Shielding is an important mindbodyspirit tool in the run up to the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead which occurs two weeks before and after May 1st or October 31st every year.
This post continues the series on Contacting Ancestors, which begins with Casting a Circle. This tool is an important second step, but it’s also important as a daily practice–especially if you are a sensitive, empathic or intuitive person of any kind.
Do you ever feel tense or distracted after hearing the news, a brutal story or just being around someone negative? Don’t visit the mall without shielding–being around crowds of people can be disruptive to an individual’s emotional balance, or energy field. Some people are more sensitive than others at observing the stimuli all around them, and creating a shield is amazing in that case because it tells your subconscious to cap all the stimulation you are taking in so you are not so easily overwhelmed.
Shielding is a little trickier than casting a circle because in my opinion people differ more than rooms do. Seriously, the point to create a personal practice that resonates with you on a mind body spirit level. Something that inspires you, and that create a shift in your body that you can notice.
I don’t believe in a one fits all approach so I that’s why I created a full course on this topic called The Sacred Armor Program: Creating Better Shields So You Can Be You.
But here’s an idea I really like: Working with Elements to Shield
Western people typically see the world as composed of Earth, Water, Air, Water, and Spirit (Akasha). In China the elements are Wood, Metal, Water, Fire, and Metal.
But let’s take a second and think about what elements make up your universe.
What inspires you? What fills your imagination with possibilities? Is it the sight of flickering candles? A place in the woods where only bird calls break the silence? Is it a dark cave with shimmering crystals? Is it the sight of molten gold pouring into a mold? Is it seaglass? Is it the scent of flowers? Is it rolls of cloth in a fabric store?
The key to what I call “your magic language” is finding what things light you up.
Shielding basically is using your imagination to surround yourself with protective forces.
Many people like to teach shielding as a bubble of air surrounding your whole body—but personally I don’t think bubbles are a synonym for protection. Childish happiness, joy, transformation, delight, sure. But it sure doesn’t make me secure to feel like I have a bubble around me. It could pop at any moment.
And that’s me. So if you’ve only tried someone else’s technique for shielding, then you may not find what you are looking for. You might think it’s all fluff and that it doesn’t work for you, but you could be mistaken.
Testing different methods is essential, and the best thing you could possibly is use the guidelines of other people as a jumping off point! Follow your heart to the elements that make you light up and safe and have fun.
That’s the philosophy of my Sacred Armor Program: I share everything I know about shields and teach you how to tailor these ideas to suit yourself.
What Not to Do:
Techological shields (like imagining you are inside of a robot) are probably going to give you a strange vibe. Metal and stone are tricky as shields because they are so hard and durable that it tells your imagination to block out everything including good things, like love or compliments or the good influences from positive people in your life. When overwhelmed it’s tempting to over do it, but blocking out the world completely is a lonely and temporary solution. Try to use other elements instead to really give this a try.
So how does it work? Shielding uses your imagination, and creativity.
1. Pick an element that speaks to you right now. Feel free to experiment with things beyond the five elements like flowers, herbs, angels, a totem animal or crystals if you want.
2. Get in a quiet place alone.
3. Breath deeply and clear your mind.
4. Connect yourself to your element in mind. You can do this by visualizing how it looks, imagining how it feels, smelling it, hearing it, going through memories of it.
5. Invite this element to surround you. Let this element wrap around you in your imagination in front of you, behind you, beneath you, above you. It may help to write this, say this or draw this.
6. Intend for this to protect you. Try writing or saying, “This shield of —– protects me from all harm, from other people’s emotions that will not serve me and all chaotic energy that does not benefit me. Only love (or positivity) can get through to me.
You’re done!
7 Practice daily for at least a week. Try to go a month with some variation of shield to get in the habit. For best results use daily especially when going out of the house!
Practicing shielding is how it can be thrown up in a second. Experiment with new kinds of shields until you are satisfied.
Shielding is usually done with other essential mindbody techniques like grounding or clearing, both of which are covered in the Sacred Armor Program, along with many other techniques for sensitive or empathic people. But I found for myself that shielding is really the most important thing to practice for everyday life. The benefits are keeping you feeling safe and comfortable, avoiding picking up other people’s junk and bad attitudes, and strengthing your willpower and intention.
Shielding helps you speak up about what you really think and feel, always know what to do next, and make more money helping people so you have extra for fun things!
If you need help developing a personal shielding practice, please Contact Me or Sign up for The Sacred Armor Program!