The art of centering is crucial to Wheel work and other ceremonial work. The more centered you are, the more powerful and safe your work will be. Centering techniques help to bring your energy together to allow you to let go of the mundane, everyday reality and thus enter the realm of the sacred. This is another form of the process of intentionality and another form of the Give-away. By giving devoted attention to the sacred, you are honoring the good of all.

When centering, you draw your attention from all the issues and concerns of your everyday world and concentrate with clarity of purpose on the Divine. The easiest way to do this is through the breath. If you are in a group of people, you can center by holding hands and breathing together. When centering this way, the energy flows better if people place their left hand palm up (to receive energy) and their right hand palm down (to give energy). Breathe rhythmically and concentrate on the flow and power of life that circulates through the group to center yourself even deeper.

Centering through sound is very powerful. This is sometimes called sonic driving, which is an important tool often used in shamanic Journeying. Chanting, drumming, rattling, and playing droning instruments such as didgeridoos all work well for centering. When drumming, beat the rhythm of your own heartbeat. You can also rattle your heartbeat. Chanting is especially powerful in that you take the energy of the Earth in through your body, magnify the energy with your intention, and then send the energy out with your voice as a Give­away. The quality of your singing voice does not matter if you think you cannot sing. The purpose of chanting is centering and sending energy.

It is important for you to differentiate between centering and grounding. Centering is the way you draw your energy away from the everyday world to do spiritual work, and grounding is the way that you return to normal consciousness. Being grounded means that you are aware of your body and you know how you feel while you are carrying out ordinary affairs of the day. The secret to being grounded is to become aware of the web of energy that manifests through the sun, moon, stars, the air, the rain, the plants, and so on. To be grounded and to stay grounded is easiest when outdoors because the connection between the Spirit body and the physical body tends to be stronger there. The simple act of moving into relationship with the natural elements is the key.

There are many grounding methods, and it is worthwhile to identify the ones that work best for you. Some are very simple, such as breathing evenly and listening to your breath. Gentle humor, journaling, or bringing your mind to your to-do list will also work. You can track sensations in your body or walk barefoot or lie on the ground. Other methods include getting on your hands and knees and placing your forehead on the earth; drinking water or eating food, especially protein (it is best to avoid sugar); toning Hu-uu-uu-uu; holding a stone in your hand; picking up a handful of dirt and smelling it; or simply stepping outside and deeply drinking in the freshness of the air. All of these methods work.

1. Do this sitting up with the lights on. Do not lie down, and do not play music during this exercise.
2. Sit and breathe in full, easy breaths; land in your body.
3. Get behind your eyes, between your ears, and in the center of your head.
4. Create a cord of golden white light; let the light go through the top of your head, through your body, and down, down, down, down, a long way down, to the center of the Earth, and then connect the cord to the core of the Earth.
5. Imagine your feet under the crust of the Earth.
6. Draw golden earth energy up through your legs and up into your torso, over the top of your head, then down your spine back into the earth. Keep checking to make sure you are behind your eyes, between your ears, and in the center of your head.
7. Allow some of the energy to flow up into your torso, out of your arms, and out the top of your head.
8. As the energy flows out of the top of your head, say “Hello” to your auric field. Find the edges of your aura, and have the energy flow to those edges and then back down to the center of the earth. This heals the aura, filling in those places where life has torn gaps.
9. Imagine the Sun just above your head; the Sun has your name on written in beautiful colored letters.
10. Let go of any old energy, releasing the energy down through your grounding cord; let the Earth create a new grounding cord for you. Keep checking to make sure you are behind your eyes, between your ears, and in the center of your head.
11. Let the Sun pour its energy into the letters of your name, and watch the letters merge into your being; at the same time, let the Earth energy rise, grounding each letter into your being. Allow the energies to mix and flow up your body and out the crown of your head.
12. Put anything you would like to manifest into the Sun, and fill yourself and your aura with this Sun energy. This will plant the seed of whatever you want or need in your auric field; this is the beginning of manifestation.
13. Slowly open your eyes, and notice how grounded and still you are, ready to face the moment.

(This exercise was originally from the Berkeley Psychic Institute.)

What you will need: Something to generate sound, such as a rattle or drum, although your voice will do

When traveling through spiritual realms, it is important to know how to connect ourselves; this is our true source of protection. First of all, we must release some aspects of our connection to our physical body in order to call our spiritual body to the forefront. Anytime we center and connect to the Divine, our physical body becomes more vulnerable and less powerful, just as it does during sleep. This is could be frightening to the Inner Child, or Pure Self, and it threatens the ego aspect of the personality. The energy of the ego is very dense and is rooted to the physical world. The job of the ego is to keep us safely connected to the physical world. We are spiritual beings, and we would leave our bodies if we did not have something to anchor us here while we experience physical embodiment. By performing an act of connection, we notify our Inner Child and ego that we are indeed taking care of them by protecting our physical body. Secondly, there are many forms of energy in the non-physical realms. All of these energies can serve our soul’s path, although some can be frightening to us if we are not ready to handle their power. Calling in connection is the way that we ensure that only the energies that are appropriate for our soul’s journey at this time affect us.

A Word of Caution

It is important not to practice these exercises while driving or performing some other activity. This is true because of the vulnerable state these exercises put us in and also out of respect and dedication. Our very existence is interdependent with all beings on all levels of reality, and it is disrespectful to our sacred relationships not to give these beings dedicated attention. As we deepen our level of working, we will call on Guides and Guardians in other realms, and we need to have established respectful relationships in order for this practice to be serving. It is also important to be careful about arrogance when working in these realms; arrogance is another form of disrespect that will cause our spiritual work to fail. We must have humility, and we must be authentic and sincere, always willing to drop our false-self masks in order to discern the Divine within.

The Invocation

At the beginning of every lesson, you will find the Invocation Blessing Song. This prayer uses a form of calling in the directions that can serve as a template you can use to invoke protective energies when you are doing Wheel work. It is okay to use this exact prayer in the beginning, and as time goes on, you may adapt the prayer to what your heart is calling you to say. For instance, when addressing the energies of a cardinal direction (North, South, East, or West), you may get a sense that some animal, plant, mineral, or other helper is calling you to notice it, and you may want to call it forth at that time. Certain helper energies are traditionally found in certain directions: you will be provided with a list of these in the introduction to each of the four directional gates, and they certainly are not the only helpers that work in the direction. Again, different people have different lists, and you may find, for instance, that the helper animals that you encounter while working with the energies of a certain direction are different from the ones found on anyone else’s list. The key is to trust yourself and your inner wisdom. There is no one “right” way. For example, although turtle traditionally is an animal associated with the Earth because it is so low to the ground, there are also sea turtles that may want to assist when you are working with the direction and element of water. By making the prayer an expression of your own spiritual voice, you are demonstrating your willingness to accept your power and to take responsibility for fulfilling your sacred potential.

A Process for Calling in the Seven Directions

Before beginning, gather all the materials and objects that you need for the process. Smudge or cleanse your Spirit body in some way (see Exercise 1). To connect to the Divine, people often use a drum, rattle, bell, whistle, conch shell, or some other sound instrument to call in the directions and alert the Spirits of those directions; this sonic driving acts as a sort of spiritual “doorbell.” Although such objects are nice and do indeed help to establish a sacred connection, the sound of your spoken words can be enough. The point is not to put off doing the work because you don’t have a drum or rattle or some other object. A simple call of “Hello,” “Greetings,” “Ho,” or even “Hey” will work. Remember: The most important thing is the quality of your intention.

It is an act of honoring to face the Direction you are addressing, and it is not mandatory. Traditionally, people start with the East, and that is not mandatory either; let your Spirit be your guide. Beat your drum, shake your rattle, or ring your bell, or whatever you are using, a few times. If you do not have a sound maker, begin by calling your greeting, saying something as simple as, “I call to the Spirits of the East,” or “Ho, Spirit Keepers of the North,” and so on. Then continue by naming the qualities, energies, animal helpers, and so forth that you want to connect with. See the Invocation Blessing Song that appears at the beginning of each lesson. Turn clockwise to the next direction, shake your rattle or drum your drum, then call your greeting and name the qualities and so on for each of the four cardinal directions. This creates a circle of connection.

Then turn toward the center, look up, and call to the Father Sky; then kneel down, touch the ground or floor, and call to Mother Earth; and then be still and call to (honor) Sacred Mystery at your Center. This completes another circle that creates the sphere of protection. Next, make a statement of intention (see the Invocation Blessing Song for an example), and then begin your spiritual work: visioning, meditation, and ceremony.

Releasing the Directions

When you have finished, it is another act of honoring to release the Directions. By your will you have called their attention to you, and it is only polite that you let them know when your work is complete. Some people release the Directions by reversing the calling-in process, releasing and thanking each Direction in the reverse order that they were called in. This truly is a good way to honor these energies; a simple prayer of gratitude, like the one that appears at the end of each lesson, is also honoring.

We each contain an enduring spark of that wisdom

at the heart of all creation. Isolated and

unsupported, it is but a small spark. United

with others, those sparks grow into a flame

of illumination and strength for us all.

That strength which sustains and renews each

one of us also sustains and renews our communities,

our organizations, our environment, and the Earth.

Gathering in wisdom circles enables us to move

deeply into ourselves, into that core which continues

to survive, hope, dream, and carry on.

—John Seed

The Circle as a Sacred Symbol

The circle is considered by many people to be the ideal form. Having no beginning and no end, it reflects the eternal continuity of life. There are an infinite number of ways to be with a Sacred Circle, Hoop, or Wheel. Sacred Circles are a place to hold ceremonies, do spiritual exercises, and work and receive guidance. They work equally well for focused personal work or illuminated spiritual practice. Actual physical circles formed naturally by stones or trees or other natural features hold great energies, and so do circles created in the imaginal realm. They are a powerful source of safety and protection and a powerful force for good works, and as such, they serve best when they are always being respected and used in a good way. A Sacred Circle lays out for us the deepest, most basic cycles; the most organic rhythms; and the most fundamental yet ever-evolving truths. Come to the Hoop to be blessed and to draw on its energy for balance and guidance. Even if you are very far away, you can still connect to a Sacred Circle in the imaginal realm and draw on the ever-present holy energy of Creation.

Entering the Sacred Circle

Before entering the Circle, partake of a smudging ceremony or some other form of cleansing, clear your mental blocks, and center yourself. The particular form of cleansing is not as important as the conscious intent to prepare yourself to deepen, listen, expand, and reconnect. Once you are centered and grounded, you may sense that it feels correct to bow or to give an offering as you enter. After you have stepped into the Circle or created a mental Wheel around you, stop for a moment out of respect for the Earth and all the presences that give life and renewal. Acknowledge their gifts and feel your gratitude fully in your body (Eastern traditions call this an “inner smile”). It is always helpful to call to the Directions and the Spirits of the place. Even though they are always present in a wheel, formally acknowledging them supports us to better align with them.

Actual physical circles must be smudged periodically, and if they are outdoors, you will want to feed the circle grounds and “All Our Relations” that give energy to this sacred space. Traditional feeding items are tobacco, cornmeal, or seeds; a hair from your head, this is another form of the Give-away that symbolizes your understanding of the Circle of Service. Your Give-away to your Circle is in honor of what the Circle gives to you. Many people find it good to honor the beginning and the end of their work at a single point on the Wheel; in other words, they exit the Circle at the same place that they entered.

Working Within the Sacred Circle

Remember to respect others around you and only be in the Circle in a sacred way. Any discordant energy or arguments must find harmonious resolution before entering into the Sacred Circle. Train animals and children to honor the space. If they mess up, teach and re-teach until they learn. Always teach with stories and gentle touch. Animals and children belong in ceremony. Teach ground rules so that they learn to respect space and do not run carelessly or irresponsibly through physical sites.

If there is a fire pit, use it only for ceremony, not as a double-duty picnic weenie-roasting fire. Do not put any garbage in a sacred fire; the teachings of the Great Mysteries are encountered here. Receive them with respect and devotion.

Be aware of the Great Circle of which you personally are a part: your spirit, your body, your emotions, your mind, what you do and say, and how you and your life are flowing in a circular way. Bring your whole self to the Wheel with trust; bring your wisdoms and your ignorance, your strengths and your fragmentations, your joys and your fears, your confidences and your insecurities and offer them up to be integrated, balanced, and brought back into the larger flow of life. Understand that each choice you make, if connected to Source, is another Sacred Circle.

When doing Wheel work, you can work completely or partially in the imaginal realm, visualizing and so on, or you can physically move within the Circle. No matter what the experience is like, it is the intention to change, to listen and respond, and to honor and affirm that creates the power. When doing the actual physical work, proceeding in a sunwise direction—clockwise, circling to the left if you are facing the center—celebrates the rising, circling, and setting of the sun; contrary to the various prescriptions or rules you may have heard, it is not the only good way to proceed. And it is not necessarily “wrong” or “bad” to turn your back on the center or approach the center by any other way than by the “Spirit paths,” and so on. Remember again the importance and power of your intention.

In actuality, there are very few universal rules for working with a Wheel or Sacred Circle or Hoop. It is more in line with circular energies to allow a deep sense of appropriateness to emerge rather than create hard and fast rules. Ground rules around Wheels emerge more from the needs of the particular site and the land that contains it and can be thought of in terms of supportive guidelines for optimal relationship to the energies. Women in particular, or men who want to get more in touch with their Sacred Feminine, may find it helpful to sometimes work in a counter-clockwise (“moonwise”) direction.

Leaving the Sacred Circle

Before exiting, give thanks for what has been received within this sacred space and acknowledge releasing or disconnecting from the energies of the Directions or of Spirit helpers and guides that you may have encountered. Stop again for a moment of grounding and honoring, and then exit.

“Imagine the pain of going to your grave with the feeling of never having been truly seen or heard by anyone. People have commented after a Sacred Wisdom Circle that they don’t remember having been ‘listened to’ so intently in their entire lives. In an ongoing circle, as a member feels more trust, she may choose to reveal more of a painful past, or an anxious present circumstance. When personal feelings are witnessed by others, healing can begin. Not only for the one who speaks, but for those who listen. Your words may resonate with others, and some new truths may surface that is of use to them—all because you took the risk to speak authentically.” —from Wisdom Circles, by Charles Garfield, Cynthia Spring, and Sedonia Cahill

What you will need: Your imagination, your journal, and a pen

When you free your imagination, you can literally transform reality. When you can only imagine a thing being as it has always been, you call prey to change blindness. In an experiment, kittens raised in boxes painted with vertical lines were not able to see things in their environment made of horizontal lines when they were let out of the box. These two examples of how our perceptual expectations get in the way of really seeing things as they are. When we lose our attachments to what we expect to see, we open a door to perception and increase our ability to see what’s really in front of us. This exercise will help you open that door. Practice it often, and record your experiences in your journal.

1.  Re-create your automobile in your mind as carefully as possible, including every detail you can remember.
2.  When you have re-created your automobile to the best of your ability, begin to focus on each part of it. Notice everything: color, texture, smell, sound, temperature. Choose several of the qualities that you have noticed and describe them to yourself in Nature terms. For instance, if you are looking at the tan color of the paint, you might see it as having the same color and temperature as a smooth sandy beach in the early morning light; or you could experience woven seat covers as having the same texture as a dog’s nose when it’s dry. Take a moment to experience several aspects of the car in Nature terms.
3.  Now let your imagination take over. Begin making some changes in your auto, again using qualities of Nature and using all your senses. You could make these changes humorous for added benefit: make it furry like an animal, make it smell like cinnamon, and have it dance around singing loudly. This step is important because it exercises your imagination as well as your ability to experience your images filled with the spirit of Nature. Spend some time creating this experience. You may even try to allow your vehicle to change on its own without your instruction. Other things may join the scene. See what comes in; it may surprise you.
4.  Now freeze the action of your image, as if you had taken a snapshot of the scene. Put a white border around it to make it even more like a snapshot. Now take that snapshot scene and zoom it away from you as if it were across the room from you. You can tell that it is a picture across the room there, but you can’t quite make out what it is a picture of. So you are now imaging a snapshot across a room that must look about 3 to 4 inches in size.

5. Next (this part is fun), have the snapshot scene move toward you growing in size as it comes closer, until the scene surrounds you so that it is life size by the time it reaches you. Notice that the objects in the scene are no longer two dimensional, as they were when they were in a flat snapshot; they are now three dimensional. It is as if you had stepped onto a stage, and the scene is all around you.

6.  Now have the scene come alive again around you, and just enjoy the experience for a little while. When that is complete, sincerely thank each part of your scene and let them fade from your awareness so that you are fully back in your room, grounded and aware.