<<Regarding the control of empathy, I suggest you read my commentary on the mental section of Step Four -- specifically the Q&A section, question #3 ("I'm too empathic. How do I avoid adopting someone else's mood?")>> Many thanks, Rawn. Done:-) I seem to indeed correspond to the *unvolontary* empath (99 % of the time at last), and I'll work on the shielding. Funny how "monsters" of our childhood (unexplained feelings coming from the astral body e.g., as well as short-lived illness due to empathy) are explained later on as being "boons" (did not know that word :-) If I clearly understand, I just have to create and "feed" the shield the same way as for the tree of life in the "healing the group mind" meditation ? Bizarre question now : I read somewhere on the *rotation* of the shield. Most people prefer the clockwise direction. I happen to prefer the opposite (even when I eat spaghetti, to the horror of my italian friends :-) Any relevance to that ? Many thanks again. NB __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, more http://taxes.yahoo.com/