A saying from the Vedas claims, “Speech is the essence of humanity.” All of what humanity thinks and ultimately happens is determined by the expression of ideas and actions through speech and its derivative, writing. Everything, the Vedas maintain, comes into being through speech. Ideas remain unactualized until they are created through the power of speech.
In Vedic practices, most ancient techniques and classical Hinduism, mantra symbolizes as a necessity for spiritual advancement and high attainment. Here are some important ideas about mantra, which will enable you to begin a practical understanding of what mantra is and what it can do.
Mantras are energy-based sounds. Saying any word produces an actual physical vibration. Over time, if we know what the effect of that vibration is, then the word may come to have meaning associated with the effect of saying that vibration or word. This is one level of energy basis for words. Another level is intent. Actual physical vibration when coupled with a mental intention, the vibration then contains an additional mental component, which influences the result of saying it. The intent when overlaid upon the waveform of the sound as the carrier wave. Although there is a general meaning, which comes to be associated with mantras, the only lasting definition is the result or effect of saying the mantra.
From: http://kamalkapoor.com/vedicmantras/whatisMantra.asp
So, Speech, i.e. affirmations, words of power, or mantras, in essence are our thoughts brought into the physical plane through speech. They are each slightly different and are used in a slightly different way but I believe they function in much they same way. And they are all related that they have power and as such are “words of power”.
Affirmations
First, I plan to write more about affirmations. They can and do work. Don’t dismiss them out of hand. There is an affirmations tag. Check back regularly for updates.
I have an affirmation on my bathroom mirror. It says:
You are beautiful
You are divine
You are love and light.
Now, how many of us truly believe we are beautiful? I have heard of models and movie stars that don’t believe they are beautiful. That are always doing something to try to become beautiful.
How about “divine”? Abraham says we are extensions of Source. Therefore we are made of Source. You could say we are a part of Source, and therefore are divine just as Source is. (Abraham also says that we like to call Source God. So there is no incongruency here.)
Begin divine and part of Source so, just as Source is love and light, we can be said to be love and light. *
However, do we really believe this or are these just words we say actually believing something else entirely? We may even be ashamed of saying them.
For an affirmation to work and for it to have power we must believe what the words say. Remember what the man said to Jesus when Jesus asked him if he believed. The man said to Jesus, Help my unbelief. The man knew that fact, that we must believe what the words say.
Intent
Now, what about intent. I’ve often said that for a prayer to be effective one’s intent must be clear. The dictionary give this definition:
Determined or resolved; having the mind or will fixed on some goal.
intent. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intent (accessed: September 19, 2010).
The qualities are defiantly needed when working magick of any sort, whether it is prayers or petitions or requests of Source/God. However, if we want Source to work with us, or us to work with Source, so to speak, we must have our intent in light with that of Source. I.e. it needs to be aligned with our best interests and the best interests of all involved. Source only sees the good in everyone. Source only loves everyone. Source will not hurt anyone for that would be hurting it’s self.
Mantra
Now the mantra aspect. I remember in a class I was in we were chanting and at the end one of the leaders stopped us and said for us to speak up, to make the Gods hear us. We were new at this and were almost whispering the chant. We did it again, with more gusto. 
You don’t have to yell, but don ‘t whisper either. Speak in a normal voice, perhaps with some assertiveness.
In both the Hindu and Egyptian cultures there is the idea of vibrating the word in your body. Naturally the larynx vibrates. But for many words, particularly on the vowels, you can get that vibration to resonate inside your body. That adds power and energy to the word. In essence your whole body participates in the saying of that word.
It’s interesting to note that in the Old testament there is the concept of worshiping God with your whole body, not just your mind. Now this could mean actually doing something physically, and I don’t discount that aspect. But there is also the aspect of involving your whole body in saying words of worship. That’s way orthodox Jews sort of sway while praying. But our focus here is on vibration. When a sound vibrates thought your body every cell is involved. In a sense then if you are asking for something then every cell is joining with you to ask the same thing.
Expectation
Now, expectation. This is perhaps almost the most important part. In short, you get what you expect. How often have you heard somebody say “that’s exactly what I expected” when something goes wrong, even though they were verbally wanting a different outcome, and perhaps even praying for it.
Abraham says “Expectation rules!” You expectation is in alignment with your true belief regardless of what you say. For example. If you are wanting money. But you really don’t believe you will get it then you aren’t going to expect it. And if you don’t expect it you aren’t going to find it easy to get into the vortex where your money is and Source is. And if you aren’t where Source is your aren’t going to feel good. In fact you might feel miserable and worried about that money that is sitting in piles in the vortex. In fact with that worry you are probably focusing more on the other end of the stick, the lack end. So by worrying you are attracting more lack of the very thing you are saying you want.
The only part that is more important than expectation if your actually getting into the vortex where the greater part of you and Source is and where everything you want or desire is. And that is that focus of the book, The Vortex. Available in our book store.
Recap
So, to recap.
Intent: focusing on what it is that you want.
Affirmations: Affirming what it is that you want and/or that you either are worthy of it or already have it on the non-physical plane in your vortex.
Mantras: Repeating and, if you feel so inclined, vibrating your affirmations. In a magickal sense this raises power or energy.
Expectation: Believing that what you want is there and will come to existence in the physical world.
Now we come to what might be called The Secret. Keeping silent. Don’t tell people about it. As much as you might like to, generally speaking, if you tell someone they will think you loony and “rain on your parade” and talk you out of it and your belief. You will come away doubting and then poof you aren’t in your vortex and you very well might find if very difficult to get back in.
Notes
* Abraham often talks about how ware a extensions of source. And they refer to Source as the greater part of us. so by extrapolation we are a part of Source. There is a Jewish prayer that says in the heavens above and the Earth beneath there is nothing else but God. So that is saying that all of the Earth and the universe is made up of god. Or as we are using the term Source. In the Jewish Tanya it says the God pulled back from a space to create a void and that is where the universe and Earth exists in a space seemingly apart of God. I think in like manor we seem to be apart from God even though we are made from the essence of God.
Abraham continuously talks about how source, or God, sees everything and everyone in the best possibly light, so to speak. Source only loves. Source only wanted the best possible of everything for everyone. Anytime we hate of dislike someone we are not seeing them the way Source sees them and we are then split from where source is. If we were in the vortex we are thrown out of the vortex. We are also split from the greater non-physical part of us. We sometimes refer to this as having split energy. Of having our energy split. And it is at those times when we feel “off”. We may feel sad or hurt or depressed or angry or overwhelmed or powerless. If this goes on long enough we may pickup physical symptoms such as an illness.
