This is an image map of the Medicine Wheel. To see the meaning of a particular stone just click on it. Keep in mind that this is a random interpretation and some aspects may be slightly different for other Indian nations. Although I couldn't match every color, I attempted to make the background of each stones description the color that the stone represented. Although I'm not positive I have been told that this pic comes from Sun Bear so i'd like to give him credit for drawing it.
The legend says that to the north on the medicine wheel is found wisdom. The color for wisdom is white and the medicine animal is the buffalo. The south is represented by the mouse, the color is green. The south is a place for innocence, trust and for perceiving closely things of nature and of the heart. The west is the bear. The color is black and is a point of the introspective nature of mankind. The east is marked by the eagle. A point of illumination where all things are seen far and wide. Also, very clearly the east is the color of gold or yellow for the morning star. We are each given a particular point, at birth, on the great wheel which guides our life. But we must strive to gain knowledge and wisdom from all points to become a whole person.
THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY INTERPRETATIONS
Astronomical Medicine Wheel Interpretation
The Sacred Hoop
*Note* What follows is the personal belief and interpretation of one Lakota of the Sacred Hoop or Medicine Wheel. Colors and symbolism may vary from individual to individual based on teachings or personal visions. What is described here is an example and do not necessarily represent my own personal beliefs or that of the Lakota's as a whole.
The children of the earth, wakanyeja makah, are our winged, finned,
insect, and four-legged friends who have a special knowledge of Mother
Nature and the corresponding four directions. Each creature child of the
earth can become a helper for two-leggeds to aid our seeking of universal
knowledge. The four directions, the four quarters with the full power of
the earth and sky and all related life is regarded as the Sacred Hoop.
East Direction, East Wind
Red Hawk (Cetan Lutah)
Red Hawk was Crazy Horse's medicine: fearless, aggressive and swift
moving.
The red hawk is a messenger. It is close to the eagle, and it's gifts are
very similar to those of its larger flying relative. The hawk is keen-eyed
and observant. Like the hawk, we must all become keen-eyed and observe
the signs that the environment is sending us. We must keep ourselves
aware of the notable happenings that we perceive from each new day.
Red Hawk is linked with the rising dawn of the east. It is a communicating
messenger for knowledge.
Wolf (Shuunka Manitu)
Wolf, like many humans, is a misunderstood animal. True, Wolf is a
predator. It chases down it's prey and kills with its powerful jaws, but it is
only fulfilling the Great Spirit's overall plan for natural selection and
reduction.
Wolf is like many of two-leggeds. It is territorial, hunts or seeks
provisions through group effort, and is a loyal and dedicated family
participant along with having an equally dedicated tribal bond to it's pack.
South Direction, South Wind
Buffalo (Tatanka)
The buffalo was sustenance and life to the Sioux. It was also shelter
and warmth. Our spiritual messenger, the Buffalo Calf Woman, even took
the form of a buffalo, a white buffalo calf, after she appeared to us in
human form and taught us the use of the sacred pipe within our
ceremonies.
Buffalo is provisions, shelter, and thanksgiving. What buffalo
symbolizes usually takes for in the summer; therefore the buffalo is
strongly associated with the south. After the summer buffalo hunts, it was
a time of rich provisions. The hot, dry plains air at that time of year
effectively dried the buffalo meat for winter storage. Our tipis were made
of buffalo hide, and after the summer hunt the Sun Dance for thanksgiving
to Wakan Tanka (Great Spirit) was held.
Bear (Mato)
Bear is an excellent representative for the warm south direction.
Bear's claws dig into Mother Earth for her herbs and roots. Bear is a
symbol and a strong totem for those who seek the earths medicines.
Bear is a reminder of summer, the season that represents the warm
south. Spring is the awakening of the annual cycle of seasons, and east
represents awakening. Fall is representative of preparing the bear's long
winter sleep. The leaves fall like shadows, and the west is associated with
autumn. The white north and the winter's snow is an obvious association.
Summer is related to the south direction where the intensified sun rays
bring forth their growth and harvest by warming Mother Earth into her
rich bounty of provisions, medicines, and shelter from the wood of the
standing ones (trees).
Bear makes full use of summer and then goes into hibernation when
the snows fall. The long sleep brings winter dreams.
West Direction, West Wind
Thunder Being (Wakinyan)
The thunderbird is symbolic of the power within the thunder and
lightning of the great life-giving rains (wichoni minne) that roll out of the
west.
"I have the power to make live and the power to destroy," Black Elk
was told by the west power. Surely the lightning can destroy, but more life
comes from the west wind thunder-storms. The golden eagle is a
symbolic bird for the thunder being. Lightning streaking across a black
background is another symbol of Wakinyan power upon a shield.
Growth from the earth is a power of the thunder being. The thunder is
the Great Spirit's earth voice. Before the rain, so much life in all forms is
about to spring forth that earth and sky communicate. All creatures are
being told that the lifeblood, the water is about to descend.
Horse (Tashuunka Wakan)
When the Sioux first saw the horse and a man riding it they called it
Shunnka (dog) Wakan (holy). They called it holy dog because it could
carry man about, and this allowed the buffalo to be hunted much more
efficiently. It lived with man like a dog, yet it had so much power. Later
the horse was called Shunnka Tanka (a very large dog).
The black horse in Black Elk's vision symbolized the first power of
the universe, the west power. The black horse as a creature symbol on the
sacred hoop of life represents Black Elk's powerful vision. A white horse,
a roan (red) horse and a buckskin or yellow horse would equally be
representative of Black Elk's vision, and the four of them together would
represent the first four powers of the rainbow-covered lodge.
The horse upon a shield or on a painting can be a recognition of the
great vision. It is also an encouragement that the powerful spirit forces
have not forgotten the Natural Way and will be there to help if called
upon.
North Direction, North Wind
Polar Bear (Mato ska)
The polar bear ranges the frigid Arctic, living where no other four-legged can survive. Patience, resolution, and a solitary life are some of it's
major characteristics, but endurance is the key word for this
representative of the north.
Other then a female with cubs, Mato ska keeps to itself and out on
the pack ice where it spends most of its life hunting its favorite food, the
ringed seal. The bear's white camouflage, keen sense of smell, sharp
claws, and patience enables it to catch the seal when it surfaces to breath
at holes or openings in the leads or edges of ice. Its strength, stamina, and
speed make it a feared animal when it leaves the ice pack and comes south
for a brief time to mate.
Polar bear tells us to keep endurance in mind as
we journey and explore along the Natural Way. Polar bear wants us to
remember the earth knowledge that we receive. "Let the worthwhile
information endure within so that you can better protect the animals and
Mother Earth."
Snowy Owl (Hinhan ska)
While Polar Bear is away prowling the Arctic ice, Snowy Owl is the
bear's north-wind messenger; it watches out for us, especially during the
ling northern nights.
Owl is the swift, silent hunter of the night. The old-time traditional
Sioux admired this bird so much for its ability to catch its prey in the dark
that warriors who had excelled in combat were allowed to wear a cap of
owl feathers as a badge to signify their bravery. Native Americans
recognized that animals and birds had powers that humans did not
possess. The owl is a good example of a creature that possesses special
powers that the two-leggeds have not been endowed with.
Owl teaches us to be like the north wind. Face the elements and learn
endurance; from endurance gain courage. Like the driven snow, seek
purity in your goals and endeavors. Keep a clean body and surroundings.
These habits are helpers in keeping a clean spirit and a pure heart. The
north wind is harsh at times, but it leads us to a healthy respect for truth.
Armed with natural truth, Owl will help you get on with your tasks and
natural path that lie ahead.
Bald Eagle (Wanblee)
The bald eagle is a symbol of leadership, and to the Native American
it is the creature symbol of greatest power because it flies so high, close to
the Great Spirit, and is regarded as the eyes of the all-seeing powers of
Wakan Tanka, the one above who created all things.
The Indian wore the feathers of the eagle, but this great bird is so
highly regarded that each eagle feather had to be earned by the wearer.
Deeds of bravery, generosity, self-sacrifice, or provident wisdom could
result in the wearing of an eagle feather.
An eagle has such good vision and great caution that seldom could a
hunter get close enough to bring it down with a bow and arrow. It was
regarded so highly that it was believed bad luck would befall any hunter
who would shoot such a magnificent bird.
Eagle is regarded as the connection to Wakan Tanka. Its feathers are
regarded as having brushed the face of God and are used as powerful
healing tools. Eagle feathers are also believed to help an individual to
gather courage and to maintain courage for a fearless drive to perform a
good task or worthwhile deed under difficult conditions.
Mother Earth
Turtle (Keya)
Turtle is the symbol for Mother Earth. Maybe in these troubled
environmental times, everyone's shield should bear some recognition of
turtle.
In the old days when the Sioux saw turtles leaving a pond or stream,
in time the pond or stream would become dry. Of course these little
creatures were regarded as knowing beforehand. Their exodus was a
weather warning that dry times were coming; therefore, they were called
water carriers. The Sioux said wherever they went they carried water.
When they left the water would go with them.
The turtle has two habitats, water and earth. Our two-legged bodies
are reflective of the turtle's habitats. We are made up of water and earth,
and like the turtle we are dependent upon the sun for our energy source.
The Four Quarters, The Four Seasons
Dragonfly (Tusweca)
Dragonfly spends its beginning life under the stones and pebbles of a
mountain stream, a pool, or a pond, crawling from hiding place to hiding
place in its search for food; it is a favorite meal of various fish.
The nymph undergoes metamorphosis and instead of being a fiercely
ugly little crawling creature that resembles a miniature dragon, it develops
wings and rises to the water's surface. If a trout or panfish doesn't feed
upon it, it flies into the air and looks down at where it came from. It is
suddenly in a new medium, a medium that would be vastly inconceivable
by water creatures such as it had been under the surface. Its configuration
and physiology undergo such a total change that it could be somewhat
analogous to comparing it to a two-legged's spirit when it rises up and
enters the spirit world.
If the dragonfly is a knowledge seeker, it now has an opportunity
immeasurably greater than it could have ever conceived of when it was so
restricted under the water's surface. There it was unaware of the vast, new,
inconceivable realty that exists. Dragonfly can now discover, search, and
grow, by a simple beat of its wings.
Dragonfly also reminds us of the four quarters and the four seasons.
Red Dragonfly comes to us in the spring, when the waters run just right
for it to sprout its wings. Yellow Dragonfly zooms across the ponds in the
heat of summer. Blue Dragonfly tells us that the fall is upon us and the
long winter is approaching. Blue Dragonfly also reminds us that blue is
considered a representative color for the west because of the life-giving
rains, the wichoni minne, that come primarily from the west. Winter
Dragonfly stays under the white snow that covers the icy ponds and pools,
crawling about in its hiding places and being limited in its vision at the
bottom of the waters.
Mending the Sacred Hoop
Integrating the Theory of Process with
Native American Mythology
by Little Bear and Hummux
In the beginning of time, Creator sat the children around in a circle on Mother Earth and told each race about its individual responsibilities and its roles in the great sacred hoop of life. The sacred teachings were divided into four equal parts and one given to each tribe. The four root races were then sent to the four directions, each given a special knowledge of creation.
The Yellow People were entrusted with Spirit and the element of fire. The Black People were given Soul corresponding to the element of water. the White People learned about the Mind and the element of air. And the Red People had Body and the element of earth.
Each race was therefore given a quarter of the whole truth of creation. But as time passed, they forgot that their knowledge was incomplete. Each thinking their knowledge was the whole truth, they began to quarrel with each other.
The White People were told that they had a special mission to counsel the other races and bring them all together. In three previous periods, a different race had been given this task, but they each abused their privilege and so the creator destroyed all the people with their own powers. Volcanos destroyed the world during the period of fire. An ice age came and destroyed the world during the period of earth. the deluge came and destroyed the world during the period of water. and now this is the period of air.
The White People were told that knowledge of the Mind was very powerful and to be careful or this world would be destroyed by damage to the air.
Unfortunately the White People forgot the Creator's warning and as they traveled the earth, instead of counseling with the other races and incorporating their quarter of the knowledge into the whole truth, they used the power of the mind to dominate the other races.
The went to the Yellow People and brought opium addiction to enslave them instead of learning about Spirit. They went to the Black People and put them in chains and made slaves of them instead of learning about Soul. When they came to America, they brought with them the Yellow People and the Black People as slaves as they began their conquest of the Red People. They did not attempt to learn about the Body and caretakership of the earth from the Red People, but rather attempted to destroy them. And sure enough, in our time, the destruction of forests which produce oxygen and habitat, the pollution from fossil fuels, and the chemical destruction of the oceans and the ozone layer all lead to destruction of this world by the contamination of the air -- the White People's own special expertise, represented by the Mind.
There are many native mandalas with varying degrees of correspondence with Arthur Young's Theory of process. The one we will discuss is this:
The people of the Mind believe their knowledge is all that is needed. So they destroy the Body of Mother Earth, and ignore Spirit and Soul altogether:
However, we can still mend the Sacred Hoop and restore the world to balance. In this mandala, the Esselen Tribe teaches balance of the four elements. Each direction is associated with a special guardian:
Graphics copyrighted Sam SilverHawk 1998
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