Self-defense and Banes   by Judy Harrow founder of Proteus            I surely  agree that we have  every right to protect  ourselves and our      "own  folk"  from  attack. But  I  do  believe that  shield  and mirror      workings are more efficient, effective and elegant at accomplishing the      goal  of self-protection. Consider this  - a mirror  working is perfect      justice. If  I am mistaken, either that psychic attack is being done at      all  or about the perpetrator, a bane will jeopardies me karmically and      (if psychic attack truly is being done by somebody other than the one I      suspect) fail to protect me. A mirror sits there passively, ignores any      mistaken  paranoia that  I may  occasionally get,  does nothing  at all      until  and unless  an  attack happens,  and then  sends the  bad energy      directly back to  the exactly deserving person or  group in exactly the      proper amount and kind. A mirror is perfect justice.          A grounding shield is perfect mercy, taking bad energy and       dissipating it harmlessly. I think  I already said this but I  recently      talked one of my students into using a grounding shield where she would      have been  perfectly entitled  to use  a  mirror. The  situation is  an      ongoing  battle between my student's  lover and his  former wife. While      the  ex-wife did  an  entirely unjustifiable  attack,  and would  fully      deserve  to  have  it  returned  full  force,  all  this  would  really      accomplish would be to perpetuate the  craziness, hostility and tension      in the  situation -   and  both the couple's  innocent children  and my      student are being hurt.  Better for all concerned to ignore justice and      drain as much of the tension as  possible, to make room for the healing      that all of them need.  A grounding shield is perfect mercy.              Butbanes and bindings, whilethey may giveshort term protection,      risk your own karma, are susceptible to mistake, and may, if       misdirected, even fail of their well-intended purpose. Sure you're       entitled to self-protection. This is just a lousy way to go about it. I      guess my kind of Warrior is Athena, the wise defender.                  warmly / Judy       Artwork & Border Tile ©Nene Thomas ~ www.nenethomas.com Design & HTML Linda♥M @ Beautiful Backgrounds