"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth
And lean to hear my feeble voice
You lived first, and you are older than all need,
Older than all prayer.
All things belong to you--
The two legged, the wings of the air
And all green things that live.
You have set the powers of the Four Quarters of the earth to move across each other.
you have made me cross the good road and road of difficulties,
And where they cross, the place is Holy
Day in and day out,
Forevermore
We now move to the Northern part of the Medicine Wheel. Here the Element is Earth and we enter during the a brisk midnight snow storm. This realm is the place of Wisdom which is based on experience. Here is where you learn to Walk your Talk as well as Talk your Walk. The Four Leggeds rule here: wolf, stag, and all mythical beasts.
The color of this realm is Green, violet, or black. The North Star shines brightly here and the mystery of the unseen rolls over the midnight shrouded land. It is here that you come when you are ready to learn about being a preserver of knowledge and a Guardian of Tradition. It is the realm of Establishment, of becoming the Abider and Keeper of the Secret of new growth until the appropriate time. And it is here where prophetic Earth itself will speak to you. It is also the place where the Old Orders are challenged by the new.
We come to this dark and mystic realm so that we may learn about wisdom and gratitude. We especially come so that we may learn to listen and hear the Earth Mother who speaks to us through omens, signs, portents, and creatures. It is here that we learn to expand our understanding of the world and to trust the guidance of Spirit. Often, what brings us here is a need to nonor the natural wisdom that we carry within ourselves -- this wisdom is also known as the wisdom of our Ancestors and it is carried within our very bones.
The way to enter the Northern Realm is to descend a dark stairway, enter a dark cave, or to simply cross over a darkened doorway.
The animal world will teach you here and some of the things that you will learn have to do with observing nature. There is great wisdom in this simple act because by doing it we realize that everything has a perfect order. How do you observe nature? You watch and you reflect upon what you've seen. In developing these habits you will begin to trust your Inner Knowing or Intuition. You will also learn how to allow others to live their truth even if that truth is very different from yours. Here the knowledge that you gain has to do with realizing that you are only responsible for your own actions and life and nothing more. This knowledge grants you great Inner Peace.
You come here when you need the aid of the Council of Elders who can provide wisdom because they have already walked the road before you and have experiences from which you can learn if you listen to them. In the North all the lessons of all the other realms are digested and applied. And the mystery of this realm beckons you to grow, expand, know, and use truth as your only guideline.
The Northern Realm is a place where you can:
The challenges of the North, as described by Jamie Sams, are:
Here is a list of things that are often used and/or worked in the Northern Realm. Use it to put help yourself enter the realm and to succeed in changing your life:
| Element of Earth | Wisdom | Sacred Knowledge | To Keep Silent | |
| All Four Leggeds | Mythical Creatures | Owl | Wolf | |
| Black | Winter | December | January | |
| February | Tarot Pentacles | Midnight | Quartz | |
| Auriel | Gnomes | Boreas Wind | Dark Moon | |
| Winter Equinox | Old Age | White | Nature |
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