Native Americans believe that the time of year in which you are born influences the energy that you will carry throughout your life. If you are born in March, April, or May, you are born in the "East" on the Native American Medicine Wheel. This is the belief or spiritual component on the Wheel.In Native tradition, spring is the time you plant your crops. Planting a seed is an act of faith that the seed will grow. In the East, we are asked to look at our higher purpose in life, our relationship to our Creator, and how we make contributions to our community.



The research on Season of Birth reveals some interesting facts about those born in the spring time. While they do well in school, they are more likely to have physical problems ranging from heart disease, cancer, schizophrenia, and even anorexia. The scientists speculate that this results from the fact that women who are in the second trimester of their pregnancy during the winter months, are most likely to have the flu or other types of viral illnesses. This in turn, weakens the developing fetus leading to physical concerns later in life. While spring births may be more prone to certain types of physical problems (and remember, this is as a group and doesn't necessarily apply to a particular individual), belief and contribution are their strengths.

The primary lesson for those born in the East is Loyalty vs. Betrayal. Loyalty can be defined as "steadfast in allegiance; unwavering in devotion; faithful to one's oath, commitments, or obligations; showing faithfulness to commitments, vows, allegiance, obligations, or to one's country. Loyalty is also the act of binding yourself intellectually and emotionally to a course of action." In contrast, betrayal is defined as, "treachery, disloyalty; unfaithful in guarding, maintaining, or fulfilling; disappointing the hopes and expectations of; revealing or violating a confidence; to deceive, misguide, or corrupt; to lead astray; deceive."

For those born in the East or Spring, their lesson is to be true to their own belief system. One of the most powerful illustrations of this point comes from the life of Albert Einstein. Einstein was a spring birth. He exemplified the best of the characteristics of the East—he was a pacifist and was committed to bringing peace to the world. When Nazi Germany began working on the atomic bomb, against his better judgment, Einstein signed a letter to President Roosevelt recommending that America being development of atomic bombs. He never felt that the President would use the bomb against another country. Instead, it would be used for a bargaining tool. Truman made a different decision when he bombed decided to bomb Japan. Here's what Einstein said about that decision: "I made one great mistake in my life when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atom bombs be made."

If your birthday is in March, April, or May, your lesson is to be true to yourself and to your personal beliefs. When you achieve this goal, you are in alignment with not only your beliefs, but with your higher purpose in life as well. On the other hand, if you violate a confidence, deceive others, or are disloyal, you are hurting yourself. Earl Nightingale, the famous author and motivational speaker, summed it up: "When you seek to profit by deluding others, you only delude yourself."