Native American Medicine Wheel
Introduction: Page One
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1.1 The Medicine Wheel
Fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, Blaze,
Flow, River, Flow,
Flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth your word, Lord,
1.1.1 The Sundance Medicine Wheel
- Represents the cycle of the Sun (Wilson MW 29-30)
- Rising in the East (yellow)
- Dances to the South (white)
- This is the zenith of the Sun, highest in the sky, visibility over greatest distance
- Dances to the West (black)
- Dances to the North (red)
- Unseen, cold wind; need stamina and strength to face the storms; blood
These are the colors used by Lame Deer, Roy Wilson and the writers of Sacred Ground
From Medicine Wheels: Ancient Teachings for Modern Times, by Roy I Wilson.
1.1.2 Other Colors found in Medicine Wheel teachings
1.1.2.1 Black Elk (Wilson MW 31)
- Red in the East from whence springs light; morning star gives men wisdom
- Yellow in South for summer and the power to grow
- Black in the West from where the Thunder Beings send rain
- White is in the North for the great white cleansing wind
- One feather unites the directions - signifies one God
1.1.2.2 Lame Deer (Wilson MW 31-32)
- Yellow in East represents the Sun as rising to light the world
- White in the South symbolizes the glare of the Sun at its zenith
- Black in the West for night, darkness, mystery, sundown
- Red in the North symbolizes earth, pipestone, and the blood of the people
- Unity of the whole for all races of men
1.1.2.3 Hymeyohsts Storm (Wilson MW 32, Storm 6)
- Yellow in East, Eagle, illumination, see things clearly far and wide
- Green for South, Mouse, Innocence and Trust, perceiving closely our nature of heart
- Black in West, Bear, Looks-Within Place, introspective nature of man
- White in North, Wisdom, Buffalo
1.1.2.4 Sun Bear (Wilson MW 32)
- Yellow in East (Sun Bear 139)
- Wabun, golden eagle, fly high, see clearly - illumination, wisdom
- Red (vital enegy) and gold (illumination, wisdom, enlightenment) of rising sun
- Red in South (Sun Bear 143)
- Shawnodese, coyote, trickster-teacher
- Coyote's coat yellow (of midday sun), mottled brown (summer earth)
- Colors of Shawnodese
- Green (plants, rapid growth)
- Green = growth, trust, healing & restoring energy
- Yellow (summer sun, heat, light to grow)
- Yellow = intelligencem mental receptivity, natural wisdom
- Black in West (Sun Bear 147)
- Mudjekeewis, grizzly bear (strongest of bears, chief of council)
- Preparation, introspection
- Grizzly bear is black as night, with some silver hairs
- Colors of Shawnodese
- Blues of twilight merging into the blacks of night
- Blue = spiritual strength, idealism, selflessness
- Black = one looking within, purposeful blinding to things of earth
- Black = formlessness from which all things come
- White in North (Sun Bear 135)
- Waboose, white buffalo, renewal, purity
- White buffalo represents spirit that gave totally of itself, its essence
- White Buffalo Woman brought sacred pipe to the people
- White = purity, balance, life renewing itself
- White is sum of all colors, represents evolution, perfection
1.1.2.5 Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon (Grey Wolf 38-51)
- Grandfather Sun
- Four relatively fixed points of North, South, East, West
- Marked by by solstices and equinoxes
- Fall between the 20th and 22nd of March, June, September, December
- Polarities influence each other as wheel turns
- Opposing forces balance, seek harmony
- East Wind
- Springtime; place of birth and new beginnings
- Direction of spirit; represented by Eagle
- Spring months of February 11 to May 10; equinox March 21
- Time of the infant; dawn; stone is amber
- South Wind
- Summertime; time of rapid growth and expansion
- Time to build and consolidate; represented by humble Mouse
- Summer months of May 11 to August 10; solstice July 21
- Time of the child; midday; stone is garnet
- West Wind
- Fall; time of harvesting and giving; time of darkness
- Always light in the darkness; represented by the Thunderbird
- Fall months of August 11 to November 10; equinox Sep 21
- Time of the adult; dusk; stone is snowflake obsidian
- North Wind
- Winter; time of holding and keeping
- Time of wisdom-keepers; Totem is the white giant Waziya
- Winter months of November 11 to February 10; solstice Dec 21
- Time of elder; sometime between dusk and dawn; stone is milky quartz
- Grandmother Moon
- While solar structure is more or less fixed, moon's rotation is fluid throughout cycles
- Moon has 28-day cycle
- Power weakest at new moon waxing or increasing to peak at full moon
- Power then wanes or decreases to next new moon
- New moon is influenced by previous full moon as well as next full moon
- Birth at a cusp when one sign is changing to next shares influence of both
- Four Winds influence moon's character throughout cycle of sun
- Grandmother Moon's twelve months and four faces
- Twelve months used to represent cycles of earthweb
- Begin on eleventh day of month, end on 10th day of the following month
- Thirteen moons do occur throughout the year
- Thirteenth is the Blue Moon
- Spring Moons ~ February 11 to May 10
- East Wind; Spring Equinox in center
- Strong Winds Moon, Fast Waterflow Moon, Planting Moon
- Summer Moons ~ May 11 to August 10
- South Wind; Summer Solstice in center
- Flowering Moon, Drying-Up Moon, Hot Winds Moon
- Fall Moons ~ August 11 to November 10
- West Wind; Fall Equinox in center
- Hunters Moon, Ripening Moon, Harvest Moon
- Winter Moons ~ November 11 to February 10
- North Wind; Winter Solstice in center
- Popping Treees Moon, Hard Freeze Moon, Deep Snows Moon
Introduction: Page One
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~ | ~ Sacred Altar
~ | ~ East
~ | ~ South
~ | ~ West
~ | ~ North ~ | ~
Inner Circle:
Owl ~ | ~ Cougar
~ | ~ Hawk ~ | ~ Coyote
~ | ~ Wolf ~ | ~ Bear
~ | ~ Raven ~ | ~
Outer Circle:
Snow Goose ~ | ~
Otter ~ | ~
Cougar ~ | ~
Hawk ~ | ~
Beaver ~ | ~
Deer ~ | ~
~ | ~ Flicker ~ | ~
Sturgeon ~ | ~
Bear ~ | ~
Raven ~ | ~
Snake ~ | ~
Elk ~ | ~
Blue ~ | ~