Four Directions Ritual

This is a long-time favourite ritual of mine. Imagine my delight when I came across it, only slightly different, in a Native American ritual workbook! Of course, it is universal, can be done anywhere (outside unless you have very good visualisation skills), at any time and for any length. It’s about recognising the sacred and cultivating a dynamic relationship with your surrounds.

Unless you know where the directions are (North, South, East and West) you will need a compass. Or you may be able to work it out by the position of the sun/moon/stars, but in any case, you need to know where they are. To make this ritual more powerful, do it in a sacred place, or somewhere you do ritual.

In this ritual, you are the centre and the rest of the world, as far as you can see, is the circle. You turn to face each direction, one after the other. You can cycle through the directions just once, or more than once (three times would be nice). It doesn’t really matter which direction you start with, though probably you will begin wherever you usually begin casting a circle.

Start with any grounding, acknowledgements and cleansings you wish. Then, either sitting or standing, turn to your first direction. Acknowledge the direction and then open yourself to it, remaining conscious of your breathing. You can give yourself a set time for each direction (10 minutes, half an hour or whatever feels right for you) or just stay there til you feel like moving.

Observe your direction – (imagining it not as straight-ahead, but expanding from your centre-point out to quarter of the circle). Watch, listen, smell. If a bird flies into the quarter of the circle you are watching, what bird is it and what does that bird mean to you? What is it doing – swooping, gliding, searching for food, alone or in a flock or a pair – and what does that mean to you? Relate this also to your understandings of that direction. When I see a white cockatoo in the East, for instance, as they are a special totem for me I feel called to the East. I might think of self-expression, as they are so loud and for me the East includes ideas and voice. I might experience it as a reminder, to continue speaking out my thoughts and understandings.

Don’t just look for birds and animals – though they are great – look at the vegetation. The weather. The land formations. The colours of the landscape. The variations. Look also for the hidden things – shadows, valleys in folds, a cliff that drops away and you can’t see down it. These also may have things to say to you. Ask yourself questions. How is this land sacred to you? What is it teaching you? How does your observation, in sacred space, add to your understanding of the land, and maybe of yourself?

Sometimes you will receive strong messages, particularly after you have passed into a light trance which is encouraged by this kind of ritual. Some meanings may be startlingly clear, others remain obscure or uncertain. The messages may not be about you – they may be about the land itself. After you’ve completed your ritual, make notes so you can come back to them later. Thank the land and the circle, and leave an appropriate offering.

JANE MEREDITH