Many were fascinated by the powerful and inspiring book and movie, The Secret. It reveals a simple yet profound principle of manifesting one’s dreams and desires. It revolves around the idea that whatever thoughts prevail in one’s mind will eventually translate into physical reality. For example, if you are always thinking negatively, negativity will appear in your life and vice versa. It is the power of awareness. The funny thing is that this concept is not new but one that has dominated the minds of the Yoruba people for thousands of years.
The Yoruba are an African people in the southwestern part of Nigeria. They have an elaborate system of traditional worship with a pantheon of more than 400 deities called Orisha. Although they believe in God, they regularly propitiate the Orisha as mediators. However, despite the existence of such a large pantheon of spiritual forces, in Yoruba cosmology the most important force in the life of mankind is called Ori.
Ori is seen as a force representing embodied personal energy that encapsulates the idea of consciousness, reason, destiny, and guiding principle in man. Every person has an ori and can be likened to a spiritual guardian. Ori symbolizes the head and is believed to be the most powerful and supportive force in human life. Ori is one’s consciousness. Ori is considered more powerful than Orisha. Ori represents the creative principle in humans given by God. It is said for blessing to enter one’s life, one must have the approval and blessing of Ori.
The connection between Ori’s Yoruba concept and the philosophy of mystery is the belief in the power inherent in human consciousness to manifest reality. The ability to make things happen, or to manifest one’s desires, is called ashi in the Yoruba language. When a person is successful in whatever they do, that person is said to have a lot of ashi. When one’s words are fulfilled, he is said to show ashes. Ash is the ability to make things happen. It is the ability to be intentionally effective in this world.
Here are seven steps drawn from ancient Yoruba thought and recent scientific discoveries on how to manifest using your awareness called Ori.
Seven steps to show your ideas
1. We believe in the abundance of the universe. The universe is rich and there is no scarcity. You are part of the universe. Scarcity is the illusion of not being able to realize one’s own abundance in life. In order to manifest reality, you must start from the point of acknowledging the abundance in the universe.
2. Believe in your power as part of the universe. As part of the universe, you share the qualities of the universe but on a smaller scale. See yourself as a drop in the ocean of life. The universe has everything a person needs and as part of that universe you share this abundance. document it.
3. Decisiveness. Decide what you want in life. You must ask yourself what you really want in life. Be as specific and clear as possible. There are no small details. Decide what your dream job, soul mate, car, house, friends, etc. are. You must know what you want to direct the universe towards its manifestation. It may take some soul searching. Knowing what you want is a kind of self-knowledge and a sign of leadership.
4. Visualization. Visualize what you want. You must envision yourself in the life you want for yourself. If you want a house, see yourself in this one already. Get in the habit of doing this on a regular basis. This is important because in this step you give creative structure to your dreams by planting them in your fertile field of consciousness. And its fruits will be a manifestation of this thought. Just wait and see!
5. Gratitude. Be grateful, be thankful, be appreciative, be grateful. You must have gratitude for all the things you currently have in your life in order to get more. Say a prayer of thanksgiving every day so that blessings come to you in the future as well. Catch an air of gratitude as a cushion for the blessings to come.
6. Generosity. Learn to be generous. You give and you receive. It’s not about giving everything away for free but knowing when to give without regrets. The concept of sacrifice is one of the most powerful and profound African concepts. It is the concept of energy exchange. What would you give to get what you want in life? It doesn’t always have to be material things but it can also be your time, work and effort.
7. Affirmations. Verbally confirm your intentions. Saying what you want and want adds strength to the expression. In Aboriginal culture, words have both form and function. Words can help achieve goals if they are said frequently and if they are imbued with power through certain spiritual practices. Word power is another type of Ash manifestation.
You are the architect of your reality. Hold on to your ancient and divine creative power and claim your destiny as the universe’s embodiment of divine perfection and power. It is all about you.
