So, changing gears here a little, I'd like to share an energy working exercise that can be helpful for children that may be experiencing bad dreams or fear of the night. This can be classified as energy redirection and dream magick as well as every day shielding.
A lot of us growing up probably had the problem of seeing things people said weren't there. This fear would often cause problems sleeping or trigger bad dreams. This isn't anything new and I'm sure many of you have children or know of children who suffer from the same problem.
This exercise can be used by anyone, including children, and can help ease them into sleep as well as give them a sense of personal power and help with visualization.
See yourself, see your feet, your hands, your hair and your eyes. Now imagine a color. You want to imagine a color that you feel is strong and that is comforting. My personal color is blue(which is the color I associate with my aura. This may not always be the color you use, it is a matter of what feels right for you). Once you have a firm sense of this color, imagine that it is inside of you, slowly churning. This is your energy. Play with it a little, feel it move. Try to move it to your hands. A lot of this exercise is about visualization and feeling, so there is no right or wrong way to move it, do whatever feels natural.
Once you feel comfortable, it's time to put up a barrier. For this barrier you want to think of a symbol you find personally comforting. It can be a pentacle, a cross, a web or vines, whatever calls to you personally.
Now that you have your symbol, think of an incantation. I personally use"Nothing with ill intent may enter this space". You want it to be relatively short, the point of this is to act as a focus and guide for your intentions.
Now that you have both your incantation and symbol in mind, it is time to apply these to the walls, floor and ceiling of the room you are in. How you go about this, what order, is entirely up to you. Some witches believe it should be done in a certain order, clockwise, according to the cardinal directions. I'm a much more free form practitioner, so again, do whatever feels natural.
Apply your symbol to each surface, chanting in your head as you go. Use your energy to paint the walls with it, infusing the space with both your intent and your energy.
Once you have your process down, this can be a quick ritual before falling asleep that will allow you to release all those daily stresses. For children, it gives them a tool to combat whatever negative force they may feel. By doing this with them you will create a closer bond and leave them with a sense of peace as they fall asleep.
Obviously, nightmares may still come, but with the loving energy of mom or dad surrounding them as they sleep, it should help remove those night time nasties.
Good luck and happy dreaming!
