The Medicine Wheel
The Four Quadrants
If you are truly inspired, join us as we gather each season of the year during the Shamanic Apprenticeship to steep ourselves deeply in the medicine…
The Medicine Wheel, as visioned and taught by the late Sun Bear, a Chippewa elder, gives us a circle of knowledge that we can breathe into our hearts, our lives and our actions.
If we embrace the teachings of this circle, we will remember that we are connected to all that live on the Earth. We will remember that the minerals, plants and animals are our teachers. We will hear the stories that the wind can bring us. We will hear the wisdom of the rocks that have been here since the beginning of time. We will listen to the plants’ messages of health and vitality, and we will listen to the animals as they give us their gifts of love and their lessons of life. The Medicine Wheel is a powerful circle that holds all of these teachings. It provides us the space for a beautiful and life-transformative dance, every day, every season and every year of our lives.
Enter at any of the four directions
Each quadrant is one season of six gatherings. You can complete the four quadrants in whatever order you choose. Walk all four to complete Year One and open the door to Year Two.
Eagle Medicine
In the Spring cycle everything on the Earth that has been resting and incubating bursts to life. The plants and flowers proudly sprout forth and fragrances begin to fill the air. The birds and animals show us their young as they playfully enjoy the warming of the Earth and the nourishment of the emerging food. The insects sing the songs that Spirit has given them. The wisdom of our natural world is clear. With all the new life upon her, the Earth is illuminated. As we witness this glory there is a pull in our souls to birth the ideas and projects we intuited and incubated in the dark of the Winter. It is a time to amplify and illuminate our path and our magnificence.
- Time of day
- Dawn to noon
- Time of life
- Young ones
- Element
- Air
- Animal guardian
- Eagle
- Realm
- Mental
- Qualities we deepen
- Wisdom, Clarity, and Illumination
Coyote Medicine
In the Summer cycle the sun is at its highest and the little sprouts of Spring yearn to become glorious ripe blossoms. Every plant and creature on the Earth is reaching outward and rapidly growing in the things of the world. The landscape is a kaleidoscope of color and abundance. The promises of Spring are fulfilled as both our internal and external seeds mature. We begin to trust our purpose in life and allow it to naturally unfold. While we revel in self-assurance and acceptance, our emotional world begins to strengthen and anything seems possible. In the Summer we are filled with energy and a desire to playfully explore new visions and directions. Our hearts open to the love of self and the love of the path that Creator has set before us.
- Time of day
- Noon to sunset
- Time of life
- Adolescent and young adult
- Element
- Fire
- Animal guardian
- Coyote
- Realm
- Emotional
- Qualities we deepen
- Growth, Trust, and Love
Bear Medicine
In the Fall we are suddenly much more aware of the sunset. The abundance of the fall vegetables reflects the colors of rust, orange, and brown. Plants have come to their full maturity and their blossoms are laden with seeds for the plants to come. The bears who forage for berries and ripe nuts have full bellies and an excess of stored fat to provide strength for the time to come. All of nature, including humans, stops growing and begins to consolidate and take stock of the lessons learned during the growing season. We begin to look within ourselves to determine what is strong enough to survive the time to come. Our thoughts begin to turn from the external world to the world of Spirit. We honor the experiences and visions that have strengthened our core and given us the courage to share with others what we have learned.
- Time of day
- Sunset to midnight
- Time of life
- Middle age
- Element
- Water
- Animal guardian
- Grizzly Bear
- Realm
- Spiritual
- Qualities we deepen
- Experience, Introspection, and Strength
Buffalo Medicine
When we enter the Winter cycle… a paradox… everything on the surface of the Earth appears barren and dead. Many of the leaves and branches which lie above the surface fall to the ground. This letting go provides fertilizer for the growth that is to come in the Spring. Beneath the surface the roots are quickening, gathering in the energy of what lies above. Our personal cycles are much like what you see on the Earth. We are getting ready to go within… into the dark. We surrender what is no longer needed or no longer empowers us. We dream, we meditate, we dance in the mystery, in order to energize and manifest what will burst forth in the light of Spring.
- Time of day
- Midnight to dawn
- Time of life
- Baby and elder
- Element
- Earth
- Animal guardian
- White Buffalo
- Realm
- Physical
- Qualities we deepen
- Cleansing, Renewal, and Purity
How To Create And Live The Medicine Wheel
During this one-day workshop we will build a Medicine Wheel on your land in the way taught by the late Sun Bear, a powerful Chippewa elder.