Visit to a Healing Circle or Medicine Wheel, Part 2.
Building and Conducting one of your own.
We talk of building or constructing a healing circle or wheel, when in truth this is more an act of creation. In this act we will be drawing upon the best of ourselves physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually; especially spiritually!
As mentioned in part one – The objective to building a medicine wheel or healing circle is to provide a space which allows us to transcend our normal self and to gain access to our higher self or beyond, in order to facilitate healing and greater self understanding and knowledge.
The success or otherwise or your healing circle will depend in no small measure upon these key elements. 1) Your intention. 2) Respect and Understanding. 3) Rules for conducting your circle. 4) Rituals. 5) The materials used. 6) Your expectations.
You will also need to consider whether you are going to build a temporary or permanent circle, as this will determine its location, its size and also the materials used.
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1) Your intention. One of the key elements in creating your circle will be your intention – meaning more than just the function for which you are building it. It is here that your metaphysical desire is foremost. This is easy to understand with the adoption of the creed, “That all you are doing in this project is to be completed and conducted for the highest good of all concerned,” By commencing with this thought or prayer and holding it in the forefront of your Attention as you go about your work, it will help to keep the process centered and on track.
Another part of your intention is your desire for healing and understanding. Is this something you are prepared to accept?
Are you open to new knowledge and understanding?
Are you prepared for contact with your Higher Self, Spirit Guides and the Ancestors?
Are you really willing to be open and receptive to all that may be offered?
Is your circle purely for personal use, or is it to be open to others?
These are all important considerations in establishing your intention and outcomes.
Part of your intention will include your personality. Are you able to free flow and do your own thing or do you require set procedures and the comfort of conformity to design? If the latter you will benefit from looking up and following established examples.
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2) Respect and Understanding. Here we are talking about history, tradition and beliefs. There are as many systems for conducting healing circles as there are native tribes and shamanic groups. Many of these are steeped in traditions and rituals and rules going back for millennia, and if you were to use their systems of conduct, you should stick to these out of respect. But here we are seeking to establish our own tradition.
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3) Rules for conducting your circle. As you are establishing a circle for your own healing and enjoyment, it is essential not to get bogged down in rules of conduct, but rather to be free flowing and experiential. But this one rule you must keep! – To at all times conduct yourself and your circle with respect and honour, drawing on the best tradition has offered, while adapting it for your personal use.
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4) Rituals. These are the rights and ceremonies you will undertake to achieve your objective. I suggest you keep these loose and free, adopting what you perceive you need at the time. However you will probably find that certain things get repeated and start the foundation of your own ceremonies or rituals.
Here are some suggestions to get you started. These are some of the things we do at our place.
Naturally some of this will depend on whether your circle is permanent or not. If temporary, now is a good time to build it, and for this refer to the section on the materials to use.
Having chosen your spot and determined the size of your circle, you could place an object at each of the directions
Dedicate your space each time you use it. One way is to walk around the circumference three times, while praying to Great Spirit, God, or whoever your Supreme Being or Deity is, asking for the circle to be protected and that all that takes place within is for the highest good. You may also do this whilst drumming, shaking a rattle or ringing a bell.
Smudge your circle and yourself with white sage.
If you have ash available from a previous fire, you could smudge or smear some of this onto your face and arms or any exposed skin, to act as a connection to the spirit realm and to provide protection.
You might chant and dance or sing along to a favorite recording, something appropriate of course. You could drum, or clap two sticks together, or shake a rattle. The object here is to help get your mind out of day to day concerns and bring you into the groove of elevated states of consciousness.
At some stage you might like to sit quietly in deep meditation, or listen to a guided visualization.
Consider burning some herbs in ceremony. These can be broadcast into a fire, or burnt safely in small quantities in a fireproof container indoors. Large seashells and ceramic dishes are suitable.
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5) The materials used. This is really a matter of personal choice and what is available. You could just imagine a circle drawn on the ground, and with the right focus this would be more than appropriate.
Another fast and easy way to establish your circle is with a circular carpet used for the purpose.
A candle in a safe container can be used to establish the centre. Out doors you could use a brazier or drum to contain a fire if you can’t establish a fire pit or equivalent. A circle of stones or rocks is also appropriate to house your fire.
To mark out your circle circumference you could use candles, tealights are good. Outdoors you could use oil lamps. On grass, mow the circle to mark it out. Stones or rocks can be laid out. Crystals may be used, clear quartz points circumscribe a magical energetic circle, but any may be used, just go with what appeals to you.
A permanent circle may be planted round with gardens. Consider potted plants for temporary or indoor circles.
Your circle may only have a few elements or many, this is a matter of choice as well as making the most of what is available. EG with just four stones you could place one at each of the compass points or directions. Or with more you could fill in the whole perimeter.
You will probably want to invoke symbology into your circle to enhance its magic for you, like we did in the one we built at “Akasha Keep”. (Detailed in part 1).
Remember that while the materials, their number and exact location are important, the essential factors are your intention and attitude! Use what is available to you and go with the flow!
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6) Your expectations. This is an interesting area to look at, as it is a bit of a paradox. You are entering into your circle and ceremony with a high expectation for good and seeking an outcome, but often the tension created by this pushes the results you want away. So it is important to just relax and allow, simply enjoy the process without requiring a result. And this is the paradox; the more you can do this, the greater your results.
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Pulling it all together. You may be thinking that specific information and detail up to now is a little thin. This has been deliberate on my part, as the key to your success is in creating a healing circle in your own fashion and going through the process. This journey will subsequently lead to your own healing. A big part of the process is to learn to trust and follow your own intuition and have fun with it.
As stated before, if you want to be more formal in your conduct and operate in accord with a specific tradition, then it will be necessary to learn all about it and align yourself with it.
In the next installment we will look at some specific designs, rituals and stories to act as examples to model off, and to provide inspiration.
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Tags: healing ceremony, healing circle, healing drums, medicine wheel, metaphysical, shamanic healing
[...] Read Part One here and Part Two here. [...]