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Permalink Reply by Mikel on February 8, 2011 at 7:17

Here is good link I found about shedding it ifFull of good info
http://www.cauldronliving.com/spells-charms/7396-shielding-techniqu...

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Permalink Reply by Leisha on February 8, 2011 at 7:32

In general, I don't shield...I don't have need of it anymore, although I did do a lot of that when I was starting out as a witch because the books said I needed to do it. I have no idea if I actually needed to do it then or not.

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Permalink Reply by Naya Aerodiode on February 8, 2011 at 9:52

I shield before going anywhere. From temper tantrum throwing kids at the store to bitchy adults at the restaurant table next to me, there's just a lot of BS that other people throw around that I simply do not want. Worst is when I'm forced to listen to a TV with news blaring on it - ugh, hate. (I have a TV-B-Gone too which helps.) I usually visualize a simple semi-permeable membrane which bounces anything I don't want off of it. Shielding is so important, because it puts you in control of your awareness. If you don't want it in your sphere of existence, you simply keep it outside.

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Permalink Reply by Makoons on February 8, 2011 at 11:02

I shield my home regularly. I have wards over my door made of cedar and tobacco which keep out "bad spirits" and energy. These have to be changed as they dry out and wither. I also smudge my home regularly in a clockwise motion to chase out any bad energy that may have made its way inside and restore a natural, peaceful order. I don't particularly shield myself, I cleanse myself when necessary and practice breathing techniques and meditation in order to keep from absorbing the feelings of everyone around me (important to me because I work at a Woman's Shelter).

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Permalink Reply by Leisha on February 8, 2011 at 11:27

See, that's where I'm at.... I'm a huge fan of cleansing work, and maybe that's why I don't have the need to shield 99.9% of the time. To use a mundane analogy, I'd rather have someone take a shower every day than just put on more and more perfume to try and block the fact that they're starting to reek. 

Makoons said:

I shield my home regularly. I have wards over my door made of cedar and tobacco which keep out "bad spirits" and energy. These have to be changed as they dry out and wither. I also smudge my home regularly in a clockwise motion to chase out any bad energy that may have made its way inside and restore a natural, peaceful order. I don't particularly shield myself, I cleanse myself when necessary and practice breathing techniques and meditation in order to keep from absorbing the feelings of everyone around me (important to me because I work at a Woman's Shelter).

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Permalink Reply by Naya Aerodiode on February 8, 2011 at 11:28

I take a shower every day too. But if I'm going out into a place that I know is full of muck, I put on my hip waders... to draw another mundane analogy.

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Permalink Reply by Eruandil on February 8, 2011 at 12:03

My "shielding" consists mostly of two things.

One is keeping myself low-key, almost to the point of magical invisibility. This is obviously useful, as that which draws no attention draws no negativity. The ability to disguise oneself to casual observation into being one of the faceless masses is the best way to avoid any kind of negative attention or ill-feeling that may come connected with who and what one might be.

The other is a combination of shielding techniques that I've learned over the years (which, the discussion of these techniques would be something for a much longer post, and something I may put up later) that results in an effect much like the waterproof oil that ducks apply while preening, allowing energies of all sorts (not just negative, but anything I don't care to allow in) to simply slide off of me or past me, for the most part.

As mentioned by those above, cleansing is a necessity. Again, to use the duck analogy, "Bird feathers aren’t naturally waterproof. But birds can make them water resistant by applying waxes from their preen glands. You may have watched a bird grooming its own feathers – the bird will alternately rub its head against the base of its tail, and against its other feathers. It is depositing waxy, water-resistant oils found in the preen gland (at the tail base) onto the other feathers. It is essential for birds like ducks to constantly preen their feathers to keep them in good shape, and to keep distributing these waterproof oils and powders."

Not only does cleansing help with general things that may have gotten through chinks in the armor or simply overwhelmed a shield, it also helps to revitalize and renew a shield after a certain period of time.

The other sets of reasoning behind my shielding of myself are complex and complicated, and I can't explain them without using terms that are generally considered "fluffy." Suffice it to say that my personal shielding is the result of my own belief on how magic functions, how it can be used, and by whom.

I do shield and protect my house and various items belonging to me, mostly due to old habit. Again, much of this shielding is less of an actual "shield" and more of a facade designed to, as a friend of mine puts it, provide the impression that "there's nobody here but us mundanes." (Mundanes being our quick-and-easy word for those who don't practice magic or display any subconscious magical ability.)

I think it's a valuable practice to keep if needed, but it seems to be more of a precaution than most people think are necessary.

Personally, I prefer the idea of the low-key facade/disguise/"invisibility" method to the other sorts of shielding, which is very like to the difference of wearing camo and staying in shady areas as opposed to carrying a bright, burnished shield that says "here I am but you can't touch me."

These are, of course, just some of my opinions on shielding, and shouldn't be taken for anything except just that.

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