Ancestor of the North

Shamans believe that there is a power to each direction. This power has a mythic shape, a quality, and associated animal allies, just like each shaman. Among shamans of North America the color of the North may be black, white or green, and its animal allies frequently are the bear and a goose or a raven. The force of the North is usually described as the "cold cleansing wind," meaning a force that drives out evil and sets all things back into harmony. This is perhaps why the stable agricultural pueblo tribes usually choose to enter their sacred ceremonial circles from the north.