By request, this week’s blog discusses simple spiritual protection techniques. The reader asked: “What’s the easiest way to protect myself energetically? I get a lot of anxiety around crowds, and usually feel exhausted afterwards. Also, I’ve just started reading tarot and I’m nervous about picking up other people’s energy. What can you recommend?”
No matter how we interact with people during our day, their energy and emotional state has an impact on us. How many times have you found yourself drained by someone’s company, or felt oddly unsettled by the stranger sitting or standing nearby? Perhaps you’ve experienced walking into a space and sensed those living there just had an argument? What about that person to which everyone feels drawn? In their company you may feel light, happy, or energised, but once you’ve moved away, that buoyancy fades. This is the impact of energy. Everything in our world is made of this energy, and it’s in constant motion, even in solid, inanimate objects.
As we interact with our world, whether it be with friends, family, colleagues, or strangers, our energies connect, and through that contact, we pick up traces of that energetic soup—good and bad. Much like you wash your hands to rid yourself of germs, you can also wash away hitch-hiking energy, but by starting the day with any of these simple spiritual protection techniques, you’ll be at an even greater advantage before you swing one foot out the door!
Spiritual or energetic protection is important for everyone, regardless of whether you flex your psychic gifts daily. Empaths are especially sensitive to energy, and speaking from experience, learning how to protect yourself can greatly reduce the anxiety surrounding crowds or social situations. While energetic protection is a subject that burrows into many physical, emotional, and mental aspects, I won’t delve into them here. Instead, I’ll offer a few easy, discreet practices to help keep your energy fields clear.
Grounding
Grounding is an easy, quick, yet greatly beneficial mediation practice which can be done anywhere, anytime. It brings balance to mind, body, and spirit, rooting us in the here and now.
When you’re ungrounded, you might experience a sense of being ‘spaced-out’. You may feel dizzy, find it hard to concentrate, or want only to drift in daydreams. An ungrounded person can appear jumpy, over-stimulated or even paranoid. Addiction can also indicate a lack of grounding.
Starting your day with grounding brings numerous health benefits, including increased energy and concentration. It can reduce pain, improve sleep, and release negative mental energy. You can choose to ground just once a day, but many people find that a top-up, especially if dealing with stressful situations, is of great benefit. If you suffer from restless sleep or vivid dreams, a grounding practice before bed can help, too.
Standing in a queue? Take a minute to ground, and give yourself a little energy boost instead of stressing over the wait. Feeling hassled in work? You can practice grounding while standing at the photocopier, or while in the bathroom, or even making coffee. It takes just a few focused inhales and exhales to ground yourself and feel more connected to the present moment. Depending on your location, you can ground in as little as twenty seconds if necessary.
To begin, you can choose to sit or stand, but ensure your soles are flat on the floor. If it’s safe, and feels comfortable to do so, close your eyes.
On your first inhale, draw your breath deep into your lower belly. Allow it to fill before guiding the breath to rise up through your ribcage and swirl into your upper chest.
Exhale slowly through your mouth, allowing your shoulders to soften. Tension begins to dissolve.
Inhale again, visualising the cleansing breath filling your entire torso, and on its release, expelling negativity.
Inhale with intent once more, and on the exhale, imagine roots emerging from the soles of your feet and the base of your spine. These roots dive deep into the ground, burrowing through all the layers of soil, stone, and rock until they reach the core of the earth. Bring awareness to the connection of this solidity; you are now grounded, safe, and secure.
Want to take your grounding
a step further?
Picture a vast cave in the earth’s core. A clear lake lies in its centre. Your roots have many tendrils that grasp the rocks and boulders surrounding this lake.
A bright light glows in the centre of the lake. It expands, filling the crystal clear water with vivid, sparkling light. Allow your intuition to choose the colour. Your roots extend further, sliding under the surface of the lake to draw the light in, absorbing the healing, positive energy.
When you’re ready, inhale deeply. The light travels up through your roots, rising from the depths of the earth, soaring upwards to the soles of your feet. Slowly exhale, and feel the tingle in your feet.
On your next inhale, welcome the light into your being. Soak it up through your feet, ankles, shins, thighs, and pelvis. Draw it into your stomach, ribs, shoulders, down your arms, and into your hands. It travels up your neck, over your jaw, cheekbones, and forehead, then sweeps to the crown of your head. Now fully bathed in this healing light, take one final inhale to pull the light in even deeper. On the exhale, visualise anything negative disintegrating, its remnants absorbed and transmuted into positive energy by your grounding light.
This is a great practice to start your day. You can perform it while waiting for the kettle to boil, coffee to brew, or while in the shower. If you have more time, you could even make a self-care ritual out of it. Maybe light a candle, burn incense, and gift yourself whatever minutes you can afford to deeply engage with the practice. What’s great about grounding is that it can be done anywhere. So as you’re out and about, if you feel an emotional or mental wobble coming on, try a quick ground to get you rooted in calm once more.
Sometimes, I purposely choose the colour of light that I absorb. For example, if I’m feeling tired, or unwell, I’d envision green light for healing. If I’m facing into a day of tarot readings, I might go with violet to strengthen my intuition. After a few tries of this grounding, you’ll develop your own personal method. You might even just take it as far as the roots reaching the earth’s core, where the solidity of their grip is enough to bring you security and calm.
Ask & Give
Many people turn to Source/Spirit/Angels/God when asking for protection; Archangel Michael for example, who as a fierce protector is often called upon when faced with fear or danger. Sending out that call to your higher power of choice is a powerful way to bring in protection. That call allows the energy you seek to form with intent, so whether your preference is to speak a prayer or repeat a mantra, ask your higher power for their protection.
Consider a mantra to invoke this protection. My go-to is ‘I am safe and protected in light and love.’ When I ground, I also visualise a shield falling into place, and as it does, I repeat this mantra three times. But if I’m in a situation where I feel challenged by energy, I say the mantra to brace both myself, and my shield.
Giving is another aspect of this practice, and by that, I mean giving yourself permission to protect yourself. Don’t be afraid to say no to situations or people that don’t feel right to you. ‘No thank you’ is enough to say, too; you don’t owe anyone an explanation when refusing. You also have the right to remove yourself from negative situations. If, just for example, you’re about to work with a client and they demand proof that you’re ‘the real thing’, consider whether you really want to put time and energy into someone who’s disrespecting you and your practice. This could apply to any energy practice; reiki, mediumship, tarot reading, healing, etc., but translates into the mundane too. If someone or something feels off, or challenges you unnecessarily, give yourself the permission to walk away.
Energy Shield
As I mentioned, once I’ve grounded, I double up on protection by visualising a shield forming around me. I’ve practised this for years and always find comfort and security in it, especially when around large crowds.
With your body grounded and filled with positive light, picture your crown chakra spinning above your head. A shaft of white light rises from it, connecting you to Universal energy.
Picture a disc forming from your crown chakra. It spreads out above you, forming a wide, protective shield as it lowers around your body. You can sense it sealing you in light and love as it meets below your feet. Inside this bubble you are protected from negative energy. It bounces off your shield’s surface and cannot penetrate your aura.
Choose an appearance for your shield that resonates with you. It can take on a colour, a material, a sound. Repeat a mantra as it folds around you, and picture all the positive, grounding energy you’ve drawn up from the earth safely locked in there with you. As with grounding, it takes just a few moments to shield. I shield as part of my grounding practice, morning and night, and whenever I need a boost during the day.
Crystals
Readers of my weekly newsletter know that I’m a rock chick. I love those shiny little stones and the energy they give off. I won’t leave the house without a crystal on my person, whether incorporated into jewellery or tucked in a pocket. Each of my tarot decks has an accompanying crystal, and when I read, I add a few of my tarot buddies to the mix too, for both protection, and to promote my intuition. There are lots of gemstones that offer protection, but here are my top 5, all of which are readily available and inexpensive. Crystals can be worn as any form of jewellery, put in a pocket, and also placed around the home, office, or in your vehicle for protection.
Black Tourmaline is one of the most powerful protection stones. It wards off psychic attack, ill-wishing, negative energies of all kinds, and keeps electromagnetic pollution away too. With its grounding energy, it increases physical vitality while shedding stress and anxiety.
Black Obsidian repels all forms of negativity by drawing the energy in, transmuting it, then expelling it out again. It also works on an unconscious level, uncovering that which you may be hiding, and bringing those truths to the surface. A great stone for home protection, you can grid by placing one stone against each outer corner of your home, or place crystals in areas where you feel a protective boost is required.
Amethyst is an ideal stone for those who wither in crowds. This crystal assists with overwhelm and anxiety, and as powerful healer, is also beneficial for addiction and grief issues. Amethyst is a great sleep aid too, as it helps to alleviate nightmares and psychic interference.
Citrine is known as the merchant stone for its abundance properties, but this sunny crystal is also a champion protector. Like Obsidian, it absorbs the negative stuff and transmutes it into positive, but it also acts as an early warning system for the aura so the wearer can take action.
Clear Quartz is a powerful healer and energy amplifier. It works at a vibrational level with its owner to bring healing and protection during spiritual work. With its ability to absorb, transform, and dispel negative energy, this workhorse is an ideal crystal for protection.
Other protective stones include Pyrite, Labradorite, Smoky Quartz, and Selenite.
I hope today’s blog brings inspiration to your protection practices, or helps to kick start a new one. One of my favourite books on the topic is Spiritual Protection by Sophie Reicher. This handbook for energy workers, healers, and psychics, is packed with information and exercises to help increase competence, confidence, and skill for anyone looking to develop their psychic abilities and protection techniques. It’s plainly written, so easy to follow too!
What protection techniques do you practice? If you’d like to share your experiences, you can reach out to me at julie@creativesoultarot.com
If there’s a topic you’d like to see featured in the blog, or have a subject you’d like to chat about as a guest blogger, let me know. Our creative community is wide and deep, so don’t be shy; come share your experiences and wisdom!
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