From: eddie@hermes.oit.unc.edu (Edward M. Averett)
Subject: Re: Empathic question
Organization: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 1992 21:55:54 GMT

Gee, two requests in one day.  Ok. ...I have learned a number of different 
ways, methods, what-have-you, to do this.  I prefer to do it in person, again
because I feel that I have more of a handle on what I'm communicating that 
way, but what the heck.

This is so basic that I ask the more experienced readers to feel free to 
gloss over it, read it and giggle, or just hit "n". But if you haven't done
it before, it's important and you need either it, or something like it.  It
might be fun to list some of the myriad ways that we all do this.  

I most commonly use 3 different imagings.   A common question is "Is what you 
imagine, the structure of it, important?".  My answer is use what feels 
comfortable to You.  These are simple and concrete.  I normally use several
more complex ones for other things, but not for basic empathic and/or 
societal defenses. 

1)  The arch.  Imagine a while/silvery arch, like a rainbow, which stretches
from the horizon on your left to the horizon on your right.  When you do this,
imagine it springing into being as a whole, don't "draw" it. At the head of
the arch, part of the arch, a cross with 4 equal arms grows out of the top.
Again, don't make it "grow", but imagine the whole thing as coming into being
as a whole.  The arch and the cross are not separate.  They are one.  The 
arch is made of no material you can recognize, but you cannot break it.  It
stands in front of you, and over you, and will protect you from anything you
recognize as intrusive.  You don't have to visualize it, unless and until you
need it.  It works instantly.  Focus on the visualization whenever you feel the
need, until you can see it clearly in your mind's eye.  You don't have to 
close your eyes to do this, you don't have to tell anyone you are doing this,
it's completely private. 

2)  The citadel.  Do this when you have a little time to construct the citadel,
I've known people to do it in a couple of minutes, and people to take a whole
day, so do it at your own pace.  Imagine your mind being located in a citadel
on an infinite plain.  Surrounding the infinite plain are mountains that, even
at infinity, reach into the sky impossibly high.  The ground is rusty-tan, the
sky is midnight blue, the mountains are shadowy black.   

Now you build your citadel.  It's made to be inaccessible to hostile forces, 
so construct it as such.  From the inside, you can percieve all that is out, 
but from without, there appears no way in, unless one is granted entrance by
the inhabitant (that's you).  Build it, out of whatever materials you are
comfortable with.  It is a place of strength and security. Within you can 
rest.  Within, are all the things you need.  Don't forget a garden which 
ever grows food, or a vending machine or something. ..don't forget water. ..
Fill it up with whatever you need.  But you are the only inhabitant.  Place
no guardians with this project. 

When you are done, sit and meditate on it a few days, till you are comfortable
with it.  Change it whenever you like, but change it, don't build a new one. 
It will always be there, in the background.  It is a static defense, but 
secure. You can retreat into it whenever you like, instantaneously.  I do 
certain kinds of work in mine, when I have to be not distracted, or don't 
want to be distracted. Say I'm talking to you on a bus, then I could erect
the citadel to allow me to keep an eye on the other folk on the bus, but
keeping everyone but you out, so I don't really have to concentrate on them,
or worry about them. 

3)  The Egg.   This works well as a protection for place, particularly. 
Imagine a golden glowing egg, of a misty, opaque force, about the area you
wish to cover.  It generally takes more time to imagine over a larger area,
probably because I think of it that way.  It tends to start sort of fragile,
but quickly solidifies into this shell.  Over time, whenever you arrive, or 
leave, this area, if you go to sleep there, or wake up, whenever you start
to do something significant or stop likewise, bring the egg back into your
focus.  As you do this, it will strengthen itself, and will get stronger over
time.  

As a slightly advanced method of this, start a "summon power" spell, link 
the output to the egg (from inside the shell), set it on low (like a motor
on low, if you like), and just leave it.  The egg will only get stronger 
over time.  You don't have to turn it off, it won't hurt you, or drain from 
you, and it's safe. If you don't already know how do do what I just
described above, then don't worry about it. If you ever figure it out, then 
go ahead. 


    The above listed methods cover a lot.  Certainly more than whatever you'll
need to deal with normal stuff, or magical stuff you're likely to run into. 
As I said before, this is only 3 possible out of what is probably a countable
infinity of options.  If you don't like what I described, think about it for
a day or two, and make your own.  It's not hard. The bottom line is what 
matters.  Please note that imagining minefields will not have anything like
the results you are presumably seeking -) .  

			have fun.    -eddie@legba.oit.unc.edu