I assume I’m not the only one who has noticed how the wellness industry has turned manifestation into individual wish-fulfillment. The message seems to be: “Manifest your dream life! Attract abundance! Get everything you want!”
Very real magical workings have been given an almost narcissistic paintjob. From switching timelines to creating a new identity for yourself, from magnetizing opportunities to dropping the scarcity mindset. The goal seems to be consistent: create some reality where you find yourself in possession of wealth.
Having worked with the energies of Ma’at for over seven years, I think there’s a better way for us to manifest. One that’s less reliant on spiritual bypassing disguised as self-help and, instead, aligns our callings and dreams with collective wellbeing and stewardship.
Our Personal Sovereignty is Being Recruited into the Cult of the Self
I believe deeply in our personal power. Each of us are a cosmic expression of time, potential, creativity, and energy. When this flows to create change in the world, we call it magic. And when we recognize this power and take ownership of it, we unlock new dimensions of personal sovereignty.
But personal sovereignty and personal power are not synonymous with individualism.
During the Cold War, Western powers deliberately promoted individualistic art and psychology to counter communism’s emphasis on collective action. This pattern is repeating today. Manifestation culture functions exactly like those Cold War psychological operations, keeping us focused on individual solutions to collective problems.
Instead of forming collective action, we each as individuals are seeking ways out of our economic disenfranchisement, loneliness, and spiritual isolation. Our desire to tap into and use our personal power has been hijacked, and directed into self-indulgent desires rather than collaboration and mutual aid.
In many ways, manifestation culture and social media are both expressions of this same cult of the self. Both obsess over individual desires, personal branding, and self-optimization. Both promise that focusing on yourself will solve everything.
But placing personal power into individual wish-making disguised as “manifestation” is a trap of endless self-referential, psychoanalyzing spirals that dilute your personal power.
As a worshipper of Goddess Aphrodite, I’m not here to critique vanity outright. A healthy dose of ego, obsessive self-love, and delulu in what one can accomplish is important for everyone. But when manifestation becomes purely about individual salvation while the world burns, we’ve lost the plot entirely.
When you believe you are everything, you become incapable of collective action.
“The materialistic, realistic, and collectivist conception of freedom, as opposed to the idealistic, is this: the human being becomes conscious of himself and his humanity only in society and only by the collective action of the whole society.
Mikhail Bakunin
He frees himself from the yoke of external nature only by collective and social labor, which alone can transform the earth into an abode favorable to the development of humanity. Without such material emancipation the intellectual and moral emancipation of the individual is impossible.”
When manifestation becomes about individual salvation and personal abundance, we mind our business to such an extent that we find ourselves out of the loop on injustice. We prioritize individual responsibility to the point that we justify systems that refuse welfare, healthcare, and support to those who need it.
It’s absolutely true that this is an abundant world. There is enough for us all. But the focus on individual manifestation invites an obsession with personal desires that remove us from the importance of the other—our communities, our planet, our collective future.
By caring so much about the Self, we care less about the other. We leave the community behind.
This is where we reframe manifestation entirely, with the help of Goddess Ma’at.
What Ancient Egypt Understood About Conscious Leadership
Instead of prioritizing individual fulfillment, we need to consider manifestation as contribution to collective flourishing. If you’re a founder, creative, or leader trying to build something meaningful in a world on fire, you need manifestation technology that serves more than just your personal desires.
What you’ll notice when reading Ancient Egyptian writings is how the individual becomes powerful by aligning with cosmic forces, not by demanding the universe serve personal desires. The boundary between human, nature, and divinity was permeable: divinity could be accessed, infused, experienced as real as rainfall or sun on your face.
This is the kind of magical consciousness that can sustain you through the long work of collaborative world-repair.
Ancient Egypt—one of the most sophisticated and enduring civilizations in human history—understood human endeavors as grounded in cosmic responsibility and harmony, or Ma’at. Many ancient cultures saw individual success as always a earned through serving universal balance and collective welfare.
“Prophet of Ma’at, Neser Amun, justified; he says:
Statue Inscription of Nebneteru from Karnak, Cairo Museum 42225
I lived on earth as intimate of the god ….
One who gave direction in all work to the ignorant,
Who guided the craftsmen by the rule,
Who knew his speech when speaking in the palace,
Who removed the wrong in every matter …
I addressed the people in a manner they liked,
I judged everyone according to his nature,
I gave attention to what he wished,
I spent my lifetime in heart’s delight,
Without worry, without illness,
I made my days festive with wine and myrrh,
I banished languor from my heart.
I knew it is dark in the desert vale,
It is not foolish to do the heart’s wish.”
Ma’at: The Foundation of Cosmic Stewardship
The foundation of this approach rests in Ma’at (mꜣꜥt), simultaneously an Egyptian goddess and cosmic principle representing order, truth, balance, and justice.
Ma’at demands active human participation in maintaining cosmic harmony. These ideals required continuous maintenance because harmony cannot operate automatically. Every pharaoh’s job was cosmic engineering—keeping the forces of chaos (Isfet) at bay through aligned action.
Modern translation: Your business isn’t just about profit. Your creative work isn’t just about self-expression. Your leadership isn’t just about success. You’re here to repair broken systems and birth regenerative alternatives.
Ma’at wraps the day and night in peace
I have given bread to the hungry and water to the thirsty
I have given freely my wealth to those in need
I have not polluted the water, I have not spoken falsely
May I live in Ma’at and be nourished by Ma’at
Here’s my assertion: we need modern leaders who can help steer this ship to a better future. That means understanding entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and creative work as forms of cosmic stewardship.
We can understand manifestation as finding alignment with Ma’at— manifesting not for personal gain, but to maintain cosmic harmony.
The Ancient Egyptians placed the responsibilities of conscious stewardship primarily in the king and the temple systems, but individuals all had a role to play. Because the result of sliding into disharmony – or the failure of good winning a battle – was the concept of Isfet (chaos, injustice, violence).
Ifset constantly threatens Ma’at, requiring daily renewal through aligned action. This indicates that manifesting is not a one-time victory but demands ongoing participation.
The climate crisis, wealth inequality, extractive capitalism, the rollback of reproductive rights, anti-trans legislation, voter suppression—these are manifestations of Isfet actively working to destroy cosmic balance. Our duty through Ma’at is to dream and build regenerative alternatives.
Reframing Your Manifestations
After nearly 20 years of witching and manifesting, I’ve learned that the most powerful magic happens when personal sovereignty is exercised in service of a collective good. Even my own wellness — my hobbies, getting my nails done, solo time away from the kids — is an act of service to the wellbeing of my family and community, because I am ensuring that I am cared for energetically and spiritually.
Instead of asking “What do I want to manifest for myself?” start asking:
- What broken system am I here to help repair?
- How does my success serve cosmic order (Ma’at)?
- If I followed my heart’s desire, who else might benefit?
- What regenerative future am I actively dreaming and building?
- How can my abundance contribute to collective welfare?
This shift changes everything. When your personal success serves cosmic order, you tap into larger forces than just individual willpower. You become part of a lineage of cosmic stewardship, making potent magic that serves something greater than the self.
Instead of: “I manifest wealth and abundance for myself”
>> Try: “I channel resources to repair broken systems and serve collective flourishing”
Instead of: “I attract my perfect life”
>>Try: “I align my actions with cosmic harmony to create beneficial outcomes for all”
Instead of: “I am magnetic to opportunities”
>>Try: “I participate in the sacred flow that connects all beings in mutual support”
Manifestation for Business Owners with Practical Ma’at
As a spiritual business coach, I help my clients think about systems beyond what we’re working with now. I want their businesses to be resilient as we go through a fundamental shift in economics – either designed intentionally, or forced upon us through parallel crises.
Rather than purely extractive capitalism, conscious entrepreneurs or creatives can apply Ma’at principles by ensuring their venture or project maintains balance between:
- Profit and purpose
- Individual success and collective welfare
- Innovation and sustainability
The 42 Ideals of Ma’at provide practical guidelines for cosmic stewardship: avoiding harm, speaking truth, supporting community, and maintaining ethical standards in all dealings. Have a read through them and highlight the ones that interest you, or the ones that make you uncomfortable. Sit with them. Reflect.
We HAVE to dream of a better future if we’re going to get to work on it.
This is, I think, a strategic necessity. You can’t build what you can’t envision. You can’t solve problems you refuse to imagine solving.
Ditching “I Got Mine” Capitalism in Spiritual Finery
This is the difference between personal power expressed through Ma’at versus personal power expressed as spiritual capitalism.
Manifestation culture’s focus on individual timeline-jumping is the spiritual equivalent of “I got mine” capitalism. It’s not about service.
You’re not here to manifest a better personal life while the world burns. You’re here to manifest better systems while using your success to repair what’s broken.
The future is up for grabs. So start today. Choose one manifestation practice you’re currently doing for personal gain. Reframe it through Ma’at. Instead of “I manifest abundance for my business,” try “I participate in creating a world where everyone has enough.” Notice how different that feels in your body: that’s the difference between ego-magic and cosmic engineering. That’s manifestation that actually changes the world.
Ready to transform your idea overwhelm into a roadmap? I help ambitious, creative changemakers navigate major career transitions, new projects, and business decisions through Tarot and business advising. Book a reading here.
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