The
Great
Circle
The Great Circle By Black Elk Heȟáka Sápa, also known as "Black Elk" was a famous Wičháša Wakȟáŋ (Medicine and Holy Man) of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux).When Black Elk was nine years old, he was suddenly taken ill and left prone and unresponsive for several days. During this time he had a great vision in which he was visited by the Thunder Beings (Wakinyan), and taken to the Grandfathers — spiritual representatives of "the six sacred directions" :west, east, north, south, above, and below. These spirits were represented as kind and loving, full of years and wisdom, like revered human grandfathers. Black Elk learned many things in his vision to help heal his people. Late in his life as an elder, he related to John Neihardt the vision that occurred to him in which among other things he saw a great tree that symbolized the life of the earth and all people. Neihardt recorded all of it in minute detail, and consequently it is preserved in various books today. Here, more about his philosophy of "The great circle" in which he meant the importance of balances in life.
Everything the power of the world does, is done in a circle‌
‌The sky is round, and I have heard that the the erth is round, like a ball; and so are all the stars‌
...The Wind, in its greatest power whirls‌
‌Birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours‌
‌The Sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle‌
…The moon does the same and both are round…
‌Even the seasons form a great circle in ther changing‌
…And they always come back again to they were…
…The life of a man is a circle…
…From Childhood to childhood…
‌And so it is in everything where the power moves‌
‌Our tipis are round, like the nests of the birds, and these are always set in a circle‌
…The nation’s hoop…
…A nest of many nests…
‌Where the Great Spirit meant for us to hatch our children‌