While fire has more to do with purification, cleansing and transformation, wind has more to do with sweeping in the new, opening to receive, carrying away the old, and energizing with power. The winds are related to the four cardinal directions from which they come and go, the East, South, West, and North. The winds of the East carry with them fresh new ideas, light, illumination and inspiration for creative progress. The winds of the South open the heart for love and communication to flow, bringing everything to full bloom. The winds of the West help to release holding patterns and sweep away what is old or no longer needed. The winds of the North energize and infuse everything with power and courage.
Like all the elements the winds have their shadow sides, their negative poles that bring difficulties, challenges and obstacles. Strong winds of the East can bring chaos and wild scattering while intense Southern winds can bring either too much or too little moisture resulting in withered crops and enervation. The powerful winds of the West can destroy all in its path while the winds of the North can freeze and howl with malevolence.
The winds are not completely separate from human activities but are intimately influenced by human beings and their endeavors. For example, the wind may sigh through the trees in an area where people are grieving the loss of loved ones due to war, famine or illness. Fierce winds arise and rage in an area where human emotion is at a high degree of intensity, such as during a battle or an intense political campaign. Soft winds caress the land where people are experiencing a time of relative peace and prosperity. Energizing winds gust by creative projects and new endeavors.
This makes more sense when you realize that shamanically speaking wind is a spirit form, a potential ally that can be communicated with and cooperated with in order to create a positive beneficial partnership. Destructive winds can be calmed or redirected with a respectful request, a prayer or focused thought formed energized with positive emotion. Shamans are taught to communicate with the winds in this fashion to assist with hunting, growing crops, sailing, and bringing better conditions to their people.
The wind itself is a chief spirit that has different personalities or faces that we have already discussed. The North wind is a face of the spirit of wind in general as is the West wind or East winds.
During these times and times to come you will notice that the spirit of wind is more influential and much more noticeable than usual. The spirit of wind is famous for bringing change and these are times of great change, especially in these first years of the new millennium. There will be positive winds that assist you in the projects and endeavors you are attempting to bring about and there will be highly destructive winds that parallel the destructive, chaotic thoughts of human beings in a various parts of the world. Look for massive hurricanes, tornados, cyclones, and tempests in record numbers and sizes to ravage areas of the Earth, forcing humans to put aside everything else in the face of their fury. Winds will bring people to their knees as well as lift them up to their higher potentials and creativity.
To get to know the Spirit of Wind, be out in it, listen to it, speak to it even if this may feel foolish at first. Wind will carry you, will open you, will release you, will energize and empower you if these are your intentions and if you are in balance with yourself. If not, wind will batter you, enervate you, wither you, and even sicken you. Whatever wind does to you, it is a direct reflection of where you are in relation to your essence and in relation to how in balance you are at this time. Therefore, no matter what happens, wind will teach you about what is right with you and what is not so you can attend to it and get back in harmony. Wind is your ally, like it or not.
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José Stevens
José Luis Stevens, PhD is the president and co-founder (with wife Lena) of Power Path Seminars, an international school and consulting firm dedicated to the study and application of shamanism and indigenous wisdom to business and everyday life. José completed a ten-year apprenticeship with a Huichol (Wixarika) Maracame (Huichol shaman) in the Sierras of Central Mexico. In addition, he is studying with Shipibo shamans in the Peruvian Amazon and with Paqos (shamans) in the Andes in Peru. In 1983 he completed his doctoral dissertation at the California Institute of Integral Studies focusing on the interface between shamanism and western psychological counseling. Since then, he has studied cross-cultural shamanism around the world to distill the core elements of shamanic healing and practice. He is the author of twenty books and numerous articles including Encounters With Power, Awaken The Inner Shaman, The Power Path, Secrets of Shamanism, Transforming Your Dragons and How To Pray The Shaman’s Way.
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