Grounding and Centering

[Bastemhet]

So...I don't know how. mrgreen

Any time I've tried to do magic ritual or energy raising, it goes fine. However, when I try to ground or center it doesn't work well. I've self taught the "imagining tree branches" one and alternately, a cord that extends from my spinal cord, but any time I try to imagine them going into the ground and staying there, they keep bouncing back or coming loose. It might have something to do with my being on the second floor. I feel like I might have more success if I let any excess energy flow into something else, and then cleanse that thing.

What would you recommend? What works for you?  

[aoijea23487]

When my Gards and I did Outer Court ritual using NROOGD's public stuff, we grounded by putting energy at the end of ritual by pushing it through our hands into a staff that was held perpendicular to the ground (with one end touching the ground). The energy travelled through the staff, into the ground, and I guess through the three floors beneath us. It was one of the first times I could feel energy (my High Priest's hand was vibrating like effing CRAZY).  

[kage no neko]

I've had it suggested to me to eat a snack, that it'll help ground me. For the most part, it appears to work.  

[Shearaha]

I use a waterfall immigary instead of the tree or cord. I picture a waterfall running over me and carrying the excess energy away and back to the ground. It worked very well for me when I was living on the 6th floor, the water just kept flowing down until it got where it need to be.  

[AniMajor]

It helps if you don't think of yourself as higher than ground level. Grounding's not so literal that you have to be actually on the ground. I've done it while on an airplane, although I did have to ask where we were because it's really tough for me to ground if I don't know where I am.

What works for me is just the idea of sinking into the ground or plugging myself in (more like a pipe than an electrical cord).  

[Brass Bell Doll]

I have a hard time grounding if I'm not centered first. After that, it really depends on what has happened that determines the way I ground.  

[Gho the Girl]

Here's a question: When do you ground/center? And why is it important?  

[Bastemhet]

Gho the Girl

Here's a question: When do you ground/center? And why is it important?

The few times I've raised energy I directed it toward a purpose but found there to be too much that stayed with me (or maybe I just didn't focus well enough and did not disperse the energy toward the goal I wanted...?). It makes me feel like I drank too much caffeine which can be very uncomfortable. I haven't found a good way to deal with this yet so I thought I'd ask here.

Thanks everyone for the tips on grounding and I'd like to hear recommendations on centering as well.  

[Fiddlers Green]

I can tell I've been away for awhile.... I can't find my previous post about this to copy-pasta.

Don't.
Ground.

The local vis flows are not a dump. If you are having difficulty with what you have accumulated, accumulate less, refine your control. Always control. Never play around with something you don't understand, or can't a solid grasp on. Whoever initially instructed you should have covered this, but instructors are not always present.

Centering.

Dangerous, depending on what you are doing. Not all vis interacts well with the human vis flows. Just as you would pause before intravenously infusing yourself with motor oil, so should you take extra care when internalizing your excess vis from workings.

In many cases a little caution early in the event can save a lot of problems later. Try to fine tune your procedures so they don't have as much overflow and you will likely be far better served than simply using stop gaps against over flow. Remove the source of the problem, and you no longer need to work on fixes for it.

Study and research, in controlled environments until you have a more complete model of what you are working with. Use this information to create techniques that will work with what you are specifically doing, rather than applying generalized techniques that will have variable efficacy on specific events.  

[Bastemhet]

Fiddlers Green

Don't.
Ground.

The local vis flows are not a dump. If you are having difficulty with what you have accumulated, accumulate less, refine your control. Always control. Never play around with something you don't understand, or can't a solid grasp on. Whoever initially instructed you should have covered this, but instructors are not always present.

I should specify that I haven't done any magical workings in a long time, and I'm not trying to learn this for magical workings. Rather I am flexing my own ability to manage my own energy. I am introverted so I don't handle high energy situations too well. There are times when I get overstimulated and need to find a way to calm myself down and also shield, besides the basic mundane things of going to another room, eating, drinking water, pacing myslef as far as planning activities goes, etc. I think being able to at least listen to my own body and see how I'm doing energy-wise is something I need to learn, so I don't plan on stopping. I don't see how I can refine my control without experimenting. Right? smile

I did not have any instructor, by the way, and I don't like to rely on any old thing I find on the internet or Llewelyn books.

As far as grounding goes, I was under the assumption that earth energy is stable and neutral and as such can handle my own excess energy. Maybe you can educate me further? I also am not too sure how your idea of earth's vis flow correlates with my religious practice's conception of the earth being a deity.

Quote:

Centering.

Dangerous, depending on what you are doing. Not all vis interacts well with the human vis flows. Just as you would pause before intravenously infusing yourself with motor oil, so should you take extra care when internalizing your excess vis from workings.

In many cases a little caution early in the event can save a lot of problems later. Try to fine tune your procedures so they don't have as much overflow and you will likely be far better served than simply using stop gaps against over flow. Remove the source of the problem, and you no longer need to work on fixes for it.

I did some searching and have tried Tea's version of centering from this thread.  

[Deoridhe]

I grounded for a long time in HS because That's Just What You Did (tm); ended up yanking up what had become cable cords in college, for various reasons, and they've mostly faded now as a concept.

If I have an excess of energy, or in between clients when I can, I put my hands under running water. Still water will work in a pinch, but running is always better. When I can, I go down to the sea, as well.  

[Brass Bell Doll]

Fiddlers Green,
I am afraid I do not follow your statement very well. Save for your post, I have not come across the term vis.

Would you be willing to explain what you mean and how it applies to grounding and centering?  

[Fiddlers Green]

To wit, my post was generalized in response to the thread topic.

Bastemhet

I should specify that I haven't done any magical workings in a long time, and I'm not trying to learn this for magical workings. Rather I am flexing my own ability to manage my own energy. I am introverted so I don't handle high energy situations too well. There are times when I get overstimulated and need to find a way to calm myself down and also shield, besides the basic mundane things of going to another room, eating, drinking water, pacing myself as far as planning activities goes, etc. I think being able to at least listen to my own body and see how I'm doing energy-wise is something I need to learn, so I don't plan on stopping. I don't see how I can refine my control without experimenting. Right? smile

So long as the experiments take place in a controlled environ to minimize collateral damage.

Quote:

I did not have any instructor, by the way, and I don't like to rely on any old thing I find on the internet or Llewelyn books.

Which is so often the case, hence I have drained the majority of vitriol from my posts regarding this.

Quote:

As far as grounding goes, I was under the assumption that earth energy is stable and neutral and as such can handle my own excess energy. Maybe you can educate me further? I also am not too sure how your idea of earth's vis flow correlates with my religious practice's conception of the earth being a deity.

Well, if you see the Earth as a deity, think of Vis flows as the veins and arteries, with Vis being the very lifeblood. Just as veins and arteries carry different kinds of blood, and passage through capillaries is important, the same can be said for the Vis flows of the world. Now, your own energy, your own blood, is native to you, and is native to respiration thru any intrinsic human processes. A healthy eco-system can handle the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. However, a damaged one must be treated with more care. Also, a large enough bloat of either of the exchanges will damage an otherwise healthy system.
Also, on a religious note, does you Earth Deity like having the mystical equivalent of coal slurry water dumped into it?

Quote:

I did some searching and have tried Tea's version of centering from this thread.

I knew I had a response there, on page 11 and 12.
Tea has a fairly user friendly version there, and the admonition to always learn to internally before mucking about externally I greatly support.

Brass Bell Doll: Vis is energy. In context it refers to energy used for mystical workings. Above is a body-system model explanation, is that sufficient clarification or is more requested?  

[Brass Bell Doll]

I thank you for the explanation, it helped me understand where you are coming from.

I am not sure that it applies to what other people speak of, and I can state that it does not apply to what I do. I feel there are assumptions- some of which are illustrated by your description of a coal slurry, that do not apply in my situation or that of most others I know. It is possible that Vis shares surface characteristics, but differ in essence. It is also possible that the manner it is applied differs- I really couldn't guess.