Unity's 12 Powers Explained
Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore, who was strongly influenced by the Transcendental movement, went on a committed spiritual search. It led him to Eastern spirituality, which he integrated with the Christianity of his upbringing. He created the 12-power system more than a century ago.
The 12 Powers are, in essence, access points to specific qualities of our spiritual power. When we understand them and learn to use them, we become more fully realized.
Each “power center” corresponds to areas of our energetic body much like the chakras.
Here is a brief description of each of the powers…
FAITH
Located in the center of the head, between the ears and the eyes, this faculty of faith is our inner vision, which we can develop through prayer to realize our Divine potential. Of all the faculties, the one Jesus spoke of most frequently was faith … Have faith. Believe. Trust. Over and over, Jesus emphasized this first of our powers, and in one of his disciples, we watch the faculty develop. Faith does not come all at once. It must grow. It must be encouraged. It must be invited and then made welcome.
The writer of Hebrews referred to it as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Understood in this light, faith is that quality in us which enables us to look past appearances of lack, limitation, or difficulty, to take hold of the divine idea and believe in it, even though we do not see any evidence of it except in our minds. Through faith we know with an inner knowing the Truth that has not yet expressed itself in our manifest world.
STRENGTH
Located at the small of the back, strength is not simply a physical quality. As with all the 12 powers, it expresses itself on three levels, each one complementing the others in this life expression on the earth plane.
In the physical realm, strength is vitality, endurance, the ability to persist. In the mental area of expression, strength is that quality of mind which enables one to lead, to accomplish, to follow through on decisions, to establish purposes in life, and to hold firm to spiritual principles in daily living. It expresses itself as stability of character. The highest expression, and the one that should determine the direction of strength in the other realms, is the spiritual realization of this quality. Here strength is closely allied with faith.
WISDOM
One of the faculties most prized by Jesus was the gift of wisdom, or spiritual judgment. Always he pointed to the importance of judging by the standards of the higher self, rather than by the example set in the world. He acted and spoke from the light within himself, the light that enabled him to judge by spiritual methods, to answer from divine insight into the motives of others, the potentiality of good, and the revelation of the Christ within.
As we follow Jesus in developing our Divine potential, we, too, must learn to “judge with right judgment” and to turn to the inner spiritual knowing. We want to avoid being caught up in judging according to appearances, making decisions based solely on intellectual knowledge, or accepting limiting concepts constantly presented to us by the world.
The center that is associated with the faculty of wisdom is located in the pit of the stomach and is closely allied with the solar plexus, and is sometimes referred to as the “body brain.”
LOVE
Love is so much more than an emotion or feeling. It’s in fact the power in which everything is created and sustained. It is the essence from which we are created. Love is our essence. As we connect with this power of love…located in our heart-chakra…we open to love’s presence and embrace power that is both healing and attracting.
Fillmore writes, God is love; man becomes loving by permitting that which God is to find expression in word and act.” We, as “spiritual beings expressing in this human realm” are the Power of Love in action.
In considering the unfoldment of love, we must make sure that we link it always with wisdom. Wisdom and love are not only two of the 12 powers, but they are also the two phases of the Divine that combine to produce creative activity of any kind.
POWER
Power is the vital energy that has its seat in the hollow of the throat, at the root of the tongue. Spiritual power flows into our body from the Christ center at the top of the head and is released in the form of radiant energy through the center in the throat. Power is released by consciously speaking positive, powerful words of Truth.
The first outpouring of spiritual power may so awaken our desire to share the Truth that we are tempted to overextend ourselves in trying to pass it on to others. But we can only serve as channels for power. We cannot store it and then release it. We must keep both ends of the passage open if we are to have spiritual power available for our use.
It is through opening the inlet by prayer and receptivity to the Divine that we fill our power channel to release good into our world.
IMAGINATION
Imagination makes its home in the body at a point between the eyes, where we might think of its function as that of a “third eye,” one that enables us to see beyond what we normally take in through our two physical eyes. Here we are able to release limiting thoughts and feelings by perceiving or glimpsing something greater, our divine potentiality. What we embrace in our imagination tends to out-picture in our experience. Knowing this, we consciously use this power to embrace images of love, joy, peace, and abundance of all good.
UNDERSTANDING
Located in the prefrontal cortex, understanding is important in developing our spiritual nature, because it is the faculty that puts feet under our prayers and gives our spiritual activity something to stand on.
The awakening of our own faculty of understanding starts with questioning—questioning the old ways of thinking that may have been taken for granted. The desire for understanding leads to thinking about what is learned, and making meaningful connections that will provide a basis for conscious living.
Understanding is different from wisdom. Charles Fillmore defines wisdom as “intuitive knowing; spiritual intuition,” and understanding as “the ability of the mind to apprehend and realize the laws of thought and the relation of ideas to one another.”
WILL
Also located in the prefrontal cortex, spiritual will is the energy of confident living, decision-making, and determination. Will is our power of choice that helps us stand strong and resilient when we feel challenged. We are able to respect the preferences of others while maintaining healthy boundaries.
The power of will helps us make decisions that are grounded in our positive nature and we can expect them to unfold with perfect, joy-filled outcomes.
DIVINE ORDER
Located behind our naval, the Power of Order helps us maintain balance and create harmony in our lives. It also reflects the orderly process of creation: Mind, Idea and Expression, and in all of nature. We can use the power of Order to become more organized in our lives, and to make necessary adjustments when we have veered off track, or feel out of balance.
ZEAL
Located at the back of the neck, Zeal gives us the power to live life enthusiastically, and to approach each day filled with energy and joy. Zeal fuels our dreams and intentions, and gives us a sense of exuberance with which to approach each action we take. Zeal helps us remain inspired, focused and exhilarated to move forward in life with a sense of purpose.
RELEASE
The Power of Release, located at our root chakra is our ability to clear out, eliminate, and give away what is no longer serving us, whether that’s physical clutter— the unused items and things we’ve outgrown, or releasing habits, dependencies, unhealthy boundaries, and relationships that are not for our highest good. The power of Release also helps us release any unforgiveness or judgments that tether us to the past. We use Release to let go of negative thinking or limited ideas about ourselves, as well as any self-doubt or fear.
As we continue to release what no longer serves us, we make room for greater, more expansive possibilities and opportunities.
LIFE
All people are expressing the Power of Life to a greater or lesser degree, but when we truly activate this power by connecting with Divine Source within us we can enjoy the fullness of life that is our God-given potential. We are to experience life as an idea that not only enriches the soul, but also lifts up the physical body into the perfect Divine pattern implanted from the beginning.
The Power of Life is located in the generative organs and gives us the vitality that allows us to move into life awake, aware and empowered.
