The 7 Directions
even directions of the Sacred Hoop. The seven directions are: 1.
The East, 2. The South, 3 The West, 4. The North, 5.
Mother/Grandmother Earth, 6. Father Sky, and 7. The
Center. There are more details to each of these; I have kept to the
basics to keep this discussion simple. These seven sacred winds
are the sacred points on the spiritual journey of the good red road of
life. They teach us how to live in each phase, how to look back and
learn, how to look forward and seek, how to look down and grow,
and how to look up and reach. There is an irony in the seven
directions of the sacred hoop that I want to share with you. It is
this: You cannot fully grasp the 7th direction until you experience
the other 6. And yet, you cannot fully fathom all the lessons of the
other 6 directions until you understand the 7th! Seems a bit like a
dog chasing its tail doesn’t it? This is what it means to
touch the spirit with your feet on the ground....
The Medicine Wheel teaches us that we have four aspects to ourselves: the physical, the
mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. Each must be in balance and equally developed
in order for us to remain healthy, happy individuals
What are the 6 directions Native American?
Six Directions Set






The mountain lion guards the North.
The bear guards the West.
The badger guards the South.
The wolf guards the East.
The eagle guards the Upper Dimension or the Sky.
The mole guards the Lower Regions or the Earth.
Four Directions Prayer
1. East. All good things come from the East The freshening wind brings warm
rain and sunshine. ...
2. South. The warming south winds bring new growth, gentle rain, healing
sunshine. ...
3. West. The sun sets in the West giving us glorious colors in our life. ...
4. North. North winds sometimes bring stormy weather and snow.
What are the 4 sacred medicines?
Tobacco is the first plant that the Creator gave to First Nations Peoples. It is the
main activator of all the plant spirits. Three other plants, sage, cedar and
sweetgrass, follow tobacco, and together they are referred to as the Four Sacred
Medicines.
What are the four sacred colors?
Color has many symbolic meanings in Navajo culture; in fact, a single color can
mean several different things depending on the context in which it is used. Four
colors in particular black, white, blue, and yellow have important connections to
Navajo cultural and spiritual beliefs.
Use
The Medicine Wheel, sometimes known as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations
of various Native American tribes for health and healing. It embodies the Four
Directions, as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize
dimensions of health and the cycles of life.
What direction do Native Americans sleep?
South, East & West are acceptable. Checking further, I found out that American
Navajo Indians also believed that you should never sleep facing North, as it was evil
and only for dead people
Head facing north
The Medicine Wheel teaches us that we have four aspects to ourselves: the
physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. Each must be in balance and
equally developed in order for us to remain healthy, happy individuals.
It signifies Earth’s boundary and all the knowledge of the universe.
health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions, as well as Father Sky, Mother Earth, and
Spirit Tree—all of which symbolize dimensions of health and the cycles of life.
he Seven Directions
Spiritual Practice by Unknown
TwitterFacebookLinkPrint
(STAND ON MOTHER EARTH. FACE EAST.)
Oh Great Spirit of the East, I face you to understand birth and new
beginnings. I look to you bringing forth a new day and am
reminded that life is about birth – of babies, puppies, new
seasons, new ways of doing things. Teach me the mysteries of
Beginnings.
(FACE SOUTH.)
Oh, Great Spirit of the South, I look to you to understand
abundance, fertility, warmth, and the extravagance and colors of
creation. Come to my mind and feet and lead me into the adventures of the
South.
(FACE WEST.)
Oh Spirit of the West, I turn to you to understand dying. As the sun
goes down each day, I am reminded of many deaths: friends, generations,
the seasons, and old ways of doing things. Let the sunset
remind me that, like the sun, I too shall arise in a new life and color.
(FACE NORTH.)
Oh Strong, Powerful North, I face you to remember that life
sometimes comes to us in cold and harshness. Not only do the
days grow cold, but others may turn cold toward us. Give me the
strength of the Buffalo, that I may stand in blizzards with my face
toward the North, without being blown down or overwhelmed.
(FACE EAST AGAIN. LOOK UP.)
Oh Great Spirit of all that is Up, all that soars, all that floats or flies
above us, all that comes to us from on high to enlighten us, I cherish
this direction. Give me visions, and let my mind walk among
the stars and moon, and in the daylight of the sun. Oh, sweet power
of Up, lift me high to my Father, the Sky.
(STILL FACING EAST, LOOK DOWN.)
Oh Great Spirit of all that is Down, I thank you for my Mother, the
Earth. I ask to be humble, to be simple, to never consider myself
above all my relatives in creation. And may I walk with such respect
upon the earth, that when it is time for me to go to her, she may
receive me sweetly to her heart.
(STILL FACING EAST.)
Oh Wondrous Direction of In, I put my hand on my heart to remind
me of the mysteries, the unknowns that lie within me. Teach me to
guard the simpler beauties. To walk closely within the circle of my
God in my heart. Let me share only with those who can be loyal to
my secrets.
Ho! So it is!*
*The content of this prayer will vary every day and with every person. Only the
form is given.
Other spiritual beliefs include the directions of Above, Below and Within; making a
total of 7 sacred directions. As with the Ojibwe and Cherokee Indians. They
represent the 7 Sacred Directions using colours. They are:







North: White
South: Red
East: Yellow
West: Black
Above: Blue
Here / now / centre of self: Purple
Below: Green
To locate these directions is quite simple. All you need is a compass, a patch of
ground and some peace and quiet. To attune yourself to these directions, follow the
steps outlined below.
Locations of the 7 Sacred Directions
Cherokee Vision of 7 Sacred Directions
Facing east you will need to allow yourself to feel the energies of this direction. It is
the direction of the sunrise and brings light. Stand or sit quietly, become a vessel that
is receptive to the energies you are sensing. By simply existing within the moment
and connecting with the energies, you may see or feel colours and images, sense
feelings other than your own, hear vibrations or music and feel sensations within
your body. In time you may receive a form of inner knowledge. Importantly you must
remember that there is nothing right or wrong to seek in this experience; just be
present in the moment while facing east. After a time and when you are ready turn to
face the south ensuring that you have maintained your connection to the east.
Turning south, again allow yourself to feel the energies of this direction. Depending
on your hemisphere (north, south, east or west) this direction could be linked to the
natural environment and the weather elements. Feel the energies represented by the
south by standing or sitting in silence opening to the experience. Again, you may feel
or experience things that you are not used to such as a surge of emotion. Simply
allow this to flow into you and through you and when you are ready turn to the west.
Maintain your connection with the preceding directions.
Turning west, again allow yourself to feel the energies of this direction. Sense the
energies of the night and endings. Do not have any expectations and as for the two
directions above, simply be involved with the experience. When you feel you are
ready turn and face the north and again, continue to maintain the connection you
have established with the east, south and west.
Finally, turn to face north. Allow the experience to wash over you by maintaining your
receptive vessel status and feel the energies that flow to you. Depending on your
hemisphere (north, south, east or west) this direction could be linked to the natural
environment or the elements of the weather. When you are ready, reacquaint
yourself with the three preceding directions. Then place your consciousness at the
centre of these directions and experience your connection to the planet as it ranges
out in all directions around you.
Another depiction of 7 Sacred Directions
Once you have done this, lift your face and look skyward. Experience the new
sensations that come to you and accept them as energy from the sky and beyond.
Extend your senses to space beyond and connect with the universal energies found
there; energy from the sun, moon and stars and the vibrations or ‘music of the
spheres’. Feel these experiences flow into and through you passing on to the earth.
At this point, if you are standing you can sit or lie so that you feel yourself resting
solidly on the earth or Gaia. Feel the solid nature and physical reality of the earth
beneath you; feel the energy rising up into you and through you passing on to the
sky above and the universe beyond. Seek the vibrations within the earth that
represent for you the beating heart of Gaia and understand that the earth sustains
you.
Finally, turn your mind inward and allow your feelings to well up within you. Try to
maintain an awareness of the preceding 6 sacred directions and place yourself at
the centre. Look for and locate the intersection of these 6 directions within your
being. This is the 7th and final Sacred Direction. When you have connected with
this place you may feel you are connected to all things and in doing so understand
your place in the higher order of the universe. (source: Honoring 7 Sacred
Directions by Ananaia O’Leary)
Now how do we tie these 7 directions to the 7 Chakras? I’m saving my hypothesis
on this for part 3.