Medicine Wheel

 Medicine Wheel November 14. The winds have picked up and are doing their best to wreck the wheel. I've since repaired the center. It's still standing now. On the right is a photo that was sent to me by a friend of Mishi's. This is the medicine wheel Mishi built on the beach last year, which lasted until the next high tide.




The Medicine Wheel--We've had a few storms come through the last few days. This morning again the medicine had been wrecked. But I've since repaired it, and once again its standing strong.  I'll post another photo later today.

The blog I wrote below is about a medicine wheel built by a wonderful native woman I met last week Panji Mishiikenh Quay, which means Little Snapping Turtle Woman but most know her by Mishikeenhquay or Mishi for short. Since my original post, part of the medicine wheel had been damaged. Mishi repaired and has since, along with other members of the community, added to this medicine wheel. On Thursday Mishi had to leave this island and return home, we will miss her, but she's promised to return.

The Medicine Wheel



On a small island where I live in the Northern Gulf Islands, I met a native woman by the name of Mishi, visiting from Massachusetts. She introduced me first to the Eagles who have a nest just behind my house. They are most extraordinary this mate/pair that have been together for over 20 years. What I find amazing about Eagles, is they mate for life.

On Saturday Mishi, along with her sister built a medicine wheel on the beach in front of my home. 

A medicine wheel is a physical manifestation of spiritual energy. The circle of life appears like a wheel as seen in the photo’s I’ve included in this blog. Spiritual energy using all the elemental forces, calling in the four directions. It is a wheel of protection allowing us to use surrounding energy and gathered into a focal point to commune with “Spirit—all elemental forces.”

Mishi was guided to build this medicine circle, in this specific spot on the beach. As she said to me “it wanted to be up here.” She listened and constructed using the materials provided by the land. Each rock, each stick had a specific spot and purpose. Everything was blessed, and smudged with Sage. The construction took all morning. 

The wheel was constructed using the four directions. East, the rock color is yellow which is a new beginning, the rising sun, air, flight and springtime. South the rock is red, which symbolizes youth, fire, passion the time of the Summer. West rock is black, adult hood, the fall season, setting sun, water and emotions. North is white, which is the end of the cycle, purity and wisdom, earth, wintertime--a time to stop and listen. Then begin again in the East, yellow, new beginning. The circle of life.

Rock placement was not easy. Mishi and her sister scrounged the beach for hours seeking the materials, the right colored rocks, and the beach wood needed to construct the medicine wheel. Every stone was smudged with sage. Tobacco was provided in an offering for the rocks. Mishi listened to each rock—stone, to tell its proper placement. Some fit some didn’t. Several times during construction, the two women, were interrupted by the pair of Eagles who live here. The Eagles watched from their tree overlooking the beach. The murder of ravens and the sea lion, the otters in the Ocean all made their presence known. They knew why she was here to build this circle. In that spot. And why now. But did we?

The center of the circle is the pure heart, spirit. Everything extends from the circle and everything comes together in the middle.

This medicine wheel was created and blessed for Truth, Honesty and Healing. What’s amazing is why it had to be here? A place in need of healing?

I love Native American culture, and I felt truly blessed to have this medicine wheel on the beach in front of my home where I can visit every morning.