Spirit of the Wheel - card 0, Medicine Wheel

My impressions of this card...

The card that starts the deck depicts a circular wheel in the center with four Kokopellis of four different colors, presumably depicting the four directions. The circle seems to be resting at the crest of a mountain peak. Around the wheel, at the four points of a compass, are a brown bear on the left/west, a hawk of some kind on the right/east, a white wolf or fox on the bottom/south, and an antelope (or somesuch) on the top/north. The sky is a fluid blend of colors implying clouds or perhaps the northern lights. Stars are apparent in breaks in these flowing colors. There's also a Kokopelli in the center of the circle, playing his flute. The flow of his music appears to become the mountains!

A beautiful card, as are all in this deck (in my opinion). I'm reminded of spirit guides, of nature, of the four directions, four elements (fire, earth, air and water). The card has the words "oneness, inner growth, contemplation" on the bottom.

Possible questions for us to consider.

- How does this card compare to the Fool in tarot?

- Is it the beginning of a journey? Or something else entirely?

- How do our impressions of the card resonate with the "book meaning", which I have intentionally NOT looked up yet.

- Anything else?

Please discuss freely, either your own impressions, or reactions to the book, or other. This is just to get things rolling. I've only had the deck a month or so, and am certainly no expert ... we're all in this together ...

Let the study begin.

Well, I purposefully did look in the book, to see if I had any different views!

According to my findings/beliefs it can relate to The Fool in tarot. Both cards are about self-discovery, and the Medicine Wheel talks of teachings, which can be likened to the Fool's journey.

I'm not sure The Fool is spiritual enough to appreciate this kind of teaching, though. he does have his head in the clouds, but I think he is daydreaming rather than listening to any spirit guides.

I think it's an on-going journey. There are times in our lives when we feel more spiritual than others, and it's not like we stopped listening and learning and can never go back.

The picture makes me feel that the universe is talking and listening to us, but I feel we need to be on a higher spiritual plane to be able to converse properly. Developing to that plane can take years of dedication. I would say that in this aspect, certainly I would consider myself a fool!

Hi All,
Here are my impressions. I understand the wheel and it having the 4 elemnets on it, I can see the eagle being in East, the bear in North, but the antelope and wolf I can't see how they relate to the directions that they are in.
I can also see how Kokopeli is creating the mountians with his music Each of the animals seem soothed by the music and have the calmness that is associated with the flute. Yet they are all one.

One of the things that caught my attention in the LWB is mention that:

"Put all other areas of your life on hold and journey to the center of the wheel...."

This implies a journey quite different from that of the 0-Fool. In Tarot, the Fool journeys outward. In the SOTW, we are called upon to travel inward, into the center of the wheel. These are vastly opposed concepts. Most people, especially those of European heritage, experience life as an outbound journey. How much can I see? How much can I do in a little bit of time? I want, I need, I must, I got to, I....

Here, instead of traveling to the outside of the wheel, we're moving in violation of the laws of physics, fighting centrifugal force (the movement of life) and finding the place that requires more effort to get to but once there, it moves but not as frantically as the outside.

Hence, we have a beautiful starting card to launch our inner journey.

I'm a very happy hermit

In addition to representing the Four Directions, the animals also represent aspects of ourselves.

The Deer (North): The animal of sacrifice and helper of family, it also represents love and gentleness, kindness, gracefulness and sensitivity. The deer also carries the message of purity of purpose, and of walking in the light.

The Bear (West): The Protector of the West, known not only for its physical strength and leadership, but also for its humor and playfulness. The bear is frequently mentioned as "first helper", in creation/emergence stories.

The Wolf: Loyalty, success, perseverance, stability and thought. Wolves are also regarded as pathfinders and teachers.

Hawk: Messenger of the sky and a keen observer.

These animals have the attributes needed for a journey into the center of the wheel. It is best that we emulate them as we journey inward with the Spirit of the Medicine Wheel.

I feel like this card is telling me that I am ready to understand the deeper meaning of my journey. The Kokopeli speaks to me because the music is spilling out from his instrument, out of the medicine wheel. I am now ready to receive.

I can now work with the animal totems in the card to teach and guide me. Like the list that Guided Hermit was kind to share. Thank you.

I've had this deck for about a year. I got it from a wonderful person who gifted me with all the decks she was getting rid of. I didn't have the LWB so I have just been working with the cards per self reflection and reading about Native American beliefs.

As early posters proposed I guess this could be looked at as how is it like tarot...the fool card etc but to me that just doesn't fit. It is a totally different belief system and so I prefer to not compare it to tarot BUT that is just my personal opinion. While each of the paths might be viewed as "our journey" through life just as the fool journeys through. I think there is much more ebb and flow and round about to it then that.

Medicine Wheel Card: Inside each of us is a piece of creation....perhaps we ourselves have a bit of ability to "create" given to us by the maker.

The four animal guides in each of the four directions have much to teach us. The Medicine wheel is common in many Native American groups. There are more than the four directions or paths represented in the medicine wheel but on this card these are the four basic. Each can be said to represent a path or a direction.

*Each of these is also tied to full moons that occur during them.
*And some medicine wheels link them to four spheres: Mental (north) Spiritual (east) Physical (south) and Emotional (west)
*You can also think of them as seasons (north=winter) (east=spring) (south=summer) (west=fall)

For example:
North (Waboose) includes the Earth Renewal Moon, Rest and Cleansing Moon, and Big Winds Moon

To me this particular card speaks of "the total picture" All the parts of the puzzle that must be put together in a situation or in life. It says: Look at the big picture. Look at how all things are interconnected in this situation/reading. Look at the different aspects of the whole and weigh them carefully. Is one overpowering or creating an imbalance? Is one missing entirely from the consideration of the situation? When this card turns up it is a reminder to balance things in life, no aspect is more important than another, each must be taken into account.

Those are just my thoughts about the card. I'd love to hear other ideas.