Didn't really know where to ask this question.....

[naughtywitch23]

Do I have to ground after every spell I do? Do I have to do a cleansing ritual before every spell?


When is it necessary to do a cleansing ritual before a spell and grounding after?

I have looked for a cleansing ritual that is suppose to be done before a spell but the only thing I find is cleansing rituals for your home and that type of thing. Can someone pm me a cleansing ritual that I can do before a spell?

[scorn]

Well, that depends. Their are witches who like to keep things simple, and they do their cleansing and grounding when its an important ritual, but for everyday spells, they just stick to the spell. And then their are the traditional style witches who believe in cleansing and grounding before and after every spell they do. Its all basically just what your confortable with.

[watershield]

I don't do "ritual" magic so don't have any spells or processes

On those times that I do energy weave, I form a shield around me and push away any influence (positive or negative) that might distract me from what I'm doing. The idea being, I'm looking for the balance between positive and negative. Some refer to this as centering.

I use the shield to tap into the energy, sort of like an electrical circuit, and I flow the energy from the shield to me and back to the shield. In this way I'm always grounded.
The idea of grounding is to prevent an accumulation (or a depletion) of energy (positive or negative) once we have completed our task.
I hope that helps a bit. I'm a tad unorthodox in my methods having been a solitary for so long. But it works for me.

[vermindaspirit]

Personally after any work its best to come to your senses~ If this is grounding than its best just to reline yourself, get your senses back into the 'real' world so to speak~

I dont like to release negative energy into the ground, feels wrong for me to send it into mother Earth, so i release it to the wind, where it breaks up in the wind and is lost forever without harming 'anything'~

[Desladon]

Since most of my working isnt ritual or ceremmonial i do not do cleansing rituals, it is all energy working. However within my sanctorum I often cleanse the area with not only my energy but the pure energy that makes up the very fabric of life. I often times try to maintain a shield of energy around my area as well. I find that if you have one area that you generally focus on keeping clear and charged for the intent of spiritual work it gives your working more potency. However i do not constantly cleanse this area before every attempt at energy work, i find it isnt necessary and may even whipe away the imprints of your energy you have already left in that space which may be useful to you in future.

[Ebony]

The definition of cleansing that I understand is the physical activity of cleansing/purifying your body before your ritual. This can be as elaborate as you want - a few minutes of meditation before beginning, to a bath with candles and perfumes. My personal form of cleansing is the preparation of getting my altar ready before performing a spell, ritual, or energy weaving.

As for grounding after a spell, I believe it is very important to ground afterward. You attract energy, both positive and negative, during a ritual. As watershield says, you need to unload the accumulation of this energy you have built up. This also helps bring you back to the present, as Verminda says. And, to add my opinion, taking a few minutes to ground yourself after working with energy, you allow your body to relax so you can function normally.

Something else that I do, that a lot of people do not do, is circle casting. I find it very important to cast a circle before doing any ritual. For me, this keeps both positive and negative energy where it belongs.

[carolina]

At the risk of sounding - well flaky - I also take a ritual bath using coarse kosher salt and essential oils. The salt is great for hydration of the skin because where salt goes water follows.
I also ritually clean my sacred space by - well - by ritually cleaning my space. I remove each item and clean the shelf and then clean each item individually before replacing it. I am not rigid in placement of articles or even in what items are put out. I have been working on such a project off and on all day. As altar items are in flux items tremporarily take focus and I learn from the item itself. I take my time and pay attention to the mundane - here is where I meet my gods - I have nothing to fear.

[kiowa]

I am sure everyone has their own way(s) of doing things. I like to do a cleansing ritual before hand because it helps me to focus on what I am about to do and I feel it shows respect somehow. I ground afterwards, purely because if I don't I feel incredibly dizzy and "otherworldly" or I am hopping about with so much energy I feel I am bouncing of the walls. All I can say is that it's what works for me.

[fairymom]

naughtywitch,
I agree with Kiowa, about cleansing before and after and I have read that is best to do, but as said before, It is personaly preferance.

If you feel you would do better doing both, by all means do so.
Only way to find out, is try. Then decide for yourself. ;D

Several people that I know do both, they find it the best way and not to put any negative energy into the ground but as one said above to the air so it breaks up.
I think Mother Nature has had enough negative put into her in the past few years!!

Oh yeah by the way, where did you get your name?? Are you trying to tell us something???

[pixiedust]

I just use a broom. Sweep the negativity away.
Or a vacume cleaner when I break my broom after trying too hard to sweep away the negativity

[magikhappens]

I agree with lots on here - well done guys.
I believe the cleansing is to 'block' forces around you and be one with what you intend to do - to dispell energy from around you and centre yourself.
I believe grounding is to rid oneself of the picked up energies during the ritual. Like vermondaspirit, I send it to the winds.
How you do this is something that one learns to do their own way - it can take an hour or it can take a minute - any way you do it, it has to be right for YOU.
I take about 5 minutes for each and only do it when I am doing something that isn't just 'everyday' stuff, something that I have to use more energy in.
And remember - no one is right or wrong in what they do when it comes to anything about majik. It is THEIR way and that is what matters.

[Jen]

I have found that grounding after any spell work/ meditation is vital for a healthy mind and body.
People who don't ground leave themselves open to the excess energy which can result in feeling a bit light headed and not quite with it, clumsy, away with the fairys to more serious things like headaches, coughs, colds etc etc.
It is important to close any magical workings with a grounding as it redistributes all the energy to its rightful place.