Medicine Wheel & the Four Directions

May the Warm Winds of Heaven
Blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit
Bless all who enter there.
May your Moccasins
Make happy tracks
in many snows,
and may the Rainbow
Always touch your shoulder.

– Cherokee Prayer Blessing.

Native American cultures possess a profound and intricate connection to the natural world, a bond that serves as a cornerstone for achieving and maintaining balance, health, and overall wellness. The Earth is revered as "Mother Earth," a testament to its pivotal role in their lives and a concept deeply embedded within their numerous customs and traditions. A striking example of this reverence is the Medicine Wheel, a powerful symbol representing perfection and the cyclical nature of life itself.

Often referred to as sacred hoops, most Medicine Wheels share a common structure, featuring four cardinal directions, each associated with a guiding spirit. These points symbolize the distinct stages of life – birth, youth, adulthood, and elderhood – and impart essential lessons and gifts that contribute to the development of a harmonious and balanced existence. The Medicine Wheel thus becomes a roadmap for personal growth and spiritual understanding.

The representations associated with these four points, including animal, plant, celestial, and other symbolic associations, exhibit considerable variation from tribe to tribe. For instance, the Buffalo, a prominent figure in the Medicine Wheels of the Plains Indians, is notably absent from the wheels of southeastern tribes due to the animal’s scarcity in that region. Similarly, an alligator would be an unlikely inclusion in the Medicine Wheels of northern tribes. These variations underscore the importance of regional adaptation and the unique relationship each tribe holds with its local environment.

The number four holds profound significance for many Native American tribes, representing fundamental aspects of existence. It embodies the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, and winter – the four essential human needs – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual – the four kingdoms of life – animal, mineral, plant, and human – and the four sacred medicines – sweetgrass, tobacco, cedar, and sage. This pervasive symbolism highlights the interconnectedness of all things and the holistic worldview that characterizes Native American spirituality.

The following chart illustrates the diverse elements that can be integrated into a Medicine Wheel:

Direction	Stages of Life	Season	Elements	Animal	Plant	Heavenly Body	Color
North	Elders & Death	Winter	Wind	Bear	Cedar	Stars	White
East	Birth & Children	Spring	Fire	Eagle	Tobacco	Sun	Yellow
South	Youth	Summer	Water	Wolf	Sweetgrass	Earth	Black
West	Adults & Parents	Autumn	Earth	Buffalo	Sage	Moon	Red

The Medicine Wheel manifests in a multitude of forms, ranging from intricate artworks to physical constructions meticulously laid out on the land. For millennia, these sacred circles have been erected on Native lands throughout North America, serving as focal points for ceremony, healing, and spiritual reflection.

One of the most renowned examples is the Bighorn Medicine Wheel, nestled within the Bighorn National Forest in Wyoming. For centuries, this sacred site has been a place of profound significance for Crow youth, who undertake fasting and vision quests within its boundaries. Other Native American tribes utilize the wheel as a space to offer gratitude, make prayers, and connect with the spiritual realm.

The name "Medicine Wheel" was bestowed upon this structure by white settlers who encountered it in the late 19th century. This particular wheel, one of the largest and most southern in existence, is believed to have served as a celestial marker, indicating the sunrise of the summer solstice. In its simplest definition, the Medicine Wheel is a symbol of ALL creation, encompassing all races of people, birds, fish, animals, trees, and stones. Its shape resembles a wagon wheel constructed from stones.

According to tribal beliefs, the circular form of the wheel represents the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the cycles of life, the seasons, and the transition from day to night. Movement around the perimeter of the Medicine Wheel typically follows a clockwise direction, mirroring the Earth’s rotation. At the heart of the wheel, the hub, resides the Creator, the source of all being, existing in perfect balance.

Surrounding the center is an inner circle, representing the Old Woman (the Earth), Father Sun, Grandmother Moon, and the four elements – earth, air, fire, and water. Four distinct rock mounds, strategically positioned in the four cardinal directions, mark the perimeter, separated by stones that symbolize the moon’s cycles. Stones laid in straight lines, extending from the perimeter to the center, represent spiritual paths, guiding individuals towards the hub, towards perfect balance, and ultimately, towards the Creator.

The Bighorn Medicine Wheel was designated a National Historic Site in 1996, a testament to its cultural and spiritual significance. Numerous other stone Medicine Wheels are scattered across the plains of Alberta and British Columbia in Canada, as well as the northern regions of the United States, each a unique expression of Native American cosmology and spiritual practice.

Prayer to The Four Directions:

Great Spirit of Light, come to me out of the East (red) with the power of the rising sun. Let there be light in my words and light on the path that I walk. Let me remember always that you give the gift of a new day. And never let me be burdened with sorrow by not starting over again.

Great Spirit of Love, come to me with the power of the North (white). Make me courageous when the cold wind falls upon me. I ask you to give me strength and endurance for everything harsh, hurting, and making me squint. Let me move through life ready to take what comes from the North.

Great Life-Giving Spirit, I face the West (black), the direction of sundown. Let me remember every day that the moment will come when the sun goes down. Never let me forget that I must fade into you. Give me a beautiful color, a great sky for setting, so I can come with glory when it is my time to meet you.

The Great Spirit of Creation sends me the warm and soothing winds from the South (yellow). Comfort me and caress me when I am tired and cold. Unfold me like the gentle breezes that unfold the leaves on the trees. As you give your warm, moving wind to all the earth, give to me so that I may grow close to you in warmth. Man did not create the web of life; he is but a strand in it. Whatever man does to the web, he does to himself.

By Chief Seattle, Leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes.