Medicine Wheel

Kum Ba Yah (Come By Here)

I am flying at an altitude of maybe 30,000 feet, high up in SkyWorld, thinking about a very unique and wonderful experience, somewhere between the sun setting and the moon rising, on the evening of the 2024 Summer Solstice.

I was on the northern tip of the Island of Aruba in a section called Westpunt, shadowed by a once manned, but now automated lighthouse. 

A group of us met there at an off road hideaway spot where there is a secretly designed Medicine Wheel. It’s a place of spiritual reflection, quiet meditation and terrestrial celebration. It is a special place for mourning, celebrating and ceremony. It is a place filled with symbolism, mystery and supported self help mental health magic.

I went there by invitation at a time in my life when I felt ready to step out of my comfort zone to explore and experience different things, different mindsets and different personalities. 

I do know people who would not follow in my footsteps for fear of indoctrination or because they are not comfortable around things that are a bit (or a lot) off the grid — even though they know nothing at all about whatever the opportunity would be like. Those people are a lot like how I used to be too, but somehow I have opened a few more doors and am enjoying the gathering of new knowledge based on hands on experiences.

So there we sat on the dry ground with our legs crossed and arms resting on our thighs with hands open to the sky. We sat quietly around a circle — a large compass clearly identifying the coordinates of  N,S,E,W. I sat in the section that enabled me to look North and West, because that is my homebase of British Columbia Canada. I honour my home and it would just feel too odd to turn my back on her. That spot was meant for me.

Medicine wheels stem back several centuries as a spiritual tool used by indigenous peoples around the world. They are embraced by believers to help heal the emotional, physical, spiritual and mental self. This Wheel has a central circle, ringed with nearby small rocks, in which people can place stones or crystals symbolizing a wish or an ask of the giver to the Great Spirit - much like the spiritual experience of  lighting a candle in a place of worship. 

Four spokes extend from the center circle to the four navigational points at the outer ring of rocks, creating four quadrants. In each quadrant is a specific animal displayed in rock formation: dragon (warrior); serpent (guide, protector, hero); hummingbird (love and joy); and,  eagle (Master of the sky and closest to the creator).

As the sun began to set, the Master of the evening stood and quietly explained the agenda and the symbolism of the Wheel.  We had a moment for quiet reflection and the offering of intentions to the center circle. She explained the symbolism of the chosen animals and then provided each participant with a musical instrument.  

We followed the beat of her lead on a Djemba and allowed the vibrations to open our mind, heart, soul and spirit, setting us in the mood to comfortably engage in delightful song, while the sun set and the moon rose on this incredible Summer Solstice evening. 

The selection of tunes was spontaneous and when she asked me if I had a song in mind, one sprung to mind immediately.  I proudly sang it while beating my very special water/wave tambour to the beat of the song entitled “Ah Si Mon Moine”. I have no idea why that tune came to mind but it apparently came out quite well. 

My heart became a permanent smile as I remembered the fabulous French Canadian Folklore class I took at college in Trois Rivières Québec at the age of 17. We sang that song and many others around campfires, on tour buses and in class. 

Life, and all it has to offer and experience, continues to amaze me.