4-Direction Rings
4-Direction Rings
4-Direction Rings – Medicine Wheel Rings in silver gold or platinum. The 4 directions of the wheel are north, east, south and west. They also represent the phases of life (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, Elder), the seasons of the year (spring, summer, fall, winter), physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. More on this correlation below.
Variations for the 4 directions rings styles and designs include about 50 samples of designs that work on wide band rings and some that will fit well on thin band rings. Be aware that detail is lost the more the design is shrunk.
Several thin gold samples have flattened sides to make way for an area to engrave the design.
Stones are also a common ‘ divider ‘ between the 4 directions and ribs add a nice contrast in materials.
Different tribes interpret the Medicine Wheel differently. Each of the Four Directions (East, South, West, and North) is typically represented by a distinctive color, such as black, red, yellow, and white, which for some stands for the human races. The Directions can also represent:
- Stages of life: birth, youth, adult (or elder), death
- Seasons of the year: spring, summer, winter, fall
- Aspects of life: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, physical
- Elements of nature: fire (or sun), air, water, and earth
- Animals: Eagle, Bear, Wolf, Buffalo and many others
- Ceremonial plants: tobacco, sweet grass, sage, cedar
The 4 colors are not a standard representation ‘ across-the-border’ throughout Native Philosophy. Colors, animals etc can change as a person goes through the stages of life or with achievements. For example, the black the west ( I use Onyx ) can become Blue ( Lapis ) as a person reaches Manhood in some tribes.
4-Direction Rings – samples on these 4 categories
