Lesson 4 - Shielding

[~Elise~]

Okay--there are as many ways to shield as there are magicians/witches out there. Everyone has their own favorite way.

The key to effective shielding is both simple and intensive at the same time - DO IT DAILY for at least three months.

I can not stress enough how important this is. If you don't do it daily, it doesn't become instinctive and automatic. If you have to stop and think about it -- it is too late for most attacks that are going to be directed at you.

I'm going to post several different ways to shield yourself. This is done after grounding and centering yourself. If you aren't centered and grounded, you will not be able to shield effectively.

I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but this and the last lesson HAVE to be a daily practice or they will not be effective. It doesn't take that much time and the payoff is more than worth it.

For your homework...try out several different methods -- post your results and tell me which one you're going to end up using.

Elise

[~Elise~]

This is one of the easiest forms of shielding:

Put yourself into a comfortable position and begin by releasing all tension and anxiety.

Visualize a ball of white light floating above you. Focus on the energy of the ball -know that it is full of love and strength and peace. Try hard to FEEL these qualities in the energy of the ball.

Now let the energy from the ball of light begins to flow down into you. The energy is a beautiful, clear white light. No matter how much light comes into you, the ball will remain equally strong for its true origin is the Universe and it is a source of boundless spiritual energy.

Let the energy from the ball pour into you and flow throughout your body. Let it move out into your arms and legs, down into your fingers and toes.

Now let that light expand beyond your body. At first see the light expand just an inch out from your body. Now let it expand a little more -two inches, four inches... Let the light expand to form an oval around your whole body --an oval filled with clear, beautiful, loving white light from the Universe.

Now let that oval of white light expand to form a perfect circle of energy around you, expanding until it is about six feet across.

[~Elise~]

This one is one of my personal favorites and the one I teach first to my IRL students:

Breathe deeply. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe in for the count of four, hold for four, out for four. Do this four times. It helps to ground us and aids in our concentration. (you can do this before any of these exercises)

Imagine that you are putting on a mirrored suit of armor. It is sleek, comfortable and form-fitting. Remember also to cover the bottoms of your feet and the top of your head.

This will reflect anything directed at you back to the person/thing in question.

Now -- when you first start this one...you won't have any 'filters' on it. All your stuff stays in and all the other stuff stays out...including people that you know and love. As you get better at the visualization, you'll be able to filter the suit--that is let in the good, (and out the good, as well) and stop the yucky stuff. This will take a bit of adjusting over a couple of weeks, but it will be easy as you get better at the visualization.

[~Elise~]

Light a candle, the colour you feel is best for working to rid yourself of bad feelings.Concentrate on the flame. Stare into the flame. Imagine the flame becoming a ball of light. When it *is* a ball of light, imagine the ball of light becoming a circle, a large and growing ball that you pour all your negativity into. The ball hovers, and when you feel you have poured all the negativity that has built up from other people into this ball, imagine the ball breaking away from the flame, hovering in the room. Then it begins to move. It moves away from you and the candle flame, the ball floats out the window, floats into the guttering, rolling, rolling, and down the drain the ball goes, to be washed away.

Stare into the candle flame again and imagine the flame becoming a circle again, and then a ball. This ball is fillling up, not from you, but from the Universe. As the ball shimmers, shining brightly, imagine it coming towards you, a bright, shining ball of Universal love and light, come to fill you with power, courage and self love. Allow the ball to diffuse into your body as you continue to stare into the candle flame.

[~Elise~]

Visualize a 'net' of energy around the area to be shielded. Remember to 'see' it in 3D, a sphere rather than a circle. Visualize negative energy being absorbed by the shields and flowing into the earth. Visualize it as porous, though, so that energy you send can pass through.

[~Elise~]

This is an article that I've used for a couple of years with my IRL students...don't remember the source:

Most people are taught to shield in a temporary way, only when they encounter a situation which makes them feel threatened or uncomfortable. Shields should be permanent, and never be 'turned off'. If you wait to launch a defense or build a shield in response to a given situation, it's already too late to be truly effective, often resulting in a headache or some other manifestation of what you've absorbed before the shields are solid and in place. If you are dealing with a magical attack, putting shields in place once you have noticed the attack is a bit like closing the barn door after the horses have escaped. Defenses which are left in place and properly maintained over time are also likely to be far stronger than ones tossed into place in response to an immediate threat.

There are those who feel they must not expend the energy needed to create or maintain a defense when they are ill. If you spend the time and energy on the design and creation of your shields at the start, the maintenance "energy cost" to you on an ongoing basis is next to nothing. Even when you are sick (which, after all, is a really good time to be shielded!) you need not lower your defenses. You should work on your shielding and protection daily until they are second nature to you. Each time you begin to work, scan your shields. In the beginning, you will see weaknesses, cracks, thin areas, etc. at the start of each session. Reinforce them every day, plug up the holes, patch the cracks, and strengthen the whole system. When you do this consistently, over time you will notice more and more of your repair work holding and not having "worn off" since the last scan. Once your shields are stable, and do not require constant reinforcement and repair, you may find you don't need to scan them daily. You should, however, continue to scan on a regular basis to maintain them.

Shields learn what you teach them to do, through daily visualization and programming. Many people are satisfied with shields built with simple visualization, such as surrounding themselves with white light, or an energy bubble or a crystal egg. These techniques are simple, easy to learn, easy to teach, and often relatively adequate for 'normal' situations. Most are taught to visualize their shields as something protective, but essentially non-intelligent and inanimate.

Consider, however, creating your shields more dynamically. Intelligent, active, able to respond in a variety of ways to a given situation, self-cleaning and self maintaining shields are constantly alert, vigilant and dynamic. This can be accomplished with time and work; this effort will also assist you in developing consistent visualization skills.

Some people don't like to allow shields this much autonomy, and prefer to micromanage protection. It is true that one can occasionally have trouble accepting healing and energy in through one's shields if they are built this way. Since you are programming your shields to protect you, they should respond to anything sent your way with suspicion. You can always ask people to "drop the energy at the door" should this become an issue for you. Determining how strong you want your defensive system, and how much independence you will allow that system in responding to changing conditions is a very personal choice.

People are often afraid their empathic skills will be negatively impacted by the use of a permanent shield. This need not be the case. You can use your visualization techniques to create "filters" which allow empathic information through to you, while filtering out the attached emotional impact. This may actually make it easier for you to utilize your empathic skills, since you will find it considerably less draining without having to absorb and process the emotions along with the information. Filters are not the only way to accomplish this, but they are simple and effective if used correctly for this purpose.

Shields can be programmed to be self regulating; that is, they are able to monitor and repair their own health, and to strengthen automatically as situations change. In protective magic, some people choose to mirror back negative energy sent to them. I consider this wasteful. The energy is a gift to you, even if this was not the intent of the sender. Your shields can be taught to clean the energy, and then use it for their maintenance and strengthening. Of course, the irony of using such a "gift" for this purpose provides a bit of amusement as well!

Shields should be very personalized. Experiment with them, work with them until they meet your needs, and can provide customized responses to given stimuli. Do not get caught up in the appearance of your shields. I have run across far too many people whose shields were incredibly ornate visualizations (which take some energy to maintain), but had little functional value. Always let form follow function, and consider what the task is before you create the image. Your shields are not for show; they have a job to do, and the form should support that job, rather than having the function come out of, and be limited by, the form.

Shielding provides an incredibly flexible and efficient method of regulating the "energy weather" around you. It takes time and effort, good visualization, and repetition to create responsive and effective shielding. Once in place, solid shields help maintain your emotional and physical health and balance, in addition to providing more obvious psychic and magical benefits. Properly constructed and maintained, your shields are the most important magical tool you can have.

[~Elise~]

Hope you guys are doing fine with what I've posted so far. Understandably, I won't be on tomorrow much at all.

But--I'll check back in on Sunday at some point.

Elise

[RavensEye]

Well this sure was a good reminder and came in handy yesterday for me talk to you more about it when you get back. Have an awesome weekend.

[wooleybob]

Have a good weekend. :bouncysmi

[Devi]

I've been doing a guided meditation very similar to the first one mentioned. This meditation starts with visualizing a ball of golden light that starts at your forehead and continues on down and around your body. You then visualize another light ( it can be the sun or whatever you want) shining its rays into your shield. While I do this, I imagine any negative energies being blocked by this shield of light that envelops my whole body. I also imagine (right now just as words) intuition, healing etc... being absorbed into the light and therefore energizing me with their strengths.

I feel very calm after each session and tingly. I really like the meditation because its quick (about 10 minutes) and really relaxing. I've been doing this one for about 3 or 4 days now and will continue because I definitely feel empowered by each session




The second one I've tried is the candle visualization. I found this one challenging because my eyes were open. I can visualize things much better inside the darkness of my mind. So I'm going to try this one again but visualizing the candle instead of actually looking at the flame for now.

So far so good! I am still going to try some other visualizations maybe a longer one for weekend sessions.

[wooleybob]

Question:..Can anyone explain if the aura of light that someone has brought to my attention the other day,is it connected with my shield?..This came from another Wiccan.She is older and I've known her since I was younger.She explaind to me of a light surrounding my body lately,and can feel great power of good..?Is any of this true,cause nobody else I talk to has said this to me ever.

[AstralMagick]

I tried the "one of the easiest forms of shielding" and I got a HUGE headache. I'm not sure if that's supposed to happen or not...
I tried the "armor" shielding and I'm not sure if I still have a headach from 1st, or if it came again, but same results...

[~Elise~]

Question:..Can anyone explain if the aura of light that someone has brought to my attention the other day,is it connected with my shield?..This came from another Wiccan.She is older and I've known her since I was younger.She explaind to me of a light surrounding my body lately,and can feel great power of good..?Is any of this true,cause nobody else I talk to has said this to me ever.

Probably is the best answer that I can give you.

[~Elise~]

I tried the "one of the easiest forms of shielding" and I got a HUGE headache. I'm not sure if that's supposed to happen or not...
I tried the "armor" shielding and I'm not sure if I still have a headach from 1st, or if it came again, but same results...

No, you are not supposed to get a headache...have you tried it again? Did the same thing happen?

[wooleybob]

I'm still trying all the tec's And finding out that instead of a ball I invision bright lights,like little orb's of the moon,covering and surounding my body.as I stare into the candle,and invision the orbs,I relax and send the negitive energy through the orbs into the ground.More or less like the Rays of the Moon going into the ground to help make things grow.This is great,and I feel more grounded.I have been doing this along side of the tree I have been working with,and the more deeper you feel in a trance,I feel like I'm more pure,and wise,and very connected to the outdoors.The woodland creatures seem to come closer to me than before,not within touching distance,but within yards from me to veiw their beauty.This is the weirdest things I have noticed and feel good about it.I've looked into The Druid side and found it is not for me,all my spell's and everything I have been doing are going well for me.I would not of found or expirenced any of this without the help of this class.Thank You Pearl. :fpraiseyo .Cant wait till the next lesson..

[eric2001]

Over the past few days, I've tried the different shielding methods listed after grounding and centering. The one that seems to work best for me is grounding, and then visualizing a net of energy around me. Afterwards, I've felt very calm and I've noticed a slight tingling sensation a few times.

[enchancea]

For as long as I remember Ive always just surrounded myself with this white light, thats my way of doing it. Ill try these but Im sick with a kidney infection right now, should I wait till it goes away or is it fine to do it now?

[AstralMagick]

No, you are not supposed to get a headache...have you tried it again? Did the same thing happen?
Yes, I have. It wasn't as bad, but I really wasn't concentrating at all.

[~Elise~]

For as long as I remember Ive always just surrounded myself with this white light, thats my way of doing it. Ill try these but Im sick with a kidney infection right now, should I wait till it goes away or is it fine to do it now?

You need shielding at all times, esp. when you're sick...so go ahead and try some of the new shielding techniques.

Elise

[~Elise~]

Yes, I have. It wasn't as bad, but I really wasn't concentrating at all.

I don't understand why you are getting headaches...it doesn't make sense.

Elise

[~Elise~]

Only a VERY few have posted results from this exercise. I need to know what is happening, folks, before we go on.

I know that this is not an easy class to teach online...but it did require a committment from y'all that I thought I had. If I don't hear from more of you...I can't continue posting lessons.

There were lots of naysayers that said this couldn't be done...I believed and I thought y'all did too that it could be done. Don't prove 'em right, guys.

Elise

[Briana]

Hi Elise,
I apologize for the delay in my assignment...my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and just had her surgery on Wednesday. It has rather eclipsed everything else.

I do want to continue with this class...and I do think it can be done online. I will try to have my homework in by Tuesday (I'm staying with my friend thru Sunday night).

Blessings,
Briana

[~Elise~]

Will add her to a healing candle...best of luck to her and you.

Elise

[~Elise~]

Trust me, guys...I understand about real life interfering. I've been going through the same issues.

Elise

[Teresa]

Sorry I haven't posted until now but I have been playing with the different exercises You have posted.I used a method like the first one until now .I really like the method with the candle and the suit of armor method as well.I am trying to decide which is my favorite.

[enchancea]

I like the first one the best although it did give me a small headache. Ill probably be doing that one from now on.

[RavensEye]

sorry for not posting yet I will try to do it later today .

[RavensEye]

Ok well as far as the shielding exercise goes I have tried the ones in Post number 2 and 5.

When I do the grounding and centring and start the shielding I struggle with these two exercises because the type of shielding I do is automatic. So for example with the first exercise in two when it comes to the clear white light it changes.

As for number 5 the net of energy starts out the way it is suppose to form a sphere but then things change instead of a net I see a red sphere around me and then blackness surrounding the sphere and going out all around me.

So that is what I have been experiencing so far with these exercises


There were lots of naysayers that said this couldn't be done...I believed and I thought y'all did too that it could be done. Don't prove 'em right, guys.

Hmmmm I do not mean to sound rude or anything but I really could care less about those naysayers, I am taking this class because it is soemthing I need to improve on and for no other reason then that.

And for the record I do appreciate you teaching this class Elise.

[~Elise~]

And that is exactly why I'm teaching it, as well. I think it can be done and there are lots of people who could benefit from it.

I'm teaching this IRL, as well for those who aren't taking year and day studies with me, starting in August.

Elise

[wooleybob]

I'm still trying other methods,Plus been having some family problems,and work picking up with landscape..But i'm still jugglin things to do homework..And for the ones that say the class cant be done :lol: cause your making it happen and doing a great job.The whole time on MW I never knew you could have classes on here,and your class was the first one I signed up for and my other class for Herbs was the second and they are wonderful teachers also..Belive me I am learning a great deal here...Thank you all.. _handclapp :hugz:

[PeleRising]

For me example 1 and 4 seem to be the most familiar to what I am accustomed to so I am comfy with those methods, number 2 is very interesting and I can see how it would be very beneficial. Number 3 is interesting as well… but I think number 2 is actually going to best fit my needs… I will just need to work on the filtering.

The article you posted had a lot of fascinating information. I agree that putting up shields after you have noticed an attack might be a bit late… and I do see the wisdom of continuous shielding. Not sure how I would feel about using negative energies that were sent to harm as a source of energy for my own shields, I think I would prefer to use my own energies for that purpose that way I know and totally trust them.

I also agree with the others... there will always be naysayers... but the proof is in the pudding my mother would have said... you are teaching it and we all seem to be learning.

Thank you!

[AstralMagick]

I like the first one the best although it did give me a small headache. Ill probably be doing that one from now on.
Might it be related to the headaches that I get?

[~Elise~]

My guess is yes...but for the life of me, I can't figure out why you're getting headaches...unless you're concentrating too hard.

Elise

[AstralMagick]

If I concentrated less, then I'd think I weren't paying attention.

[bbnflpn]

thank you seapearls for showing me this thread. i read the differnt types of sheilding and i thought that since i am a visual person i would use the candle method first. i started out doing it the way you said but it turned out differntly. this is what i did.

i got a red candle since i wanted to burn and cleanse my bad feelings. (i also used red because i feel more connected with the element of fire than any other, most of my star chart falls in fire and i feel most comfortable around that element, also in circle i always tend to sit near the south) i started out feeding the candle my bad feelings, anger, frusteration, pain ect and let the flame take it and burn it away. i did that for about 15 mins (i had alot of bad feelings the last few days) and then i blew out the candle so that the energy was disapated and flowing away from me. i then relit the candle and engulfed my self in its light (i did this in a slient dark room so it was only me and the candle) the cricle of light envloped me and i put in all of the good feelings that i had and imagined a bubble and as the cars drove by on the street i imagined that they were negativity trying to get in and saw that they were bouncing off my bubble. i also saw some cracks and i patched them up as i went along i did this for about 10 mins. i could feel the good energy trying to revive my body.

i know that it is alittle differnt that what you describe but since it was my first time i just went with it as i went along. i will try this again over the next few days to see if it is the method that works for me best.

[~Elise~]

cool--glad you found something that might work for you...and as I said in your thread...it does take DAILY practice to become a habit.

Elise

[bbnflpn]

thats what i am gonna have to do, maybe i can do it after my work out to calm my self so that way i remember to do it

[~Elise~]

I recommend that you do it every morning before you get out of bed...that way it is with you for the day.

JMO, however.

Elise

[~Elise~]

okay--please try and get your homework posted, if possible, by Wed July 6. I want to start the next lesson then.

It's all pretty much smooth sailing from here. These were the most difficult lessons. everything else builds off of these.

Elise

[bbnflpn]

i dont mean to sound like i wasnt paying attention but what is the homework?

[Sage Rainsong]

I tried to do the regular white light shield but I felt disconnected from the world. I tried a filter like visual and I liked it a lot better. I felt more connected to my surroundings but protectd. I think that I am going to go with the filter shield from now on.

[bbnflpn]

i thought that i would give an update about how i am doing on my sheilding. i have done this now for the last 4 days. the first 2 days i was harboring alot of negative feelings and it felt good to give them to the flame to be relived. over the next few days i didnt feel as upset any more, and i didnt think that i was that upset to begin with. the postive bringing up of my sheild has been going very well. i can feel the sheild getting stronger and as i work with it i can see less cracks forming in the barrier. my cat has even come to help out in the process. (he always likes to help me with every thing i do) i have been doing this exercize at night before i go to bed, i am not good about doing things in the morning and at night i am by my self, and it is dark wich helps with my visualizations.

[~Elise~]

great--keep it up!!!

[Briana]

Hi Elise,
I have combined #2 and #6 (very helpful article). I am terribly analytical, so I was unable to do #3 (the one with glass). My logical mind cannot visualize glass being flexible. I also cannot breathe (same as with using a bubble of water). So I use the energy field in #2 and then reinforce it with 'what the shield should do'. I am programming it each night to take in the positive, allow me to see the negative but then drop it into mother earth (I'm an empath...so I can see but not take it in) and then I program it to allow me to see psychic attacks...to drop the negative...and add the energy to my field. I just love the last part! I can see my energy flair up with even stronger defense if someone should attach...and also what a way to get back at someone with out harming them (I do follow the rede).

I don't scan it at night...I can't 'see'. But I reinforce it every night. I have noticed in the past that when I get tired, sick, stressed that I become off balance and my shields weaken (and I ground and shield every night). I'm hoping that this new one will be strong enough.

Something else I discovered it by pulling my shields from the universe, I can also make it much larger (maybe not quite 6' yet). Before I had a heck of a time getting my shields very large. I would have to layer and layer and layer. This seems to be doing the trick.

I do have a little bit of a problem with the grounding still...I'm pulling energy from sun down to gaia then back up. Its sending it back up and havin the sun come back down again that I have problems with. I'm not sure if its too much going on at once...but visualizing it coming back down and doing the whole thing over seems to be sticking a bit. I am continuing w/ it tho.

Blessings,
Briana

[RavensEye]

Ok since I last posted this When I do the grounding and centring and start the shielding I struggle with these two exercises because the type of shielding I do is automatic. So for example with the first exercise in two when it comes to the clear white light it changes. I have made some progress but instead now of seeing a white light it becomes like a solid white and I do not know but I can see it surrounding me pretty quickly and other times I see my self with my hand out and turning in a circle as the white comes from my hand and then compl;etely surrounds me, the other weird thign about this is I see my self at a distance, or in third person if that makes sense. Anyways thought I would let you know that.

[BrigidMoon]

Have a story to share. I have been using my sheilding. I had a situation with a neighbor. She's a nice person don't get me wrong but she sucks energy! The whole family does it. I know it's not on purpose but I seem to attract those that need to vent, that need empathy -- needy people.

Anyway, there was a situation where I needed to step away from them. I still feel very strongly about limiting my time with them. There were a few times that she let her children come down to the house and then, left to shop or something without telling Nick or I. After 3 times of that happening, I decided that I needed a break. Well she had an unfortunate incident, her BIL died from a bombing in Iraq. It was a horrible struggle for the entire family. I still kept my distance. Although she left me messages, I let it go. I knew she would be way too busy for me to be involved with all the kids and extra family needing to fly out to the hospital etc etc.

On Friday she came over to talk. I said my peace and we reconciled. She talked with me for over 2 hours on the porch. That usually would drain me. I used my new techniques and put up a wall and cut cords throughout the conversation and I saved quite a bit of energy. But I can see the cords...I saw two. One was green and one was gray - not sure what the colors mean. But my wall or shield is like silver or steel colored.

So thank you for helping me! I am learning how to help myself. :)

[~Elise~]

Have a story to share. I have been using my sheilding. I had a situation with a neighbor. She's a nice person don't get me wrong but she sucks energy! The whole family does it. I know it's not on purpose but I seem to attract those that need to vent, that need empathy -- needy people.

Anyway, there was a situation where I needed to step away from them. I still feel very strongly about limiting my time with them. There were a few times that she let her children come down to the house and then, left to shop or something without telling Nick or I. After 3 times of that happening, I decided that I needed a break. Well she had an unfortunate incident, her BIL died from a bombing in Iraq. It was a horrible struggle for the entire family. I still kept my distance. Although she left me messages, I let it go. I knew she would be way too busy for me to be involved with all the kids and extra family needing to fly out to the hospital etc etc.

On Friday she came over to talk. I said my peace and we reconciled. She talked with me for over 2 hours on the porch. That usually would drain me. I used my new techniques and put up a wall and cut cords throughout the conversation and I saved quite a bit of energy. But I can see the cords...I saw two. One was green and one was gray - not sure what the colors mean. But my wall or shield is like silver or steel colored.

So thank you for helping me! I am learning how to help myself. :)

And THAT is why I wanted to teach this class!!!!!

Elise