Native American Medicine Wheel
South
~ | ~ Sacred Altar
~ | ~ East ~ | ~ South
~ | ~ West ~ | ~ North ~ | ~
2.2 South - red, yellow, white, or green
- Yellow and red = suns warmth in the South; Summer, power to grow
- White = glare, sun at zenith, see greatest distance
- Green = grow from Mother Earth, all plant life
- From Grandfather Sun at zenith, highest point in sky
- Penetrates with extra life giving forces
2.2.1 Medicine Wheels
2.2.1.1 Wilson's Medicine Wheel (Wilson MW 45-50)
- Bear or Man Totem
- Ezekiel and John see Man; Amerindians see Bear
- "Mitakoye Oyisin" = we are all related (Lakota Sioux)
- Adam's relationship with the animals
- Ancient legend, two-leggeds and four-leggeds could go back and forth at will
- Creator made it no longer possible because of arguing with each other
- Bear clan two-leggeds are leaders
- When skinned, hides of bear and man appear the same/similar
- Door of Service
- Bear - "warrior, leader, healer"
- Beaver - "industrious one"
- Ant - "builder, carriage of heavy loads"
- Squirrel - "gatherer"
- Moons of the South
- Strong Sun Moon, June 21 - July 22
- Ripe Berries Moon, July 23 - August 22
- Harvest Moon, August 23 - September 22
- Summer Solstice - longest day is on June 21, after which the sun "dies"
2.2.1.2 Sun Bear's Medicine Wheel
- Shawnodese, Spirit Keeper of the South
- Season is Summer
- Time of day is Midday
- Animal association is Coyote
- Colors are green and yellow
- Moons of the South
- Strong Sun Moon, June 21 - July 22
- Ripe Berries Moon, July 23 - August 22
- Harvest Moon, August 23 - September 22
2.2.1.3 Earth Signs (Grey Wolf 8-11, 40-41)
- Power of the South Wind
- Season is Summer, Summer Solstice is June 21
- Daily cycle is Noon, the time of rapid activity
- The time of growth, the power of innocence and trust
- Human cycle is childhood, the power of curiosity
- Animal Totem is Mouse; Stone Totem is Garnet
- Color is Red
- Moons of the South (Summer)
- Flowering Moon, May 11-June 10
- Drying-Up Moon, June 11-July 10
- Hot Winds Moon, July 11-August 10
- The Power of Curiosity
- Mouse-Thought - ability to learn
- Innocence and Trust
2.2.4 Other Associations
- Native American Associations:
- Wilson: Bear, Summer
- Sun Bear: Shawnodese, Coyote
2.2.7 Sun Bear's Medicine Wheel (Sun Bear MWEA 141-144)
- The power of Shawnodese, the Spirit Keeper of the South
- Is the power of growth and trust
- The season of Shawnodese is the summer
- When all the earth's children grow rapidly, coming to maturity
- Trusting in the wisdom of the earth that allows them to grow rapidly and mature properly
- The time of day of Shawnodese is midday
- When the warmth of the sun has helped the buds of dawn to open to the blossoms of the day
- In human terms the time of Shawnodese is the time of adulthood
- When both the internal and external seeds of youth begin to rapidly grow and blossom
- Particular purposes of life begin to become clear
2.2.7.1 Summertime
- In the summertime the promises of the spring are fulfilled
- The plants that began to bud come to full blossom and bear their fruit
- The rocks that glistened with the new sun of spring glow
- As they take in the warmth of the summer sun
- The young animals grow rapidly as they eat from the abundance of the plant kingdom
- All things in nature grow in both body and mind
- As they mature and take in the wisdom of the living, breathing earth
2.2.7.2 Midday
- At midday the lessons of the spirit received during sleep are put into action
- As people make plans and their directin for the day grows and takes shape
- This is the time of testing wisdom by bringnig it into physical being
- And helping it to grow
- Sometimes the original directin is correct
- Sometimes it must change
- To know, the idea must first become an external reality
2.2.7.3 Adulthood
- In human life young adult years are those of testing and searching
- When many people try all of the many things that seem to be their calling
- When they experiment with the ideas that came to the in their youth
- These are the years when people try growing in all directions that seem possible to them
- Gradually putting aside those that feel less than right
- These are the magic years when nothing seems irreversible
- Even mistakes are beneficial as long as they are the result of a sincere effort
- These are the years that test and mold
- Preparing people to be strong in those things that they were born to do
2.2.7.4 Power of Shawnodese
- The power of Shawnodese is neither as paradoxical as the power of Waboose
- Nor as straightforward as the power of Wabun
- It is the power of growing rapidly while learning to trust feelings and intuitions
- It is the power of maturing
- It is the power of the corn trusting
- That its early growth brought enough wisdom from the earth
- That it cross-pollinated with the correct species
- To bring forth good, healthy kernels
- That will be of help to all who partake of it
- It is the power that brings humans together to form new life
- Which they too, hope will be healthy, happy and able to bring joy
- It is the power that directs corn pollen to the proper silk
- And directs the man or woman to the proper mate
- It is the primal power that guides all of the earth's children to mate
- So that the growth they have experienced can continued
- Even when their season of rapid growth has passed
2.2.7.5 Coyote
- The animal associated with Shawnodese is the coyote
- To Native people the coyote is the trickster
- The one who can force folks to learn even when they don't want to
- By his tricks coyote forces his relations to grow
- By being tricked and then learning necessary lessons
- Earth's children learn to trust in life and in the lessons it brings
- Being as stubborn as most of earth's children are
- Tricks are often necessary for growth
- People become comfortable as they are
- Don't wish to experience the pain that rapid growth sometimes brings
- At such times of power of Shawnodese, the coyote is need to help people grow
- And continue to learn the lessons that they were placed on earth to learn
- The coyote of Shownodese has a yellow coat, the color of the midday sun
- Mottled with the brown of the sumemr earth
2.2.7.6 Green and Yellow
- The colors of Shawnodese are the green of the plants rapidly growing
- And the yellow of the summer sun giving them heat and light so they can grow
- Green is the color of growth, trust, healing and restoring energy
- Yellow is the color of intelligence, mental receptivity and natural wisdom
2.2.7.7 Moons of the South
- The Strong Sun Moon, The Ripe Berries Moon, and The Harvest Moon
- People of these moons are ones with the capacity for rapid growth
- On all levels, once they have firmly put their foundations into the earth
- These folks must have their earth energies firmly grounded
- And connected with a good direction
- Before they are able to reach out for the things of the spirit
- The people of Shawnodese must learn to trust their intuition
- While they are dealing witht he energies of the earth
- It is this that will direct them to the places
- Where they can apply their energy and their power
- They must allow their intuition to help them to mature
- So that they will be able to follow the path they should
- They must bear their fruit on the earth
- Before they can allow their energies to reach out to the things beyonf earth
- If they don't, they risk misusing their spiritual energies
- By applying them to earth things for personal gains
- Such use will keep them from being able to develop further
- People of these moons are loving, friendly, gregarious folks
- Who usually touch many others with their energies, their knowledge and their love
- As long as this touching comes fromt eh good energy of their hearts
- It will bring good to them and those around them
Introduction: Page One
~ | ~ Page Two
~ | ~ Page Three
~ | ~ Page Four
~ | ~ Page Five ~ | ~
~ | ~ 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 ~ | ~