Rating: 
Summary: Simplistic...but facinating, complete and effective.
Review: Dion Fortune covers all the bases in this book, but not quite in the way that I was expecting. Nine-tenths of the book explains and catagorizes different types of psychic attacks. These explainations are accompanied by facinating antecdotes...these alone make the book a good read. However when it came down to the methods of defense, I found them to be little more than common sense...although what is more effective than common sense? For the newcomer to occultism, as well as the old-pro, the techniques described are easy and nearly fool-proof. I guess I was just expecting complicated ancient secrets, and what I got was a complete basic-strategy manual. Don't get me wrong though...this book is a must have!
Rating: 
Summary: Psychic attacks more common than we realize
Review: Dion Fortune knew well that we are constantly influencing one another through our thoughts and feelings; and that we are under an enormous psychic burden from moment to moment. But now, many years after this book was written, the burden we suffer is thousands of times heavier. Advertising, social pressures, and the relentless effort of others to influence our Will keeps us acting, feeling and thinking things that in truth, in our deepest selves, we do not want. This book can help us learn how to defend ourselves by controlling our own minds so that others cannot. What we need is to learn to be present, to dominate the surging chaos of the mind, and to live from our own sincere sense of what is right and wrong, without caring about the opinions of others. This is the path that all true masters taught: Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, etc. For more information, read "The Great Rebellion" and "Revolutionary Psychology" by Samael Aun Weor.
Rating:
Summary: Protecting one-self
Review: Dion's witty and honest witting style makes the reading of her books a pleasurable experience living an endeleble mark in one's mind and soul. The easy and practical teachings one can learn from "Psychic Self-Defense" are extraordinary. Human beings should be very gateful for all the sacrifices, endurance, and generosity of this remarkable woman. The world is a better place thanks to her and her inner strenght and integrity to pursue the light at all times and at any necessary cost.
Ms. Murillo
Rating:
Summary: Protecting one-self
Review: Dion's witty and honest witting style makes the reading of her books a pleasurable experience living an endeleble mark in one's mind and soul. The easy and practical teachings one can learn from "Psychic Self-Defense" are extraordinary. Human beings should be very gateful for all the sacrifices, endurance, and generosity of this remarkable woman. The world is a better place thanks to her and her inner strenght and integrity to pursue the light at all times and at any necessary cost.
Ms. Murillo
Rating:
Summary: A WEALTH OF INFORMATION
Review: Here we have a book first published in 1930, that challenged the norm. I am one of those that believe Psychic Attack is prelavent in today's society with so much jealousy and competition around. Although it is a little hard to read, the information contained is well worth the extra effort to study. The author also documents her own personal encounters and also provides some means of relief for those in need of psychic self defense. I have applied the advice and techniques for myself and it does make a difference.
Rating:
Summary: some bad points, but a great book overall.
Review: Ok, first of all if you are a wiccan/witch/neo-pagan, take it easy. Dion Fortune obviously had a different definition for you than you had for yourselves. She saw the term "witch" not as a neo-pagan religion, but as a synonym for practitioners of black magic. As for the people offended by use of racist and class terms, remembber this was written around seventy years ago in a class conscious society. Lastly, as for the people who found her writing to be difficult to read or understand, it is archaic, and filled with references that are no longer common. I also admit that she puts a definite Judeo-Christian spin on things. If you can't deal with any of these facts, then don't read this book. Instead read "Practical Guide to Psychic Self-Defense" by Denning and Phillips and "Monsters" by John Michael Greer, both titles by Lewelleyn. They have the same information, but in greater detail, and they lack the Judo-Christian slant. If you want to read an excellent first hand account of psychic attack, and the development and mistakes of an occultist, then read Dion Fortune. She is great, the writing is wonderful and witty. She gives tons of information, and she was one of the first people to write on the topic. I recommend this book for those reasons. Plus the stories of her experiences in the beginning of the book are fascinating to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: some bad points, but a great book overall.
Review: Ok, first of all if you are a wiccan/witch/neo-pagan, take it easy. Dion Fortune obviously had a different definition for you than you had for yourselves. She saw the term "witch" not as a neo-pagan religion, but as a synonym for practitioners of black magic. As for the people offended by use of racist and class terms, remembber this was written around seventy years ago in a class conscious society. Lastly, as for the people who found her writing to be difficult to read or understand, it is archaic, and filled with references that are no longer common. I also admit that she puts a definite Judeo-Christian spin on things. If you can't deal with any of these facts, then don't read this book. Instead read "Practical Guide to Psychic Self-Defense" by Denning and Phillips and "Monsters" by John Michael Greer, both titles by Lewelleyn. They have the same information, but in greater detail, and they lack the Judo-Christian slant. If you want to read an excellent first hand account of psychic attack, and the development and mistakes of an occultist, then read Dion Fortune. She is great, the writing is wonderful and witty. She gives tons of information, and she was one of the first people to write on the topic. I recommend this book for those reasons. Plus the stories of her experiences in the beginning of the book are fascinating to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: Keep the Audience in mind.....
Review: Okay, all you upset Wiccans and multiculturalists take a breath, ground and center. There. Now I want you to keep in mind that in 1930, the Occult Revival was not quite mainstream. There were many charlatans about at the time, and the police were far less sympathetic if you lost money, time, or your reputation to one or more of them (and don't get me started on losing energies to them). People in the English-speaking world did not have much access to accurate information in English about other cultures (something many of us take for granted, being the products of reform in the social sciences that in 1930 were yet to be). They could not just surf the Web and find out enough to tell them whether the new "guru" in town was blowing smoke. Honestly, some of those alleged "gurus" were nothing more than some swarthier-than-average guy with a turban on his head running some kind of scam. You or I would know enough to spot this guy from a mile away, but someone less familiar with Indian or Asian cultures (such as your average European in the early 20th century)could be and were taken in. She warned so much against foreign magickians because Joe and Jane Average English-Speaker generally did not have enough of a clue to know when they were getting in too deep, or being taken advantage of. Now for the Witches. A) This book predates Gardner by twenty-someodd years and B) If you think that all pre-Wiccan Witchy types were all these sparkly-eyed grandmas living in little cottages in the woods who wouldn't hurt a fly, don't even bother! Magickal knowledge could and did sometimes fall into the hands of petty, jealous people. Dion Fortune wrote for an audience that was Christian, but had heard a lot about things going on in the Occult Revival, or who were having wierd things going on in their lives. If you keep this in mind, this is actually a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Unfortunate Fortune?!
Review: Poor Violet Firth, aka Dion Fortune. As her true personal story unfolds, you learn with her about the disasters of psychic attack, what makes a person vulnerable and what you can do to protect yourself. The information in this book is perhaps dated but this book was a seminal and important work in the early stages of the metaphysical revival in England and America. Fortune, the author of many classics in the metaphysical field, was among the first to speak out on this topic and it is worthwhile to read the book for this reason alone, if you are seriously interested in the development of thought in the metaphysical field. Fortune was briefly a member of The Order of the Golden Dawn until her feud with another important member broke her association. She is a "personality", a "player", a forerunner, a woman of power, a name you should recognize and an author you should have in your personal library.
Rating:
Summary: Esoteric Classic
Review: Psychic Self Defense has been very unvalued in the reviews seen here. The greatest and most reliable text ever written concerning psychic attack! While the 1930's language can be difficult for some, the elements and principles covered are exceptionally accurate. Being a professional in this particular field for some ten years, I found this text to be a God send in the early days of my work. I have absolute respect for Dion Fortune as an authoritive concerning this topic. For those who have experienced psychic attack or work in the fields of counteraction, this is the text for you!
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