Techniques for Life and Magic
In the sciences, grounding is the act of giving something the same electrical potential as the greater earth or ground. This is used to stabilize the wondering potential of electrical circuits, so they are more predictable and to dissipate a massive spike of energy like lightning in order to protect equipment.
In phycological and occult/magic, grounding is the act of finding a solid place to start. I define it as getting out of your head and heart and reminding yourself you are a physical being by using your physical senses. This has the benefit of putting into perspective your fears, worries, expectations, persuasive pressures, beliefs, anxieties, and everything else that goes on in your mind.
Once you have achieved a grounded state of consciousness, you can move on to complete your mundane or magical task with accuracy, confidence, and less distraction. Without it you may likely find yourself missing key details during your task that will set you up for failure or be distracted easily and find that you never complete your work. Many times, you may find that after grounding and preparing for the task ahead, you change your mind or feel strongly that this task is not your will or to your benefit.
Grounding can be achieved in as many ways as there are physical senses. For the record there are at least 10. The more of the physical senses you activate the stronger your grounding experience will be. A shower is a great grounding technique used to prepare for sleep, starting the day or both. You immerse yourself in touch, warm temperature (or cold), the humid smell of the air, the sound of the water hitting the ground, and the active tracking of your movements and balance while you literally and metaphorically clean off the grime of the day.
The act of eating is also considered grounding. From the smell and taste of the food to the ambiance and stretch of your gut, it all works together to get you out of your head and into the current moment and place.
An intentional grounding technique is relaxation of the body from top to bottom one muscle group at a time. This I recommend before any magical task you are to perform. As you track your movements and keep balanced, you can feel each muscle move and release, and witnessing with your 5 common senses the world as it is around you in the moment.
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Centering is about knowing who you are and what you want. To find your Center, you need to start from a place of Grounding. If you don’t know where you are this moment, than you are going to have trouble knowing who you are and where you want to be.
Ask yourself the important questions to find your Center.
- What kind of person do I want to be?
- What do I need to accomplish to be that person?
- Who are the figures I idolize?
- What are the traits or virtues that they exemplify that I would like to see in myself?
Once you have an idea of how you define yourself and who you are striving to be, you need to make a plan to be that person. Start with small goals and check that what you are about to do matches with who you are. Don’t let advertisements, peer pressure, or anyone else manipulate you away from your goals or you may never achieve them.
The quickest way I Center is by reminding myself why I get out of bed each morning. Than I look at my ambitions and determine if I am on the right path to achieve them. If not, I rethink what I am doing, or question if I still have the same goals for myself.
Sacred Space is a safe and clean physical area that you are using to practice Magic, study, create, or build. First thing to consider is the amount of space you need to do your “work”, then make sure it is safe, and last is how to deal with distractions and disturbances. Making Sacred Space deals with the distractions and disturbances part.
Not all distractions are physical. A place can have memory of a past event or past use, that conflicts with the purpose you are using it for now. A great example is a bedroom is not a good place to balance your checkbook, creating a feeling of worry in the place you expect to sleep will set you up for failure when it’s time for bed. Blessing a space to remove the old feel and make the place a blank slate is the purpose of creating Sacred Space.
Start by physically cleaning the space and making the smell as neutral as possible. This can be done with smudging, energy work, blessings, or other techniques you know, but should definitely include dusting. Mark the edges of the space that are not marked by physical barriers. If I am using a table in the library or some other room, I will draw a line (in my mind) around the space. I try to use existing patterns in the floor to help this line stand out in my mind or if I own the space, I may mark it with salt or rocks.
Once it is cleaned and marked, you should fill the space with the tools you will be using and prepare the space mentally. The feel of the space will change with the thoughts of what you are about to do. As you change or charge the space you can also add prayers or blessings, to strengthen your connection to the space.
The space is now Sacred because you have showed it respect by cleaning it, defined where it starts and where it ends, blessed it, and given it purpose. When you are done you should clean it again and remove the “line” that defines where it is from where it is not. Even if you plan to use it as a permanent Sacred Space, I strongly suggest removing the boundary so that you do not feel violated when others treat it without respect while you are not using it.
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