Pagan-Musings: Ground, Center, Shield, pt 1

Hello and thank you for listening to Pagan-Musings! Even when we have the sound glitches that we did with this episode. Most of the information that we covered can either be found in this blog or by visiting the Pangaia Metaphysical Store's blog. I hope you were able to learn something from our ramblings and musings.

SHOW NOTES:
The topic of this weekend's show was Ground, Center, Shield (pt. 1) Grounding.

Grounding is one of the three basics of metaphysics, the others being centering and shielding. RevKess and KaliSara both feel that these basics are very important to anyone who practices their spirituality in a manner that creates a beacon on the other plains. Grounding is the first of these three basics and is easily done through various means.

Examples of grounding techniques include: The tree meditation as described by RevKess, the burning pot, food, drink, sex, etc. Anything that gets you in touch with the elements. You can ground using earth, the tree meditation or touching the ground after a ritual; using air, letting the wind blow the excess energies away from you; fire, using the burning pot (described below); and water, letting the running water of a spring wash the energies away.

THE BURNING POT EXERCISE

Items suggested/needed:

• cauldron or other fire safe vessel
• salt (sea salt, table sdalt, epsom salts)
• alcohol (rubbing alcohol or grain alcohol)
• matches or lighter
• heat resistant plate

Place the cauldron on the heat resistant plate. Pour equal parts salt and alcohol into the cauldron. Light the alcohol on fire. Sit back in a comfortable position and let your negative energies, stresses, etc flow into the flame and be consumed/transformed by the fire.

This is a wonderful starting point to a meditation, it helps to clear your mind and body of the influences that may distract you during meditation. This can also be used prior to ritual or spell work to help ground and center yourself.

The Swifting Ritual

Dorothy Morrison, Utterly Wicked, pp. 102-104

Materials:

• 1 black candle

• 1 brown (yellow, gray or lavender) candle

• 1 white candle

• table salt

• metal cookie sheet

• paper and pen

• a large supply of “negative” energy

Place the cookie sheet horizontally on a flat surface. Beginning at the center left-hand side of the cookie sheet, arrange the candles – first black, then brown, then white – so they form a horizontal line. Then using the salt, draw a horizontal line from the white candle to a point approximately three quarters of the way to the right-hand edge of the pan. Draw an arrow tip with the salt at the end of the line, then draw a salt circle around the arrow tip to encase it.

Write your desire on the paper in large block letters. [….] But since we're breaking a curse here, simply write “GOOD FORTUNE.” Fold the paper into thirds, then into thirds again, and place it inside the salt circle directly on top of the arrow tip.

Ground and center. Light the black candle and focus on all the nasty energy coming your way. See the harm it;s done, the trouble it's caused, and feel your personal misery. Then take it a step further and feel the anger. Don't just become angry though. Let the fury consume you until you're absolutely, positively, livid pissed. [….] Then name the candle for negativity.

Light the brown candle. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly, releasing every particle of anger from your body. When detachment takes over – and it will – feel the weight of your personal burden lighten. Then see the energy begin to transform into something neutral, and name the candle for transformation.

Light the white candle. See the energy transformation process as complete. There is nothing left but clear, bright, raw, pure energy now. Energy which you can use to manifest your desire. Name the candle for raw, untapped, pure energy.

With your eyes closed, follow the salt line from the candle to the circle, and focus on the paper with your intention. Visualization is very important here, for you not only need to see your desires coming to fruition – your luck changing, your life becoming yours again, living a life you want t olive – but be able to feel them as if they've already manifested.

[….]

When the candles extinguish themselves out, light the paper, and leave it in the salt circle until it burns to ash. [….] Once the ashes are cool, gather them together with the salt and the remnants of wicks and wax (if there are any), and bury the items outdoors. [….]

[T]hings begin to change immediately. [….]. All that's left is for you to decide precisely how you want to live that life you've taken back. And I've no doubt you can manage that!

Books Mentioned:

1. Psychic Self-Defense by Dion Fortune
2. Protection & Reversal Magick by Jason Miller
3. Wiccan Warrior and Full Contact Magick by Kerr Cuhulain
4. Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison
   

Music Played:

1. Meet Me By the Standing Stones - Leigh Anne Hussey - Homebrew
2. I Used to Be a Powerful Priestess - Leigh Anne Hussey - Homebrew
3. Harper David - Leigh Anne Hussey - Homebrew
4. Mental - Noctiflora - the Magic Drone
5. Rise Up Witches - Leigh Anne Hussey

Announcements:

1. East Cobb Pagan Walk in East Cobb, GA. Saturday, September 5th. (More details forth coming.
2. Pangaia Metaphysical Store to participate in Pagan Centered Pagan the weekend of September 27th.
3. Pagan Alliance Network and Pangaia Metaphysical Store to participate in the 2009 Mystic Fest in Omaha, NE. October 3rd and 4th.

Web Sites:

1. KZUM - Lincoln, NE Community Radio Station
2. Blog Talk Radio
3. Pagan Alliance Network and alternate site
4. Pangaia Metaphysical Store
   
5. Witchy Living
6. Pagan Centered Podcast

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Remember, you can hear Pagan-Musings live every Saturday night at 10pm CST or anytime you want at www.blogtalkradio.com/Pagan-Musings.

Blessings to you all,
RevKess and KaliSara