Set Your Intention to Be a Master Manifestor

I learned the art of intention-setting some years ago and quickly incorporated it into my morning rituals. Upon waking, sometimes even before I open my eyes, I set my intention for the day—it only takes a minute! It can be about work, financial challenges, a problem I am dealing with, relationships, health, hopes and dreams— anything, as long as it is also for the good of all. It has become a morning prayer for me, quick and quiet. I simply state my intention, such as, “I intend that my presentation today at work will go really well and I will feel joy as it is happening and set the stage for success for this product launch, for the good of all. I am grateful for this wonderful day. And so it is.” During the peak of my money woes, I would get very specific and set intentions for the exact amount of money I needed to make the mortgage payments, pay credit card bills, etc. Granular detail is good when manifesting so it is fine to say how much you want when intending with money.

Keep these other tips in mind:

    * Avoid using words with any negative charge to them, such as “can’t,” “but,” and “won’t,” and amplify     your intention with a statement of gratitude immediately after.

    * Always state your intention as if it is happening now and not in the future. Be specific and intend             without limit.

    * Your intentions do not always have to be personal to you and intending for the greater good of all             contributes to a positive global shift.

    * By setting intentions every day, you will soon become a master manifestor. I intend that for you!

Prosperity Intention

I had a very scary financial situation in 2008, right before the “credit crunch,” which became known as The Great Recession. I had moved in with my fiancé and we bought a home together at the very edge of San Francisco with a teeny Pacific Ocean view. He worked in tech and his earnings were much more than mine but we never gave it a second thought. It was a modest home but we loved it and I threw myself into gardening, sowing herb beds, arranging sacred shrines and all the lovely aspects of Wiccan nesting.

He passed away unexpectedly before our marriage and before the shock of that even subsided, I was hit with bills for funeral arrangements, house payments, hospital bills, and myriad unforeseen expenses that left me close to broke and going underwater on the mortgage. I was deep in grief but knew I had to get myself out. I needed to sell the house as quickly as possible, find an affordable place to rent in the San Francisco Bay Area, pack up and move and also earn more money.

In times like these, group magic is called for. I asked a group of girlfriends who had been very supportive during all the “travails if they would meet with me once a week for Intending. They were happy to help and curious, too. The first time we met, we all set an intention for a desired outcome or need—I couldn’t help but notice that all their intentions were more achievable than mine—and brought potluck food to share.

We began our group ritual by going round the circle and stating our gratitude for all we do have in our lives.

Next we each set our intention regarding our desired need or outcome. Kara said, “I need a free bookcase for my baby’s books and toys. I ask this for the good of all. And so it is.”

Our circle was a small and loving group of five women so it took less than 5 minutes for us to set our individual intentions. Afterward, I spoke my deep thanks for their support and we shared the food.

The next morning, I got a call from Kara. She said, “You are not going to believe this but I walked outside of our apartment building and there was a bookcase. It looks new and it’s white and exactly what I had in mind. Wow, that intending stuff really works!” Kara is exactly right. The group magic of setting intentions that are good for you and also for everyone on the planet really does work. It took a month but I got everything on my list, too. Goddess is good. Friends are great.

Rite for Welcoming Spirits

We can all use more benevolent energy in our lives. Some angels may take human form, such as a friend who is always there in a crisis. Others are hovering above in the ether and can be invoked with a few words and a focused intention. Use this spell when you need a guiding hand and angelic assistance.

Gather together

    * 1 white and 1 blue candle (these are angelic hues)

    * rosemary essential oil

    * frankincense and myrrh incense

    * celestite, a sky-blue crystal associated with angel energy (amethyst can substitute)

Anoint both candles with the rosemary essential oil. Light the white candle and use it to light the incense. If you were unable to acquire any frankincense or myrrh incense, you can use rosemary incense or light a rosemary branch in a fireproof glass or clay dish. Now light the blue candle with the white one and place them on either side of the crystal. Breathe deeply and speak this spell aloud to invoke the celestial guardians.

    Guardians, I call upon you now

    To bring aid and angelic blessings

    By earth and sky, I invite you now

    To point me to all that is good

    And protect me from all that is not.

    With gratitude to the heavenly host.

    So mote it be.

Ritual Knotting

You can add an additional aspect of manifestation to empower your statement of intention with a knotting spell. All you need is your paper scroll and a length of red thread or cord. The color red signifies life and active energy.

As you read your statement of intention, picture the end result in your mind and pour all your powers of concentration onto the paper. After you feel you have fully focused your energy into the scroll, roll it up. Now, proceed to tie knots in the order of the following traditional chant:

By knot of one, this ritual is begun.
By knot of two, my wish comes true.
By knot of three, so mote it be.
By knot of four, the magic is even more.
By knot of five, the gods are alive.
By knot of six, my intention is fixed.
By knot of seven, under the influence of heaven.
By knot of eight, I change my fate.
By knot of nine, all powers are divine.

When you have completed the knots, tie the cord around your scroll. 

Clarify Your Intention

Why do you want to create a mandala? Your reason is your intention, and is the focus of your ritual. One basic guideline is that the creation of a sand mandala should be “for the greater good.” Some examples of reasons to create a specific mandala include:

To help create world peace

To bring renewed health to body and spirit

To bless a new home

To bless and bring joy to all people in your life

Sun: Its rays are a representation of light, energy, and life. A sun mandala will represent the positive and celebrate your life, the spark and flame of existence.

Moon: In all its phases, the moon represents the feminine and female power. Moon mandalas are wonderful for women to create in celebration of their own femininity and of woman-power throughout time. Any goddess mandala can include the symbol of the moon.

Heart: A universal symbol of love, this sweet design would make an excellent blessing to a romantic relationship or a gift to loved ones.

Triangle: It represents the Christian Holy Trinity and Egyptian spirituality and wisdom.

Downward-Pointing Triangle: It represents the “yoni yantra” and signifies the female, the element of water, and the mother and the ability to create. A mandala blessing for an expectant mother should include the downward-pointing triangle. Water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces would do well to honor themselves with this design.

Double Triangle or Hexagram: In tantra, this represents all of creation, the conjunction of male and female energies. The concept of infinity is also represented by this symbol. A relationship mandala, especially in the sensual realm, will work well with double triangles. If you want to connect to the great universe, the symbol of infinity is essential. This symbol is ideal for creativity mandalas. In India, the double triangle indicates Kali in union with Shiva, and it is also the symbol for the heart chakra. If you want to create a mandala for blessing a relationship or to open your heart, the hexagram is an excellent choice. Combining the heart symbol and hexagram would be a powerful love mandala.

Pentagram: Other names for the pentagram include the Wizard’s Star, the Druid’s Foot, the Witch’s Cross, and the Star of Bethlehem. Wiccans have claimed the pentagram as their insignia. If you want to do a mandala for healing the earth, the pentagram will accomplish this quite nicely.

Square or Quadrangle: It is the sign of the four directions, and also the four elements and the four seasons. The square of the day also indicates the four significant times of day: sunrise, noonday, sunset, midnight. For the ancient Hindus, the square stood for order in the universe. You can use a square to invoke the four directions in this way, to honor the elements of air, earth, fire and water, and also to mark sacred time for prayer and meditation.

Octagon or Double Square: With its eight points, this is another symbol for divine order and unification. It is a good symbol for peace on earth. Essentially an eight-pointed star, the octagon is a symbol for rebirth and renewal and the wheel of the year. The octagon is believed to have magical powers, as does the pentacle or pentagram, when drawn in one line. In this case, they are believed to indicate sacred space. An octagon is a very good symbol to include in a mandala when you are embarking on a new phase of your life—a new home, job, relationship, a “new you”—that can be blessed in this manner.

Knotwork and the “Knot of Eternity”: These are lovely symbols of unity. In Buddhist tradition, knotwork represents contemplation and meditation. Celtic knotwork symbolizes the eternal flow of energy and life.

Lotus: This flower represents beauty, creation, renewal, and in Buddhism, the search for enlightenment. If the lotus has twelve petals, it represents the energy of the sun. If it has sixteen petals, it is the symbol for the moon. The most spiritual mandalas will likely contain the image of the lotus.

Hold your hand over the mandala design you have drawn and visualize the light of the universe, of the sun pouring through you and through your hands to the sand and the design. If you feel a personal connection to any benevolent spirits such as angels, the Buddha, or gods or goddesses, you should call upon them to also bless your efforts and the material with their sacred energy.

You may notice a warming of your hands as you continue concentrating “in the light.” Invoke aloud or pray silently to your benevolent guardians to bless your endeavor. When you are ready, take some time to look at your mandala and contemplate the image you have created. Look deeply and quietly and “receive” any insights or messages during meditation. Close the ritual by dedicating the blessing energy of the mandala to the greater good of the universe.

Color Symbology for the Chakras and Mandala Design

First, root (base of spine)           red           security, survival

Second, sacral                            orange     pleasure

Third, solar plexus                     yellow     divine, personal power

Fourth, heart                              green        abundance, love, serenity

Fifth, throat                                blue          creativity, originality 

Sixth, third eye                          indigo       intuitiveness, perception 

Seventh, crown                          violet        holy bliss, all is one 

Color Connection

Color is a form of energy that can be broken down by individual vibrations. We use colors in our homes and at work to affect moods. The right colors can calm, energize, or even romanticize a setting. Colors promote many desired states of being. Anyone using color is tuning in to the vibration frequency of that particular color. Some psychics have the skills and training to read your aura; they can literally see the energy radiating out from your body.

Other colors not in the spectrum or chakra exist in crystals and stones, and are significant in their own right: brown, gray, black, white, silver and gold.

Brown: the color of humility and poverty; represents safety and the home.

Gray: the color of grief and mourning; symbolized resurrection in medieval times; gray is the first color the human eye can perceive in infancy.

Black: protection and strength; fortifies your personal energies and gives them more inner authority; symbolizes fertile, life- giving, rich earth, and nourishing rain in Africa.

White: purity, peace, patience, and protection; some cultures associate white with death.

Silver: relates to communication and greater access to the universe; indicates a lunar connection or female energy.

Gold: direct connection to God; facilitates wealth and ease.

The color spectrum is correlated with seven basic vibrations. These are the same vibrations that comprise the musical scale, and the same vibrations that are the foundation of our seven vibration chakra system. The “lightest” vibrations are at the top and the “heaviest” vibrations are at the bottom. By now you should know that the color system is composed of seven colors, all visible in the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. A great way to remember the colors is by their collective acronym, which sounds like a name: Roy G. Biv. Consult the following color guide when you are choosing a color for any aspect of your life.

Color management can help you on the most basic level each day. To combat feeling depressed, wear yellow to raise your energy level. If you have a business meeting and you want to put your colleagues at ease, wear earthy colors like brown or green. You can experiment with different combinations, too. Remember, the purpose here is to find your soul colors.

Pool of Plenty: Intention Setting Spell

After any magical work involving employment, you should immerse yourself in the waters of prosperity with a money bath. This particular ritual is most effective if practiced on Thursday night during a new or full moon. Pour pine, mint or green apple essential oil into running bathwater and bathe by the light of a single green candle. Immerse yourself completely and, as you rise, close your eyes and meditate on your truest desires. What does personal prosperity mean to you? What do you really need and what do you really want? Focus on the candle flame while whispering:

The lean times are past and possibilities are vast. 
Here and now, my intention is set.
New luck will be mine and all needs will be met. 
With harm to none and plenty for all, so mote it be. 
With thanks to the goddess who provides all.

Prosperity Altar: Using the Laws of Attraction

The full moon is the time for fomenting your intentions and seeing them to fruition. You can increase your prosperity by remembering one of the most basic principles of prosperity: by giving, so shall you receive. To create a prosperity altar, consecrate the area with sea salt. Cover a low table with green and gold altar cloths or scarves and place matching candles on it. Each day, “recharge” your altar with an altar gift such as flowers, jade or other green crystals, golden flowers, scented amber resin, and coin-shaped pebbles.

Lady of the Silver Moon Charm

Put a silver coin at full moon in a bowl of water. 

Look up at the moon and soak in the light. 

Whisper the following spell three times:

Lovely lady of the moon, bring to me health and wealth. 
Fill my pockets with silver and gold,
As much as my purse can hold.
Blessings to all; blessings to me.
Blessed be.

Sweetheart Tea

Here is a quick recipe to create exactly the right mood for a dreamy evening:

• Stir together in a clockwise motion:
• 1 ounce dried and pulverized rosehips
• 1⁄2 ounce peppermint
• 1⁄2 ounce dried lemon balm

You can store this in a tin or colored jar for up to a year for those special evenings. When you are ready to brew the tea, pour boiling water over the herbs, two teaspoons for every cup of water. Say the following spell aloud during the five minute steeping and picture your heart’s desire:

Herbal brew of love’s emotion 

With my wish I fortify

When two people share this potion 

This love shall intensify

As in the Olde Garden of Love.

Sweeten to taste with honey and share this luscious libation with the one you love.

Amorous Herbs Love Charm

Many a witchy woman has enjoyed the fruits of long-lasting love by reciting the following charm while mixing rye and pimento into a dish shared with her object of affection. While stirring in these amorous herbs, declaim:

Rye of earth, pimento of fire
Eaten surely lights desire. 
Serve to he whose love I crave, 
And his heart I will enslave!

Intention Magic: Consecration Candle Spell

Write your intention on paper and then speak aloud:

Thus I consecrate this candle in the name of [your favorite deity]. So this flame will burn brightly and light my way with the element of fire.

Place the anointed candle in the candleholder, light it, and say:

Blessed candle, light of the Goddess,

I burn this light of [deity’s name].

Hear my prayer, O, [name the deity], hear my need. Grant my wish and give me hope.

Do so with all your grace,

And magical speed.

Now read your intention as you wrote it on the paper. Roll the paper into a scroll and, using a few drops of the warm wax from your intention candle, seal your sacred statement. Place the paper on your altar or in a special place where it can be safe until your intention is realized.