The twelve powers that every human possesses, according to Charles Fillmore are:
Faith, Strength, Wisdom, Love, Power (or Mastery), Imagination, Understanding, Order, Will, Zeal, Elimination and Life. Each of these powers is represented by a colour and is located in a specific area of the body.
Fillmore was an American Mystic writing in the early 20th Century and his assignment of colour and body location is intuitive. He also likened the 12 powers to the 12 apostles, followers of Jesus. One of the main teachings of Unity is that Jesus is the great example, not the great exception and that each of us, using our inherent powers, is capable of becoming like him.
Here is a lovely quilted hanging showing the colours of the 12 Powers done with love by Janet Johnson
The first of our twelve powers is faith, the ability to believe, intuit. The great teacher Emilie Cady wrote, "The word faith is one that has generally been thought to denote a simple form of belief based mostly on ignorance and superstition. It is a word that has drawn forth something akin to scorn from so-called “thinking people” - the people who have believed that intellectual attainment is the highest form of knowledge to be reached. “Blind faith” they have disdainfully chosen to call it, fit only for ministers, women and children, but not a practical thing on which to establish the everyday business affairs of life." They have faith only in that which can be seen or intellectually explained. We all know that, as much as we appreciate the scientific method and scientific discoveries, everything began as an idea in someone's mind and, as such, was invisible. Faith is the driving force that allows the invisible to manifest as physical, visible, measurable things. Fillmore assigned a dark blue colour to the Power of faith and related it to the Apostle Peter. It's location is the Pineal gland.
Strength is the power to endure, to last, to persevere, to be persistent, to be stable. Strength is represented as Spring green and is located at the small of the back. Strength is associated with the apostle Andrew.
Wisdom is the ability to evaluate, discern. It is a quality of being wise rather than being intellectual or educated. The colour yellow represents wisdom which is located at the pit of the stomach. When we listen to our "gut feeling" we are using our innate wisdom
Most important of our twelve powers is Love. Love is the ability to harmonize, unify, attract. It is, naturally located back of the heart and associated with the colour pink and the apostle John.
This is the power to master, control, dominate. It is located in the larynx (voice box) at the base of the tongue. Its colour is purple and its apostle is Philip
This is the power to image, to conceptualize, to envision. Imagination is represented by the apostle Bartholomew, is located between the eyes and its colour is light blue.
To understand is to know, to perceive. Understanding is located in the front brain, is assigned the colour gold and is represented by the apostle Thomas
To use the power of will is to choose or decide. Will is also located in the front brain and is assigned the colour silver. Matthew is the associated apostle
The power of order is the power to organize, sequence, adjust. The colour is olive green, the apostle is James, son of Alphaeus, and the location is at the navel
Zeal is the capacity to start, to motivate, to be passionate and enthusiastic. Its location is the medulla (brain stem), the colour is orange and the associated apostle is Simon, the Canaanean.
The power of elimination is our ability to release, let go, remove, denounce. The location is in the lower abdomen, the colour is russet and the apostle Thadeus
The very beginning of our twelve powers is Life Itself. The life power is that which energizes, vitalizes, enlivens. The life power is red, is located in the reproductive organs and is represented by the apostle Judas.
Any time we are confronted with a challenge in life, we simply breathe, turn within and ask ourselves, "which of my twelve powers will be useful in this situation. Often 2 or more powers will come to mind to work in cooperation to guide you to your solution.