For as long as indigenous cultures have communed with, known their interconnection with, and lived their lives directly in relationship to Nature, an integral part of that connection has been honoring the four directions.
Archetypal representation of the four directions in most ancient cultures is a world tree. The world tree at it’s most basic level is a vertical axis and a horizontal axis making a connection between Cosmos (or Heaven) and Earth (vertical axis) and surrounding to All That Is (horizontal axis). Humans with their basic anatomy in an open posture (standing upright with arms extended to the sides) are a microcosm of that same world tree.
I have studied several indigenous culture’s representation of the world tree and practiced most intimately in the Chinese/Daoist tradition. The embodiment of the specific qualities of each of the directions is an intimate, direct and very personal dynamic process. This comes from a curious, direct intent to explore how the energies of the directions will manifest for you. There are many avenues for pursuing this sort of practice. All indigenous cultures have made their own avenues for this embodiment pursuit in order to find healing, wisdom, spiritual connection, and connection to the wisdom of Nature in order to live in a sustainable and interconnected way.
Very powerful shamanic tree in Tikal, Guatemala
Much of our world’s population has lost their connection to the four directions–lost their connection to Nature. Out Earth, which is a living wisdom consciousness inseparable from the rest of the Cosmos and Nature as well as inseparable from all sentient beings living interconnected with all of her surfaces, is in pain. She is laboring to support the birth of an awakened Unity Consciousness human species. She is not a thing or a process for humanity to control or take charge of.
Upcoming on Saturday, May 28, I will be hosting an event in conjunction with a multitude of other global events to recreate a sacred space for Earth. This will be done by creating a global Medicine Wheel. All of these ceremonies will be occurring within the same 48-hour time period and in specific relationship to a shift in the Mayan Calendar that is pushing forward the sprout of humanity’s Unity Consciousness.
The Medicine wheel is created by honoring the four directions and our intimate and inseparable interconnection to those directions. Every tradition, every ceremony, every event will be creating their Medicine wheel according to their own specific types of practices at the time of the event. All together they will co-create a collective intent to honor, commune with, know interconnection with, and embody within ourselves our inseparable relationship to Earth, Cosmos and All That Is.
Some simple examples of the archetypal qualities of the directions are very obvious to most when considered. The direction east, where the sun rises, is often the beginning of the Medicine wheel in many shamanic cultures. Think of qualities of inspiration and new beginnings. The direction south has qualities of perseverance and strength. The direction west has the setting sun and qualities of transformation and completion. The direction north has qualities of assimilation and stillness.
The May 28 event will be very simple and yet, very deep. Please come with an open heart, a desire to create in your own heartspace and the collective heartspace an embodied connection to Earth. These times we are in are powerfully transformative! Of course, as transformation occurs, old forms, ideas, beliefs, images and systems will no longer be able to exist. Out of this powerful surrender and release a true sustainable, Unity human species can grow. One that lives in complete connection with Earth as a living wisdom and with other sentient beings in the same way. Hope to have you join the circle at the event!
You may reach Carrie Lafferty at Feldenkrais and Qi Gong in Seattle at http://www.movementfromwithin.net, (206) 459-1773, or feldychi@comcast.net.