Living The Living Wheel* Poem by Joan Woodbridge

Living the Living Wheel*
The First Level of Engagement
An instruction to myself

The South - Dependence
The Place of the Healer
First
place this luminous cartogram
loosely on the landscape of your days and nights
spanning the three worlds
and with reverence for Serpent who dances here
bless the new green of the new green grass,  
stripping, as you are stripped,  
not so much of defenses 
as of defensiveness
yes
this is the spring of newborn buds 
and the layered dogwood's keen contrast
a time of near-perfection 
(not for you a useful model, as it predicts only failure)

open and strong you strongly open to the
numbing tone of this elemental level:
deprivation grief and rage
a depth of sadness born of lack
and the incisive memory of more violent intrusions
this is the pain of early life:
a first lesson in the truth of imperfection 

leave this direction only when you see plainly that
this pain does not define you
it simply defines the work of your life



The West - Rebellion
The Place of the Warrior

Electrostatic desert sand
here the atmosphere is sharp 
delineated and dry
it demands attention
alertness

strengthened by your encounter with Serpent 
and the forces of new growth
standing as Jaguar stands
in single-pointed focus
intentional and fierce
illuminating for you the meaning of
courage, calculation before action
and impeccability

the Awakened Warrior
stands as Protector of the Pachamama
and all her creatures
there is no last enemy until
Earth is free of Injustice:
Inequality, prejudice and racism
sexism, homophobia, and trans*phobia
until she is free of hunger and starvation physical and emotional violence
and war
until reverence for the Pachamama is fully restored
and we cease poisoning
her soil, her waters, and her air

Your challenge here is
to gaze directly into the eyes of Death
with equanimity



The North—Individuation
The Place of the Sage 

Trans-temporal mountain air
an air of elevation
an invitation to untethered freedom—

the contrast is apparent—
South and West demand disciplined
engagement
confrontation even 
here an attitude of receptivity is vital

you stand, not at attention, but attentive
standing as the self-contained Mountain Iris 
bends to the mountain breeze 

Hummingbird enters from a low-hanging cloud 
shepherding the Ancestors
who walked here before us
the keepers of the wisdom traditions

the Ancestors sit in patient expectation 
awaiting your manifesto

abashed, you realize that 
this is the moment of separation
the moment of grief and fear
fear of letting go of
deference
and dependence on your teachers
not a renouncing of your teachers
but a relinquishing of the role of 'student'
claiming the authority of your new status 

you may leave this direction when the
Ancestors approve of your manifesto and
when you are free
to stand shoulder to shoulder
and eye to eye with your teachers



The East-Constancy
The Place of the Visionary

Silence 
a lone Condor sweeps a dark swath
across the winter whiteness
Condor's vision remains
open
yet
focused
you stand
fearlessly facing the future
grounded
yet ready for flight

if you are fortunate you will fly with Condor
if you are even more fortunate 
you will become Condo
and see as condor see
in this way, you are empowered
to vision your destiny

you may leave this direction only when,  
eschewing all hierarchical models
you stand in right relationship to Power

Joan Woodbridge, August 2015 
*Based on the medicine wheel teachings of the Q'ero people of Peru