Cardinal Points - Other Belief Systems

Mayan

Mayans assigned these correspondences to the cardinal points:

NORTH:

Color.- red

Jewel.- bloodstone

SOUTH:

Color.- white

Jewel.- pearls, shells

EAST

Color.- yellow

Metal.- gold

WEST

Color. black, blue

Jewel.- jade, turquoise

Celtic

The Celts had a fourfold cycle:

EAST:

life, beginning

element.- air

season: spring

time.- dawn

tool.- the sword of Nuadha

SOUTH:

light, increasing

element-fire

season: summer

time.- noon

tool.- the spear of Lugh

WEST:

love, maturing

element: water

season: autumn

time: evening

tool: the cauldron of the Daghda

NORTH:

law, destroying

element.- earth

season: winter

time.- night

Irish

The Irish divided their land into five directions, each with its own correspondences (Leinster): benefit, farmers/householders, prosperity and hospitality

SOUTH (Munster): music, poets/minstrels, knowledge and fertility

WEST (Connaught): learning, Druids, judgment, chronicles and storytelling

NORTH (Ulster): battle, warriors, conflict, struggle and pride

CENTER (Meath): kingship, king/stewards, stability, bounty and renown

from the "Wicca Handbook" by Eileen Holland