Connecting Shields to Hand Gestures…

By: Belfazaar Ashantison

In the past I have taught you how to set up shielding techniques as well as protective spells of neutral nature. But now… Now I wish to show you (and hopefully, I can get this concept across through written word) how to link your shielding techniques to hand gestures.

During the set up of your shielding technique, when you are deciding which shield to use, also think of a distinctive hand gesture. This becomes your ‘activation’ of the shield. Think of another gesture to signify the ‘deactivation’ of your shield.

For example, as Grayangel can attest, while walking through the streets of the French Quarter, during Endless Nights, I made a few specific hand gestures. When his curiosity peaked, he finally asked me what it was I was doing. I told him, “switching shields,” which was exactly what I was doing. You see, I never go out in public with only one shielding technique in place… And have linked them all to a simple series of hand gestures which lowers one technique and raises another…

These gestures can be as simple as the clenching of a fist, the flipping of a hand, the flipping of a ‘peace sign’…

I have, however, for the sake of simplicity (or laziness, depending upon your point of view) linked all of my shielding techniques to the same ‘dismissive’ hand gesture.

Now let’s try a step by step for this…

Let’s say you are beginning with the first shielding technique I have listed. Add to this fact that you would like to ‘link’ this shield to a clenched fist. While you are in the middle of visualizing the aura around the flame encircling your body, move your forearm in an arc and clench your fist, signifying the ‘linking’ of your shield to this movement. As soon as you can ‘see’ this aura around your body, dismiss it with another gesture (like the ‘backhand swatting of a fly’). This then becomes the hand gesture ‘linked’ to dropping this shielding technique. (If you use these examples to start off with, it is easy later on to change to something you are more comfortable with, so don’t worry… Like many of my shielding techniques this is neutral in nature and easily mutable to suit your needs).

As always, I do hope that this is useful to some of you, and, should you have any questions, or need to get specifics, you can always contact me.

Vitae Dominae

Belfazaar Ashantison

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