Has Anyone Ever Built a Medicine Wheel

[Thunder]

I have been thinking about building a Medicine Wheel and I just wondered if anyone has done it. How did you go about it and what was the experience like. Describe the wheel, materials, size, where is it (relative to your house, not specifically).

[mtpathy]

my medicine wheel consists of smooth slightly larger then quarter sized flat
round'ish stones using animal totems,and various corresponding colors.
i put together my medicine wheel from the book dancing with the wheel
the medicine wheel workbook :sun bear,wabun wind,and crysalis mulligan.
it took me a little under a year to work with the basic animals "the ones
on the outer edge of the circle".and "they" introduced me to the other animals
further within the circle and how they can and cant be used,but then again
i use my medicine wheel for shapeshifting purposes.
salutations

[Thunder]

my medicine wheel consists of smooth slightly larger then quarter sized flat
round'ish stones using animal totems,and various corresponding colors.
i put together my medicine wheel from the book dancing with the wheel
the medicine wheel workbook :sun bear,wabun wind,and crysalis mulligan.
it took me a little under a year to work with the basic animals "the ones
on the outer edge of the circle".and "they" introduced me to the other animals
further within the circle and how they can and cant be used,but then again
i use my medicine wheel for shapeshifting purposes.
salutations

Excellent!! I just checked out the book on Amazon. What is the overall size of your Medicine Wheel?

Shapeshifting… there is a whole other thread.

[mtpathy]

the beautiful thing about a medicine wheel is that there isnt a single one
way of using it,you simply use it as you feel inclined too.
the way i use mine is that each animal is a representation of a element as
well as a certain environment,the animal manifests itself by exploration of
that environment. and said vibration/element can be explored and learned
by the exploration of the animal and environment together. "manifestation".
so starts the hunt,you must learn to exist as that animal to hunt it,to kill
that animal is to conjure that animal within yourself.
as ive said before,each stone is slightly larger then a quarter,there smooth
and roundish and pretty flat,i drew "painted",each animal on the stone as
i have hunted and "killed" it.
i simply keep my animals within my sachel and only open the bag and draw out
a animal for the hunt,to close the bag and put it away is to promise to look
for the hunt outside of the bag within life,to show the said animal that i have
learned the lessons it sacrificed itself for.
salutations
there are many different ways that a medicine wheel can be used to teach
you about the world,about yourself,or about plant life, animal life, or the
different planes of the etheric and of yourself.
happy hunting.

[omar]

mtpathys wheel is very good & have all the things to do it that way but it cost me $50.oo for it all & it realy is not nessisary. If I am out side I just use plane rocks. Eleven for the outside Circle & six for the inerr circle for each of the six directions & a stone in the center or just place yourself in the center. I also use an immitation Eagle feather. I some times use my Elk drum & rattles.

[mtpathy]

na i just used stones i found at the lake,all i had to do was sort through
them to find the ones i wanted and to scrub them a little to get some of
the bigger clumps of dirt off.
then i just sat down and painted each one as i saw fit,and as i explored
that perticular animal.
i could have gone to walmart or target and bought a big bag of stones
and some model paint for less then $5.
salutations

[Thunder]

I had not even considered making a wheel that I could carry in a pouch until you mentioned it. Now that you have described it I plan to make one. I had originally planned to build a large circle outside. I still plan to do this. Do either of you have any suggestions?

[mtpathy]

i dont have a medicine wheel outside,but i do carve mazes into flat
stones then use those stones and the mazes on them as mental
"worlds" within meditation lol. i know its weird but umm ya..
i carry my animals with me because through living within the world
i use the abilities they taught me by chasing and hunting them within
there world circle that they invited me within "medicine wheel".

[wolf]

I participated in constructing a full-size medicine wheel on the lodge grounds of a local Native American Spiritual Circle. A Lakota shaman came to build the wheel, and gave us teachings about it. It was an amazingly powerful experience. A lot of people came to watch the ceremony of building the wheel, but only those who were present on the day of construction and who were chosen to assist in placing the stones are allowed to enter the wheel itself. All others must remain outside the permiter.

It was an amazing experience, and I have gone up there to pray at the wheel. It's a great place to be -- Out of time and very protected.

[equinox2]

We have a small stone ring/medicine wheel in our yard that we made, and use for rituals. It is a great thing to have a real, and physical sacred space like that.

Ancient sacred spaces like that are surprisingly similar across cultures and millennia. There are literally hundreds of religious stone rings, including Stonehenge, the medicine wheels all over the western US, “mystery hill” in Massachusetts, Avebury, and many more. In fact, they are found on every continent except for Antarctica. Here are some pictures (you could spend days on all these sites: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~aburnham/ring/). You might like to check out some of the dozens of circles, both ancient and new, at some of these sites.
(here’s one in Arizona: http://www.ssg-adf.org/circle.htm )
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_mounds.html
http://www.4qf.org/_StoneCircle/

You specifically mentioned making a medicine wheel. There are dozens of different ones, and no set form. Like Neolithic people the world over, the Native Americans made them of materials they could get on hand – thus, many medicine wheels in gravelly areas are made of smaller stones, while the one in Indiana is an earth mound with notches, and other ones were made with wood. So use whatever you like, and don’t be constrained by trying to match a certain circle you’ve seen.

For me, the wheel of the year, with four points for the directions and four more for the cross quarter points, is essential. You can see some of the symbolism I attach to the wheel here (use the left menu for new levels of meaning) : http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~leta/TREATISE/TJPSUM/woverv/wovervhome.htm

Another benefit in addition to the spiritual charge from making it and the fulfillment of ritual in it is the daily devotion. I see the sun at a certain angle during the day, and momentarily reflect on that postion (say, south east), so I may reflect on my day, thinking – south east, the beginning of the plans for the day – like Beltane, when the work of the summer is just beginning. My work for the day has started, and most of it lays before me. – It is a kind of centering thing. It’s also nice to have it there, ready at all times for a moment of spirituality. The other night there was a really nice moonrise, and I happened to be out in the yard. So I stepped into the circle and faced the moon for a second, feeling the energy.

Oh, I also have a central flame. It is really easy to make one. You’ll need a hammer drill and some carbide bits. Use a rock with a flat area on top for the stone for the center of the circle. Use a large bit to hollow out a central area around the size of a measuring cup. If possible, leave a few “posts” of rock from the spaces between the drill holes. If they all break off, then use a smaller bit to make little holes, then screw metal screws into them. Then drape a few scraps of old blue jean material over the posts. Put a chunk of wax on the cloth, and light it, allowing the wax to melt, soak the cloth, and fill the cup shaped hole. Blow it out (better to smother with aluminum foil), and let it cool. Now it can be lit anytime, and you just need to add more wax from time to time. The posts are to keep the wick from sinking into the wax.

In the future I hope to make a circle on a hilltop for a better view of the night sky, and a better view of solstice and equinox sunrises and sunsets. Or perhaps lead a group of people from a UU church & some CUUPS and Pagan groups to pool money and time to make a really nice one we all can use.
In a crazy idea, I thought of planting trees around it with a different species at each of the 8 stones. The species would be picked so as be special during their correct time. For instance – I’ll plant flowering crabapple near the southeast stone, because they bloom around Beltane. I’ll put firebush by the North West stone, because they turn a firey red around Samhain. Maybe I’ll put evergreens at North, and decorate them with lights around Yule….. you get the picture. I sorta did this in my stone circle (visible from the house). The little gardens (in the cross quarter positions) have plants that are chosen so as to "do something" at the appropriate time. For instance, NE (imbolc) are holly bushes (not much else looks alive on Feb 2), SE - violets (bloom around Beltane), SW - wildflowers that bloom in the summer, NW - "burning bush" - that bush that turns a bright red around Samhain.

Another cool idea is a to do something with the motion of the sun. Such as having precise holes in the stones that will cast a beam of light on the central stone only during their appropriate season (like the south stone having a hole that will illuminate the central stone only at noon on the summer solstice, or the west stone having a hole that will illuminate the central stone only at sunset on the fall equinox….) Like this place: http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm

So, finally, here are some pictures of my stone circle:

May your mind soar like the eagle-

[Thunder]

We have a small stone ring/medicine wheel in our yard that we made, and use for rituals. It is a great thing to have a real, and physical sacred space like that.


You specifically mentioned making a medicine wheel. There are dozens of different ones, and no set form. Like Neolithic people the world over, the Native Americans made them of materials they could get on hand – thus, many medicine wheels in gravelly areas are made of smaller stones, while the one in Indiana is an earth mound with notches, and other ones were made with wood. So use whatever you like, and don’t be constrained by trying to match a certain circle you’ve seen.

of the plans for the day – like Beltane, when the work of the summer is just beginning. My work for the day has started, and most of it lays before me. – It is a kind of centering thing. It’s also nice to have it there, ready at all times for a moment of spirituality. The other night there was a really nice moonrise, and I happened to be out in the yard. So I stepped into the circle and faced the moon for a second, feeling the energy.

Oh, I also have a central flame. It is really easy to make one. You’ll need a hammer drill and some carbide bits. Use a rock with a flat area on top for the stone for the center of the circle. Use a large bit to hollow out a central area around the size of a measuring cup. If possible, leave a few “posts” of rock from the spaces between the drill holes. If they all break off, then use a smaller bit to make little holes, then screw metal screws into them. Then drape a few scraps of old blue jean material over the posts. Put a chunk of wax on the cloth, and light it, allowing the wax to melt, soak the cloth, and fill the cup shaped hole. Blow it out (better to smother with aluminum foil), and let it cool. Now it can be lit anytime, and you just need to add more wax from time to time. The posts are to keep the wick from sinking into the wax.

In the future I hope to make a circle on a hilltop for a better view of the night sky, and a better view of solstice and equinox sunrises and sunsets. Or perhaps lead a group of people from a UU church & some CUUPS and Pagan groups to pool money and time to make a really nice one we all can use.
In a crazy idea, I thought of planting trees around it with a different species at each of the 8 stones. The species would be picked so as be special during their correct time. For instance – I’ll plant flowering crabapple near the southeast stone, because they bloom around Beltane. I’ll put firebush by the North West stone, because they turn a firey red around Samhain. Maybe I’ll put evergreens at North, and decorate them with lights around Yule….. you get the picture. I sorta did this in my stone circle (visible from the house). The little gardens (in the cross quarter positions) have plants that are chosen so as to "do something" at the appropriate time. For instance, NE (imbolc) are holly bushes (not much else looks alive on Feb 2), SE - violets (bloom around Beltane), SW - wildflowers that bloom in the summer, NW - "burning bush" - that bush that turns a bright red around Samhain.

Another cool idea is a to do something with the motion of the sun. Such as having precise holes in the stones that will cast a beam of light on the central stone only during their appropriate season (like the south stone having a hole that will illuminate the central stone only at noon on the summer solstice, or the west stone having a hole that will illuminate the central stone only at sunset on the fall equinox….) Like this place: http://www.knowth.com/newgrange.htm

So, finally, here are some pictures of my stone circle:

May your mind soar like the eagle-

Many excellent pointers. I cannot wait to begin!

[omar]

Equinox2, a fine medicine wheel, but I see no fire pit in the center?

[wolf]

There's not supposed to be one.

[omar]

I have never been to a Sun Dance but I read the Lakota put a pine tree with a bison sign in the center of the dance wheel.

[wolf]

A medicine wheel is not the same as sacred ground for a sundance.

[omar]

I some times build a medicine wheel out side before dark & put a small fire in the center.