Basic Visualization –

This exercise is for those who difficulty visualizing.

Ground and center. Close your eyes, and imagine that you are looking at a white wall or blank screen. Practice visualizing simple geometric forms: a line, a dot, a circle, a triangle, an ellipse, and so on.

When you are able to see the forms clearly, visualize the screen in color: red, yellow, blue, orange, green, violet, and black in turn. It may help to look at a colored object with your eyes open first – then close your eyes and mentally see the color.

Finally, practice visualizing the geometric forms in various colors. Change the colors and forms until you can mentally picture them at will.

Apple Visualization-

Visualize an apple. Hold it in your hands; turn it around; feel it. Feel the shape, the size, the weight, the texture. Notice the color, the reflection of light on its skin. Bring it up to your nose and smell it. Bite into it, taste it, hear the crunch as your teeth sink in. Eat the apple; feel it slide down your throat. See it grow smaller. When you have eaten it down to the core, let it disappear.

Repeat with other foods. Ice cream cones are an excellent choice.

Pentacle Visualization –

Visualize a line of flickering blue flame, like a gas flame from a Bunsen burner. Now mentally draw a pentacle, a five-pointed star with one point up, in the invoking direction, starting at the top and moving down to the left. Watch it form out of the blue flame. Hold the image in your mind for a few moments.

Now retrace it in the banishing direction, starting at the lower left-hand corner and moving up. As you do so, watch it disappear.

Practice until it comes easily to you. This visualization is traditionally part of casting a circle.

Knot Visualization –

Visualize yourself tying a knot – any knot you can tie easily in reality. Try not to see a mental picture of yourself from the outside; instead, put yourself in the picture. See your hand moving and feel the thread. Feel every movement you would make then draw the knot closed, and feel the string pull taut.

Candle Gazing Visualization –

In a quiet darkened room, light a candle. Ground and center, and gaze quietly at the candle. Breathe deeply, and let yourself feel yourself feel warmed by the light of the candle. Let its peaceful radiance fill you completely. As thoughts surface in your mind, experience them as they come from outside. Do not let the flame split into a double image: keep your eyes focused. Remain for at least five to ten minutes, then relax.

Diamond Visualization –

Again, light a candle in a dim, quiet room. Ground and center. Gaze at the candle, and visualize a diamond in the center of your forehead, between and just above your eyebrows. The diamond reflects the light of the candle, and the candle reflects the light of the diamond. Feel the reverberation of energy. Hold for at least five to ten minutes, then relax.

Mirror Mirror Visualization –

Ground and center. In a mirror, gaze into your own eyes. Focus your attention on the space between them. Repeat your own name to yourself, over and over. Again, as thoughts surface, experience them as if they were outside you. After five to ten minutes, relax.

Rock Visualization –

Ground and center. Imagine that you are standing on the seashore, looking out over the waves. In your strongest hand, you hold a heavy rock. Pick it up, inhale, and as you exhale, let it fly! Watch it splash into the sea just below the horizon.

Now look up again. Realize you can see a horizon twice as far away. Mentally stretch to see it. In your hand, you hold a rock twice as large as a fist. Again, take a deep breath, and as you exhale, throw with all your might. Watch it splash into the far waves.

Once again, look up and realize that you can see a horizon twice as far away again. In your hand, you hold a rock twice as heavy. Take on more deep breath, and as you exhale, throw hard. Watch it splash.

Practice this exercise until you can feel the release of power that goes with the rock.

Hammer Visualize –

Ground and center. Visualize a heavy hammer in your hand. A stubborn nail is sticking out of a board in front of you. With all your strength, drive the nail into the board. Repeat, doing it three times in all.

– Alfrún

Exercise courtesy of The Spiral Dance by Starhawk