This week we will journey with the Big Medicine Wheel from the Vision Quest Tarot. In the card we see the image of a Medicine Wheel created from stones. There are twenty-eight spokes in the wheel and six smaller round circles attached to the outer circle of the wheel. The earth sits at the centre of the wheel and a green snake is meandering above the earth. In each corner around the wheel we see the depiction of the guardians of wisdom in the form of a human, the Eagle, the Mountain Lion and the White Buffalo.
The card comes with a message of new possibilities and of finding alternative ways to solve re-occurring issues. The universe is within us and we know how to live in the moment and which issues need to move forward. We are here to learn and to let in the new, and to embrace a completely new paradigm of living. The Big Medicine Wheel and its guardians send us important messages for us to listen to during this time. The Mountain Lion reminds us that we are always spiritually guided, the White Buffalo affirms that our prayers are answered, and the Eagle connects us to the Great Spirit and allows us to merge with the unseen world. The human reminds us that we are part of the circular motion of life, as part of the Medicine Wheel, Mother Earth and the cosmos.
We are now half way into Virgo season, a space where we may feel agitated to organise everything and obsessing about things we should have, or could have done so far in our lives. We must let go of the perfectionist ideal of formulas set in stone and embrace our own individual journeys. The new moon in Virgo which took place 6/7 September promised us a fresh start, we can continue to tap into her power and claim more balance in our life. Consider your options and look at the bigger picture. Like the Big Medicine Wheel suggests, we are all part of the cycles of earth, and as individuals existing in our own microcosm we can find the path which makes us struggle less.
Meditation with the Big Medicine Wheel
Try this meditation with the Big Medicine Wheel.
Sit down in a quiet space. Take a few deep breaths and relax.
Look at the the image of the Big Medicine Wheel and notice all the stones creating the wheel, its spokes and the spaces in between. The earth and snake at the centre of the wheel are in a symbiotic relationship of intuition and creation. The four guardians of wisdom represented in the human, the Eagle, the White Buffalo and the Mountain Lion, are holding the space for the new to enter. The purple background in the card reminds us of the spiritual wisdom which moves the Medicine wheel around.
Choose your focus point in the card and relax, connect to your chosen image and stay still.
Stay in meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.
After the meditation, journal about the below questions:
How can you use the wisdom of the Big Medicine Wheel in your life?
Write down action steps to complete within the next 3 months.
Additional practice – grounding your purpose with Bloodstone
In this week’s additional practice we will work with Bloodstone, also known as Heliotrope, a deep green quartz crystal with red jasper inclusions, with an opaque surface and glassy lustre. The name Heliotrope comes from the Greek “turning the sun” because it was believed Bloodstone held the energy of the sun like Sunstone. Bloodstone was known as the Martyr’s Stone after the legend of how Jesus’ blood stained the green Jasper crystals at the foot of his cross. Scenes of the crucifixion were carved into Bloodstone by Christians and it was also used as a protective stone by the crusaders.
Bloodstone is purifying and detoxifying and it is very grounding. It increases energy and strength and creates a constant flow of energy in the body. It brings love into any issue and will help to cleanse negative energies. Bloodstone enhances the mind, intuition and creativity, and it brings clarity and understanding. It helps to combat fatigue, confusion and irritability and realigns our whole system so that we can be and do our best. Bloodstone can be positioned in a space which needs cleansing and grounding and it useful to settle scattered energies in your home after arguments. It can help to provide strength to start anew after traumatic events which may have uprooted your balance in body, mind and soul.
For this meditation, lie down in a comfortable and quiet place and put the Bloodstone on your root chakra. Relax, and take a few deep breaths to release any stress. Feel very calm and supported. Now imagine that your are standing in a beautiful green field, with a few lush trees growing in the grassy plain. You see a large Medicine Wheel in front of you and you start walking towards it. When you get closer you see that there are several passages around the wheel, all of them leading to the centre. You choose one of the passages and start walking towards the centre. When you get to the centre you stop and look up in the sky. The sky is a gorgeous blue colour and the afternoon sun is warming your cheeks. You look down at your feet and see the stones which form the connection point of the spokes in the wheel. As you stand there you feel a powerful deep green energy coming up from the earth. The green energy enters your feet and travels your legs and knees, up to the root chakra, the sacral chakra, the solar plexus, and continues up to your heart chakra, throat chakra, the third eye and the crown chakra, and then connects with the sky above. The beautiful deep green energy is cleansing and calming and it feels very supportive. You feel relaxed and decide to ask Mother Earth a question. Be still and let the answer reach you through body, mind and soul. When you have received your answer, say thank you to Mother Earth and slowly walk back and out of the circle. As you leave you see a giant eagle in the sky, a promise from Father Sky that a blessing is coming your way.
Slowly open your eyes and come back to the present. Take a deep breath and say thank you to Bloodstone for guiding you through the Medicine Wheel. You can repeat this meditation anytime you feel you want to ground yourself and nurture your ideas and bring in energy so that you can complete your chosen mission.
Mirasol