Energy

What Is Energy?
As it relates to nature-based spirituality, energy can be described as the material that makes up all things. It is the stars, the planets and the space between them, the air we breathe, the trees, animals, rocks, wind, water and ourselves. Though it can be altered or transformed, no energy can be destroyed or created, despite the illusion of death, decay, birth and change. Energy is all permeating and infinite.
Energy is forever in motion, forever changing, although in some cases the motion is so minute that it is invisible in physical reality, such as with stones and other "inanimate" objects. All matter can be seen in subtle reality as a vortex of energy, with each moving at a unique rate of speed. It is this energy which some people see as colors and others sense as the aura.
Chakras and Auras

It is important when studying auras and chakras to understand the adage, "as above, so below." In other words, chakras do not stand alone, nor does the aura or the body. These are interactive and always communicating elements of the whole being. No one plane of existence is more important than another, nor can be sustained in a healthy manner without the other. Although some spiritual paths teach that one aspect of one's being needs to be forsaken for another, a healthy spiritual system will emphasize balance among the several planes of one's whole being.
Each chakra affects and is affected by its "partner" layer of the aura, so that if an injury occurs to a chakra, it shows in the aura and likewise, if an injury or imposition falls upon a certain layer of the aura, the "partner" chakra will be affected. In turn, these affects will then become manifest in the body as distress, illness or malfunction of the areas of the body supported by the given chakra. Chakras and auras can tell us what is going on with the body and why, just as noting what is happening with the body can indicate where a chakra may be blocked and where there may be damage or interference in the aura. Healing one will, by their very inter-connectedness,heal the other. However, one must realize that any time you may wish to help a person, every aspect of the person being helped must be taken into consideration, as attempting to heal or treat what is obvious may leave another part of the entire whole untouched. Modern medicine is a good example of how treating one aspect of a person neglects another. Modern medicine typically treats symptoms instead of healing the ultimate cause of the condition, because the physical body is emphasized while other aspects of the whole person are generally disregarded or worse, actually disparaged.
Chakras are the energy vortices of the human being which are actually located in the etheric body (see below). They are often described as "spinning wheels" of energy. The major chakras are generally depicted as being aligned approximately along the vertical midline of the body, though some models indicate the spleen chakra off toward the spleen, and some show two chakras in the vicinity of the throat or thyroid. Minor chakras are located in the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and at each joint, as well as at locations along the meridians of the body.
Most Western metaphysical systems designate seven major chakras, while some of the Eastern systems designate eight and even twelve. The first seven are located at the root of the spine, the area of the spleen, the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye (between the brows), the crown of the head. Some Western traditions place an eighth chakra approximately 8 - 12 inches above the crown chakra. These are the ones Western metaphysical traditions work with most often. Colors associated with these Chakras are: root, black/red; spleen, orange/brown; solar plexus, yellow; heart, green/pink; throat, light/medium blue; third eye, indigo blue/violet; crown, violet/white; eighth chakra, white/gold.
I personally recognize eight chakras in red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, indigo, violet and white in my chakra meditations. However, I will use other associated colors and not use the eighth chakra when a person with whom I am working is more comfortable with a different system. No one chakra system is preferred over another within the Earthpath tradition. Each person is encouraged to investigate the different systems to discover which one is personally relevant.
Each chakra is the energy center for different mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of the individual, as well as being a connection between the physical body which it energizes and its coordinating plane of the subtle body. When a chakra is open, energy flows freely back and forth between the subtle and physical (or gross) bodies. If a chakra becomes blocked for any reason, it is said to be closed. The energy cannot flow through or past that area of the body or has difficulty in doing so. Generally speaking, energy flows from the root chakra up through the other chakras and out the crown chakra. However, in certain exercises, energy is drawn down from above, through the crown chakra, in the opposite direction, to flow out the root chakra. In addition, energy can be cycled in a circular motion through the chakras, around the body and back into the original chakra. Exercises at the end of the chapter will include each of these methods.
Root
The root chakra is the energy which grounds the spiritual or ethereal in the physical. Its energy assists one in being secure and at peace in both the physical and spiritual realms. As its element is earth and area of consciousness is the physical body, this chakra helps us with our connection to the Earth and living in a material world. The energy from this chakra is, literally, what keeps us alive. It is the residing place of the Kundalini or "life energy." An unbalanced here can cause vanity, an obsession with the material, or the tendency to see things in "black and white."
Survival and instinct are also associated with the root chakra. When one's life situation is threatening or unstable, or if one is in a situation which will greatly influence her future, this chakra will either be wide open, so that the individual is obsessed with survival issues; or closed, leaving the individual unable to move or make life affecting decisions.
Spleen
The spleen chakra is associated with sexuality and creativity, though not specifically with the sex organs. Rather, it is associated with the energies which inspire sexuality. It is with the energy of this chakra that we reproduce, physically, artistically, intellectually and socially. When this chakra is unbalanced, it can result in promiscuity, blind creative drive, or conversely apathy or withdrawal from creative endeavors or sexual expression.
The spleen chakra assists one with personal self esteem. The chakra's element is water and its area of consciousness is emotional. As such, it governs compassion and the ability to fall in love. When this chakra is balanced, one will feel connected to others while having the ability to allow time for herself. When it is out of balance violent energies such as fear, anger, and jealousy come into play.
Solar Plexus
Where the spleen chakra influences compassionate love and companionship, the solar plexus chakra influences the more fiery emotions as well as free will, physical power, and the ability for manifestation, for its element is fire. The solar plexus chakra is where we get our "gut feelings," and that "cognitive dissonance". (When one is "called on the carpet, the uneasy feeling in the gut is cognitive dissonance.) Its area of consciousness for is the mental or intellectual body.
A balanced solar plexus chakra will result in a sense of personal power, a well-developed persona, and achievement. An unbalanced solar plexus chakra will result in being underdeveloped, immature, overly sensitive, in blind rage and raw animal-like emotions, i.e. chaotic, out of control power. When we feel stress and our digestion suffers, we are sensing an imbalance in the solar plexus chakra
Heart
Being the "center" chakra of the seven-chakra system, the heart chakra is the balance point between the three lower chakras and the three upper chakras. It is the place where harmony and balance are reached between the physical and the intuitive, the etheric and the spiritual. Air is the element of the heart chakra and its area of consciousness is the astral body. It influences the heart, lungs, and circulatory and immune system.
A balanced heart chakra results in a loving person who is in tune with herself and her feelings, and is able to wait for the "right partner." she is friendly and outgoing, with a love for and desire to nurture her environment, whether human or nature. When this chakra is unbalanced, the result can be a demanding, possessive nature, especially in love or one who is paranoid and codependant. An unbalanced heart chakra can lead to breathing, and circulatory problems, heart attack, high blood pressure and cancer
Throat
The throat chakra is the first of the higher chakras. Here, the psyche begins to associate with more spiritual attitudes and ideals. This chakra's element is sound and it is associated with communication, internally as well as externally, though the internal aspect is often overlooked. When this chakra is balanced, the individual will be able to communicate comfortably, is honest with herself, is at home with meditation, and has a real desire to talk with others about her experiences, especially spiritual ones.
Humor comes easily, even when it pertains to self and spiritual matters. As this chakra's area of consciousness is the etheric body. All things manifest in the etheric body before they manifest in the physical body, so it is extremely important to maintain balance in the throat chakra. This is also why speaking aloud what we wish to manifest is so important. Speaking our desires out loud directly impacts the etheric body which manifests that desire and brings it into the physical plane.
When this chakra is out of balance, a person may be overly aggressive and dominant, talk too much, use speech to attack and hurt others, or be egotistical (telling herself she is, perhaps, more than she is); or in the inverse, be too timid to speak up for her rights or express her own thoughts, or live in denial of things which or situations which are harmful to her (not communicating with self).
Third Eye
The third eye chakra is the psychic center. It is here that one receives inner knowledge of all things, for it is here where one is able to "see" with the complete vision of both darkness and light. This chakra's element is light and its area of consciousness is the celestial body. It provides the illumination and power for healing others and allows for astral projection.
This chakra, when balanced, brings the inner peace of spiritual connection and acceptance of all things being sacred. With the balancing of this chakra comes the knowledge of the interconnectedness of all things. When unbalanced, it can lead to psychic overload and mental breakdown, dogmatism, spiritual fanaticism and/or isolation; or in the inverse, insensitivity toward others, closed-mindedness, bigotry and intolerance.
Crown
The crown chakra is our connection to the higher self and the point at which white light of the Source enters one's energy field. It is the gateway to other planes and worlds, and is the connection to guides and higher spirits. The crown chakra element is thought and its area of consciousness is the ketheric body. It represents deep wisdom that makes the "quantum leap" beyond what can be learned through earthly means. It is the foundation of faith and the source of imagination and inspiration.
When this chakra is open, it works with the throat chakra, as what is learned is then expressed. When balanced, it assists in transcending the laws of nature and allowing access to the subconscious and super conscious. When it is unbalanced, one may lose touch with reality, become mentally unbalanced, or feel spiritually "abandoned."
Eighth to Twelfth Chakras
The other five chakras shown in the chart above are not commonly included in Western chakra systems as major chakras, though I do use the ninth chakra. However, I have included them for information's sake.
The eighth, or silver chakra is the feminine balance to the ninth chakra. This chakra holds the transformational energy found in nature and the power to shape shift.
The ninth, or gold chakra is the masculine balance to the eighth chakra and the connection to the Divine. When this chakra is open, one transcends the personal and opens two-way communication with the All that Is. One is "filled with the light" and the thinking process is expanded. This chakra sustains the power needed for one to move into other dimensions.
The tenth or white chakra is located in the dominant hand and is the projective (masculine) energy. It has the power to shield, deflect negative energy and to project energy for healing.
The eleventh or clear chakra is located in the non-dominant hand and is the receptive (feminine) energy. This chakra helps define truth and clarity for us, both in our environment and of self.
The twelfth chakra or black chakra is the place of "neutral space." It is the Tao, the place of both incoming and outgoing. It is that quiet center where all times are now and all places are here, yet where there is neither time or space.
The Aura
The aura is the subtle body which surrounds the physical body on all sides. It both mirrors and corresponds to the several chakras, as well as embodying a transpersonal aspect. It has been described in a number of ways. It can be described as concentric layers, one inside the other like an onion, with each layer having its own distinct color; as colors radiating directly from the etheric/physical body, looking much like the aurora borealis; as three or four bodies, each with its own separate dynamics or "sub-bodies" if you will; or as layers of light of varying brilliance, to name a few. Each of these models has its merit and it may be possible to use them in conjunction with each other. Although the EarthPath system does not promote any particular system, I like to combine the concentric layers with the model of auric bodies.
Physical Plane
There are three primary planes which make up the aura, the Physical, Astral; and Spiritual planes. Within the Physical Plane are the Physical, Etheric, Emotional and Mental bodies. The Etheric body is the subtle body closest to the physical body and, in fact, the energies of the Etheric body flow through the body by way of the chakras and the channels or meridians. The Etheric body contains the life force or vitality which not only feeds the physical body, but also flows between the body and the other planes of the aura. It is harmonic with the Spiritual Etheric body.
The Emotional body is the Etheric body's source of consciousness and the center for feelings, emotions, physical likes, dislikes, etc. It is harmonic with the astral body and the celestial body, being an octave of both these higher planes. Some systems describe this subtle body as being aswirl with ever-changing colors.
The Mental Body is the thought center. This plane is thought to be yellow in color, but there is disagreement as to whether it contains meridians as does the Etheric body or is ovoid, with no discernible form. This plane will vary in size, depending upon one's level of mental concentration and focus. Barbara Brennan, Hands of Light, states that the thought forms in this plane are various colors, depending upon the emotion associated with the thought form and that, the more clearly the thought form is developed, the more intense the color.
Astral Plane
This plane is the center of desire. It is here where one experiences physical and self needs and emotional desire. Though this plane has the same colors as the Emotional body, here they are infused with rose. This plane is the harmonic of the Emotional body and Celestial body.
Spiritual Plane
Like the Physical plane, the Spiritual plane is made up of separate bodies. these are the Higher Etheric, Higher Emotional, and Higher Mental bodies. The Higher Etheric body is the "template" for the Etheric body, just as the Etheric body is the template for the physical body. This is the center from which higher will and the ability to bring things into being originates. This, perhaps, is the plain through which meditation is possible. It is on the etheric-spiritual planes where we are first affected by astrology then, in turn, on the physical plane.
The Higher Emotional body is the octave of the Astral Plane and the Emotional body in the Physical Plane. It is where we find unconditional spiritual love and a universal love for all life. When one's consciousness is raised to this level, she experiences spiritual ecstasy. She realizes (more than simply knowing intellectually) her connection with all the Universe, that she is of Deity and that Deity is her as well.
The Higher Mental body has been described by Rudolph Steiner as the outer limit of the individual carnate being. As such, development beyond this point would bring the individual into total connection with all things to the point of lacking separation. One comes to a knowledge at this point of being one with the Creator. This is the body from which the physical expression of divine spiritual inspiration comes. Very few people have attained this level of development and those who have would be looked upon as spiritual leaders.

Crystal and Stone Energies
Although a great deal of study is necessary to understand the energies of other elements, I would like to cover briefly stones and crystals, because they are helpful in balancing the chakras. Clear crystals or crystal clusters will energize any of the chakras and, in the beginning are the best stones to use for chakra balancing until one learns more about the metaphysical qualities of specific stones.
In general, stones which are helpful for any given chakra are the same color of the chakra. In other words, if you need balancing in the spleen chakra, you would use orange or golden stones, in the third eye chakra, deep blue stones. Some stones, however, are more powerful than others and therein lies the necessity of study. Using a very powerful stone when one is just learning their properties, could result in getting more than one bargained for! In addition, people react differently to different stones. For one person hematite is a moderately powerful grounding stone, while for others, it is much too powerful except in small quantities. A brief list of correspondences follows:
• Root: hematite, obsidian (both snowflake and brown), ruby, garnet, red jasper, smoky quartz
• Spleen: carnelian, wonderstone, orange coral
• Solar Plexus: citrine, gold topaz, gold, amber
• Heart: rose quartz, amazonite, watermelon tourmaline, emerald, aventurine, malachite, green jade
• Throat: blue lace agate, blue topaz, moonstone, turquoise, aquamarine, blue tiger eye
• Third eye: lapis lazuli, sodolite, azurite, sapphire
• Crown: amethyst, clear quartz crystal, herkimer diamond, sugilite, purple fluorite
• Gold chakra: clear quartz cluster, fire opal, diamond

Energy Building Blocks
Just as every structure needs a solid foundation to support it, so everyone studying the manipulation of energies needs a good, solid foundation. The four most important uses of energy you will ever learn are grounding, rooting, shielding and centering. A brief description of these building blocks is included here, with specific in-depth exercises at the end of the chapter.
The terms grounding and rooting are often used interchangeably, however, they are different energy techniques and serve different purposes. Rooting is used to stabilize yourself, just as roots stabilize a tree. You should root any time you encounter a situation which might destabilize you and before doing any energy or magickal work, in order to keep yourself "rooted in the physical." Rooting is especially useful for the "Guardian" type of individual who finds it necessary to "stand her ground" either during ritual or in situations where the protection of another or of a value is needed.
Grounding is an exercise used to shed excess energy or to send raised energy into the Earth in order for it to be transformed for manifestation of the magickal work being done. It is essential after doing any magickal work, to ground afterwards. Otherwise, the excess energy from the work can unbalance the individual(s) doing the work and take a long time to drift off naturally. Grounding is especially important for those people who are "constantly in motion." They are likely carrying around a lot of excess energy and being able to "sluff" this energy off or shunt it to ground, will assist them in calming down.
Centering is the process of focusing one's personal energy into her "center" or chi. This is extremely helpful if one encounters a situation which is unsettling and/or throws her out of balance. In order to do very good magickal work, meditate well, and interact effectively with the world around, one needs to be able to center. In effect, centering is pulling one's own uncontained or perhaps even uncontrolled energies into one's self and getting it under control so it can be focused usefully. Magicians and warrior types will find centering to be very useful in manifesting their skills.
Shielding is the act of putting up a protective barrier around one's self, which will allow into one's aura only those energies which are desirable and/or useful. Our environment abounds with so much energy from so many different sources, it is important to be able to identify useful energies and have selective attentiveness to them. This skill is especially important for empaths, who may not have been taught the difference between their own feelings and the feelings of those around them. Shielding assists these people to identify this difference and avoid "owning" someone else's emotions and turning them into depression.
Reading and Discussion
As you complete the reading for this chapter, you should discuss your thoughts with your mentor. As you read, write down any questions as they occur to you. If they are not answered with further reading, present your questions to your mentor.
Required:
• Power Within the Land, RJ Stewart
• Earth Light, RJ Stewart
Recommended:
• Hands of Light, Barbara Brennan
• Wheels of Light Rosalyn L. Bruyere
• Love Is in the Earth : A Kaleidoscope of Crystals by A. Melody
Exercises
"Four Basics" Exercises
These exercises should be done for one moon cycle each, rooting and centering should be done preferably from one new moon to the next; grounding and shielding from one full moon to the next, though any full cycle will work. Complete each cycle before beginning the next exercise. These exercises will heighten your awareness of your body presence (both physical and subtle) and you will find your reflexes will improve noticeably.
Rooting
Although my observation has shown that most people only root to the ground, proper rooting is done both above and below. (There may be instances where full rooting is not necessary and you only need enough rooting to get your balance, but when you are meditating or doing any other psychic work, use the full above and below rooting.) Sit or stand in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Take a deep breath through you nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. Repeat this breath at least three times, each time taking in positive energy and exhaling negative energy. Visualize a ball of light emanating from your solar plexus. From this ball of light, send a beam of light up through your heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras and out the top of your head. Continue sending the beam of light upward until it connects to a star or other celestial body. Wrap the beam of light through and around the celestial body so that it has a good hold on it.
While maintaining a hold on the celestial body, bring the beam of light back down from the celestial body through your upper chakras, back to your chi. Then send the beam of light downward through the spleen and root chakras and out toward the ground. Continue sending the beam of light down into the ground, through the bedrock and to the earth's center. Send out roots from the beam of light to anchor in the Earth's center and the deep bedrock. Remaining rooted in the bedrock, bring the beam of light back up through the ground, back through the lower chakras and back to the chi. This creates a solid connection with the physical plane while you are working in the subtle planes. It should take several minutes. Take your time to make sure you have rooted solidly. Maintain this rooting for at least five minutes or for as long as the root is necessary for the work you are doing.
When it is time to release the root, reverse the rooting process. Send the beam down through the lower chakras, down through the Earth to its center and pull back the roots established earlier. Bring the beam of light back up through the lower chakras to the chi. Send the beam back up through the upper chakras to the celestial body, release your hold on the celestial body and bring the beam back down through the upper chakras to settle back into the chi. Once the root has been released, you will want to ground any excess energy. In time, you will learn to root above and below, and to release the root, quickly and nearly simultaneously, but for now, take your time so you can feel what is happening.
Grounding
When you have finished any meditation or psychic work or if you have encountered a stressful situation, grounding can help you shed any excess energy and help bring you back into balance.
Exercise I: Stand or sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breath in through your nose and audibly out through your mouth slowly and deliberately for at least three breaths. Visualize your body as a clear vessel. In this vessel is an orange liquid, the excess energy. Let your hands fall relaxed at your sides. Open holes in your fingertips and the bottoms of your feet. Through these holes, allow the orange liquid to drain freely into the Earth. As it enters the Earth, imagine the orange liquid swirling gently down and into the Earth's center to be cleansed and transformed into good energy. Continue with this visualization until all the excess energy has drained out, then close the openings in your fingertips and feet. Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth a few times, begin moving your fingers and open your eyes.
Exercise II: Stand or sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breath in through your nose and audibly out through your mouth slowly and deliberately for at least three breaths. Visualize yourself under a waterfall or in the shower. Let the water flow over your body and feel its coolness. Then feel the water flowing through your body, taking all the excess energy with it and washing it away downstream to the ocean where it is cleansed and turned into positive energy. When all the excess energy has been washed away, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth a few times, begin moving your extremities and gradually open your eyes.
Other ways to ground after you have been doing psychic work are to touch the ground with your hands and visualize the energy moving into the earth to be transformed or to eat something solid such as salt, bread, cookies, fruit or meat. The more "solid" the food, and the more energy it takes to digest, the more it will bring you back to the physical world, and the better it will ground you.
Centering
Stand or sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breath in through your nose and audibly out through your mouth slowly and deliberately for at least three breaths, then breathe steadily in and out. Visualize a white ball of light in your solar plexus (or chi). Continue until you can see the ball of light very clearly. With each breath out, visualize the ball slowly getting smaller. Keep shrinking the ball of light until it is as small as you can possibly envision it. Hold this image for several breaths. Then, with each breath in, visualize the ball slowly getting larger. Continue until it has returned to its original size. Hold this image for several breaths. Then, again, with each breath in, visualize the ball slowly getting larger until you are sitting in the middle of the ball. Hold this image for several breaths. Once again, visualize the ball slowly getting larger with each breath in, until you cannot make it any larger. Hold this image for a few breaths. Then as an experiment, see if you can make the ball larger. (You may experience a surprise.) As you end this exercise, breathe in through your mouth and audibly out through your mouth for a few breaths. Start moving your extremities and slowly come back to the physical and open your eyes.
Shielding
Stand or sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breath in through your nose and audibly out through your mouth slowly and deliberately for at least three breaths. Visualize a gentle blue, glowing aura around your body. Be sure to visualize it above, behind and below you as well as in front of you. Hold this image for a few breaths. Within this blue aura, visualize a white ball of light above your head. This light is your connection to your higher self. As you visualize this light, allow it to grow brighter and brighter until you cannot possibly imagine it any brighter. Hold this image for a few breaths. The light begins to sparkle, as if glitter is floating and swirling in it. Hold this image for a few breaths.
The sparkling light begins to descend from the ball toward the crown of your head. It enters your head and your head slowly fills from the top down with sparkling white light. The sparkling light slowly descends through your neck, into your shoulders. Now your head, neck and shoulders are filled with white, sparkling light, while the blue aura still surrounds you.
The sparkling light continues down into your chest and your upper arms. It continues to descent into your middle, your forearms and hands. Now, your upper body and arms are filled with sparkling white light, while the blue aura still surrounds you.
The sparkling light continues slowly into your abdomen, over your hips, and into your thighs. Now your body, from the top of your head, through your arms and middle, through your thighs, is filled with sparkling white light, while the blue aura still surrounds you.
The sparkling light continues down past your knees, calves, ankles and into your feet. Now your entire body is filled with the sparkling white light, while the blue aura still surrounds you. Hold this image for several breaths.
The sparkling white light still flows into your body from the bright white light above your head. Now, it begins to flow out the bottoms of your feet and into the blue aura surrounding you. It begins to fill the blue aura with its sparkling light, so that the aura becomes a blue-silver sparkling aura all around, below, and above you. Now, your body is filled with sparkling white light, and you are surrounded by sparkling silver-blue light.
Hold this image for several breaths. Then, saying, "Though the image fades, the reality remains," allow the image of the aura and sparkling light fade. Slowly return your breathing to normal, move your extremities and return to the physical plane. In time, you will be able to put up a shield almost immediately. For now, take your time and visualize each stage vividly. This ground work will pay off in the ability to build a strong shield quickly.
Feeling Energies
Once the above ground work has been laid, you will be ready to learn how to feel the energies all around you. Everything is made of energy and everything has its own energy imprint. All psychic, ritual, manifestation, and magickal work depends upon your ability to feel and identify energies. Each day for one moon cycle, at random sometime during the day, say to yourself, "feel the energy." Open your subtle bodies to be aware of whatever energies are around you.
At first, all you will notice are the obvious energies, people, sounds, images in your direct line of sight. After a while, you will notice that you can sense more of the subtle bodies of the things around you. You will become aware of the difference between the energy of a wall as compared to the doorway in the wall, for instance.
If you continue this exercise beyond the moon cycle as an ongoing exercise, you will begin to feel a direct connection between your own subtle body and the subtle bodies of things around you, such as the trees, grass, and perhaps even the man-made things around you. Eventually, you will even feel a direct connection between your subtle body and the less tangible things around you, such as the air, sunlight, clouds, etc. When you begin to learn about ritual, psychic, magickal work, etc. it will be easier for you to understand the subtleties involved in them.
"I am all that I see."
For one moon cycle, take a moment each day, close your eyes and center. With your eyes closed, say, "I am all that I see and all that I see is me." Open your eyes and really notice what you see around you. Repeat the sentence with your eyes open and with commitment. Make a real, personal connection with everything you see. Make notations in your journal of your emotions, thoughts, reactions and any changes in attitude you experience. Especially note any connections you notice with others (human or not) in your environment returning the connection.
Basic Energy Manipulation
Once you have learned to sense the different energies around you, the next step is to learn how to manipulate energy. Sometime each day for a full moon cycle, take some time working with some simple, fun energy exercises. The first two exercises will require a partner. I will give you two versions of the third, the first requiring a partner and the second to do alone.
Shaping and Projecting
Put your hands together, then move them a couple inches apart. Focus on the energy between your hands until you can feel it. Move your hands farther apart a little at a time, until you can no longer focus well enough to still feel the energy. Move your hands closer together until you can once again feel the energy. Focusing on the energy, first shape it into a ball. Make the ball larger and smaller. Finally, shape the energy into something of your choice. (You and your partner may wish to limit the scope of your choice, such as "animals" or "shapes.") Work on the energy until you can visualize the item clearly. Hold the image long enough to know it is stable, then pass it to your partner. Ask your partner to identify the shape. When this is done, reverse the process and have your partner form a shape for you to identify.
DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED IF EITHER OF YOU CANNOT IDENTIFY THE OTHER'S SHAPE. It takes time and practice to be able to manipulate energy. Also, it is entirely possible that this is not your primary method of relating to energy manipulation. Just because someone does not "see" or "feel" the manipulation, does not mean it is not happening. Everyone works with energy differently. You will discover your own personal method as you progress.
Projecting
As in the first exercise, shape an energy ball of any size and any weight you desire. Once the ball is solidly formed, toss the ball to your partner. Your partner should catch the ball, reshape it and toss it back to you. Do this as many times as you like. Once you are finished, compare notes on whether the sizes and weights were discernible to each other.
Extending
Stand across from your partner with your arm extended parallel with the ground. Holding your arm as stiff as you can, have your partner try to move it. Make note of how much effort you expend to keep your arm from moving and have your partner make note of how much effort she expends trying to move it. Look around and choose some solid object you would be able to hold onto, but is out of your reach (a tree, doorjamb, doorknob, post, etc.).
Extend the subtle body of your arm out until you can hold the solid object with your subtle hand. Meld your subtle hand with the subtle body of the solid object. When you are sure you are solidly connected, keeping your focus, ask your partner to, once again, try to move your arm. Make note of how much energy you expend to keep melded to the solid object and your arm from moving, and ask your partner to make note of how much energy she expends trying to move your arm. After the exercise, compare notes on the difference between the attempt to move your arm before you extended and after you extended. Reverse the process and you try to move your partner's arm. Afterwards, compare notes again.
Another extending exercise that is fun is to gather a box of paper clips or some other small object you can toss. empty the box on a table near you and put the box across the table. Without focusing, try to toss the paper clips into the box and note your success. Next, extend a line of energy from you hand into the box as you attempt to toss in the paper clips. Make note of your success and compare it to when you did not focus on extending.
Summary
The exercises in this book, if done one right after another and for the full extent of a moon cycle each, should take a little more than six months to complete. During this same time, complete the required reading. Keep a journal on your progress, your insights, questions and comments. Discuss these things with your mentor. Your mentor will assign you a specific project to complete or paper to write to get an understanding of how much you have learned from this chapter and where she can guide you to a better understanding. This is not a test, but rather a barometer of your progress.
Mentor's Lesson
After completing the exercises and reading assignment, construct an exercise for your mentor. This can be a project, report, or essay, etc.
End notes
Website resources:
www.them ystica.com/mystica/articles/c/chakras.html
www.inforamp.net/~marco tte/aura.htm (site out of print)
www.new-visions.com/chakra s.html
www.outoftheearth.bc.ca /chakras.htm (site out of print)
www.spiritweb.org/sp irit/chakaras.html (site out of print)
www.paganspath.com/meta/ chakra.htm
www.colorhea ling.com/articles/lookchakras.html
www.kheper.au z.com/topics/chakras/chakras.htm (site out of print)
www.khepe r.auz.com/topics/chakras/chakras-BAB.htm (site out of print)
www.kheper. auz.com/topics/subtlebody/index.html (site out of print)
www .kheper.auz.com/topics/subtlebody/ethericbodies.html (site out of print)
www.kingm aker.net/cosmic-elf-domain/auracosm.html (site out of print)

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