Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ Techniques

 

©IAWHE (n.d.)

Directions from the practitioner to the patient are in quotation marks. Three Eagles’ directions to the practitioner are not. K. L. Evans, Three Eagles, drew the Figures in Coso petroglyph style. The Figures are in mirror-image to the patient-practitioner’s ritual movements.

“Together we’ll practice Three Eagles’ Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™. Later, as you begin to create your own personal Medicine Wheel at home, we’ll practice that together here also. Sit comfortably on a chair or floor cushion, at the foot of our Medicine Wheel rug, facing me. I’ll face East, practicing Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ rituals and techniques as your shamanic spirit guide. Towards the end, I’ll indicate when you’re to perform the ritual movements and invocations with me. As you progress through our transformational sessions, we’ll perform Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ together.”

 

Figure 1

Medicine Wheel storm rug, with shaman stone and storyteller’s rattle.

Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ Music

Meditation stills the mind in the soul.

“With eyes closed, meditate in silence to the transcendent music of IAWHE 3 (2015), from their CD Medicine Wheel Vision Quest” (available through www.iawhe.bandcamp.com).

Turn on the CD and play Track 4, “Yahowah Chant.”

Turn off the CD.

Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ Invocations, Visualizations, and Shamanic Adornments

Invocation centers the body on Earth circling the Sun.

Medicine Wheel of the four seasons.

Stand at the foot of the central shaman stone, arms at your sides, palms open towards the shaman stone and the East.

Figure 2

“Summer . . . Fall . . . Winter . . . Spring . . .”

Receive inner balance through the outer world.

Medicine Wheel of the seven directions.

            Continue that ritual stance, with palms open towards shaman stone and the East.

THUNDERBIRD INVOCATION

“I stand on the Stone

in the navel of the storm.

The lightening rod binds Earth to Sky.”

            Slowly raise your Thunderbird arms out to the sides, palms up, as you recite.

Figure 3

“Before me is the East

behind me is the West

on my left hand is the North”

            Turn just the right palm down.

Figure 4

“on my right hand is the South.”

            Bend the right elbow, palm vertical, facing forwards.

Figure 5

“Above me is the womb of Sky”

            Lower the left arm, palm facing forwards.

Figure 6

“below me is the navel of Earth.

Love is the lightning bolt

calling ancestors and animal guides.”

Receive shamanic adornments, inner and outer.

Medicine Wheel of the heart.

            Raise Thunderbird arms upwards and forwards, palms facing East.

Figure 7

GREAT EAGLE INVOCATION

“Great Eagle, Sky Spirit”

Figure 8

“guide my words”

Figure 9

“in the beauty way”

Figure 10

“of your outspread golden wings.”

Figure 11

“Wisdom of the white lotus Sun”

Figure 12

“blossom into Earth”

Figure 13

“blue lotus”

Figure 14

“of the First Waters.”

Figure 15

“Shaman Stone

navel of the storm”

            With a sweeping gesture from left to right, pass your hands around the Medicine Wheel circle of the four directions.

Figure 16

“ground your lightning bolts

from the Four Houses of the Wind”

Figure 17

“in the Medicine Wheel of our heart”

Figure 18

“that we may heal each other, once again.”

            Bring inner powers back out into the world.

Medicine Wheel of the four directions.

Pick up the storyteller’s rattle, and, as you rotate to the left, facing each of the four directions, shake the rattle once firmly as you invoke each direction.

Figure 19

ANIMAL GUIDES INVOCATION

“NORTH . . . Two-Horned Bison

WEST . . . Harbor Seal

SOUTH . . . Lynx Bobcat

EAST . . . Golden Eagle”

            Place the storyteller’s rattle down on the Medicine Wheel rug.

Bring outer powers back into the body.

Medicine Wheel of the six vowels.

IAWHE EMBODIED INVOCATION

“Together, let’s perform the IAWHE Embodied Invocation, with eyes open. Please stand, relaxed in your center of balance, with feet placed slightly apart. Beginning at the forehead Medicine Wheel, or ‘third eye,’ vocalize the IAWHE vowel sounds in the sequence below, while gently touching the forehead, and subsequent Medicine Wheels down the length of the body, with the right-hand middle finger” (Mother Helen, personal communication, 1980).

Figure 20

forehead –       “ēēēēēē”

Figure 21

throat –           “ĕĕĕhhh”

Figure 22

heart –             “ăăăhhh”

Figure 23

solar plexus – “ōōōhhh”

Figure 24

sex organ –     “ŏŏŏŭŭŭ”

At that nadir, you vocalize the vowel sound –

Figure 25

“wwāāyy”

with an upward sweeping gesture of your right arm, like a fountain that swings up, out, and down to the side.

“Then begin at the forehead again, this time with your left-hand middle finger gently touching each descending Medicine Wheel as before.”

Continue the IAWHE Embodied Invocation, alternating sides for lateral balancing across the brain’s midline. But this time, begin gradually to run the IAWHE vowel sounds together, so that you are vocalizing ‘IAWHE’ more smoothly as a whole, unified word. The arm movements begin to run together in a smooth motion, from above the head, down the body’s midline, and swinging out towards the floor ‒ then sweeping upwards like a fountain as before.

Figure 26

“ēēē . . . ĕĕhh . . . ăăhh . . . ōōō . . . ŏŏŏ . . . wāāyy”

Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ Music

“Next, sit still in a relaxed meditation position, on a chair or floor cushion. With eyes closed, we’ll continue vocalizing the IAWHE Embodied Invocation to music, while visualizing the descending and ascending Medicine Wheels.”

Turn on the CD Medicine Wheel Vision Quest by IAWHE 3 (2015), and play track 3, “IAWHE Mantra” (available through www.iawhe.bandcamp.com). Proceed with vocalized meditation.

Turn off the CD.

“Now, drawing the attention inwards, continue this practice of IAWHE Embodied Invocation silently, enlivening the Medicine Wheels with your soul’s gaze. Envision your body within a translucent sphere, as you repeat the invocation silently. And when you feel centered in your Medicine Wheel sphere, slowly open the eyes, balancing the soul’s inner vision with the body’s outward vision. For meditations with eyes open, you can repeat the IAWHE EMBODIED INVOCATION aloud or silently, as you go about your day. IAWHE can be invoked while sitting, standing, or walking.”

Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ Practice, Assignments, and Assessments

Transformative rebirth, wherein the shaman’s own soul constellates gods-goddesses, ancestors, and animal guides within their personal Medicine Wheel.

Week 1: Balance the shamans’ footsteps on the Earth Medicine Wheel.

“Please stand with eyes open, to practice the ‘IAWHE EMBODIED INVOCATION’ as a walking meditation. Follow me as we circumnavigate our Medicine Wheel, invoking IAWHE aloud as we perform the arm motions.” . . . proceed . . .

“Next, we’ll circumnavigate our Medicine Wheel, invoking IAWHE aloud, but without the arm motions.” . . . proceed . . .

“Last, we’ll circumnavigate our Medicine Wheel, invoking IAWHE silently within the soul, embodying IAWHE with our footsteps on Earth Medicine Wheel.” . . . proceed . . .

Assignment.

Always ask the shamans to write down the assignment in their journals.

“In going about your daily life this week, invoke IAWHE whenever the practice comes to mind: aloud or silently; sitting, standing, or walking.”

Assessment.

The following week, after you have performed all the Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ ritual invocations for your patients, ask the shamans to:

“Please share the results of your vision quest this week.”

“Describe the kinds of balance your soul received during your vision quest this week.”

“What physical, mental, and spiritual qualities or aspects came into balance through everyday Earthly life?”

In this way, grounding their bodies in Earth shaman stone, the shamans deepen their trust that life will provide the required healings naturally. After you have discussed the shamans’ feelings of self-confidence and balance, ask them if they have any further self-reflective assessments. The shamans invariably learn both good and bad things about themselves each week, so remind them that opposite footsteps are life’s way of maintaining balance.

Week 2: Guide the shamans into balance within the Medicine Wheel of their hearts.

“Please stand with eyes closed, in preparation for practicing ‘THUNDERBIRD INVOCATION’ together. Imagine your body as the Thunderbird binding Earth to Sky, as you spread your wings out towards North and South. Within your all-encompassing Medicine Wheel sphere, the Medicine Wheel of your heart is the center shaman stone, out of which your soul is being born. Thunderbird praises the Sun, as it rises before you in the East, and sets behind you in the West. Above you is the Sky sphere of Intellect, below you is the Earth sphere of Imagination. You are the Image that unites them in nature. The Medicine Wheel of your heart is the center of Reason, which is Love. Love is the soul, the anima mundi, Great Animal. You are Love becoming the Great Animal.”  . . . proceed . . .

Assignment.

Always ask the shamans to write down the assignment in their journals.

“In going about your daily life this week, love your soul, which is present as the center shaman stone of your Medicine Wheel. Receive nature’s images, presented by your soul through daily life and in the imaginal dreamtime.”

Assessment.

The following week, after you have performed all the Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ ritual invocations for your patients, ask the shamans to:

“Please share the results of your vision quest this week.”

“Describe the transformational lessons, powers, or adornments your soul received during your vision quest this week.”

“What natural images did the soul present through daily life and in the dreamtime?”

In this way, the shamans begin to create their personal Medicine Wheels. After you have discussed the shamans’ transformative experiences, ask if they have learned anything further through the soul’s gaze. Guide the shamans in integrating their newly received adornments within the constellation of their personal Medicine Wheels, as they develop naturally. 

Week 3: Enliven the ancestors and animal guides in the dreamtime.

“Please stand with eyes closed, in preparation for practicing ‘GREAT EAGLE INVOCATION’ together. As we invoke Great Eagle, Sky animal guide, visualize Sun as a white lotus, blossoming outwards and downwards into Earth, which is a blue lotus blossoming upwards through your body. Imagine the lightning bolts created between Earth and Sky, enlivening your heart Medicine Wheel with white and blue light.” . . . proceed . . .

Assignment.

Always ask the shamans to write down the assignment in their journals.

“In going about your daily life this week, let the wisdom of the animal guides, ancestors, gods, and goddesses guide your words. Choose a physical shaman stone for the center of your developing Medicine Wheel rug. Ground your energies daily by touching that shaman stone with your hands or bare feet.”

Assessment.

The following week, after you have performed all the Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ ritual invocations for your patients, ask the shamans to:

“Please share the results of your vision quest this week.”

 “Describe what the animal guides, ancestors, gods, and goddesses said through you, during your vision quest this week.”

“How did practicing Medicine Wheel with a physical shaman stone ground your life experiences in time, and in the dreamtime?”

In this way, the shamans learn to be ‒ to exist ‒ simultaneously in both temporal and eternal realms. In nature, the shaman ‒ as center Stone ‒ constellates cosmic motion.

 

Week 4: Embody animal guides circling Earth’s axis.

“Please stand with eyes closed, in preparation for practicing ‘ANIMAL GUIDES INVOCATION’ together. As we rotate like an axis through Earth, turning to each of the four directions, we embody the animal guide of that direction, and we receive the adornments offered by each. As Two-Horned Bison, face North and receive adornments black night offers. As Harbor Seal, face West and receive adornments red sunset offers. As Lynx Bobcat, face South and receive adornments yellow day offers. As Golden Eagle, face East and receive adornments white dawn offers.” . . . proceed . . .

Assignment.    Always ask the shamans to write down the assignment in their journals.

“Practice ‘ANIMAL GUIDES INVOCATION’ daily. In going about your vision quest this week, notice the qualities, aspects, or medicines that each time of day brings, as Earth spins on her axis. Notice adornments you receive naturally, such as your own animal guides, when you face the four directions in going about your day.”

Assessment.

The following week, after you have performed all the Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ ritual invocations for your patients, ask the shamans to:

“Please share the results of your vision quest this week.”

 “Describe how you felt embodying each of Three Eagles’ animal guides, and how you began to receive your own animal guides.”

“What qualities, aspects, medicines, powers, images, or ritual objects ‒ adornments ‒ did you receive on this week’s vision quest?”

In this way, the shamans learn to value and trust nature, as she constellates through the soul in a myriad of Medicine Wheels ‒ nature as the soul continually rebirthing itself.

Week 5: Embody nature’s four elements as the shaman stone.

“Please stand, in preparation for practicing a new transcendent ritual of the four directions. This time, as we call out the four directions in turn, we invoke their respective elements: North – Earth . . . West – Water . . . South – Air . . . East – Fire. All the while we are standing, centered as the human shaman stone, hub of our personal Medicine Wheel. Let’s perform ‘INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS’ together.” . . . proceed . . .

Assignment.

Always ask the shamans to write down the assignment in their journals.

“Practice ‘INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS’ daily. In the dreamtime, gather the four elements from Earth’s distant directions, and ground them inside your human shaman stone, bringing them to life as adornments, to share with others as healing powers.”

Assessment.

The following week, after you have performed all the Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™ ritual invocations for your patients, ask the shamans to:

 “Please share the results of your vision quest this week.”

 “Describe how you felt as human shaman stone.”

“After gathering the four elements from the four directions, and bringing those shamanic powers down into life, in what ways did you share the adornments?”

In this way, we include ourselves in the circle of life. We are shaman. The Medicine Wheels come for us (©IAWHE, n.d.).

References

IAWHE. (n.d.). Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™  Techniques. In Three Eagles Medicine-Wheel-Vision-Quest™. Retrieved  

           from https://www.threeeagles.net/medicine-wheel-techniques/ 

IAWHE 3. (2015). C. M. Evans (Producer). Yahowah chant & IAWHE mantra. On Medicine wheel vision quest [CD]. Ojai,

           CA: IAWHE.

 

https://youtu.be/002P0IWsoOs
 
Ritual enactment of Three Eagles' medicine wheel practice for holistic healing, with embodied invocations, visualizations, and shamanic adornments.
 

 

 

Multicultural Medicine Wheel in Counseling

Evans, K. L. (2020). Practicing medicine wheel for holistic healing. In C. L. Fracasso, S. Krippner, & H. L. Friedman (Eds), Holistic treatment in mental health: A handbook of practitioners’ perspectives. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing & Company, Inc. 

IAWHE Shamanic Practitioner Training

Shamanic Practice in Depth Psychology

MEDICINE WHEEL

Practicing medicine wheel multiculturally in counseling or clinical settings.

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