, self-sufficiency, interaction, resurrection, loyalty, and noble passions.
 

WEST

The West is the place of testing through perseverance, and of maturity. It is where the thunder and lightning comes from the Thunderbeings. It is from where darkness comes, the place of the  unknown and of going within one's spirit to the source of power and strength from deep within. It is a place of sacrifice (something taken for something given) and of  harvest time. It carries the female energy of the black bear and turtle, as well as rain and water.

The West teaches of awareness of spirituality, dreams, prayer, ceremonies and meditation, and vision quests and journeys for inner spiritual renewal. It gives the courage to go within and face what is in the dark cave of the heart through reflection, contemplation, and  silence. By journeying to centre of your being, it is possible to experience directly the connection between the Human Spirit and the Universe and Creator. It is best to meet the Creator alone upon rising and before sleeping. It brings gifts of fasting, ceremony, clear self-knowledge and inner-vision, with deep inner thoughts. It teaches of consolidating and managing personal power. It speaks of commitment to path of personal development, to accept ourselves as we really are (physically and spiritually),  Universal life values, high moral code, helping others develop spiritually. It speaks of the symbolic power to heal, protect and defend, see and know. It teaches of having respect for elders, the spiritual struggles of others, and for others' beliefs. It teaches humility and of  having love for the Creator. It teaches physical nature (dance, sports), imagination, creative arts and goals.
 

NORTH

The North is the place of  winter where the knowledge of elders and the Old Ones exists in the place of true wisdom. Its symbols include the great mountain, sacred lake, crystals,  moose, snowy owl, and white buffalo. Its colour is white and its elements are earth or fire.

The gifts of the North include the capacity to think, speculate, predict, discriminate, imagine, synthesize, solve problems, analyse, understand, calculate, organize, criticize, remember, listen, and interpret hidden meanings. All may possess them, though through different methods for each person. It brings an integration of intellectual abilities and mental natures, with freedom through knowledge and wisdom. It teaches the lesson of things that end through completion and fulfilment, and speaks of  freedom from hate, jealousy, desire, anger and fear. It teaches of a complete letting go of all things by stepping outside its shadow to see in a different light, enabling one to learn to stand within the centre with balance of all the gifts in all directions. It teaches about the justice to see things as they really are and how things all fit together. It brings insight and empathic intuition made conscious with prayers and of drawing forth inner treasures. It speaks of  moderation, strength and endurance, gratitude, teaching, abundance, and gentleness. It is often hard to endure the lessons. It is like climbing a mountain -- the higher you go, the harder it becomes, yet we become stronger for it.

First Opened: November 13, 2000
Revised: June 2004