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Medicine
Wheel: Earth and the South
by
Judy “Singing Shaman” Winters
“Buddha, Moses and Jesus did not go to workshops or seminars...
They went directly to nature; sat under a Bodhi tree or on top of a
mountain or in a cave,” observes Dolores LaChapelle, author
of Earth Wisdom. Temples and churches have always been
secondary, often built atop a primary vortex of earth energy. The purpose
of marking the spot with a building originally was not to worship a
heavenly god, but to honor the energy of the Earth goddess.
Shamans have always connected directly with Mother Earth, known to the
Andean peoples as “Pachamama.” On the Andean medicine wheel
or mesa, the earth element is located in the south, or “Qollasuyu,”
which not only represents the planet we call Earth, but also the physical
body and the material world. Earth element is also associated with the
season of summer, the time of fruits and flowers, fresh vegetables,
earthly productivity and abundance, reminding us that our Mother is
always taking care of us, even if we are unmindful of her. The boa or
anaconda is the creature that best shows us how to get very close to
the earth by dragging its belly across the soil, and the drum beat entrains
with earth rhythms. To work with drum medicine is to bring our bodies
back into alignment with the heartbeat of Earth.
Since ceremony is the way we honor those whom we love and appreciate
– birthdays, anniversaries, graduation, Mother's Day, etc.
– it follows that it is only appropriate to honor the Mother of
us all as well. Music, movement, food, sweet smells, costumes, and colorful
decorations are common ways to celebrate those we love; we can offer
the same to nature spirits. In Peruvian cosmology, the spirits of the
rocks and land are called Tirakuna, or “the Watchers.” We
might call them devas or fairies. When the Tirakuna are ritually fed
(they are particularly fond of animal offerings such as llama fat),
Nature turns a loving and benign countenance upon her inhabitants. If
the Tirakuna go hungry, however, Mother Earth is a force to be reckoned
with. Still today, the native peoples of the Andes hold regular despacho
ceremonies to feed the Tirakuna. Despachos are ritual offerings that
are either buried or burned and consist of seeds, plant matter, various
grains, animal fat, feathers, sand, gold and silver foil, incense, tobacco,
minerals, perfumes, photographs, drawings, each item ceremonially placed
on a white sheet of paper. When the ritual arranging is completed, the
paper is folded into a package and tied with a red string.
A couple of autumns ago I had my back yard planted with native plants;
at the very back in a wooded area, a path was laid that led to a sacred
circle where my clients and I could do ceremony. As the planting commenced,
the landscaper brought her harp and we held a welcoming ceremony to
make the plant spirits feel at home. When everything was completed I
invited friends and clients to a despacho to ritually dedicate the whole
space. At the end of the ceremony, we buried the white package in the
center of the sacred circle. The following spring when the wondrously
healthy plants were in full bloom, a man came to repair the roof on
the back side of the house. When he stepped around the corner of the
house, he stopped abruptly as his eyes took in the beauty of the back
yard. After a moment of silence he finally spoke in an awestruck voice,
“It's so peaceful here!” He didn't know about plant
spirits, I suspect, but he could feel the heightened energy.
Besides ceremony, we can also connect with Earth by walking barefoot
and by lying down on her either on our backs or stomachs. Lying on the
back allows the earth energy to flood the body, bringing renewed physical
vitality. One day a client who had a number of physical problems called
me in a panic; she was feeling the life force leaving her lower torso,
she told me, and there was a whirling kind of energy at her crown. I
instructed her to go outside, lie on her back on the earth and consciously
draw the life force back into herself. After about ten minutes of doing
this, she felt the energy move from her upper body back into her lower
body. If you are feeling overwhelmed with grief or in despair over some
problem in your life, lie on your stomach on a patch of ground and breathe
your troubles into Mother Earth. You will be surprised at how much comfort
this activity affords!
As city dwellers, many of us are living a life disconnected from nature.
Part of my job as an urban shaman is to help people reconnect. Many
years ago as an instructor of literature, I remember resonating with
poet Emily Dickinson's words, “Some keep the Sabbath going
to church;/I keep it staying at home,/With a bobolink for a chorister,/And
an orchard for a dome.” Miss Dickinson, I think, was just an urban
shaman in disguise!
Judy
“Singing Shaman” Winters practices Peruvian-based urban shamanism.
To participate in an elemental workshop or to receive information about
private or group sessions, contact her at 770-391-0991 or singingshaman@excite.com.
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