Psychic Sheilding

[muladzh]

My beautiful Lady practices a grounding and shielding ritual, thrice daily, not because she feels threatened, but because she prefers to be incognito in the world. She keeps her energies close to her, and keeps the energies of others at arms length. This does not make her a worse Witch, just a comfortable one. My thoughts on shielding are somewhat different - I have a need to feel what is going on in the world, at every subtle level, so shield myself less often, but I can ground myself, and shield without notice, in any situation, so if energies and influences are aimed at me, by malice or random mischief, I can block them before being damaged. An advantage of being a lifelong 'pagan' is the depth of instinctive action I have gained. During my childhood, I would learn everything with equal emphasis. The physical and the metaphysical were the same to me so I became comfortable with everything in nature, subtle or otherwise.

One of the least understood things I have seen, in the younger or novice follower, is the power of mischief - so many young witches will leave protections behind in their quests to find the 'something' that makes it all real. Two such young girls died four years ago, being bewitched by mischief, that made them assume they were on the Astral Plane, not on the railroad track. They waved to the train driver, moments before the train hit them. The driver tells of nightmares because of it, and the families of the two inexperienced children tell of the Coven of evil witches that killed their daughters. Of course, the schoolgirl coven did not kill the two that died - mischief did that; it could have been so easily avoided, by grounding, to be one with the Goddess, and by Shielding, to allow Her to protect you. Such things happen all too often, when an innocent child comes across a book that suggests witchcraft. Too many of them are written without enough information, so a neophyte coven starts without understanding, and people get harmed. Again, I say this is not by evil - but by mischief.

I have very strong feelings about such things, I apologize if such comment is unwelcome.

[Jen]

Comments are always welcome here muladzh.
*smiles*

I know only too well of the mischief you speak of - though not to the extent that death was a result.
Shielding and protecting ourselves as practitioners of magic should be top of the list - I know a few witches who don't and it bothers the hell outta me - but each to his and her own. We all have our paths to walk.....

[PaganOne]

I shield when I feel the need. I believe that because I flow Reiki on a regular basis that my aura/energy projection is very strong and positive. Like attracts like. As my personality has changed drastically this past year since I became a regular practitioner of both Reiki and Wtchcraft, I also believe I reap what I sow.

Everyday I greet the Goddess and ask that I may speak in grace, walk in grace, and living in grace.

[Heka]

..... I don't sheild......... I've never learnt/bothered/had time like everything else/felt the need/felt threatened... I don't know. maybe I naturally sheild and don't need to otherwise. I seldom feel threatened or are affected by other subtle things..Maybe I'm just closed to the world in general... I dunno

[Jen]

The main reason I shield is because I am an empath. It seems my very soul is like a sponge when it comes to the energies of others. Now this is fantastic when there is love and happiness being soaked up but pain and sadness is a different thing all together. And hate and anger...well....it's not pleasant at all. It's very very horrible.
I have literally been house bound because of this so shielding and protecting myself is SO important.

[moondaughter]

Great post Hedge...wow I don't know how I missed this one...I'm an empath myself...so maybe this will help with the unwanted emotions

[muladzh]

A long time ago, I learned that the closeness to nature that I have always sought, would open up to the energies of all other beings - so I too, am an empath. Without the ability to turn off the force of everything around me, life would be unbearable. most people have no problem feeling a death close by, or a blazing hatred argument, but not the pain and sadness of an elderly woman ignored by her family, or the despair of the teenager that believes her heart is broken. Those of us empowered with Empathy, feel all of that and much more. I feel the cruelty of man to a dog, or the hatred rampant within homes in the area. I have to live in the country, as I cannot sleep at all, within a city - there is too much negative energy pounding at me, and my shielding takes a battering. I have to stay wakeful just to keep protecting myself against it.

I have always wondered why I should have such a gift - because it certainly is a gift - not normal, heightened psychic ability, and very useful - some of the time. Other times the gift is a burden that is very apparent, but still, I would not trade it or wish it gone. The Goddess gave me this power, just as She gave me the power to control the effects, so to me, Shielding is an essential part of daily life.

My Lady is also very empathic, and has similar problems - our similarities are what brought us together, so I don't complain.

[PaganOne]

I'm somewhat of an empath too. I generally have to be in the vicinity of the person or animal to pick up on the emotions being emitted.

Before I became a dog walker at the local shelter, I visited thinking I could flow a little Reiki for them. I had to leave as one dog bowled me over with his sadness. I was literally shaking.

Today in yoga class a little doggie I am seriously considering adopting "came" to me very distressed. Laying in savasana, I imagined him laying on my chest and being absorbed into my body and being nurtured with love. Upon arriving home I received an email saying the shelter is closed due to an emergency rescue.

[Jen]

I don't see this as a gift, not for me. It is a right royal pain in the ass. Maybe there is something I am missing..........................

[Heka]

i could imagine it being very annoying. but it'd have its good qualities too

[createholly]

Thanks for this Hedge, I was just thinking about my shield the other day. I was very, empathic is maybe the right word, in high school I could sense a lot of feelings and emotions, I would get headaches from it and feel ill. I learned to shield and it helped me, but it muted a lot of that power to sense. I had an ordeal, family issues, and I began shielding very hard to block out what was going on. I think it became such a complete part of me that I didn't really think about it and now I'm realizing how muted everything is. I've heard of the importance of letting your shields down every once in a while, but I'm not sure if that is possible for me at this point. I don't want to lose the ability I have to sense, probe, and receive others' feelings I want to nurture it. What does anyone think or suggest about this? Have you experienced what I am saying about the senses being muted? Do you practice letting down your shield or has it always been up?

[watershield]

IN my view, because all of us are of the source, all of us have the ability to access or use the energies that is all around us. Instinctively, most people are shielded.

I believe that from birth, we are not shielding ourselves and don't start instinctive shielding until around age 5/6. That's why so many kids have their invisible friends or see monsters in dark places.
Instinctively and in varying degree's our parents subconsciously shield us as able.

In time and depending on our up bringing and social interactions, as we learn to stop believing in monsters and invisible friends, we create our own shields (subconsciously) and we loss that connection with the "real world"

It takes a lot of effort and self awareness to learn to drop our Shields and accept the real world that's waiting to be experienced.

[Ebony]

WS I really like your take on this. But I've always been amazed by your philosophy.

[joyisa]

i`ve been doing psychic shielding since reading a book on Tao many years ago....one of the best books i had read and it brought me on this journey i find myself on now... a lot of what is in the Tao is commonplace everywhere..and can be used in many ways, it def straightened my head out..
we all need to sit it out in our psychic egg sometimes esp when things get real bad, tho i`ve also used trad methods, (salt, crystals, wands and a protection spell) both work so long as the intention is there for good, not ill.

I have not heard about triggering it by a word Wolfsbane, it for me is there when i am in most need, just appears and with honest intention i can make it solid:)

[watershield]

I believe that instinct kicks in and shielding happens without our being 100% aware.
We have the ability to raise or drop shields and to make them stronger when needed.