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About Shielding Discussion
By ArcticKaiku
I wanted to answer to a post in the
Reference Library section, "Shielding for Empaths",
but since
it was only for administrators & moderators ... I'll post
it here. Feel free to do with this post what you will.
Quoting Mouse:
"I've tried walls, doesn't work for me cuz it also holds
everything inside once it's in. Tried the bouncing off/rubber
thing ...
doesn't work for me, I start bouncing."
Oh, how funny, but how true ! The old internal world versus
external world, - polarity. Or maybe
better description for it is the said: "Two edged sward",
- which cuts both ways. The more
negativity one observes, the more negative one's mind becomes
.... The more complex one's
mind becomes, the more complexities it perceives in its environment
.....
Have tried to have shields, but with the first empathetic feeling,
down they come ....and then I
just can't put them up again. Hopeless. Got this pushover, softie,
identity from my grandmother,
who very much still had the old tribal, clan ... collective
mentality i.e. she just didn't have "aseparate-self-identity"
at all, but only lived in connections to things. She was a "giveaway
turkey" to everyone in that old way of belonging to one
another,
in a world that was rapidly changing, and this new world she
could not understand. So in this way I also find that if I reflect
this "internal - external world polarity", "me
versus external to me", - world, as my reality, -
without a strong sense of separate self my senses become totally
overloaded, and all my energies drain.
So I feel, that the only way to carry the old ways banner further,
to survive emotionally and
psychologically as a giveaway turkey in today's world is to
"center in "Spirit", or "Greater ...
Sacred Reality" as a reality to reflect, letting The Spirit
be one's attorney, "who" handles all one's
personal affairs. Which is like living a personal myth, in a
way.
I suppose it has been said, that mythology is the landscape
of the soul, and a way of expressing
the journeys of the soul. "Mind-over-matter" is not
mythological thinking. Mythological thinking
is a non-thought rather, that can better be described as "seeing".
Seeing/Witnessing Spirit and
Matter entwined in eternal embrace, like two lovers, one being
the reflection of the other ......
"Timelessness unfolding itself as time". The immovable
forever in motion. The formless
expressing itself as form. Multiplicity as Oneness ....How brave
it is to live in the ever presence
of The Lord of Death, that has given us Life ! The Unborn forever
in birth & death cycle."
When one becomes more centered in Spirit, one starts to lose
the heavy sense of me, I, as
something very solid and even "real" ... (and with
the "two-edge-sward"...so does one start to
perceive all phenomenal existence .... and other people ...and
situations, - as less solid and "real"
also). I suppose here is where the transparency of self and
others, Spirit and Matter come in
....With this transparency one starts to silently witness one's
body more as energy, therefore also
"seeing-witnessing" everything else in more "energy-terms"
.... and a sense of a dance of
energies develops....that is more intuitive and co-creative
with Spirit, than the old solid self
forever dancing to the tune dictated by this self, trying to
fortify, validate, secure i.e. shield ...
itself against the "external world" .....
And about soul journeys....
Mouse, on other message board you mention the familiarity about
blood on leather. This is
something that my soul also remembers very well, though my mind,
that is of this time-life ...
doesn't. But in our souls do we seem to have an imprint, we
remember energy-patterns ... as to
how our energies related to Spirit and Matter "unity-polarity"
before.
This post is a bit scattered .... in effort to find words ....
hope it makes some sense.
A friend of mine just sent me a quote by somebody called Harry
Palmer; " You experience what
you believe, unless you believe you won't, in which case you
don't, which means you did."
Mouse:
Hi ArcticKaiku, I am glad to see you jump in!
Just in case you are wondering... Autumn Mouse is Nanukshuk
is Autumn Mouse; I changed my
username a while back.
Thank you for your perspective on shielding. It is interesting
that you bring mythology into the
picture... I am just reading a book that is allowing me to see
archetypal story figures (kings,
queens, etc.) in action in my personal life. It is very enchanting,
to say the least. From that
perspective, I believe I understand what you mean... so I thank
you for deepening my experience
of this book, and how it relates to my life.
From what I am starting to see right now, the connection between
"remembering" blood on
leather (that is in the tools forum, pouches and amulets thread)
and the surrender to Spirit
instead of shield is becoming clearer and clearer. I am starting
to realize just how strong my
memory of connection with Spirit is, how I've resisted it, and
felt that "I am on my own, there's
nobody to help me but me". Now that I am remembering the
embrace of Spirit, the arms that
nurture, that incredible depth of Love and Respect...
I am also starting to feel that the need to shield is leaving.
Sure, there are times when shielding
is probably very much required, but I am seeing too that when
I'm feeling weak (not vulnerable,
but weak, small, incapable, inferior), I am attracting weak
and proof of my weakness. When I am
feeling strong (not might-strong, but empowered, the Witness)
I attract strong and proof of my
strength. When I am pregnant, I see pregnant women all around.
When I feel I am lacking
something, I will be attracting more lack of and also proof
of lacking. Why? Because I insist it to
be my reality. Work in progress... but it's helping me see that
the reality that I hold with my belief
system is being mirrored in what I feel. I am learning to see
that the inner Queen (or Goddess, or
Spirit) can embrace the things I pick up from others, heal them,
and release them. I don't need to
do that. It's a two way street, my connection with Spirit. I
do not need to believe that I only get
messages from Spirit when I've properly prepared myself for
a reading... but that that channel
with Spirit is always there, it's a two-way connection, and
energies that are attracted to me can
go straight to Spirit for healing and release. But that takes
my surrender to trust that I am
always, at all times, everywhere... connected with Spirit. Now
*there* is a belief that needs
rewiring! For wasn't I raised to believe that I wasn't worthy
of being loved, accepted, let alone
*connected* with Spirit? Whew! And I'm working through my stuff
with that...
Now... the only thing I am wanting to understand for myself
in this still (trusting that the rest will
become clearer as I've made it my intent...) is how this "works"
with physical pain. I pick up on
menstrual cramps, arthritis, etc... by physically feeling those
myself. So it is a work in progress,
but becoming clearer and clearer.
For now, when I am in town, I work with a light (not dense)
spider's web... The strands of the
web pick up on stuff before it actually gets to my body, and
I can act on it there, on the web, no
longer in my body. The movements in the web indicate the direction
in which my attention needs
to go, and smaller stuff just sticks to it for later attention.
My inner stuff still has freedom to
travel around the web, or through the web and out... breathing
space physically, emotionally and
energetically. I still enjoy breaking away from the "mundane"
while in town by going to the
harbor and communicating with the seals and otters there, by
feeling the water, the fresh air and
sometimes fog... so I am using those moments to do a quick "web-check"...
For now, this works
very well. Combined with the amulets I made for my coats, I
am coming home feeling good, not
drained; I am not in a rush to get the kids to do something
for themselves so that I can have a
moment *alone*. There is a lot more balance.
Heh. Now I'm hoping this made sense to you.
Arctickaiku:
Hi, I've tried shielding and found it very unsatisfactory too.
Reading this now got me thinking. Is
it maybe because in doing so you're almost denying your greatest
power?
For an empath the vulnerability to sense is also the gift itself.
So are heavy shields like the wall
type a case of wearing a blindfold to try to stop yourself seeing
harmful things? That's how it's
starting to seem to me.
Everything our bodies do is for a reason. Pain isn't nice, but
pain warns us that our physical body
is in danger and once that is acknowledged there are ways to
ease the pain.
Could shielding be viewed from the same perspective? Mouse,
I think your web sounds one of
the most intelligent versions ever. A way to keep you open yet
aware. The first time I tried
shielding I put up a wall of light because I was nervous and
i was pretty much trapped within it. I
probably made it too strong. I think the entire universe bounced
off it! To channel the bad
energies to where they can be dealt with makes a lot more sense.
It's like taking a poisonous gas
in your mouse. Do you shut the windows and doors to keep it
"safe" in one place or do you open
up everything to let the fresh air blow it away? Lots for me
to think about here. Thank you for
posting the topic.
Yes, how funny it is (often only like afterwards), to realize
that the mind sees its own reflection
in/as the "external world"..... which is a good thing,
but not so good if one doesn't realize what is
happening. You both so made me laugh ... And yes, "centering
in Spirit or surrendering to Spirit"
is a two way street, two-way-communication.
My other grandmother used to have this saying: "Don't kill
a Spider or you'll kill your Mother !"
(But she never elaborated further as to why The Spider was our
Mother). Later on I thought that
maybe she meant our totemic clan, as we, in the old times used
to inherit that from our mother's
side. Now I know, that she meant the old myth about how Creator
gave the spider a thread, so
that it could move easily between earth and sky. Also meaning
that being centered/surrendered in
Spirit, we are already, thanks to our "Spider-Mother"
interconnected to all that is with our
personal spider thread like filament of "light" .....
and that this personal thread of
interconnectedness can lead us through 7 levels to fully realize
our Creator Connection.
(I had tried to look for this spider post you Autumn Mouse referred
to in the forums, but couldn't
find it. Maybe I didn't look hard enough).
About blood on leather .... red blood markings on white (like
reindeer skin) ..... well, that is very
Sacred to us, and can't be talked about. I couldn't even if
I tried.....I would just end up babbling
like... Red!!!!! .... White !!!!!.....Sacred!!!...Balance!!!!....That
!!!! And then I would just end up
lost in blankness .... not knowing why this thing gets to me
so.
WhyteFox:
Interesting thread...I've found that a combination of tools
works best for me. I need shielding in
some instances and use it when the blast is more than I can
handle. But mostly I use
transparency...and shapeshifting. Those archetypes you spoke
of, Mouse, are very helpful here.
I've been a shapeshifter all my life. It got me into a mess
of trouble because I didn't know I did it.
I used it more for escape or to become what others wanted me
to be. But when I learned to
identify some of those archetypes...which I now see also within
my totem animals...it became a
more intentional and positive process. I can access the positive
and creative and not the shadows
of those archetypes. I'm still learning and I still screw up,
but it's a much more creative way of
handling shapeshifter energy and has become a blessing. I am
grateful for it now and not
cursing myself for being so "wishy-washy."
CinnamonMoon:
I just want to say that I have learned for me personally that
my greatest Shield is in Spirit. As we
elevate our conscious awareness and step deeper into Spirit's
presence the need to Shield
decreases. Hence the closer to Spirit we are the less we need
to worry. If Shielding doesn't work
for you it tells me that you are elevating yourself as your
own natural Shield. Imagine an aura
that is dark...it attracts like the color black does. Now that
same aura in Spirit's presence is going
to be closer to the white light of Spirit and hence it will
project/block/shield you by sending
rather than attracting.
Stepping into the Oneness with Spirit, or centering, is how
we achieve this. If you are caught in
the chaos of struggle and entangling yourself with conflict
you'll darken your auric field as the
negativity shifts to dominance -- if you allow this to happen.
On the other hand, if you center you
rise above it and are better able to work through issues or
sidestep them altogether.
Shielding, IMHO, helps beginners feel safe, but the deeper you
get into your spiritual growth the
less you feel the need. Integrity and intent are shields in
their own right. The love we carry and
project is a shield. Many things shield us but some people,
like those who feel the need for
several tools to focus their intent, these people need to formulate
shields until their confidence
and understanding grow. Some of us can see the darkness others
are carrying and avoid it.
Sometimes we need to be drawn into it to receive a Shadow Lesson
from a Shadow Teacher to
learn what we don't want and why. A reverse psychology.
If we operate (again IMHO) from a premise of fear we call that
fear into being. If we operate
from a premise of love and success we call that to ourselves.
Shielding is a tool, nothing more.
Awareness...that's another shield. See it for what it is and
you'll see where to put your proverbial
hands up and say "I will not allow this" or "I
call this to me". You do it already, consciously or
not, but awareness of this within you and actively working with
it and Spirit you have the
greatest Shield there is and it molds itself to any given situation.
As for the issue of myth and the universal themes and characters,
they are the oral teachings of
truth and the themes we all play out in our lives. Please see
the article on *The Value of Myth*
in the Library. We all identify with them in our own ways, and
we feel their truths through that
identity. Though we may be common people, some aspect of ourself
is that king or queen, that
warrior or priest/ess, there is a little of us in all of them.
Each in our own way, we must pass
through these stages, experiences, and learn the value of that
myth. IMHO they simply reflect
life itself, hold its essence, and that essence is the truth
we seek.
Wisowl:
Cinnamon, reading your post just now, made me feel better about
not shielding anymore. LOL I
have never done that often anyway and only when I thought it
would be a good idea, but now I
don't do it. At the end of next month I might have an opportunity
to use shielding though, mainly
as I do not want to be there, but have to go, so I will shield,
if necessary. When one has phobias
and is empathic, one can get into big doo-doos! LOL
CinnamonMoon:
I'm glad it helped you Owl And those phobias are illusions we
cast for ourselves. Seeing them
that way you may be able to shatter them (especially if you
see Coyote giggling in a corner). Not
to make light of your situation, I know it's very hard to overcome.
But there are things that help
us jiggle out of them just by shifting the perspective a little.
Maybe that will help you too, I hope
so.
Arctickaiku:
Just a bit of feedback here. I do feel that where we live has
an impact on us psychologically i.e.
that we reflect the landscape that surrounds us, and therefore
the landscape itself can teach us
many things. This town, where I live gives me a feeling of a
"corral", surrounded by mountain
ranges and hills and beyond them ...vast desert.....wilderness.
(The Unknown). And on the fringe
of this "corral", where I live, I am looking at this
gap in the mountain range .... Like: "Hey,
somebody left the gate open !!!!" And outside of this "gate",
in my mind's eye, (ever since I
almost ran into The Dingo in town) ..... I have been seeing
this Dingo.......
Now you Cinnamon, in your post suggested to see the article
on *The Value of Myth*. OK. did
that & printed it. Today this big, hairy caterpillar marches
in. I grabbed a paper to put it on, so
that I could put it back outside. The caterpillar marched on
the paper, then stopped & stayed
totally still. Then I made an effort to see where the caterpillar
had stopped. The paper was your
article on The Value of Myth.... and the caterpillar stopped
on the words:" Ancient Ones.
Wisdom. Listen. Then it hit me, and I remembered, that I am
living in "Caterpillar Dreaming"
country ... In The Aboriginal Dreamtime Caterpillar Ancestors
created many of the features of
the landscape here, and the gum trees very close by are said
to be "Caterpillar People". And as I
searched for further information, I discovered that the "gate
of the corral", the gap in the
mountain range, that I am facing ... is a "Wild Dog"
(Dingo) Dreaming site ! (A second major
Dreamtime story told here). Curious. Not too sure what to make
of this as yet.
CinnamonMoon:
And so move the hands of your Spirit Guides to show you the
way. Wonderful. I'd say you're
being pointed toward an avenue of study for yourself. Do you
plan to visit that gap and explore
the dreamtime there? More may be revealed to you if you can
manage that. Lune, Osprey, and
Jenny are all from your corner of the world. We're anticipating
them returning soon and perhaps
they can help you out with a little more of your native Aboriginal
teachings. You did well!
Arctickaiku:
Sorry, quoted a wrong article .... Cinnamon. Got all these papers
happening here as well ....The
one that I was talking about was "Walking with The Powers
That Be", part 1, which I had also
printed out.
No need to go and visit the gap, as I live right in front of
it, beside it .. though "inside the
corral".....If my own Dreaming and Australian Aboriginal
Dreaming is interlinked .... things will
find their own way to come clear, I'm sure......as in "native
way" you don't ask questions, you just
watch and wait for the answers to your questions unfold ....
P.S. Thank you for this "Walking with The Powers"
article .... as I re-read it just now (the first
part) ... you really spelled it out ... the meaning of the gap,
in my landscape and the Aboriginal
myth that goes with it !!!!!!
CinnamonMoon:
Thank you for saying so, I'm glad it helped you out.
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Libraries
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INDEX
Page 3
(Main Section, Medicine Wheel, Native Languages &
Nations, Symbology)
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INDEX
Page 5
(Sacred Feminine & Masculine, Stones & Minerals)
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Text: ©
Copyright: Cinnamon Moon & River WildFire Moon (Founders.)
2000-date
All rights reserved.
Site
constructed by Dragonfly
Dezignz 1998-date
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