Owning Your Personal Power
It can be scary to stand up for yourself, to step into your personal power. It can feel vulnerable and unsafe to do so. How many of us have been called a bad name for saying no or setting a boundary with toxic people? I certainly have! One of the best ways to live a magickal life is to remember who you are: a magickal, powerful, creative, intelligent human being. As you begin to feel more powerful – by tapping into some of the sources and energies discussed below – you’ll move through life with more spiritual confidence and ownership.
Solar Plexus Chakra
The third chakra, or Solar Plexus, is the center of our power. It works most directly with the Sacral (second) chakra, the seat of our creative power, and the Heart (fourth) chakra, where our compassion, empathy, healing, and relationships are nurtured.
When your Solar Plexus is balanced, you experience quiet confidence that others notice. You feel self-motivated, and aligned with your sense of purpose. When it’s out of balance, you may feel defeated, slow, sleepy, and you may have a hard time rallying your motivation. You may also experience a decrease in self-esteem or have control issues.
Correspondences for the Solar Plexus (Manipura) Chakra
- Location: Between the navel and the sternum
- Element: Fire
- Color to Activate: Yellow
- Color to Balance: Brown (with a yellowish tint to it, preferably)
- Gemstones: Agate, Amber, Ametrine, Blue Tourmaline, Carnelian, Citrine, Fire Opal, Howlite, Jet, Malachite, Moonstone, Peridot, Pyrite, Ruby, Smoky Quartz, Sunstone, Tanzanite, Tiger’s Eye, Topaz, Yellow Quartz
- Herbs & Plants: Chamomile, Fennel, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Pennyroyal
You can support your Solar Plexus by embracing positive affirmations and speaking up honestly when asked for your opinion.
How Can You Build Your Personal Power?
It takes practice, but affirming yourself in all ways will help you feel more empowered. Declare what you want in your life, whether it be in your relationships, with money, or your work. (Visionary Magick is super helpful here!) Having ambition isn’t a negative thing. It only becomes harmful if you’re willing to hurt others to make your dreams come true.
Replace your negative self-talk with positive reminders. This can be really difficult to start – especially if your negative self-talk has become a years-long habit. Notice when you say something negative about yourself, whether it’s out loud or in your mind. Then replace that with something constructive. For instance, if you find that you call yourself stupid for making a mistake, instead remind yourself that you aren’t stupid, and everyone makes mistakes. It’s human.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! This may seem counter-intuitive, but empowered people ask for help. It does two things: 1) it shows someone else that you respect their opinion and support (this makes them feel great, by the way!), and 2) it helps you gain confidence because you can master something so much faster if someone is there to teach you.
Wisdom and Willpower
We’ve all heard the line, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and I want to mention two important aspects of personal power: wisdom and willpower. Your willpower will take you far. Without wisdom, though, you may make mistakes. To help you infuse your practice with both wisdom and willpower, consider some of the following.
For Wisdom
- Colors: Black, gold, gray, green, purple, red, violet, yellow
- Gemstones & Minerals: Amber, Amethyst, Apache Tears, Aquamarine, Blue Lace Agate, Carnelian, Celestite, Desert Rose, Garnet, Howlite, Jasper, Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Moonstone, Obsidian, Ruby, Smoky Quartz, Sodalite, Tiger’s Eye, Tourmaline (red)
- Herbs & Plants: Bamboo, Dill, Geranium, Hyacinth, Lotus, Rose, Rosemary, Sage, Sunflower
For Willpower
- Colors: Red, white, yellow
- Gemstones & Minerals: Citrine, Fluorite, Hematite, Onyx, Pyrite, Tiger’s Eye, Tourmaline (green)
- Herbs & Plants: Allspice, Apple, Dill, Heliotrope, Iris, Lily Reed, Rosemary, St. John’s Wart, Willow
By embracing your inner wisdom and supporting your willpower, you’ll start feeling more confident, and people will respond well to your efforts.
Courage
I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge how much courage it takes to step into your personal power. Please don’t expect to be able to “own it” right off the bat if it’s not something you’re used to doing. Start by setting some boundaries in your personal or professional life at first. When I started doing this, I found that people really did respect my boundaries, and as long as I was doing so with wisdom and kindness, no one got upset with me about it.
Correspondences for Courage to Help You Feel More Empowered
- Colors: Brown, green, orange, red
- Gemstones & Minerals: Agate (black, brown, red, red-banded, snakeskin), Amazonite, Aquamarine, Bloodstone, Calcite (orange), Carnelian, Hematite, Herkimer Diamond, Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Ruby, Sapphire, Spinel (red), Tiger’s Eye, Tourmaline (brown), Turquoise
- Herbs & Plants: Aspen, Basil, Bergamot, Catnip, Cedar, Columbine, Fennel, Garlic, Geranium, Heliotrope, Holly, Lady’s Mantle, Laurel, Lavender, Rose, Rosemary, Thyme, Yarrow, Witch Hazel
Still hesitant about embracing your personal power? Remember that when you stand up for yourself and others, move with confidence through the world, and allow your inner truth and higher self to speak, you make the world a better place.