NEVER EAT SOGGY WAFFLES… North, East, South, West. Hello Honorable Shamans. Here is the Earthways Shamanic Path Stepping Stone #3, “Get Orientated.”
In this Stepping Stone, we will explore the act of getting orientated, of knowing where you are on the Earth. To begin this Stepping Stone exercise, you may want to review this information before you go outside, to the spot you found in Stepping Stone activity #1, “Stand Your Ground.” Once you are there, take a moment to ground yourself as described in Stepping Stone exercise #2.
What you’re going to do now, is get orientated. This means, you are going to figure out where you are. There are at least two reasons why this information is important to us. First, we acknowledge these Four Directions in ceremony and rituals. Second, when you go out in Nature, you need to know where you are and where you are going, in order to return home safely.
I know a lot of folks who have a hard time telling their left from their right. And, I know a couple of people who just can’t tell where they are, for one reason or another. If you are one of these people, please don’t go into the woods or wilds alone. Please take someone with you who can help you to get home.
The Four Directions are “North, South, East and West.” But that’s not how they are situated, when we are looking for them, are they? The Boy Scouts say, “Never Eat Soggy Waffles,” as a way to remember the order of the four directions, which are also known as compass points. And that’s helpful.
Let’s start with the East, because that’s where the Sun rises. But wait, let’s start with a circle. We talk about the “four directions,” but what we are really doing is dividing the circle of the sky, into portions. When you are on the Earth, you are always at the center of this circle. When you move around or turn, you are changing directions. Your sense of direction is always an interaction between where you are standing, and the path the Sun makes across the circle in the sky.
Perhaps you know that the Sun rises in the East and it sets in the West. So, you can find East in the morning, by noticing where the sun rises.
When you are facing the Sun, you are facing East. While standing, if you turn your body to the right, you should then be facing South. (That’s 1/4 around a circle. That’s also 90 degrees.) If you turn your body to the right, again, you should be facing West. That is the direction the Sun should set, later this same day. And, if you turn your body to the right, one more time, you should be facing North. Stop for a moment and check to see if you are with me: With your nose to the North, your right shoulder should be pointing to the East, where the sun rises, and your left shoulder should be pointing to the West.
Carry a compass and a map when you go out into Nature. Learn to use both. But first, you need to know more about finding the directions without a compass
Once you have identified the four directions in your spot, then you can greet them. We’ll cover that, next time.
I have theories on why some people get lost in some places, but not in others. I’ll expound on those later.
And Let’s Share Our Peace with Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the Big Walters all around Our Earth.
(c) 2018 to present, Whale Maiden for the Earthways Shamanic Path. All rights reserved.
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