154 SECRETS OF SHAMANISMproblems. The trunk of the Tree of Life is often depicted as
square, each side relating to one of the four directions. The
four directions relate to the four seasons: east for spring and
all new beginnings; south for summer, sun, growth, moving
outward, and productivity; west for autumn, completions,
death, and transformation; north for winter, gestation, con-
templation, and rebirth.
The branches of the Tree of Life are located in the Upper
World, land of inspiration and visions of the future. This is
the realm of creativity, flight, and unlimited freedom.
Shamans regard no one world as better than another. The
Upper World is not preferable to either of the other two.
Each has its place in the cosmos and to neglect one for an-
other is regarded as foolish. Each land has its own rules, its
own characteristics, and its own offerings. Shamans must
have their feet dancing in all three worlds as well as the ordi-
nary world, so they can readily know where to go for the
right information at the right time. Curiously, shamans from
all parts of the world have similar maps to the different
lands.
A shaman from Siberia can understand the journey of a
shaman from the South Pacific by relating to its relative posi-
tion on the Tree of Life. Although small local maps of spe-
cific spirit world destinations are common, surprisingly, there
is no main written text or physically drawn central map that
details this common experience. All shamans come to this
knowledge through their own experience or through oral tra-
dition.
The other main structure or map that shamans use to
create order in the universe and to locate themselves is the
mandala, circle, or medicine wheel. The medicine wheel is
similar to the Tree of Life in that it is divided into four quad-
rants (or subdivided into eight) that relate to the four direc-
tions. The circumference and physical shape of the medicine
wheel corresponds roughly to the Middle World. The sky
above the medicine wheel relates to the Upper World and
the earth below the medicine wheel relates to the Lower
World. The center of the circle is the center of the universe;
and all points on the circle, as well as those above it and
below it, are moving, gradually spiraling toward the center.
In the shamanic perspective, each person occupies a spot on
the medicine wheel or mandala. That spot reflects where the
physical person is at any given moment in relation to their
own spirit center. No spot, however, is better than any other
spot, just different. Therefore, from the shamanic point of
view, all people are equal and all eventually discover their