The West asks us: Who am I? What in me is dying?
It is the place of oncoming darkness, endings, mystery, shadow, subconscious, dreams and visions, soul, self-discovery, introspection, introversion, transition, descent into the depths of the psyche, and inner power.
Here we wrestle with adolescence and grow toward individuation and our adult-self.
Here is the dark night of the soul.
This is the place where we earth ourselves.
The Passage: Soul Initiation
Initiation into adulthood occurs the moment we commit to the embodiment of our self-knowing in the world. Taking our self-awareness and self-understanding, we find a way to bring our gifts forth to our people. This is when we move around the wheel, from West to North. We move in the next direction clockwise, with the movement of the Earth. With the movement we find balance.
If we get stuck in the West, it can show up as addiction to introspection, dark moods, depression, our shadow selves. We are taking too much energy from the East, not allowing that part of ourselves to have expression. Sometimes we get stuck in depression, grieving our losses too long. Or we might identify ourselves as victims.
Ways to move to the North if we are stuck in the West
* Find a way to give service to others. Volunteer.
* The elements always evoke the direction, so working with the elements can be a tool. Go out on a windy day and feel the wind sweeping through your soul, emptying you.
* Watch birds, a beautiful expression of the air element.
* Go out into nature and make a tool.
* Make a gift for someone.
* Focus on the colour white. Watch white clouds in the sky. Contemplate a piece of white cloth or paper. Paint something white. Wear the colour white.