Tuesday, December 01, 2009

True Power: Speaking the Words of Power

How often do you speak "the words of power?"

I don't know how you answered that question, but my answer is, "Every time I open my mouth...and even when I don't." The words I use to speak and to think are part of my personal power. The way I speak to myself and others is one of the ways I exercise control and influence in the world.

Words have power. Magical practitioners of all ilks have long taught that word choice is important when we're working magically. Whether we're following a complex and detailed magical system with words and phrases used by magicians for centuries, or a less structured, natural form of spell work, the words we choose can affect the outcome, for better or worse.

Interestingly enough, we seem to place a lot of emphasis on the use of words in a magical context but very little on how we use words in all the other moments and events in our lives. And since we spend a lot less time on magical pursuits than on plain old life, that seems backward to me.

Maybe one reason people don't recognize the power of words outside the magical realm is the mistaken notion that magic is something separate, something apart from "ordinary" life. Magic is not a supernatural force. Magic works because it follows natural, universal laws that, even though the scientific world hasn't fully worked out all the details of why and how, work flawlessly. Of course, we don't always work flawlessly in our efforts to create a working partnership with those forces, but study, practice, and open-mindedness allow us to keep moving forward. And the results prove the efficacy of a system based on those universal laws.

Here's the thing: Natural laws don't differentiate between magical and mundane. What we call magic is really nothing more than heightened awareness of those laws and a deliberate effort to work within that framework to achieve a desired result. But the laws are still in place, still working, whether we're thinking about them or not. The law is the law whether we're working deliberately, with awareness and intent, or working unaware and without a plan. To use a tired but effective analogy, the guy who falls off the roof is no less likely to hit the ground than the guy who deliberately jumps. Gravity really doesn't care about awareness, motive, or timing. The jumper, because he is paying attention and working willfully, is more likely to land safely and nearer his intended target. The faller will surely hit the ground but with far less control and less likelihood of being happy with his result.

So...if words have power in a magical context...do they not also have power in our daily lives? Why do we allow ourselves to speak thoughtlessly to ourselves and others, aloud and silently, when we know the power our words carry? Why do we allow hurtful words others have spoken to play back in an endless loop? Universal law allows our words to manifest realities. What realities are we building with our words?

Interestingly enough, most of us are more aware and careful about what we say to others than we are about how we talk to ourselves. I can't think of a better way to rob ourselves of power than to use words that tear down and hold back. We make a mistake and our inner dialog is, "That was stupid!" We do something well and we say, "I got lucky." Even if our conscious mind knows we don't mean it, our subconscious mind probably doesn't.

A dear friend caught me sending myself wrong messages one morning. I responded to her cheerful, "Hey, how ya' doin'?" with, "Fat and sassy!" She immediately said, "Oh, we've got to eliminate that phrase!" I told her that "fat and sassy" was really a good thing, to which she replied, "Does your subconscious know that?" Zap! I knew instantly she was right.

Jung is quoted as saying, "Even a lie is a psychic fact." When we choose words that do not support our position of power, of strength and purpose, what facts are we building in our minds, in our lives? Are we choosing words that will help us manifest the things we want, or are we ignoring the laws of the Universe and expecting them to ignore us in return?

Our daily words, spoken and unspoken, are powerful spell components that make up our lives. Choose carefully to manifest the results you want.

6 comments:

  1. For a while, there was a popular song with the lyrics "I'm a loser baby, so why don't ya kill me". It was, unfortunately, a catchy tune. :) One day after that line had been bouncing around in my head for hours (for it was the only line of the song that I remembered) it suddenly occurred to me... essentially, this had become a mantra that I was reciting to myself. Forget the fact that, consciously, I neither considered myself a "loser" nor did I want anyone to kill me, this was what I realized that I was telling myself.

    Not long after that, I dragged out as much of my classical, new age, and jazz (read: all instrumental!) CDs and made copies for the truck. :)

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  2. A wise man, you are. :)

    I am very fond of certain artists (Keb'Mo, Great Big Sea come to mind immediately) because of their positive lyrics. I remember the song you mention well, and remember hearing my daughter and her friends sing it when they were preteens. We start so early feeding ourselves messages that do nothing to further our happiness or our sense of personal power.

    Thanks for singing along, my friend.

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  3. This blog spoke to me not just when I read it, but later over a period of days. This is a very tough time of the year for me, first from a life time of conditioning and second my current circumstances make it even more difficult. The internal dialogue that goes on in my head often times leaks out into conversations or statements and I see the reaction of others, in their tone, their stance, or change of attitude.I have come to realize that if a slip can affect someone else so much, what is it that I must be doing to myself? Today I was thinking, that once again I am alone during the holidays, and I stopped myself and said "I am single, but not alone, and I am single by choice. This is my first step to taking back my power.

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  4. Sanmay...thank you for your kind comments and I hope you stop by more often.

    Cerridwyn...all I can say is, "You go, girl!" That internal dialog is a booger for a lot of us...me included...and such a powerful actor in our lives. I like that you come here and sing with us...keep it up!

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  5. Anonymous8:32 PM

    Ohhhh...I saw Keb Mo in a small venue years ago. He was great! But that's not what I stopped by to write about. My son and I take Tae Kwan Do together, and as you may imagine, it's much more of a challenge for me than for him. On the way home after a particularly challenging class, I said "I suck." He replied (very indignantly): "Mom! Why do you talk to yourself that way? You do NOT suck. But you will if you keep telling yourself that you do!" How did he get so wise at 10?!?
    Negative self talk, or internal dialogue, can be sneaky; and a hard habit to break! Especially for those of us who have that that perfectionistic streak! ~zephyr

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  6. Zephyr...Wisdom comes from everywhere, does it not? Your little man is a wonder...as is his mama. Love you!

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