Grounding and Centering?

[MeadowRae]

I have been looking at what kind of rituals I would like to incorporate into my path, and one aspect that seems to be included in almost every one is to ground or center yourself before you begin. From my limited research, it seems to mean that you clear your mind and prepare yourself for ritual, which I already do. I usually do some deep breathing and meditate on my intention for a few minutes before I start (I am hoping to extend my meditation time as time goes on!)

So, my question is, is this me "grounding" myself? Are there any techniques out there that have helped you find your center before going into ritual? Am I just overthinking this?

[Gigi Kiersten]

I have been looking at what kind of rituals I would like to incorporate into my path, and one aspect that seems to be included in almost every one is to ground or center yourself before you begin. From my limited research, it seems to mean that you clear your mind and prepare yourself for ritual, which I already do. I usually do some deep breathing and meditate on my intention for a few minutes before I start (I am hoping to extend my meditation time as time goes on!)

So, my question is, is this me "grounding" myself? Are there any techniques out there that have helped you find your center before going into ritual? Am I just overthinking this?

I think for the most part you got the centering part of the exercise pretty down pat. For me grounding is grounding my own energies in the earth to not only renew my own energy sources, but to help boost the energy of any spell or ritual I might doing. My own method is to imagine that energy is seeping through me, throw the floor, deep into the earth and connecting to the earth's core.

The most common technique is to imagine that yourself as a tree and that your energy are roots sinking deep into the earth. Again, just experiment and go with works best for you.

[Jenett]

So, my question is, is this me "grounding" myself? Are there any techniques out there that have helped you find your center before going into ritual? Am I just overthinking this?

 
There are different ways people define centering and grounding.

In my training and practice, centering is knowing what's you, and what's external to you, what you're sensing and feeling and what's part of you, and what's coming from outside of you.

It helps you set aside external concerns (like worrying about bills or traffic or whatever else) and it also helps you make energetic preparations that make various kinds of energetic, magical, meditative, or other ritual work easier. (Also a useful skill if you're about to have a complicated conversation with someone, are having a bad day, or lots of other situations!)

Grounding, on the other hand, is about rebalancing energy: both getting rid of excess energy we have and drawing in more when we need it.

How much centering and grounding should be done before ritual is also a good question: some kinds of ritual work actually benefit from you being (deliberately) a bit ungrounded or uncentered (particularly magical workings where you want to create a specific instability and then move the situation along.)

I've got a lot more info on my website at http://gleewood.org/seeking/practices/ that you migh find helpful, including some specific exercises and things to try.

[MeadowRae]

There are different ways people define centering and grounding.

In my training and practice, centering is knowing what's you, and what's external to you, what you're sensing and feeling and what's part of you, and what's coming from outside of you.

It helps you set aside external concerns (like worrying about bills or traffic or whatever else) and it also helps you make energetic preparations that make various kinds of energetic, magical, meditative, or other ritual work easier. (Also a useful skill if you're about to have a complicated conversation with someone, are having a bad day, or lots of other situations!)

Grounding, on the other hand, is about rebalancing energy: both getting rid of excess energy we have and drawing in more when we need it.

How much centering and grounding should be done before ritual is also a good question: some kinds of ritual work actually benefit from you being (deliberately) a bit ungrounded or uncentered (particularly magical workings where you want to create a specific instability and then move the situation along.)

I've got a lot more info on my website at http://gleewood.org/seeking/practices/ that you migh find helpful, including some specific exercises and things to try.

 
Thank you for the breakdown. It all makes a lot more sense to me now. I also have some more reading to do on your site tonight. Jenny Cee, thank you for giving me a technique to try. I will utilize it during my next ritual. (Whenever that is, I definitely don't have a knack for timing yet.)

[Gigi Kiersten]

Thank you for the breakdown. It all makes a lot more sense to me now. I also have some more reading to do on your site tonight. Jenny Cee, thank you for giving me a technique to try. I will utilize it during my next ritual. (Whenever that is, I definitely don't have a knack for timing yet.)

You are very welcomed! I'm glad that you find some use for my advice.