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Medicine
Wheel: Air and the North
by
Judy Winters
My medicine wheel or “mesa” maps out the geography of
Peru as if I am seated on the earth in the south-central part
of that country facing north in alignment with the Southern Cross.
Straight ahead of me I see the strong, jagged lines of ice-capped
Andes stretching across the horizon. To my left, I hear the Pacific
Ocean lapping on the western shore and to the right or east I
observe the solar fire climbing into the sky and feel the heat
of the jungle on my skin. Earth, Air, Water and Fire: indigenous
peoples knew about the power of the elements and the directions.
They honored them because of their healing energies; and while
technological and industrial nations seek to enslave them, the
ancients strove to live in harmony with the directions and their
associated elements.
 The
climate of North is wintry cold, bright, pure and impersonal,
the rarefied atmosphere of spiritual energy. Correspondingly,
the northern part of my mesa features a fan of feathers from the
Winged Ones – feathers that can lift us up to Supreme Creator,
known to the Inkas as Wiraqocha. In the mythology, Condor takes
flight into the heavens, but never sees the Creator God. Then
one day Siwar Q'enti, the hummingbird, unobtrusively tucks
itself under Condor's wing and when they reach heaven, the
little bird slips out and flies to Wiraqocha’s throne, thus
becoming the only earthly creature to see the face of God. Now
every time the mesa is opened, Hummingbird darts from heaven to
zigzag joy notes from the Creator from northeast to southwest.
Sometimes the whir of its wings can be heard or felt.
We are born from water into air. The first breath we take on the
planet is sometimes a shocking one, but soon we learn to inhale
and exhale rhythmically. The words “inspire” and “expire”
originally referred to the breath – taking in Spirit and
letting Spirit go – a balance. Working with the breath is
working with north energy. It is through controlled and conscious
breathing that we alter our consciousness to connect with our
Divine Source. With the breath we also seduce Spirit through the
sweet sounds of the flutes, whistles and pipes.
Wind is the breath of the planet and the servant of humankind
if we so choose to work with it. Sometimes it is destructive,
as in the case of tornadoes, and other times it is embracing.
It can be cold and penetrating or warm and gentle. It animates
the trees and shapes the rocks and mountains. Wind generates electricity
through which we run machines and send messages. Humans have learned
to ride the wind with airplanes, gliders and hot air balloons.
The wind can be heard, but we don't see its form, only its
effects. Wind cleanses the energetic body, much like water cleanses
the physical body, but as we have all heard, spitting into the
wind is not recommended. When we are stuck in energetic patterns
that are not serving us, Wind can help us change directions.
Each of us has an element that teaches us about ourselves and
our lives more than any of the others. For me water has been the
most prominent lesson-giver, but I've had a few air experiences
that have blown me out of the water, so to speak, one of which
occurred last summer. On a July afternoon, I was working with
a group in my home when a rush of wind flung open the kitchen
door. Nothing was damaged at the time, but the next morning a
weakened tree limb ripped the electrical wires from my house,
leaving me bereft of communication via my computer. For three
days no cold air flooded the vents, nor was there any hot air
to dry hair or clothes. In spite of the inconveniences –
or perhaps because of them – Air, both natural and managed,
helped me change the direction of my thinking to one of honoring
rather than taking for granted.
When one engages in shamanic work, the elements respond. For example,
while chanting “Wiracocha” during a ceremony at Machu
Picchu in 2000, our tour group experienced a sudden burst of wind
and Condor came to circle overhead. Another time on a cold day
in February, my mentor Oscar Miro-Quesada was in Atlanta to conduct
a workshop on the North at Oglethorpe University. When the school
officials discovered he had violated the fire code by smudging
the room with a heavy dose of sage smoke, they made him open all
the windows. The icy chill that swept through the room remained
throughout the weekend, leaving participants shivering in the
wintry blasts. The workshop turned out to be more experiential
than anyone had bargained for!
To live in harmony with the elements, one must first acknowledge
their presence (presents?) and power. Honor them in ceremony,
then concentrate on living in the flow rather than in the resistance.
When you do that you will find that Earth, Air, Water and Fire
will dance with you.
Judy
Winters practices Peruvian-based urban shamanism. To participate in an
upcoming Air and the North workshop or to receive information about private
or group sessions, contact her at 770.391.0991 or singingshaman@aol.com
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Elements
