#centering

It's still sad just how much Stolas was conditioned that even while drunk at a party (with other people crying and getting drunk too mind you), he feels the need to calm himself and look more presentable. ;_; ;_; ;_;

You can simply play music that you love. From phones, speakers, CDs, records, TV, whichever you have available to you.

Grounding and Centering

If you haven't already, visit my visualisation lessons for the background info needed for this lesson.

Being able to ground and centre your energy is very useful in meditation and spell work. Using basic visualisation techniques, you can change and manipulate the energy you are putting out, raise your vibration, or bring yourself back to reality after spellwork. Let's go over the specifics and how to do them, but the TLDR is that grounding is connecting to the energy of the universe around you, and centering is aligning this energy with your intention.

Grounding

Grounding can be done before or after spellwork, and it depends on what feels right for you. The idea is to draw neutral energy from the earth and the universe, as the energy within ourselves can often be unstable because of our emotions or other external influences. It can also be used to send excess energy back into the earth, preventing feeling wired or unable to sleep after spellwork. Here are some easy ways to practice grounding.

Visualise tree roots spreading down from your legs, connecting you to the earth, and branches spreading up from your arms into the sky connecting you to the universe. Consider the energy of the universe being drawn into you through these roots and branches.

Consider your energy as running water, perhaps from a tap or a river. To prevent excess energy, visualise this tap being turned off, or the flow of the river being stopped.

When I practice divination or dreamwork, I sometimes visualise my third eye opening before and then closing again after to prevent using this energy constantly.

Eat something or take a shower after spellwork to quickly ground yourself.

You can try standing barefoot in the dirt or even rain as a quick and more literal way to ground.

Centering

Centering involves drawing energy inward before spellwork, allowing us to align this energy with our intention and the mentality needed to carry out magick. It prevents passing thoughts, feelings and distractions from making our energy and spellwork less effective. Where you feel your energy centering is different for everyone - it might be behind your third eye, in your heart, your stomach, or in the palms of your hands. Wherever it may be, the point is to draw this scattered energy inward. Here are some methods.

Visualise your energy fragmented around you, as shattered glass, water droplets, or whatever feels right. Consider drawing this energy towards your centre, as though you are a magnet pulling these fragmented pieces back into a whole.

As you are drawing your energy in, meditate on your intention and the end goal of your spellwork. Or why you are centering your energy - is it to have better control over the existing energy in your body, or to set an intention for the neutral energy drawn in through grounding? The aim is to have a concentration of energy with a specific intention.

Centering can be used for changing your vibration specifically for different kinds of spellwork - where a protection spell would require a different type of energy to that of cursing.

Note: Some people will use these terms interchangeably or to mean one overarching thing, and others will specify whether they mean centering or grounding as I have done here. The two practices are very similar and can overlap, so don't worry about getting them confused. The important thing is to do what feels right for your practice and whatever helps you.

PLEASE UNMUTE!!

Hello Beautiful Souls,

You just finished a spell. It felt powerful. You raised energy, you directed it, you did everything right.

And now you feel... off.

Maybe you're jittery and restless, pacing around your room unable to settle. Maybe you're lightheaded and floaty, like you're not quite in your body. Maybe you have a pounding headache. Maybe you're inexplicably anxious or emotional. Maybe you can't sleep even though you're exhausted. Maybe you feel drunk or high even though you're completely sober.

You might think: "Did I do something wrong? Did the spell backfire? Am I under attack?"

Probably not.

You're just ungrounded.

And nobody warned you this would happen because somehow, in all the spell instructions and ritual guides and witchcraft 101 posts, everyone focuses on HOW to raise energy and barely mentions what to do with the excess afterward.

What "Ungrounded" Actually Means

Think of yourself as an energetic system that normally operates at a baseline level—let's call it a 3 out of 10.

When you do spellwork, especially if you're doing it well, you ramp that up to an 8 or 9 or 10. You're vibrating at a much higher frequency. You're holding way more energy than normal.

Then you release the energy toward your goal... but you don't release ALL of it. Some gets stuck in your system. You're still vibrating at a 7 when your baseline is a 3.

That excess energy has to go somewhere. And if you don't deliberately discharge it, it just bounces around inside you causing problems.

Physical symptoms of being ungrounded:

Jitters, restlessness, can't sit still

Shakiness or trembling

Headaches (especially behind the eyes or at the temples)

Nausea or digestive weirdness

Racing heart

Feeling overheated or cold flashes

Exhaustion but inability to sleep

Dizziness or vertigo

Clumsiness (you're literally not fully "in" your body)

Mental/emotional symptoms:

Anxiety or panic for no clear reason

Racing thoughts

Emotional sensitivity (everything makes you want to cry or laugh or rage)

Difficulty focusing or making decisions

Feeling "floaty" or disconnected from reality

Intrusive thoughts

Paranoia (everything feels like a sign or a threat)

Irritability

Energetic symptoms:

Feeling like you're buzzing or vibrating

Sense of being "too big" for your body

Feeling like you're watching yourself from outside

Sensitivity to other people's energy (suddenly everyone's mood is affecting you)

Seeing things in your peripheral vision

Heightened psychic awareness that feels overwhelming rather than useful

Sound familiar? This is what happens when you raise a bunch of energy for magic and then don't ground it back out afterward.

Why Grounding Gets Skipped

Most spell instructions end with "and so it is done" or "blessed be" and just... stop. Like you're supposed to naturally know what comes next.

Or they'll add "ground and center" as a single line at the very end, with zero explanation of what that means or why it matters.

New witches see this, assume it's optional or advanced, and skip it.

Then they feel like absolute garbage after doing magic and think either:

Magic is harming them (so they stop practicing)

They're under psychic attack (so they panic and do MORE intense magic, making it worse)

They're just bad at witchcraft (so they feel discouraged)

None of these are true. They just didn't ground.

It's like going for an intense run and then immediately sitting down without cooling down or stretching. Your body is going to HURT. Not because running is bad for you, but because you didn't complete the process.

What Grounding Actually Does

Grounding is the process of discharging excess energy and returning to your baseline state.

It:

Releases the buildup so you're not holding more energy than you can handle

Reconnects you to your physical body after working in energetic/spiritual states

Stabilizes your energy so you're not at the mercy of every stray emotion or entity

Protects you by creating a solid foundation (ungrounded people are energetically vulnerable)

Completes the energetic circuit of the spell (raise → direct → ground)

Prevents magical hangover (yes, that's a real thing)

Think of grounding like closing out of a computer program properly instead of just yanking the power cord. You need to shut things down correctly or you risk corruption.

How to Ground: The Basics

The core principle of grounding is connecting with the earth and releasing energy into it.

The Earth is an enormous energetic mass that can absorb infinite amounts of energy without harm. It's the ultimate energy compost bin. You're not hurting the earth by grounding into it—you're participating in a natural energy cycle.

The classic grounding visualization:

Sit or stand. Close your eyes. Take slow, deep breaths.

Visualize roots growing from the base of your spine (if sitting) or from your feet (if standing) down into the earth. See them going deep, through the floor, through the foundation, through soil and rock, deep into the earth's core.

Now visualize any excess energy—you might see it as light, heat, electricity, buzzing sensation, whatever—draining down through those roots into the earth. Like water flowing downhill. Let it all drain out until you feel calm and still.

When you feel empty of excess energy, visualize the roots dissolving or retracting back into your body. Take a few more deep breaths. Open your eyes.

That's it. That's grounding.

Physical Grounding Methods (For When Visualization Isn't Enough)

Sometimes you're too ungrounded to visualize effectively, or you're just not a visualization person. Physical grounding works better for a lot of people because it engages your actual physical senses.

Touch the earth directly:

Go outside, take off your shoes, put your bare feet on the ground

If you can't go outside, touch a houseplant's soil

Sit or lie flat on the floor

Hold a rock or crystal (especially grounding stones like hematite, black tourmaline, smoky quartz)

Put your hands in dirt or sand

The physical contact creates an immediate energetic connection. Let excess energy flow into the earth through your contact point.

Eat or drink something: This is why "cakes and ale" is traditional after ritual. Eating brings you back into your physical body FAST.

Best grounding foods/drinks:

Root vegetables (they literally grow in the ground: potatoes, carrots, beets)

Protein (meat, cheese, nuts, beans)

Salty snacks (salt is grounding)

Bread or other carbs

Chocolate

Water (hydration helps)

Warm tea or coffee

Basically anything heavy and substantial

Avoid: alcohol (makes you MORE ungrounded), sugar alone (gives you energy rather than grounding), light/airy foods

Physical activity:

Walk, especially outside

Stomp your feet deliberately

Dance to heavy bass music

Do yoga or stretching

Exercise

Clean something (scrubbing, sweeping, organizing)

Take a shower (water is grounding and cleansing)

Physical movement brings awareness back into your body and burns off excess energy.

Engage your physical senses:

Wash your hands in cold water

Splash cold water on your face

Hold ice cubes

Smell something strong (coffee, peppermint, eucalyptus)

Listen to music with heavy bass

Wrap yourself in a heavy blanket

Squeeze or hug something

This snaps your awareness back into the physical world.

Grounding Techniques by Situation

If you're too energized (jittery, anxious, can't sit still):

Vigorous physical activity: dance, run, clean

Push-ups or other exercise until you're tired

Stomp your feet hard while visualizing energy going into earth

Take a cold shower

Eat something heavy and grounding

Dig in dirt or garden

Scream into a pillow (releases energy)

If you're too spacey (floaty, disconnected, dizzy):

Sit or lie on the floor (get low, close to earth)

Eat protein and salt

Stomp your feet and say out loud "I am here, I am in my body"

Touch something with strong texture (rough tree bark, ice, rough fabric)

Count objects in the room out loud

Do something mundane and physical (dishes, organizing, cleaning)

If you're emotionally overwhelmed:

Cry if you need to (emotion is energy; let it out)

Journal to process

Ground physically: feet on earth, hands in dirt

Eat comfort food

Hug a pet or person

Wrap in heavy blankets

Focus on slow, deep breathing

If you have a headache/physical pain:

Ground immediately (pain is often trapped energy)

Drink lots of water

Lie down with feet elevated or on the floor

Visualize the pain as colored light draining out of you into the earth

Put your hands in cold water

Take a shower

If you can't sleep after nighttime spellwork:

This is really common and really annoying

Do vigorous physical grounding: jumping jacks, running in place, dancing until you're tired

Eat a substantial snack (protein, carbs, salt)

Take a warm bath or shower

Put your bare feet on the ground for 10 minutes

Visualize roots draining energy until you feel heavy and sleepy

Progressive muscle relaxation (tense and release each body part)

Advanced Grounding: When Basic Methods Aren't Enough

Sometimes you've done REALLY intense magic, or you're naturally sensitive, or you're just having a hard time grounding. Here are additional techniques:

The tree method: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Visualize yourself as a tree: roots going deep into earth, trunk solid and stable, branches reaching up but flexible. Breathe and feel the stability. Let excess energy flow down into roots, draw stable earth energy up through roots to replace it. You're not just releasing—you're equalizing.

Earthing/grounding gear:

Grounding mats or sheets (yes, these are real products)

Walk barefoot outside for 10-20 minutes

Sit with your back against a tree

Lie flat on the ground

Put your hands in a natural body of water (river, ocean, lake)

The stone method: Hold a grounding stone (hematite, black tourmaline, obsidian, smoky quartz) in each hand. Visualize them pulling excess energy out of you like magnets. When they feel "full," cleanse them by running under water or placing on earth.

Salt bath: Salt is extremely grounding. Take a bath with:

Epsom salt (magnesium helps too)

Sea salt

Even table salt works Soak for at least 20 minutes. Visualize excess energy dissolving into the salt water.

The corpse pose (Savasana): Lie flat on your back, arms at sides, palms up, legs slightly apart. Close your eyes. Breathe slowly. Feel your body getting heavier and heavier, sinking into the earth. Stay for 10-20 minutes. This is both grounding and restorative.

Return objects to nature: If you used natural objects in your spell (leaves, flowers, stones), return them to the earth after. Dig a small hole, place them in, cover with dirt. This symbolically and energetically completes the cycle.

Building Grounding Into Your Practice

Don't wait until you're ungrounded to think about grounding. Make it part of your standard procedure.

Before spellwork: Ground and center (yes, before too—you want a stable foundation)

After spellwork: Ground thoroughly, even if you feel fine (prevent problems rather than fix them)

Create a grounding ritual: Make your post-spell grounding consistent so it becomes automatic. For example:

End spell with "It is done"

Immediately sit on floor

Visualize roots and drain energy for 2-3 minutes

Eat a specific grounding snack (always the same one)

Drink a glass of water

Journal briefly about the working

The consistency trains your energy body to automatically shift into grounding mode.

Regular maintenance grounding: Even when you're not doing magic, ground regularly:

Every morning (starts your day stable)

After stressful situations

When you feel anxious or overwhelmed

After being around a lot of people

Before bed (helps sleep)

Grounding isn't just for post-magic. It's a life skill that helps with anxiety, overwhelm, and staying present.

What If You Ground Too Much?

Possible, but rare. You'll know because you'll feel:

Extremely heavy and sluggish

Difficulty accessing emotions or intuition

Creatively blocked

Too tired to function

Disconnected from your spiritual side

If this happens:

Do something energizing: dance, run, sing

Reach upward (stretch, raise arms, visualize connecting to sky)

Work with air element (breathe consciously, open windows, burn incense)

Do creative work

Engage your upper chakras (third eye, crown)

But honestly, in modern life, most people are chronically ungrounded. Over-grounding is not usually the problem.

The Grounding Mistake Most Witches Make

Here's the thing: a lot of witches ground BEFORE spellwork (good) but then forget to ground AFTER (bad).

Or they ground after, but not thoroughly enough. They do a quick 30-second visualization and call it done, when they actually need 5-10 minutes of solid grounding.

How to know if you've grounded enough:

You feel calm and still, not buzzing

You can think clearly

You feel fully "in" your body

Your emotions feel balanced

You could fall asleep if you wanted to

You feel like your normal self

If you still feel weird, keep grounding. There's no such thing as too much grounding after spellwork.

When Grounding Is Hard (And What to Do)

Some people struggle with grounding more than others:

If you have ADHD/neurodivergence:

Physical grounding works better than visualization

Keep grounding SHORT (2-3 minutes max, repeat as needed)

Use stimming as grounding (rocking, fidgeting, movement)

Pair grounding with something you find interesting

If you dissociate easily:

Don't force it; be gentle

Use the 5-4-3-2-1 sensory technique (name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste)

Physical touch and pressure (weighted blanket, tight hug, hand on heart)

Avoid grounding visualizations that feel triggering

Focus on present moment awareness rather than "going down into earth"

If you live in an apartment/can't access earth:

Houseplants work

Visualize going down through ALL the floors to reach earth

Grounding stones

Salt

Visualization is enough—you don't need physical earth contact

The nearest tree or patch of grass

If you're naturally very grounded:

You might not need much post-spell grounding

But still check in with yourself

Your natural groundedness is an asset—use it

Red Flags: When "Ungrounded" Is Something Else

Usually, weird feelings after spellwork are just lack of grounding. But occasionally it's:

Magical backlash: If you did harmful magic, tried to override someone's free will, or worked beyond your skill level, you might experience backlash. This feels different—it's not just buzzy energy, it's like you've been hit with your own spell. Ground, cleanse, and reflect on what you did.

Spiritual contact: If you invoked entities or did spirit work, sometimes they don't leave when you're done. This feels like you're not alone, like there's a presence. Thank them, ask them to leave, close your ritual space properly, cleanse yourself and your space.

Actual illness: Sometimes a headache is just a headache. If symptoms persist for days or get worse, see a doctor. Don't blame every illness on magic.

Psychic attack: This is RARE and usually overstated. But if you did antagonistic magic (cursing, hexing, banishing people), sometimes they push back. This feels targeted and personal, not just scattered energy. Cleanse, shield, ground, and consider whether the magical fight is worth it.

The Bottom Line

Grounding after spellwork isn't optional. It's not advanced. It's not just for sensitive people.

It's basic energetic hygiene, like washing your hands after handling raw meat.

If you do magic, you need to ground after. Every time.

It will:

Make you feel better immediately

Prevent magical hangover

Make your magic more effective (complete energetic circuits work better)

Protect you from feeling drained or overwhelmed

Let you actually enjoy your practice instead of dreading how you'll feel after

Stop skipping this step.

Your spell isn't done when you blow out the candle. It's done when you've released the excess energy and returned to your baseline.

Ground your energy.

Return to your body.

Close the circuit.

Then, and only then, are you finished.