The following lecture comes courtesy of T. Watson (Caledvolc), and he has my sincere gratitude:
The matter of physical self defense has been discussed on these boards, and is fairly straightforward; if a Jedi is attacked and must defend him/herself or another, then there are many widely available methods of self-defense which will work admirably. The methods for protecting oneself from harmful influences (see the lecture on disharmonic entities)are, however, not so straightforward. There is a lot of misleading information in print about this subject, and I hope to provide some clear answers to questions in this wise.
This lecture will be of particular interest to the many persons on the Board who are empathetic to one degree or another, but the information herein can be of use to any Jedi who finds him/herself in a situation in which they are being bombarded by negative energy. I have found that the projection of such defenses often calms people who would otherwise be confrontational and assists the Jedi in remaining calm and collected in the face of such a storm. The use of such techniques is not, however, a substitute for adequate self-defense training (which also helps the Jedi stay centered in a confrontation).
First of all, from what exactly is it that we are speaking of defending ourselves? The answer to this question is not simple. A baneful influence may range in magnitude from the negative energy of a person’s anger or fear to the “demonic” spirits which have plagued mankind throughout the ages (see the many stories of these creatures in folklore and religion). Obviously, some energies are going to be easier to deflect than others. The empathetic are particularly susceptible to such energies and must learn appropriate shielding techniques in order to prevent themselves from being influenced in a number of ways – some of them below the level of consciousness.
The distinction between temporary and permanent protections is one that many writers fail to make, thus leading the reader to the conclusion that temporary techniques, specifically visualizations of varying kinds, will suffice for protection at all times. This is not the case. I know of no visualization technique that will shield the user for more than 24 hours; and this sort of semi-permanent technique requires the user to stay in one place. In order to save space, we will only discuss two ways to protect oneself from disharmonic influences – one temporary and one permanent.
The student interested in working with these techniques should have a good ground in meditation and have some sensitivity to disturbances in the Force, as well as to the emotions of others. These disturbances should serve as cues for the student Jedi to activate the protections of which we speak so that the student may deal more easily with the situation at hand. Should you encounter an energy that you cannot easily identify (negative emotions, for example), or one which you perceive as being extremely powerful, GET OUT. It is far better to run and fight another day than it is for one of the Masters to have to disentangle you from the energy of something that you could not handle. In these cases, discernment is imperative, and discretion truly is the better part of valor.
TEMPORARY PROTECTION
Temporary protection has the advantage of being available at all times and without any specific preparation. As I have said previously, the disadvantage to such techniques is that they are not permanent, and thus leave the user open to harmful influence should the threat be of a more prolonged nature. To shield yourself on a temporary basis, take the following steps:
1. Visualize yourself in the eye of a storm with the negative energy that you face swirling around you but not touching you. You are in the eye of the storm; and energies that are not of your own making do not affect you. Know this, feel it to your core, and see it happening around you.
2. When you have cleared a space for yourself, psychically and mentally, see yourself surrounded in a sphere of pure light (or, if you prefer, feel the Force in your area begin to congeal and form a sphere of energy all around you). Again, your intent is important. Know that this sphere of light or energy will keep out any disharmonic or dross energy (dross energies are the equivalent of psychic trash).
3. Empower the shield by the power of the spoken word, even if you have to mutter the words to yourself. If you have a personal deity, this is the time to invoke that spirit’s protection. If you believe in angels or other helper spirits, then, again, this is the time to call forth their aid. If you believe in none of these things, then empower the shield by saying something as simple as, “By the power of the Force within me, I am safe from all energies not for my highest good. So be it!”
4. Hold the visualization for as long as you need it, then release the shield into the earth.
PERMANENT PROTECTION
The big advantage to permanent protection is that, once it is in place, you do not have to think about it. The disadvantage is that it requires some preparation, perhaps a small investment and meditative work on your part. To provide yourself with a more permanent shield, do the following:
1. Look through your personal jewelry and see if you have a crystal pendant (best thing) or metal pendant (next best thing) that you can wear on a regular basis without attracting too much attention. Pure quartz crystal is best because it is nature’s computer chip and power amplifier – it holds the energy that is placed into it and helps to amplify that programming for a good effect. Gold and silver also hold a charge well, but be certain that they are fairly pure. Lesser metals, porcelain, wood and so forth will probably not work well for you at this stage of your training. A sign of your faith, if you have one made of the workable materials mentioned, will work well.
2. Take your time with this exercise. It will be time well spent. Sit comfortably in a place where you will not be disturbed and hold the piece in your right hand. As with the empowerment of the temporary shield above, your spoken word will be essential to this work. Tap into the pure energy of the Force and feel it flow through the piece, cleansing it of all disharmonic and dross energies that it may have accumulated. Empower this cleansing by a short prayer or mantra to your Deity, helping spirits, or the Force (as above). Example: “By the power of the Force within me, I clear and cleanse this __________ of all disharmonic and dross energies. I transmute those energies to perfect and beneficial forms, and release them to their proper dimension. So be it!”
3. The piece is now “clean”. As with the temporary shield above, visualize yourself encased in a sphere of light or Force energy and safe from all energies not of your making. Take some time to feel this, feel the safety within the shield, touch it, smell it, taste it. Make this shield as real as you possibly can, then link it to the item in your hand by the power of your spoken word (as above). Example: “By the power of the Force within me, I charge this vessel (the piece) with the power and strength of the shield in my inner vision that this vessel may help to preserve me from any disharmonic or dross energy, any energy not of my making, and any energy not for my highest good. So be it!”
4. Remain with the meditation for a while, strengthening the shield, and then put the piece on. Wear it with confidence. If you sense that some negative energy has accumulated due to your own emotions, cleanse the piece in sunlight.