Grounding is an excellent way to stay spiritually healthy. Grounding your personal energy into mother earth is akin to sinking a lightning rod to protect your home. Just as the ground rod safely channels extra electricity after a lightning strike, your personal ground keeps you psychically safe from emotional strikes. A personal ground, once established, acts as a safety valve to channel away extra energy when you’re feeling overloaded.
Another essential spiritual health practice is known as Shielding. Shielding is commonly used as a form of psychic self-defense. In its simplest form, shielding can help insulate us from the atmosphere of stress and negativity that unfortunately surround so many of us in this modern age. For those who are naturally empathic, or receptive to the emotions of others, shielding often becomes a very practical necessity. In these cases, Empathic Shielding can set up a filter between personal emotions and the emotions of the people around you.
In establishing shields of any kind, the first skill that should be mastered is grounding. Grounding establishes a deep, clear channel between the abundant energy of the earth and the personal energy of the practitioner. This often takes practice to become familiar with the sensation of connection, but it is a critical skill for virtually all areas of magical working. The feeling of complete well-being that results from proper grounding should be incentive enough to pursue mastery of this skill.
Another common image used in establishing a ground is to visualize yourself as embodying the Tree of Life. Instead of hollow pipes, imagine your body as a mighty tree whose roots extend deeply into the earth. Your torso becomes the trunk, and your arms may be upraised to gather the energies above and around you. As you reinforce the image of roots extending deeply into the earth, your personal energy will likewise connect with the earth, thereby grounding you. Having a steady, deep link to an abundant energy source outside of yourself is indispensable to the functioning of a healthy shield.
Shielding is actually a very simple, basic concept, despite what some people may try to tell you. Some people talk about their shields as though it were strapped to their arm and had the family crest blazoned on it! Actually, a shield is a very subtle energy shift that is tied directly into your aura. Creating a shield is something like programming a computer: the energy of your aura is already there, merely awaiting your commands. You just need to tell it what you want it to do. Unless you have a natural “knack” for seeing auras, you may never actually "see" your shield, but once you have it, you'll know it's there. You will know your shield is up and working by the simple observation that it is working. Without a shield, I'm an emotional sponge, soaking up everyone's vibrations whether I want them or not. With a shield, I can maintain an appropriate boundary between my own energy and the energies of those around me.
Once seated, close your eyes and begin to relax. Breathe deeply and slowly. If you have an established meditation routine, use that to allow yourself to slip into a deep state of relaxation. If not, progressively focus on each major muscle group of your body, beginning with the feet. Clench the muscles, hold for a few seconds, then release the tension. Feel the relaxation flood your body as you work your way through your entire body. (Don't forget the face! We store a lot of tension in our expressions.)
Once relaxed, establish your grounds. Don’t skip this step, or rush through it. Forming a solid, grounded connection is a critical component to successful shielding. Drain off any excess energy you've been carrying around with you, and continue to relax completely. Feel all of your emotional tension drain away into the earth. Next, reverse the flow of energy through your grounded connection. Gently pull in these cleansing and healing energies up from the earth, until you feel your aura shimmer and become vibrant. Continue to focus on flooding yourself with this clean, pure energy until you feel yourself radiating energy from within.
As you fill with Earth energy, you might notice a variety of physical and/or emotional effects. Many people report feeling energized - alert, yet deeply relaxed, and frequently a tingling sensation that travels through their body. Continue to pull in energy until you feel that it can no longer be contained by the limits of your body. Allow the energy to extend out from your body and flood your aura.
Now that you are in tune with your aura, it's time to "program" it with your intention of creating a shield. Visualize your aura as a shimmering web of light that entirely surrounds you. Notice if there are any holes in this web; if so, fill them with the Earth energy you have pulled from your ground. Reweave the web of light until it is a firm, whole piece of auric "fabric" that surrounds your entire body.
Next, focus on this web and see if there are any "sticky" spots. These are areas of your aura that outside vibrations will naturally "cling" to. These areas will be unique to each individual, but commonly appear over chakra locations, either on the front, back, or both sides. Mentally inspect your aura carefully. Pour additional energy into any area that feels weak or soft to you, and scan yourself from top to bottom for any gaps or vulnerable spots.
Again, reach out with your "energy fingers" and cleanse away any "sticky" areas of the web, until the entire area is smooth and silky. Focus now on the tension within this web of light. Pour strength into each strand, watching the web get tighter and stronger with each breath you take. You are now surrounded by a strong, vital, shimmering auric web of light. Feel it gently protecting and cushioning you.
Once you have completed your work, focus again on your breathing, and slowly bring your thoughts back to the surface of your awareness. Open your eyes and take a few more deep breaths to re-ground yourself. Your work is done.
Illness, fear, shock, anxiety, and worry are all emotions that distract us away from an awareness of our continued connection to this unlimited supply of energy. If you feel sick, anxious or vulnerable, take a few seconds to close your eyes and pour energy from your ground into your auric shield. Usually, a few minutes or so is all you really need. So stay grounded, stay connected, and enjoy the abundance of energy available for your use and growth. It’s the natural birthright and blessing of our Mother, the Earth. Grounding and Shielding are natural means for staying healthy and happy on our path through life.
~Flame RavenHawk
October 25, 2002