Similarities Between the Zodiac and Medicine Wheel

Earth Medicine and the Medicine Wheel were derived from an ancient source—the Circle of Life and Power, which was the original “Magik Circle” going back to the Phoenicians, the Babylonians and beyond. The sun, with its power as an amazing generator of electromagnetic energy, was the first object to be worshiped. The Circle of Life and Power is rooted in the distant past of virtually all cultures, including those of ancient Britain and northern Europe, in Western esoteric traditions and in Eastern wisdom. rnThe Circle of Life and Power was the basis of the mystical teachings of ancient Egypt and Greece; it was the basis for the Zodiac in Sun astrology, the Cycle of the Year in Chinese astrology, the circular oracle of the I Ching and the Ki oracle of the Japanese. The Circle was present as the mystical Cauldron of Cerridwin in ancient Britain, at the Round Table of the legendary King Arthur, as the Chalice of the Holy Grail, at the Sacred Circle of Pagans and the Wheel of the Year of the Caucasian peoples of the North. Similarities between the Zodiac and Medicine Wheel rnBoth the Zodiac and Medicine Wheel are based on an understanding of complex natural phenomenon—be it on earth or in the cosmos. While Sun astrology is founded on the principle, “As Above, So Below,” the Medicine Wheel is based on another ancient concept—“As Within, So Without.” rnLike the Medicine Wheel, the Zodiac is divided into twelve sections to reveal the sun signs. The divisions are exactly the same in both systems; both begin with March 21— the Spring Equinox. The Medicine Wheel and Western Astrology both employ the use of the elements—earth, air, water and fire—and the elements are the same in both systems. rnWhen we look at the parallels that exist between the two systems we see their common origins: Birth Date, Astrological Zodiac Sign, Birth and Animal Totem, Element Common to Zodiac and Medicine Wheel, Yin (-) or Yang (+), Element based on Season rnMarch 21-April 19rnAriesrnFalconrnFire (+)rnFire (+) rnApril 20-May 20rnTaurusrnBeaverrnEarth (-)rnFire (+) rnMay 21-June 20rnGeminirnDeerrnAir (+)rnFire (+) rnJune 21-July 21rnCancerrnWoodpeckerrnWater (-)rnWater (-) rnJuly 22-August 21rnLeornSalmonrnFire (+)rnWater (-) rnAugust 22-September 21rnVirgornBrown BearrnEarth (-)rnWater (-) rnSeptember 22-October 22rnLibrarnCrowrnAir (+)rnEarth (-) rnOctober 23-November 22rnScorpiornSnakernWater (-)rnEarth (-) rnNovember 23-December 21rnSagittariusrnOwlrnFire (+)rnEarth (-) rnDecember 22-January 19rnCaprico GoosernEarth (-)rnAir (+) rnJanuary 20-February 18rnAquariusrnOtterrnAir (+)rnAir (+) rnFebruary 19-March 20rnPiscesrnWolfrnWater (-)rnAir (+) rnExcerpt from the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, copyright 2007