A few years ago, my #schizophrenic brother wound up in the county #jail, and I was visiting him regularly on the weekday allotted to people whose last names started with the letter ours does.
It was nothing like movies. In one big room, rows of long tables with a short vertical shelf in the middle separated the sides. Chairs bolted to the floor were set opposite each other on each side of the table.
#Prisoners lined up against the wall waiting for their visitor. When they saw each other, they'd choose an open pair of chairs and sit down to talk. No touching was allowed.
Some prisoners waited for all the visitors to file in, without anyone coming to see them. They had no way of knowing beforehand if anyone would. They just hoped, and came down.
The room was bright white, loud and brightly lit, and everything in it was hard and echoey, with lots of people talking at once. The misery of everyone there was palpable, and crushing.
After a few visits, I went to the home of a couple of my witchy friends, and asked them to help me learn how to shield, because that absorbed #misery was making it impossible for me to function. Shielding is something witches do to protect themselves from external sources of damage. My spouse found learning how helpful a few days ago, and I want to share it with y'all, too.
The concept is simple. Close your eyes. Think of yourself in a situation where you're completely safe. Imagine yourself physically approaching that location under your own power. Integrating multiple senses into the scene is helpful; imagine the sights you see as you approach, sounds, smells, the feeling of your body's or vehicle's motion, etc.
When you're there, and comfortable, go ahead and open your eyes. You're shielded against things that will affect you badly. When you've done what you need to do, take a few minutes to reverse the process. Leave your safe space the same way you got there.
Walking around shielded all the time is no good for you and your relationships; you'll be distant to the people and animals in your life. They'll know something is wrong without being able to identify it, and will react differently to you.
#MentalHealth #prison #witchcraft #psychology #meditation #SelfCare #SelfProtection #shielding #EmotionalSafety
#emotions #jail
near a six decade low!
