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aesethewitch · 6 months

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Personal Protection: Surviving the Holidays

I'm of the opinion that far too many people around this time of year are fucking around, and it's high time they get to the finding out part. With major holidays right around the corner, many of us will be facing relatives we'd rather not see, parties we'd rather not go to, and conversations we'd rather avoid or exit as soon as possible. Political spats, unwanted opinions, snide remarks -- I believe that what you give out, you ought to receive back.

So, obviously, let's do some magic about it.

There are three main components to my method:

The Bubble;

The Quills; and

The Shake

The Bubble

Exactly what it sounds like, "the bubble" is the outermost layer of protection around you. It's the barrier between you and the unpleasantness you're trying to keep out.

The bubble can be one item carried or worn (such as a hat, crystal, or charm), or it can be multiple. I usually spring for two items, one to absorb/recycle and one to bounce/return to sender.

Absorb:

I've got a relative who is, at their essence, a fucking downer. That would be fine if not for the fact that if they're having a bad time or are mildly uncomfortable, it's about to be everyone's problem. This kind of negativity is something to absorb, not bounce. Sending it back would only double their misery, and that's no good for anyone.

So, instead, I have a special charm that I make for occasions when I know they're going to be around. It consists of a little piece of sponge that's sat in salt for a while atop a transformative sigil. The sponge, once fully charged and ready, will absorb the negative energy and recycle it into more positive feelings.

This means that their negativity won't impact me at all, and I actively improve the atmosphere. Their bad attitude can't do anything if everyone around us is only getting good vibes. The charm is powered by the exchange of negative to positive energy, so it requires no charging. However, it's smart to discard the sponge once it's done its job.

Bounce:

But sometimes, somebody's got to face real consequences. There are some things I don't want to deal with at all. Like gross political opinions from my conservative, religious family members. Or questions about having children.

The idea of the bounce is to reflect things before they reach me. It's a sort of glamor spell that projects an aura of "don't bother." It essentially lets me be passed over for conversations I want to leave or avoid entirely by bouncing attention away from me.

Negative energy, bad vibes, whatever you want to call it -- the goal is to return it to where it's coming from. Someone who's being an asshole will feel like an asshole. If it works right, they'll stop talking altogether because they're so irritated with what they're saying. I've had aggressive, vocal relatives go completely silent because they were receiving their own rancid energy back to themselves instead of the attention they were hoping for.

For me, this spell takes the form of a charm on my keys. It's a form of an evil eye charm -- not the blue-eyed stare you most likely think of, but another symbol meant to distract attention from me to it. It's a little pewter casting of the fig sign, an old and obscene gesture. It works on malevolent spirits best, but it does a great job of repelling unfortunate people, too. It bounces their nonsense back to themselves, often causing confusion, which forces them to reconsider what they're saying.

Again, this lives on my keys, which live in a key bowl when they're not clipped to my pocket or belt loop. The key bowl has a multi-purpose charging setup for the keys, my wallet, and other assorted charms I might wear when I go out.

The Quills

Sometimes, things get past our main line of defenses. That's fine, it happens. But under these circumstances, it happens because someone has deliberately crossed a line. So now, they get the quills.

When I say "the quills," you should be picturing something like a porcupine. Adorable, yes, but fuck with it at your own risk. Those quills aren't just for show, and neither should yours be. This is your second line of defense, and it's where we turn to offense.

Accordingly, the quills aren't passive spells like the bubble. These require conscious activation and direction to give you maximum control over their output. You can make your quills passive, but I often find that baneful workings work best when you're specifically choosing to use them.

Yes, baneful, and let me be perfectly clear: The goal is to harm whoever's crossed the line. You're not just returning to sender. You're catching what they've thrown at you, lighting it on fire, and pitching it back at full force.

To that end, there are two approaches I typically take (and are you sensing a pattern? I like to do things in twos). One spell to sharpen the tongue and give as good as I've gotten, and one to induce the smallest of lingering curses on the target.

Sharpen

The whole point of the quills is to make yourself an inconvenient, difficult target. Part of being difficult to swallow is not going down easily. Often, the answer is to avoid the conversation or problem altogether, but it isn't always possible. Or satisfying.

Sometimes, you gotta take a bitch down.

For me, this charm needs to do two things. It should boost my confidence in standing my ground and add some oomph to my argument. I have a pin with a particular design on it charmed for this purpose. The needle operates as the quill for stabbing (the oomph), and the design provides the confidence. Anointed with my Fuck Off Oil and laid in a dish of salt, garlic, and red chili flakes, the pin becomes extra spicy and effective.

This one has to be recharged each time it's used. It always lives on the same jacket, but I'll anoint it regularly to keep it fresh. If I use the charm on someone, I'll take the pin off at the end of the night and set it in the spicy salt mixture.

Linger

By far one of the most effective methods for reducing nonsense from unpleasant people I interact with regularly is lingering consequences. When someone associates bad luck with interacting with you, even on a subconscious level, they tend to avoid you.

Consider this the "slow poison" on the quills. The goal isn't to ruin their life by any means (although, I suppose you could...). It's just to make yourself unpalatable on an instinctive level. Think of how poisonous frogs are brightly colored to display that they're, you know, deadly. That's what we're doing here.

I prefer to use something kind of dangerous. Something you can hold onto and point with is best, in my experience. I've used a broken piece of glass, a rusty nail or screw, and various thorns. Right now, I'm using one half of a rusty pair of old cooking shears. The handle broke, but the blades are still sharp as hell. Waste not, and all that.

Anoint whatever the sharp, dangerous thing is in an oil infused with herbs and spices of your choice (again, the Fuck Off Oil is a good example). Or, if you prefer, coat it in something like hot sauce, urine, rust, or other corrosive and unpleasant things. Once prepared, stow it in your bag. Or your glove box, if you drive, since this makes a nice on-the-go curse to cast at shitty drivers.

You don't need to pull it out for it to work, but if you can get to a safe, secluded space (like a bathroom), it can help you focus. When you're creating it, you should set up an activation word, phrase, or motion. I prefer a motion -- something like tapping wherever the object is, a swirling movement with my hand, and then pointing at the target.

The curse you place is up to you. I tend to go for something like feeling nauseous or getting a headache. The spell should draw a connection between them being nasty to you and the unpleasant feeling, whether overt or subconscious. They'll be more cautious and reluctant to be a dick to you afterwards.

The Shake

Like a dog. Get that shit off of yourself.

No matter how thorough you are, there are always gaps and particularly stubborn people getting into them. Something they say just sticks to you like a burr, sharp and irritating. Or depressing, maybe.

The idea behind the shake is literal. You're forcibly removing the heavy weight or annoying itch someone else has placed on you. The shake isn't necessarily an item like with the bubble and quills. It can be, but it doesn't have to be.

Essentially, the steps to the shake are:

Identify what feels bad

Shake that shit

Resume normal activities

Maybe it's the neurodivergent in me, but physical movement is incredibly soothing. Self-regulation tactics are essential for survival. Transforming that into a little spell ritual at the same time is just two birds with one stone.

When things get overwhelming or I can feel my bubble failing to keep everything out at once (such as if a fight breaks out or someone decides to go in depth about one of my triggers), I remove myself from the situation. That's the first step. Retreat to a safe place, whether that's outside, in my car, in the bathroom, or elsewhere that's quiet. The second step is to figure out where in my body the anxiety or bad feeling is sitting. Often, it's in my shoulders and hands, but sometimes it's elsewhere.

Step three is to fucking shake. Shake those hands, roll my shoulders, jump up and down. Whatever it takes. As I do, I'm forcibly dislodging everything unpleasant out of myself and into the open air. And because I've got the negativity-absorbing bubble, it'll take the bad feeling and repurpose it into something more positive. Then, once I'm better, I can go back.

Again, you don't need an object for this, but you can certainly create one. Options would be comforting items, fidget toys, or even something like a joint. Sometimes, you just gotta blow smoke about it. You know?

Fun fact, though: You could also carry a vessel to contain the Bad Feelings for later use instead of letting your bubble absorb them. This comes in handy for people who are particularly abusive... as an example of what you want them to experience under the force of a more involved cursing.

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#aese speaks #witchcraft #witchblr #practical magic #practical witchcraft #personal protection #protection magic #return to sender #energy cleansing #witchcraft 101 #witchy tips #beginner witch #spells #spell ideas

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resistancekitty · 2 months

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#pro 2a #2amendment #2nd amendment rights #gun ownership #gun rights #2a #second amendment #self defense #personal protection #family protection

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danskjavlarna · 6 months

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Source details and larger version.

Some unusual ways to protect one's personal space.

#personal protection #armor #bed #1920s #vintage illustration #illustration

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weirdyearbook · 5 months

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Source details and larger version.

Some unusual ways to protect one's personal space.

#personal protection #body armor #1980s #vintage yearbook #personal space #yearbook

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craycraybluejay · 8 months

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People who obsess about protecting yourself in the most moral way possible instead of the most effective way possible deserve to deal with the same dangers as those they chastise for not being on the moral high horse with them over personal safety.

If someone breaks into your home and has a weapon, actually, you SHOULD shoot them if they come near you. If someone is trying to wage psychological war on you and being a transphobic cunt you SHOULD be an asshole and yes that includes coming off as misogynist even if you are not if it guarantees to scare them off. If someone who knows you irl threatens to kill you you SHOULD threaten them back or worse.

I'm convinced most of these "upstanding moral crusaders" and sjws have never actually had to protect themselves. Also, consider that sometimes, even if it's not the only option, the more effective and efficient option is much better than doing things the correct way.

If your spouse is threatening you or your children? Well, the 'correct' way is to let the police or social services deal with it but unfortunately they are useless 9 times out of 10. You know what's actually effective though? Don't engage with that person, withdraw your money, teach your kids how to protect themselves if your spouse gets physical. Etc. The right way may be to try to talk it out or give your spouse the benefit of the doubt but considering it is not only YOUR safety but that of your children at stake it is not only morally fine but a moral imperative to be ruthless in protecting them and yourself.

What about if someone is raping you? You can't get your phone, there is no one around to help you. You know what you do have, though? A small pistol tucked in your shoe. It is not morally wrong to shoot the motherfucker.

But even that's a debate. But that's not even the problem I'm having now. The problem is that apparently, it's bad to be mean to people who are being malicious and psychologically violent. Not even to be violent with them but just to be an asshole. Morals do not apply when someone is a threat to you, straight up. You're allowed to act like you're sexist, or body shame, or whatever the fuck irl when someone you cannot just block or ignore is endangering you. No one is listening. Protecting yourself does not make you bad or mean that you are actually the things you present yourself as to scare off a threat. Just like pulling a gun on someone who is trying to assault you or is in your home potentially with weapon doesn't make you a 'violent person.' It makes you a person with the very normal and extremely important instinct to protect yourself. Saying something whatever 'ist' or 'phobic' to protect yourself from harm does not make you the kind of person that actually believes that, nor does it hurt anyone who isn't hurting you because irl you are not surrounded by endless eyes like on the internet.

Online, etiquette is different because your hurtful words against hateful people can hurt someone that isn't targeting you. And online, the most effective way to protect yourself is the moral one, blocking someone. If someone block evades, you have the ability to involve the site's security or at absolute worst law enforcement and get a restraining order for harassment. Real life is not like that. You cannot simply block people irl. Kill the idea that you must always be the picture of moral perfection when you are in any kind of danger, even if it is not immediate danger.

A dead man does not have the space to ruminate about the possibly immoral things he did. Don't be him.

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preppers-will · 11 months

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#gun rights #guns and ammo #firearms #self defense #personal protection

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allcatsconstitutethesamefamily · 2 years

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From The Cowardly Lion of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson and illustrated by John R. Neill, 1923.

They've had many lives and many ages: cats I've met in my time travels.

Wondering about this post? Wait for the dissertation (TBA). For now: Weblog ◆ Books ◆ Videos ◆ Music ◆ Etsy

#cat #jar #personal protection #vintage illustration #oz

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dos-perros-locos · 2 years

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There are so many cool things in this podcast!

An experienced trainer admits that a dog is too much/not right for them

The discussion about what is needed in off breeds for them to be successful

Early control!!

The possibility of a lawsuit if you're caught having trained a dog (to bite) that had injured someone.

This was a really good podcast and it's only their first official episode!

#bite sports #bitework #personal protection #dogblr #dog training #Spotify

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riacte · 5 months

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not romantic not platonic but a secret third thing [what would happen between earth and the moon if the earth stopped spinning as illustrated by xkcd randall munroe]

#'your moon is here' things that make me explode like a supernova #UGHHHHHHH what if i was perpetually in your orbit. influencing the tides. protecting you from asteroids. and slowly drifting further away.#then you stopped moving and i was only pulse to your dead heart. orbiting you. right where ive been left. and so you started turning again.#ria.txt #personal #space opera au #(<- not about what you think is about)#hiiii this is gaining traction so glad we're all going insane :D your moon is here is SO fucked up. so good.#xkcd #randall munroe #space #moon #anyways xkcd comics are so good. entertaining witty and informative. check em out!

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chase-prairie · 10 months

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Loving reminder from your land history auntie:

North American golf courses have had 50-100 years of arsenic and mercury based fungicide and herbicides applied to their soils.

Do not eat anything that has been grown on a golf course or downstream from a golf course. I know it sounds cool and radical, but you are too valuable to poison yourself with heavy metals.

Protect each other, turn your local golf course into a pollinator garden, not a sex forest or community garden.

#i am over here worrying about all you kiddos #also please dont forage on railway corridors either #love yourselves protect yourselves #lmao at the replies saying 'but why not sex forest anyway'#you do you kids #im personally a no thank you on the lead arsenic mercury sex forest personally #if you havent seen it there's a popular book about making golf course a sex forest #that isn't a random pull

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globalpursuit · 3 months

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Ensuring Safety: The Confidentiality and Elegance of Personal Protection

Global Pursuit offers premier security transportation services, delivering peace of mind for valuable asset transfers worldwide. With a focus on discretion and reliability, our expert team ensures secure transport of high-value items, sensitive documents, and VIPs. Trust Global Pursuit for seamless logistics and unparalleled protection of your most precious cargo.

#Personal Protection

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clecorpprotection · 6 months

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A Whole New World 2023-2024- Family Safety Strategies

There used to be acceptable norms in our society that have seemed to go by the wayside with the current generation. As parents and grandparents, our job at this point is to keep our families as safe as we can and teach them how to do the same for theirs. I'm not going to make this article a political statement on "the ruination of modern civilization", "the Government's inability to control gun violence", "Middle Eastern conflict", "failures in today's education system", "the psychological issues stemming from single parent households and the absence of the father", or even "the destruction of faith based freedoms and the attempt to take God out of society", etc.... Instead, this is a story about how to keep yourself and your family safe during 2023-2024, while continuing to live a happy and productive lifestyle relatively fear free!

As we learned this past Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, even the most wholesome of family events, a Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony in a heavily protected environment like Public Square in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio is not exempt from the risk of violence and the risk of danger to you and your family. If you would have asked me the question "Do you feel safe taking your family to outdoor Holiday celebrations?", 20-years ago when my children were babies; I would have told you, ABSOLUTELY! It was a different time. Our society was recovering from the terrorist attacks of September 11th, our security forces were properly staffed and supported, the community as a whole looked out for each other, and as human beings we showed a little more love towards one another. But as we get further away from an event that changed our landscape, we get closer to a newer greater set of challenges that can affect our lives profoundly. This is not a time to surrender to what lurks around the corner, but rather become more aware, strategic, and brave in how you continue to live and enjoy your life!

Below, are some simple strategies you can implement to help ensure your preparedness for emergencies/crisis situations while enjoying the Holidays. "Fearless is not the absence of fear. Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you."- Taylor Swift

When planning to go to an event, have a plan. if you are not familiar with the area open your favorite mapping APP and look at a satellite view of the area. Know the points of entry into the area, exits, public access areas nearby where you can shelter, or even identify friends, co-workers, and relatives that may live nearby who would be willing to offer you a safe rally point should you need it. Also, evaluate the parking situation to determine if there is a spot that seems well lit, secured, and easily accessible to an exit route that you can easily and quickly get to should you need. Many of you right now might be saying to yourself "I'm not a Navy Seal", you're right! You're not, that's why being prepared with easy information for your family is important. Discuss this information with your spouse, significant other, friend attending with you, or oldest child attending (preferably someone over the age of 14), and determine what makes sense for your circumstances. Also, keep in mind (if you have a disabled individual traveling with you), what are the mobility challenges we might encounter? I have a son who is in a motorized wheelchair, when attending events, we have to plan for power issues, geographical issues, parking access, sidewalk or street access, shelter access if needed due to climate weather, and other comfort concerns before heading out. Keep a Go-Bag of essential supplies in your vehicle at all times: bandages, sterilizer, water, snacks and canned pre-cooked food (beans, sardines, spam, cocktail wieners, beef jerky, smokies, etc..), thermal or regular blankets, a mobile charging device/jump starter, pen/paper (to jot down immediately any relevant facts observed/witnessed during a crisis while fresh). The immediate call to action should a situation arise is to get to immediate safety and secondary, is to get to your vehicle to flee to longer term safety (home, hospital, fire station, police station, military base, etc.). If you are able to flee, contact a law enforcement agency immediately to report your location and safety status. Also, make sure that you notify friends or family of your intent to attend and allow them access to your location VIA your cell phone. Almost all major carriers either have software or your manufacturer has the ability to allow/disallow location sharing internally from the device. Should a crisis arise, it is always nice for a concerned individual to see your location should you need them to call authorities.

Keep your group intact and those old enough to understand your plan for the day, KEEP THEM INFORMED! A crisis/emergency is never planned, but you can be. Work with those in your family/friend group who are attending and mature enough to understand inherent risks associated with public gatherings, informed and prepared on your plan.

Make sure that everyone old enough has a specific job (having a job to complete in most, will delay the effect of shock and keep them focused on the task at hand), work together as a team and embrace your personal safety as a group effort. Once you have arrived, look in all directions to size up the crowd, street closures, police/security presence, medical support services and their locations. Also, evaluate any day of changes to your rabbit hole (escape route) preparation pre-event. Local law enforcement most definitely will put up some sort of physical barriers the day of, that you may not have expected in your planning. This is typically done to deter the assumed "Bad Guys" but may as well affect you. Evaluate who is around you in the crowd. If there are people who may take this event as an opportunity to protest or rally for some political cause, move away from them. Look for the higher concentration areas of law enforcement/security presence and get near them, you can make a fairly good bet, that those with nefarious intentions will not culminate around them. Plus, Cops are usually great equalizers to reduce stress and fear with young ones. Don't conduct yourself as being overly zealous or terrified, but rather understand your mental preparations have provided you with a tool to be safe and to enjoy the celebrations.

As a boy growing up in the late sixties and seventies, the as I like to call it "Kid Leash", was probably one of the most popular tools available to moms at the time. You saw them everywhere, the grocery store, the park, the mall, any outdoor experiences, amusement parks, etc..... At some point the predominant opinion of American's became that it felt like people were treating their children like dogs. Child Safety Restraints are a tool, no less important than having your child in a safety seat in the car. It's a cheap and effective tool to keep young ones within reach at all times, while still affording them the ability to walk and experience the world from their viewpoint. Also, should the chaos of a situation arise, its one less hurdle to clear when trying to keep all the members of your party together and safe. Forget what others may think and their opinions with regard to it being cruel to the psyche of the child. Think about it through the prism of what would be worse, in mass chaos or even just a large crowd, my child wonders off and goes through the trauma of being lost from Mommy and Daddy, or worse yet, becomes a tragic statistic of the abduction and human trafficking industry. I don't mean to be condescending, but we need to move past looks and feeling about our family's safety and become tactically effective in keeping our family whole. The days of kids riding their bikes through the neighborhood until the streetlights come on is over, we live in a much different society with different parameters.

I am a true proponent in one's right to protect themself, but as a reasonable and respectful firearms owner, there is a time and a place for everything. Many of these events that we are talking about spend a substantial amount of money on perimeter and crowd enforcement measures. DON'T DO SOMETHING THAT TAKES AWAY RESOURCES FROM PROTECTING THE WHOLE! Expect that your ability to conceal your firearm for your personal protection is directly contradictory to law enforcement's requirement to keep everyone safe. The above tactics in this article are meant to prepare you to react quickly to protect your family and loved ones, without creating an additional threat to yourselves or others, in what could be unrecognizable intent and therefore putting you and others in jeopardy when you pull a weapon and are assumed to be a physical threat to others. When going to large PUBLIC gatherings and events, your best weapon is a well thought out defense and strategy to exit an area quickly and effectively. Remember, what you see as a means to protect you and your family, will undoubtedly hinder and delay the ability to remediate the actual threat!

As someone who spends a tremendous amount of time practicing my marksmanship, active shooter protocols, unarmed self-defense and several other skills, the first piece of an effective active shooter protocol is to: know when to run, know when to hide and know when to fight. But to keep everything real, if it comes down to having to fight, understand that someone in your group will most likely be a casualty. Get those you love and care about moving to a safe location first, then make the much-needed sacrifice to secure them time to escape. Remember in an emergency/crisis situation your safety plan should be to create distance and time from the threat. Communication is key with your group; be precise about what is needed in as few clear words as possible to not create additional confusion.

If you are interested in additional safety training in the Northeast Ohio area, below I have listed some resources:

Action Defense, LLC- Advanced Civilian Firearms Training- 440-218-2029 or visit their website: actiondefense.com

Cleveland Corporate Protection Services, LLC- Our Training Commanders are former Federal Air Marshals and Law Enforcement Academy instructors to help provide you with a perspective from what law enforcement will be doing during crisis and how you can help without being a distraction or obstacle. - 216-307-1870 or visit their website: clevelandcorporatesecurity.com

#famililyfirst #personal safety #crisisawareness #publicgatherings #holiday event #protests #active shooter #personal protection #clevelandcorporateprotection #cleveland #akron ohio #akron #ohio #safetyfirst #keep it together

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