Grounding and Centring

 

(photograph: wytchwynd photography)

Merrie Meet

If you have ever read a book or website that talks about Wicca or Wiccan practices, it is likely that you will have seen instructions that say to ‘ground’ and ‘centre’ yourself.

This is something that is so common in many Pagan beliefs and magickal practice that many people take it for granted that it is something everyone understands and does.



However, instructions such as these can really create barriers for people who want to learn the practices of Wicca, Witchcraft or other ways of Pagan practice.   If you come across words and ideas that make no sense to you at all then it is as if a brick wall is immediately and unexpectedly blocking your way and there is no way to see past it.

Learning the techniques of grounding and centring is a useful and beneficial practice to learn not only for ritual and magickal working but also for life itself.

So let us begin with a fundamental question and that is

What is Grounding?

Grounding is a way to reinforce your connection to the Earth. It is very easy to lose that connection.  We walk around on paved roads, sit in our man-made buildings, surrounded by power lines, under electric lights, using our heaters or air conditioners, eating food that’s been prepared and neatly packaged for us.

Don’t get me wrong—I have no illusions about how good we do have it.

I am not one of those Pagans who tends to romanticize the ancient times when our ancestors had dirt floors and ate smoke-dried meat with maggots on it. Who prayed for an early spring so the family would not die because of the cold.

Our ancestors strove to get out of nature and I have no desire to go back in time to live like people did 2,000 years ago.

Wicca is about finding a healthy balance in all things. Even if we love our modern conveniences, we do not want to feel too disconnected from the planet.

We are not in nature; we are of nature. We are part of the Earth, and reinforcing that connection is comforting, refreshing, and helps to keep us stable.

How You May Feel if You Are Not Well Grounded:

Lost, even when you know where you are and you have a plan?

Lonely, eve when you have people around you

Empty feelings and you do now know why

You want something but have not idea what it is you want

Lacking in energy, listless, tired despite getting enough sleep

You feel as if you are running on auto pilot

You don’t care about, or take pride in anything

A few simple ways to start practicing grounding:

Eat something.

The more natural and organic foods you eat, and the more carbs you can take in, the better: carrots, potatoes, apples, pears, or bananas are all good grounding foods.

Use a crystal.

Certain stones are natural grounding stones, such as smoky quarts, blue or black kyanite, or black tourmaline. Simply cleanse and charge your crystals, then wear or carry them.

Try herbs.

Fume yourself with incense. Sage, or a mixture of sage and sandalwood are fantastic herbs for grounding.  Patchouli works well.

Bathe.

Include some salts in the water, add herbs such as sage or lavender, to further help cleanse and relax you.

Stand or lie on the Earth.

Find a lovely patch of grass and lie there. Feel yourself connecting to the planet. You can use the following phrase as a mantra: I am not in nature; I am nature.

Try drumming.

Playing a drum or percussion-type instrument is a great way to ground.  You can select any small drum-like item.  As an effective alternative you could listen to some steady rhythmic drum music, If it sounds like the heartbeat of the Mother Earth that is a fantastic relaxation method.

Perform any form of meditative exercise:

Yoga or tai chi, are great ways to help you ground or, if you practice the martial arts like karate then practice your katas.

What is Centring?

Centering is reinforcing your connection to yourself.  You bring your energy into focus which in turn helps you feel more balanced.

It is not uncommon to feel somewhat disconnected at times.  Our attention is focused on many things:-  the children, the bills, the job and all of our other responsibilities.

You may be going through major heartache, but you feel that you have to put on a brave face and smile for everyone. Or you might be trying to do something when a phone starts ringing or a text message beeps.

People at work want everything yesterday, and in a world where multi-tasking has become the buzzword it is very easy to become scattered and frazzled

Someone once likened this situation to being like a duck in a shooting gallery you just go back and forth every time something else 'pings' you.

When you centre yourself, you get in touch with the true you, your spirituality, your emotions, your thoughts, your creativity. And you find that you are much more able to put things into perspective.

How You May Feel If You Are Not Centred:

At night you are restless and wake frequently

You seem to be living on nervous energy, you cannot sit still and relax.

You are very emotional

You don’t like yourself

Your thoughts are always racing and you feel unable to concentrate.

You are confused and you lack focus

You feel light headed, and generally experience feelings of being “spaced out”

You might forget important things, miss appointments and misplace things

A few simple ways to become centred

When you feel that your energy is scattered, imagine that the centre of your body is like a fishing reel. Suck your breath in as you visualize yourself reeling in your thoughts, emotions or activities. Hold the breath for 5 seconds and see yourself anchoring and securing that energy you just reeled in.

Eat some chocolate.

Chocolate has natural chemicals that relax your brain and boost certain hormones that can improve many body functions. This will bring you more into balance.

Be mindful

What do you see?

What can you hear?

What do you smell?

What can you taste?

What can you (physically) feel right now?

Become aware of yourself in your surroundings.

Get out into nature and watch a sunset.  Take a shower, enjoy a good cup of tea. Anchor yourself to the present moment with a sensory experience.

Lose yourself in a boring, mundane activity.

Wash the dishes, mop the floor or clean out a cupboard that is about to explode. The simple act of focusing on a single goal and then completing it will bring you to your centre.

Lose yourself in the creative process.

Draw, paint, free write, sculpt, sing a song, play an instrument all work well.   Being creative and expressing ourselves are excellent ways to get in touch with the core of our being.

Have a good cry.

Tears are an amazing release of any overwhelming energy, and are very cleansing.

Have a good laugh

A good belly laugh brings you back in touch with yourself.

Perform a meditative exercise:

Yoga or tai chi, are great ways to help bring you back to your centre. If you practice martial arts like karate, practice your katas.

Grounding and Centring

Grounding and centring are usually done together. They are an essential fundamental in Wicca, done before ritual, after ritual, and (often) during ritual. In Witchcraft and magic, grounding and centring can be an essential part of preparation for spells, magical workings or tapping into psychic abilities.

But grounding and centring are not activities that you need to reserve for spiritual or magical activities. They are things that you can do every day, any time you feel the need to do them. Learning to ground and centre can really help you ‘get a grip’ on any moment, and bring you back to a place of balance and peace. This helps put you in your optimum frame of mind for whatever it is you're doing. They truly enhance the experience of being alive.

ooooOOOOoooo

So now as we come to the end of this post it is time for me to take my leave of you but not before I say that if you have liked this and the other posts on this blog, please click the link to follow us. 

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So now I will wish you the best things that life can give and say

Love, Light and Blessed Be!

Merlin.