Simon x
Set Your Spirit Free

In indigenous society the world over people understand 'The Law Of The Circle' and how it can be split up into various different quadrants and twelfths, what all of these sections mean and what they can tell us about ourselves when we truly start to understand them.

The Earth is round, so are the other planets and stars that exist in our galaxy and beyond. Our own planet circles the sun, the moon the Earth, and the sun some galactic centre far off in the Universe. All of these orbs spin around an axis as spheres in a circle.

As the Earth spins in its daily rotation so we experience dawn, midday, dusk and midnight. As it travels on its orbit around the sun so we encounter spring, summer, autumn and winter. The moon travels from new, to waxing half moon, to full, to waning half moon and back again. There is a pattern and a rhythm to it all, such a rhythm in fact that the Earth and the moon spin in unison so we always encounter the same face in the moon or the hare, depending on how you look at it.

The moon cycle takes roughly 29.5 days to complete and is where the 12 months of the year derive from (moon / month) but as this doesn't accurately fit into 365 days then every 2 to 3 years there is a blue moon or 13th moon that appears as the fourth moon of the season or second full moon of the month.

In astrology there are 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 different positions connected to what constellation the sun was traveling through at the time of our birth. Many of us today are dismissive of our horoscope, its meaning and the symbolism and understanding that lies behind it.

In indigenous society however it was not necessarily the sun that brought the meaning but the moon and what was happening here on Earth at the time through those moons. The Earth Renewal Moon, Rest and Cleansing Moon, Big Winds Moon, Budding Trees Moon, Frogs Return Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Strong Sun Moon, Ripe Berries Moon, Harvest Moon, Ducks Fly Moon, Freeze Up Moon and Long Snows Moon.

Each moon had a particular animal, plant or mineral associated to it so assisting the people born into that section of the circle, with their own knowledge about themselves and what it was to be born at this time of the year. Those 12 moons, 12 positions were all governed by the 4 directions each direction North, East, South and West taking care of 3 of those moons and there were animals, plants and minerals chosen to represent those directions too.

An indigenous person growing up would start to understand why all this flora and fauna was around them at any particular time and what teaching that brought them as in turn that would start to tell them about others that stood in the circle with them too.

You may have noticed in my most resent postings that I have a particular fondness or attraction towards animals and so gather my understanding of the circle primarily from them rather than the plants and the minerals but this is now growing too.

I have recently been introduced to a book called 'The Medicine Wheel - Earth Astrology' written by the late Sun Bear and Wabun Wind. Within those pages Sun Bear talks of the 12 moons and the animals that are represented by them and what has already amazed me is that by speaking to people about their zodiac sign and equivalent Earth Astrology sign how many people instantly relate to the animal clan they are born into, having had some sort of significant experience with that animal or one very similar to it. For what we have to remember with all this work is all of those animals were derived from a culture that was authentic to the people that lived in North America at the time r elsewhere and now we live in a more global context we know of more animals and so can source inspiration from a great many more places.

That said it would still be of interest to me to know how many of you that know your star sign as Capricorn relate to Snow Goose, Aquarius / Otter, Pisces / Cougar, Aries / Red Hawk, Taurus / Beaver, Gemini / Deer, Cancer / Woodpecker, Leo / Sturgeon, Virgo / Brown Bear, Libra / Raven, Scorpio / Snake and Sagitarius / Elk or some similar animal and does this spark something within you that you would like to know more about?

Within the indigenous circle, sacred hoop or medicine wheel each of the 4 quadrants or directions stood for something and the interpretation that best works for me goes something like this.

The East to me most represents dawn, spring, youth, fire, the spiritual body, the colour gold and the eagle. The South stands for midday, summer, adolescence, water, the emotional body, the colour green and the mouse. The West, dusk, autumn, adult, earth, the physical body, the colour black, and the bear and finally the North, midnight, winter, elder, air, the mental body, the colour white and the buffalo.

Now to the most important part of this post, contrary to common belief it is not our purpose to be born into the circle and solely remain as a Libran / Raven as in my case, it is our task in our journey to wholeness to travel to as many sections of the circle as we can and we do this by interpreting what all the animals, plants and minerals are giving to us at any one time as well as it must be said our fellow humans stood in those different sections of the circle and what they can tell us what it is like to be Red Hawk, Deer or Beaver. Their message to us maybe most pleasurable to hear or quite caustic but these are all the lessons to be gained within the shadow of the wheel and 'The Law Of The Circle'.

The intricacies of the various moons and directions are probably best described at another time via a workshop or book and all will be appearing very soon with a great deal I have planned for November and the end of the year. So if you are out there waiting for my Coaching Club, Conversation Cafés, Men's Circles, Global Grace Day Meditations and Transformation Days then stay tuned or better still get in contact to express an interest in one or other, they are all imminent, and all will contain aspects of 'The Law Of The Circle'.

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Until next time.

Much love Sx.

Medicine Man - Black Elk's story of The Great Circle

The Ultimate Teaching!