These are two distinct practices often combined as one because of their relationship to one another and their inherent value in all magical work. Begin at the center and in the middle, and start connected to and held by the Mother upon which you are born, live, and die.
Use these any time you need to feel solid and focused or are about to begin magical work.
Step one as always, enter your magical state. This will involve relaxing and becoming present, otherwise I would tell you to relax and enter the now as well.
Grounding
Sit or stand with your back straight. Let your weight sink down into your hips and thighs, and then down into your lower legs and feet.
You don’t have to keep your weight this low but at least feel it for a moment before redistributing it. Keep your weight in the lower body initially; as you practice you can learn to feel grounded with various weight distributions.
First Enter the Body Fully
Become aware of your entire body. Not just the torso but the arms and legs and face and neck and all else. Just be present in your body for some time until it feels comfortable.
This kind of attention to the body and the practice of inhabiting the body very consciously helps align your physical and etheric bodies. In this context the etheric body is like the embodiment of your will as it is the link between the mental and physical bodies and the catalyst for all physical movement.
An advanced practice involves grounding to the etheric body, but for now focus on the physical and know this is toning the etheric body at the same time.
when you are comfortably grounded into the body in a stationary position, begin moving during this exercise. Simple walking and daily tasks while grounding are excellent for energetic stability and will improve your ability to channel energy during magic.
When grounding it is good to center attention on or within the base chakra.
Ground into the Earth
The next kind of grounding or the second phase in a full exercise is to connect deeply with the earth. One way to do this is to pretend you are a stone statue sitting heavily on the earth and sinking a couple of inches.
Just be still and heavy a while.
Another method for connecting with the earth is to let your consciousness sit within the base chakra a moment and then drop your awareness into the earth below.
Drop very deeply into the earth. Free fall for a minute or so until you imagine you are hundreds of miles beneath the surface. Dwell here a while.
Be aware of both your position in body and your awareness deep in the earth. Alternate these points of attention.
When ready return to your body and take enough earth energy to fill every cell. Travel the long way, back up the way you came down.
Notes:
Some people like, rather than free falling, to imagine energetic roots growing from the bottom of the feet and stretching into the earth. Once the roots stop moving they pull earth energy up into the aura and body.
Also some people will teach to not only go “deep” as I suggest, but to travel or send roots to the core of the earth. To me this is not only excessive but also delves into the energy of fire, but these are only my inclinations so by all means use whichever method you like or enjoy both.
Centering
Say “In the center here am I.” Imagine being at the energetic center of the universe.
In aikido, students learn to focus on the one point, or hara two inches below the belly button. Part of this practice is visualizing the one point being the center of the universe.
The universe is likely not infinite. However it is vast enough to feel pretty damn infinite, therefore we may imagine it so without penalty. Thus, there is room in the unending middle for everyone so don’t sweat it and just chill at the center for a bit.
After this warm-up, be in the body and then push out in a circle to three feet with your awareness. Let your consciousness loop round and round this circle and press against the air out there.
Then move to six feet, and finally to nine feet out in a circle. Dwell at the end of this circle and be aware of all that is there.
Withdraw your awareness back to the body and note you are in the center again.
Might as Well Catch the Middle as Well
Note the Middle Pillar running from your base chakra to the crown. Inhabit this channel and send energy from the base to the crown and then from the crown to the base.
From the base, send energy to the center of the earth and back.
From the crown send energy into the heavens beyond the moon and back.
Say “I am here in the middle.”
Be there in the middle, between heaven and the underworld.
Six Directions
Close your eyes and then explode your awareness out into the six directions of creation.
In your mind travel:
- Upwards
- Downwards
- Ahead
- Behind
- Out left
- Out right
With practice you can do all these directions in your mind at the same time. It’s quite an interesting trip.
Expand out as far as you like. Then return.
Say “In the center here am I. I am here in the middle.”
After Words
These are more than New Age imagination games. Each of these exercises and the components within them are relevant to different parts of mystical development (psychic development) and magical work.
In fact they cover some pretty profound basics as you will see if you stick with your magical journey long enough. I’d explain it all now, but I am contractually obligated to not spill these particular beans to those who have not sought them on their own.
They would revoke my pass to the next wizard’s meeting, ya know?