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The Wisdom Wheel: A Mythic Journey through the Four Directions
Access the gifts of transformation, heal the self, and live in harmony with one another and with the Earth by journeying through the wisdom wheel--a fresh take on the traditional medicine wheel--its archetypes, and its four wisdom challenges.
The teachings of the medicine wheel have existed from the beginning of time. Today, however, we are creating modern paradigms of shamanism while drawing on the sacred traditions of the past. In this book, shamanic practitioner Alberto Villoldo explains that the medicine wheel is also a wisdom wheel: an advanced tool for working toward personal and planetary transformation. By journeying through the wisdom wheel and its four directions--South, West, North, and East--each of which is associated with an archetypal animal and sacred journey, you will be able to access powerful healing energies and step into a new personal and collective destiny.
The teachings of the medicine wheel have existed from the beginning of time. Today, however, we are creating modern paradigms of shamanism while drawing on the sacred traditions of the past. In this book, shamanic practitioner Alberto Villoldo explains that the medicine wheel is also a wisdom wheel: an advanced tool for working toward personal and planetary transformation. By journeying through the wisdom wheel and its four directions--South, West, North, and East--each of which is associated with an archetypal animal and sacred journey, you will be able to access powerful healing energies and step into a new personal and collective destiny.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 5, 2022
159 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Alberto Villoldo
71 books354 followersBy his mid-20s Alberto Villoldo was the youngest clinical professor at San Francisco State University. He was directing his own laboratory, the Biological Self-Regulation Lab, investigating how energy medicine and visualization could change the chemistry of the brain.
One day in his biology laboratory, Alberto realized that his investigation had to get bigger instead of smaller; Alberto needed to find a system larger than the neural networks of the brain. The microscope was the wrong instrument to answer the questions he was asking. Many others were already studying the hardware – Alberto Villoldo wanted to learn to re-program the SYSTEM. Anthropological stories hinted that there were people around the globe who claimed to know such things, including the Inka in Peru, the few remaining “shamans” in today’s modern civilization.
As he did initial research into the Inka, Alberto decided that he needed to personally investigate the roots of the Inka civilization itself to collect the vestiges of a 5,000-year-old energy medicine known for healing through Spirit and light.
A few weeks later, knowing this investigation was not going to be a “part time” pastime or a brief sabbatical for a few weeks’ time, Alberto Villoldo resigned his post at the university.
University colleagues thought Alberto Villoldo was absolutely mad.
Not to be dissuaded, Alberto Villoldo traded his laboratory for a pair of hiking boots and a ticket to the Amazon. He was determined to learn from researchers whose vision had not been confined to the lens of a microscope, from people whose body of knowledge encompassed more than the measurable, material world that Alberto had been taught was the ONLY reality. He wanted to meet the people who sensed the spaces between things and perceived the luminous strands that animate all life.
Scattered throughout the remnants of this ancient Amazonian empire were a number of sages or “Earth Keepers” who remembered the ancient ways. Alberto traveled through countless villages and hamlets and met with scores of medicine men and women. The lack of a written body of knowledge meant that every village had brought its own flavor and style to the healing practices that still survived.
For more than 10 years, Alberto Villoldo trained with the jungle medicine people. Along the way, he discovered that his journey into shamanism had actually been guided by his personal desire to become whole.
In healing his own soul wounds, Alberto Villoldo walked the path of the wounded healer and learned to transform old pain, grief, anger and shame to sources of strength and compassion.
From the Amazon, Alberto Villoldo trekked the coast of Peru, from Nazca, the site of gigantic markings on the desert floor that depict power animals and geometric figures, to the fabled Shimbe lagoons in the north, home to the country’s most renowned sorcerers. Then, in Lake Titicaca – the Sea on Top of the World – Alberto Villoldo collected the stories and healing practices of the people from which, the legends say, the Inka were born.
Through it all, Alberto Villoldo discovered a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul, and can change the way we live and the way we die.
These ancient teachings and understandings explain that a Luminous Energy Field (LEF), whose source is located in infinity, surrounds us. The LEF acts as a matrix that maintains the health and vibrancy of the physical body.
Today, Alberto Villoldo is a best-selling author and founder in the world-renowned Institute of Energy Medicine, The Four Winds Society. In all of his teachings and writings, Alberto shares the experience of infinity’s easy ability to heal and transform us, to free us from the temporal chains that keep us fettered to illness, old age and disease.
Over the course of two decades with the shamans in the jungles and high mountains of the Andes, Alberto Villoldo would discover that we are more than flesh and bone, that we are a
One day in his biology laboratory, Alberto realized that his investigation had to get bigger instead of smaller; Alberto needed to find a system larger than the neural networks of the brain. The microscope was the wrong instrument to answer the questions he was asking. Many others were already studying the hardware – Alberto Villoldo wanted to learn to re-program the SYSTEM. Anthropological stories hinted that there were people around the globe who claimed to know such things, including the Inka in Peru, the few remaining “shamans” in today’s modern civilization.
As he did initial research into the Inka, Alberto decided that he needed to personally investigate the roots of the Inka civilization itself to collect the vestiges of a 5,000-year-old energy medicine known for healing through Spirit and light.
A few weeks later, knowing this investigation was not going to be a “part time” pastime or a brief sabbatical for a few weeks’ time, Alberto Villoldo resigned his post at the university.
University colleagues thought Alberto Villoldo was absolutely mad.
Not to be dissuaded, Alberto Villoldo traded his laboratory for a pair of hiking boots and a ticket to the Amazon. He was determined to learn from researchers whose vision had not been confined to the lens of a microscope, from people whose body of knowledge encompassed more than the measurable, material world that Alberto had been taught was the ONLY reality. He wanted to meet the people who sensed the spaces between things and perceived the luminous strands that animate all life.
Scattered throughout the remnants of this ancient Amazonian empire were a number of sages or “Earth Keepers” who remembered the ancient ways. Alberto traveled through countless villages and hamlets and met with scores of medicine men and women. The lack of a written body of knowledge meant that every village had brought its own flavor and style to the healing practices that still survived.
For more than 10 years, Alberto Villoldo trained with the jungle medicine people. Along the way, he discovered that his journey into shamanism had actually been guided by his personal desire to become whole.
In healing his own soul wounds, Alberto Villoldo walked the path of the wounded healer and learned to transform old pain, grief, anger and shame to sources of strength and compassion.
From the Amazon, Alberto Villoldo trekked the coast of Peru, from Nazca, the site of gigantic markings on the desert floor that depict power animals and geometric figures, to the fabled Shimbe lagoons in the north, home to the country’s most renowned sorcerers. Then, in Lake Titicaca – the Sea on Top of the World – Alberto Villoldo collected the stories and healing practices of the people from which, the legends say, the Inka were born.
Through it all, Alberto Villoldo discovered a set of sacred technologies that transform the body, heal the soul, and can change the way we live and the way we die.
These ancient teachings and understandings explain that a Luminous Energy Field (LEF), whose source is located in infinity, surrounds us. The LEF acts as a matrix that maintains the health and vibrancy of the physical body.
Today, Alberto Villoldo is a best-selling author and founder in the world-renowned Institute of Energy Medicine, The Four Winds Society. In all of his teachings and writings, Alberto shares the experience of infinity’s easy ability to heal and transform us, to free us from the temporal chains that keep us fettered to illness, old age and disease.
Over the course of two decades with the shamans in the jungles and high mountains of the Andes, Alberto Villoldo would discover that we are more than flesh and bone, that we are a
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 6, 2023
I read this book because I wanted to learn more about the concept of the medicine wheel and I did. The information was a little bit scattered, though.
April 26, 2023
Fun “trip” through the four directions through the spirit of serpent, jaguar, humming bird and eagle. Many take aways.
February 15, 2025
I wish everyone would read this book ☺️
A wonderful wisdom from Peruvian Medicine Wheel, which is a lineage I’ve been myself initiated into.
Guidance how to come into right relationship with the Earth & every aspect of our lives.
4 stars simply because I felt it could’ve been written in clearer way at times. Still the wisdom shines through & is priceless 🙂 do the ceremonies if you read it!
Blessings on all beings ✨💞
A wonderful wisdom from Peruvian Medicine Wheel, which is a lineage I’ve been myself initiated into.
Guidance how to come into right relationship with the Earth & every aspect of our lives.
4 stars simply because I felt it could’ve been written in clearer way at times. Still the wisdom shines through & is priceless 🙂 do the ceremonies if you read it!
Blessings on all beings ✨💞
June 12, 2022
I love the works of Alberto Villoldo and this one is no exception. This book teaches how to become one with the earth and appreciate it in many ways. It is a walk through the four directions and the sacred animal associated with each direction, the power it brings and how to honor them each. There are ceremonies for each direction and he shares his experiences with the Shamans of Peru throughout. I really enjoyed this book and keep going back to it over and over.
July 30, 2025
The book made me want to quit in the beginning, talking about “Homo Luminous” (a random word he made up?!) and about his mentors that have the power to become invisible and fly. Jesus Christ.
But - as for all books - there are good ideas too. Some I wrote down:
* If you create the conditions for health than the disease will usually go away on its own
* You have to work both on Your future, and on Your past - because what You are today, is what You became because of Your past - and “going back” and “healing” Your younger version will make the present version be stronger and stand on a solid foundation.
* As for feeling like a victim - become the story teller, don't be the story. Meaning don’t identify with Your past story, rather identify who You are right now, telling the old story.
* A funny thing: in western culture when one “does not know who he is and loses himself”, he is sent to a therapist. In eastern culture, he is celebrated - this is progress, stepping outside the boundaries of the past.
* The reality is constantly morphing. Enlightened people don't put much emphasis on what their current reality is, for it will not stay this way.
* Most of your pain is self inflicted.
* Death is not just physical - it is also when living people lose their life power, their curiosity, their optimism, their hope for the future. When You think all the possibilities are in the past, when You think you have learned all there was to learn from life.
But - as for all books - there are good ideas too. Some I wrote down:
* If you create the conditions for health than the disease will usually go away on its own
* You have to work both on Your future, and on Your past - because what You are today, is what You became because of Your past - and “going back” and “healing” Your younger version will make the present version be stronger and stand on a solid foundation.
* As for feeling like a victim - become the story teller, don't be the story. Meaning don’t identify with Your past story, rather identify who You are right now, telling the old story.
* A funny thing: in western culture when one “does not know who he is and loses himself”, he is sent to a therapist. In eastern culture, he is celebrated - this is progress, stepping outside the boundaries of the past.
* The reality is constantly morphing. Enlightened people don't put much emphasis on what their current reality is, for it will not stay this way.
* Most of your pain is self inflicted.
* Death is not just physical - it is also when living people lose their life power, their curiosity, their optimism, their hope for the future. When You think all the possibilities are in the past, when You think you have learned all there was to learn from life.
July 26, 2023
A good companion
This book is a good companion book to the online class: The way of the Shaman offered by the Four Winds Society.
I’ve been following the techniques in this book since taking that online class last year. I encourage everyone to read this book and do the exercises. Make sure you take fire precautions.
This book is a good companion book to the online class: The way of the Shaman offered by the Four Winds Society.
I’ve been following the techniques in this book since taking that online class last year. I encourage everyone to read this book and do the exercises. Make sure you take fire precautions.
May 4, 2025
Incredible. I will be reading this book again in the future and revisting the exercises.
October 27, 2025
3+
Intressant, saknar mer tydliga göromål kanske länkar till djpa bra mind transforming arbete. Bara läsa fnkar inte, det är det i praktiken man vill åt.
Intressant, saknar mer tydliga göromål kanske länkar till djpa bra mind transforming arbete. Bara läsa fnkar inte, det är det i praktiken man vill åt.
April 27, 2025
This book is about Shamanism (and to some extent about proto-Shamanism and neo-Shamanism as well).
The Wisdom Wheel has four directions associated with four animals: South (The Serpent/Snake Wisdom), West (The Jaguar Wisdom), North (The Hummingbird/Colibri Wisdom), and East (The Condor/Eagle Wisdom).
Alberto Villoldo also describes how to perform fire ceremonies associated with the Wisdom Wheel.
Another major theme found in this book is the author’s search for the origins of Shamanism.
By comparing practices and traditions from seemingly different cultures (from the Andes Mountains to Tibet and beyond), Alberto Villoldo discovers numerous unexpected and amazing similarities among them.
The Wisdom Wheel has four directions associated with four animals: South (The Serpent/Snake Wisdom), West (The Jaguar Wisdom), North (The Hummingbird/Colibri Wisdom), and East (The Condor/Eagle Wisdom).
Alberto Villoldo also describes how to perform fire ceremonies associated with the Wisdom Wheel.
Another major theme found in this book is the author’s search for the origins of Shamanism.
By comparing practices and traditions from seemingly different cultures (from the Andes Mountains to Tibet and beyond), Alberto Villoldo discovers numerous unexpected and amazing similarities among them.
January 12, 2023
It is finally after reading this book I believe I understand the energies associated with the four directions. I recommend anyone studying this area read this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews