Vision Quest

A vision quest is a quest for the visions in anyone’s life that will heal them and make them whole. In traditional first nations cultures young people were sent into nature to listen to the voices of the living earth. The elders taught them to do this to find their path in life and to find their power animal helpers. The person on the vision quest spent days in caves, on mountain tops, on rivers, in the desert, waiting, and inviting the voices to come to them. When they heard the voices and saw their vision, they would return to their people and know who they were and what they were to do. This book will be about how to evoke a similar experience for you in our own contemporary culture.

The Shaman

Earth Mother, hear me in the darkened night!
Listen to the thump of the rolling drum,
And shake of rattle in this sacred rite.
I dance the sacred dance of heathendom.

I tread the spiral path, both deep and long;
Through forest, across stream, to silent cave.
With every step I sing my sacred song;
Gathering strength from my spirits so brave.

Deep, deep go I into the Lady's Womb,
Prepared to confront adventure unguessed;
Amid darkest mysteries of the tomb
Where wander those beautiful and grotesque.

There in the womb of Earth Mother I dwell --
Where some do find heaven, and others hell.

Copyright ©1985 by Joseph B Wilson

The Medicine Wheel

The medicine wheel is a lot like our lives. We start in one spot, and travel to many places. Along the way, we meet and are influenced by others. We learn from them, and take with us the lessons they have to teach.

Each section of the wheel will teach you something about yourself, or about someone you may know. You learn to walk a better path by studying the animals, plants and trees, and minerals. hey each have qualities that we can learn, and in turn, make ourselves all the richer.

Click on the section of the wheel you would like to learn about.

THE INNER CIRCLE The four sky spirits, and the four earth clans. Their mineral, animal and plant totems.

THE SPIRIT KEEPERS The spirit keepers of the four directions. Their mineral, animal and color totems.

THE TWELVE MOONS Here is where YOU are. The twelve moons, their animal, mineral and color totems.

THE SPIRIT PATHWAYS Learn the attributes of the animal totems, their mineral and color affiliations.

THE ANIMAL TOTEMS A more detailed listing of all the animal totems, and the lessons they teach us.

Spirit Animals

A spirit animal or power animal is the spiritual energy of the animal on earth. The spirit animal is greater than the actual animal because it embodies the essence of that animal. It is the animal. It is not a human form of the animal or an human dressed as an animal, it is the animal spirit itself. For example with a spirit bear, it is the voice of all the bears that have ever lived. It is the shamanic bear. It is the bear that can see itself and speak. A spirit animal appears to the shaman as a vision. It is the voice of the wild, the voice of nature, the voice of the earth. This animal informs the shaman of the earth energy it holds. It gives the shaman power and protection. It is a helper that assists the shaman on the journey inward. No shaman would attempt an inner journey without the help of a power animal. The power animal conveys to the shaman and their people an energy they need to heal.

Ancient Spirits

The ancient spirits are the embodiment of the ancient peoples of the earth. Ancient spirits speak in the collective voices of ancient peoples. They are the spirit guides, the inner voices of the earth. Ancient spirits are archetypal visions given form. They appear to the shaman in visions to give them messages from the earth. They come you with the intention to communicate with you. They come to you to help you heal. Initially you see them from afar. They make themselves known to you. When it is clear that you invite them, their voices become clearer. Ancient spirits need to have a relationship cultivated to stay visible. They bring you back into forest. They coax you deeper into nature. They take you on their ancient paths. When you follow an ancient spirit, that is when you discover the feather and understand its meaning. The ancient ones take you on The Path of the Feather. The ancient ones tell us the story of The Path of the Feather.