………..I do have a mental question mark around the whole concept of ‘occult protection.’ It sounds like a good idea but for me it raises the question of who or what, specifically, we are protecting ourselves against. To draw a very broad and generalised parallel, those who are welcomed as ‘freedom fighters’ by some folk are repelled as ‘terrorists’ by others. I think the same dilemma applies to the Inner planes although perhaps is more subtle. The Gods of one tradition/religion are not necessarily accepted as beneficent forces by other traditions/religions.
And for me, part of the same question is how can it be possible to throw out a ray or sigil, or cast a circle etc which automatically repels all the Inner forces you don’t want hanging around but permits entry to all those that you want to invite in?! Is it possible? I’m not sure that it is.
Wendy Berg

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Old Golden Dawn methods of working I guess were closer to the Solomomic Grimoire way of working . Bill Gray said when something appears that is "not right" note that it does have a place somewhere. Simply allow it to go to its rightful place. And personally after many years of practice in these matters I've never been attacked or experienced any pathology of the occult so I agree that all that occult protection material probably could use a rethink. Giving the sign of the cross before meditating seems enough for me at any rate.
Thomas Hall

Is it possible that defence from atmospheres of doom, gloom and despondency that some folk seem to generate apparently quite unintentionally, but sometimes quite persistently even when aware of it, might be needed rather more often than defence from intentional 'occult' attacks?

DF observed 'But while we need to recognise the very potent effect that a mental atmosphere can have upon us, let us remember that atmospheres are things which are made by human minds, and that we need not, and should not, yield ourselves inert and unresisting to their influence, but can do something towards the making of atmospheres on our own account". (Practical Occultism in Daily Life).

It might not be just protection from the atmospheres generated by the doom and gloom merchants that might be appropriate/necessary. Perhaps atmospheres of excessive joy and lightheadedness can at times lead to ill judged action. Either way, it is perhaps these sort of things that might be encountered more often than the direct psychic attack but which merit at least equal remedial action.

As I understand it, the actions taken as documented in The Magical Battle of Britain were specific to counter an excess of force directed during WWII. Interestingly, the methodology involved raising consciousness and working with energetic templates to seed the manifest of more conducive conditions in the future. DF does not fight fire with fire - not on the same plane of activity anyway.

So when we talk about occult protection, are we talking of dealing with unbalanced energies (within or without) or countering the specific directed intent of one or more beings towards us. I think that determination is key because - from my perspective anyway - they are do very different things.

A lot depends upon the circumstances prior to the need for 'defence'. Are we experiementing with a different type of work, or are we in a physical location or an inner location where we are more likely to encounter forces and forms that may feel antagonistic to us? In essence, have we set forces into motion, albeit inavertently? Those types of imbalance, I feel, can be resolved by rebalancing, using one of the readily available magical tools and techniques. (Ritual, visualisation, invocation of a balancing force, etc.)

The notion of psychic or occult attack, so 'beloved' of many who start out on an occult path, is a different thing entirely. Should we find ourselves on the receiving end of someone else's malicious and directed intent, I think the best approach is to remove yourself from its sphere of influence if possible, principally through alignment. If that is not possible and people feel the need to respond through magical practice, let us remember, from GK's commentary on Geburah in A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism (P129): 15. Geburah is one of the Holy Sephiroth and so Fear should have no part in it - nor should Fury and Anger, for all these things are aberrative and not part of the Divine Plan.