Hello! I’ve had a number of people contact me in regards to a previous post “Essential Oils For Empaths” – wanting to know more specifically how they can use the oils, and especially in regards to energetic shielding. I have also included a special section below for how to use the oils to help children with this issue.

Shielding is a technique that anyone can use to keep their own energetic field “closed” – both to incoming energies as well as preventing their own energy from “wandering” – so that they can stay grounded 🙂 For lots of people, but especially Empaths, they tend to have their energetic shields “down” most of the time (unbeknownst to them until someone points this out!) – which means that lots of other people and energies can easily come into their personal energetic space – causing symptoms such as physical and mental tiredness, emotional confusion (whose emotions are these anyway?! Why do I suddenly feel sad or anxious?), fear or anxiety and nightmares during sleep time.

You know how it is… you’re just walking down the street, and someone passes by and suddenly you feel intense anger, or sadness or confusion. You know YOU weren’t feeling that way up until about 10 seconds ago – so why do you suddenly feel it now? Or how about when dealing with a particularly difficult person who has a lot of upset feelings on a regular basis. Every time they call you up to unload their feelings you hang up the phone feeling like the sunshine just got extinguished and you need a nap.

I also had a very hard time with nightmares and energetic attacks all throughout my childhood and into my early adult years. I had no idea that I was leaving myself open to other energies. And you know what? There is a saying out there, ‘like attracts like’. So if you are a person with a very open energetic field who hasn’t learned how to shield yourself – you are sending out a beacon to other people and energies that says, “hey – I left my front door open. Come on in, make yourself at home. Eat my food, sit on my couch, take my stuff, leave your garbage on my floor and see yourself out when you feel like. Or not. Just move in!” You have an opening- and people who are looking for a place to dump or feed will find you, because you are an energetic match.

So – how can you change that for yourself and stop being an energetic match to this type of un-fun dynamic? First step is, take responsibility for what you are doing/can do. It’s very tempting to just point the finger at someone else and say, “but he’s an energetic vampire and he’s attacking me!” or “I want to say no to people more often, but I always feel so guilty. It’s my (sister/brother/mother/husband) and they need me, or might get mad at me if I stop”. Both of these statements keep you in a state of non-empowerment and do not allow the dynamics to shift for either party.

What you can say instead is, “I love myself, I deserve to give myself the best that I can, and so as per right now, I’m no longer making myself available to others as an energetic buffet, and I am setting boundaries for myself as to what I will and will not do for others. Shields up!” You can then quite easily visualise a shield (have fun with this! Make it as pretty or strong or decorative as you like!) coming out of your heart center and completely enveloping you – so that you are 100% keeping your energy to yourself and not allowing any other uninvited energies in.

When you do this – it doesn’t matter who you come into contact with, or what another person may be trying to send your way – it simply will not effect you. And don’t worry if you feel that it’s “not working” for you the firs time. These skills take time and patience to develop – but you can do it!

It’s especially important for those of you who experience nightmares or negative energies in your dream space – to “shield” before going to sleep. Seems obvious, but many people just don’t think of it!

Now – on to the essential oils that can help you with your shielding process. I will go into more detail about the oils that I mentioned in my previous article so that you can “feel” which is the right one for you – right now.

Sage (salvia officinalis): this is a very grounding and protecting oil that is extremely connected to the feminine earth energies. If you are having a hard time getting your shield up and keeping it up – Sage will literally “pop” it open for you in a very fast and direct way and help you to keep it up. It is very steady and stable and also especially helpful for those who experience nightmares or feel that they are “under attack”.

Sage has a rather somber and heavy vibration to it – a bit like an old wise woman who knows her craft extremely well and will help when called upon, but is not going to take any monkey-business. So when you work with Sage, do so with the intention of really “doing your work” and allowing Sage to teach you how to be more empowered in yourself – especially when setting boundaries.

There are a few way you can use sage. Please never put it directly onto your skin out of the bottle. Always dilute it in a carrier oil (1-3 drops per teaspoon) and this goes for all essential oils! Properly diluted, you can put a drop on the top of your head, a drop on your solar plexus (or on your navel) and a drop on the sole of each foot. You can also just inhale it from the bottle when you need reinforcement. I also like to use it in baths – but just 1 or 2 drops in a full tub. This will help to clean off “slime” energy you may be carrying around (you know, help you evict all the energies that moved in while your front door was open!) and reinforce your shield. Before bed, I sometimes put a single drop on a cotton ball and tuck that under my pillow case – asking that it help to reinforce my shield during sleep.

Patchouli (pogostemon cablin): Also another excellent oil that helps us shield and gives reinforcement when we feel that we need protection from attack as well as encouragement to take responsibility for our own experiences and not slip into victimhood. It’s also fantastic for helping us feel calm and let go of our anxieties.

While Patchouli is another serious shielding oil – it has a lighter vibration than Sage. It has a childlike energy and loves to laugh. You can joke around with Patchouli. When you are working on shielding and you don’t have such a great day with it, feeling that you let more people back in your front door again – Patchouli will say something like, “what? you mean you didn’t actually want to listen to so-and-so yell at you about her relationship troubles during your entire lunch break and take on her pain for her? How weird!” – and you two can have a little laugh about that and remind yourself that tomorrow is another day and another chance to perfect your shielding abilities and give yourself what you need.

Properly diluted, Patchouli is a great oil to wear on your skin, especially around your heart center and throat chakra or the pulse points of your wrists. You can also dab it on your clothes (but be careful, because this oil will stain so just a tiny bit and on dark clothing) or lightly mist into your hair. Patchouli is also a great oil for people who feel very connected to the nature spirits and elements.

Frankincense (Boswelia carterii): Frankincense is one of the most amazing oils I’ve ever worked with, because wherever you are at with yourself, whatever you need, it will meet you there and work with you on getting to the next step of your process. And I do mean step. Frankincense works with you on one thing at a time – on the small stuff that is part of the larger picture of the big stuff – so that you can make progress without feeling like you are under a deluge. Intensely spiritual, the energetic essence of Frankincense is also one of the wisest and most compassionate energies I’ve ever encountered. Can you tell I just love Frankincense?!

Frankincense is a great oil to use when you are feeling exhausted – so tired in fact that maybe you don’t even know how or when to put your shield up. Properly diluted, you put it on your heart centre. Simple as that. I used to actually draw the shape of a heart over my heart centre with diluted Frankincense and ask that it reinforce my shield and help hold me up so that I could have the presence of mind to just get through my day and recover from my exhaustion – so that when I was feeling stronger – I could start working with oils like Sage on strengthening my shield techniques.

Especially for children

Chamomile Roman (Anthemis nobilis): Chamomile Roman is one of the sweetest and gentlest oils we currently have access to as humans. It is extremely pure, of a very high vibration and has many angelic connections. I am mentioning it here, because if you have a little one who is having nightmares, troubled sleep or difficulty coping with their shielding, Chamomile Roman is here to help. It’s an oil that has many things to offer, but one of its special areas is working with children to help them feel connected to higher vibrations, feel grounded in themselves and safe in this reality.

All you need to do is put a drop of Chamomile Roman on your child’s third eye and heart centre. This can be done before they go to bed, or before they go out into the world or school each day. It will have a calming effect, and the essence of the oil itself will work directly with your child on teaching them about being grounded and having a shield. Do not be surprised if your child mentions their new “special friend” that they talk to in dreams or waking life after a few weeks of using Chamomile Roman. And of course it’s quite useful for adu lts too!

You can experiment with any of the oils here that you feel drawn to, or purchase my personal blend in my shop 🙂

If you have any questions or would like additional guidance on any of these issues, please don’t hesitate to contact me to set up a consultation. I can always be reached at: airmidbotanicals@gmail.com for consultations and custom blends. And for insider information and specials, be sure to join the mailing list.

Have a wonderful (and shield happy) day!

-Lauren