Directions and thier meanings
Table of Contents Do I Have an Animal Guide? The Pentagram ~ A Much Misunderstood Symbol I am Pagan Top 10 best things about being a Wiccan The Seekers' Bill of Rights A Christain Speaks of Wiccan and Witchcraft Circles, Why Use Them? Decrees of Wicca/Witchcraft The Lore of Numbers The New Book of Law Starting a Coven Your Rights Under the Constitution Directions and thier meanings Wiccan Creation Whats Your Witch Potential? Tips for Solitaries Celtic Tree Astrology Tree Zodiac Wiccan Week Nature of Our Way		North This is the direction of the Element Earth and the Power of Body. Its Nature forms are rocks, clay, sand, and soil. In human life, this is the physical dimension and the sensing realm. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to your physiological processes, to the sensations in your body, to your biological needs, and to your physical health. Healing modalities include good nutrition, hygiene, body language awareness and change, relaxation, and rest. East This is the direction of the Element Air and the Power of Mind. Its Nature forms are the winds, the atmosphere, and the breath. In human life, this is the mental dimension and the thinking realm. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to your thought processes, to your ability to reason, to your attitudes, and to your mental health. Healing modalities include self-talk analysis, affirmations, journal writing, cognitive restructuring, and education. South This is the direction of the Element Fire and the Power of Action. Its Nature forms are flames, lightning, and electricity. In human life, this is the behavioral dimension and the doing realm. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to your repertoire of activities, to the amount of time you allot to work and to play, to the quality of your alone time, to the nature of your interactions with others, and to your behavioral health. Healing modalities include play, exercise, time management, life restructuring, breaking destructive or outmoded habits, career development, positive behavioral change, and goal setting and achievement. West This is the direction of the Element Water and the Power of Emotions. Its Nature forms are oceans, lakes, streams, rivers, wells, springs, dew, precipitation, and fluids in the body. In human life, this is the emotional dimension and the feeling realm. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to your moods, to your feelings about yourself and about others, to the levels of intimacy and trust in your relationships, and to your emotional health. Healing modalities include guided imagery, active listening, expressing feelings, sharing feelings, giving comfort and being comforted,singing, dancing, drawing, and other forms of artistic expression. Up This is the direction of Sky and Cosmos. Its Nature forms are the sun, moon, planets, stars, meteors, galaxies, and deep space. In human life, this is the realm of cosmic consciousness. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to your being part of the community of life in the universe. As you contemplate the heavens, use your imagination to reach out into mysteries of outer space and other worlds. Experience yourself as an inhabitant of a planet moving through space. Reflect on creation legends and on stories of humans that have ventured forth into space from our planet. Down This is the direction of Planet and Sacred Place. Its Nature forms are the biosphere of Planet Earth and the community of life forms (such as creatures and plants as well as other humans) in your own home environment. In human life, this is the realm of planetary consciousness. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to your being part of the tapestry of life in your local area as well as being part of the greater community of life on the Planet. As you contemplate this, use your imagination to feel connected with the web of life that includes trees, herbs, creatures, microbes, and the Elements as well as other humans. Experience yourself as a part of the biosphere, also known as Planet spirit or Mother Earth. Center This is the direction of Spirit. Its Nature form is the Divine Soul stuff that links all life together. It is the synthesis of the Elements and the directions. In human life, this is the spiritual realm and the dimension of the Divine in its many forms. In connecting with this direction, pay attention to the core of your being -- your inner Self. Honor the Divine as you know it -- Goddesses, Gods, Nature Spirits, Ancestors, Spiritual Guides, Love, Unity in Diversity. Connect with balance, harmony, beauty, wholeness, integrity, and bliss. Healing modalities include dream work, inner journeys, understanding inner guidance worship, ecstatic dance, drumming, chanting, invocations, vision quests, and spiritual service. Axes There are three axes in this map: North-South, East-West, and Up-Down. Each axis contains a balance. The North-South axis is a balance between the reflective sensing and the active doing. The East-West axis is a balance between thinking and feeling, or in other words, analysis and intuition. The Up-Down axis is a balance between attunement to the home Planet and attunement to the beyond. In the central Spirit point, the axes converge. Together the axes form a Sacred Sphere around the Spirit point. In working with this map of consciousness, it is important to note some distinctions. With this map, a clear distinction is made between Earth as an Element and Earth as the Planet. The Element Earth refers specifically to the rocks and soil that comprise the land mass of the Planet, while the Planet itself embodies all the Elements in its domain and therefore is on the central axis. This map also makes a distinction between the Element Fire and the unifying Element Spirit. While in some systems Fire and Spirit are one, in this map they are separate, since Spirit is viewed as a synthesis of all Four Elements. The inclusion of Sky/Cosmos, or Up, direction in this map underlies my preference for referring to Contemporary Pagan philosophy as "Nature Spirituality" instead of as "Earth Spirituality," "Gaean Religion," or "Green Spirituality." I view the term Nature Spirituality as a broader term that reflects communion with Nature not only on this Planet, but beyond it. The terms "Earth," "Gaean," and "Green" are specific to Divine communion with Nature on this Planet. While descriptive of paths that where Mother Earth honoring is central, Paganism also includes paths that are more Star focused. Nature Spirituality is an appropriate umbrella terms for these diverse forms and provides more flexibility for the Pagan future. As Pagans journey off this Planet into space in the centuries to come, it will be interesting to note how ritual communion with Nature in other realms develops and what non-Planet Earth based Nature religions will emerge.