Often the cardinal directions are associated with how to find a place on a map. However, there is much more to the cardinal directions, including how each of the cardinal directions has connections with other realms. Here is a basic synopsis of each direction and its other realm connections.
East is watched over by Archangel Raphael. East is a time of awakening and movement. This direction works with the element of air and is supported in the Elemental Kingdom by the Sylph who is known as the air spirit. Archangel Raphael is an angel of healing. From healing comes the awakening to be in authenticity. The element air is considered omnipresent with an essence of breath, transformation, and divine connection. And the Sylph from the elemental kingdom is often called a “wind singer” and mistaken for an angel. However, the Sylph brings an opening to other realms. With the awakening of spring comes an opening to mingle with Earthen beings, as well as helps us to see new information, ideas, and perspectives. It is a time of readying for growth. The color for the east is red. Red is a color that symbolizes energy, passion, strength, courage, physical activity, creativity, warmth, and security.
South is watched over by Archangel Michael. South is a time of growth. This direction works with the element of fire and is supported in the Elemental Kingdom by the Salamander. Archangel Michael is a connection with God, thus considered a gift from God who fiercely defends spiritual growth. Therefore, Michael watches over those who are in meditation and spiritual good. The element of fire is a symbol of divinity, wisdom, and knowledge. And the Salamander is an amphibian that reflects passion, energy, and luck. However, these qualities only come from moving through spiritual insights and physical order to become authentic. The growth from summer comes from emergence through both spiritual and physical awareness. It is the time of growth. The color of the south is yellow, which brings personal growth from enlightenment into spiritual dream manifestation. The dreaming of the south signifies clarity, positivity, and new beginnings.
West is watched over by Archangel Gabriel. West is a time of wisdom from spiritual growth and awakened reward. This direction works with the element of water and is supported by the Undine in the Elemental Kingdom, a water spirit. Archangel Gabriel specializes in helping to understand the messages of God through spiritual connection. The element of water is a symbol of purity, wisdom, and reward. Water provides movement through change with ease and flow. West’s water spirit Undine had the desire to live on land because of love for another; then when that love was rejected, she returned to a water-bound life. This experience represents the ability to find reward in regeneration and renewal with spirit. Undine represents the ability to hold authenticity through choice, even after a desire is not fully actualized. The greatest reward in the season of west’s autumn is the wealth of choices available when solving problems through understanding and communicating through wisdom. The color of west is black, which represents all coming together in conscious and unconscious and mysterious ways and is achieved through deep meditation. Through the wealth of choice, wisdom is bountiful and brings understanding.
North is watched over by Archangel Uriel. North is a time of coming together and introspection. This direction works with the element of earth and is supported in the elemental kingdom by the Gnome who is known as the earth spirit. True north is considered a time for discovery toward a combination of personal purpose and belief. Sometimes finding purpose requires challenging beliefs or at least transforming beliefs to include new insights. Archangel Uriel specializes in helping gain knowledge and wisdom using and discovering all spiritual connections and wisdom through confidence in oneself and the connections with all. The element of earth symbolizes nourishment, infinite creativity, fertility, and the fruition of authentic truths. The element of earth is commonly considered a symbol of divinity, wisdom, knowledge, and reflection. Earth is a foundation of personal authenticity, which comes from moving through spiritual reflection, insights, and physical order to become authentic. This direction is supported by earth’s spirit, the Gnome who brings wisdom, stability, harmony with nature, and protection. The Gnome also brings luck and wards off negative energies that interfere with spiritual connections between humans and the natural world. North’s season is the place of winter and calm whose quality is introspection that comes from moving through spiritual insights and physical order to become authentic. North’s winter encourages a person to prepare by going within and reflecting on personal examination and accomplishments. The color of winter is white, which represents truth, purity, cleansing, healing, protection, connection, and reward through calm reflection and introspection.
In general, the cardinal directions represent the different aspects of orientation through life. There are many different ways; this paper is only one representation of the directions and how we navigate through life. Another has east as the future, south as the present, west as the past, and north as the infinite and beyond.