When a Native American prays to the four directions, it is a prayer to the spirits of the world, to life and the Great Spirit that encompasses the four directions and everything that is. The Medicine Wheel is a symbol that incorporates the four directions. Its spokes point east, south, west, and north. The four quarters are colored red, yellow, black, and white representing the races of man, the seasons, and the stages of life from childhood to old age. The circle is the earth, the moon and the planets. It is the circle of life and all creation.
The simplicity of the symbol is profound. It is four directions. One could divide the world into 8 points of a compass, 360 degrees, or an infinite number of directions, but four is perfect. We humans KNOW four directions. We see forward, but not back, and facing forward we have two sides. Four directions are part of our biology and our psychology. They are archetypes of the highest order. As such they are powerful carriers of symbolic meaning.
Native American traditions may vary somewhat in the terms they use to describe the meaning of the four directions, but the sources of the meaning are the same.
East is where the sun rises. The eastern spirit of sun or fire brings warmth and light. It is the place of beginnings. Its light brings wisdom. It is the power of knowledge.
South is the sun at its highest point. It is the direction from where warm winds blow. South is the spirit of earth, the power of life. It represents peace and renewal.
West is the spirit of water. It is the direction from which darkness comes. It is the power of change, the place of dreams, introspection and the unknown. The west signifies purity and strength.
North is the spirit of wind. The cold wind blows from the north. It is the power of wisdom. Here we take time to reflect on what we began in the east, in the morning, in our youth.