The Importance of Grounding Yourself

June 23rd was my first group ritual in the ten years I've studied Wicca. All I had learned, I had read in a book. Solitary rituals were very simple but still meaningful. 

I greatly enjoyed the Midsummer ritual, which honored the Sun at its highest power of the year, and also the start of its decline.

However, what I didn't enjoy was the post-ritual headache, fever and chills that I experienced for a solid 24 hours afterward.I was confused and thought I was just getting sick, until I reached out to the Wiccan community on Tumblr, and I was educated very quickly about grounding yourself.

What is grounding? Grounding is, for lack of a better phrase, rooting your energy into the Earth. It's a good habit to do it when you wake up in the morning, but it's not necessary. It's one of a few things you can do to avoid feeling ill after a group ritual, though.

During a group ritual, a lot more energy is stirred up and manifested than would be in a solitary ritual. If you don't ground yourself before doing the ritual, your energies will not flow the way they should. Your energy will be erratic and your magic may not do what you expect it to do. This will cause you to feel ill, because the balance in your body has been thrown off. Of course, if you forget to ground before a ritual you can still do it after it's over, or even during the ritual if you remember, but it's better to just do it beforehand.

It is surprising how little modern books about Wicca talk about grounding. All of the books I have read barely even touched on it, even though it is one of the most basic skills a Wiccan can have - as well as one of the most important ones.


Grounding yourself is pretty easy but requires a little practice to get the hang of it. It is useful to ground yourself during stressful situations and after you have been injured or fallen sick. 

How to Ground Yourself:


Picture your body surrounded with visible energy. Imagine that energy manifesting into branches and roots coming out from your body. Picture the roots going into the ground beneath you (stretch them a little farther if you're indoors) and the branches stretching into the sky, creating a solid foundation and a strong grip for your energies to take hold.


It can take a few tries to really feel it, but it's quick and easy and the more you do it the more you'll feel its positive effects. You may start to feel more balanced and less stressed.

Good luck and Blessed Be!

)O( Lily