Completing the Sacred Circle: Where Water Flows and Ancestors Whisper (Part 2)
Welcome back, beautiful souls. I'm so grateful you're continuing this journey with me.
(Click here to read part 1)
The eagle has awakened your vision. Your inner fire burns bright with purpose. But true spiritual navigation requires completing the sacred circle—and I'm here to guide you through the most profound teachings, the ones that often transform people's lives forever.
In our last time together, we awakened your vision in the East and ignited your willpower in the South. Now I want to take you deeper into the mysteries: the flowing wisdom of the West and the ancestral power of the North.
This is where spiritual GPS becomes spiritual mastery.
A Note About Ceremonial Practice
Before we continue, let me share something important. When I'm calling directions in ceremony, I don't always need the full invocation. Simply acknowledging the direction brings forth all its associated elements and spirits. It's like greeting an old friend—they know you're calling them home.
As one of my students in our Born For This morning practice beautifully observed, our directional songs we sing in the beginning of our practice combine intention and prayer. We're acknowledging and asking simultaneously. This is the heart of ayni—the Quechua concept of sacred reciprocity. It's about giving and receiving, maintaining good relationships with all the energies that support us.
West: The Art of Sacred Flow
Element: Water | Energy: Emotional Mastery | Guardian: Choki Chinchay Otorongo Hawar
As the sun sets in the West, this direction invites you into the realm of water—the element that has taught me one of life's most essential skills: how to flow with grace through whatever comes your way.
When Water Becomes Sacred
In my Peruvian tradition, water isn't just an element—it's a deity worthy of deep reverence. We honor Mama Yaku, who governs the sweet waters—rivers, lakes, rain that nourishes the earth. And Mama Kocha, who oversees the salt waters of the ocean, vast and mysterious.
But here's what I want you to understand: Water shows you two distinct paths, and learning to recognize the difference has changed everything for me.
Water in Balance creates flow, ease, and natural movement through life's challenges. Think of a river that gracefully navigates around obstacles, always finding its way to the sea.
Water in Chaos creates stuckness, overwhelm, and emotional turbulence. Picture flood waters that destroy everything in their path, or stagnant pools that breed disease.
The West teaches you to recognize which water energy you're experiencing—and more importantly, how to transform chaotic water into flowing water.
Your Feline Guide: Finding Your Flow
The West is guarded by a powerful feline spirit whose name I want to share with you: Choki Chinchay Otorongo Hawar. This beautiful name carries the essence of finding your flow, and this isn't just any cat energy—this is the embodiment of fluid strength, intuitive movement, and the ability to land on your feet no matter how far you fall.
When I work with feline energy, I receive:
Intuitive timing - knowing exactly when to act and when to wait
Graceful navigation through complex situations
Emotional intelligence that reads the subtle energies around you
Flexible strength that bends without breaking
Try this practice: When you're facing a challenging situation, call upon the West with me: "Sacred West, element of water, Choki Chinchay—show me how to flow through this with grace." Then ask yourself: "What would flowing look like here?" Trust the wisdom that emerges.
The Three Worlds: Your Complete Spiritual Map
Before we journey to the North, I need to share with you a crucial piece of our spiritual cosmology. In my tradition, we recognize three worlds that exist simultaneously around us, each represented by a different animal ally.
This understanding has guided my practice for years, and I want it to guide yours too.
The Condor: Hanaq Pacha (Upper World)
The realm of spirit, higher consciousness, and divine guidance. When you need perspective, inspiration, or connection with the sacred, you call upon condor energy to lift you into the upper world.
The Puma: Kay Pacha (This World)
The realm of physical reality, relationships, and earthly challenges. Puma energy helps you navigate this world with strength, courage, and grounded wisdom.
The Snake: Uray Pacha (Lower World)
The realm of the subconscious, ancestral wisdom, and transformative power. Snake energy guides you through inner depths, healing old wounds, and shedding what no longer serves.
Here's why this matters: True spiritual navigation requires acknowledging all three worlds. You're not just calling upon the four directions—you're working with the complete cosmology of existence.
When I call upon the directions, I'm acknowledging these worlds and their guardians. This is how we create a full spiritual practice, not just fragments.
North: Where Ancestors Dwell
Element: Earth | Energy: Ancestral Wisdom | Connection: All Who Came Before
The North, associated with the element of earth, holds what I consider the most powerful and misunderstood spiritual resource available to us: our ancestors.
But let me expand your definition of "ancestor" beyond what you might expect. This understanding has created miracles in my life and in the lives of those I guide.
Your Expanded Ancestral Council
When I speak of ancestors, I'm not limited to blood relatives. Your ancestral council includes:
Blood ancestors - your genetic lineage, going back generations
Chosen ancestors - teachers, mentors, and guides who shaped your path
Animal ancestors - pets and wild animals who touched your life
Plant ancestors - trees, gardens, and natural places that nurtured you
Spiritual ancestors - wisdom keepers whose teachings guide you
This is revolutionary understanding. You're not limited to working with family members who may have caused you pain. You have access to a vast council of supportive beings who want nothing more than your healing and growth.
As my student Sammy beautifully expressed, this expanded definition opens so many doors to healing and support.
The Miracle-Making Power of Ancestral Work
I tell my students this all the time: "Ancestral work has the power to create miracles." But why is this connection so potent?
Ancestors exist outside linear time. They can see patterns across generations, understand the deeper purpose behind challenges, and offer guidance from a perspective impossible to access while incarnated.
When you call upon your ancestral council, you're not just asking for help—you're activating a field of love and wisdom that spans lifetimes.
Create this practice with me: Set up a small ancestral altar with photos, objects, or symbols representing your expanded ancestral council. Light a candle and say: "Beloved ancestors of all kinds, I honor your journey and ask for your guidance. Show me what you want me to know." Pay attention to thoughts, feelings, or synchronicities that follow.
Sacred Reciprocity: The Heart of Spiritual Relationship
Now I want to share with you the teaching that transforms everything: Ayni—the Quechua concept of sacred reciprocity.
This concept is at the heart of how I live and practice. It's not just about being polite or saying thank you—though those matter too. Sacred reciprocity means understanding that all spiritual relationships thrive on a balance of giving and receiving.
How I Practice Ayni Daily
When I call upon the directions, elements, and ancestors, I'm entering into relationship. And healthy relationships require reciprocity. So I always ask myself:
What do I offer in return for the wisdom I receive?
How do I honor the energies that support me?
What can I give back to the web of life that sustains me?
For me, this looks like:
Offering gratitude through prayer, song, and ceremony
Caring for the earth through environmental action
Sharing wisdom with beautiful souls like you
Living in integrity with the guidance I receive
Creating beauty in the world as an offering
Sacred reciprocity ensures that my spiritual relationships remain vibrant, sustainable, and mutually beneficial. I want the same for you.
Ancestral Healing: Breaking Chains, Planting Seeds
Perhaps the most profound gift of working with the four directions is the opportunity for ancestral healing—work that can transform not just your life, but the lives of generations to come.
I've been asked about this by students like Karen and Sheri, and I want to share what I've learned.
The Two-Part Healing Process
Ancestral healing, as I practice and teach it, involves:
Part One: Acknowledgment Honestly acknowledging harm that was caused, even when people did their best with the resources they had. This isn't about blame—it's about truth-telling that allows healing to begin.
Part Two: Responsibility
Taking responsibility for your own healing process. You can't control what others did, but you can control how you tend to the wounds and what you choose to pass forward.
Here's what I know to be true: When you heal ancestral patterns, you're not just healing backward into the past—you're healing forward into the future. The children and young people in your life will benefit from the patterns you choose to break and the wisdom you choose to cultivate.
Forgiveness as Spiritual Mastery
Ancestral healing often requires forgiveness—not because harm was acceptable, but because carrying resentment keeps old wounds active in your energy field.
Let me be clear about what forgiveness means in my practice:
True forgiveness doesn't mean:
Pretending harm didn't happen
Excusing harmful behavior
Returning to toxic relationships
True forgiveness means:
Releasing the emotional charge that keeps you stuck
Choosing your own healing over the desire for revenge
Creating space for new patterns to emerge
This work requires tending to your own wounds rather than focusing on blame. You become responsible for your healing journey.
Completing Your Sacred Circle
Beloved, you now hold the complete compass:
East (Air): Vision, clarity, and spiritual perspective
South (Fire): Personal power, willpower, and protection
West (Water): Flow, emotional mastery, and intuitive guidance
North (Earth): Ancestral wisdom, grounding, and deep healing
But remember—this isn't just information to collect. This is living spiritual technology that I use daily, and I want you to use it too.
My Daily Direction Practice (That Can Become Yours)
Each morning, I briefly call upon all four directions. You can join me in this practice:
"Sacred East, grant me clear vision for this day. Sacred South, ignite my inner fire and determination. Sacred West, help me flow with grace through all challenges.
Sacred North, connect me with ancestral wisdom and support."
Then I listen. The directions speak to me through:
Sudden insights or ideas
Encounters with the animals associated with each direction
Synchronicities that confirm I'm on the right path
Dreams that offer guidance
An inner knowing of what to do next
Your Spiritual GPS Is Now Online
The ancient wisdom keepers of my lineage knew something we're only beginning to remember: you are never truly lost when you know how to call upon the directions.
Your spiritual GPS is more reliable than any satellite technology. It works in any weather, never loses signal, and is specifically calibrated to your soul's unique journey.
You have the vision of the eagle, the power of inner fire, the flow of sacred water, and the wisdom of all your ancestors. You understand aini—sacred reciprocity—and how to maintain healthy relationships with the energies that support you.
Most importantly, you now know that you belong to something vast, beautiful, and eternal—a web of life that includes not just the physical world around you, but the spiritual dimensions that intersect with every moment of your existence.
Your personal Apu mountain watches over you. Your ancestral council guides you. The elements respond to your call.
You are never alone. You are never without direction. You are never without power.
The sacred circle is complete. Your journey through the directions has only just begun, and I'm honored to have shared this ancient wisdom with you.
Take what we've explored together and begin to live it. Trust the guidance that comes. Allow the directions to become your daily companions and teachers.
Ready to Deepen Your Journey?
If you have questions about working with the four directions, I'd love to support you further.
Interested in learning more? Contact us to explore opportunities for deeper study.
Want to experience this work in community? We offer workshops on the four directions where you can practice these teachings with others walking the same path.
Feeling called to work one-on-one? I offer individual sessions where we can explore your personal relationship with the directions and create a practice that's uniquely yours.
What direction is calling to you most strongly right now? Trust that inner knowing—it's your spiritual GPS pointing you toward exactly what you need.
