Fall/Autum Direction of the west

We are coming closer to the end of the year, and the natural cycle of the seasons has now shifted as we enter fall/autumn. This corresponds to the direction of the West, the place where the sun sets. This transition invites us to turn our focus more internal, preparing us for the quiet, reflective season of winter to come.

Understanding the West in the Medicine Wheel

The Medicine Wheel symbolizes the core teachings of Indigenous spirituality and can help us deepen our spiritual connection. The Wheel represents the vast cycles of life—the seasons, the physical journey of human life, and the full spectrum of our emotions, among many others. For now, I'll share how it relates to the West and the season we are currently in.

The West represents the most raw element that makes us human: the full spectrum of our emotions. It is also the direction that holds two of the most essential virtues: humility and humbleness, both of which are rooted in sincerity.

Humility: The Internal State

In the teachings of the elders, they say that the best way to develop humility is to practice being outwardly humble. Humility is about thinking of other people—being genuinely expressive because we care and understand their experience. It is the internal work of discerning our own state of being so that we can become sincere to ourselves.

Humbleness: The Embodied Action

One cannot be truly humble without first cultivating humility. The difference is that humility is an internal state, while humbleness represents the actions we take in the world.

As we engage life with an embodied, humble approach, we naturally lead by example, which benefits both ourselves and the people around us. When we are humble, we are not giving our power away; rather, we are standing firmly in our power. This comes from the ability to discern our actions—to bring awareness to what we say, what we do, and what we think, and to determine if those actions are helping or disrupting the natural flow of life. I hope this seasonal reflection offers a meaningful way to approach the transition ahead.

---

---

A More personal note: Entering Fall, it's been a rough past couple of weeks. It's a time for deep reflection and contemplation about life, especially regarding our relatives—those people who are close to us: friends, immediate family, and even extended friends and family that one way or another are connected to us.

In the past month, three people have crossed over to the spirit world, and it's been a wake-up call for me to not take anything for granted. It opened my eyes to the realization that my life is precious, and those around me are to be cherished. Even with my life purpose and the things I want to do, this wake-up call has made taking care of the things I know I need to do—to complete, to accomplish, to work through— a first priority, not a second thought.

Moving through grief is a powerful emotion. At first, I didn't know how to act, what to do; I had all these feelings coming up. The transition from life to the spirit world is so vast, so impactful, that it doesn't need to be defined, because it's beyond words. I realized I just needed to be present and attentive with my relatives who needed us—the community—there to hold space for the process they are going through. A lot of us took food and shared prayers, and continued to support the family. That's all we needed to do.

I'm grateful for this experience and for the family of Victor, our dear friend.