“Manifestation” has become something of a buzzword in wellness circles — it’s commonly associated with TikTok trends and s–t girls in yoga pants say.

For some, the practice of concentrating thoughts, energy and emotion to bring something into being has proven to be a path to bankruptcy, while for others, it has been a boon for dating.

Research from Pandora revealed that nearly half of participants looking for love this year will turn to manifestation or manifest dating.

In a surprise to no one, 79% of single people admit they have been challenged by feelings of anxiety and dread while dating in 2023. The same study found that 73% of participants who used a good luck charm on a first date found the talisman effective.

Inspired by good luck charms, some women have even taken to buying themselves engagement rings to aid in manifesting the man of their dreams. Bless.

Rooted in the law of attraction, the general outline for manifestations is a three-step process that sounds very much like wall art you can find at TJ Maxx — ask, believe, and receive.

For those looking for partnership, Jessica Alderson, co-founder of the dating app SoSyncd and chairwoman for the Online Dating Association, recommends expanding this trinity to include visualization, affirmations, scripting, and gratitude practices.

Alderson imparts, “Visualization is essentially focused daydreaming. It combines the images with senses and emotions to create a detailed picture of what you truly desire, making them feel real. Affirmations involve positive self-talk to bring your desires into your life. The key to this is speaking them aloud as if they are already in your life.”

“Scripting is similar to affirmations, the difference being that you write down the desires rather than speaking them,” she added. “Gratitude entails reflecting on anything good which happened to you during the day both small and large.”

Alderson also recommends a set of four pillars for manifesting love in the new year.

In the immortal words of RuPaul, “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

In this spirit, Alderson stresses the importance of a strong self-care practice, “Self-love and self-worth are integral components of manifesting a compatible partner. It involves taking care of ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally, helping us become the best version of ourselves and acknowledging our worth and value as individuals.

“When you have a strong sense of self-worth, you are less likely to settle for less than you deserve and it helps us set boundaries and recognize red flags in potential partners. This helps to build confidence and positive energy, which attracts like-minded people into our lives.”

Live well, choose well, let love in. Can dig.

Ah, patience, the most cumbersome of virtues. According to Alderson, the timeline of manifesting love is dependent on the person seeking it, and their individual beliefs and barriers.

“For some people, manifesting love can take a matter of minutes, while for others, it may take several months or even longer. If you truly believe and are open to receiving love, it can happen very quickly,” she explained.

“However, if you have deep-seated limiting beliefs or negative energy surrounding relationships, it may take longer. It’s important to trust the timing and believe that love will come into your life at the right time for you.”

Keep in mind, folks, it took Megan Fox 30 years to make good on manifesting Machine Gun Kelly.

One of the foundational principles of manifestations is gratitude — the unshakeable knowledge that you have and are enough and the understanding that partnership enhances your life but is not a prerequisite for its richness.

As Alderson suggests, “Don’t focus on the lack of love in your life, instead, focus on the love that you do have. This can be self-love, love from family and friends, or anything else that makes you feel loved. By shifting your focus to gratitude for the love that is already present in your life, you are aligning yourself with the frequency of love, which will help you attract more of it into your life.

“Confidence also enables us to set boundaries and reject relationships that aren’t aligned with what we desire. Believing that you are worthy of love and deserving of a fulfilling relationship is a fundamental aspect of manifesting love into your life.”

Take out the trash, banish the unworthy and welcome the gold, my babies!

As Peter Pan sagely advised, “Think happy thoughts.” A positive mindset can be developed through consistent practice — where cheer ceases to be habit and instead becomes instinct, an attitude that suggests we not only deserve love, but are capable of attracting it.

Research suggests a strong correlation between optimism and longterm emotional wellbeing, and Alderson notes an essential link between love and hope: “I can’t stress enough the importance of mindset when it comes to manifesting love and relationships. Our thoughts, beliefs, and energy all play crucial roles in our dating and relationship dynamics.Trust the process and let go of a need for control; it’s about setting intentions, taking inspired action, and trusting that the right person will come into your life at the right time.”

While all signs and all people are capable of manifesting love, some among us are more willing to go out on a limb, cast a spell, or carry a proverbial charm to do so, while others would do well to try.

Virgos are ruled by Mercury, planet of the mind and bound to the physical plane by virtue of being an earth sign. This combination affords them the power to turn thought into action, intention into deliverables.

Their greatest challenge when it comes to manifesting love is believing they deserve it and not taking up with the first bad haircut with a sob story who comes their way.

PSA: Rescue is not romance, and the best is waiting for you just on the other side of self-doubt.

While Capricorn is the resident skeptic of the zodiac, this powerful, patient, cardinal earth sign does nothing without the intent to succeed — and would absolutely crush manifest dating if/when they are open enough to give it a go.

Already versed at playing the long game, aiming to win and assuring themselves of their own worth, a simple redirect could yield serious benefits.

As the most psychic sign in the zodiac, Pisces is adept at dreaming the dream, downloading the vision, and making their wildest desires spring to life. Trouble arises for Pisces when they are unable to clearly define or demand what it is they truly want.

When they’re blessed with a lightning strike of clarity and have learned enough to say “no” to toxic patterns and lingering exes they are unstoppable at the art of manifestation.