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The phone rang at 10:00 that night. When I picked up the receiver, I cringed to hear my oldest son's voice. "Um.... Mom?"
He either needed money or was in trouble.
Turned out to be the latter.
It seems he and some friends had dug out a Ouija board and, when they were unable to contact the late Dale Earnhart, they opened things up with, "Anyone else out there want to talk to us?"
Hearing this, I cringed again.
As I suspected, the group couldn't get rid of what showed up at the end of the evening. The dog in the house wouldn't stop barking, and pictures were falling off the walls. "What should I do?" he asked me.
"For one, burn the Ouija board," I replied. Biting back another sarcastic remark (and the strong desire to give him a good, swift kick), I told him to stop by in the morning; I'd have some stuff ready for him.
Instead of going to sleep, I phoned Frater S.P.R.V. Thank the gods he's a night owl. His experience and knowledge made it possible for me to put together a simple cleansing ritual and prepare some blessed water. My son dutifully followed my instructions the next day, forgetting, however, to protect himself as he sent the errant spirits back to their point of origin. I later found out - about six months later, in fact - whatever it was they'd turned loose in that house had decided to tag along with my son on a regular basis.
Of course, he didn't tell me this until things got problematic - like the entity standing in the doorway in the middle of the night, or almost tangibly visible riding in the passenger seat of his car...
A mother's job is never done, I guess...
But the point of this story is: it's not always the magick that comes from within which causes problems. Yes, a botched ritual or spell can backfire on the practitioner. Still, there are countless other sources of equally (or more) powerful magicks which can mess with a person. Thus the need for what some call "psychic self-defense" or a protective type of personal magick to shield oneself against this interference.
On a more human level than what happened to my son, other people can unwittingly project their "magick" - they may not even know what magick is, or that they are doing this - onto others. Their insulting remarks, attitudes or ignorance can press against one's defenses, causing a disruption of personal balance. When you think about how many people can be encountered in the course of a day, and the results of being exposed to many unfocused energies, it can be a cause for concern.
It's just another reason for magickal folk to keep their eyes open - both the physical eyes and the eyes of the soul. Developing an awareness of these interfering energies is an excellent way to protect oneself from them. Like a baseball player adjusting his position to catch an incoming pop fly, it is possible to deflect the majority of these energies - primarily because they are unfocused - so they do no harm to us. Better still, grounding them so they do no harm to anyone.
A simple process, really, which uses common sense and a bit of practice. Just as when a practitioner casts a circle to keep out unwanted energies during a ritual, to maintain the integrity of the working and ensure its success using the properly refined energies, so individuals should maintain their own protected space within themselves, and not let the chaotic energies of others disrupt day to day life.
One method to accomplish this involves a few moments every morning - whether in the bathroom, the bedroom or another relatively quiet place - taking a few deep breaths, and visualizing (or otherwise sensing) a protective energy field encompassing the body. If this field is penetrated be unwanted external energies through the day, a person can refine and strengthen the technique over time. Otherwise, it is a beneficial means to preserve one's balance.
Keeping those random energies at bay, there will be less likelihood of needing to call Mom (or another experienced magickian) in the middle of the night to straighten things out.
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