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SPIRIT
LODGE
LIBRARY
Medicine
Wheel
Page
9
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The 24 pages in this Medicine Wheel section are linked below
Interactive Dance Of The Wheel
Exercise 3 & Discussion
By CinnamonMoon
Tonight's project of Dancing the
Wheel is going to address the question: "How can we honor
the wisdom passed on through the Wheel?" If you have not
yet explored the Sweat Lodge Ceremony Tarra has prepared for
us, please do so now and come back to this immediately.
Before the Dance, make sure you
give thanks to Spirit for the blessings you will receive in
the insights presented to you. That makes room to receive them
and calls those insights to you.
The question, as noted elsewhere
in this forum, came in tied with another one, but I feel this
is perfect for an initial introduction to the Wheel and very
beneficial to those who are new to this concept altogether.
Get pen and paper and note your insights along the way. Just
jot notes that will jar your memory for now. When the Dance
is complete you can go back and expand those notes and your
experience so you can discuss it here later when you've had
time to compose your thoughts.
Note: It is okay if you go over the
directional symbology to refresh your memory between perspectives.
The point is that you understand the focus of that perception,
glean what you can from it, jot that down and move to the next
one with a clean perspective. In this way each step of the Dance
holds its own purpose and once complete it produces the entire
view of the concept you are taking in.
We begin this with Tarra leading
us through a Sweat Ceremony, so if you have not done that as
yet, please go to her post and follow that to initiate this
session. When you have completed the Sweat portion come back
to this section and follow along. There is nothing you are going
to do that is *wrong* in exploring it, so simply take the session
as a guideline, meditate or journey through the directions that
will follow and discover your insights along the way.
When you have finished I encourage
you to post your thoughts and results separately within the
forum. By this I mean each person should begin a new post for
their entire Dance (not 7 posts per person *S*). That way we
can track indepth conversations accurately and individuals will
not be lost in the shuffle of postings. I encourage everyone
to comment and share their views on everything they feel they
can contribute to. All questions are welcome and with this said,
I'd like to begin.
Step One:
Through Tarra's Sweat Lodge Ceremony, we have purified and centered
ourselves to begin stepping into our Sacred Space and the Silence
of Spirit. The process to follow will be one of focusing on
the question and a perspective (to be outlined below) allowing
a meditative state of understanding to ensue. Some of you may
be taken on a journey, granted a vision, or just *feel* things.
Your Guides may appear to inform you of issues in a telepathic
way. Any number of channels may open for you throughout the
Dance itself and all will be happening to fit in with your thought
patterns so you can understand fully what this tool and vehicle
can do to serve your spiritual and mundane needs.
By letting each of your senses speak
to you, the tool allows you to explore that sense and see what
it does or doesn't address. If it does not respond do not panic.
Give it a few minutes and let it surface. If it doesn't have
a "voice" move on to the next one. In this way you
should receive up to 5 different aspects to the perspective
itself and through that form a picture or impression of some
sort. Note it and move on to the next perception/step in the
Dance.
Step Two:
The Question: "HOW
CAN WE HONOR THE WISDOM PASSED ON THROUGH THE WHEEL?
Our first objective perception comes from the East. I want you
to hold in mind the context of the associations that I present
here. These are the contributing aspects of this perspective
explored independently through each of our senses, and they
will help you focus on the answer that comes to you. Therefore,
I'm going to list the attributive symbology for each of the
Sacred Directions so you will have an initial feel for the perception
you are being exposed to. With that in mind, ask your question
and LISTEN for the answer that comes to you. Trust it and accept
it as a Truth for *your reality*…a message you need to
receive to contribute to your understanding.
Step Three:
The Dance With the Wheel
EAST: Elemental Force of Air
Season Spring:
birth/infancy Spirit Keeper:
Eagle…high flight to get the overview,
link to Spirit, carries prayers, messages, answers, philosophy,
and insight.
Perceptive Attributes: Birth, conception, abstract thought,
cosmic inspiration and enlightenment void of emotion.
Purity, higher awareness and psychic abilities,
higher thoughts, philosophy, creativity,
first light of day and dawning inspiration.
New beginnings and understanding that all creation begins in
the spiritual sense stemming from chaos brought into form.
The higher mind.
SOUTH: Elemental Force of
Fire Season of Summer
growth/youth or adolescence Spirit Keeper:
Mouse…passion, exploration, vulnerability, illusion, trust,
innocence, reality, examination, gaining insights toward maturity.
Perceptive Attributes: Growth, combustion, blazing new trails,
consumption, pain and lessons learned the hard way,
fears, doubts, ideals, acceptance, rules, laws, reason, education.
The physical body and sensation born of passion.
WEST: Elemental Force of Water
Season of Autumn
harvest/maturity Spirit Keeper:
Bear…emotion, nurturing, protection, love, healing, deeper
psychic abilities, meditation,
shamanic journeys,
Dream Lodge, vision questing, introspection, relationships.
Perceptive Attributes: Emotions, ebb and flow, denial, pain,
injuries, healing, the Silence (of entering Sacred Space),
the Womb, understanding through experience, actions and their
effects on others as well as the Self,
understanding Self, free will, choices, harvesting the results
of our efforts, recognizing changes we need to make.
NORTH: Elemental Force of
Earth Season of Winter
endings/old age Spirit Keeper:
Buffalo…foundation, strength, sustenance, wisdom, prayer,
cycles, sharing, give-away, life, security, wealth and treasures.
Perceptive Attributes: Selflessness, community, society, fulfilling
needs, understanding eternal concepts, shared wisdom,
sacrifice, the Web of Life, destiny, roles, service to others,
pathways, reflection of past experiences and planning ahead,
doing what must be done.
THE BELOW WORLD: Realm of:
The Ancestors Spirit Keepers:
Ancient Ones, Elders, and our Totem Spirits.
Perceptive Attributes: Ritual, creed, religion, ceremony, ancient
knowledge, lost knowledge, guidance to lessons to be learned,
communication within the context of spiritual understandings,
the reasons for things:
why, how, and the laws behind them, lost truths, Medicine Paths/spiritual
destiny.
The past.
THE ABOVE WORLD: Realm of
The Sky People Spirit Keepers:
Guides, Teachers, Guardians, Protectors, and Angelic Beings.
Perceptive Attributes: Lessons to be learned, cosmic law and
wisdom, instruction on using gifts and abilities,
dimensional gateways to Otherworlds…projection and work
on what some call astral levels, exploration and cosmic classrooms.
Path of the Inner Spirit to be taken, evolutionary processes,
and Great Mystery.
Time travel and the future.
THE MIDDLE WORLD: Spirit Keepers:
All forms of physical life…Trees and Plants…The Standing
People, Rocks and Minerals…the Stone People, Creature-Teachers…the
Four-Leggeds, Two Leggeds, Winged-Ones, and Finned-Ones; the
*voices* of the elemental forces combined with that of the Land
where we learn to combine shamanic languages with understanding.
Perceptive Attributes: Bringing all perspectives together as
a whole, understanding movement through the Wheel and along
the Web of Life, unity of all dimensions as One, walking with
Spirit and aware of all realms through the senses and what is
called "shamanic understanding".
We are the Seventh Sacred Direction and when centered this state
of being moves with us in conscious
awareness through the physical reality.
The Now, being present in the moment, is where the spiritual
and physical realities unite. Here all is one, past comes through
memory, future comes through plans, dreams and goals to achieve
while we manifest our destiny in the Now as a part of the Web
of Life. Understanding we are related to all life forms, all
a part of the Whole.
Walking between the worlds in the *right* way and why this is
important.
Allowing the love of Spirit to flow through us in tolerance
for all.
CONCLUDING THE DANCE:
Go to your notes, expand them to voice the experience with as
much detail as possible. In this way you have a record of your
experience and can go back to this journal (adding to it as
you grow of course *S*) and see your progress over time. When
you have finished, please post your insights and questions regarding
them so we can contribute to your understanding, confirm experiences
with you, and glean greater understanding through the sharing
of Community views. Enjoy!!!
Earthwalker:
Sweat lodge time: 10:00pm
EST daylight? or 9:00pm? Timing for dancing the wheel (10:30/11:00-1:00
AM)1-2 hours longer /shorter? Shielding ? Can we cross over
into each other’s dances? If so please keep me where I
need to be. This is all new.
CinnamonMoon:
Hello Earthwalker, I'll
do the time conversion here for you: Since Tarra is starting
the Sweat Lodge at: 6pm Pacific, that would be: 7pm Mountain,
8pm Central, and 9pm Atlantic. Then, once complete you can go
directly to the Dance.
If Tarra gets those directions posted
it's still your option to do it earlier if you need to. I know
this puts everyone in various categories of time, but the object
is to do the Dance tonight so we can discuss results throughout
the rest of the week. This is much like a Healing Circle in
that those doing it at the same time will tap into the energy
of the Dance together and be drawn along that line. It would
behoove a beginner to try to make those times just for the supportive
energy, but it can be accomplished independently as well without
risk.
The time it takes to complete the
process will be up to you. We all vary on getting into the light
trance state necessary and we will vary on the time it takes
to receive our impressions. It's always best to trust yourself
on that. You should *feel* when the message is complete for
each perspective you are focused on and *know* when to move
to the next step. This knowing I'm speaking of is an inner knowing
and you should not have to question yourself on it at all. It
will feel like the answer has stopped coming.
As for shielding, that more or less
happens automatically as you go through the Sweat Ceremony since
it is a purification rite in and of itself. You cleanse your
energy, raise your inner spirit to consciousness, and attune
to center yourself through the Sweat. The Dance itself is done
working with your Higher Self and elevated guidance, so there's
very little chance of anything happening to disrupt it in a
negative way. I've never heard of anyone having a bad experience
with this and I've been doing it many, many years. This is a
higher vibrational level and there are no negative forces being
called upon, only the highest of good intentions so that would
naturally be supported. Your
Guides and Teachers will be present with you too, as will the
Spirit Keepers who will be watching over you at that time. If
you would feel more comfortable shielding you certainly can,
but that can also prevent you from receiving clear insights
if you don't know what you are doing there. Sometimes you can
block positive energies as well as negative ones. This is not
a threatening situation in the least, so I don't feel it's necessary.
Intent is on a higher level and directs you into safe ground
so to speak.
"Can we cross over into each
other’s dances? If so please keep me where I need to be.
This is all new."
Yes, this can happen and you would
sense the presence of our personalities/spirits with you. There
it is a matter of knowing us to distinguish who's who if you
are trying to figure that out. This would be more apt to happen
if you time it to the appointed time and very unlikely if you
do it independently from that. Those of us who are experienced
in journey work and Dancing With the Wheel would watch over
you. *S* It may reassure you to know that you will be where
you need to be on your own though. What holds you to that is
the focus of the perspective and the question being addressed.
I realize it's new to you, but it's a perfectly safe exercise
and there is nothing to worry about on your end. This is merely
receiving information from the perspective of the direction
you are addressing. It's no different than sitting in a classroom
and listening to a teacher present a lesson. The subject remains
the same, but you have a panel of Spirit Teachers presenting
different perspectives on that subject and you filter the information
through your higher self/inner spirit to your conscious mind.
Spirit will be with us all and keeping an eye on things too.
*Smiles*
I can't stress enough the importance
of journaling your results and impressions. Those beginning
this type of work for the first time will find it invaluable
and those with experience on their paths know that value. *S*
I think you'll find this a fascinating experience. Do pay attention
to any appearances of Spirit Helpers or Creature-Teachers as
that will be significant for you. We'll be able to help you
with interpretation there if you need it, but they will be significant.
The directions they come from and move toward will too, so if
you can sense that note it as well. I think that's about it
for now. Good luck! .
Tarra:
Don’t think in linear
time. The intent is there and the energy will find you. Everyone
came as energy and your spirit found the ceremony.
Earthwalker:
I was primarily questioning
if everyone was on daylight savings time. I know out west there
are or were a couple of states that don'ts witch to it; therefore
the time is 4 hr. different. Thanks for the advice. I am looking
forward to this evening.
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Libraries
are on this row
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INDEX
Page 3
(Main Section, Medicine Wheel, Native Languages &
Nations, Symbology)
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INDEX
Page 5
(Sacred Feminine & Masculine, Stones & Minerals)
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©
Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
All rights reserved.
Site
constructed by Dragonfly
Dezignz 1998-date
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