The 7 Sacred Directions
Native American tradition of the medicine wheel describes 4 sacred directions. These are the directions of East, South, West and North. Each of these sacred directions is connected to a Sacred Element; that of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The sacred directions and associated elements are believed to provide the shaman and those who follow this belief system with lessons and powers while they journey upon the path associated with the sacred directions.
(source: Sacred Directions and Elements By Pamela Nine, Ph.D)
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
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.
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.
source: Honoring 7 Sacred Directions by Ananaia O’Leary) this link has been hijacked and goes to massage therapy
Thank you for letting me know Pao.
I’m very-intrigued by all the learning! My Cherokee Blood, is alive!
A’ho Chris
Tsi-lu-gi (Welcome) to TimberwolfHQ. A-ya (I) am u-do-hi-yu ga-li-e-li-ga na-s-gi (very happy that) my articles u-ha (have) raised i-ga-du ge-ya-do-hv-s-di (some awareness) within ne-hi (you) of your tsa-la-gi-yi (Cherokee) heritage. S (It) is o-si-yu (good) to he-go-wa-ta ne-hi a-ha-ni a-le a-ya u-du-gi–gv-di na ne-hi (see you here and I hope that you) return na-tla-gu (soon).
Namaste
Timberwolf (Please excuse my attempt at translation)
My grandpa was a long practicing medicine man and performed ceremonies that I helped out with from time to time. He would explain his core belief when he was alive, which was very structured, but I haven’t really found anything that seems to reflect what he’d told us. I was hoping you might have come across it yourself. He said when the universe was young, Grandfather created Mother Earth and Father Sky, and He gave each of them a spirit. Then He told them to make children so that He would give one of them a spirit. And they made four children, White, Black, Red, and Yellow. So Mother and Father asked Grandfather which one He would give a spirit. And He said they were all so beautiful that He would give them each a spirit. He would give the North spirit to the white child, South to the black child, West to the red child, and East to the yellow child. He would also make a spirit to connect all of the spirits together. So we represent these spirits by the color and direction they represent in a seven-pointed star, including Blue for skyward, Green for earthward, and Purple for the center. He also used stones of associated color for his altar, and addressed each direction during the ceremonies. So I was hoping you might have come across this belief system somewhere, and if you have, might be able to give me some direction so I can explore it further. Thanks for your time and attention.
Hello Donnie
First let me say thank you for your visit and sharing the information about your grandpa. I too am only beginning to look at the 7 sacred directions and their meaning. I had not heard the story you have told here. Perhaps a friend of my Ken SpiritWolf may have and could shed some additional light on your question. I will ask him.
In the meantime, I located a link to a site called Four Directions Teachings where there is a very interesting .pdf file that may give you further help on your grandpa’s beliefs.
Please come back and let me know how you are going and provide my readers and I with any further insights you may wish to share regarding the beliefs and teachings followed by your grandpa.
Namaste
Timber Wolf
turtle winds firewalker cherokee medizinmann
great work keep on the path it a good way
This is certainly a fantastic resource that you are offering and you’re giving it away at no cost. I appreciate discovering blogs that comprehend the importance of providing a valuable resource for free. I honestly loved reading your post 🙂 Thank you!
Wow, Timberwolf, you really have a lot of very interesting information in your site. I am on a course this weekend, so don’t have a lot of time now, but I will definitely return later to explore further. Your post above about the sacred directions is new to me – have never heard anything like it before. I think it would be quite interesting to try what is described.
All the best,
Marain
.-= marain´s last blog ..Bioenergy Healing – Zdenko Domancic =-.
A pleasure to find your site ( looking for sacred colours and directions) Do you have any recommended reading on the Wolf. I’ve recently devoured “Wolf Totem” by Jiang Rong. Its a beautiful Epic in the mongolian china frontier. I highly recommend it to those who wish to learn of the ancient relationship between man, wolf, horse and earth. Andrew Golden LionWoolf