Dont you think its wierd how their doesn't seem to be much knowledge of Pyschic self defence these days in this New Generation of Magic Users?
Silver Raven Wolf never mentioned it in any of the books I have read.
One of the First Books I read was a Magick Self Defence Book by Dion Fortune, I own one written by Murry Hope in 1983.
There seem to be no warnings abot he pitfalls of Magick. So I ask myself why? What purpose does it serve? Is it because of some reason like this?(and this I quote out of Murry Hopes Book)
*On Evil*
'I recall attending a trance address in London some years ago after which a couple in the audience asked the Chairman why he was placing a protection around the medium. "To ensure that the communicating entity is on the path of light, and not of evil intent," he replied.
The couple middle aged to elderly, seemed annoyed at this answer, declaring that they had been "in that line of business" for some twenty five years and never encountered anything "evil". To which the able chairman replied "Well, madam, you obviously have never done anything to disturb it!" the implication being that they had done little to enrich their lives and those around them, in spite of their frequent psychic encounters."

I think everyone needs some sort of defense, i honestly haven't read anything recent except urban primative which actually had several reasons and methods for psychic defense...i don't believe there are evil entities, but there are essences who would enjoy harming if they are tapped into, just unknowingly destructive or even the "psychic vampire" type of person that willingly or ignorantly preys on others energy...The man who stood up and stated that he'd never seen it probably has not seen that method, but i'm sure he has his own defenses...like all other aspects of the mind, they can be in place and not realized...or as the presenter said he'd never "stirred" anything up...if more people would protect themselves willingly than there'd be less of a chance for them to "stir" something...Those who have tend to be prepared...

i personally call on guardians....i lack the focus to defend myself, but have the knack to summon those who will *shrugs* it's not for everyone, but than not everyone is a fero or necro

*giggles* in that concept your two names rhyme funny isn't it?

Mediums by their nature have to drop defenses, it can be quite dangerous in that respect.
From the book once more..
"When life forces flow with the forawrd directional impulses of cosmic law the results are harmonious, but when any mind or intelliegence elects to travel along an opposing path somebody along that route suffers."

Well his discription of Evil was...

"There are many people who do not accept the existance of evil as a force or entitiy, implying that it is simply negative thinking which can be easily counteracted by ignoring its existance and thinking nice thought thoughts. All very pleasant if the other fellow follows the same line of logic and avoids stirring the mud but unfortunately, if we are to face facts, the planet we live on is not all honey and brotherly love, and the thought-force generated by hatred alone produces enough unstable enrgy to cause untold suffering in the lives of many." ff>> down page bit
"People who try to effect advantageous soical changes inevitably come up against those very regimes which have benefitted from the previos order. This is also true in the psychic and occult realms" ff>> again.
"What is therefore generally termed evil is actually misplaced or misdirected energy operating against the forward directional impulses of cosmic law, and evil people are simply those who misuse or misdirect natural forces, sometimes dileberately, some times through ignorance, to cause pain, suffering, destruction and chaos in any degree"ff>>
"Defining what is cosmically right and what is cosmincally wrong can be summed up quite simply: evil is selfish and destructive, good is selfless and constructive" - Murry Hope.

Now I pretty much agree with this, when working in this area you do tend to come up against things left behind by other mages and people, that are none to pleasant, and a good defense against these things are very useful.

I think in the present climate there isn't really much call for people to be taught psychic self defence.
Basically, all types of psychic self defences stem from will power (overcome the will power and you destroy the defence) but by far the strongest display of will power is the adamant disbelief that something exists.

If someone firmly believes that magic can't (not doesn't, that's not quite strong enough because they still allow for the posibility that it may at some time) exist then their will won't be broken except by physical means.

But thats not entirely true.
Ignorance and blind trust, open up people to attacks in any number of ways. For instance through the subconcious, subtle attacks aren't usually gaurded against, in that respect, how many people can tell the difference between nightmares and sleepless nights caused by an external entity or by themselves? Most people expect to have nightmares at some point, its a part of life.
Or Seances? There disbelief may protect them, but not their homes, how many stories have you heard of seances gone bad?
Not to mention I've met people who have been caught in the cross fire of warring Wiccans and I know the Occultist still fight amoungst themselves, and how many people have found themselves psychiclly attacked by workmates?
Any one with knowledge of the Art can use it agianst others, belief or not, and this is especially true when it comes to working in magickal circles.

So how come all the Occultists and Witches i annoy, have never been able to do anything to me? Am i a whirling vortex of denial that really does eat up all these curses and attacks, or what? Some of you disagree that disbelief is enough, but in my experience, my disbelief has never been shaken. Psychic attacks are forms of amusement for me, as are voodoo dolls and the like. Am i immune? This might sound like i am getting at you lot, but i am not. I'd like an explanation, from your perspectives, of why someone who doesn't believe in any of this, can suffer no ill effects from deliberate and stated attacks?

What?!?!It didn't work?!?! *stomps foot* i'll have to try something else than...know any good hitmen?

honestly i agree with you here. From the perspective that it's all energy based, you're mind is not open to those energies, so they won't affect you. Mind over matter...that's why i say it's more fun to tell a person they are cursed than to actually curse them...if they believe than they'll experience whatever their mind would perceive as a curse...if they don't believe than the energies are null and void...and i just wasted some that could have been put to a better use...like contacting other worlds and converting it all to personal happiness and love

Vallisk, I cant really say much about it, all the Wiccans I know these days read books by SilverRavenWolf and Scott Cunningham and the like, and I wouldn't even let my children read that kind of crap.
Occultist though it depends, at the moment there is so much free information floating around that it is hard to say whether the person claiming they have magickal powers does so, or has been reading alot of BS, and believed it.
I would offer to grant you a spell that would effect you, but I suck at long distance exceeding more than 20 Kilometers (at a guess)... besides I'd need to imagine you and that is alot more work than I am willing to put in, but I can offer to give you the spell to give to someone to perform it.

How Many People Can say why a Pentagram is a protective symbol? And how to properly use it?
The fact that simple things like this seem to be forgotten and thrown away bothers me, I like I said, I wouldn't teach my kids what people believe to be magick these days.

Any self-respecting witch won't send anything negative your way simply for annyoing them, nor would any Occultist on the whole. I honestly do believe they would have more important things to work on that "getting even" with a disbeliever.

When it comes to protection and focus of such energies I would say the Pentacle is more appropriate.

I am not so sure about that Witches are people too they suffer these same weaknesses as any one else, and like I said I know cases where Wiccans have warred on each other, so witches aren't neccersarily excluded. Not to mention Necromancers, Deomonologists, and other types.
And Occultist lodges have been at War with each other for centuries, Dion Fortune, who was an occulist white lodger wrote a whole book about it. It's Called 'Psychic Self Defense' it has al sorts of stuff in it about that and other things... even her slyph problem.

You'd be surprised how petty they can be, when you humiliate them. *shrugs* Maybe they are just full of hot air.

You know, i don't believe in positive and negative energies myself, but i like the outlook you mention. Why waste time being nasty, when you feel better and gain more being nice?

I'll let that hitman comment pass.

Absolutely, I think anyone is pretty much capable of anything, but remember I did say "self-respecting"
Besides which, anyone remotely aware of anything magickal related knows about the simple little thing fondly known as "what goes around, comes around". Clichés, aren't they fabulous!

Oh that was to your comment on my post, by the way....

They claimed to be Witches, rather than Wiccans, but i am not impressed by such claims anyway. Let me just say, that i have encountered many who made claims, but none have backed them up yet.

Well, i know a few people who say they have such abilities, so please send whatever you have and we can always try. Oh...but nothing lethal or too harmful, k?

That seems to be a concept Wiccans use, and those who believe in Karma. I know some people who claim to Summon Spirits, who say there is no Karmic debt. You can do as you wish. Amazing how views differ.

Lillith, Depends define Pentacle.
To some it is amulets in general, to others its a direct reference to a pentagram necklace.

Vallisk, I'll send it PM, its pretty big.

Define it? A Pentagram is the five pointed star, a Pentacle is the Pentagram within a circle. It has nothing to do with a "necklace", Pentacles aren't referred to as such because people wear them around their necks.