Everyone who does anything with magick needs to know how to ground, center, and focus. This is one of the basics of energy use, and no-one should attempt to do anything without first grounding. It's like stretching before a sports event; very important and after a while it takes no time at all.

When you're first learning this, get yourself somewhere where you're very comfortable, and if you're not quite settled anywhere, make yourself as comfortable as possible wherever you can. After a while you can do it anywhere, because it becomes second nature.

Close your eyes, and place your feet firmly on the ground or floor. Gather all the energy in your body to a nice round glowing ball in what you feel is the center of your body. This is centering. Find a center point in yourself and feel it there, steady and calm.

Breathe deeply. As you breathe in, feel the clean, fresh air filling your whole body, filling your Self. As you breathe slowly out, feel the worries and problems of your everyday life, your mundane existence dropping away, through your feet into the Earth. Now imagine that ball slowly putting down roots, small at first, getting thicker, through your feet and your hands. Feel those roots get thicker as they go down through layers of soil and rock, pushing deep into the Earth Mother's body.

Imagine the water table under all those layers of earth, and when your roots reach the water, draw the cool, fresh energy of the Earth flow up to your centered energy ball and blend with it - the Earth Power is a deep well, and you are drawing it up into yourself, through your chakras, up your spine and through the top of your head. Feel the Earth Power fill you, rise through you like refreshing water, and feel it flow through your Center, constantly providing both new energy and a route for negative and unhealthy energy to flow away, carried by the Earth Power back to the depths of the living well to be cleansed and made useful again.

As the energy flows through the top of your head, feel it branch out, spreading like the arms of a tree. Feel it grow to the sky, into the stars, and touch the bright Sky Power pulsing overhead. As it pulses, draw it down through your branches, down through those arms and into your center, to connect with your Center, to join there in union and balance with the Earth Power. Feel the cool breezes of the Sky Power invigorate and cleanse you, bringing inspiration and joy from the vast Universe into your Center.

Now you are connected to the Earth Power, and the Sky Power; feel them join together in a balance in your Center, and in your Self. You are grounded now in all things, and may journey deeper in to other realms; this is the beginning of a meditative state, the state in which the mind is ready for both magickal work and ritual.

You should always ground before you do anything with any magick or ritual work. As well, if you do it before you sleep you'll not only sleep better, you might remember more from your dreams as well. Grounding before tests or meetings or public speaking gives strength of will and mind, and helps to reduce nervousness and anxiety.

Shapeshifting Exercise One

Create a sacred space by dancing clockwise in a circle. This circle is made to allow you to experience the energies surrounding you.

After you have established the circle, begin to spiral slowly into the centre. This will be the point where the animal forces can be met.

Once you have reached the centre, pause, and feel the sense of unformed energy around you. This is the energy of the animal spirit. You should begin to make your movements and postures that you have associated with your animal. As you do this, feel the energy of the animal becoming stronger within you and all around you.

Sit in the centre of the circle. In your mind's eye, build the image of your animal. You should be able to see it growing and taking form over the area of your solar plexus.

Once you are able to imagine the animal fully in front of you, allow it to enter. Visualise it being absorbed into your body through the solar plexus region. Allow the full essence of the animal to enter.

Starting at the feet or hands, feel them begin to change. See claws or talons or paws forming. Fur, scales or feathers where there was once skin. Let this change move slowly up your body. The last area should be the head. You do this to allow yourself control over the change. It is important that you follow this step.

Visualize a door forming for you. Engraved on the door is the image of the animal you are becoming. This is the door to the inner world; the shamanic state of consciousness. Since it is easier to maintain the form on the inner levels of reality than the outer, see the door open and pass through it as the animal.

Your first experiences will likely be taking place in the imagination, but as you become more experienced, it will become alive for you. It will feel like a very vivid dream. You will not just be observing yourself doing this, you will be experiencing it. You are now the animal. You may wish to explore its world. Use your animal form to travel to the inner levels of reality.

COMING BACK

After a time, you should imagine yourself coming back through the door. It closes solidly behind you. Allow the change to reverse, starting with the head. You should not be in a hurry to make the change back. The fur/feathers/scales become skin. Feel the form of the animal body changing back to your own. Once you have changed form back to yourself, allow the image of the animal to fully withdraw, again, through the solar plexus region. See it completely outside of you.

Now let its image slowly dissipate until it becomes the unformed energy in the middle of your circle. Open your eyes. Stand.

Now you must honor the spirit of the animal for allowing it to join with you. Perform some of the animal's moves. After you have honored your animal, reverse your dance circle, moving counter-clockwise. Spiral out to the edge of the circle. Use the same number of revolutions as you did when entering the circle. Finally, dissipate the sacred space, and feel yourself grounded and balanced. Massage your shoulders and limbs. Breathe deeply to cleanse the system.

PRECAUTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

If it feels like your mind is changed or scattered after a day or two, stop the activity. If you see, or others see changes in your demeanor, stop these activities immediately. Be flexible in this exercise. Adapt and experiment. For it to become truly magical, you need to apply your own creativity. ALWAYS USE THE DOOR. If you should become temporarily lost in the transformation, you have already trained your mind to use the door to trigger the reversal.