Extract from my course, Elements of Magic… Available as a self-study course on my Patreon at the “Join the Library” tier, starting February 2024! (Includes other offerings too, find the details here.)

I am a firm believer that your breath is your most powerful and fundamental magical tool. You can breathe yourself into a trance – as you found last week and as centuries of specialized breathing techniques in paths such as yoga attest – breathing fuels and energizes your body, calms your mind and brings you towards health and you can use your breath to direct energy within yourself and out into the world in working magic.

Every morning and evening I use a simple breathing technique to bring myself back into my center and into connection with the earth below and the sky above. In reconnecting with these directions and powers I tap into more energy and open myself to receiving guidance. In bringing myself to center I bring myself firmly into my own power and awareness of who I am and where I’m at. I highly recommend doing this every morning for the next month and see how you feel! This is often described as “Grounding” but the variation here also includes connecting to the power of the stars so can help in increasing your energy levels as well as finding personal stability.

Stand if you can or sit comfortably if you’d prefer. Feel your weight in your feet, the earth beneath you. Take a moment to feel your body resting on the earth.

Take a slow, deep breath – not so much it feels forced but enough to fill your lungs completely.
As you do, imagine all the parts of yourself that are scattered around you, all your attention, your wandering thoughts, the pieces of yourself still left in bed, the energy you’ve left scattered from the previous day and night. Imagine and intend that they all are coming back to you, collecting in your belly and merging back into the light that you are, becoming clean and bright again.
You don’t need to imagine each individual part, simply intend for them to be collected with each breath.

Repeat this for 3 breaths – or more if you feel you need to – and really feel your self coming back to you.

On your next breath imagine yourself reaching down, sending down a root of energy into the earth. I like to bend down and touch the earth at this point. For the next 3 breaths or so imagine that root reaching deeper and stronger.

Through your next few breaths imagine the earth’s energy flowing up your root and into your body, filling you up from feet to crown and then, once you are feeling full, flowing up like a column of light to the stars. You can reach up with the energy if you like, stretching towards the heavens.

Allow the energy of the stars to pour down into your body, breathing it in to your center and mingling with the earth energy. Again, around three breaths is good here but take as many as you need. Placing your hands over your heart or belly can feel good while you do this.

Feel your connection to the earth beneath you and the sky above you and feel yourself firmly in the centre of your world.

Breathe this energy in and out, up from the earth and down from the sky, filling you, charging you, bringing you into the here and now. Feel yourself resting in your body, filled with energy that is accessible to you at any moment, with only a thought. Allow it to settle at a level that feels comfortable to you.

Whenever you feel distracted or scattered throughout the day, repeat this exercise. As you get used to it you’ll find you can do it much quicker, using just one in-breath to bring yourself to center, the out-breath to send down a root, the next in-breath draws the energy into you, breathe out and send the connection to the stars before breathing in the star-energy in to your core. And breathe into your center for a moment. You can also use this practice to raise energy for spellworking, to calm yourself when anxious, and to shift yourself into trance for divination. All that with just a few breaths!