Visualization Exercises

Simple Visualization

Ground and Center

Close your eyes and imagine that you are looking at a white wall or screen. Practice
visualizing simple geometric forms: a line, a dot, a triangle, an ellipse, etc.

When you can see the forms clearly, visualize the screen in a color: red, blue, orange,
etc.

Finally, practice visualizing the shape in color. Try to make the screen one color and
the shape a different color.

Continue to practice until you can change the color and forms at will without a
problem.

Apple Visualization

Ground and Center

Visualize an apple. See it in your hands, turn it, notice its color, the reflection of the
light on its skin. Feel its shape, its weight, the texture.

Bring it up to your nose and smell it. Bite into it, taste it, hear the crunch as your teeth sink into it.

Eat the apple, feel it on your tongue, taste it, feel the apple going down your throat.
See it grow smaller as you eat it. When you reach the core let it disappear.

Repeat with other types of food.

The Pentacle Visualization

Ground and Center

Visualize a line of blue flame, like gas from a Bunsen burner.

Mentally draw an invoking pentagram. Watch it form out of the flame. Hold the image for a few moments.

Now retrace it in the banishing direction and see it disappear.

Practice until this comes easily.

Knot Visualization

Ground and Center

Visualize yourself tying a knot, any kind of knot that you know how to tie easily in
reality.

Try not to see a mental picture of yourself from the outside; instead put yourself into
the picture. See your hands moving and feel the string.

Feel every moment that you would make, then draw the knot closed, and feel the
string pull taut.

Candle Gazing

Light a candle in a quiet and dark room.

Ground and center.

Gaze quietly at the candle, breathe deeply, and let yourself feel warmed by the light of the candle.

Let its peaceful radiance fill you. As thoughts surface in your mind experience them as if they came from outside of you.

Do not let the flame split into a double image; keep your eyes focused.

Remain so for five to ten minutes.

Diamond Gazing

In a quiet, darkened room light a candle.

Ground and center

Gaze at the candle and visualize a diamond in the middle of your forehead, between
and just above your eyebrows.

The diamond reflects that light of the candle and the candle reflects that light of the
diamond.

Feel the reverberation of energy.

Hold for five to ten minutes, and then relax.

Mirror, Mirror Exercise

Ground and center

In a mirror, gaze into your own eyes.

Focus your attention on the space between them.

Repeat your name to yourself over and over.

As thought surface experience them as if they were outside you.

After five to ten minutes, relax.

Phaedra's Notes:

These are exercises that have come to me over the years, several of them are probably from Starhawk. I found all of these invaluable and I still use some of them.

I prefer visualization exercises that engage more than just using your mind's eye. I firmly believe that even though it's called visualization that you need to be able to smell, touch, hear, and taste as well.

Visualization exercises are for more than just magic, it will also help in meditation and ritual work. I highly recomment doing the Apple Visualization, Knot Visualization, and the Mirror, Mirror Exercise.