The World in Which We Live – South
In the Native American world, wheels or circles have been used since the ancient times as tools for teaching the ways of the Universe. Nothing is seen as linear for the idea of a linear existence is considered to be an illusion. There is no “beginning” or “end.” There is simply a change of reference points.
Learning of the Universe through wheels offers a way to perceive how one form of life is completely interconnected with all other life: flowing, changing, and reaching out to touch all forms of all things with beauty. All the wheels of the Sweet Medicine SunDance Path spin and interconnect with one another in this way.
Each of the aspects we are about to explore sit on a wheel. When we look at a single wheel, e.g. the Season Wheel, we have the opportunity to learn about the specific items in each direction: spring in the south, winter in the west, autumn in the north, summer in the east, and the solstices and equinoxes in the center. Understanding one wheel at a time exhibits one level of knowledge. Deeper teachings beckon us as we overlay wheels to investigate the interrelationships of the myriad of aspects that all sit in one direction. It is through the overlays and interrelationships of energy that we can begin to know, honor, and be in harmony with the world in which we live.
Let us begin our exploration of this amazing world in the south direction.
In the south sits the element of water, the season of spring, the plant world, moon as the heavenly body, our heart and emotions as our human aspect, and the self-expression of trust and innocence.
Water as the stabilizing element in the south sings a song of fluidity. Think of the multitude of expressions of water… one single drop, the ocean, rivers, streams, creeks, puddles, ponds, lakes, waterfalls, marshes, swamps, the underground aquifer, rain, and even ice and snow. Water is constantly purifying and recycling itself. All the water that is present on Earth is all we will ever have.
Spring sits here in the south as it is the season where the frozen waters melt, reawakening and rejuvenating life out of its winter dream as it begins to flow.
The Plant World also adds its essence here in the south, through teaching us about giving unconditionally. A rose continues to bloom whether we appreciate it or not. Plants give nourishment, shelter, food, beauty, and inspiration, and, they are our primary source of oxygen. Without plants, we could not live.
The Moon, as the south heavenly body, waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows, and controls the tides. Her light is a reflection created by the interplay of the sun and the earth.
As without, so within… Internally, our emotions are a reflection of the water. Are your emotions as deep as the ocean? Do they trickle like a creek or torrent like Niagara Falls? Is your heart open and compassionate? Do you give with your emotions with tenderness? Yes, all emotions? What does it look, sound, or feel like to give the emotion of anger with tenderness? With this open heart and flowing emotions (e-motion, energy in motion), we create the self-expression of trust and innocence. We engage the world within our own essence (innocence) with the trust of a child, experiencing the world in the powerful presence of each moment, right here, right now.
When we are aligned with the south energies of giving with tenderness, our dance or choreography is balanced in our emotional aspect and the gift of the universe (the huaqua) to us is HAPPINESS.
And, who wouldn’t want more happiness in the world in which you live?
