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Creating an Act of Power
Bringing Your Dreams to Life
Do you have a dream that you would like to see realized? Do you wish you had a dream, but haven't yet discovered it? Creating a personal act of power is a potent way to help you (1) remove physical, emotional and psychological obstacles; (2) connect with, and open to receive, the higher forces of the Universe; (3) focus your intent (very important in shaping the energy forces in and around your body); and (4) take all the steps within your ability to create what it is you really want in specific, concrete ways.
Your act of power is your dream, what you want to be or do in your heart of hearts. Perhaps you've dreamed of becoming a writer, a pediatrician, a talk show host, or a competitive athlete. Life got in the way and you put your dreams aside. As a friend of mine says, "I replaced my wishbone with my backbone." I love that expression because too often we end up doing something that doesn't reflect who we truly are or want to be simply in order to survive, or to fit someone else's image of who they think we should be. Essentially, your act of power is the beginning of discovering or reclaiming your essential self.
The Summer Solstice, which occurs on June 21, this Thursday, is traditionally favored for beginning an act of power because more energy is available from the Sun to draw on while you focus your intent. The Sun is at its highest path through the sky; it does not rise exactly in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west, allowing it to be in the sky for a longer period of time and making it the longest day of the year. Some prefer to do it at the Winter Solstice to help prepare for the coming year, but you can do it at any time. Remember, you are not going to let anything hold you back, especially something as minor as the day of the year!
I learned about acts of power during my time as a shamanic apprentice. They are an aspect of Deer Medicine, the ability to walk simultaneously in the worlds of spirituality and everyday life, in this case literally making your dream a reality. This also means that they are not vague or indirect, such as "I'd like to help bring peace to the world", or "I'd like to be on Oprah." What specific role do you want to play in bringing peace to the world? Are you going to make a movie, or write a book, or create an organization that has specific activities that help create awareness? What do you want to promote or share during your episode on Oprah? That is your act of power, not being on the show. Although I will share this with you as I learned it, I've omitted the ceremony that we use. This is not a ritual; it's a series of steps to help guide you to what you want. As long as you understand the concept and follow the steps, you can adapt it according to your personal preferences.
Take some time to think about how you truly want to live your life. You may want to talk with a close friend or therapist and continue to revisit your dream, letting it evolve and become clear in your mind. You'll know it's right when it feels right, when you feel the desire and longing inside you begin to grow deeper and stronger as you think about it more and more. Create a statement that is short, concise and specific that clearly states your dream, for example, "I am going to give seminars and workshops on Landscape Gardening Using Feng Shui Principles." This statement is your act of power.
Now you will want to create two lists. The first is a Life List (we call this a Life Prayer Arrow because we wrap the list around a Life Arrow.) This, too, may take some time because you will make a list of ten things you are going to commit to doing or starting by this time next year to make your act of power happen. They must be very specific and within reason, because this is a promise you are making to yourself, Great Spirit, and the Universe. This is what helps to keep you focused and on point. If one of the things on your Life List is to attend or enroll in a school or purchase an expensive piece of equipment, make sure that you also have on your list a way to make this happen, such as obtaining funds or a loan, making child care arrangements, or making time in your schedule. This is where your creativity and intuition will come into play so that you find a way to make it happen. It also means that it is your responsibility to find a way through, over or around any obstacles you encounter. Once it is finalized, keep a copy of this list in a safe place, because over the next twelve months you will be reading it at least once a month as a reminder to yourself.
Next you will make a Death List (or a Death Prayer Arrow). This list can be as long as you like, and on it you'll be making a promise and a commitment to release everything that has been holding you back: beliefs about yourself and your self-worth, your talents and abilities, fears, doubts, procrastination, insecurities, reasons and excuses for your lack of commitment, etc. As you make this list, you may find you need to include things on your Life List to help accomplish this, for example reading self-help books, seeing a therapist or family counselor, or getting a new job.
When both of your lists are finished, set aside some time. We shamans go out into the wilderness to perform ceremony, but you can do this just as easily in the privacy of your home or backyard. Make sure that you are alone so that you won't be distracted or feel self-conscious. Take a few minutes to connect with the higher forces of the Universe, whatever that means to you and in whatever form you are comfortable. Say a prayer (the most effective are those that come from the heart, so it really doesn't matter what you say) to whomever you like: God/Goddess, Mother Earth, angels, saints, your ancestors, your own higher self and soul, all those who love you and watch over you. Ask them to be with you, to add their power and strength to yours, to help bring your act of power into being.
Think of your act of power. Imagine what it will be like when you have realized it, how happy and fulfilled you will feel. Really use your imagination here, embellish on the pictures in your mind until it seems so real it's as if you can feel yourself there, in that situation. Focus on the feelings of happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment and sense of purpose this picture gives you and allow it go grow stronger and stronger until it seems like your entire being is awash in these positive feelings, then let them all move into your upper chest and become very, very concentrated. Hold these intense feelings here.
Now think about a time when you got (or did) something you really wanted, think about how determined you were, how much will, determination and effort you put into getting it and how rewarding it was when you did get it. Remember what that felt like, that feeling of "I am going to have this and nothing is going to get in my way!" Hold that feeling in your solar plexus, and focus your will, effort and determination on this act of power you are making. Think about how much you want this for yourself and how hard you are willing to work to make it happen.
Combining these two powerful feelings, desire and will, together with creating pictures in your mind, helps to align your being with having what you want so that it will come to you more quickly and easily. Using ceremony, even the simplest, helps to bring focus to your intent. Think of it like two laser beams; one gathering energy from your will, the other gathering energy from your intense desire, and focusing both of them on your act of power, read it out loud, loud enough that you can feel the words vibrate in your body. You can say something like, "I now commit to my act of power with every part of my being. I will (state your act of power)."
Now it's time to release everything that has been holding you back, preventing you from accomplishing your act of power. Again speaking out loud with power and force, say something like, "These are all the obstacles, the things that no longer serve me, that have been keeping me from my dream. I now promise to you (whomever you prayed to) and to myself that over the next twelve months I will release (here you will read your Death List out loud.) Once you have read the list, place it in a firepit or a fireproof dish, burn it and then bury the ashes.
Next you will affirm everything on your Life List. You can say something like, "These are all the things I promise and commit to doing over the next twelve months" and read your Life List out loud. Remember to speak from your solar plexus, your will, and your place of longing and desire, your upper chest. This is the last step, so now is also the time to ask for help and guidance, and to offer your thanks as well. Keep this list; put it on your altar or any place that has significance to you, both as a reminder and as an affirmation.
An act of power is not something that happens overnight. Just sharpening and defining your dream, or discovering and removing the obstacles so you can discover your dream, can take weeks, perhaps months. This is when patience, determination and persistence become your mantra Following through on your commitment and taking the steps you yourself have outlined are what will breathe life into your passion. As Agnes Whistling Elk says, "You can live like an arrow, or you can live like a target. If you live like a target, you are waiting for the next arrow to strike. If you live like an arrow, you live like a warrior or warrioress, waiting and taking aim carefully."
