A Nine Directional Prayer Our life is a circle that flows like a river.
In the center of this circle lives the spark of Great Spirit,
Lighting the fire of creation.
Our lives are sustained by this fire.
All of the elements come together to steady this fire.
Earth and water,
Air and flame,
Body and heart,
Mind and spirit.
Above is the embrace of our Sky Father and the many campfires of our ancestors.
Below is the embrace of our Earth Mother and the many blessings of all our relations.
We live from the center,
The place where this stream emerges,
And we extend our spirit in all directions.
In our human form,
We dance along this sacred circle,
Spiraling around and around,
Inwards and outwards,
Down deep and way above.
We may do this many times in our Earth Walk,
Returning to each place with newfound wisdom and strength.
May we remember to share what we have learned along the way with our kin,
So the path becomes more gentle for them.
May we remember that this world is dreamt together,
That this dance is meant to be shared in earnest.
And as we dance,
May we loosen the knots of suffering and rediscover our natural rhythms.
May each step taken in gratitude keep the Great Medicine Wheel turning.
Let us begin in the East.
We honor the East,
The Place of the Rising Sun,
The Seat of the Visionaries,
The Season of Spring,
The Time of New Beginnings.
Here in the East,
Let us pray for all newborns,
Those coming in with new visions for our world.
May they be held gently,
Cared for tenderly,
And welcomed into this world with reverence.
May their light remain bright,
And may the world rise to meet them with protection,
Devotion,
And love.
We honor the South,
The Place of the Midday Sun,
The Seat of the Warriors,
The Season of Summer,
The Time of Growth.
Here in the South,
Let us pray for all youth,
Those stepping into relationship with community and responsibility.
May they find mentors who see them clearly,
Friends who walk beside them,
And elders who guide them wisely.
May their gifts be recognized and invited forward.
We honor the West,
The Place of the Setting Sun,
The Seat of the Dreamers,
The Season of Autumn,
The Time of Letting Go.
Here in the West,
Let us pray for all adults and those who have become parents,
Protectors,
And nurturers.
Those tending the dreams of their families and communities with steady hands and full hearts.
May they be nourished in spirit,
Supported in their responsibilities,
And given spaces of rest and renewal.
May they remember that they too are held.
We honor the North,
The Going Home Place,
The Seat of the Healers,
The Season of Winter,
The Time of Rest.
Here in the North,
Let us pray for all elders,
Those who carry the wisdom of having danced along the spiral many times.
May they be honored for their endurance,
Sought for their wisdom.
And valued for their presence.
May their stories be listened to,
Recorded,
And carried forward.
Let us now bring our hands to our hearts and touch our center.
The center,
The quiet place within us where spirit lives and breathes.
The central fire of creation.
The flame of Great Spirit.
The spirit of love that sparks within all beings.
Here in the center,
Let us pray for all those who are returning to their center.
For those who have lost their way.
For those longing for warmth,
Connection,
And belonging.
May their journey home be gentle and true.
May all inner fires rekindle and be fed by love.
May these fires burn brightly and shine as guiding lights for all our relatives.
From this unified center,
May we extend the light of our spirit in all directions.
Let us face our palms to the sky,
Honoring all that lives above.
Our beloved Father Sky,
The Star Nations,
Grandfather Sun,
And Grandmother Moon.
All of our ancestors.
May we open to receive the loving embrace of all that lives above.
Those who watch,
Who remember,
Who guide.
We give thanks for this constellation that holds us tenderly in the great balance of all things.
Facing our palms to the ground beneath us,
Honoring all that lives below.
Our beloved Mother Earth,
The Plant Nations,
Our Elemental Guardians.
May we open to receive the loving embrace of all that lives below.
Those who root,
Who nourish,
Who steady.
We give thanks for this home that carries us.
For the soil that remembers us.
For the Mother who nourishes us and nurtures us.
Returning to our center and breathing in.
Now we journey within.
Into the seat of our soul.
The well of our inner medicine.
The place of our personal dream where we experience the microcosm of the great dream.
May we become intimate with our inward journey.
The medicine stored deep within our soul.
And may we walk the inner passageways with courage.
Trusting the voice of our own spirit.
And now we journey without.
Into the soul of the world.
The web of all connections.
The realm of all our relations.
Where the macrocosm lives and breathes through all beings.
May we meet the outer world and all our relations with gentle reverence and true humility.
May we remember that how we move in the world shapes the world that meets us.
For a moment now becoming aware of our breath.
Our breath naturally holds this rhythm in and out with a soft pause in between.
If we ever forget this balance,
May the breath remember for us.
Showing us how to give and receive.
How to root and how to rise.
How to remain centered in the living rhythm of life.
May we live in harmony as hollow bones filled with spirit.
Connected to all things.
In touch with the love that created us.
And if we should ever forget,
May we be reminded by the wind,
The trees and the steady drumbeat within our chest.
May we be guided home by the quiet knowing of our heart.
Softly.
Gently.
Again and again.
Until the end of time.
Aiyai.
