A Indigenous Belief System
In honoring the directions we honor not only Earth and Sky, but the elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit. We honor ourselves, body mind, sexuality/creativity, emotion and essence. We honor all the beings, seen and unseen, who share the planet with us. We honor the past, present and future. The interpretation of the directions, the Medicine Wheel, and the Sacred Circle of Life, (vary from tradition to tradition.)
The East rules: the mind, all mental, intuitive and psychic work, knowledge, abstract learning , theory. Windswept hills, plains, windy beaches, high mountain peaks, high towers, wind and breath.
The West rules: the emotions, feelings, love, daring, sorrow, the ocean, the tides, lakes pools , rivers and streams, springs and wells, the unconscious mind, the womb, generation and fertility.
The South rules: energy, spirit, heat, flame, blood, sap, life, will, healing and destroying, purification, bonfires, hearth fires, candle flames, sun, deserts, volcanoes, eruptions and explosions.
The North rules: the body, growth, nature, sustenance, material gain, money, birth, death, silence, chasms, caves, caverns, groves, fields, rocks, standing stones, crystals, mountains, jewels and metal.
Put 1 stone in each of your hands and tap together over the heart chakra while facing the appropriate direction... ‘honor the directions’:
Facing East: (Tapping the stones together) (You could pull in one of the power animals of the east: Eagle, Hawk, Deer or Mouse) It is to the East we turn to begin. From the east we have clarity of mind; we offer blessings of thanks for our babies, the birds, for mountains and plains. It is from the east we ask for the winds to clear away the past, to sweep away cluttered thinking, the blessing of the light of a new day, and for the season of spring.
Facing West: (Tapping the stones together) (You could pull in one of the power animals of the West: Bear, Dolphin or Sea Dwellers) It is to the west we turn to face our emotions. We ask the blessings of the waters to purify and heal our emotional selves. It is from the west that comes our dreams and fantasies. We give thanks for the responsibilities of adulthood, for the blessings of evening, for the season of autumn.
Facing South: (Tapping the stones together). (You could pull in one of the power animals of the South: Coyote, Fox, Horses, Lions or Snakes) It is to the South that we turn for energy, for the healing heat of passion, sexuality and creativity. It is to the south that we give thanks for the intuition, our youth, the heat and warmth of the Sun. We ask for inspiration, faith, will and courage. We seek the healing of our sexuality. We give thanks to the South for inspiration and leadership. We give thanks for our ability to see and for the season of summer.
Facing North: (Tapping the stones together). (You could pull in one of the power animals of the North: Buffalo, Wolf, Moose, Bull or Stag) It is from the North that comes the power to keep silent, to listen as well as speak, to keep secrets, to learn discretion. With honor and with patience, we receive the wisdom of the North. We ask for prosperity, determination, endurance and practicality. We receive our grounding
from the North. We give thanks for the wisdom and guidance of our elders, and for the season of winter.