Spirits of the Medicine Wheel

Quote of the Day:  Everything the power of the world does, is done in a circle. The sky is round, the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls...the sun comes forth and goes down in a circle. The moon does the same...even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were before. The life of man is a circle...and it is in everything where power moves. The words of Black Elk, a Lakota Sioux elder, from the book Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neibardt

After we left Yellowstone National Park on our Western Motorcycle Tour, the Chef and I rode over the Big Horn Mountains, making a stop at the Medicine Wheel. You have to be intentional about finding this sacred place, located between Lovell and Sheridan, WY, and be willing to make some effort to get there. The walk, uphill from the parking lot, is about a mile and a half. Motorized vehicles can drive on the road and pass the site, but not stop there. We walked it. It was a warm, sunny day. This site is only open during the summer as the roads are not passable in the winter and it would be covered in ice and snow.

You can read about the Bighorn Medicine Wheel at several sites on the internet. According to this site it is estimated to have been constructed between 300-800 years ago by the Plains Indians. Many people from Native American nations and beyond visit this site. Some come just to see it. Others are here for healing. And, some people are drawn to the power of this place.

 

Totems are left, prayers are said, offers for healing, forgiveness and guidance.

 

 

 

When you enter the perimeter of the wheel, the sign asks you to walk to the left, making your circle from left to right, a slight incline at the most powerful point where you can feel the wind pushing over the ridge and blowing through you. The Chef said he felt the power there was the strongest. At that point, I noticed these little shoes.

 

I wondered who left these tiny moccasins.

A mother?

What happened to the child who wore these little shoes?

I felt sad when I was here.

 

As I stood up and walked towards the wind, and rounded the bend, I heard the voice say, "You have to be open." (to the spirits? to what lies ahead? to something unknown?)

 

 

 

Then, we saw this little guy, standing guard, a sentinel, and that's where I heard the voice say, "Remember who brought you here."

Does that mean the Chef because he physically brought me there?

Does it mean me because I felt drawn to this place and experience?

Does it mean the Holy Spirit, or whatever you want to call the spirits?

 

All three, and maybe something more.

 

Go. Create. Inspire!

 

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever felt drawn to a place and/or an experience, like it was a strong pull you couldn't resist? Have you felt a presence or a power in such a visit?