The Medicine Wheel: Finding Sacred Ground in Sedona’s High Desert

During my first Spring in Sedona's Village of Oak Creek ("VOC" to the locals), a neighbor invited me to participate in an uncommon ritual at a little-known, sacred ceremonial medicine wheel — hidden in the high desert, less than five minutes from my home. This experience introduced me to a Native American healing practice rooted in circular patterns, cardinal directions, cyclical seasons, and the rhythm of life.

To many Native Americans, the term "medicine" refers to the forces of nature fused with our personal power to heal ourselves. The medicine wheel (or circle) represents Wakan-Tanka — the "Great Everything" — and one's own personal universe. Simply put, medicine is energy — power distilled into knowledge.

Empowered by her training in spirituality, shamanism, and a lot of other "woo-woo stuff" (her words, not mine), Emily conducted our ceremony — drawing on the power of precious rocks she brought with her, dried white sage, and other symbolic objects.

Before we stepped inside the medicine wheel, Emily smudged Linda. Working in a clockwise fashion, she "wanded" the burning sage while simultaneously "sweeping" the smoke — to drive out negative energy and summon positive influences. After Emily repeated the ritual with me, I smudged her in turn.

I was already aware of "smudge sticks" used in numerous Native American traditions to summon positive energy. Smoke from the burning smudge stick is believed to bless, cleanse, and heal the person or object being smudged.

Once purified, we approached a painted rock — facing east — to offer our gifts before entering the circle. Chanting a blessing, Emily sprinkled cornmeal onto the altar and then offered a rock as her gift. I added a freshly cut sprig of rosemary from my garden, along with an apricot from a neighbor's tree.

Stepping into the circle, Emily perched on a rock facing north, then pulled out a couple of tuning forks and began to meditate. Sitting cross-legged on a rock facing west, Linda fixated on the magnificent vista from this high desert hilltop. Awed by the beauty surrounding me, I turned my attention to the artistically painted rocks arranged at each cardinal point of the circle.

This remarkable medicine wheel is not easy to find by car or on foot — and that's a good thing. Not only is it a sacred ceremonial site — concealed amongst prickly pear, scrub oak, and a fusion of high-desert and riparian trees — it's also accessible via a rocky desert wash bordered by private homes. So I'll share only images — not the location.

As my neighbor Linda and her visiting friend Emily led the way up the rocky path into the high desert, I noticed that a fallen pinyon pine seemed to point the way. When we arrived at the ceremonial site, sunrays beamed directly into the center of the medicine wheel. Beautifully painted boulders encircled the sandstone base, and twisted juniper canopied the sloped site.

The Ritual Begins

Rainbows without rain. Sunbeams on cue. Blue orbs vibrating energy. From our blissful perspective, it seemed we successfully summoned the Ancient Ones. Fusing these intelligent forces with our own personal powers, we meditated to harness something larger than ourselves — aligning with the natural order.

As time swiftly passed, the heart-shaped rock my bestie gifted me — now embelished with my decopauged agave spiral — sat on my mantle, vibrating away. In retrospect, the "Great Everything" was busy helping manifest my soul mate into my personal circle.

After our ceremony, as we trekked back down the wash, I found an agave spiral amongst prickly pear cacti and glittery red rocks. Fittingly, I used decoupage to apply that spiral to the heart-shaped red rock that summoned me to Sedona.

Four years later, the Medicine Wheel summoned me again, this time, with my new partner, Jerry, who began sharing my life in 2018. During our first road trip together to Sedona, I introduced Jer to the Medicine Wheel, where were held our own special ceremony — no shaman needed.

Whoever designed this medicine wheel was as devoted to art as to nature and spirituality. Several painted boulders surround the medicine wheel. At the Eastern end of the circle, a Native American mother stands her ground over the altar. To the south, a boulder painted with a multi-hued tree of life depicts forces of nature — lightning bolts, snowflakes, rain, and a rolling river — and within its center, a double-triangle Star of David made its own silent statement.

Summoning Ancient Ones

The painted boulders stood guard like colorful sentinels as we offered our tokens of gratitude at the altar and meditated at each cardinal point — acknowledging the forces that brought our two distinct orbits into a singular, shared alignment. I didn't need to check my camera for sunlight beams, shimmering rainbows or blue orbs to discern the "Ancient Ones" nodding in approval.

Sharing the Wheel

Later that July, I introduced the medicine wheel to three like-minded Sedona friends with fascinating backgrounds. Liz Alpert — artist, jewelry designer, and energy healer whose uncle, Ram Dass (formerly, Dick Alpert), wrote Be Here Now, which launched my own spiritual journey in 1976. Charis Melina Brown — a holistic wellness educator, energy healer, and follower of science and spirit. And my housemate Josh, an electronic music composer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Storium online storytelling game.

It was a new moon — that liminal sliver of the lunar cycle, when old energy hasn't fully cleared and new energy hasn't fully landed — and each of us felt as if were on the brink of something magical.

Taking the lead, Charis explained that the new moon was a time for clearing — ourselves, the land, our timelines. "But we can talk and joke while we’re here," she grinned. "Sedona loves it when people party. Whenever I ask Sedona what it wants, it says, 'Hey, can I get some jam energy? Everybody's way too serious here!”'

Opening my eyes and reaching for my flute, I began playing slowly — and in earnest — the five notes that comprised my repertoire. Charis joined in by clanging my cymbals. Josh shook my rainstick rattles. Liz declared it an orchestra. Between notes, I dissolved into laughter — self-conscious and delighted to share this experience with these kindred souls.

"I'm trying to let the music flow through me, but I’m not a flutist,” I giggled.

"It sounds perfect!" Liz chimed in. "And listen — there's a dove cooing each time you play!”

Driving back to my place, Josh mused that Sedona felt like a fiery energy that breaks up stagnation and engenders movement. “It’s like acceleration — and out of that comes this awesome creativity, like it’s flowing through you.”

While journaling later about the day’s events, I re-envisioned how the letter “J” had imprinted itself on my brain while meditating at the medicine wheel. Little did I know then how that vision would eventually change my life.

After smudging each other, we stepped into the circle and Charis began an impromptu blessing — asking that every cell in our bodies be healed, that our nervous systems settle, and that our thoughts and deeds align with our greater good. Coaxing us inward, she went on: "Feel the solar energy on your fingertips. Reach down and connect with the earth. Left hand down, right hand up — become a conduit between sky and stone.”

Relaxed and breathing deeply, I jumped when a flickering image took shape behind my closed eyes. "Oh wow," I exclaimed aloud. "I just saw something in what I think may be my third eye! It's a cursive handwritten letter ... it's the letter 'J.'”

Charis chimed in, “Well, we all know you and Josh aren't a 'thing,' so this ‘J’ may be something you intend to manifest!”

Boulder Art

Steeped in sage smoke, I giddily photographed the painted boulders and giant sandstone formations above us, capturing a rainbow in the process — sans rain. As we perused these and other images later, we noticed that during the smudging ceremony, I'd unwittingly captured a shimmering sunbeam that swept our circle. In another image, blue orbs appear at the base of a butte.

Every moment of our ceremony was perfect and profoundly sacred to us, proving that a medicine wheel doesn't just represent the rhythm of life — it has a mystical way of bringing intentions full circle.

❤ v!ctor!a colette

A Shared Alignment