The recreation of Lori the survivor involved many professionals including mental health professionals, domestic violence specialists, and legal personnel within the court system, vocational rehabilitation counselors, family and a very special group of friends. As I moved through this recovery that was very slow, I found myself institutively using tools I had in my toolbox in a way I never thought would help as much as it did. Dream catchers, the creative process and shamanism were the building blocks I came to use to help reclaim who I was before domestic violence and the person I am now becoming. Medicine wheel work has been a big part of it over the last two years.

The Lakota Sioux have a saying, Mitakuye Oyasin, which means “all are related.” The Lakota Sioux and many other indigenous people worldwide define their existence by the use of a circle called the medicine wheel. The wheel has many variations, but most have the four different directions of the compass: North, South, East, and West. Each direction has a season assigned to it, a color, various elements (ex. water, earth, etc.). Each direction has different human emotions, and natural kingdoms (ex. plants, animals) associated with them too. At the center of the medicine wheel is the individual. The individual works with all of the medicine wheel’s aspects during different stages in their lives. They not only work on their responses to their outside environment but also work on various issues within their inner core.

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The medicine wheel is a symbolic multi-dimensional device that enables connections to be made with cosmic force and natural energies, and balance to be attained with nature and one’s self. It functions at all levels –physical, mental and spiritual.   It unites all three of these levels to make a whole person and in turn connects us with all of our fellow beings. 

In my second year of recovery I was lucky enough to have attended a number of seminars taught by a well-known shaman. The teacher of this seminar and my fellow students were what I needed now to continue my healing process. While before I did solitary work on my own it was necessary for me to be part of a group of special women who believed as I did. There were four different seminars each was based on learning the deeper meaning of each major compass point on the medicine wheel. These seminars were taught during the winter (North), spring (East), summer (South), and fall (West).

After attending these seminars I was compelled to go deeper into my own journey work. What I learned during my visits to non-ordinary reality helped me right many of the lost soul parts that had been fragmented off from me and begin to reintegrate them.   During my first year after leaving my toxic relationship I became reacquainted with my within animal spirit guide Heron. It was a joyous reunion for the two of us. Heron was a lifetime guide and not just a spirit guide making itself known for one purpose or teaching (not to discount the lessons to be learned from a short term guide).

Heron always accompanies me when I journey now and with her help I have either become re-acquainted with other lifetime animal spirit guides and have met other guides who have walked with me throughout my life and did not know were there. As I met each of these lifetime guides they show me what they are here to teach me in this lifetime and how to incorporate their lessons in my ordinary existence. In order to honor these guides and their place in my life I decided to assemble a medicine wheel that corresponded with compass direction I associated them with and to honor each guide with an egg decorated to match the energies that I feel when I work with them.

In working the wheel I found the necessity to give my personal medicine wheel not only all of the compass points but felt the need to add points that addressed the three levels of the shamanic existence: the lower world, the middle world, and upper world. The animal guides for this aspect of my shamanic work are labeled above, within and below. The last two animal guides represent future movement and reflection of the past/and shadow (behind).  In Part 2 I will share the life time guides that are with me on this earth walk and what they are here to teach me.