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Kol Drake
*sighs*
I have been chewing on this one for many weeks — whether to make it the next section of WWTF (Working with the Force) or to make it a stand alone.
My problem is I am of two minds on ‘making bubbles of light’.
I know of many who swear by them (either white light or golden or substituting flame or swords or special iconic symbols to ‘make the shield’).
Some who used to swear by them have now backed off and tend to advocate other methods.I do NOT wish to deter those who want to learn about ‘bubbles’ and think this will be a fairly ‘split personality’ set of posts since I am of the ‘they are nice but work on this other’ frame of mind right now.
….. more to follow….
(please be patient)
Jedi_Phoenix
Well like anything with the Force, we all perceive it differently, and thus imagine it different, with different visualizations. That’s partly why I love this path, because its so personal. Maybe do just two seperate posts like you said: one on bubbles, one on…well the other method that I guess I don’t know lol. And then let people try both and see what works for them. All your lectures have been very coherent, so we Jedi can figure it out hahahaha
Maybe…
Phoenix
Jax
I usually start with the white bubble method because it’s simple and more effective than nothing. I know shielding is planned in force 102 (or is it in 101 already, sorry I don’t have the ability to look it up right now) but it’s important to have many references and options so people can find a method that works well for them. Robert Bruce has a page about shielding that discusses the weaknesses in the white light method as well as recommendations. Can someone snag the link? I know Phoenix has seen it before. That might help you clarify your thoughts – to see someone addressing it whether you agree with him or not. Or it’ll just fall into place with a little more time.
Atticus
Quote: Robert Bruce has a page about shielding that discusses the weaknesses in the white light method as well as recommendations. Can someone snag the link?
Is this the article you’re referring to? White Light Shields
And I don’t think shields are covered in Force 101, but there’s still two chapters I haven’t read yet.
- This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by Kol Drake.
- This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by Kol Drake.
- This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by Kol Drake.
Stryse
Quote:*sighs*I have been chewing on this one for many weeks — whether to make it the next section of WWTF (Working with the Force) or to make it a stand alone.
My problem is I am of two minds on ‘making bubbles of light’.
I know of many who swear by them (either white light or golden or substituting flame or swords or special iconic symbols to ‘make the shield’).
Some who used to swear by them have now backed off and tend to advocate other methods.I do NOT wish to deter those who want to learn about ‘bubbles’ and think this will be a fairly ‘split personality’ set of posts since I am of the ‘they are nice but work on this other’ frame of mind right now.
….. more to follow….
(please be patient)
There are a variety of different ‘shields’ one can create. Pros and cons to each, and which to use may just depend on what you need to shield yourself from. The bubble method is a good one to get your feet wet with though.
Yes, I believe that was / is the Robert Bruce posting I came across… good snag.
And Stryse is correct; there are almost as many ‘types’ of bubble / ball / wall barriers & shields as individuals calling upon them.
While one can google any number of examples and / or go to any book store and read any number of ‘fluffy magic’ books which speak the same basic concept; I will try to not just repeat the obvious. But, then again, I am more often then not called “Captain Obvious” so… here goes with the ‘duh’ portion of my recital.
*****
Circles & Shields — Why?
It is said, the longest journey begins with a single step.
So, too, the exploration of the Force begins with taking that first step. In a physical journey, that first step is often (not always) self-evident — pick a direction and put one foot in front of the other. The First Step on a path to a life living and working with the Force is often not quite so clear. While formally organized groups often have a set lesson plan to instruct newcomers, the solitary or isolated student is often left wondering just where in the heck to begin. And wondering, too, if it is okay to start just anywhere.
While it is true that studies can begin in any direction that attracts you, most will give forth the warning that the necessary first step must be learning to make some form of personal protection — sometimes referred to as psychic or psionic or ‘magick’ shields. There are a zillion books that warn that “Things of the Dark” are out there; never really explaining if these things might be ghosts, demons, or simply uncontrolled urges of the subconscious mind. In truth, it doesn’t matter what they are. What does matter is that their effect can be very real and unless they are put under your mental control, they can drag you over the edge into the ‘oh shit’ areas of personal and mental peril. As a rule, you are most vulnerable to them while you’re in an ‘open’ trance or meditative state; when your mind is ‘open’ and more receptive to external ‘communications’.
Think of it like this — as a non-energy / non-Force using sort, you are like unto a burning match among a world of burning matches. Start practicing with energy and the Force and you jump up to a 25 watt light bulb — you are beginning to be ‘noticeable’. Keep at it and you work up to a 100 watt bulb. NOW, you are worth investigating; sometimes by entities / spirits that are a little rough in their manner of checking you out. Sometimes it is other sensitives poking about to see who the competition might be and how much of a light or heavy weight you might be. That is why the wise practitioner always begins by taking steps to define exactly what will be permitted through the portals of their “psychic shields”. And this, in a nutshell, is what a “protective shield” is about.
Let me count the ways
There are a number of ways to do this. The most common method of protection presented in many ‘arcane and magical books’ (“… half price now if you purchase our store club card…”) is to begin by drawing a circle (around a group or yourself) and invoking one or more protective powers-that-be. Generally, this is done by candlelight, in front of an altar that holds certain magical objects. The circle may be further ‘secured’ and ‘cleared’ by using salt, salt water, rum, incense, or some other method. You may be wearing a special robe and will have taken a bath (or performed a cleansing ritual) earlier. The powers that protect you will be called on and then you will begin your ritual.
Is it psychological? Absolutely! Is there a reason why protection rituals always take this form? Positively! Let’s take a step back and see what you’re actually doing and how the process works — from a psychological standpoint — and how to use this knowledge to help you refine your skills of protecting yourself. Psychologists and psychics alike view the mind’s structure as a three-part entity: The Ego (that which you think of as yourself), the Superego (the “higher self”) and the Id (the child within). The Id is, in a sense, a computer. Like most computers, it operates on the GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) principle.
There’s an old superstition: “As you name something, so will it be.” Tell yourself that you’re very unlucky and your Id will obligingly give you bad days by enhancing any negatives in your environment. Tell yourself that you are clumsy, and your Id-computer will obligingly arrange for you to break a leg while stepping off the sidewalk. The bad news is that the Id can’t make a judgment as to whether or not this is a good idea. It only knows that it’s received these “instructions” and must carry them out. The good news is that you can actually program / reprogram this portion of your mind.
You begin programming this Internal Computer Filter of yours by first drawing its attention to what you want done and then explaining what you need done in a simple and clear manner. To direct the Id’s attention to the process, you first have to impress it. Here’s where you need to pay attention — THE books tell you one thing whereas I’m going to tell you what REALLY works. (The books are close but not for the right reasons…)
The Poop and nothing but the poop
According to the fluffier magic books, using special tools and clothing alert the id that something unusual is going on and that it must pay attention. This much is true. It is no different than when a minister dons their special clothing and vestments as a means of ‘getting into’ the proper mind frame to preach the Word or a professional baseball player puts on his uniform and ‘gets his head together’ for the big game. HOWEVER, you DO NOT need special clothes or special tools or special lotions, potions, and powders to ‘get your head in the right place’. With meditation, visual imagery, and practice — you can get better (and repeatable) results without all the hoohaw stuff that the magic books claim you MUST use.
The magic books also tell you that repeating the instructions in a chant help fix the goals for the Id — rhymed chants seem to be easier for it to process. There are strong indicators that this might be true. I can understand it as a means of linking the ‘logical’ command function of one side of the brain with the ‘musical’ function associated with the other side of the brain; thereby getting BOTH sides of the brain involved in the activity. BUT, it also is not absolutely necessary to sing or carry a tune. Meditation, simple affirming statements, and visualizing ALSO activate both sides of the brain — and the big plus is, you don’t have to learn how to chant in latin or sumerian or pig-latin or any other language the magic books claim to be necessary!
Acquiring hard-to-obtain items, drawing symbols, performing a symbolic sacrifice (donating money, say, to a good cause) are all ways of reinforcing the Id’s impression that this ceremony is very special and that the result will be very powerful. It is also a means for the seller of books and hard-to-obtain items to get you coming back for MORE books and MORE of the potions, powders, and instruments that they want you to buy. Having the patience to produce organized, meaningful symbols, in your own mind, will speak to your subconscious mind in ways it understands and reinforces the goals you have set.
The magic books go through the whole deal of drawing a circle; purifying the circle; and doing whatever rituals to ‘prepare’ the area to further reinforce the marking of your territory. They tell of using salts, powders, liquids, and candles. Marking it by moving a wand or staff counterclockwise (or clockwise, depending on which book you read); purifying the circle and consecrating it (sprinkling water which has been blessed and salt added) further enforce your territory, defining the borders where you are “safe”. Nothing can enter this area except what you invite inside. You further tighten these borders by calling on certain Powers.
Remember, this is directed at ‘beginners’ who don’t really have any other sources to turn to for ‘good information’. Yes, with practice you can get some decent low level protective barriers. However, if you practice, practice, practice — using your energy focus, connecting with the Force and meditation techniques, the chanting and silly rituals are not necessary. You will have trained yourself AND your brain to go through the energy based steps of creating a protective shield or energy ‘circle’ or bubble and getting your id-computer in the habit of working at the ‘invoking’ level. You will not have to make certain everything is ‘just right’ or that you bowed in the correct directions and at the right time in the chant.
Instead, you calm and center yourself. Breath slowly and deeply; feel the energy around you and bring it inside yourself. You can bring the Universal / Living Force energy into yourself. [ Some say, use your own energy. I say, a fast way to burn yourself out in sooo many ways.] Then visualize the energy about you (this is your shield / wall / cocoon ); and go about your business — getting your own mind to ‘see’ the protective space around your work area; to ‘see’ the shielding bubble of energy that surrounds your body and which you have ‘set’ to only let ‘good stuff’ in and keeps the ‘bad stuff’ out.
Your own Mind / Force Energy
After the protections are in place, go for it. Call a bunch of clouds and see if you can push them together and make it rain or push them apart and make the sun come out. Call forth the energies and send healing to your family and friends. Send good ‘vibes’ to a buddy that is having a hard time. Pull in the universal energies of nature, tapping the Living Force, and help a tree to grow or a garden to bloom. Whether it’s a healing or playing with the weather or juggling fireballs — it is all you.
Circles are ‘fun’ and a ‘neat thing to try’ but they are not the ONLY way to do things. Again, it’s a means of shaking your id up. So, do not waste your money on special carpets or altars or incense and powders. If you LIKE to play with a staff or wand (because it just looks cool), mentally ‘see’ yourself moving your energies down your arm and through the wand or staff until it comes spraying out the tip. Pivot and go around ‘setting’ a circle of energy around yourself before putting up your personal shields. It looks dramatic as heck, but is not really necessary to have the wand or staff. You can DO the same thing with your mind and pointing your finger as you stand there!
Staffs, wands, powders, altars, etc. are all ‘mental crutches’. And if you get used to ONLY using them — that is the only way you will be able to perform. Best to not get in the habit of using them to start with; although all the generic magic books would scream if they heard me say that. (You would not have to buy THEIR books with all their rituals and chants and that would be … well, cheaper than wasting your money on the silly books to begin with.) Bust a staff; mess up a potion; flub a word of your chant and the id notices and produces a failure.
You can not screw up mind power (except with drugs and alcohol, but that’s another issue entirely). No matter where you are; the body and mind will always ‘be there’ for you to use. Learn the best way first and you won’t have to unlearn the hoohaw later.
*****
Next post I will try to have a series of links to the more ‘decent’ procedures on raising a bubble… be they psychic, psionic, or magick based.
I always read your posts and go “man I wish this was like Facebook where you can ‘like’ a post” lol. In any case, another great read. This one is actually interesting for me because it goes back to that whole “do what you feel is right business.” When I tampered with the dark side oh so long ago, the Sith Realists were(and probably still are) big on Magick. They promoted Alister Crowley, etc. To be fair, it just didn’t feel right, and anytime I read that material I felt further disconnected from myself and the Force. For some that may work, I know some people do work with magick, but it didn’t for me. My id is very imaginative based, so imagining the Tree of Life, or a waterfall or a light energy bubble is what triggers my Force connections. And its all without the incense, candle burning, symbols drawn, etc.
(lol just a disclaimer, to each their own
) Thanks Kol,
PhoenixGlad the posts are entertaining if not informative a wee bit.
Now, let me be perfectly clear. I am not above stealing… er, borrowing concepts from magick IF I believe they have ‘a good idea’ or method of doing things. I have waded through the looooooong pages of Franz Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics where he goes section by section speaking of exercises for mind, body, and spirit… and some of it can really put you to sleep. Plus, the whole working with the cardinal points and basic elements of earth, wind, water, and fire. I am a Type Z personality… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz That said, Bardon DOES have some very good presentments concerning ‘looking into the dark mirror’ of self examination and some other good ones on learning to ‘focus with attention’.
I know of some who are very wicca based and others who do their reiki or shaman studies and that’s cool too.
I am not saying ” it is my way (view) or the highway”.
I am merely presenting some interesting concepts and/or views on topics we all tend to bump into in the circles we surf — in this Jedi and the Force… which I have found out — at least on trying to ‘identify and make sense of the Force’ side of things, can veer into the psychic, psionic, paranormal side of things. In some cases, it is the only ‘language’ we have to help explain and describe a phenomena most have only a passing experience with.heh… I bet those who have been doing the more esoteric studies side of things read my stuff and wonder, “what the heck is HE smoking?”
Quote:I always read your posts and go “man I wish this was like Facebook where you can ‘like’ a post” lol. In any case, another great read. This one is actually interesting for me because it goes back to that whole “do what you feel is right business.” When I tampered with the dark side oh so long ago, the Sith Realists were(and probably still are) big on Magick. They promoted Alister Crowley, etc. To be fair, it just didn’t feel right, and anytime I read that material I felt further disconnected from myself and the Force. For some that may work, I know some people do work with magick, but it didn’t for me. My id is very imaginative based, so imagining the Tree of Life, or a waterfall or a light energy bubble is what triggers my Force connections. And its all without the incense, candle burning, symbols drawn, etc.(lol just a disclaimer, to each their own
) Thanks Kol,
PhoenixIn light of this, I am curious on your take of my recent posting in the esoterics forum on “Magic(k): Wielding the Force”
Here’s what you can tell any Sith (or other type of person) who insists upon the usage of ritual tools and weapons…
Witches have been doing this far far longer than any of you… and a witch who can’t cast her spell buck-naked, while hanging out in someone else’s bathroom, is entirely too dependant upon her tools, and not worth her salt.
So says this Witch.
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