This is the place to discuss shielding methods you use or have used in the past. A place for strugling empaths to learn of the different methods they can protect themselves from getting covered in everyone elses gunk. We are all inderviduals and as such we all have our own experiances with empathy. Not everyone feels it or sees it in the same way, so what works for one might not work for others. In this thread I hope we can discuse sheilding tech used and give those new to the subject a good idea of methods they can try for themselves.

This is my shield when it all gets too much for me this is where I go

I construct my Astral Temple as a tree house from my childhood. Benieth my feet a platform of wood rests upon the strong and suporting branches of my stabalising tree. The trunk runs through the middle like the World Tree stands in the middle of all things. Rooted in my foundations, its uppermost branches reaching up into my potential. Above me the sun trickles through the soft green leaves which murmer and whisper to each other in the gentle breeze. Silence all around me rushes in, stroking my stress with gentle fingers. On the breeze is the sweet summer smell of roses. Shadows dance across my decking, leaf shades chaseing eachother in an endless game of tag. Ivy meanders it's way around and up the trunk of the tree. I tease a stem from off the tree and sit in happy silence weeving an ivy crown for myself. A simple crown for my victory. A simple crown of ivy to bind my two halfs whole. I welcome in the forgotten child as I place the crown upon my head. I hear the leaves wispering, giggling, chuckling in my ear. Poetry from my childhood rushes to my mind.

A.A. Milne Solitude.

"I have a house where i go,
When there's too many people,
I have a house where I go,
Where no one else can be:
I have a house where I go,
Where nobody ever says "No",
Where no one says anything - so,
There is on one here but me."

The other method I use to help me is the other person is in a pit. I'm up there on the side of it. Now I can let my empathic abilities pull me down into the pit with them or I can extend my hand to them and help pull them out. The latter is better for everyone. How can I help when I'm over run with their sorrow? I can't I need a clear and detatched viewpoint to help fully. Me being down there with them doesn't help them one bit. What point is there in two people suffering together? Two birds each with a broken wing still can't fly if they get together. Much better to offer the hand to help pull them out of the suffering than risk going down with them.

Don't think for one moment we haven't all spent time getting sucked into the gunk, we all have at some time or another. Just don't let guilt over run you and force you back to trying to fix everyone else when you yourself are in desperate need of fixing. It's ok to take time out for yourself. It's ok to be a little bit selfish. Untill you can give yourself care, that which you give to others is never truly validated. How can it be when we can not truly love another untill we have love for ourselves. You will be in a much better situation to fix the world when you yourself are fixed. Just remember a therapist doesn't get down in the gunk with their clients and there is a very good reason they don't. They need a clear mind to help their clients. Yes its imposably hard sometimes to not be effected by the strength of other peoples emotions, and yes you could probably make them better for a little while by smothering yourself in their gunk but remember that humans grow from adversity. If you take all their burden and carry it for them they will not suffer the adversity and they wont grow or learn a single thing. When they don't learn they come back time and time again with one trauma after another. You can't save the world, only the world can save itself, all you can do is walk beside them, hold their hand and give them confort that they aren't alone and someone else has been there before them. If the person at the other end of the line isn't ready to recive the message they wont be healed by it fully. You end up throwing energy after energy at them untill they grow to expect that of everyone and thus leads to psychic vamps. Learn to give your energy in a worthy fasion. Though you may feel their pain you can't heal the whole world. A big realisation for me was accepting I'm not responcable for everyone's pain. I learnt to draw the line and help where it was most needed and best used.

There is another more Paganish version of this, though I don't feel it has been used enough to build up as much power as the original, still it has a nice enough effect and you may feel you relate to it more.

Stand with you feet slightly apart for this one other than that do the same bigger smaller lighter visulisation as before.

This time directing your words to the Lord and Lady, visualise the sphere above your head, touch your forehead and say :
"Thou art,
The Kingdom (point to feet)
The Strength (touch right shoulder)
The Mercy (touch left shoulder)
And the Love (clasp hands in center)
Forever (sphere of light expands)
So mote it be."

You can also draw a pentagram of light if you like by first touching your forhead then then pointing to you left foot, then touching to your right shoulder, then across to touch your left shoulder, then pointing to your right foot and returning to touch your forehead. As I said there are many different things you can adapt this with only your imagination holds the bounderies.