Spiritual Kung Fu

In the still quiet of night, a young man snores softly as he slumbers peacefully. Slowly he begins to stir, the feeling of being watched by some unseen entity gnawing at his unconscious. As he drifts slowly into waking, he can hear what sounds like the coarse noise of sandpaper rubbing against coarse wood. Blinking the sleep away he looks but sees nothing but the darkness around him, despite this the young man's heart is beating rapidly. Though he sees nothing he can feel something, and what he feels can only be described as malice. Then it is upon him, two red glowing orbs that look almost like eyes staring down at the startled young man. He is frozen, unable to move he's not really sure he's even breathing, the entire time he feels a solid and heavy weight upon his chest, pushing down so hard he's sure his ribs will crack any moment. Then, it is gone the eyes vanish, the feeling of malice goes and the weight lifts and he is left panting full of fear. Quickly getting to his feet the man gasps and begins to weep softly.
"Oh god," he whispers, "not again…"

This scene sounds like something out of a book to most people, but to some it is eerily familiar, either to themselves or someone they know. It is a common form of psychic assault performed by vampires, ghosts, spirits and even living humans. This kind of attack is possible and much more common than most would think, unfortunately most that are subject to this, or other varieties of psychic attack, usually try to ignore it as they think others will label them as crazy or just trying for attention and of course some truly do fall into those categories. What though, of those who suffer from genuine psychic assault, is there nothing they can do? There are some techniques, practiced mostly by witches, magicians and other new age' types that can help to protect from this kind of attack and the other forms of psychic assault.

As a Wiccan and as a witch, I have devoted a good portion of my life to the study of magick and a good portion of that study I have devoted to methods and techniques of psychic self defense, I've labeled the bag of tricks' I have collected as Spiritual Kung-Fu. Some of these techniques I have created and others come from a myriad of other sources both modern and old; I would be pleased to share these with you now.

To start, let me mention a little bit about meditation and visualization, which play a large role in modern magick practices altogether. Doing meditation and visualization exercises will help build consciousness and will power when it is crunch time.'

To begin a mediation practice is quite easy, simply sit, lay, stand or whatever you find comfortable and begin breathing deeply, as you breath try to clear your mind, don't force thoughts off, let them float like balloons from your mind. Once you have begun to center your mind, try to imagine a large movie screen or other object (I like to imagine a bright full moon) on this object, project or imagine numbers starting at twelve. State each number quietly either out loud or in your mind. Count down from twelve to one and when you finish take a deep breath inwards and hold it for a moment, than back out. Once this is complete you should count down from thirteen to one, this time it is not necessary to visualize the numbers. Once you finish start projecting simple images into your mind; circles, squares, etc. Once you see' them, start to manipulate them, change their sizes, shapes and positions. Over time you can start imagining more complex shapes, patterns and even entire environments complete with people, animals and objects for you to manipulate. This will help get your mind sharp and focused and ready to use defensive' visuals later.

Now that I have you started, let's go back a few steps and talk about exactly what you may need to be defending against. I would like to list a few things you might more commonly encounter. Please do keep in mind that while these do exist and are a present danger, they will not be under every rock or behind every bush. Don't become your own worst enemy and start imagining vampires in every closet in your home. I'll also talk about a few signs that might point to these entities for ease of reference, and also mention a few simple ways to help dispel such entities.

Ghosts: Classic in horror movies for as long as there have been horror movies. In truth, few Ghosts truly harm humans or even want to do so. There are the rare few who might feed off humans for energy or, rarely, fun. It can at times be hard to distinguish ghosts from other spirits and one of the only sure ways is to ask it, but this can require a trance medium in some cases and not all of us have one of those tucked in the closet. The best bet in any spiritual encounter is to treat the spirit with respect, unless it is hurting you. A few simple remedies for Ghosts is to leave a bowl of vinegar out, vinegar vapors will help to erase the spiritual patterns of ghosts, what mystics call etheric patterns'.

Vampires: Another classic horror figure, the true vampire though is quite a bit different from the Dracula fueled image. True vampires resemble ghosts at best, though many are said to appear mostly as shades and shadows, or just as a vaporous mass, sometimes with glowing red eyes. One truth from horror is that vampires will fear garlic, due to the fact that it acts as another etheric eraser, which will drive vampires out. Any sharp metal object (not wood) is also said to be a good defense from vampires.

Demons: Probably one of the most feared entities in the entire world is the mighty demon. Though they do make fearsome foes at times, demons are a far bit less powerful than their tricks, lies and illusions would lead us to believe. Demons cannot force their way into our hearts, minds, souls, etc unless we let them. That is our greatest defense against Demons, knowledge that they hold no power over us. Demons are commonly seen different from other entities as they almost always appear (when they do appear) as truly frightening and grand beasts. More commonly, they will not appear but just whisper into our ears to try to influence us in some ways. Anorexia patients have told stories of how they hear voices commanding them not to eat. While it cannot be proven that all or any of these patients are being dominated by demons, it is interesting to note.

Spirits: This category is probably one of the toughest to talk about, simply because of the range of entities that fall into it. Elementals, intelligences, most non-human entities are found here. Demons could be arguably called spirits as could most of the creatures we are talking about. Most of these spirits truly wish us no harm, but at times either we get in their way or they are commanded by some harmful magician to do ill. Defining spirits can be tough, and it really must be taken on a case by case basis. Luckily, like almost all entities that must act on the etheric plane to effect us, you can use vinegar, garlic and magick to defend against them.

'Evil' Magicians: I do not really like using the word evil, for most people and things are not evil as our modern world has come to describe them, but they still perform acts that most would consider to be evil, so the word shall be used here. These are witches, ceremonial magicians and other spell casting people who use their powers' for harm. The spiritual encounter described at the beginning of this article could be caused by a harmful magician sending a commanded spirit out to hurt another. Other sources of harm are curses which manifest as bad luck or unfortunate coincidences. While such things do happen on mundane levels, long spurts of them should be looked at closely to see if you might have a mystic malefactor. The best defenses are mystic counter measures which I will discuss later.

Now, with all this that might be out to get you, what are some ways to defend? I will share with you three simple and effective shields, as well as two rituals which will help to stop harm being done to you.

The Crystal Shield: One of the classic means of defense that I first learned of from Christopher Penczak's book The witches Shield' (2004, Llewellyn)

Perform the meditation exercise listed earlier, then while in your relaxed state you should imagine a glowing egg shaped sphere of light around you. Purple is a good color as it is the psychic color, but whichever you feel is best, use that. Take three deep breaths, on each of these breaths imagine the sphere growing larger and larger until it is three times your size. Take a fourth breath and imagine it crystallizing, becoming like a large diamond around you. When this is complete and your protective diamond is complete say this phrase three times.
"I charge this shield to protect me from all harm, and to return love upon that harm."

Once that is done say Amen or So Mote It Be (an old witches saying meaning it is so).

Once you get a bit of practice you can start to project this shield over places and things you wish to protect to. You can create a full shield around your home, office, car, etc.

Pentacle Shield: This is a shielding technique I created to receive a special shield from the Goddess and God. You can adjust it to any religion though. If you wish you can use a Star of David or a Cross and the name, God or Yaweh, etc.

Begin by getting into that nifty medative state we have been using. Around your feet visualize a circle of energy, purple, again, is good. Inside this circle imagine a pentagram (or other symbol) and bend down and 'pick it up' and then imagine it floating up into the sky. Repeat this phrase.

"Goddess and God (or whatever you chose) bless this pentagram and send back with it a shield to protect me from and ground out all harm. My thanks to you and love upon you always."

Imagine the circle floating back down to you, with a sphere of light (again color can be up to you, purple and gold work well) that does not stop at you, but sinks a few feet into the ground. This is so all harm projected at you not only stops but is sunk into the ground where it can be made harmless by the energies of the Earth Mother.

The Angelic Shield: Another shield I created, this one calls upon the four elemental Archangels; Uriel (North/Earth), Raphael (East/Air), Michael (South/Fire) and Gabriel (West/Water).

To begin you get into that medative state again, but this time the shielding will be a bit more complicated and get a bit more ritualized. Start by facing North and clasp your hands palms together as if praying.
Say this phrase; "Uriel, Archangel of Earth, please send me energy to protect and guide me."
Visualize Uriel the archangel (I usually see a woman in a dark earthen robe with black wings) holding a large wooden shield with a green pentacle. From this should visualize green energy flowing to you, making a quarter circle around you in green light.

Turn now to the east and say; "Raphael, Archangel of Air, please send me energy to protect and guide me."
I usually see Raphael in a bright yellow robe holding a caduceus (the symbol seen on ambulances and at doctor's offices with two snakes on a wand.) Visualize him sending out yellow energy to create a quarter circle of yellow energy around you.

Turn to the south and say; "Michael, Archangel of Fire, please send me energy to protect and guide me."
I see Michael mostly as a tall man with dark hair dressed in Greek/Roman armor, holding a large sword. Visualize him sending out red energy from his sword to create a quarter circle of red energy around you.

Finally, turn to the west and say; "Gabriel, Archangel of Water, please send me energy to protect and guide me."
I commonly see Gabriel as a fair blonde man in a dark blue robe, at times riding a tidal wave. He holds a large chalice or grail. Imagine bright blue energy flowing from that grail to surround you in a quarter circle of energy.

Turn to each direction and thank the angels in turn for their kindness. You are now protected on all sides by each element and each elemental archangel.

Another good mode of defense is to use our visualizations to 'fight back' so to speak. Say, for example, you feel someone is sending harm your way. Simply breathe deeply and calm yourself and close your eyes, ask to 'see' the direction of the harm. If you practice the meditation skills you may start to get what mystics call 'mind's eye sight' in that you might see more spiritual things when you focus with your mind's eye. Now, when you feel you've pinpointed the direction of the harm, imagine taking the harm, which may be in the form of a beam, or of a mean spirited entity, etc. And wrap it up in many knots, like a tangled Celtic knot and bury it deep in the ground where it can no longer hurt you. This is another great defense I learned from author Christopher Penczak.

Another method I have 'created' and use often is what I call the bubble burst. After getting into that medative state you can start to create 'bubbles' of energy. Use bright white or gold when you want to dispel harm. Now imagine this bubble floating up into the air and growing larger, larger, larger until it bursts, throwing bright white/gold cleansing light out to chase away harm. With practice you will be able to do this without a true medative state but simply a few deep breaths to focus your will and intent.

I also wish to share with you, is an ancient ritual known as the 'Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram' originally used by Cabalistic mages and adapted by Ceremonial mages at around the turn of the century. It is a very powerful ritual calling upon the dual nature of God (Goddess) and the four Elemental archangels. It is a bit long and takes a lot of practice, but from a psychic defense perspective, it is worth it. Use some of the more mundane techniques (garlic and vinegar to scare off spirits) and finish with this to cleanse out the harmful remnants of the spirits or to chase offs any stubborn spirits. I recommend burning incense while doing this. Frankincense and or Myrrh are good as is lavender, cinnamon and sage. Also, a burning sage pack (available at almost any new age store) is said to help cleanse out spirits. If you're inclined, hold the burning sage while doing this ritual, for added effect. Though the sage or ritual by themselves are good ways to cleanse out your space and get rid of harmful entities.

To start, we must perform the Cabbalistic Cross that goes as follows.
This ritual begins in the east.
Touch your forehead with your index and middle fingers (just above the head if your using the burning sage, don't singe yourself!) and say 'Ateh' (unto thee)
As you say this, imagine a ball of supremely bright light above your head and a shaft of such light lowering into the top of your head.
Next, bring your hand down so you point between your feet and say 'Malkuth' (the kingdom)
Imagine the light descending through you, to form another ball of light between your feet.
Point at your right shoulder and say Ve-Geburah (and the power)
Imagine a new ball of light beside you, and a shaft of light entering your right shoulder.
Run your hand across your body and point to the left shoulder, saying "Ve-Gedulah" (and the glory).
Imagine the shaft of light going through you and creating another ball of light to the left. You now have created a cross through your body.
In front of you, claps your hands together and say "Le-Olahm, Amen" (To the ages, Amen.)
Imagine a bright glowing light on around your hands that grow larger to encompass all of your body.

Now, with your fingers, a dagger, the sage or what you may use draw a banishing pentagram. Imagine it to be in bright blue light, as you draw it say this; "Yod Heh Vav Heh" (this is the ancient Jewish name of God; it represents his masculine and feminine sides.)

Turn to the south, drawing a line in bright blue light over to the southern side. In the air, draw another banishing pentagram and say "Adonai."

Turn to the east, drawing the same blue line over to the eastern side of the room. Once there, draw a pentagram in bright blue light and say "Eh-he-eh."

Turn north, drawing another line to that side. When your there draw another banishing pentagram and say "Agla."

Finish the circle by drawing a bright line over to the east.

When you finish this, stand with legs spread and arms out to the side, creating a pentagram with your body, while you say the next part, imagine the elemental archangels from before around you as you call to each of them.

"Before me Raph-ae-l, Behind me Gabr-ie-l, On my right hand Mich-ae-l, On my left hand, Ur-ie-l."
(This is the way it is supposed to be pronounced according to Ceremonial magicians, for best use try to use these pronunciations but if you can't just say their names.)

When you complete that part, say in a loud and authoritative voice;
"For about me flame the pentagrams" (while you say this imagine the pentagrams glowing and flaring with power.)
"And upon me shine the Sixth rayed star!"
(While you say this, imagine a traditional Star of David, with the upper pyramid glowing red and the lower glowing blue.)

Once done with this part repeats the Cabbalistic cross to end the ritual.

The last little ritual I have is far simpler, but still helpful.
Get into your helpful state of meditation while sitting or laying in the room you wish to protect. Visualize a protective symbol (I use the pentagram or Mjolnir, Thor's hammer) anything from a cross to a shield will work. Imagine the symbol floating about the room clockwise, spreading with it energy in the form of colored light, lightning, etc that creates a wall of power about the room. It will create a protective barrier that will keep the room clear of harm. Using this in addition to the Lesser Banishing Ritual will truly help protect you and your loved ones.

I truly hope this article is going to help you, at least give you a little edge on the harmful little spirits, in case you ever run afoul of them. Like physical kung fu these techniques are not meant to fight, but simply defend. Thanks for reading and may you always be blessed and protected.