Grounding and Shielding^[credits]

by Anja Heij

With grounding or centering we mean being firmly present in your body and cleaning it from lower frequencies, so that the 'holy spirit can descend into matter' or, put in a different way, you can easily make contact with your intuition and unconsciousness knowledge. Shielding means using some energetic shield or defense to keep unwanted spirits and negativity out or your energy field. Especially before starting spiritual practice it is important to use shielding, because then you are opening up yourself for contact with other realms. If you are sensitive to absorbing problems, emotions, thoughts or even physical pain of others, it is advisable to ground yourself every morning and evening for a short while. And if you sense that others are tapping into your energy or spread a heavy, negative energy, immediately put an energetic shield around you. It can also be helpful to temporary stay out of the way of such persons, until your energy field has grown stronger through grounding and shielding techniques.

"Grounding" - Park Guell, Antonio Gaudi

Grounding

There are several grounding techniques. I find this one very helpful, but if something else works better for you, just stick to it.

Find a relaxed posture; sitting right-up in lotus posture (meditation posture) is very suitable, but sitting right-up on a chair, or lying on your back on the ground can also work very good. Find out what suits you best. Close your eyes and release the tension in your muscles. Observe your breath for some moments; try to breathe deeply and calmly, but don't force anything. If you don't manage to bring your breath downwards, simply accept that and try it another time.

Then visualize, or imagine, a transparant white lightbeam coming from above, entering your head at the crown-chakra (the energy centre at the top of your head). The white light fills up the upper part of your head, goes down to the 6th chakra between your eyes, and fills up the rest of your head with sparkling white light. On its way down along the spine the energy fills your throatchakra and shoulders with white light, your arms, your heart region and chest, your belly and the intestines, the hips, your inward and outward sexual organs, and your legs down to the feet. You must now clearly feel your feet. While the white light fills up your body darkness and negativity (being negative emotions and beliefs about ourselves, and problems/emotions of others we have absorbed in our energy system) are driven out. It can be very helpful to let your breath follow the cleansing white light, supporting the removal of dark energies. You may feel a temporary discomfort, an emotion coming up, or feel pain somewhere. Simply notice it, let it be as it is, breathe towards it, and after a while it will usually disappear. It may be part of your cleansing process.

The 'psychic dirt' of the body parts that are surrounded by air will simply dissolve into the air; where your body connects with the ground the 'dirt' will disappear into the ground. This last psychic dirt will be the thickest, since it represents fears and feelings of unworthiness. Imagine it on its way down to the center of Mother Earth, where it will be transformed through fluid fire and returned to you as clean energy in any color your unconsciousness wishes to show you. This color represents an energy-form you need more of.

So now you are experiencing two streams of energy along your spine, one upward and one downward. This is what is symbolized by the wand of Mercury (the caduceus): the wand is a representation of the invisible tube along the inside of our spine through which life energy is transported, and the two winding snakes depict the downward and upward energy streams from heaven and earth. It is possible to physically experience the energy as warmth, tickling energy along your spine, or shivering. Grounding makes you mentally and emotionally peaceful and concentrated. You will feel present and ready for the things you choose to do.

Remember the color(s) of the earth energy and open your eyes. You can wear clothes in the color you saw, buy flowers in it, visualize it regularly through the day, whatever you choose.

"Shielding" - Dragon fence in Pavillion Guell, Antonio Gaudi

Shielding

When you practice magick on your own you can visualize any form of energetic shield. Use your imagination to create yourself the best one, or use these examples:

• visualize a circle of protection around you, or better said a three dimensional globe of protection, keeping all negative vibrations out
• imagine a pyramid of gold; through the top it supplies you with pure, cosmic energy, and the golden sides reflect all negativity
• use first the circle and then put the pyramid over it
• create yourself an armour; it can be a reptile-looking Starwars armour, a medieval steel harnass, whatever you want and don't worry if it looks comical, you're the only one who sees it
• put an energetic ring of fire around you, with flames too high to be crossed by any enemy, or with flames consuming all outward negativity
• a veil or net that lets in positivity and keeps out all forms of negativity.
• visualize the color cobalt blue around you; it can take the shape of a cobalt blue aura, globe, room or temple, whatever you want. Cobalt blue is famous for its protection against negativity (therefore it was already used in Egyptian and Mayan temples) because everything that does not come in Truth cannot pass it.

If you do magick with more than one person, make sure that your shield covers all magicians and the complete working space! This time suits of armour are not suitable, but a circle of protection or the color cobalt blue for instance are very good ones. Before you start the magick agree on the shielding form.

After working magick it is advisable to again visualize a shield to keep astral beings at a distance who might have been attracted by your rituals.