Hidden Power

Intentional power is the force behind the law of attraction, spellcasting, and manifesting, and positive thinking.  At its core, it uses words powered by the emotional intention of the speaker. Thus, many of us practice it unwittingly or by another name as we go about living our lives.  Gregg Braden does a great job of explaining the science behind intention.

For example, take the person that speeds by you on the highway jarring you in the process.  In frustration, you say, “I want to see you pulled over by a cop, that will teach you.” You spoke the words, backed by emotion, that is a power intention. Now that you have a typical example, you can probably think of dozens of times you have unwittingly put power to your words and thoughts.  These can be both positive and negative, so it’s essential to choose words wisely.  In some cultures, speaking negative power intention words are called curses.

Some folks call power intentions spell crafting or manifesting.  When we think of someone who casts a spell, we imagine them surrounded by what may be unfamiliar objects and chanting words that may or may not be understood.   It looks mysterious and maybe even a little eerie for those that are unpracticed or familiar.  People who study and practice the craft respect it and take it seriously regardless of the perspective from which they may come.

Manifesting may use a vision board, intention or gratitude journals, permission practices, and affirmations.  Regardless of the technique used, the foundation for manifestation is intention.  True for spell crafting, manifesting, and the law of attraction -clear intention is essential. Regardless of the naming, the power resides within the person. It is not something you are given; practice you must.

Your clear intention, expressed in the present, is the power.  Expressing in the present is the feeling it has already happened; you are already receiving what you desire.  Let’s say you would like to have more love in your life. Using power intention you feel the feelings of love, of being loved totally.  The trick is holding that feeling when you may be feeling isolated and lonely.  This is one of the places that people get stuck, feeling as if something good has happened when still mired in their trouble.  Holding the feeling as if the desire has already happened is the most crucial component and the one that is most difficult to master.

Tools and techniques can come in pretty handy as you shift your mindset from being a victim.  Victims are powerless and do not have the power to change their circumstances; they are acted upon. As you learn to use your power, you shift from victim to co-creator with the universe as your partner. It takes time, and dare I say it, intention. The choice is in each of us, to do the hard work or continue to be passive. To live in fear or receive the abundance the universe offers.

Many traditions employ a version of power intentions that aligns with the precepts of their respective practices. The vast array of techniques may include herbs, crystals, journaling, meditation, and incense.   Certain gestures may be incorporated, such as dancing, drumming, and singing.  The choices are unlimited though they are all used to help raise the intender’s emotional energy, the source of power for manifestation.

Mechanics of Intentional Power

A useful power intention needs two things:

1. A clear intention expressed in the present as feeling
2. Power of the intender

Intention

An intention is a desire stated in clear language. It is the wanted outcome envisioned and invited.  Clear intentions are crucial to achieving the desired result.  They must be thoughtful and expressed as if they are already happening.

Let’s say you want to make more money to pay your bills and have some leftover each month.  You set the intention that “I will make the money I need.” You end up winning a raffle, and you receive an unexpected refund. Helpful but not sustainable in the long term. Now you change your intention to something like, “I easily make enough money doing what I love every month.”  You feel the sense of accomplishment and financial safety from doing what you love and getting paid for it.

The intention is clear and expressed as if it is already happening.  The only power we have is in the now.  We can only affect this moment; the future has yet to unfold, and by some accounts, it can be influenced by the clear intentions we set at this moment and powered by our emotions.

Power

Emotion is energy, and energy is power.  Your power comes from your desires.  When you strongly desire a certain thing and take action, the outcome is fueled by your emotions, the force behind the desire, the power of intention.

Think of a time you desired something; perhaps it was a particular pair of shoes.  You picture yourself in the new shoes; you feel how your feet feel in them and see your friends admiring them and you.  As you remember, where do you feel it in your body?  Is it tingling in your spine or a sensation in your stomach, perhaps?  Focus on the feeling the memory brings and visualize it, feel it becoming a stronger, more intense feeling.   This feeling is the power that fuels intentions.

Some traditions use dance and ecstatic states to raise power; some use tools and incantations.  Others work with spirits, and while the techniques vary, the goal is the same, to fuel the intention with power to manifest the desired outcome.

Tooling Around

If power intention only requires clear intention expressed in the present, why all the fuss?  There are several schools of thought which suggest that all human experience is reposited.  Jung called this the collective unconscious; others refer to it as a sea of infinite potential or the unconventional field of reality.  Regardless of the language used to describe it, the theory suggests that by using tools, dance, and incantations of those that came before, the intender may connect to this infinite source, strengthening the intention.  Think of it as a cosmic neural net.  Clear intentions cast by countless persons across time; the way indelibly marked like a well-worn path.  Thus by employing techniques, tools, and incantations of the past, the present is aided; your energetic power etched into the cosmic net.

It’s About Time

There is a belief among practitioners that intentions are more effective when done at certain phases of the moon, days of the week,  months of the year, or by an astrological configuration.

Some do their intentional work according to the moon phase.  For example, the new moon is an auspicious time to work with new beginnings, such as starting a new job, relationship, project, or to release old habits and pain.  It is a time to plant the intentions you would like to grow.  The new moon is also a time for making a wish, a promise, or a vow.  The new moon is in the dark phase, the time before birth and growth that follows as the moon moves through its lunar cycle.

Try It

Following is a power intention to release hurt and pain using water, salt, your clear desire, and a bathtub.  Many religions and practices use water and salt to purify and protect the body and spaces.  This intention involves releasing pain through the act of bathing.

At the next new moon phase (find it here), take a warm bath and add a ¼ cup of sea salt to the running water.  Set the intention to release the pain or hurt.  As you soak, say either out loud or in your mind, “Let the pain of (name it) soak away from me” as you cup the water with your hands, letting it run over your body. Feel how much lighter your body feels as the pain is washed clean away.  You may feel joy, happiness, or a sense of wholeness.  Hold these feelings as you continue to cup the water over your body.

Do this several times.  If emotions well up unexpectedly, let them express.  Observe your feelings, but do not judge them; allow them to be what they are.  It is relatively common to experience this type of release and a normal part of the healing process.

Let the water out when you are finished.  Watch it go down the drain; as it does, visualize all the pain sucked down and away from you. Hold the sense of being free from the pain and be gentle with yourself; you deserve it.