Cycle Teachings & Medicine Wheels
A foundational look into what they are, how they support us, and where to begin cultivating our own practice
What are Cycle Teachings and Medicine Wheels?
Used much like a map and a compass to orient oneself, cycle teachings and medicine wheels are an integral concept found in many nature influenced cultures, ‘shamanic’ lineages, as well as pagan and heathen spiritual belief systems. They allow us to experience the energies, wisdom, and guidance - the medicines - that are present in each direction as we move through a full cycle.
Like any good set of navigational tools, medicine wheels show us where we are, what phase we have just came from, and what awaits ahead for us in any given experience. The cycle teachings that medicine wheels provide act as a means for taking a comprehensive look at the over arching patterns present in life so that we might bring balance and greater well-being into our emotional and spiritual bodies. They help us to make sense from seemingly chaotic events, aid in decision making, answer many deeply personal questions that arise throughout our lives, and stand more firmly in our personal sovereignty.
The aspects associated with each direction of a wheel varies by culture, and within those cultures they vary by lineage, and even still within those lineages, sometimes varying per individual - but the general concept itself appears universal - a repeating cycle to get one's bearings and to move through life's experiences.
This medicine way has been one of the most powerful teachings that I have ever received; and continues to greatly influence my personal life, my creative projects, and my spiritual practice in uncountable ways even after many, many years. As a bean feasa and sacred living mentor, I have shared these teachings with many people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and spiritual belief traditions in a manner that invites each to explore, reclaim, and develop a medicinal wheel that uniquely resonates as true to them. It is from this place of reverence and experience with which I share with you today.
The Application
The practical purpose of following cycle teachings is to use your wheel to help you mindfully move with the natural energies present at any given time, as opposed to struggling against unknown forces. To be able to actively work with the rhythms of the world in a medicinal way. A supportive and healing way. Knowing when it is time to let things rest, or when it is time to rally the troops. When it's time to sow seeds of intention, and when to harvest your efforts.
It is very much akin to women planning important business meetings during follicular and ovulation phases where productivity and sociability are at their highest, rather than while menstruating, cramping, and feeling the need to retreat and cozy up alone with a blanket and tea.
If the moon is waning and life forces of the natural world around us are slowing down into Winter, we may find frustration if trying to ramp up activity or pushing ideas forward. Instead, choosing to keep brewing our ideas, refining those plans, and wait until a phase with latent energy dedicated to new growth and action comes around, we might find our new projects flow more effortlessly.
You can apply cycle teachings to any aspect of your life, be it life phase, creative process, spiritual practice, a challenge, dynamics within relationships, physical needs, or your emotional stages. Generally one moves clockwise around a wheel; this way when "feeling lost" or disoriented, you can find what stage you are at, know what has been completed and see what is coming next.
Looking at the Seasonal Medicine Wheel above can be very helpful to begin with as we are so familiar with the repeating seasons of the year. To consider a deciduous tree as it moves through the seasons gives us a perfect example to follow. In winter these trees have no leaves, their sap slows, and they lay dormant with their life force energy rooted deep down into the earth; we can see too how we also pull our focus inward and move a little slower. Typically feeling self reflective at this time and staying home more, we often feel an urge to slow down and rest as the nights get longer. With the coming of springtime, a tree’s energy begins to quicken with energy rising up into new shoots and fresh blossoms, birds return building nests for laying new life in, and there is growth and activity once again. We too begin to feel more enlivened, we start going outside more, the mood among the community is fresher and becomes more joy-filled as we start to plan more activities. In summer we see branches full of leaves turned toward the sun busy with photosynthesis, bursting with the energy of bearing sweet fruit as all manner of bird and animal activity bustle about. In similar fashion, we also tend to become more outgoing, social, active, soaking up the sunlight and feeling greater energy. There often seems to be a vibrancy in the air of doing and action as we hike, camp, swim, travel, build, socialize, and stay out later while the days are long. Come Autumn, this energy begins to wane and retreat once again. A tree’s energy once dedicated to a robust set of leaves is no longer the priority. Instead this vitality pulls inward and they become brown, dry, and slowly die until released to the forest floor to become mulchy goodness for something else to grow from later. Sap slows as the cold sets bringing energy from the outermost edges and vibrancy, back into the center of the trunk and down into the earth. If you consider our own lives in Autumn, often this shift shows up as we move indoors a little more, focus on things close to home in preparation for winter, outside tasks are completed, and perhaps a bit of stormy chaos or challenging situations arise to show us what we are ready to release or "let die" in our lives.
Now.... think of that same natural ebb and flow - but instead with a baby conceived, birthed, growing from maturity into eldership, and finally released back into the mystery where we came from before reincarnating once again.
Now try it with the creative process of a project or idea. An idea first comes out of the ethers and into mind as a thought, and is germinated and sprouted by our interest, before it grows through the actions we take, tending to this idea or project a bit more. If it is a viable endeavour, it will come to fruition and maturity where we can "harvest the fruits of our labours" and then, at some point, the idea has lived its full potential and falls away to make room for new projects and dreams to come into being.
Can you feel a sense of a cyclical flow? From nothing into fullness before completion and nothingness once again?
Some cycles are faster moving, like the Moon. Instead of a 365 day wheel of the seasons, it’s only 28. There are many, many folks who align their actions and orient their internal realm to work in synchronicity with the moon. The moon pulls at the mighty ocean tides, affects menstruation (ehem...moontime!), biodynamic farmers pay close attention to this cyclical energy, and you may notice behaviours in your neighbourhood, perhaps with your children, or even witness your own moods and sleeping patterns affected by its waxing into fullness then waning towards its dark phase. Ask any first responder or owner of a public establishment ~ a noticeable shift can be seen and felt around full moons.
Now consider the medicinal wheel of a 24 hour day giving us even faster cycles of rest and activity! How about our breath! The rising fullness of inhalation and exhaled emptying is a powerful practice unto itself. Popular for balancing our nervous systems when in overwhelm that I’m sure many of us will recognize.
When working with cycles and medicine wheels becomes an integrated method, the concepts of a seasonal, lunar, and day/night, all merge into a harmonious, multi layered, multi faceted, system full of medicines, information, and wisdoms that are instantly recognized and related to. So far we have only tracked the life/death/life aspects of a medicine wheel, yet there are many other aspects, archetypes, teachers, and guidance that can be found along this cyclical path. Likewise, we have also only looked at a progressive flow around a wheel rather than how we might also work with medicines found across from the stage we are at.
It can be a LOT of information to take in at first, so this is a life-way to take our time with - ideally a full year - to establish a working concept. Over time, by living cycle teachings mindfully, a deep and embodied knowing will develop. This is a slow cooked process, like a nourishing stew full of rich flavours, it takes time to mellow into a delicious brew. Consider this article as reading the recipe, and each inspired action that you take toward creating a wheel of your own is adding stock and veggies to your cauldron. It will be up to you to simmer it, stir it, and intuitively sniff and feel out what spices to add as you cultivate a robust and supportive map and begin to experience this medicine way.
Guidance for cultivating your own wheel
Each direction may hold a plethora of compatible aspects that intrinsically embody a natural flow when moving around the wheel. These aspects are that direction's representative information and supportive wisdom and so it helps to know them well in order to accurately interpret their messages when in times of need.
Any one aspect would hold a vast amount of guidance on its own, but especially when grouped together. Finding what sort of information we resonate with most is a wise place to start when cultivating our own wheel. You might identify with:
Archetypes
Animal Spirit Guides
Deities
Elements
Seasons
Time of day
Moon phase
Solstice, Equinox, Sabbaths, or ancient holy day observances
Growth or Atrophy impetus
One might also include other spirit medicines or sources of wisdom that we are familiar with as well:
Ogham, Runes, Sigils, or Symbols
Tree species
Plants and Herbs
Crystals
Activities
Myths, Stories, Legends
Ascended Masters
Maiden, Mother, Queen, Crone / King, Warrior, Magician, Lover
Looking at the pictured examples of various wheels shared in this article, you might find similarities or cohesive themes among them and get a sense of how all three could amalgamate into just one. There is a cohesive theme when comparing say, the North aspects of the Seasonal, Lunar, and Menstrual wheels that I’ve presented.
Experiment
If you were to assign the elements of Earth, Fire, Water, and Air to their own compass points, where might you put them in a wheel of your own design?
With a little creative thought, see if you can identify where any deities that you work with might sit. Where might a death goddess or crone reside in relation to the elements or a season? What about the Healer archetype? Huntress? Mother figure? Kali? An Cailleach? Kwan Yin?
How about Animal Guides?
Would you place Salmon in with the element of water or draw on Irish legend and find Salmon seems more fitting where aspects of Knowledge reside? What about Owl? Some cultures regard them as omens of death so perhaps in the West where leaves dye each Autumn? They’re known as night creatures, making the place of Winter darkness also appropriate. There are no wrong answers here as long as it makes sense to you.
Try now with Solstices and Equinoxes? Elements?
If you are familiar with crystals, could you find placements for black tourmaline, citrine, clear quarts, or labradorite? This is just friendly exploration at this point, so don't worry if you are trying to wrangle things into something cohesive and final, or are at a loss for a pattern yet. It will come.
Taking time to meditate, spirit journey, consult wisdom keepers, and find or create a wheel that you can identify with that’s full of meaningful symbology and familiar medicinal aspects, is a way forward into cultivating a means of practical and spiritual support.
As I mentioned earlier, many cultures and lineages have different Medicine Wheels already well steeped in tradition and history. I encourage you to look into your heritage, perhaps find an elder, and research to see if you find a natural resonance with what you discover. You may notice similar energies represented here among the wheels that I’ve shown, but your own research may show those energies traditionally sit in a different direction within your heritage. You may also find that some people start in the East while others start in the North or South. This is the beauty of diversity. This is where living a life informed by cycle teachings helps you find your Medicine Wheel over time.
While this article can not be a full teaching, it is robust enough to lay a foundation for anyone to begin with. Should you wish to dive deeper and move through step-by-step guidance, my online course Cycle Teachings & Medicinal Wheels is currently available
Bonus Read: A Sacred Feminine medicine wheel for the conscious Goddess
Keep well everyone,
Juliette
Did you find resonance or interest with this article? You are welcome to join the conversation and From the Cottage community over on Substack to let us know!
Tucked up in her cottage on the west coast of Canada, Juliette Jarvis lives as a Sacred Living Mentor, Best Selling Author, and Devotional Artist. She draws on 15+ years of hosting community ceremonies and immersion programs to write spiritually supportive works, and create hand woven ritual wear & ceremonial ceramics.
Visit www.selkiesanctuary.com to find more of her works or buy her a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/juliettejarvis