The Power of Words

The Power of Words

Roland Matthews (2020)

            Many times, we have each heard phrases such as: “be careful what you wish for”, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”, and “words hurt”.  The reason these statements exist is because there really is power in what we say.  By power, I mean that by the time an emotion becomes a thought, turns into a belief, and an intention is expressed through the vocalization or vibration of the sound waves of speech, it has an influence on one’s environment and has the ability to create a manifestation.

            One controversial example is the work of the late Dr. Masaru Emoto, where the crystalline form of ice was supposedly influenced by words directed towards water.  The experiment was also performed on rice plants.  This is a controversial topic because some have claimed to replicate the experiments, while others have claimed that it has been debunked because the experiments did not accurately follow the scientific method.  However, it deserves mentioning here because it has significant implications for our topic.   

            In the New Testament of the Bible, John 1:1 says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The word “Word” was translated from the Greek word Logos, which has many philosophical interpretations depending upon which school of thought one is discussing.  In classical antiquity, the trivium, or lesser three of the seven essential skills of a free person, known as the ‘liberal arts’, were grammar, logic, and rhetoric.  These were taught so that a person could manage and control the mechanics of their language, thoughts, and speech.

            Magicians are known for using words of power in order to produce the results of their mysterious incantations.  In stark contrast, Eliphas Levi (1810 – 1875), teaches the importance of silence in his Transcendental Magic through the ‘powers of the sphinx’.  These four powers are: “to know, to dare, to will, and to keep silence”.  Beyond the associations of each of these to the four elements, I would like to focus on the last one.  This idea of silence is not just about keeping an oath of secrecy to protect oneself and their group, lodge, or magical order.  It is about having the wisdom of discernment and knowing that our words have power.

            Because of this, knowing that what one says can affect outcomes, we can put ourselves into an ethical dilemma.  For example, if we see a particularly troubling aspect in someone’s astrological transits: Do we tell them, creating a potentially self-fulfilling prophecy, or do we risk the guilt of not saying something to them, which could have possibly prevented a negative outcome?  Often in group conversations, one may be quiet, not out of shyness, but hopefully, because they are weighing the consequences of their replies.  There is no correct answer to knowing when to speak and when to be silent.  But if we follow the rule of not causing harm, we can at least decide whether we are seeking to benefit others through truth, or boost our own ego.