An Introduction to Auntie Anatieda’s Blog

 

Hello, I am Auntie Anatieda, the Generous Muse.[i]  I am starting my magical blog, filled with wisdom, humor, magical incantations, and progressive activism.  May it become a spell cast on each of us, so that we grow into stronger, more authentic versions of ourselves.  May these future selves then be inspired by that which we must protect, and that which we cannot abide, to become real-world activists in both the personal and public spheres.

 

Some Definitions

First, we must begin with a few definitions.  I am too much of an academic not to lay out the root sources of my work.

·        Witchcraft: Witchcraft is not the black eyeliner, dark stuff of TV shows. [ii] Witchcraft is, quite simply, the skills of crafting the witch herself.  It includes all the techniques, prayers, spells, exercises, blessed objects, and rituals that a witch engages in to craft a stronger, happier, and more effective version of herself. 

·         Magic:  Dion Fortune,[iii] the great-grandmother of modern witchcraft, wrote that “Magic is the art of changing consciousness at will.”  When one changes one’s consciousness, one sees the world differently.  And once one sees the world differently, they begin to know, with certainty, that another world than the one they live in currently is possible.  Magic is a tool we use to craft ourselves as witches and the world around us. 

 

My Overall Thesis

Currently, many people in my country, especially women, are living in a state of continuous, low-level fear and dread. [iv] This sense of disquiet often causes people to act in ways that are contrary to their own best interests: [v]

•          Fearful people stay in bad jobs when a better job would ease financial and emotional stress.
•          Fearful people stay in bad relationships when it is their own partner making their life harder, and reinforcing tensions and anxiety.
•          Fearful people vote for conservative politicians, whose policies strip our rights and decimate the social safety nets that they need to survive. [vi] [vii]

Given this irony — that fear makes humans act in ways that actually make their lives worse and discernibly scarier — I believe that we need to find a way to dissipate the overall sense of fear.  

We need to find stability, heal from past trauma, and build ourselves up to the point that we can move past fears.  Only then can we make progressive, positive changes in our lives that will better our personal lives and the world around us. 

 

Auntie Anatieda’s Answer

In this blog, I will discuss how we can use magical tools to encourage our sense of personal worth, competence, and self-love.  

This blog will serve as a gentle guide on how we, as humans, can enhance our personal lives, relationships, and inner sense of joy and of justice.  Finally, and most importantly, this blog will serve as a manifesto towards political and magical activism. 

When we reconnect with ourselves and reconstruct our inner conviction, we become better at all aspects of our lives:

A better friend.

A better family member.

A better caregiver.

A better employee.

A better entrepreneur.

A better romantic partner.

A better activist.

Because when we approach the world with gratitude and happiness, we will see the good within ourselves.  We will see improvements in both our inner mental conversations and in our personal lives. 

And through this process of personal transformation, we begin to desire progress in the world around us. 

We step into our role as co-creators of our world. 

 

The Prayer for this Blog

This page will be dedicated to sharing my ideas and those of other experts on magical transformation.  We will share political theories, real-world commentary, and rituals to help us construct ourselves as powerful witches and activists. 

I pray that my muses will help me find words that are inspiring, lyrical, and SEO-compliant enough to be found by people seeking to make positive, progressive life changes.

 If you like the idea of using magic to improve the world and yourself, follow me, and share this with your friends.  In the comments, please share a few things you’d like to see change in your life and the world around you. 

Let's get stronger and more courageous together.  

Let's get happier.

Let's change the world for a more inclusive, safer, and more equitable vision.  0  

 

 

Footnotes:  [viii]

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[i] In reality, I have met the other Generous Muse on Instagram… she hosts theater events and amazing artistic parties.  I cannot say enough excellent things about her. 

I am convinced that, in this world, there are at least seven other people ready to claim their role as a Generous Muse to the masses. 

 

[ii] Although the TV witchy aesthetic is very cool.  I, however, cannot wear makeup.  Every time I try, I feel like a dropout from clown college. 

Also, I prefer pink over black. 

And, well, my ADHD home is too disorganized for that perfect cottagecore or gothy look: with the dried herbs all in a row, thousands of tiny perfectly labeled bottles, and the meticulously maintained Book of Shadows. 

If you can do this, good on you!  Get down with your bad self. 

But, if you can’t, so what?  Only your roommates and the gods know the dust levels on your altar.    

 

[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dion_Fortune

 

[iv] In my professional life, I am a trained Social Scientist; there are literally mountains of research about fear and anxiety in women, and how it affects us.  Maybe one day I will write a Blog about this.  Today is not that day.  Below are a few articles:  

·         University of Cambridge, “Opinion: Women Are Far More Anxious than Men – Here’s the Science,”  https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/opinion-women-are-far-more-anxious-than-men-heres-the-science

·         American Institute of Stress, “Why Women are more Stressed than Ever, And How to Address It,” https://www.stress.org/news/why-women-are-more-stressed-than-ever-and-how-to-address-it/

·         Psychology Today, “America the Anxious,” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-mood-lab/202509/america-the-anxiou

·         Priory, “Why Are Stress Levels Among Women 50% Higher than Among Men,” https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/why-are-stress-levels-among-women-50-higher-than-men

• ·         American Psychological Association, “Women Say They’re Stressed, Misunderstood, and Alone.”

https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/women-stress

 

 

[v] Once again, this is a well-researched and well-proven topic.  Below are a few articles:

·         University of Bath, “New Research Reveals How Dread Shapes Decision-Making,” https://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/fear-and-decision-making-how-fear-affects-risk-assessment-and-behavioral-choices

·         UC Berkley News, Anxious People More Apt to Make Bad Decisions Amid Uncertainty,” https://news.berkeley.edu/2015/03/02/anxious-people-decisions/

·         Frontiers in Behavioral Science, “Effect of Real-World Fear on Risky Decision-Making in Medical School-Based Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study,”  https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/why-are-stress-levels-among-women-50-higher-than-men

·         Journal of Traumatic Stress Disorders and Treatment, “Fear and Decision Making: How Fear Affects Risk Assessment and Behavioral Choices, https://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/fear-and-decision-making-how-fear-affects-risk-assessment-and-behavioral-choices

·         National Library of Medicine, “The Influence of Fear on Risk Taking: A Meta Analysis,” https://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/fear-and-decision-making-how-fear-affects-risk-assessment-and-behavioral-choices

·         ScholarWorks@UARK, “Impact of Fear on Interpersonal Economic Decision-Making,” https://www.scitechnol.com/peer-review/fear-and-decision-making-how-fear-affects-risk-assessment-and-behavioral-choices

 

[vi]  This is another well-researched subject.  Below are a few articles:

·         National Library of Medicine, “Fight, Flight, Or Vote Right? A Systemic Review of Threat Sensitivity in Political Conservatism,” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12651488/

·         American Psychological Association, “Fear: A Powerful Motivator In Elections,” https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2020/fear-motivator-elections

·         Brown University, “Tendency to Fear is Strong Political Influence,” https://archive2.news.brown.edu/2007-2015/articles/2013/02/fear.html

·         Psychology Today, “Fear and Anxiety Drive Conservatives’’ Political Attitudes,” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-in-the-machine/201612/fear-and-anxiety-drive-conservatives-political-attitudes

·         UCLA Institute For Society and Genetics, “Study Links Genetics of Fear and Conservative Politics,” https://socgen.ucla.edu/2013/02/08/genetics-of-fear/

·         The Loop, “The Anxious Voter: Linking Fears to Right-Wing Populist Voting,” https://theloop.ecpr.eu/the-anxious-voter-linking-fears-to-right-wing-populist-voting/

 

 

 

[vii] Interestingly enough, some articles published after the rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement are finding that Anger is an even stronger drive towards conservatism.  I would argue anger often masks fear.  Additionally, women are often afraid of the angry men in their lives.  Below are two articles: 

·         WashU, “Research Shows Anger, Not Fear, Shifts Political Beliefs,” https://source.washu.edu/2025/10/research-shows-anger-not-fear-shifts-political-beliefs/

·         Society for Personal Psychology, “What Drives People Right or Left During Threats – Anger or Fear?” https://spsp.org/news/character-and-context-blog/lambert-eadeh-anger-not-fear-political-shifts

 

[viii]   Yes, I do realize that my footnotes are longer than the article.  I am, as I wrote, at heart an academic.  

Grounding: A Spiritual Guide to Healing With the Earth

 Coming Home to the Earth

Discover grounding as a spiritual practice.  Learn about the benefits, rituals, and how reconnecting with the earth supports balance and healing.

 

Introduction: Remembering Our Connection to the Earth

We walk upon this earth, living, breathing, human.  

Animal, connected.

Our bodies are part of the earth, death’s dust walking.  We receive food, water, and oxygen from the interconnected ecosystem of plants and animals that share this planet with us.

And yet, in this modern world, we humans are often detached from this interplay of nature.  Our hands grasp phones instead of each other.  Our eyes stare at screens instead of the wonder of bird flight.  We argue with strangers on social media instead of singing together with friends.  We shuffle past our neighbors, with no attempt at deep interaction. 

Our jobs put us on unnatural, intense deadlines. 

And everywhere we receive messages to hurry, hurry, hurry.

Be more productive. 

Make more money.

Be better.  Be richer.  Be funnier.  Be smarter.  Be thinner… and on, and on in an unending cacophony of negative self-worth.

Be something other than we are right now, in this moment. 

No wonder our society is replete with depression and anxiety.  Feelings of being lost and separated from each other.  Disengaged from our very own lives.[i]

 

 

What is Grounding?

Long before modern life pulled us indoors, human beings lived in constant relationship with nature and oriented their lives around natural rhythms.  In many spiritual traditions, the earth is not an object beneath us, but a living, conscious presence, a source of nourishment, stability, and wisdom.

The simple act of grounding helps us remember this earth wisdom.   Grounding is the intentional act of reconnecting the body, mind, and spirit with the earth’s natural energy. [ii]  For spiritual seekers, grounding is less about “fixing” the body and more about returning to balance, presence, and wholeness.  In my tradition, we consider grounding as “the first skill of the witch.” 

When we ground, we use our intention to energetically release all anxieties, worries, and thoughts that do not serve us into the earth and sky, while pulling in supportive energies to steady and heal us.  Grounding reminds the witch of what energy is hers, and what negative energies she has collected, and can discard. 

 

Grounding as an Energetic and Spiritual Practice

Across cultures, grounding appears in spiritual language under many names:

• Indigenous earth‑honoring rituals[iii]
• Taoist and yogic practices
• Shamanic journeying and barefoot ceremonies
• Meditation traditions emphasizing “rooting” or “anchoring to the earth”

Spiritually, grounding is believed to:

• Calm excess mental activity
• Release stagnant or anxious energy
• Restore a sense of safety and belonging
• Strengthen intuition through embodiment

When the body is grounded, awareness naturally drops out scattered, anxious, racing thoughts, into the present moment.  This capability to divest negative feelings is why therapists, gurus, and doctors often recommend grounding during spiritual awakening, physical distress, emotional healing, or times of energetic sensitivity.

 

 

One Way to Energetically Ground Yourself

One of the most beautiful aspects of grounding is its simplicity.  You don’t need special tools, beliefs, or techniques. [iv]

All you have to do is simply sit still, slow your breath, and drop your awareness into the earth, as well as up into the sky.  The earth and heavens are always present, always offering stability, assistance, and encouragement.

Below is a video of a VERY FAST grounding exercise to give you an explainer.  It is formatted to 3 minutes because our socials limit us to that length.  But you may take as long and luxurious a time to ground as your luscious mind and body desires.  

Here is the Link the My Instagram Post with the Grounding Video.

 

Spiritual and Physiological Benefits Associated With Grounding

Modern science is beginning to explore what ancient cultures intuitively knew: that direct contact with the earth may support physical regulation, emotional calm, and energetic alignment.  While research remains emerging, grounding is increasingly embraced by even mundane practitioners as a sacred, embodied practice that bridges spirituality and science.

1.  Returning to the Body

Many spiritual seekers struggle with feeling “ungrounded,” “spacy,” or overly caught up in their own thoughts.  Our awareness hovers in our heads, ignoring the rest of our beautiful, vibrant bodies.  Grounding gently brings awareness back into the physical body, supporting embodiment and presence. 

This embodied awareness is foundational for meditation, intuitive development, and emotional regulation.  In my tradition, we ground our energy before casting a circle for doing magic.  In many meditative practices, yogis begin by grounding themselves to root their bodies and clear their minds, before chanting or focusing on a specific mantra.

 

2.  Emotional Regulation, Inner Calm, and Greater Knowing

Grounding helps us slow our racing thoughts, breathing, and heart rate.  These shifts help create a bodily sense of calm.  By divesting ourselves of anxious thoughts, we become less reactive to negative stimuli, enabling better emotional regulation.

For me, I find that when I ground, I feel closer to the earth, and to its inhabitants.  When my energy is “more mine,” I find myself better able to engage with other people and their scattered, chaotic, overpowering energies.  My empathetic capabilities expand without overwhelming me with others’ emotions.  This inner energetic solidity makes me calmer in conversation and interactions with my friends, family, co-workers, and even strangers.

Ironically, when I am more grounded, I am better able to see both the physical and astral worlds.  Rather than blocking out the entire world, grounding allows me to see what is important and what is a distraction.  I am better able to listen to my guides.  I am more confident in my actions and decisions, which, in turn, adds to my inner sense of calmness. 

Finally, with better emotional regulation, a witch is more capable of performing mundane and magical work in the world, thereby increasing self-confidence. [v]  This sense of competence reduces feelings of imposter syndrome and increases calm self-assurance in one’s work. 

 

3.  Supporting Rest and Sleep Rhythms

Grounding relaxes the body, slows the heart rate, and slows the breath rate.  Therefore, grounding is frequently incorporated into evening sleep rituals to help the body unwind.  Some early studies observed shifts in cortisol rhythms and subjective sleep quality among grounded participants.[vi]

Sleep is a time of mental restoration and integration.  Grounding signals safety to the nervous system, supporting deeper surrender into sleep.  Good sleep has immeasurable benefits to healing and maintaining bodily systems.  

Physiologically, sleep is when the body repairs itself.  Better sleep is associated with reduced inflammation, which improves the body’s experience of symptoms of many diseases.[vii]

Psychologically, deep sleep and dreams allow our brains to integrate new information and process old stories. 

Spiritually, dreams allow humans to seek information from other realms, including visits from ancestors and guides. 

 

4.  Feeling Held and Supported

On an energetic level, grounding cultivates a felt sense of being held by the earth, reconnected, supported.  For many people, this experience alone brings comfort, emotional release, and a renewed sense of trust in life. 

The Cleveland Clinic emphasizes that, while physiological mechanisms are still being studied, the calming effect of connecting with nature is well established.[viii]  Science continues to explore measurable effects, while spirituality reminds us that not everything meaningful can be quantified.  Grounding exists in this sacred middle space—where ancient wisdom meets modern curiosity.

 

Conclusion: Coming Home to the Earth

Grounding is not about becoming something new.  It is about remembering what we already are—beings of earth, energy, and awareness.

Whether you approach grounding as a spiritual ritual, a mindfulness practice, or a gentle wellness habit, its deepest gift is presence.  When we reconnect with the earth beneath us and the sky above us, we reconnect with ourselves.[ix]

I love the Tree of Life grounding exercise I posted above because it is very visual and sensorial.  [x]  The more I worked with it, the more I felt supported by my visualized tree and all the moments of this meditation.  

When I ground, I feel my roots growing into the wet, loamy soils.  I taste the salt layer, and hear the bones of my ancestors whispering.  The earth’s core warms me.  My head cracks open to let branches sprout.  I bathe in the wetness of clouds.  My skin pulses with the deep silence of space.  The iron magnetism of the stars pulls me upward.   

Gravity and magic tether me to this planet, this location, this moment.  

My tree, my tiny soil-space on this planet, and heavens above me, all work together to cheer me onwards.  I lean into my tree for stability and beauty.  Her rough bark at my back, her roots at my feet. 

And eventually, I became my own buoyant, flexible, fruitful, trusted tree.

I wonder what form of tree you will become? [xi] [xii]

 

References

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[i] Please, please, please do not read this blog as stating that grounding, or any form of witch-craft practice, is a substitute for psychological or medical care.  I am a suburban witch who studied public administration. 

I do not claim to be a doctor.  I don’t even claim to be a RFK-style fake “wellness-influencer.”   

Grounding and other witchy practices can enhance the work you do in therapy and will be useful tools to in addition to medicine.  But in the same way apple-cider vinegar isn’t going to cure cancer, meditation won’t cure clinical depression.  Get yourself to Therapy!  Take your medicine.  Oh, and skip the raw milk… it will give you the icky belly. 

[ii]  Healthline.  What Is Grounding and Can It Improve Your Health? [youtube.com]

[iii] Still, grounding and witchcraft are not a substitute for medicine and therapy.  More than one person has told me I appeared in their dreams, telling them to extol the benefits of therapy. 

One time, during the Great Recession, when I worked at the Unemployment Agency, one of my coworkers told me I appeared in her dream to advise therapy, and remind her that our health insurance plan covered therapy at par with other medical treatments.  She wanted to thank me, because therapy was very helpful. 

I did not actually know this woman… There were 1500 of us working in a very large office that we were not allowed to name a “call center.”  The point is, apparently, even on the astral, I am a PITA…err… “huge advocate” for professional mental health help. 

[iv] That $300 “electromagnetic grounding mat” is utter and complete BS.  The electromagnetic grounding gadgets you see online are about as genuine as a crypto-currency pyramid scheme, or that chick with the heavy eyeliner telling you she can “break your life-curse,” for the low-low price of $1000.

[v] Seriously, go to therapy!  Research suggests potential benefits, but evidence is still emerging. Medical organizations recommend grounding as a complementary wellness habit, not a full psychological treatment. ^x

I am a long-time witch.  I ground every day, multiple times a day.  I find grounding is essential to maintain my calm in this wild world.  However, I also take my mental health medicine.  No amount of meditation has reset my brain chemistry in the way Strattera helped my ADHD. 

[vi]  “Grounding Research Summaries” [wellnessmama.com]

[vii]  Oschman JL et al. Journal of Inflammation Research [Document | Word]

[viii]   Cleveland Clinic.  “What Is Earthing and Is It Beneficial?” [restorativ...dicine.org]

[x]  The Tree of Life grounding meditation works for my neurological makeup.  My brain visualizes; it produces sensory feels, smells, and colors.  Your brain may not do this.  Let me be clear: if this exercise does not work for you, you are not a witchy or meditative failure.  Your brain just works differently.  If you follow me, I can suggest other grounding techniques.

[xi]  Ending with another pitch for therapy and medication if you need it.

  

 ^xii  WebMD.  “Grounding: Techniques and Benefits” [naturalnews.com]