The Psychic Self Defense Personal Training Manual by Maricia L Pickands (Final)

Chapter 1: Why Learn to Defend Yourself Psychically?

“Like it or not, you must recognize the world you live in is not always safe, physically or spiritually.”

Tread carefully dear reader, the cloak of Lady Night hides all manor of danger. We cannot know the extent of the world beyond, but fear not! For every sword, there is a shield, for every Goliath, there is a David, for every monster, there is a monster hunter. In this case, that hunter is a mom from Maine named Maricia.

The Psychic Self Defense Personal Training Manual is a humble thing. Maricia L. Pickands is not here to waste our time with rambling essays on higher mysteries. Her prose is terse, effective, purposeful. She is here to teach us how to stay safe.

The preface begins by laying out the metaphysics we are working with. This section is a strong start. The author lays the foundation upon which the text shall be built. We’ve got all our standard new-age building blocks: The Aura, The Third Eye, and The Platonic Elements. Now, I could criticize those basic building-blocks to hell and back. There is a longer conversation to be had about the new-age and orientalism, but there are more pressing matters at hand.

We open the door to chapter 1, immediately faced with an “Aura Stretching Exercise.” Delightful. Why not? From a purely occult perspective, this is actually a solid opening. Magic is a skill like anything else, it must be practiced for a proper understanding, so why not ground the ideas in the language of, say, a martial arts class? The exercise itself is consistent with the metaphysics laid out earlier. It involves a pair of partners using gestures and mental chanting to practice forming and severing a connection between auras. Pickands herself has a background in martial arts, and her description of the exercise is reminiscent of Tai Chi. A second form of the exercise practices a sort of basic blocking technique with similar gestures and chanting.

“But C.T!” I hear you cry, “Why would I need to block psychic attacks? Who will be raining blows upon my supple aura, intent on stealing my precious life energy?”

Why gentle reader, who else but psychic vampires? “Im sure you know someone who can make you tired simply by being around and talking at you for more than five minutes. We all have this type of acquaintance or relative in our lives. Knowingly or not, this variety of individual is a psychic vampire!”

Now dear reader, you may be surprised to learn, but annoying people are not actively sapping your life energy and you do not need to learn how to psychic Street Fighter parry them.

Chapter 2: The Basics of Self Defense

This chapter begins with a description of how one's psychic abilities develop. The author draws a portrait of an initiate six months into daily practice. Minor shifts in their mental state cause noticeable differences in physical strength, auras are more apparent and easy to manipulate due to constant visualization, they have increased ability to manipulate others, but due to a raw and untrained psychic ability, can also be more easily manipulated by others. This marks the point where the initiate is ready for additional exercises which the author details. Now, I am calling them exercises, because that is what the author calls them, but let's not kid ourselves here. These are spells.

We add some new spells to the initiates kit:

• Aura Siphon: Temporarily steal a chunk of an opponent's aura to use the energy against them.
• Grounding: Stationary breathing meditation to regenerate and repair the aura.
• Heavy Aura Shield: A strong but slow spell to defend against serious attacks
• Instant Aura Shield: A fast but low-energy spell-parry.
• Dispel: Cleanse the aura of negative energy it may have accumulated.

Finally, we have a spell called the Middle Pillar Exercise. A spell invented by the occultist Israel Regardie. This will require a bit of an aside.

Regardie was born in 1907 to an Orthodox Jewish family, but did not share his family's religious devotion. He was an influential addition to the ranks of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and perhaps the worst possible choice to serve as personal secretary to noted antisemite Aliester Crowley.  Regardie became disillusioned with occultism after a decade and change of a professional love-hate relationship with Crowley, later calling him a “contemptible bitch.”

That said, during his time with the Golden Dawn, Regardie was an influential and widely respected member. He was considered a whiz with ritual design, and many of the rituals central to the Golden Dawn are his work. Work that is very Jewish.

There is a deeper conversation to be had here about the appropriateness of “Hermetic Qabalah,” but as a non-Jewish occultist, it is not a conversation I can lead. From my understanding of the history, this is not a practice I can recommend, and I would encourage anyone interested in the topic to speak to a Jewish practitioner.

Chapter 3: Survival Training vs Psychic Self Defense

“As I have mentioned before, human beings have both physical and spiritual bodies. Both types of bodies must be cared for, since they obviously affect each other.”

Credit where credit is due, this is a clear and concise description of the metaphysics at hand, many authors get lost trying to describe the relationship between body, mind, and soul, but this lays out a solid foundation. There is you, your meat body, and your spirit body.

This is the point in which Pickands introduces the concept of divinity: “Psychic self-defense does not insure the spiritual survival of your true self. It may, in fact, be dangerous even to study the more advanced technical aspects of the discipline before a meaningful working relationship with Divinity has been established.”

While it is always nice to see an occult author urging caution, this quote exposes what I would call a critical flaw. A “relationship with Divinity,” as Pickands writes, is not necessary for understanding the occult. Her reasoning becomes clear as she elaborates an all-too-familiar view of “Divinity.”

“Most Spiritual Traditions have two things in common. The first is a belief in some Supreme Being(s) who is (are) the source of our existence. The second is a stern warning to anyone who would dare establish a true relationship with that Divinity. I have listed a few of these warnings below.

1. “Narrow and rough is the road that leads to life (Jesus).”
2. “The way is narrow, as narrow as a razor’s edge (Hindu Scripture).”
3. “No mere mortal may behold the greatest glory of the Holy Countenance and live (Western Inner Tradition).””

To start, Buddhism has no Supreme Being, and no creation myth. Greco-Roman mythology has a creation myth, but I am unsure if Chaos could be considered a Supreme Being in the sense that Pickands intends.

The first quote is Matthew 7:14. The footnote for the second citation reads “I cannot remember where this comes from.” I will say I admire the author’s honesty. The quote is originally from the Katha Upanshiad, a Hindu text. The third quote comes from William G. Gray’s The Rite of Light, another Golden Dawn contemporary of Crowley, more on Gray later.

From here, the author stresses the importance of “walking the razors edge” which she essentially defines as “maintaining a balance between ones ordinary and spiritual lives.” Which isn’t quite what those earlier quotes were trying to say, but hey, balance is good. There is absolutely a history of people becoming interested in the occult, only to descend into woo and snake oil. If this can keep people from doing that, more power to them.

This chapter loses focus a bit. Pickands tries to combine too many dense concepts at once, calling on central ideas from several world religions, and using them as pillars for a rickety bridge of “The Spiritual Journey.” I think I see what she is going for. Pickands attempts to give the text some weight by rooting it in deeper occultism, but the tonal shift is a bit jarring, and the reader gets lost in the reeds.

Chapter 4: Signs of Psychic Disturbance and Psychic First Aid

1. A feeling of weight pressing down on your chest while you're asleep or dreaming.
2. A continuous and intensifying sense of oppression or fear. (Note: Those who are sensitive will feel this sensation before anything actually goes wrong. Consider it as part of your intuitive “Early Warning System.”)
3. Nervous exhaustion or wasting away to “skin and bone” when there is no observable physical cause or disease process.
4. Being terrified of going to sleep.
5. Dreaming of fighting with something and waking up with bruises in all the “right” places. (This is known as the Phenomenon of Repercussion.)
6. Obnoxious odors that come and go with no apparent physical cause. (These odors will be noticed by anyone who is around when they are present. These are not the phantom odors associated with some kinds of psychosis.)
7. Seeing odd footprints that come from no particular place and stop with no destination.
8. Inexplicable outbreaks of fire. (This is often associated with Elemental activity.)
9. Poltergeist Activity.
10. Inexplicable precipitation of slime or powdery substances.

If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms in the last 24 hours, you may be experiencing the effects of Psychic Attack, according to the author. According to me, you should talk to a medical professional.

Anxiety is not a “Magical Early Warning System,” nervous exhaustion and weight loss are symptoms of extreme stress. Fear of sleeping (Somnophobia) is a common symptom of PTSD. Waking up with bruises is something to talk to a doctor about, phantom smells can be associated with psychosis but sometimes things just smell weird. If things keep catching fire it's probably due to an OSHA fire code violation. Poltergeist activity can have numerous ordinary explanations, and please make sure that inexplicable showers of slime are not toxic mold. But this only covers the anatomy of psychic injury, what about Psychic first aid?

According to Pickands, the psychic first-aid kit should contain several things. Allow me to paraphrase:

1. Agate (banded) - Charges recover health
2. Adventurine - Charges heal perception debuffs
3. Bloodstone - Charges temporarily buff STR and max HP
4. Carnelian - Charges heal the Depression debuff
5. Basil - Consumption temporarily gives advantage on speech skill checks.
6. Blueberry - Consumption temporarily increases physical and magical DEF.
7. Carnations - AoE Health and Magic regen when equipped.

Chapter 5: The Best Defense is a Good Offense

“Those of us who are called to serve as Guardians of the Light within this world need to know how to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and those who come to us in need of help. Because of our vocation, we must seek training beyond what is necessary for the average person who has just begun to deal with the invisible forces and forms which affect their lives.”

This section appeals to a need. A deep, powerful, powerful, and very human desire. Indeed, like the biological drives towards food, shelter, sleep, and companionship, there was a need set in the very bones of every weird teenager in the 1980s who later became interested in the occult: Wanting To Be A Paladin. And who among us could judge them? Not I, dear reader, and not you. For was it not Aristotle who said those immortal words of wisdom: “Paladins are objectively rad as hell.”

The appeal of the paladin is universal. So universal, that the idea appealed to one Wm. G. Grey, whose work Pickands repeats in this text.  Grey is a less controversial figure than Regardie, but not for a good reason. All one needs to know about Wm G. Grey is that he was white, and founded a magical group called the Sangreal Society in South Africa in 1980.

Chapter 6: Applied Psychic Self-Defense in Everyday Situations

So far, we’ve been introduced to the basic exercises, and educated as to why they’re important. We’ve been taught to inflict and treat wounds, both spiritual and psychic. And we’ve been introduced to our society of magical cops. Next, we are going to learn to apply everything we’ve learned.

“You will not need to look far to find people who are in the habit of trying to manipulate others to their own advantage. The average salesperson is trained to do exactly that. So what does your sales resistance got to do with the art of psychic self-defense?”

That, Mrs Pickands, is a fantastic question.

This chapter gives us some examples of how to use our aura-siphoning abilities in real life, mainly through using mindfulness techniques as a defense against pushy salesmen. As with most of the book so far, roughly 60% of this tracks. How people think, what makes an idea easier or harder to change, how perception affects reality, are all central elements of occult philosophy. I mean this in the best possible way, but the occult is a study in bullshit. And I mean this in the best possible way, but salespeople are bullshit artists. That said, I’m not sure if the book covers these topics in the depth necessary to be of much help.

“OK, on to your next exercise. This one is only for those of you with liberal political and economic leanings. Pick up a copy of Ayn Rands’s Atlas Shrugged.”

Okay. I know how this looks but hear her out. Given how this entire chapter was about salespeople and their relationship to the occult, I read that sentence and expected a hard turn into some sort of bizarre libertarian wizard philosophy. I was, however, pleasantly surprised. This is probably the most valuable exercise in the entire book. The author encourages readers to expose themselves to political works that are opposite their own, and to read with mindful attention to their own reactions. Pickahnds asks us to record what makes us angry, what we find ourselves agreeing with, what we find ourselves surprised by. Maricia asks us to pay attention to where our minds are flexible.

“Since people tend to read novels with all of their defenses down, it is very easy for authors to gain access to more of you through their books than you would allow if you saw them in person.”

This section goes beyond giving Maricia credit. Her work here is a rare example of responsible occultism done well. Using the language of the New Age to spiritualize critical thinking is something to be applauded.

Chapter 7: Applied Psychic Self-Defense in Non-Ordinary Situations, Including “The Battle Arcane”

“Excellent spiritual training can be acquired through reputable seminaries and the like, or, failing that, there are plenty of good books written by spiritual leaders of the world’s various religious systems.”

The tone of this chapter implies that the reader is now ready to venture away from the nest. We have completed our training, and it is time to take the sword and start slaying monsters. Pickands gives us some much needed theatrics, saying: “You will have to conquer the darkness inside yourself before you are likely to conquer it in others.”

This attitude of seizing the sword is paired with some language reminiscent of self-help books. There is a focus on personal improvement and introspection. As a graduation present, we are given access to an expanded form of the Middle Pillar Exercise. While I cant speak for the appropriateness of the exercise, its inclusion at this point in the text is a smart choice. Commemorating accomplishments with ritual makes them feel more important.

Pickands understands that by this point, the reader will be looking for a next step, and she recommends a few more serious occultists in the vein of Israel Regardie and Scott Cunningham. These are simply suggestions, compared to the outright invitation she makes for the Society of the Guardians. She details their goals, their different ranks, and requirements for joining, that I will repeat here:

Requirements for becoming a guardian:

1. 25 - 70 years old
2. Belief in god
3. Of good physical and mental health
4. You have to be able to commit 2 - 5 hours a day.
5. A quiet, clean place to perform magic.
6. No casual sex. (You can be married. Promiscuity is banned.)
7. The ability to be self-critical.
8. Command the worst side of yourself to serve the best side of yourself.

And then the book ends! If that seems abrupt, it’s because it was.

Autopsy Report:

I am of two minds about this text. The good parts go above and beyond the bar of responsibility when it comes to an occult text. However, in my opinion, the good does not outweigh the bad. The author makes several critical missteps that kneecap the work as a whole. The spiritualization of mental illness symptoms is hard to overlook. That said, I found myself rooting for the author. The problematic elements of the work are the sort of thing that could be rectified with a conversation over lunch. Pickansd isnot a Serious Historian, but neither is she a Lost Flower Child. After reading the Psychic Self-Defense Manual, I was left with the distinct sense that the author could do better. Her dedication to critical thought and resistance to woo are incomplete, but a breath of fresh air nonetheless.

As an occult text, I would call the work well-structured. The actual construction of the work, its blueprint, is clear and skillful. The author understands how to build an occult text. But understanding does not necessarily translate to application. Maricia clearly has experience as a teacher, but is limited by her skill at creative writing. Theater is essential for magic. A good occult text has some pizzazz. It can’t just be magic, it has to feel magic, and despite its clarity, despite its responsibility, The Psychic Self-Defense Personal Training Manual just doesn’t feel magic.