The medicine wheel known as the Medicine Circle, Sacred Hoop or Sacred Circle.
There is no right or wrong way to use the Medicine Wheel. It has been adapted as a universal symbol and a personal learning tool for various cultures.
It is said that at the centre of the Medicine Wheel sits the Creator/God or a life force that runs through all things. Another idea is that we ourselves sit at the centre of the Medicine Wheel and the Creator/God sits on the outside of the circle watching over us. Regardless, there is definitely a unity of “one-ness”, peace, balance and being-ness that exits in the centre when all 4 aspects come together.
The Medicine Wheel Circle
Circles represent cycles. A circle, or wheel, is common in many cultures around the world. The Circle acknowledges the connections of everything in life, such as the four seasons; the four stages of life; the four directions; the four elements; the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual; and the relationships of the seen and unseen worlds.
The circle is divided into four colour quadrants. The colours may vary, but the symbolism remains similar throughout indigenous peoples. Starting with the east, or the eastern doorway is the colour of yellow. Opposite is west, or the western doorway is the colour of black or indigo. To the south is the colour red, and to the north is the colour of white.
Each of these colours and quadrants relates to a specific teaching.
The Symbolisms of Four
The four areas of the medicine wheel have attributes assigned to them:
- Four directions
- Four states of being
- Four sacred medicines
- Four seasons
- Four elements
- Four stages of life.
4 Directions – East, West, North South
4 Seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
4 Periods of the Day – Dawn, Noon, Dusk, Midnight
4 Races of Humanity – Red, Black, White, Yellow
4 Stages of Life – Child, Adolescence, Adulthood, Elderly
4 Disciplines – Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual
4 Sacred Medicines – Tobacco, Sage, Sweetgrass, Cedar
4 Celestial Aspects – Sun, Moon, Earth, Stars
4 Life Forms – Plant, Mineral, Animal, Human
4 Elements – Fire, Water, Earth, Air
4 Qualities – Hot, Dry, Moist, Cold
4 Elements of Life – Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus
4 Food Nutrients – Water/Liquid, Fibre, Protein, Mineral
4 Basic Requirements for Human Life – Food, Water, Shelter, Clothin
4 Basic Requirements for Other Life – Food, Water, Shelter, Safety4
4 Temperaments – Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic, Melancholic
4 Emotions – Anger/Disgust, Love/Happiness, Fear, Surprise
4 Aspects of Womanhood – Maiden, Mother, Queen, Crone
4 Aspects of Manhood – Warrior, Provider, Leader, Guide/Mentor
4 Stages of Celebration – Preparation, Purification, Consecration, Thanksgiving
4 Stages of Agriculture – Planting, Cultivating, Harvesting, Thanksgiving
4 Aspects of Sustainability – Social, Economic, Ecological, Cultural
4 R’s – Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Repair
Care of the Sacred Medicine Wheel
We need to remind ourselves that sacred knowledge should be honoured and respected. The Medicine Wheel is an important tool and way of preserving and passing on culturally important knowledge.
