[YEWr Lunar Ritual] Four men among the people; All the activity in the village; Creating the Stone Medicine Wheel; When this is Done; Now you're ready "… Four men among the people just happened to be standing in the Four Directions – one to the east, one to the south, one to the west and one to the north – as Child of Water emerged from his wickiup… " Listening to this evolutional myth in childhood, the premise of humans returning to a supernatural state, and the utilization of the medicine wheel in healing became the starting point of my journey. I find myself in awe of the vastness of the healing being offered in this Eagle Full Moon of February. "All the activity in the village did not not go unobserved, for atop the great Spirit Cliff stood the village's famed leader, Chu'hongva (Tattooed Snake), who occasionaly peered down on the scene below. But it was not the bartering in the village that concerned this man of integrity. Rather it was the doings within a circle of evenly spaced stone just on the other side of the village that commanded his attention. His uncle, Mokesh, was sitting on a stone positioned at the center of the ring. The seated man peered at the sun and then at the shadows cast by the stones. Over and over again his eyes moved from the sky to the ground, and from time to time he would speak to his invisible guide. He was making solar calculations, for he was the Keeper of Time, and from that circle he calculated propitious moments for activities such as planting, harvesting, and the commencement of religious celebrations. On this day Mokesh, youngest son of Kato'ya and Kaliña, was seeking solar signs that the time was right to begin a ritual initiation to pass the power…" All myth text & graphics from Legends & Prophecies of the Quero Apache, Bear & Co. 2002 © Creating the Stone Medicine Wheel You don’t really need anything to do this other than a piece of rope 15’-20’; a 12” stake, hammer, a semi flat area about 30’-60’ in diameter (we’re talking a life size, living and working wheel) ; 24 friends; a feather and smudge of your choice; drums and rattles; and a dish for potluck to pull it all together. When all of this is arranged and everyone is together, prepare the land and stones. Men will prepare the space for the wheel, while women gather stones from the land, each rock needs to be large enough to register as heavy when it’s picked up (kind does not matter). When this is done, everyone will gather in a circle. Go around the circle and have each person introduce themselves and give a brief comment about why they came. Give a brief explanation of the wheel and why you are creating one, and thank everyone for being present to co-create this powerful earth-human healing. Now you’re ready. Make a small loop in the end of your rope. Then make three knots, spaced about one arm length (yours) apart. Pound your stake into the ground just far enough to make it solid if you slightly tug on the rope. Put the loop around the stake so it can swivel freely as you walk around the circle. From the center of your circle, pull the rope tight to the south. This is where you will begin. You will be calling individuals in order around the circle to get a rock and set it in place. They will stay with the rock until you have released them at the appropriate time. The putting together doesn't take long, so this shouldn’t be too stressful on any of them. Elders, have a camp chair so they can sit if need be. Be aware, the placement of stones, is a little helter skelter. In the old days, stars would be charted, and directions laid out over the course of a year based on planetary alignments. So follow this sequence, and as you lay the stone, let the person putting it in place know what their energy is in the wheel. Okay, ready? Here we go. In 5th World dynamics we work clockwise around the wheel, laying the stones that stabilize Life. South: inner knowing (1), balance (9), pathfinding (17) North: blessings (2), inner child grows, (10) earth wisdom (18) West: inner strength (3), forgiveness (11), guardianship (19) East: rejuvenation (4), flexibility (12), calm (20) Southwest: patience (5), inner peace (13), illumination (21) Northwest: passion (6), life integration (14), serenity (22) Northeast: overcoming fear (7), transformation (15), release (23) Southeast: graceful passage (8), interrelation (16), plenty (24) Once all the stones are in place you will want to have everyone step outside the medicine wheel and form a circle with their instruments. Rattling, drumming, and chanting (you can find songs we sing in group at http://www.yraceburu.org/chants.html ), raise the energy to basic ecstatic. When the energy has reached this level, have individuals step into the center of the circle to dance and experience the vibration of the vortex created. The music will go on until about 10 minutes after the last person in the group has completed their turn in the center. If you choose to share the experiences of this action, please write a short story and we will post it in our Special Spring Equinox Issue. Email your story to
[email protected] Continue to utilize this wheel by physically walking the Changing Mother’s grid. Walk the stones as numbered, spiraling inward. Sit in center and meditate, watch for signs of confirmation from nature. For more information on studywork of this kind visit SpiralDancing Life on Earth Online • @ the Ranch • Community • Donate Introduce Others to Circle If experiencing the Sacred Parent's love is changing your life, and you see yourself doing things you use to think impossible – invite others to circle to experience what we do together, knowing that their life will be changed as well. And thank you for helping to anchor the new magnetic grid as we crown to birth a stable world reality.
