In the witch’s toolbox, grounding is a technique that provides magical, spiritual and physical benefits. It is also a technique that requires nothing more than your body and your visualization. Grounding has been the subject of a few small studies that has found it may help with serotonin levels, could have anti-inflammatory effects on the body, and could help reduce blood pressure. But in this post I am going to concentrate on the magical and spiritual effects of grounding, rather than the physical.
What is Grounding?
To start off, we need to go over what grounding is. In magical practices, grounding is the process by which you connect and share energies with the earth. The witch uses grounding to send undesirable energies, emotions and even thoughts into the earth where they can be transformed into something more beneficial. In return the witch takes up positive, cleansing energy into their magical and physical bodies from the earth. This is a process akin to breathing, where you exhale carbon dioxide, a chemical that is poisonous to the human body but required by plants, and inhale oxygen, a chemical that is released by plants. It is also similar to the way that waste and dead things like leaves and fallen trees are broken down and turned into rich fertilizer by the earth.
Because the idea of grounding in the mundane world focuses on the idea that you are absorbing electrons from the earth, there are companies that sell items to help you to ground. These are called “earthing” products. These items range from mats for you to stand on, to earthing socks and shoes, to earthing rods. For the witch, however, those products are unnecessary and could even get in the way of the process. Instead, all you need is a place to stand and their visualization.
Being able to ground out of doors, where you can stand barefoot on the earth is ideal, but you can ground even if they are in a twelfth floor apartment on carpet. This is where visualization is key. We’ll go over the process of grounding below, but first let’s talk about the benefits of grounding.
Benefits of Grounding
For the witch, the benefits of grounding is that you can help to get rid of negative thinking, emotions, and energies that might get in the way of working magic. Mentally, as well, grounding allows the witch to become more calm and energized.
Grounding can also be a way to raise energy for spellcasting. As you empty yourself of those negative energies that hold you back, you can fill up on positive, creative energy to channel into your spells. This access to invigorating energy can also help you focus on your spellwork and ward against the distractions that come from an overactive mind.
Mentally, grounding can help you when you are feeling anxious, depressed or otherwise unsettled. It can improve your mood as you get rid of any emotions that might be dragging you down. And by pulling up positive emotions from the earth, you can feel a sense of peace or even euphoria from the process.
How to Ground
Now that we’ve looked at some of the benefits of grounding let’s talk about how you do it. The type of grounding we’re going to focus on here is magical grounding, not the earthing that is focused on gaining electrons from the earth.
As I’ve mentioned before, grounding requires only yourself and your visualization. Ideally, you’ll be grounding outside where you can stand barefoot on the earth. This means your visualization doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting while you ground. But you can also ground inside with your shoes on, you’ll just need to use your visualization more.
Start by standing with your feet about shoulder width apart, your hands hanging at your sides. Your eyes can be open or closed, whichever you find most comfortable. Now, imagine that there are roots inside your feet that start to poke out and dig into the ground. If you are standing indoors, imagine that the ground beneath your feet is rich, black earth. See those roots growing into the earth, burying into the ground and finding purchase.
Once you have gotten rooted, start to visualize all the negative energy, emotions and thoughts, whatever you want to get rid of and which isn’t serving you, being pushed out of your body, through the roots. You can see this negativity as a black cloud, or feel it as a heaviness in your body, but feel it drain away through the roots and into the earth. Keep up the visualization until you feel empty.
Know that the energy you just poured into the earth is going to be broken down by soil and turned into nurturing fertilizer for new growth. This is the cycle of nature, to take that which is no longer vital and helpful, and transmuting it into something helpful.
Now that you are empty, see your roots pulling up white, positive energy in much the same way that the roots of a plant draws water and nutrients from the soil. Feel this positive energy filling your body. You could see it as a white light, or feel it as a physical sensation. Keep drawing up the energy until you feel full. This can be a heady experience that can lead to a rush of blood to the head, so make sure you are maintaining your balance.
Once you are full of positive energy, visualize your roots retracting back into the soles of your feet. Quietly thank the earth for its help. Open your eyes, if they were closed. Wriggle your fingers and toes to anchor yourself back in your body. And then go about your day.
When to Ground
Witches should be grounding before they engage in any sort of magic. It’s good magical hygiene to ground yourself so you aren’t bringing negativity into your spellcasting. Make grounding part of your pre-spellcasting ritual the same as cleansing and setting up your spell components. Grounding before you engage in divination can also ensure that you aren’t bringing any preconceived notions to your reading.
Grounding is a process you can engage in whenever you feel the need to do so. And once you’ve gotten practice, you will find that you can do it in a matter of seconds. So when should you ground?
Beyond magical needs, however, grounding whenever you feel overwhelmed or anxious can help your mental health. I have found that when I can’t focus, grounding helps me to reel in and organize my scattered thoughts. Ground before making a big decision, before you engage in self-care, or before you head in to work to get the benefit of mental clarity.
While we often focus on the outside tools of witchcraft, the experienced witch knows that all the candles, crystals and cauldrons are just supplements to the real magic that is found inside. Techniques such as grounding help not only to fortify a witch, but to expand their magic so that they don’t have to rely on those tools. The witch who has both mastered and put into daily practice grounding will find that they can cast magic wherever, whenever without the use of anything other than their mind.