words are spells ✨

can you really speak your dreams into existence?

While I know that I’m far from the first person to use the phrase, a few years ago I found myself speaking the statement “words are spells” over and over — both in more formal settings, like the new moon circles that I was hosting at the time, and in casual conversation with friends and spiritually-inclined peers. I’m not sure when or how exactly it made its way into my vocabulary or what prompted me to start sharing the sentiment so frequently, but it became a sort of unintended mantra. Maybe it’s because Mercury is conjunct my moon in Capricorn — or perhaps because I’ve loved writing for as long as I can remember, and I’ve often approached it as a challenge to find the perfect way to convey my thoughts and feelings on paper — but I tend to choose my words carefully and thoughtfully, always looking for the right string of adjectives or turn of phrase to capture my intention. I think I’ve always understood on some level that words have power — which is really just a more mundane way of saying that they’re yet another form of accessible, everyday magic.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

the power of language

There are so many ways that the statement “words are spells” can be interpreted, but to me, it all boils down to this: change the way you speak (or write) about yourself, your abilities, your potential, and your dreams, and you’ll change your life. The same goes for the ways in which you think about these things — but words take it a step further, because they’re a way to make the internal (thoughts, ideas, perception) external. Even when spoken to an empty room or written on a scrap of paper that no one else will ever see, words bring abstract ideas to life in the material realm.

Once you recognize just how powerful words are, you can begin to think about how you might want to shift the vocabulary you use to ensure that it aligns with your beliefs, priorities, hopes, and dreams. You can reflect upon the words that you tend to repeat most — especially those that you default to when you’re running on autopilot, rather than being intentional with your language — and ask yourself whether they’re supportive and expansive or limiting. You can identify where you might be holding yourself back based on the ways in which you talk about yourself, your circumstances, and what’s possible.

telling your inner critic to (kindly) stfu

A good place to start is to consider any words or phrases that feel constrictive, self-critical, or fueled by doubt: a few that come to mind for me are “I wish I could ___, but…”, “I always / never (insert self-sabotaging habit here)”, and “I doubt it’ll work out, but we’ll see.” Statements of this kind feel like normal parts of everyday conversation, but when I really stop to consider them, I realize that what they’re doing is setting me up for failure, keeping me small or boxed in, and letting my inner critic run the show. I’m also guilty of using common phrases in conversation to downplay my work and deflect compliments, as I know many of us tend to do on a regular basis. By not questioning or rethinking my choice of words, I realize that I’m inadvertently putting myself down, pushing good things away, and telling the universe (and whomever I’m speaking to) that I’m unworthy.

The beauty in recognizing this is that I can choose differently next time. I can adjust my language to better reflect my desires, and so can you. We can shift our words of doubt and pessimism to ones of trust, our limiting language to expansive statements, and our belittling, self-critical statements to those that reflect our worthiness instead. We can push past the discomfort of getting our hopes up, and dare to speak our dreams aloud. We can ask for what it is that we want and unapologetically share our deepest wishes loudly and proudly.

it happened to me…

Words can also help us get clear on what it is that we really want in the first place, and can help us channel all of our passion and desire into action. I have a couple of examples of this from my own life, both pertaining to my shop, Ritualist, and I’ll share one with you: I started the shop online while I was still living in Brooklyn, but I knew that wanted to open a brick & mortar space in my hometown of New Paltz once I moved back upstate. That move happened in 2020, and while I put my plans for expanding Ritualist on the back burner because of COVID, I still held onto my dream — it just seemed so out of reach at the time, that I didn’t even entertain the idea of moving forward with it. A few months later, a local friend asked if I was looking for a retail space to rent in town, and without even thinking, I found myself saying, “yeah, I guess I am.” The words just flew out of my mouth before my brain could catch up. I went home feeling strangely empowered, and for the first time since my move, I hopped on Craigslist on the off chance of finding a retail space available for lease. Lo and behold, a space was available…and it was two blocks away from my house. I set up a time to see it, quickly recognized that it was exactly what I was looking for, and signed a lease within a week. I truly believe that none of that would’ve happened if I hadn’t been asked about my plans and let my heart do the talking — aka if I hadn’t put my dream into words, spoken aloud for the very first time.

A second, and equally magical example also involves Ritualist’s physical home: it’s the story of how I moved out of that original space and found our current location on Main Street. This one feels a little more personal so I won’t get into the details, but suffice it to say that words (this time, written ones) once again helped me realize my dream. I channeled all of my desires into my trusty Notes app (because what are you even doing if you’re not using your Notes app to hold all of your deepest dreams and desires?), and the act of putting my dreams into writing led to me taking a crucial step in pushing Ritualist forward into its next chapter.

In both cases, words empowered me to make moves — but they also, I’m convinced, super-powered my dreams by signaling to the universe that I was ready for (and worthy of) something big.

future tense → present tense

One quick and easy way to use language to support your dreams is by shifting your statements from the future tense (I’m going to open a business / make new friends / figure my sh*t out this year) to the present tense (I’m opening a business / making new friends / etc.) I’ve been trying to practice this with my own intentions, and in doing so, I’ve realized just how much I had been letting self-doubt steer the ship. I started writing a book a couple of years ago that I intend to finish this year, and I realize now that I’ve made just about every possible statement about it — “I started writing a book, but I haven’t worked on it in awhile,” “I was writing a book,” “I really need to get back to writing my book,” “I’ll finish my book one of these days” — except for the simple statement “I’m writing a book.” Because I am! Writing a book! Even when I’m not actively chipping away at it, it’s something that I’m doing, and something that I really want to stop minimizing or shaming myself about. That small but powerful shift in language feels like a big step in the right direction.

You can take this practice one step further by journaling about your intentions in the present tense, as though your dreams have already come to fruition and you’re witnessing them play out in real time. This allows you to experience what it would feel like to actually achieve your biggest goals — or if you want to take it even further into magical territory, it allows you to shift into the frequency of your intentions, or match your energy to that of your hopes and desires. I always encourage folks to journal not just about concrete details, but also about feelings, sensations, and emotions.

Using the example of my intention to finish and release my book, I might journal about my work being out in the world and what that looks and feels like: how it’s changed my life, affected me emotionally and spiritually, and what other dreams it’s helped me realize. I might write something like, My book is out and I love seeing it in my favorite shops. It’s so exciting to know that people are reading the words I’ve written and connecting with my ideas. I’m so proud of my work and feel honored every time a fan reaches out or a reader gives it a positive review. Having this book out has allowed me to connect with likeminded folks and develop a real sense of community. It’s opened up the doors for collaborations with people I admire, a book tour that allows me to travel, and other exciting opportunities that feel fulfilling and expansive. Being a published author has helped me further understand my purpose and potential, and has allowed me to grow and evolve in ways that I never knew were possible.

(Did I just manifest my dreams with all of you reading along? I don’t know — stay tuned 😉.)

I hope this inspires you to conduct an audit of your own vocabulary so that you can begin to shift any unsupportive language to words that are more rooted in belief, faith, and self-trust. Be your own cheerleader! Speak about your dreams as though they’re attainable (because they are), your work as though it’s valuable (because it is), and your unique skills and gifts as though they deserve recognition (because they do.) Fight the urge to push away compliments or explain away opportunities or public recognition. Put pen to paper and dare to dream big. Speak your deepest desires to a trusted friend or shout them into the void. Write down what you really, truly want and tack it to your wall. Use words to channel your inner magic and make your dreams a reality. ✷