The Medicine Wheel

The Medicine Wheel is a symbol for our walk through life, which is forever evolving and bringing new lessons and truths to us. The Medicine Wheel is a physical expression of our (human) connection with all living things. It is a ceremonial place to honor spirit and to gather the energies of all the animals, Earth Mother, Father Sky, Grandfather Sun, Grandmother Moon, Star Nation, Stone people, Standing people (trees), and the two legged or humans. It is a place to honor "All Our Relations." It can be understood as a mirror of the universe which surrounds us. The Medicine Wheel is a path of truth and peace, where all lessons, talents, and abilities are equal.

Any idea, person or object can be a Medicine Wheel, a mirror for us to learn from . All things of the universe have spirit and life, including the rivers, rocks, earth, sky, plants, and animals. But it is only man who has a determining spirit, or free will. Our spirit can be made whole only through learning to seek and perceive the lessons placed before us on our walk through life's Medicine Wheel. This walk through life to find ourselves is called the vision quest. We must all follow our vision quest to discover ourselves, to find our relationship with the world around us.

A traditional Native American Medicine Wheel is constructed by placing twelve large stones in a circle, similar to the face of a clock. The four largest stones are placed at the four cardinal directions. Begin by placing the stone in the South, the place of the child, of innocence and trust. Then move to the West, the place to look deep within and introspection. Then move to the North, the place of our ancestors and wisdom. Then finally, move to the East, marked by the sign of the Eagle, the place of illumination and seeing things clearly. At birth, each of us is given a particular beginning place within these four directions of the Medicine Wheel. This starting place is how we first perceive the world, which will be our easiest and most natural way of being in the world. The Medicine Wheel is life, afterlife, rebirth, and the honoring of each step along the way.