Can immersing oneself in the element of water (taking a very long hot shower) be a type of grounding? Just instead of earth, with water?
My friend, you have discovered the conflation of various terms all called "grounding," only one of which really has a strong connection to elemental earth.
In contemporary witchcraft, various elements (most commonly fire, earth, air, and water) may be represented by associated physical substances - in this case, perhaps soil, stones, or planet Earth itself.
But we should not forget that these physical objects are only ever correspondences to the elemental concept.
And we should be mindful that there are many things called grounding, some of which are not interchangeable.
"Grounding" may be what we call a technique to reduce anxiety. "I'm having a panic attack and I need to ground myself - what are five things I can see?"
Similarly, the term grounding may sometimes refer to mindfulness. "I've been off in my head all day - I'm going to ground myself by doing the dishes in a mindful way."
Grounding may be a technique to release and divert an excess of raised metaphysical energy - "I tread the mill too hard (yolo) so now I'll ask this tree to take the excess energy away from me."
Grounding may also be an energy-working technique designed to create an energetic root system. "I will visualize roots growing from my spine so I may be grounded into planet earth."
We can see that in some common usages, grounding refers to stabilizing within the present moment. In other usages, it refers to releasing extra energy (especially among electricians!). In other usages, it refers to energy techniques to associate with nature.
The first part of my answer is - maybe you know what grounding means for yourself, but if you don't know exactly what it's supposed to do, decide exactly what you want your technique to provide you.
My second answer is, at this time in my practice I believe that the elements must be understood contextually.
In this situation, the context is you.
Elemental earth is associated with grounding because it's often associated with physicality, and therefore the present moment and connection to physical things in the present moment.
But is that what it does? I mean, is that truly what elemental earth always does?
Let me post a hypothetical. A seeker is a bubbly person. They flit from interest to interest like a butterfly among flowers. They engage in life explosively and sporadically. And it works. This is their healthiest, best self. They have a strong support system, a stable job, and hobbies that fulfill them.
Now, introduce elemental earth. Heavy, slow, cold. It creeps at the speed of tectonic plates. What it builds is hard to destroy. It is an emblem of boundaries and limitations.
The bubbly seeker is told that in order to be a witch, they must "ground." They start by using an energy technique to root themselves into the earth in order to create a constant flow of earthen energy through their system.
Is that good for that seeker? Is loading their system full of a single element that is contrary to their personal nature actually going to do anything positive for them?
How about you, Anon? Do you need to move more slowly? Do you need an excess of gravity around you? Do you need to dwell underneath yourself, drawn into the underworld of your own life?
If yes, stick with elemental earth.
If no, fuck what you've been told and use whatever elements you want in order to achieve a personal routine that supports your mental health, personal interests, and personal goals.
Magically "grounding" is tantamount to sucking a bunch of elemental energy inside of yourself. If you want to ground with earth, do so. If you don't, use whatever else you want. What is best for you depends on who you are as an individual.
And remember - energetic rebalancing is not a replacement for mental health support and will not replace techniques meant to manage anxiety or disassociation.
janainaart
vaporwave
tangentwithtanner
izzy806
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