by Pyro

This is a continuation of my article on basic shielding techniques.  If you aren’t familiar with shielding then I suggest you read it at http://core.otherkinalliance.org/articles/metaphysics/basic-shielding-technique/ .  Keep in mind these shields are a bit more complex so if you are uncomfortable with shielding then I suggest you hold off on attempting them.
Elemental Shielding is exactly what it sounds like, using the elements to form a shield of protective energy to keep out harmful energies.  There are the four classic elements of earth, air, fire and water but you can also use the elements such as metal, wood, light, or sound.  Furthermore any element that you are familiar with can be applied to create a protective barrier.

-Fire:  I will begin with fire as it is the element I am most familiar with and have utilized to greatest effect.  I will describe a fire shield that you can use and leave up for as long as you can keep it energized.  The beauty of this shield is that it creates a barrier to keep out harmful energies yet it also allows you to remain connected to the energy flow of the universe.    To create this shield you must once again gather energy, however this time gather the energy of fire to you rather than the nebulous energy of the above article.  Once you have the energy gathered you should once again form it into a sphere at your center.  You must use additional shaping to make the shield an effective barrier.  Turn up the heat of the sphere until it forms a blazing white sun.  The goal here is to utilize the power of fire and heat to burn up any harmful energy to nothing before it can get to you.  However simply burning the energy to nothing is a fairly simple application of fire so if you want a challenge what I suggest you do is create a crucible that will remove any impurities in the energy before it can reach you, making it not only pure and beneficial to you but stronger than before.  Think of it as forge that is used to heat iron and turn it into steel.  Once you have applied the effect you want to your shield then expand it so that it completely surrounds you.  Always remember, everything burns if the fire is hot enough.

-Air: Air surrounds us, without it the human body will die in mere minutes.  It is incredibly important, yet most people think of air as a weak element.  I challenge anyone that has seen the incredible devastation that a tornado can wreak to think of air as weak.  Air is strong and as such can make very useful shields.  Think of this shield like an umbrella, more than a shield.  First you must again gather energy, this time the power of air (this is getting repetitive I know and apologize for that).  Once you have gathered the energy I want you to form it into a cloudy sphere.  See the sphere as a barrier that will keep out emotions and any ambient energy that is around you.  Once you have done so then once again expand the sphere so that is completely surrounding your body.  This is a fairly low energy shield and one that can be kept in place for a long time with no harmful effects.  This shield is a good one to use when your in a situation that is highly emotionally charged and you don’t want to be effected by the charge, for instance if you are being overwhelmed at a funeral because of others sadness, or finding yourself loosing touch because of the highly charged atmosphere of a football game.  Also if you have to spend a lot of time in a place where energy has built up over time like the energetic sludge one can find in basements or other areas with little access to outside or much movement, then this is a good shield to use.

-Earth: Earth is easily the most stable element that exists.  It contains great strength and power.  As such your shield should draw upon these strengths.  Once again gather energy, this time the slow steady strength of the earth element.  Form this energy into a sphere in the center of yourself and infuse the energy with the grounding nature of earth.  By that I mean, that any energy that gets thrown against your shield will then be shunted into the earth where it will be dispersed and cause harm to no one.  When you expand the shield around you make sure that you keep a portion of it connected to the ground so that the energy always has a conduit to the earth.  Also by keeping the shield connected to the earth you can continually draw on the power of the earth below you to feed the shield so that it doesn’t drain your own energy.  When doing this make sure that you aren’t utilizing the energy you just forced away from yourself, this would defeat the purpose of the shield.   The beauty of this shield is that it doesn’t rely on stopping the energy cold; instead it redirects it away from you.

-Water:  The majority of a human’s body is water, water has the power to move mountains and reshape the landscape.  The power of water is such that easily translates to shielding.  Gather water energy and shape it into a sphere in your center.  What you want to do with this shield is create an immense current that will capture any energy directed at you.  Once the energy is captured it will be worn down continuously by the current until it is dissipated, just as water rushing over a rock will wear it down to nothing.  Once you have shaped the shield so that it has the above effect you will once again expand it around yourself so that your entire body is surrounded.  If you are selective in programming your shield to keep harmful energy in the middle of the current and to allow beneficial energy to flow through the shield you can keep this shield up for a long time.  Furthermore once you get that much water moving it will keep moving meaning you won’t need a lot of energy to maintain this shield.

-Metal: Metal has been seen as one of the strongest substances since man first discovered it in the far off reaches of the distant past.  We have used it to measure wealth, plumb the farthest depths of the oceans, reach the moon and stars, and to create weapons and armor.  Metal is a most dynamic and amazing substance and as such it can be used to create some truly impressive shields.  As I’m sure you’ve guessed it in order to create this shield you will once again have to gather energy, this time use the elemental energy of metal.  I find it easier to gather this energy if I’m actually in physical contact with some kind of metal, it doesn’t matter what it is.  Once you’ve gathered the energy let it flow throughout your body so that it is hovering just above your skin across your entire body.  Once the energy is fully encapsulating you then I want you to harden it, allow it to sink into your skin and transform it.  See yourself become steel, so that your entire body is like a living steel statue.  Remember the best steel is not only incredibly hard and strong but it can also flex.  It is important to keep the shield from becoming brittle because if it does then it will easily be shattered.  Another important thing to keep in mind with this shield is to visualize it as skin not as a form of plate armor because your skin won’t have any holes or gaps in it for energy to leak through whereas armor will.  I would suggest if you are going to layer on shields that this is the innermost shield.  Furthermore this is not a shield you will want to always keep active as it will completely cut you off from universal energy.

-Sound: Is a force that is often ignored yet its one that can be a very effective defense.  For instance have you never winced at the sound of nails on a chalk-board or the annoying tone of alarm clock?  Have you ever been moved by a powerful symphony or felt your heart sync to the beat of a drum.  If you have then you know just how powerful sound can be.  Once again you are going to gather energy this time you can use whatever energy that you are most comfortable with.  Once you have the energy then form it into a sphere in your center.  Infuse the energy with a particularly annoying sound, one that you find to be the most annoying noise you can think of.  Make sure that the sound is only projected from the outside of the shield not the inside; there is no point in inundating yourself with that sound.  Expand the shield to completely surround you.  I have often used this shield to keep spiritual entities away from me.  It’s a good shield for driving away entities without harming them.  It will convince them you’re not worth the effort of putting up with the noise to get at it.

Well there you have it.  These are just a sample of shielding techniques, now that you know the basics you should be able to create your own shields.  Apply the effect you want and utilize the proper energy and only your imagination will be your limit.  Also a special thanks to Addy for giving me the idea for the water shield.  I hope these help.