Centering and Grounding

 

Centering and Grounding

Everyone who does anything with magick needs to know how to center and ground.. It's like stretching before a sports event. Centering will help you keep yourself balanced and focused on what you are doing. Grounding keeps you from getting "spacy"or distracted. You should always ground before you do anything with any magick or ritual work. As well, if you do it before you sleep you'll not only sleep better, you might remember more from your dreams as well. Grounding and centering aren't just for magickal uses, either. Grounding will help you to meditate better. Centering can help you with public speaking, taking exams, performing, and managing anger. When you're first learning this, get yourself somewhere where you're very comfortable, and if you're not quite settled anywhere, an ywhere, make yourself as comfortable as possible wherever you can. After a while you can do it anywhere, because it becomes second nature. Centering: Close your eyes, and place your feet firmly on the ground or floor. Gather all the energy in your body to a nice round glowing ball in what you feel is the center of your body. This is centering. Find a center point in yourself and feel it there, steady and calm. If you are only centering and not moving on to grounding, maintain this as long as you need to until you feel you have centered yourself enough. Grounding: Center yourself first. Breathe deeply. As you breathe in, feel the clean, fresh air filling your whole body, filling your Self. As you breathe slowly out, feel the worries and  problems of your everyday life, your mundane existence dropping away, through your feet into the Earth. Now imagine that ball slowly putting down roots, small at first, getting thicker, through your feet and your hands. Feel those roots get thicker as they go down through layers of soil and rock, pushing deep into the Earth Mother's body. Imagine the water table under all those layers of earth, and when your roots reach the water, draw the cool, fresh energy of the Earth flow up to your centered energy ball and  blend with it - the Earth Power is a deep well, and you are drawing it up into yourself, through your chakras, up your spine and through the top of your head. Feel the Earth Power fill you, rise through you like refreshing water, and feel it flow through your Center, constantly providing both new energy and a route for negative and unhealthy energy to flow away, carried by b y the Earth Power back to the depths of the living well to  be cleansed and made useful again. As the energy flows through the top of your head, feel it branch out, spreading like the arms of a tree. Feel it grow to the sky, into the stars, and touch the bright Sky Power  pulsing overhead. As it pulses, draw it down through your branches, down through those arms and into your center, to connect with your Center, to join there in union and balance

 

with the Earth Power. Feel the cool breezes of the Sky Power invigorate and cleanse you,  bringing inspiration and joy from the vast Universe into your Center.  Now you are connected to the Earth Power, and the Sky Power; feel them join together in a balance in your Center, and in your Self. You are grounded now in all things, and may  journey deeper in to other realms; this is the beginning of a meditative state, the state in which the mind is ready for both magickal work and ritual. Shielding Shielding is another basic skill, something done to help protect your Self from negativity and attack from outside your Self. It's very important to remember flexibility in this exercise - if your shields are rigid, you may find that it's hard to work with them later. Centering and grounding is the first step to making a good, functional shield. Shielding is also very heavy on visualization - being able to "see", or imagine, with your mind the energy you are moving and shaping. Yes - you will be using your imagination. That's what visualization is. Mirror shields are the most commonly-taught basic shielding technique I've seen online. I don't teach them. Mirror shields are shields built like a mirror on the outside - slick, shiny, and an d anything sent towards you will just reflect off the surface of it. Shields like this, build brick-solid, WILL take a pounding and not crumble - you will be very safe. The downside of that is that they don't let all the negative things we do to ourselves out, and you can end up trapped behind a wall with nothing but your own fears and anxieties.  Nothing goes out away from you, and no-one can get in to help you. There's another problem with mirror shields. Any negativity cast at you from outside will  bounce away, alright, but with no direction and may end up hitting someone else entirely, who may not appreciate that. That's how "witch wars" start, and it's in your best interest to avoid those. So I don't teach mirror shields, because they're too easy to create badly. This technique is something I call an aura shield, or perhaps more accurately a colour shield. Center yourself, and then ground. Start by visualizing energy coming from your center to surround you. You are surrounding yourself in a field of energy that is both intense in colour, and light. It is as if you are creating a second aura around yourself. If you are aware of your aura, it should feel as if you are expanding and strengthening its intensity. You should feel, when you are creating the shield, as if you are "glowing" - you are  projecting a very bright field of energy. Make it whatever colour pleases you most; I

 

usually make it the colour of my aura, but a colour appropriate to your purpose is also a good idea. While you are creating this field of energy, remember to visualize that negative energy is absorbed by the shield and sent down to the Earth to be grounded and cleansed. Also visualize positive energy coming to you through the shield. Positive energy should always be able to flow through your shields to you. Built the intensity as much as you desire in the shield, and then stop when you are comfortable with it. The shield will be there, even if you don't think about it at all later. When you stop visualizing the shield creation and stop giving it energy from the Earth, it should maintain both colour and brightness. It will stay around you for as long as you wish it to - if you wish to get rid of it, just do the visualization in reverse and take it down. It's also a good idea to refresh the energy in it every co couple uple of days, at least, if not every day. It won't need a lot of maintenance, but it's always good to keep it healthy. After mastering this basic shielding technique, you may want to visualize yourself some custom shields. For example, some people like to visualize their shields as a constantly moving flow of water or fire - fire to burn away negative energy, or water to flow it down to the Earth Power again. If you don't like my techniques, play with them....you may end up making a shield that's completely unique and perfect for you. If you'd like to go a step farther, and protect your private placesand sanctuaries against such things as negative energy, or scrying, or unauthorized entry, try creating a Ward. Get grounded in the room or place you are warding, and pick a point to start. If it's a room, I start in the ceiling corners. Imagine a brightly glowing, burning ball of energy growing there - again, it might be the color of your aura, a favorite color, a mix of colours or one chosen for a specific purpose. It may also not be a ball, but a protective symbol you like; a pentacle, or other symbol, a rune or bindrune, or anything else you think is appropriate. These corner energy balls are the anchor points of your warding. When you have anchored the corners, send energy out from one anchor point into the next, in a line - I visualize my lines as a braided cord of power, but yours might be a  burning line of fire, or levinbolts crackling between corners. Some of my wards are done in Ogham; I visualize the "line" as a string of Ogham characters, done in vines. Whatever is most appropriate to your purpose is the best. These are the boundary lines - they define the boundary of your ward. When you have finished setting the frameworks of your wards, meaning each corner has a strong anchoring point and each boundary line is strong, envision sheets of energy sliding down the wall. These should be flexible and strong, like the walls of your aura shield, and may be of any construction you desire. As you visualize the walls of the ward going up, give them intent - project your will for these walls as you would with your own  personal shield. That can be protection from negative entities and energies, allowing in

 

only positive energies, and keeping out uninvited visitors. Wards are as simple or as complex as you want to make them. Finding Your Totem Animal Witches have many tools at their disposal that people peo ple don't often consider important,  because they are overlooked and ignored. Intuition is that gut feeling, that sense of something without knowing why you feel it. Listen to that little voice, learn to follow your heart (or stomach, as the case may be), and you have learned to follow intuition. Visualization is that day-dream type feeling where you close your eyes and see an event unfold, where you see what you want to happen. With practice, a witch can use visualization to make things happen, with use of grounding and energy. It is a very important skill in Wicca, and one that you'll want to develop. Meditation is just a state of mind where you have let go of co conscious nscious thought. I like to start by visualizing a calm, smooth pond. No ripples - thoughts cause the pond to ripple. If I focus on keeping the pond smooth and calm long enough, I lose the pond entirely and find my mind free. It's sort of like having a blank slate. I find that once you ground and center, you are in the altered state (the state ready for magick and ritual) and from there you can easily move into a deeper state of meditation. This is a meditation/visualization that I used to find my first totems, and I often share it with people seeking theirs. Even if you've already made contact with yours, it is a wonderful way to relax, feel connected to the Earth and her children, and find private space to speak with your spirit friends. This meditation works best if you have someone leading you - that is, speaking the meditation aloud while you follow their words with visualization. If you can't find a meditation partner, that's ok. You can visualize this alone  just as well. Again, get yourself completely comfortable somewhere. Your favorite easy-chair, a pile of pillows in a corner of your room, maybe a spot under your favorite tree, wherever that is. Have a cup of tea, read a good book, cuddle with a pet; maybe even cast a simple circle and light a candle and some incense. Whatever will put you most at ease is what you should do. Once you are completely relaxed, ground and center yourself, and close your eyes. You are standing in the middle of a lush, healthy forest. You can feel moist earth, bits of  branch and bark, and small stones underneath your bare feet, and your hands rest on the rough mossy surface of a tall oak tree. You can smell the water after the morning rain all around you, leaving the forest misty and cool, glistening on the leaves and in tiny pools on the ground. The forest smells of pine and oak, birch and cedar, wet bark and damp earth, and fresh wind and rain. Look above you to the canopy of the trees; the sky is  brilliant blue through the gaps in the leaves, wispy white clouds draping the heights. The Sun shines full and bright upon the forest, turning the leaves above into dappled stainedglass of different shades of green. You reach down into a small pool and touch your lips

 

with clear, fresh rainwater, tasting its cool pureness. The wind comes through the leaves, whispering off of branch and bush, singing its own song. The birds are singing that song as well, cheerfully filling the forest with their calls, accented by the occasional frog's note. Look at the forest around you. Touch it, smell it, taste it, and hear it. Now feel the forest, inside and out. Feel all the elements, the wind and water, the earth and the sun, and the love of the Gods all around you. Become part pa rt of that forest. See yourself walking down a path - the path will look as you see it, and feel it. The path is your walk with your spirituality, your learning....it is the path that we all walk in different ways. Follow the path until it leads you to a grove of birch trees, tall and slender and glowing white in the sunshine. The outside of the circle is lined with beautiful wildflowers; a pool of deep, clear water stands in the middle and nine stones enclose the circle round. The sun shines bright and full overhead, and the sky moves quickly as the wind brushes its ever-moving veil of clouds along. Stand at the entrance for a moment, using all of your senses to feel the grove. When it feels right, move to wh wherever erever is calling you - the rocks, the water, the flowers..... whatever one you feel is the best for you, and is where you belong. Close your eyes in the meditation and feel the warm sun on your face, the cool breeze through your hair, the dew on your feet and the rock beneath you. Sit and listen to all the sounds the forest makes, especially the animals. Think about how much you would like for your animal guide to come and speak to you in such a beautiful and meaningful place. Don't speak, but just listen to the forest and its creatures; hear the trees speaking, and the wind, and the animals. If you wait long enough, you may hear footsteps through the brush into the grove. Your guide will stand before you from whichever direction it emerged. Thank it for coming, and then talk to it for as long as it is willing to stay.

When your meditation is done, don't don 't forget to ground yourself well and give the energies  back to the Earth. If it doesn't work the first time, don't worry about it. it. Just try it again another day, and perhaps your guide will be ready to show themselves to you. If nothing else, this is a great method of relaxing and communing with Nature and Deity, no matter where you are. You do not have to memorize this meditation; it is merely a guide to finding your totem and it is the spirit of the thing that counts.

Shapeshifting Spiritual shapeshifting is a powerful tool for change in consciousness. c onsciousness. It should be used with caution, and care. Most people, when they think of shapeshifting, think of people sprouting hair under a full moon and running rampant over some poor poo r hapless town, devouring anything in its path. Shapeshifting in shamanic practices all over the world refers to assuming, or aspecting, elements of the animal involved - this may be a manner of movement, speaking or vocalizing, mentality or any number of magickal abilities. In

 

true fashion, over time humanity has begun beg un to define shapeshifting as a physical thing only, being unable to conceiv0065 or believe in something they cannot actually see. Shapeshifting does not always have to occur in the physical plane, though, and 99.9% of the time doesn't. Anyone who can meditate well or travel astrally can shapeshift, with a little practice. The theory behind much of magick is mind over matter, and this is true for shifting as well. The method that I describe here hinges on the ability to meditate deeply, and astrally project. I don't recommend any form of o f astral shifting work to be undertaken by anyone who is not an experienced astral traveller or accompanied by one. However, this isn't to say you can't learn. I simply recommend that you first learn the realms of the spirit  before trying to alter yourself. To get ready to attempt a shift, I suggest you work in a circle, or someplace you feel comfortable or safe. If you want, light a few candles and some incense, play your favorite music softly, have something you really like with you. Just be very relaxed and comfortable in your workspace. If you're uncomfortable, it's not going to work. If you have any spirit animals, or spirit helpers, talk to them. Spirit helpers, totems and familiars are great for helping first-time spirit or astral shifters, as they can help guide you into a form that's right for you. Maybe they have a preferred other-form that you could use. (As one of my totems is Raven, I frequently use that form.) Anyway, get yourself set up and comfortable. Get well grounded; send that root of power down into the earth a good piece. If you're not well grounded, sometimes you can get curious overlapping of what you see as a spirit, and what you see as a human, and it is very disorienting, not to mention disturbing. Center yourself well, keeping your power in a nice ball, and focus all of your power into a fine point. The best example I can give is that of a flashlight....the more focused the source of light is, the sharper and more precise the larger circle of light it gives off is going to be. If you stay well focused, then getting out of your body is going to be that much easier. Use whatever power is most familiar with you: Earth Power is the most readily available, but you can use a node of natural power, take some from a holy place, or use your own. For those embarking on a spirit shift, once you have centered and grounded well, begin to deepen your meditational state. Feel yourself lose the rest of the world, and meditate on the Spirit Animal you are trying to shift into. If it is a totem or other familiar Spirit Animal, meditate on the aspects of the animal you may admire, or desire. Meditate on  being of the same species as your totem. If you wish to shift into a slightly more unfamilar form, I suggest you treat this the same as working with an unfamiliar God or Goddess. Do some research, get to know their habitat and physiology and their temperament, and then meditate a few times with the Spirit Animal in question; this will prevent the spirit from being angered at you  borrowing its form or imitating imitating its Children. Ask your spirit guide or totem to help you

 

for the first couple of times you shift, because what you are really doing is "aspecting" that animal - mentally and spiritually taking on aspects of that creature's body language, mentality, senses, and ability. You may have the sense of having your S Self elf merge with the spirit of that animal - that's normal. You may also feel that you have other o ther "parts" ears, tails, paws, snouts, etc. that aren't yours, but are. That's also normal - we call those  phantom limbs. Your guides or totems will generally help you learn how to "be" in that shifted state - you may notice vision or hearing or olifactory changes, desires that seem odd to a human but perfectly normal to an animal, or the need to be somewhere outside. This is classic shapeshifting in a shamanic sense. If you are embarking on an Astral shift, after grounding and centering deepen your meditational state and use whatever method you prefer to achieve the state of vibration where you can leave your body. When you feel focused and kind of floaty, in that sort of waking-sleep state, leave your body. This is exactly the same as if you w were ere just astrally travelling normally - you could at this point go anywhere on the astral plane. When you are outside of your body, there will be a fine cord that connects you to your  body. This is the same as any other astral experience - DO NOT SEVER IT. It is the only thing that keeps your soul and your body together. It will stretch and grow along with you for however far you decide to go, but if you sever it your body will be left without a soul, and a body without a soul eventually dies unless hooked up to all sorts of hideous machinery. It lacks a purpose and a will to live, and you'll be left wandering the earth without the means to the Underworlds, save by the good grace of the Goddess. This is why I say that you should have some experience in out-of-body magicks; it makes it less dangerous. Once you find yourself on the Astral Plane, I suggest you either go to your sanctuary, a safe place you have created for yourself, or a safe place of another's whom you trust that you have permission to use. It's the same as the protective place you have around your  body on the physical plane - just a good precaution. When most of us start astral travel, we always keep a semi-true mortal form - we are our Self as it is in pure energy. But it's extremely malleable - if you can focus your will and intent, you'll look like whatever you think you look like. The trick to shifting is to think of yourself as something else. Use your Mind's Eye to shape the most accurate, detailed image of whatever you wish to be. Let the power that flows through you flow into it, filling it and charging it. As you do so, imagine yourself taking that form, feeling your hands become paws or wingtips, feeling your feet change, your face. When you don't feel anything else changing, or you've completely filled the image with power and it can't hold anymore, you should be the image you've created. To reverse the shift when you're done, take the image and "undraw" it, removing all the  power from it first. Once the image is undone, you will be a thoughtform, a mass of energy that is your Self, but hasn't been given a specific form. Think of your Self again, your natural form for the Astral, and let that become your Mind's eye image aga again. in. Fill it

 

with power, and gradually unfocus the power's projection. You should return to your  body, if that's what you're aiming for. To simply undo the shift just remove remove the power and undo the image, then redo it to be whatever your next form needs be if you're still remaining a spirit-form. You will always be in the same form on the Physical plane, no matter what form you have taken on the Astral. Some people will find that their trueform on the Astral isn't humanoid at all - life's full of surprises. ;) Reading Auras An aura is an energy field that surrounds living objects and objects that hold some kind of Power. Each color in an aura represents different traits and aspects of that person or thing - and how you see an aura depends on the individual*. They can be used to determine someone's general state, someone's mood, and their current state of health. Every time you come in close proximity p roximity or contact with another person, your aura reacts with theirs. If your aura and theirs are in a like state, or tuned to the same frequency, you may find yourself liking them instantly. If their aura is not at all like yours, you may find yourself taking an instant dislike to them. We've all been trained not to "see" things in our lives....that's why learning to see auras, unless you've the knack for it instictively, takes a bit of time. Beginners can usually see white, yellow, and light, bright colors first, with the darker colors taking a bit more time to see. To practice, find a place with soft or dim light, and a nice large piece of white  paper. Place your hand on the paper and relax your eyes; don't stare at your hand, but rather the spaces around it. You should, after a time, begin to see a soft haze around your hand. Look at it long enough, and you'll start to see colors. Don't get discouraged if you're not n ot successful at first. This is a psychic skill, and as with all of them it takes time and use to get better. Look at other people to keep up on it once you get the trick, and also plants, rocks and other "magical" things. Also bear in mind that you are also looking through your own aura. So it will take some time to learn to distinguish between the colours in your aura, and the colours of another's.