By Moira Payne
The moon hid behind clouds in the night sky, as I stumbled my way through fresh snow headed for the barn. Even using my cell phone as a flashlight, I was barely able to see two steps in front of me. Crossing the threshold in the dark, I could sense the mold and mustiness that clung to the wooden structure, which appeared quite new. I reminded myself to even my breathing, while searching for a light switch, which I finally found behind the door.
A single bulb barely illuminated the space, a workshop of some kind with a couch, countertops, and a lot of tools. I had been informed that this is where strange activity took place, where rocks had been thrown against the wall by unseen forces. I stood for some time, listening to the wind, feeling the unease. I proceeded to explore by the light of my phone, opening doors and walking through additional rooms. At times, I felt hands brushing against my arms and whispers in my ear. My sense was that whatever was there was not happy about a trespasser. The home’s owner insisted that the house was built in the past 50 years, but the spirit I experienced here—a male, a farmer, perhaps—lived many generations before.
I touched the pentacle that hung from a chain around my neck. My protection.
As I walked toward the furthest room, the floor seemed to become uneven under my feet. I was no longer walking on the same floor, but was now walking along a slate pathway, which then gave way to dirt. Indeed, the current structure had been built over something else.
I returned to the main house to meet my friends, who were not comfortable staying on the property any longer. ‘How could you have gone into that dark barn by yourself?’, they asked. I am protected, I responded.
The “knowing” is called clairsentience, or clear sensing. It is the ability to take the energy that you feel and make sense of it. At times, images come to mind, words are heard in the inner part of my ear. In order to get a clear message, I have to clear my mind, empty it using meditation techniques, and sit in that space for a few moments.
In the beginning I would practice by writing down my sensations, but I quickly learned it was much better when I collected the sensations before attempting to write. After having my sense of knowing confirmed so many times, I learned how to discern between the machinations of my imagination and when I am truly sensing something.
Like me, to further develop this ability, you need to confirm what you are sensing by reaching out to others. But it’s a conversation that may require careful consideration. For instance, if I am asked, I will give my impressions of someone’s home. I do not believe in offering unsolicited feedback, as not all people believe or even want to know all that has transpired. And just as the psychic seeks protection in whichever way is most comforting, so too should the person who is not interested in developing her innate abilities.
So, before springing some past atrocity on a friend, or cautioning your co-worker about an impending disaster, make sure everyone is open to hearing this information! I also check myself before saying anything, by asking myself if I am speaking to be helpful or trying to impress someone. Working in the spiritual world should not be complicated by the ego of the physical world.
Those of us who consider ourselves healers are a beacon for energy from this world and beyond. With this gift comes a greater need for protection. Psychic protection is akin to hand washing—it has to be done. The more often we protect ourselves, the easier it becomes for us to do automatically.
I have been teaching my son how to protect himself since he was a young child. I would tell him to stand still and imagine his feet are roots, like the roots of a tree that go into the ground, deep into the earth. His roots would find a ball of energy that was pure love, anchored to the center of the earth. As they touched that ball of energy, the love would move up his roots and into his feet, traveling up his body, filling every limb until it filled his head and poured out the top. That love would then come out of his crown and spread around him, creating a shield.
The “shielding game” became almost a guided meditation for him and he experiences comfort simply by working through the exercise. He is now an adult and recently shared with me that he still does this exercise.
Shielding is one of the most common forms of psychic protection within the energy worker community. Another technique is to imagine being enveloped by an egg, covered in a mirrored shell, which deflects everything. The egg surrounds you from top to bottom, above, below, and all the way around. The shield may conform to your body, or it can extend outward, far beyond arm’s reach. Whenever you need, you can feel safe within your shield.
The outside of your shield can be created to suit what you need to protect yourself from. I rely on a clear shield, one that would protect me, but that I can still feel what is happening on the outside. I imagine a black obsidian shield when I feel “attacked” in any way. I love the feeling of filling my shield with pure love. At times, I use just the love with no hard barriers as my shield. You can experiment using different shields without telling anyone that you are shielding and compare your results. Some use shields that are like nets, catching all that is not for our highest good and keeping it on the outside.
I am frequently asked how to protect homes. A very simple, but deliberate, way to create protective forces in your home is to make altars. Honor the spirits of the house, your ancestors, or even your deities. Pictures, statues, crystals, candles, letters—or other things that call what you are honoring to mind. I have created a shield for my entire home, surrounding it all the way around and above and below. I place objects of protection throughout my home.
Many people work with angels, but before relying on angelic protection, you must develop a relationship with that angel. Respect your chosen protector by doing research, talking to them, and listening to their messages. The same goes for any deities and spirit guides. Reverence and respect go a long way.
If you have your angel on your altar, ask that angel to protect you. Leaving a piece of jewelry, stones, a bag of herbs, or even your car keys on the altar overnight, will help to carry as protection with you when you awake in the morning.
Our minds are containers that collect all sorts of thoughts and energies. We are inundated with violence on television, scary movies, and the simple cruelty of the world. I do my best to minimize the negative input from the outside by not watching scary movies, not reading shock news stories, and not allowing myself to imagine the “worst case scenarios” when thinking about my loved ones. I will stop people from speaking aloud their fears and instead ask them to speak their hopes. I have found that common sense is the best form of protection of any kind.
Many people wear a symbol around their neck, such as a Cross, Pentacle, Star of David, angel, deity, or crystal. If you wear a necklace, I would encourage you to “charge” the necklace with protection. You can charge it by holding it in your hand, and imagining a divine cord coming from above and funneling into your necklace. Imagine the force of protection entering into the center of the pendant and filling it up. You can then feel the necklace radiating out love, peace, and protection.
Prayers, mantras, affirmations, and even laughter are good forms of common protection. People call on their deities, angels, and guardians for help, which I also view as effective, as long as we have a relationship with them first. I love the use of laughter for protection, as it breaks up energy with sounds of joy. There are many things that we do naturally, but when we become aware of the protection element, they become more powerful.
Most of the time, the things we need psychic protection from are actual people in our lives. Family, clients, and people on the street are capable of attaching to us psychically, if we allow it. A number of therapists I know experience extreme fatigue at the end of the day. By utilizing methods of protection, this can be minimized. I encourage people to protect before meeting with clients and after. At the beginning of the session, you can shield and ask for your guardians to protect you from anything that seeks to do you harm. Have a spray that you use at the same time. These days, people often use essential oils in a spray form, but pure water can be used if it has been asked to protect you. Hold the water in your hand and charge it for protection. At the end of the day, you may choose to cleanse in a shower, maintaining an image in your mind of all the psychic energy being washed down the drain. If a shower is not available, imagine the shower, with all the negativity you may have collected being cleansed away, dropping into the earth, and being transmuted into love and healing.
I have read many books on psychic protection. By far, the best book I have read is by Christopher Penczak, who discusses all matters relating to psychic protection in his book, The Witch’s Shield. This book is filled with exercises to build your protection. Psychic protection is a skill that has to be developed and practiced over time. The reality is that we are creating a magickal protection by bringing our thoughts into our physical world by using the power of our mind, and you will find that other people react to your protection. Love is the most powerful force we have, and I encourage everyone to focus on love not fear.
Moira Payne was born and raised in Ann Arbor. She walks the path of the Witch, having respect for all things in this world and beyond. You may find her on the second Tuesdays of each month from 6-8pm at Crazy Wisdom’s Witches’ Night Out. If you would like to email, please feel free to contact her at WitchesOfAnnArbor@umich.edu.
Related Content:
In the heart of Marrakesh, seated at a long table laden with tangerines and wafting aromatic delights, my discomfort was palpable. Surrounded by a group of 12 artist participants, all connected by history and relationships, I, the lone traveler, introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Susan from Ann Arbor and am here alone.” To which the entire group immediately replied, “No, you’re not?!”