Excerpts from The 25th Anniversary Edition of The Medicine Wheel: Earth Astrology
A Vision of the Medicine Wheel
I saw a hilltop bare of trees, and there was a soft breeze blowing. The prairie grass was moving gently. Then I saw a circle of rocks that came out like the spokes of a wheel. Inside was another circle of rocks, nearer to the center of the wheel. I knew that here was the sacred circle, the sacred hoop of my people. Inside of the center circle was the buffalo skull, and coming up through ravines, from the four directions, were what looked like animals. As they came closer, I saw that they were people wearing headdresses and animal costumes. They moved to the circle and each group entered it sunwise, making a complete circle before they settled on their place in the wheel. All the people were singing of the song of their season, of their minerals, of their plants, of their totem animals. And they were singing songs for the healing of the Earth Mother. A leader among them was saying, “Let the medicine of the sacred circle prevail. Let many people across the land come to the circle and make prayers for the healing of the Earth Mother. Let the circles of the Medicine Wheel come back.”
In this vision were gathered people of all the clans, of all the directions, of all the totems, and in their hearts they carried peace. That was the vision I saw.
Sun Bear
From the Introduction
This book is written to reach out and help all people relate better to the Earth Mother and to all the rest of the creation around us. It is designed to help us understand that relationship. Many times we may feel that there is something missing in life. We may feel a longing sense to be closer to nature and the elemental forces. We hope that this book will help you find your place on the Medicine Wheel, to identify with powers that may have been lost to you. We hope that in finding a kinship with the universe you may understand why this relationship was so cherished by Native people. When you are able to completely blend with all things, then you are truly part of the whole.
The knowledge of the Medicine Wheel is needed at this time. We feel that if humanity is to grow, then we must all come to a closer understanding of our environment. It is man’s alienation from natural things that causes many of his ills. Today, many people are trying to restore their balance with nature. People are turning to natural foods and natural healing, and there is a great back-to-the-land movement. Even in our industrialized society we feel the need to restore the balance with nature. It is at this time we offer you the teachings of the Medicine Wheel.
We invite you, in reading this book, to cast aside your preconceptions and enter, with us, a magical world where all things are connected to you, and you are connected to all things. This magical world consists of the very real and beautiful earth that is always around you, and all your relations on her.
We invite you to open your eyes, your ears, your minds, and your hearts and to see the magic that is always there. Today we tend to see the earth as a stable backdrop for all of the affairs of humankind. We see the minerals, the plants, and the animals as servants of man. We have forgotten that they can be our teachers as well; that they can open us to ideas and emotions that have been blocked from the human heart for too long a time.
We have forgotten that we are connected to all of our relations on the earth, not just our human family. We have forgotten that we have responsibilities to all these relations, just as we have them to our human families. We have imprisoned ourselves in tight little worlds of man-made creations.
We have forgotten how to hear the stories and songs that the winds can bring to us. We have forgotten to listen to the wisdom of the rocks that have been here since the beginning of time. We have forgotten how the water refreshes and renews us.
We have lost the ability to listen to the plants as they tell us which ones of them we should eat to live well. We have lost the ability to listen to the animals as they give us their gifts of learning, laughter, love and food. We have cut ourselves off from all of these relations, and then we wonder how we can so often be bored and lonely.
The Medicine Wheel is a magic circle that encompasses all of that world. As you journey around it, you will find wonders both within and without. With tenacity you will even discover the wonder of knowing about yourself: who you are, what you know and what you can do in this lifetime.
For those who live in a way that is open to all of the lessons the creation has to teach, the proper lesson will always come at the right time, no matter who the necessary teacher is. For those who live in this way, the earth is a magical place and a source of constant marvels.
We can all live in this way if we choose to allow ourselves to do so. It is only the arrogance of our minds that tells us we are alone in an alien and hostile universe. It is only the pride of our intelligence that tells us we are the most important part of that universe. It is only our fear that makes us feel unloved and alone.
If we open our hearts, the light of the love and unity that created the universe can shine in and illuminate the flat and arid landscape in which we sometimes choose to live. If we start traveling the magic circle, our hearts will naturally begin to open wider as we learn to experience this life we have been given in all of its beautiful aspects.
© 1980, Sun Bear and Wabun Bear. This material may not be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the authors.
