Red for Love

The Gypsies say that to find anything red means luck in love. If you find a piece of red thread, red wool, a red button, or whatever, pick it up and carry it with you for luck. It serves as an amulet.

As you stoop to pick it up, think of the person you love and say:

Red is my blood
And red is my heart.
Lucky in love;
Never keep us apart.

The Dance of the Four Directions

The Dance of the Four Directions is a Native American way to become centered and balanced. The graceful and beautiful dance is from the Plains tradition and can be used to prepare yourself for deep work in the spiritual realms.

It helps you discover an important concept: you are the center of your universe.

The name of the dance is taken from the four mudane points of the compass: north, east, south, and west. Each direction has a certain property, certain symbolism.

North: the place of old age, the night, winter, earth, green or black, bear or buffalo

East: childhood, morning, springtime, air, white or yellow, an eagle or butterfly

South: adulthood, midday, summer, water, blue, a frog

West: middle age, evening, autumn, fire, red or orange, thunderbird

Additionally, there are the directions up, representing the heavens or the Great Spirit; down, referring to the earth or the Divine Mother; and center, which is the center of our own being, to visualize this, you might imagine that you are the center of compass, suspended between heaven and earth.

You are dancing in the heart of your universe, your feet anchored in the earth, with your head in the heavens, bringing in the energy along the horizontal points of the compass, and pulling this energy into your own heart.

It is a powerful image. To tap into the power of the four directions, simply align yourself with particular direction and ask it what you want to know. Each of the directions has many values, many symbols, which vary according to different cultures and customs. Those suggested are only a beginning.

The Dance

Always turn clockwise, or sunwise. Begin by facing whatever compass direction you wish to work with first. For this example, we'll start with West. The starting posting is a relaxed stance with your feet about six inches apart.

During the dance your feet will occupy an area about one and a half feet square. One foot will always remain in its half of that small space as the other foot steps out to greet the proper direction in sequence. Your hands and eyes will draw in the energy of the direction as your feet returns to its starting position.

Your hands are pulling in the energy of the direction, bring that energy into your heart. When you pull your hands in, cupped to hold the energy, bring your fingertips to your body until they touch the area of the thymus.

The exact location is not critical; if you wish to measure, it is approximately two hand-widths below your thyroid gland (located in the voice-box area of your throat). As your hands touch your chest, follow them with eyes to bring in even more energy. It may help to visualize a flowing light filling your hands, and in turn, filling your heart.

Step 1: From the starting position, step forward to the west with your right foot as far as is comfortable. Keep your left foot stationary (although the left heel will lift automatically as you step forward). When you step forward, push out with your hands from the leven of your heart, palms upward. As you bring your right foot back in line with the left, the starting position, turn your softly cupped hands back toward you and bring them back to touch your chest. As you do this, consciously feel the energy you are drawing into your heart or Anahata.

Step 2: With your feet in the starting position, twist your body a bit to your right and step our directly to the north with your right foot. Push your hands out as before, from the level of your heart, palms upward. As you bring your right foot back in line with the left bring the energy of the north to your Anahata. Create the sensation of vitalizing energy entering your chest area.

Step 3: From the starting position twist your body slightly to the left and step our directly to the south with your left foot. Draw the energy from out of the south into your Anahata as before.

Step 4: From the starting position, taking up your right foot, twist your torso completely around and step directly behind you with the right foot so you are facing the east. Your left foot remains in its starting position. Draw the energy of the east to your Anahata with your hands, as you lift your right foot and twist back around to return to the starting direction.

Step 5: From the starting position, draw energy from the east by lifting your left foot and twisting your torso, this time to the left so that you can step directly behind you. Your right foot remains stationary this time. Draw in the energy of the east to your Anahata as you move your left foot and turn to place it back in the starting position.