How to realize your intention
Today is New Moon, a magickal time to set an intention.
An intention is a declaration of what you desire, a way to focus your energy, & a tool of discernment.
Inspired by the teachings of Starhawk, I guide my clients in crafting a concise intention so they can practice radical focus.
No matter how magickal of an intention you set, you still have to DO something to bring your intention to life.
This is where a gap can occur.
We must ask ourselves whether we have the access, skills, capacity, & support to make the intention happen.
In other words: Do we have the capability to DO the intention?
It’s not just about “thinking good thoughts” & the intention will become realized.
That’s spiritual bypassing & NOT what we’re doing.
As Kelly Diels said in a recent session of her Feminist Copywriting Certificate Program:
“They say we’ve got to work on our mindset, when really we’ve got to work on our culture.”
In years past I’d work with the same intention over & over again.
“I’ll get it right this time!” The internalized white supremacy perfectionist voice would say in my head.
Then when I didn’t “get it right” I’d beat myself up over it.
Until I learned how to zoom out & consider all of the conditions required for me to realize my intention.
That’s when I stopped beating myself up.
Now when I set an intention I get curious & ask myself:
“What really needs to occur so I can fulfill my intention?”
This supports me in identifying my choice & my very next action, all from a place of power from within rather than power-over.
What’s your intention this New Moon?
Power from within & power-over (& power-with) is a teaching from Starhawk, co-founder of the Reclaiming Tradition.
She writes about power in many of her books, including the book she co-authored with Hilary Valentine, The Twelve Wild Swans:
“We recognize three kinds of power in ourselves & in human societies. Power-over, or domination—the ability of an individual or group to impose force or sanctions, or to control the resource of others—is one we are all familiar with & face in most areas of our lives, from school to work. Power from within is a very different kind of power, more akin to creativity than force. The root meaning of the word power is ‘ability’ & power from within is our ability to do, to say, to make, to act, to imagine, to dream, to make our dreams real. Power from within is not limited; if you have power to paint a beautiful landscape, it doesn’t limit my power to do the same. In fact, I might learn from watching you, & find my own power from within enhanced. our magical training fosters & nurtures power from within. We call this process gathering power, or empowerment.
The third kind of power, power-with, is relational, the influence or status we might have among a group of equals. When we become leaders, teachers, or activists, we must become aware of power-with & learn to work with it consciously.”
