GCR: The First Step In Achieving A Witchy Zen
Yesterday My Viking and I took a day off. His goal for 2021 was to take one day a month to just be out in nature, whether it’s a day trip into the forests or mountains around us, or down to the coast to get some salt air and beach comb, we are making the time for it.
Being Outside is the number one thing we miss from our travel life and making time for it became a priority in 2021. We recognize after months of Pandemic Captivity in our home that our lack of time in nature was affecting us. And having done this now three times — once in a park, once in our own property, and now at the beach, the healing properties cannot be dismissed. Also, it gives me a good excuse to perform a little energy work whilst we’re exploring and communing with our dear sweet Mother Gaia. Such work always starts with grounding, centering, and rooting (GCR), which to have the biggest impact means putting my bare feet into the sand, grass, or dirt of this planet we’ve been charged with caring for — a mission I take very seriously. You have to take care of yourself, before you can take care of anyone, or anything. GCR is a great way to be in the present and clear away the anxiety, stress, and other negative things we are constantly being barraged with in modern life. You don’t have to call yourself a witch to do it. But if you’re a witch, it should be a regular part of your life. I’ve ended up craving it and I don’t feel bad about such a need.
Our most recent trip took us to the ocean, a place very healing for the both of us. It was a brisk 37 degrees F, when we arrived, warming up to just 45 degrees F by the time we left. But we hiked 5 miles through forest and along shoreline and sat up on a bluff looking out on the ocean and watching for Gray Whales (it’s migration season). We didn’t see any water spouts or breaches, but saw some suspicious looking darkness in the water that may have been some sea life wanting to be left alone. As a Solitary, I can relate and don’t judge.
But the most important thing that we do each time we take these GCR dates, is to take a moment to either sit on the ground and root/ground ourselves while focusing on our breath and connecting with not only our personal energy, but the energy this marvelous planet gives us. The Viking likens it to the process of grounding an electrical circuit. In electricity if an object is negatively charged, grounding allows the excess energy to flow into the earth instead of say, your body. Like lightening rods save the house by holding the surge from the strike. It’s a way to balance things. And that’s exactly what these monthly (hopefully we’ll get to go twice a month) missions have produced: balance. The amount of calm and focus I’m feeling right now is so incredible, I had to pen this missive to try to convince you all to give it a go. You don’t have to take a whole day to do it, and the more you do it the better you’ll feel and the quicker you can find your center and stand in your power. All the worries, all the stress, everything seems so healthily in perspective after you take this time.
As an Intuitive Witch, Dream Interpreter, Rune Caster, and Hedge Rider, grounding and centering is part of each and every act of divination and magic work I do. But to spend a whole day to just focus on that is like refilling your well of psychic energy. But if you begin to schedule even small moments to do it (like my morning coffee ritual), you can give yourself little top-offs to sustain you. It’s much like warming your tea or coffee before it’s all gone.
If it’s been awhile since you’ve done this, here’s some quickie steps to finding your footing — pun intended — on connecting to your higher self through planting your feet on the ground. Now this method that I prefer is what many Witches call Rooting: putting your bare feet on the ground. I spend some time just feeling the grass, sand, soil (leaves, if it’s Autumn…you get the picture), against heels and spreading my toes wide and making sure I’m really rooted. If you practice Yoga, a good Mountain Pose is great here. Then I focus on my breath, taking in several long breaths in and out and then letting my mind imagine myself connecting to the Earth. Sometimes I imagine roots, sometimes fronds of seaweed, whatever imagery seems appropriate at the time. Then I continue breathing and with each breath in, I imagine the Earth’s energy coming into me (as well, you know it truly is, but focusing on it is where the magic is). With every breath out, I give back energy to the earth, and let the cycle complete until this wave of sheer calm, control and comfort comes over me. Sometimes it takes me longer to do this than other times. Regardless, the end result seems like some kind of miracle, yet it’s so simple to achieve, especially when you make it a regular practice.
For whatever reason you cannot put your bare feet on the ground (I get it, winter temps on bare feet are the opposite of healing for some folks) there are other ways to do ground and center yourself.
- Wind: Just standing outside and letting the wind blow on you can be healing. If you’re a motorcyclist, like me, that wind in your face can feel so good. Maybe you didn’t realize that you were actually grounding yourself when you took your bike out on the trail. Or like when you were a kid and leaning out the open car window. Again focusing on your breath and doing that energy exchange, this time with the element of air is a quick and easy way to ground and rebalance yourself.
- Water: Emerging yourself in the ocean, a lake, a river, even a hot tub, indoor pool, your shower, is a great way to balance yourself. There’s a reason a Moon Bath is so powerful — it’s another way to realign your energies when things get out of whack. Imagine the water taking away your negativity and leaving you awash in the fluidity of calm. Maybe it’s time to look at our shower as a portal to peacefulness?
- Fire: Sit by a fire, a sauna, or in the sun, or breaking a sweat (exercise) is another way to rebalance those energies. That heat you produce when exposed to other heat is an exchange. Again, don’t forget to focus first on your breathing and imagining yourself connecting to that flame, that primal fire within ourselves and our planet.
GCR’ing yourself (yes, I just made that a verb) around any of the elements, but especially Earth, in my humble opinion, is some of the best tools in our magical workshop. But I think we get hung up sometimes on having to have these huge elaborate rituals to stand in our power. There’s a time and a place for that, for sure. However, setting aside some time to just commune with those elements, to exchange energy, to just be, even for 5 minutes, is such powerful magic. You just may find yourself wanting to do it daily, and seriously, you certainly could. Making it a daily practice and trying to take these monthly days in nature up to twice a month or even to weekly is a magical goal for me as well. And I have to say, my familiars really dig it, too.
How do you repair an energy imbalance? Do you use any of these techniques? What other ways could you share with all of us to help balance energy and be grounded and centered?
