Uplifting Ascension and Manifestation in an Oppressive World
What does it mean to ascend and manifest your desires?
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ascension as such: a : rising or increasing to higher levels, values, or degrees or b : mounting or sloping upward.
Ascension is a term that I heard a long time ago and something I probably understood on a subconscious level. I felt very drawn to reading about new-age spirituality, studying astrology, attempting to interpret the universe, and understanding connection. By default, I was on a path to ascend without understanding the evident language to it. I’m not implying you have to be interested in those subjects to ascend — in general, if your mind is open and willing to dip into the taboo then that awakening process is going to happen organically for you. But ascension is more than just reading a bunch of articles and books and preaching like a mad-man while staring up at the sky.
Ascension is a way of life.
If you are committed to self-growth, you are naturally ascending. If you want to expand your horizon, learn and connect about people outside of your culture, explore new topics and keep an open mind, then ascension is not only a state of being, but also inherent to your soul.
There’s always a catch though. Ascending takes work. And I’m not talking about work that you can slack off on, like those days where you go into your job and your productivity level is low and you can get by on not doing too much. I’m talking about SELF-WORK. And this means coming face to face with your inner demons.
Ascension is about balance. That’s the stage I’m learning at this point in time in my life. Pain, heartbreak, sorrow, depression…these are the feelings and experiences that bring about a despair that can really break you. But ascension is all about that too. You have to break open in order for insight, light, and perspective to settle within the cracks.
When I started to truly be honest and transparent with myself about my fears, I came into contact with my shadow. Shadow is a term that was coined by the famous psychologist Carl Jung, and it refers to the darkest parts of our soul that we don’t like to connect with. This is where intense healing needs to take place. Your shadow is a part of you. We all have secrets and parts of our personality that we constantly interrogate and admonish. Many of those parts of ourselves were formed because of traumatic situations and experiences. The hardest part is that shame is usually correlated with trauma, and we have to confront the source of the shame, in order to confront the trauma. Once you start to do that preliminary healing work, it really makes you confront you. And that is when you really start to soar.
My mom told my sister once, “You should try to never lie. And if you are in a situation where you feel like lying is the best option, you do what you have to do. But one thing you must always remember is to never lie to yourself. You can lie to anyone in the world, but make sure you are at least transparent and real with who you are. Because once you lose that sense of realism, then you are bound to fail.” I find that to be so powerful, and it is also in alignment with the self-awareness ideology. I inherently felt like once you understand yourself, you’ll begin to understand more of the world.
Once you understand yourself, you’ll begin to understand more of the world.
But you will also understand less. Ascension is understanding that not only are you a paradox, a mixture of joy and sadness, stained by pain and incredible heartbreak, while also illuminated by courage, light, and evolution, but that those same elements mirrors the exact universe we live in.
Some things just don’t have an answer.
The universe is wide and strange and grand and really fucked up. And also intensely gorgeous. It’s mystical beyond our sense of comprehension and vision. Some things we are just not supposed to know.
But here’s one thing I am slowly beginning to discover…we are operating on a level that is on such a lower vibration that it would be hilarious if it wasn’t truly tragic.
Pain, trauma, and suffering are intense attributes that are pervasive throughout most people’s lives because it’s written in the super tiny fine print when we choose to return to Earth in this lifetime. Those experiences are supposed to awaken a new level to you so you can fully accomplish your purpose and do what you were meant to do in this physical plane. The part that always stumped me was reading about (and experiencing) oppression. How am I, as a Black woman, who has experienced sexism, racism, and various forms of oppression simply because of how I look or present myself to the world able to manifest anything in my favor? How can the universe bring us the resources we need to succeed if there are countless oppressive societal structures that stand in the way of manifesting real opportunity for communities of color? If we are all human beings with souls connected by light, how does oppression even exist in the first place?
Achieving Manifestation While Fighting Inequality
What does it really mean to manifest? I genuinely believe everyone on this Earth is an alchemist. It supersedes race, religion, sexual orientation, or any identity-oriented attribute. On a basic molecular level, the universe responds in frequencies to the vibration we emit in our environments. If you have emotions, actions, and thoughts that are all in alignment, the universe replies to those pockets of energy. This doesn’t mean you can just sit and will yourself to be a millionaire, or even a successful performer. If you want to be on Beyonce’s level, but can’t hold a tune, the passion behind that dream is just that — passion and a dream. Manifesting your desires can only happen if you have intention, a set plan with goals backed by intense emotion, gift, and talent that truly comes from your heart and soul, but also being detached if your goal doesn’t actualize. It’s like saying, “I’m so passionate about this and I am putting in so much work to make it happen but I also understand that not everything is meant for me or meant to happen the way I want, so it’s okay if all this hard work, determination and passion yields nothing.” Manifestation is ironic as fuck. Now, here is what is so impactful about oppression: if you were taught to believe that you aren’t powerful, that you aren’t smart or intelligent enough to succeed, then you will radiate that vibration, because you truly believe it. If you doubt yourself, so does the universe. These thoughts are programmed, planted, and influenced by a society that has you taking in and processing ads and media over 5,000 times per day.
Social justice in various sectors is a passion for me, and one fact shines clearly in all facets of them: the idea that America has always been the land of the free and opportunity is at every corner is a myth. Societal structures are not only systemic barriers to equality, but they also create invisible prisons in the energetic sphere of this universe. When millions of dollars are funneled into industries that are hell-bent on lightening skin, when multiple job and career industries say it’s unprofessional to wear natural hair (the way it grows out of our scalp, what the fuck), and when unarmed Black men, women, and children are gunned down and killed with no consequences attributed to those who commit the crimes, how can you envision yourself in a powerful position? People who look like you are dying every day only because of the color of their skin. When communities of color still don’t have access to clean water, when Native Americans are continuously pushed out on the outskirts of their communities, when immigrants are thrown into detention centers for no other reason than the country of their birth, when over half a million people are homeless, how can the Universe really be looking out for people, and people of color in general?
“…when unarmed Black men, women, and children are gunned down and killed with no consequences attributed to those who commit the crimes, how can you envision yourself in a powerful position?”
It’s very difficult when centuries of oppression are ignored or invalidated by the masses. You know what carries a lower vibration? Lies. And entire masses of people are devoted to believing that equality exists in our society. Despite the amount of studies, statistics, and stories from peoples’ lived experiences, large contingencies of people are still comfortable believing the lie, because it keeps them in a comfort zone. This has been the vibration that has remained the most influential throughout our atmosphere.
You know what else carries a low vibration? Lack of self love and self worth, and lack of pathways to enlightenment and education to feed your mind and soul. My friend Dominic said something to me a year ago that moved me. He said, “Do you know how old I was when I found out Black people invented stuff? Yo, I was in high school. It completely changed my perception about everything. I had big dreams and ideas but it was hard for me to envision them coming to fruition. You know, you’re taught that your people’s contribution to society was through enslaved labor, you learn about centuries of torture and inhumane practices but in watered down textbooks, and you have one paragraph about rebellion. You have very little information about resistance. You start to believe, like, what could I actually contribute to this world?” I look back on that conversation a lot because it sparked the beginning of understanding the link to manifestation and societal barriers on a deeper level. It’s the same reason why enslaved Africans were forbidden to read, forbidden to practice their cultural spirituality, forbidden to speak out against the horrors of their reality. Why? Because your own truth (outside of pure love) is one of the highest frequencies to radiate to the universe. If you suppress the truth, you’ll suppress power. You’ll suppress hope, and the vision for something bigger and greater.
If you suppress the truth, you’ll suppress power.
The energetic shift that is taking place across our world is so intense and can be felt on some level by most individuals. This is because many people are breaking out of the paradigm of hiding the truth. From the #MeToo movement, the long list of Hollywood actors apprehended and accused of sexual assault, and the various organizations that are popping up all over the country showcases that more people are devoted to creating new realities for this generation and beyond. The backlash from powerful and intrusive lower vibrations is strong because of the illusion of power. From youth organized committees of students to the Black Panther Party, enlightened networks striving for equality and justice have always been a threat to individuals and masses of people who are interested in maintaining power structures to keep marginalized communities disenfranchised. What was the common factor that led to the demise of some of America’s powerful organizations? The key was this: breaking the spirit down. For the Black community not only do the unjust murders of our people by law enforcement fuel the despair and lack of hope for a brighter future, but also the assassination and deterioration of our brightest thought leaders. The story of Emmett Till, the assassination of Malcom X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Fred Hampton, the mysterious murder of Tupac Shakur, and the incarcerations of Assata Shakur and Angela Davis, as well as the FBI-led operation of Cointelpro halted expansive periods of movement-building in their tracks. Individuals in power know our emotions can either be our biggest weapon or our biggest poison. Once you continuously injure and break the spirit of a community, you quell any hope for reconstructing power and solidifying liberation for these communities of color who have undergone some source of oppression on a global scale.
I have learned that one of the most revolutionary and spiritual actions to take is to be transparent and honest, with yourself and other people. Spread truth. Ground yourself, and be good to your spirit. Surround yourself with individuals who believe in you and your truth, but are also willing to challenge you so you can think bigger and better; they are inherently beneficial for your health. Feed yourself love that aids your soul (not your ego, but I’ll save that for another blog post) and you will naturally pour that into the environment and people who are around you. Love, truth, and enlightenment is contagious in the best way.
How do we spiritually rise above our oppressors and secure justice for the communities who deserve it? By truly believing in yourself. Believe in your vision and work diligently towards your goals. Show gratitude always. We beat the odds by believing in the impossible. How can we actualize our visions if we can’t even picture it?
Outside of breaking down social barriers to make access to resources equitable, one of the biggest strengths we have is our mind, our belief systems, and the way we project and yield it. Follow the fire and passion in your heart by working hard, spreading love and light, pouring insight and education to someone who does not have your skill set, and in due time, watch entire civilizations flourish.
Remember, it’s all connected.
