Self-defense and Banes
Judy Harrow
I surely agree that we have every right to protect ourselves and our "own folk" from attack. But I do believe that shield and mirror workings are more efficient, effective and elegant at accomplishing the goal of self-protection. Consider this - a mirror working is perfect justice. If I am mistaken, either that psychic attack is being done at all or about the perpetrator, a bane will jeopardies me karmically and (if psychic attack truly is being done by somebody other than the one I suspect) fail to protect me. A mirror sits there passively, ignores any mistaken paranoia that I may occasionally get, does nothing at all until and unless an attack happens, and then sends the bad energy directly back to the exactly deserving person or group in exactly the proper amount and kind. A mirror is perfect justice.
A grounding shield is perfect mercy, taking bad energy and dissipating it harmlessly. I think I already said this but I recently talked one of my students into using a grounding shield where she would have been perfectly entitled to use a mirror. The situation is an ongoing battle between my student's lover and his former wife. While the ex-wife did an entirely unjustifiable attack, and would fully deserve to have it returned full force, all this would really accomplish would be to perpetuate the craziness, hostility and tension in the situation - and both the couple's innocent children and my student are being hurt. Better for all concerned to ignore justice and drain as much of the tension as possible, to make room for the healing that all of them need. A grounding shield is perfect mercy.
But banes and bindings, while they may give short term protection, risk your own karma, are susceptible to mistake, and may, if misdirected, even fail of their well-intended purpose. Sure you're entitled to self-protection. This is just a lousy way to go about it. I guess my kind of Warrior is Athena, the wise defender.
warmly / Judy
From: Hugh Read
You have a gentle way. For myself, I love Minerva who I feel is a Being unto Herself. The concept of the Grounding Shield is clear to me...would you care to share the practice with me. Justice has little interest for me. That takes care of itself in the process of time. We are all amply repayed for our varies deeds simply by wearing this body of ours. Healing is far more to the point. The word Justice makes me cringe a bit, though long ago I came to peace with Justice. One of my more angry prayers is May he/she have perfect Justice, NOW! Instant karma, NOW...and I always add, and so may it be with me.
I remember telling this to a New Age teacher a few years ago. He turned pale and promised me auto accidents, fire, theft and robbery if I did that. Well, I am still bopping along with my share in the chancier aspects of life affirming perfect Justice for my self and every now and then in those very rare (!) moments of anger instant Karma for me and whoever. I love the idea of a shield that will ground and disperse any nasties send grovelling in my direction. Let Healing Be the Way!!! Tender bliss and explosive ecstacy be yours as the days pass softly!
From: Judy Harrow
It's visualization either way. For the grounding shield, it is velvety, absorptive black (Oops, I should say that MINE is - you may alter this to whatever will convince your Younger Self). Every so often along it's length, for me every 2-3 yards, there is a post somewhat like a fence post that extends deep into the ground and is conductive like a lightening rod. Trust mother Earth to filter any kind of energy back into simple, pure, undifferentiated energy and recycle it to wherever it is most needed. So the shield catches incoming energy and channels it down through the purifying rocks. I don't know exactly how to describe physically how the shield can be semi-permeable, allowing in the well-wishes of your friends, but, as semi permeable membranes exist in Nature, helping each cell maintain its water/salt balance, so can this shield. Can you conceive of a substance both velvet and mesh? That's how it is with me.
On the justice end of the spectrum, my own Younger Self is a bit of a literalist. A flat mirror will not work for me, since the angle of incidence is complementary to the angle of reflection, which means that bad energy is actually diverted from the sender and bounced onto innocent parties. My mirror looks like a waffle, and is optically designed to send stuff back exactly where it came from. It's also semi-permeable, and that is even harder to explain. I guess Younger Self is not altogether consistent.
On the issue of choosing between the two modes. Justice is a tautology. It will do no better - and no worse - than getting you back to where you began. It protects and maintains, but does not allow for growth. Perhaps you've read Diana Paxon's wonderful book "Red Mare, White Stallion." At the beginning, the women of the tribe have a ritual opportunity to make a wish for the coming year. But the heroine does something even better. When her turn comes, she tells the Goddess "Mother, You choose." Had she chosen, she could not possibly have received anything more than she was capable of imagining. Taking the risk of not choosing was opening herself to surprise and transformation.
Reading that was a mind-blow for me. Since then, I have tried to take Diana's dare as much as possible, and not limit myself to tautology. I don't do it all the time, but I stretch toward it. The mirror/shield question resonates with that for me.
Minerva/Athena wears a shield and helmet, and carries a spear. My Sister is a Warrior, but always in defense of the community and always for justice. Never for greed or domination. It is worthy to protect what you have, and worthy to reach beyond.
warmly / Judy
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original author.!