November 2025: Hopeful Direction
I will be cheating this month and revisiting a blog from August 2014 as November has been an emotional roller coaster for me; and I am not prepared to unpack the roller coaster by reading over November journal entries right now. I somehow got caught unawares that it is the last Sunday (and day!) of the month without any inkling of writing a blog.
However, as is my practice during Advent Season (the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day), I opened my notebook with a collection of readings pertaining to Winter Solstice and the themes of Advent. The first few are about “everyday sacredness” – including my blog from August 2014: Directions. As for specific advent-themed readings, today’s topic is Hope. Next Sunday is Peace, followed by Joy and Love.
To my pleasant surprise, I realized this 11-year-old blog is also about Hope after reading the meditation I had collected for this first Sunday of Advent – “Open Yourself to the Universe” from My Pocket Meditations for Self-Compassion by Courtney E. Ackerman (2020, p. 126). When we take a satellite- or bird’s-eye- view of our physical being in our particular dwelling, then slowly zoom out to our roadway, neighbourhood, larger community, region, country, continent, planet until it, too, is just a speck, we regain perspective. In the meditation Courtney writes:
“Think about all that this universe has to offer you. Think about the unsolved mysteries, the questions left unanswered – and the questions we haven’t even though to ask yet – and all the beautiful wonderful things in the known universe. Know that if you do not open yourself up to receiving from the universe, you will miss out on so many of these awesome experiences. Commit to staying open to receiving whatever the universe has in store for you.”
It can have a balancing effect to both our humility and our pride. We are just a speck in the Cosmos, yet all of Life is on offer. Hope allows us to recognize both our significance and our insignificance. Just a speck; and yet we are each an integral part of the Universe – on equal footing with every other speck – each one capable of opening themselves up to receiving all the good available to us.
We can get mired in the muck of daily struggles. November has been that way for me. Remembering I am a fragile yet powerful butterfly whose wings can effect change on a larger scale (in comparison) has been both humbling and empowering. I am just a speck, but one worthy of living with courage in the strength, truth, and beauty of who I am. I matter in the Grand Scheme of Things – so do you. Hope allows us to remember this even when mired in the muck. To help us remember, here’s the blog from 2014 with further thoughts following.
As many of you are aware, I have an interest in spirituality as well as psychology and appreciate whenever I can bring those interests together. So this blog will be an opportunity for me to introduce you to some native spirituality that dovetails beautifully with the journey metaphor for counselling and life. Some time ago, I came across an article on “The Four Directions: A Spiritual Guide to Centering Yourself” by Roy Henry Vickers (Spirit of the North, Summer 2010). In this article, the four directions are the four doors of the sweat lodge experience.
EAST is the direction of the teacher (pray for lessons and for something to teach) and faces the sun—that ball of fire that gives life to the earth, the season is spring, and the element is fire. It is the also the direction to pray for children.
SOUTH is the direction of the healer (pray for healing and wholeness) and for women, the season is summer, and the element is the earth for mother earth provides food for the body and medicines to help us heal.
WEST is the direction of the visionary (being able to see in the dark and with our eyes closed as well as to clearly see the way to journey through this world) and for men, the season is autumn, and the element is water.
NORTH is the direction of the warrior (pray for courage to stand in the strength, truth, and beauty of who I am) and of the elder. The season is winter and the element is wind.
Recently I read another version of the four directions, including three more, in the novel Keeper’n Me by Richard Wagamese (1994/2006, pp. 306-307). The seven directions of life make a circle, the complete journey, the whole human being.
EAST is the place of light where the sun comes from. Learn illumination, the beginnings of knowing.
SOUTH is the place of innocence and trust. Learn to listen to the teachings with an open heart and open ears.
WEST is the look-inside place and of growing. Learn to investigate what you feel.
NORTH is the place of wisdom. Learn to pause, look back along the path you followed and see the lesson. Reflect.
UP & DOWN is the motion of life; the day-by-day things that we get hung up on and forget how far we have travelled. Lessons that come from breathing; power of choice; practice the wisdom we found from travelling the first four directions.
INSIDE is the place of truth. “You gather there with all the travellers who made that journey too, and you are alone no more.”
These two concepts – hope and directions – prompted me to consider ways I can incorporate the Four Directions into my routine(s) such as placing a “cue card” on my fridge to remind me to attend to the Divine, Big Picture, Cosmos, etc. If I stand in my kitchen, I can face windows in each of the four directions and apply the four “elemental” breath prayers.
Facing East, I can express gratitude for life’s lessons as the alternative is to cease to exist. I can breathe in the Fiery Presence, and exhale ‘becoming fire.’ Turning North, I can pray for courage to stand in the strength, truth, and beauty of who I am (a great daily affirmation!) and breathe in the Breath of Life, acknowledging on the out breath that I am connected to all living things. A quarter turn towards the West, I welcome insight to see clearly the way to journey through the muck of daily life. I breathe in Living Water, ‘becoming verdant’ on the out breath. The last turn facing South, I invite healing and wholeness, connecting with the groundedness of Mother Earth as I inhale, and ‘becoming grounded and nurturing’ as I exhale – knowing nurturing applies to myself as well as towards others.
Once I get into this habit, I can consider adding the other three directions (up, down, inside).
To end, I shall re-iterate my closing comments from August 2014:
If you are feeling lost on your own healing journey, combining the natural world of the four elements and compass points may be just what you need to regain that sense of direction [and Hope] you are looking for.
Happy Travels – and Holiday Season!