In the Andean shamanic tradition that I was trained in, the Medicine Wheel starts with the South direction and moves clockwise to the West, North and East.
Each direction has an archetypal power, Serpent in the South, Jaguar in the West, Hummingbird in the North, and the Eagle or Condor in the East.
Each archetypal power offers a set of teachings and healing practices.
The Serpent: non-judgment, non-suffering, non-attachment, beauty
The Jaguar: fearlessness, non-doing, certainty, non-engagement
The Hummingbird: beginner’s mind, living consequently, transparency, integrity
The Eagle: mastering time, owning our projections, no-mind, indigenous chemistry
There are plenty of points that offer us the opportunity for reflection and I will certainly return to some of them in the future.
Recently I read an article by one of my favourite teachers, Karen Johnson (https://karenvjohnson.net), that inspired me to write about the topic.
In the article Karen takes one lesson in each direction of the Medicine Wheel, asks some important questions and gives practical advice on how to respond to them.
In the South (Serpent) she is suggesting to reflect on becoming unstuck.
Where do we find beauty in our life? She recommends that we list our ideas on a piece of paper, light a candle and bring the paper to the flame, with intent to release everything that keeps us from opening our hearts to the beauty that surrounds us.
In the West (Jaguar) our goal is becoming lighter, unburdened. Let’s unburden ourselves from fear and from perceived responsibilities.
What keeps us so busy? What emotions are we avoiding? Again, we write them down on a piece of paper and bring it to the flame with intent to release fear of facing your emotions.
In the North (Hummingbird) we are reflecting on our awakening, seeing the world with fresh eyes and paying attention to our dreams.
Sometimes our dreams appear to be impossible. Let’s write them down and imagine how we would feel if our dreams become reality. We bring our list to the flame with the intent of releasing all that is holding us back. Invite new dreams with a heart wide open.
In the East (Eagle) we are pondering about creating a new destiny for ourselves, based on a different concept of time.
Let’s pay more attention to synchronicities and write them down. It may be a message that confirms your idea, or a repeated number that appears just as you are wondering whether you are on the right track or not. Bring your list to the flame and release everything that prevents you from seeing, trusting and being guided by synchronicities.
Ottawa, ON
