Be thankful, Ground, Cleanse, Relax

When you wake up each morning do you give thanks? Do you wake up grumpy asking why do you have to face this day? You know how you face your day is going to have a reaction to how your day will go!
It's very true, when we wake up grumpy and we start our day off grumpy or with I don't care, I don't want to do this, Why me, do I have to deal with today, our day will reflect upon us and treat us right back with the attitude we give off. I am living proof this is true.
There have been days I feel really terrible and if I can barely face the day, get started off on the wrong foot the whole day can go wrong, but if I get up and say "thank you for giving me another day" "I'm going to make the most of this day" Then my day will go 100% better and I advice you to remember this and try to follow this method of living, really enjoy and live life to the fullest you can.  That can mean different levels to each person and that's ok, do what you can do to make each day, each week, each month a better one than the last, move forward and upwards.
Take time to give thanks, get outside, ground with the earth, hug a tree, I really honestly mean this, go barefoot on the ground, if you can't get barefoot, then reach down and touch the earth, rub you hands on the grass, sit on the ground or at least sit close enough to touch the wonderful earth that the goddess has let us reside on and be a part of everyday.
Ground yourself often, this helps to reduce stress, and put us in a healthier happier place, to feel positive and get rid of some of the negativity we can all accumulate.
Take a cleansing bath, make some of your favorite herbal tea, listen to music that pleases you.
Especially when you are in the worst mood ever, STOP, and do something that will get rid of that ill feeling.  You will become a happier and healthier person, you will live longer and you will turn the world into a better place, because every time we rub off some good vibes we can turn 1 person maybe more into better people too. We can make this world a better place to exist on this earth.

Grounding, Centering and Shielding,

The Tree Meditation

Stand or sit straight up - your spine must be perpendicular to the

Earth's surface. Sitting against a tree is really neat but not

necessary.

Take four (or however many you desire) deep inhalations and exhalations

and get your mind in the right space. Visualize that you are breathing

in golden-white light - this is prana. Prana is more than air; it is the

life force that sustains all things.

As you breathe begin to notice those areas of your body that are tense.

Breathe prana into those areas and relax the tension. Start with the top

of your head and work your way down to your toes.

The next step is very important. One of the most difficult aspects of

meditation is that our minds are constantly filled with various

thoughts. These thoughts distract us from having a good meditation. To

deal with this problem (and there are many methods for mind-calming) try

the following and at this point focus your awareness on the third eye.

Visualize that you are on a bridge that spans a body of water. Go to the

top of the bridge and put all your thoughts, concerns, cares, and

worries about your mundane life into a bag. Tie the bag closed and throw

it into the water.

Watch the bag float for a time and then see it sink down. When you are

satisfied with your actions you may leave the bridge or stay for the

next part - the actual "Tree Meditation."

Now VISUALIZE your spine and body as a tree trunk. See and feel roots

growing from your legs (or tailbone if sitting) and send them into

Mother Earth.

Let your roots tap deeply and send them to the Earth's center. There you

will see a glowing silver-blue ball. Allow your roots to wrap around the

ball like fingers. Think to yourself that this ball is the heart of the

mother, the stone, the center, the home of our ancestors and the realm

of the ancient ones. Then allow the energy from the ball to rise up your

roots and feel the Earth's energy (the power of immanence, the power

within) to fill your body.

Feel the energy travel up your spine into your head. Feel it come out of

the top of your head and fall down upon you like a fountain. Feel it

fill your entire body and being.

Next, VISUALIZE that there are branches full of leaves coming up from

your head and shoulders (some folks like to see their crown opening).

Allow them to grow upwards, reaching for Father Sky. Allow your branches

to wrap around the sun and to take in his light (the power of

transcendence, the power without) so that you may bear "fruit"-the

fruits of wisdom, intelligence, creativity, etc.

Feel the energy come down the branches and let it fill your entire body

and being right down to your feet. You are now grounded and centered

with two energy circuits moving within you. It is a good idea to do this

exercise at least once every day, particularly in the morning as a good

way to start the day. You should also do this exercise before and after

any magickal working and ritual.

As you do the exercise you may find it helpful to say outloud the words

of visualization and we also like to give thanks when the exercise is

completed -- without the Earth and Sky we would not be!

Shielding

After you ground and center, allow energy to build up in your heart

chakra. See a green spiral spinning faster and faster. Then send the

energy out into your eggshell shaped aura.

Visualize this egg shape and see it surround you - even to the point of

extending into the Earth just underneath your feet. Visualize and, if

desired, say outloud that you shield yourself.

At this point you need to set up the type of shield that you desire.

There are many variations on this theme. The most basic is the mirror

shield where any type of energy, good or bad, is deflected back to the

sender. Another is a net or mesh shield that only allows good energy

inside. Or your shield may take in bad stuff and then transmute it to

good vibes. Or negative energy may be grounded into Mother Earth where

she will then take care of it.

One may like to surround herself with a three-dimensional pentagram of

whatever color.

There are many types of shield shapes, colors and functions; try

different things and experiment.

Shielding is very important because as you become more sensitive to

energy, you become more sensitive to positive and negative energies.

Shielding helps to protect you and, equally as important, helps to

protect others from you! It is a good idea to shield when you know that

you will be going to a public place or a tough situation (in particular,

shopping malls, government buildings, police stations, prison, and the

like - trust us on this!). You may find that you will need to first do a

quick grounding and centering to build up the energy to establish your

shield.

Of course, with these basic energy exercises, you may fine-tune and

augment them to satisfy your particular yen.

Remember - regular daily practice makes perfect! The more you do it the

quicker it will happen - i.e. you will get to the point where you can

ground, center and shield in just a minute or less.

Grounding to Earth

Here is a sample exercise to help you ground. In this example you 

will ground to earth. While grounding to any element is possible, 

earth is probably the easiest, especially if you are starting out. If 

another element calls to you, or you already have your own way of 

doing this. Feel absolutely free to use it.

Stand or sit comfortably on the floor or ground. If you are not on 

the first story, that is okay, just be as close to the actual ground 

as you can for the space you are in.

Visualize roots slowly extending from your feet (or other body parts 

touching the surface). Slowly they travel down, down, until the meet 

the soil. This is easy if you are outside, if you are not, imagine 

them traveling down throughout the layers of building, down through 

the foundation and eventually into the soil. Imagine the feel of the 

cool,

secure soil all around your roots, keeping you safe, taking away all 

impurities. Aboriginal people who don't have much access to water 

bury themselves except their face in earth, and emerge totally 

cleansed and renewed. Imagine the smell of fresh, wholesome earth, as 

if you were turning over dirt to plant the first seed of spring.

Imagine that you are a giant, redwood (or other tree of your 

choosing). You are sturdy and confident. You are part of the earth, 

yet distinct from it.

Your roots go down deep into the earth and all excess "nervous" 

energy, tension and stress flow down your roots and seep harmlessly 

into the earth, where the loving earth accepts and is nourished by 

it. In return the earth sends back calming nutrients, stability, and 

ancient serenity.

You are an ancient tree, your roots go deep into the ground. You have 

been here before humans walked this area, you have seen so much. You 

have seen most of your old comrades die, be struck by lighting, be 

chopped own to build for the people, but you withstand.

As you stand there, you think about the rings within your mighty 

trunk. The ones just inside your bark remind you of last spring's 

rain. The thin inside that of the cold year when you didn't grow so 

much. Continue to work inward until you reach the center rings, those 

rings of dark wood at your core that represent the inner you, your 

heart, your oldest part. Breath from that part. Suck the air in 

through all the rings to that central core. Feel your life force 

gather and recharge in you center. Pull it back from the outermost 

limbs where the growth may be unbalanced. Feel the sap brimming in 

your core. Once you feel totally charged, let it go and it will 

course through you, back out energizing you, but at your center is 

still the central heart of your energy, calm, full and ready for 

anything.

Another way to detox and get rid of bad feelings is to take a relaxing bath.

Calling all Goddesses

Here's a recipe to help us remember who we really are. Turn off the lights and light some candles in your bathroom.

Prepare a pot of herbal tea. Blend 3 tablespoons of dry milk powder with 3 tablespoons of dry buttermilk powder. Add some milk or soy milk and blend. Add carrier oil and your essential oils.

Try:

3 drops of Rose 

2 drops of Sandalwood 

2 drops of Patchouli

This luxurious bath will transport you to another world.