Barefoot Magick

by Sky Gazzard

We often talk of 'grounding' in practical magic and spellworking. So why not perform magic with your feet, from foot decoration to dance to rituals for the root chakra?

With summer on its way, it's time to drag your neglected feet out of hibernation and into the light. The feet are our way of connecting with the Earth and all of its energy and yet we pay them little attention. There's no feeling quite like treading soft grass, mud between the toes and sand shifting under your weight so kick off your shoes and make your own magick.

After being hidden away in boots a cleansing would be good preparation. Before starting your spellwork, perform a cleansing by showering or bathing and visualsing any negative energy swirling down the drain with the water. It may help to visualise the negativity as black and watching as the water returns to clear. Pay special attention to your feet and nails and scrub away the psychic dirt on your feet. After drying yourself you can concentrate on adding positive energy to your body as you rub in a layer of moisuriser.

Connecting the Foot Chakra

Opening the root chakra alone will give you a grounded feeling, so this exercise is useful for anyone feeling light headed or who has trouble managing their day dreaming. You should feel a sense of being in the moment and stability.

The Chakras act as gates to allow energy in and out of the body. The foot chakra is usually neglected but opening the foot chakra allows us to absorb energy directly from the Earth. This chakra's corresponding colour is brown, you can picture the chakras in many ways including a closed lotus flower or spinning wheel unlike the other chakras the foot chakra is split in two; half in one foot, half in the other.

Stand barefoot on the ground (grass or soil is best) with your feet a shoulder widths apart, visualise sending roots out from your feet deep into the Earth, this may take a few minutes, you will feel a sense of being 'plugged in' when you have acheived this connection. When you are ready begin to 'suck' energy from the earth, visualise it travelling slowly up the roots and into your feet when you reach the root chakra visualise the energy entering it causing it to open like a lotus. If you are familiar with the chakra system you may want to proceed with sending energy upwards to the other chakras.

You may use this energy for magick work, or just spend some time in this state. When you are finished close the chakra by visualising the lotus closing and send the energy back down through the roots into the Earth. Next withdraw the roots from the earth, back into your feet, take your time until you feel they have been completely retracted.

Decoration

Painting your nails is an easy way to include your feet in your spell craft. Choose a colour to match your intention e.g. blue for healing and if you're particularly steady-handed you can paint symbols onto your nails too.

Jewellery like toe-rings and anklets can add to your magic, they may already feature symbols like moons or hearts, if not use the material of the jewellery to indicate its symbolism. Silver is best for pyschic work and the moon, gold for courage, strength and the sun, copper for venus and love.

Henna is a time-honoured way to decorate the feet for ceremonies. Use brown henna, as some people react badly to the chemical PPD in the black henna.

Footprints

Footprints are the marks you make as you tread the earth, they contain personal energy. In Voudoun magick a pinch of dirt from a person's footprint could be used to affect a spell on them as effectively as fingernail clippings or hair.

Footprints are a very visual way to mark boundaries such as the perimeter of your home or the edges of a magic circle.

Feet can be used in any spells for travel and sensuality as they represent these things strongly

Dance

Dance is an enjoyable way to raise power, dance to the beat of drums or use your feet to beat your own rythm on the earth. Simple dances like the Spiral dance are an easy way for a group to move together without difficult moves to learn. Improvising on your own is a very freeing way to express yourself. Even skipping around a faery ring (ring of mushrooms reportedly caused by the presence of faeries) is incorporating dance into your magick.

Note: Before walking anywhere barefoot check the area for broken glass or anything that could damage your feet.

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