Deborah Lipp

Last night, my friend Nancy led us in a wonderful grounding meditation that was full of self love and playfulness. I’m going to attempt to recreate it here.

Stand and find your sense of balance. Allow yourself to feel sturdy on your feet. Shift your weight around, stretch, wiggle, reach for the sky, touch the ground, and come back to a centered position.

Take three or four deep, cleansing breaths. Deep inhale, hold, exhale. Then deep inhale, hold, exhale. Deep inhale, hold, and exhale with a big WHOOSH.

Form your hands into the shape of a claw and gently pat your face all over with your claw hand. Then pat your neck, then your head.

And again, deep inhale, hold, exhale.

Now place one hand flat on your head and with the other hand forming a fist, tap tap tap tap the top of your head. As you do this, be aware of your crown chakra. Be aware of your feet firmly on the ground. And be aware of your body filling the continuum between them. Take another deep breath and let it go, and as you let it go, know that you have a grounded and crowned body.

Now form your hand into a cupped shape, and tap your shoulders and heart.

With your right hand, tap down your left arm to the hand, turn the arm over, and tap back up. Now use your left hand to tap your right arm the same way.

Tap the left side of your belly, where your stomach is, and say out loud “I love my stomach!” And tap some more.

Tap the right side of your belly, where your liver is, and say out loud “I love my liver!” And tap some more.

Around the back, and tap the left side, saying “I love my kidneys!” And then go lower, and tap your behind, and say out loud “I love my sexy behind!” And tap and tap.

Tap down your legs and up. Gently tap your groin and say “I love my groin!” and then come up and say “I love my belly!” and come up and say “I love my chest!”

Now shout “I love my body!”

Take three deep, cleansing breaths. Say calmly, “I love my body.”

And believe it.

Found a nice Solstice meditation here:

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and relax.

At this time of greatest light, we meditate on light as a symbol of spiritual energy. Breathe now gently and deeply and with each breath become aware of the light that surrounds you and the light that is within you — the light that is the energy of Our Great Mother.

The light can be any color. It is often imagined as white — like bright sunlight. But it can be any color, any intensity, that is best for you. Blue, green, yellow, purple, rose; we know that light can also be black. The light may stay the same color for you during this meditation or it may change from color to color, or become a blend of many colors.

See the light now in your mind’s eye. This light is all around us, we are bathed in its brightness, energy, and warmth.

(Pause)

blue lightFocus on the light until you sense that you and the light are one. This will be your signal that you can now bring the light inside you.

(Pause)

When you bring the light inside you, one way is to let it stream in through your crown chakra at the top of your head. (If it’s already entered another way, that’s okay.)

The light — this healing energy — flows through you now, from your crown, down to your third eye (between your eyebrows) to your throat, your shoulders and your arms, and your hands, to your heart, your stomach, shining brightly at your solar plexus just above your navel, to your sex organs, shining too at your tailbone. The healing light travels down through your legs, your knees, your ankles and your feet. Feel the warmth of this healing energy now as it travels all through your body.

(Pause)

Now sense the one part of your body where the light can shine the brightest and imagine the light there. See it shine.

(Pause)

blue lightNow send the light out from that part of your body where it shines the brightest. Send it out a few inches from your body.

(Pause)

Now extend your light out from your body just a little more, then a little more, until your light extends a few feet from your body. Now, if you like, extend your light to reach your sisters. Our lights meet and we are connected by this great light, connected by our renewed knowledge of Our Great Mother. Take a few minutes now to sense this energy and this connectedness.

(Pause)

Now take from this light the energy that you need, and know that there is plenty for all. For the Source of this light is endless and ever abundant. Take a moment to experience Her abundance, and know that as you partake of Her light and Her love, so do you give your light and your love. And as you give energy, so do you receive it. And thus does the circle of life continue.

(Pause)

And as we come back now to this time and place, let us give thanks for the return of Our Great Mother, and for our return unto Her.

From She Lives! The Return of Our Great Mother, 10th Anniversary Edition. Copyright 1999 by Judith Laura.

Since I neglected to provide a meditation this week, here’s a nice article from Rose Ariadne’s blog on why you should meditate:

Mediation is a vital part to any spiritual practice. It has been part of my practice of Wicca for over 20 years. Meditation teaches the mind to focus, and can also allow you to tune into your body and spirit. Let’s face it, in today’s society we are constantly bombarded by images, opinions and stress. Meditation allows you to take a step back and spend some time just with yourself.

With regular practice, meditation introduces you to the initial stages of trance. Don’t start out meditating with the intention of practicing for hours on end. Five minutes is a great start that you can build on as you progress.
There are many different types of meditation. For each of them, you’ll want to pick a time and place where it is quiet and you won’t be disturbed, just like with your magickal practice. Start out by grounding yourself. It is recommended that you take a seated position, instead of trying to stand or lie down. If need be, support your back by resting against a wall or a piece of furniture.

The first type of meditation that I use regularly is the silent mantra for stress release. I’m sure you need more of this is your life, right? Stress release is so important to work into your life immediately. We are overstressed and overworked these days. The mind, body and spirit cannot work properly when overly stressed.

To start the silent mantra, choose a single word. This word will be your mantra. I’ve used “calm,” “love,” “peace,” and “power” in my practice. Once you’re seated, clear your mind and relax as best you can. Allow yourself at least two minutes of relaxing before you start trying to use the mantra. When you start, allow your word to repeat itself in your mind. Allow your breathing to start slowing down as your mind repeats the word over and over again. It will fall into a natural repetitive pattern. Continue as long as you can.

Alpha meditation is the method I use when I want to talk to my spirit guides. Before you start meditating, light a white candle that will be placed out of your view. Dim the lights and use some soft music. Make sure the music is at a low volume, you won’t actually be listening to the music. Instead, it provides white noise to block out any other sounds. Prepare your body and mind, and then envision in your mind’s eye a blank white wall. Envision the wall turning to red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and then indigo. Keep your vision at indigo for as long as possible. Reverse the order of the colors before ending your session.
I also use a relaxation exercise quite frequently that helps relax all of my muscles. I use this often before my regular rituals to prepare my body in addition to a ritual bath. Dim the lights and use relaxing music at a low volume. Settle yourself in a position where you are stretched out completely. For this exercise, you can lie on the floor. Starting with your feet, contract the muscles and hold for three seconds. Then release the muscles in your feet, and continue up the length of legs contracting your shins and releasing. Proceed with the rest of your muscles all the way up to your face. Repeat at least three times.

Remember, meditation doesn’t have to be scary or done in a specific way. Within the context of the practice of Wicca, its purpose is to relax your mind, body and soul for your magickal work. Meditation in the three forms I’ve described doesn’t take much time at all and the benefits are really wonderful.

Meditation Room #1
Meditation Room #2

This is the next part of working with your meditation room. Remember that you can meditate in this place whenever you like.

Ground and center.

Return to your outdoor place, and take a moment to enjoy the serenity and beauty you find there. Notice that you feel renewed just being there.

When you’re ready, go to your cottage. It is familiar and lovely. As you reach the door, you find the key in your pocket, and let yourself in.

The room is perfect, everything is exactly as it should be. You feel at peace, protected, and energized, happy to be a part of this wonderful and safe place.

On the table you see a very large book. Walk to it and look at it. On the cover, you see the word “Memories.”

Open to an early page and see a picture from your childhood. It is a happy picture and a playful moment. It is a time you felt good. Look at that picture and allow the feeling, and the moment, to replay itself before you. You feel completely safe and at peace while doing this.

Skip a couple of pages and find a later picture. It is of someone you love. Enjoy the feeling of remembering this person from long ago.

This Memories book is a part of your cottage. When you wish to remember something, you can use this book. When you wish to explore the past, whether for happy memories or to do more difficult inner work, this is a safe place to do so. When you don’t want to deal with memories, the book can remain in the closet.

After you’re done with the book, enjoy your time in the cottage. Sit in the wonderful comfortable chair. Drink in the beauty of it. If you prefer, you can lock the door behind you and spend the remainder of your meditation out of doors.

When your meditation is complete you feel happy and at peace.

Today is a day when I’ve been given a wonderful and unexpected gift. So that’s our meditation subject.

Ground and center.

As you notice your center, notice that it glows with a beautiful light. That light flows from you, out into the world.

Take a deep breath.

Now notice that the light comes into you from the outside as well. Feel the lovely, giving light of the world coming towards you, and mingling with your own.

Breath the light in and out. The light from your center goes out into the world, and the light from the world touches your center.

Think about the people who love you, and the people who are kind to you. Even if you sometimes feel alone or isolated, you know there are such people in the world. Feel the gift of their light coming into you. Love is a light that bathes you. Kindness is a light that bathes you. It works the other way as well: The light that bathes you is love and kindness, and a beautiful gift.

Think about the gifts, and the kindness, that you have received. Remember opening a gift, and let the love and light pour out of that gift and into you now. Remember a kind word, and let the love and light pour out of that word and into you now. Remember a hug, and let the love and light pour out of that hug and into you now. Allow memories to flow over you and fill you with light.

Look again at the light that surrounds you. Some comes from within you, and some is given to you freely. Notice that this light is pulsing. It moves in and out, like a heartbeat. You are receiving…and you are giving. Allow yourself to know that you can give without draining yourself, and that you always receive as much as you need, and more.

Bask in the pulsing light for a while.

Yesterday I decided to pray at my Kali altar. I was feeling stressed and I felt like praying. Most of the time, I pray at the altar in lieu of meditation. It has all of the calming effects of meditation, the prayer serves as a focal point, and it’s meaningful to me.

So anyway, I start by doing all the prep that I do. I clean the altar. Clean off the chair and put it in front of the altar. Put on the music. Light the candles. Light the incense. Get my rosary (mala).

With my mala in my hand, I am prepared to chant 108 times. After the third time, I hear

“Mom?”

I’m going to ignore this. I chant a fourth time.

“Mom?”

So. I won’t go into the whole story of what happened after that. It wasn’t pretty. I never did get back to my prayer. And the point is, to prepare to meditate, you really have to know that you can meditate. You really should inform the people you live with. You need quiet, and you need to be unencumbered. I forgot that.

One thing you’ll hear about in meditation is the idea of unhooking your gaze. Look at the candle but don’t look. Look into the water without seeing it. That sort of thing. Not only is it a part of many meditation exercises , but it’s the crux of scrying—the divination art that includes crystal-gazing.

It can make you crazy if you don’t understand it. There’s a definite “What do you mean ‘look but don’t look’?” out there.

So I’m at work and I’m making a cup of coffee and I realize I really should check my hair but I don’t want to run to the ladies room because I’m making coffee. There’s a big framed painting hanging in the kitchen, so I use the reflection in the painting’s glass.

Now get this. I’m looking at the painting, but I’m not seeing the painting, I’m seeing me reflected in the painting’s glass.

The only difference in meditation and scrying is that you don’t know what you’re looking for in the reflection. But you do know you’re not looking at the painting.

This is part 2 of working with your meditation room. This room will become a place you can return to whenever you wish.

Ground and center.

Return to your outdoor place, and take a moment to settle there, and breathe in the peaceful beauty of it.

Now you’re ready to go to your cottage. It looks just as you remembered it. As you reach the door, you find the key in your pocket, and let yourself in.

Look around the room. You recognize it, and the sense of familiarity feels wonderful.

Your task today is to make a comfortable spot in which you will sit. It might be cushions on the floor, or a couch, or a rocking chair, or whatever you choose. Arrange the furnishings and cushions. Do you have someplace to rest your feet? Do you have a blanket to wrap yourself in? Make the colors pleasing, and the textures comfortable.

When your comfortable spot is ready, sit in it and find where your gaze rests. Now is the time to prepare a view to enjoy from your comfortable spot. Go to the closet and open it. You’ll find a painting propped up there. Take it and hang it up so that it is in view of your spot. What is it a painting of?

Return to your comfortable spot and look at the painting. What is it? What does it mean to you?

Meditate on the painting while you experience the relaxed comfort of being in this special place you have created.

In the future, you can find other paintings in the closet, and meditate on different images from your cozy seat.

When you are ready, leave the cottage, locking the door behind you and taking the key. You can return whenever you wish.

This is a meditation that will appear in a series, and can be used by you for future meditations. In fact, once you create the meditation room, you can come to it whenever you meditate.

Ground and center.

Find yourself out of doors, in a place that feels peaceful and relaxing. You are alone, and the location is private and secluded. It might be a field in the woods, or a beach, or a mountaintop. It is someplace that you feel safe and at peace.

Stay in that place and breathe in the peace. Breathe in the safety. Know that you are in your ideal place. This is a great spot for meditation. This is a great spot for being at peace.

Turn around and notice that there is a cottage behind you. It looks exactly the way a cottage should look. Notice how lovely it is as you go up to it.

At the door of the cottage, you find a key with your name on it. The key easily opens the door, and you step in and put the key into your pocket. This is your cottage, and your special place.

Look around the room, what do you see? Now is the time to freely explore your meditation room. Are there chairs? Cushions? A bed? Hardwood floors? Thick carpet? Be sure to have at least one table or shelf in the room, so that you have a spot to put things. Also add a closet, so that you can find additional things for the room in the future. Perhaps your special room is full of bookshelves, or perhaps it has big, open windows. Take the time now to explore your cottage room, noticing the size, shape, temperature, and how it feels to be there. You feel great as you are doing this, as though you are accomplishing a precious and wonderful task.

We will return to this room again, so when it’s time to end your meditation, notice that you have the key with you, and that you can return here any time.