You’re going to need help to uncover and begin your magical life. Heaven will send a mentor or teacher your way when you need one—whether you ask or not! I’ve been blessed throughout my life to have had several such teachers. In my first job as an accountant, I had an amazing mentor. What she taught me about accounting was greatly overshadowed by what she taught me about professionalism, maturity, and how you treat people. While I had other mentors in my accounting career, none ever had the impact on me that she did.
When I left accounting the first time, I started feeding the little bookworm inside me even more than I had in the past. Spiritual authors and lecturers grabbed my attention, and their teachings woke me up. I started to see the magical life I wanted; I realized that I wanted what they were living, the life of a spiritual teacher.
In 2003, someone suggested that I take the Angel Therapy Practitioner (ATP) course taught by Doreen Virtue. Curiously, as much as I was head over heels into angels, I had never heard of her, but I was instantly fascinated by her work. When I called to register for the ATP course, the person on the phone exclaimed, “Wow, you must really be meant to be in this class!” He told me that the course had been sold out for months, but someone had canceled and opened up a spot for me just minutes before I called.
I arrived on the first morning of ATP class both excited and nervous. Doreen came out before the event started and moved through the rows of chairs to personally greet everyone. When she made it to me, she took my hand and said, “Hi! I’m Doreen . . .” and suddenly stopped midsentence and just stared at me, still holding my hand and smiling. Then she repeated, “Hi, I’m Doreen. Who are you?”
Have you ever had an experience where you meet someone for the first time but feel as though you’ve known them before? That’s exactly what I was experiencing with Doreen. It was a past-life moment, for sure.
The ATP course was five and a half days of sheer, absolute bliss. I went on to have one of the most life-changing experiences of my life at ATP. My skills as a reader were taken to the next level! ATP opened my eyes to aspects of spirituality that I had been blind to before taking the course. My interactions with Joshua and especially the archangels increased dramatically afterward.
I followed up the course with many more classes with Doreen, then began working with her as a staff member at her events. She quickly became my mentor, my sister, and my friend. I know in my heart that our relationship is so close and easy because she has been my mentor in many lifetimes.
Nearly everything I know about angels, I learned from the “angel lady,” Doreen. Her path as a teacher and mentor has continued to grow to reach many other students. She became a born-again Christian in early 2017 after having a deeply moving Jesus experience, and her work with angels also began to shift at that point.
Your earthly mentors aren’t the only ones who will be assisting you in reaching your magical life. Heaven will also send you magical helpers: angels.
ANGEL PUBLIC RELATIONS
There are several kinds of angels, and the two you’ll want to interact with the most are guardian angels and archangels. If you want to learn all about the angels, there’s an endless amount of information out there, filling many volumes. In this book, however, I’ll be focusing on the aspects of angels that I’ve found to be most useful for living a magical life.
All angels require that you first ask for their assistance, except in certain life-threatening circumstances. Although your guardian angels never leave your side, if you want their help with a particular situation, life goal, or challenge, you need to request it.
I suggest that everyone start their day with prayer and ask their angels for assistance that day. (As Doreen is always quick to point out, we pray to God, but we talk to our angels. I talk to my angels in a very meditative way, but it’s not the same as prayer.) I always ask my guardian angels for help each day, and I also ask archangels for help based on their particular specialties as they relate to whatever I have going on.
Archangels tend to get all the best press, but guardian angels are very special. So it’s surprising to me the number of people who sort of skip over their guardian angels when asking for help and go straight to the archangel realm. It’s partially because information about archangels is more popular. They have specific names and assignments that have been extensively written about. Some are even listed as saints in the Catholic tradition.
Even I quickly got dazzled by the amazing and oh-so-magical archangels when I began on my spiritual path. I was particularly charmed by Archangel Uriel, with his glittery, sparkling, golden light. I wrote books and created angel cards with the help of coppery Archangel Gabriel, danced in the joyful fuchsia light of Archangel Jophiel, and felt the royal blue protection of Archangel Michael.
However, over the last few years, my focus has returned to guardian angels. You could even say I’ve become a sort of public relations guy for the guardian angels!
I love guardian angels. I mean, they know me. They really, really know me. Heck, I’m sure they know me far better than I even know myself.
They see every last kooky thing you do and are there with an angelic high five for every brilliant or loving act. When you’re in a time of challenge, they know you need them before you ever utter the first prayerful word. Archangels are fantastic and I totally adore them, but it’s your guardian angels who are on the front lines of your life.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR GUARDIAN ANGELS
Everyone comes into this world with at least two guardian angels who are with you from birth until death. The information I’ve received says that they’re then with you life after life (through each reincarnation). They know you better than you know yourself, and their love is infinite and unconditional.
Your guardian angels are among the most precious friends you can possibly have. They’re there for you day and night . . . never, ever leaving your side. You’re their sole focus, and they love you beyond what any words could ever express.
It’s rare to experience the voice of an angel in the same way you would that of a friend. It’s more of an inner hearing. If you see angels, it’s likely you’re actually “seeing” them through your mind’s eye.
Each person usually has one primary guardian angel, who is the easiest to hear. In my experience working with both my own and other people’s guardian angels, the primary one tends to focus on comforting you and making you feel safe and loved. The other guardian angels around most often have specific tasks or areas of expertise in your life. Those areas will change as, for example, you turn your focus from romance to career and life purpose.
Those who seek out their guardian angels have varying experiences. Some make the effort and figure out who all of their guardian angels are at once. Others, like me, may discover new angels around them as time goes by. For decades, I only knew about my primary guardian angel, Joshua. But in the last 10 years or so, I’ve become acquainted with two more.
I think of Joshua as my overall “no job too small, no task too big,” “never fear, he’s always here” total dear of an angel! The other two focus their work on particular areas of my life. The third angel I had no idea about until my coteacher discovered him for me while we were filming new material for the Certified Angel Card Reader course that we teach together. But once I knew he was there, I quickly knew why. My career was really starting to soar, and my newly discovered guardian angel quickly took over as my angelic agent, opening doors for me and giving me great advice on what to do next!
It’s important to note here that our passed-over loved ones are not guardian angels. People often say that the dearly departed are watching over them, which is a beautiful and wonderful thing and very real. My mother passed away in 2013, and I’ve no doubt that she watches over me very closely and provides a helping hand in my life from time to time. She, along with other departed loved ones, is considered a spiritual guide. Guardian angels are with you from birth until you pass back into the Light. They may work closely with beloved family members or guides in Heaven, but they’re not the same kind of soul.
Archangels are also not guardian angels. But just like spirit guides or beloved passed-over family members, they can hang out with you regularly. In fact, I feel the loving presence of Archangels Uriel and Gabriel constantly, but I’m not their sole focus. Guardian angels are focused solely on you, while archangels help billions of people at once every day.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
People are always asking me what the names of their guardian angels are. For years and years, I refrained from presenting those names to them. In my mind, meeting Joshua was such a magical experience that I was afraid to deny anyone that experience on their own. However, that changed in the fall of 2015, during an episode of my radio show, Magical Things with Radleigh Valentine.
When a woman called my show and asked for the names of her guardian angels, I opened my mouth to say, “No, but let me tell you how to do it on your own.” But the words didn’t come out. Instead, I heard Joshua say, Do it.
In my mind, I answered back with, What?
Josh replied, I said, just do it!
So I did.
Immediately following that show, my Facebook page was so full of requests for guardian-angel names that I took it as a sign that it was time to start saying yes to that particular request. Joshua explains that it’s a way to help people jump-start their relationship with their angels (and he is never wrong).
Your angels’ names may be regular ones, like Joshua. Or they might be very strange-sounding names that you don’t come across in daily life. They might sound biblical. It’s also not uncommon for guardian angels to have the same names as archangels. When that happens, you’ll need to get clarity by asking your angels whether they’re the very famous archangels just wanting you to know that they’re there for you, or if they’re your guardian angels who just happen to also have those names.
My experience is that if your guardian angel has the same name as an archangel, it’s because he or she has a purpose in your life similar to the archangel’s specialty. It may also be a message from your guardian angel that you should be working with that archangel on a more regular basis.
The first and easiest way to find out your guardian angels’ names is to just ask. Set the intention to meet your angels through meditation, lighting a candle, playing soft music . . . whatever matches your personal definition of being at peace for a few minutes. Your angels’ names are usually the first ones that come into your mind. Don’t let your ego tell you you’re making it up.
You can also ask your angels for validation that you got the name right. That “proof” usually takes the form of coming across that name over and over in the following days. This may also lead to clearing up any misunderstanding about your angel’s name. For example, if you received the name Ava for your angel, but all week long the name Eva crops up, then you might want to check in with your angel again to see if Eva is actually the right name.
Another thing you can do is ask your angels for a sign. This often results in the same experience I just mentioned; you’ll just keep bumping into a name as the days pass. Or perhaps you repeatedly see roses, indicating that your guardian angel’s name is Rose.
Another great way to get an angel’s name is through Doreen’s Messages from Your Angels Oracle Cards. Each of the 44 cards in the deck has an angel’s name written on it. Focus on your request to know your guardian angel’s name while shuffling the cards. When you pull a card—voilà!—you have one of your guardian angels’ names.
HEARING THE NAME OF JOSHUA
I first learned the name of my primary guardian angel back in the late ’90s. I had recently moved into a new home and noticed that there was something a little different about the energy. Sometimes I would “bump into” something that wasn’t there in the house. I specifically remember walking down a hallway one day with a basket of freshly folded laundry and feeling as though I had bumped into someone. I immediately threw the laundry—basket and all—into the air!
Oh great, I thought. I’ve moved into a haunted house. Isn’t that just swell?
I recounted this story shortly thereafter to a very wise, insightful friend. Her response was, “Well, you’re the angel boy. What makes you think it’s something bad? Did it ever occur to you that it’s one of your feathered friends?”
At the time, I was very much into my spirituality and trying to learn about angels and other aspects of the Divine. As it turns out, there really wasn’t anything different about the energy in the house. There was something different about the energy in me. My personal spiritual work was starting to bear fruit! I was so ready to have a more up-close-and-personal relationship with my angels that I was bumping into their energy in my home.
One day, I walked into my bedroom, sat down on the edge of my bed, and looked at the painting of a guardian angel on the wall. (Called Watchers in the Night, by Thomas Blackshear, it’s still precious to me.) I didn’t do anything fancy. I just looked at the picture and said, “You seem to know me, and I would really like to get to know you. So let’s just start with: What’s your name?”
Now, I know I told you that it is highly unusual to literally hear an angel’s voice. It’s typically something you sort of hear in your head. But in this case, loud and clear—as if a human were speaking to me—I heard “Joshua.”
I was so stunned that I just looked at the painting and said, “You know, I think that that’ll do it for today.” Then I left the room!
That night, I had a vivid “dream” about Joshua. I put the word dream in quotation marks because at first I thought I was dreaming, but it became something so much more. In the dream, I encountered Joshua, and it felt like having accidentally run into your closest, most beloved friend after not having seen him for years and years. We were both laughing and crying and hugging each other. It was in that moment that I became “awake” within the dream and thought, Wait a minute! This isn’t a dream—this is really happening!
Even 20 years later, recounting this poignant story puts tears in my eyes. This was the beginning of a long and treasured relationship and conversation with Joshua, my other guardian angels, and eventually the archangels.
WHO YA GONNA CALL? ARCHANGELS!
There are countless archangels protecting this world as well as other worlds. However, there are 15 well-known archangels, and among them, the most commonly known are the “big four”: Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.
As I mentioned before, the archangels are very popular. And why not? They’re sort of like the superstars of the angelic realm. They have very specific roles that are simple to understand, so it’s easy to see why people gravitate toward them. It’s straightforward enough to say to yourself, “I have a health problem. Time to call Archangel Raphael,” or, “I don’t feel safe; better call Archangel Michael.”
Each archangel has a specialty. That’s not to say that any of them wouldn’t happily help you in any way they could on any issue, but they still have their primary focuses. For example, you can call Archangel Michael for health issues, and he’d do his best to support you. However, given that his specialty is cutting your connections to the past and keeping you safe, he’d probably try to help you in that way. So, it’s a bit like calling a carpenter to address your plumbing problem.
Before I briefly introduce you to each of the 15 most prominent archangels and their specialties, it’s important to understand that angels don’t really have genders. However, their specialties—along with the energy they give out—tend to feel male or female to most people. The gender that I use for each of the archangels is the one most commonly associated with that angel. However, if you see them differently, then that’s what’s perfect for you and you should allow that to be.
If this type of information fascinates you as much as it does me, I would highly recommend you read Doreen’s book Archangels 101.
ANGELIC APPEARANCES
Many years ago, I attended a particularly memorable angel conference. The speaker had prepared a meditation to introduce us to the 15 most well-known archangels. I was very much looking forward to this, as my intuitive gifts were really ramping up, so I anticipated a vivid experience.
The speaker began inviting the archangels into the room in alphabetical order, starting with Ariel. To my surprise, the experience was completely flat to me. I shuffled in my seat to get more comfortable and tried to really focus on the meditation. Next came Azrael and then Chamuel. Still, I felt like I was in the auditorium by myself. I wasn’t feeling anything and wondered what was wrong.
The speaker went through all the archangels, and I continued to feel nothing until she got to the 14th, Uriel. Suddenly the room exploded into glitters of golden light! I could hear angels singing! The sparkling light was almost blinding to me, and I felt euphoric. I was amazed by what I was experiencing.
When the speaker brought up the final archangel, Zadkiel, the entire meditation went completely black again.
Later that same day, I pulled a card from an angel deck: “Archangel Uriel.” Immediately afterward, another participant at the event pulled a card for me from a different deck; again, it featured Archangel Uriel. At the end of the day, one of the very gifted readers at the event came up to me to tell me that she saw Uriel with me.
Okay, okay! I get it! I thought.
Not all angel experiences are that powerful. (Frankly, I wish they were!) But if an angel really wants your attention, believe me—they will find a way to get it. I like to believe that Archangel Uriel put his golden glitter stamp on me so that I could teach the world bright, shiny new ideas.
Sometimes specific archangels tend to stay with you all the time, like Uriel does with me. Others may come to be with you just for a certain period of time to help you with something specific or because they have something that they want you to know.
It’s important to note that the archangels are what we call “omnipresent.” What that means is that they can be everywhere and anywhere at once. This is because archangels work on the same plane as God. (Most of the archangels’ names end in –el, a suffix that means “of God.”) They’re not bound by the laws of humankind that restrict time and space. They’re above that. Saying that an archangel is too busy to help you is like saying God is too busy to help you. So there’s no need for you to worry that asking something of Archangel Michael, for example, would take him away from someone with a “greater” need, because he can simultaneously be with as many people as need his help.
MESSAGES FROM THE DIVINE
You don’t need anyone’s help to get messages from your angels. You can do it all by yourself. Similar to the process of getting the names of your guardian angels, you can set the intention to receive angelic communication through meditation, lighting a candle, playing soft music, and so forth. The messages will gently drift into your awareness. Your ego may try to convince you that it’s all in your imagination, but that’s not true.
If you believe you’re getting unkind or judging messages, that’s your ego talking, not your angels. Angels don’t have egos of any kind. They’ll never judge you. They’ll never speak unkindly to you. Their messages will always be loving.
If meditation isn’t your thing, a really great way to get messages from your angels is through automatic writing. This is how I first started getting them, and it’s really easy. (I explain how to do that in the Genie Academy lesson at the end of this chapter.)
If you’re having trouble believing the message, you can also ask your angels for evidence that you got it right and then watch for signs or synchronicities that validate what you received. Guardian angels often talk through signs. They might send you feathers or pennies or butterflies. A day might pass where you just keep seeing images of angels on billboards or television. You might see the number 4 all day long, which is a special number that means “angels are with you.” If your angels are sending you signs, it’s often because they want to get your attention so that they can have a much stronger relationship with you.
Angels will also present themselves to you in the way that you can most relate to. For example, you may perceive your angels as wearing white robes and having big white wings and golden halos. That’s not at all uncommon, and that’s how they’ll show up if that’s the way you need them to appear. My guardian angel Joshua, however, looks to me like an older brother who loves to tease me and laugh with me. Growing up the way I did, that’s what I needed—someone to protect me and love me as an older brother would. I’m sure his appearance would change if I needed it to, but I don’t need it to. I like him just the way he is.
Everyone is unique, so there are as many ways of talking to Heaven as there are people on Earth. No matter how closely you might follow a particular faith or spiritual practice, there’s still going to be a little (or a lot!) of your own personal uniqueness that gets thrown in. The thing is, Heaven really doesn’t care how you communicate, only that you do. You can tell the Divine your preference, and it will happily follow your lead!
Imagine for a moment that you’re at a large international convention. The only language you speak is English. All around you people are conversing in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese . . . you name it! It’s a total fruit salad of messages coming at you, but you really can’t understand a word being said. Of course, you could certainly learn French or Spanish or another language. But that would take quite a while.
Or you could just stop and say, “Could someone please speak English to me?!”
Well, Heaven is just like that! You can ask to be spoken to in signs; through meditation, angel cards, or automatic writing; or in whatever way you feel the most comfortable and confident getting the information.
Signs are a very powerful way to get messages from Heaven. But you have to really pay attention. Like I said, some of the most frequent signs from angels are white feathers, pennies, butterflies, and angel numbers. (I suggest reading Angel Numbers 101, another book by Doreen, for more information about all the specific meanings of numbers.)
The most common scenario I hear from people who want signs from their angels but who say they don’t get anything goes like this . . .
I get up in the morning. I take five seconds to meditate or just say a little something to my angels. Just need a message today, please, I ask. Then I hop into the shower and start running through 18 alternatives in my mind for how my workday will go, and what I need to do for the kids, and what’s for dinner. I get in the car, drive like crazy to work, and try to accomplish as much as I can. I then pick up the kids, stop at the grocery store, make dinner, get the kids to bed, and finally collapse on the couch.
At the end of the day, these people are often wondering why their angels have let them down again. Then they call in to my radio show to ask me if they even have guardian angels. But where—I seriously ask you—in that scenario was there a moment when that poor person paused to notice any signs their angels may have been throwing them?
Because, in truth, the car in front of them had a license plate with the numbers 444 on it. (Recall that the number 4 means that your angels are with you.) They passed a billboard featuring an angel with open arms. The song “Calling All Angels” was playing softly on the radio on their way to pick up the kids, and they stepped over a white feather as they got out of their car when they got home.
But nope. No messages from their angels today.
I want to assure you that blessings from Heaven fall upon you every day, like raindrops in Seattle. The question is: Are you noticing? Or are you just grumbling about the rain?
I jokingly call myself a “symbolism nerd” because I find it all so fascinating. There are many volumes of books that talk about the symbolism of this or that. Some people who are very aware and notice a particular image or thing recurring in their life will use a search engine to get the meaning. For example, if you were to continually see images of giraffes over several days, you might go on the Internet and type in “symbolism giraffe” and receive your message that way.
However, it isn’t necessary to learn all about symbolism to receive signs from the angels. To get messages from Heaven through signs, you just have to notice everything. I find meaning in the simplest of gestures. Do I always understand the meaning? No, of course not. But I’m always trying, and after years of paying attention, I do get the meaning in most things.
Very recently, I found a piece of clothing that I hadn’t seen in probably 10 years. I noticed that there was something in one of the pockets, so I pulled it out. It was a pack of spearmint gum. Now, I really dislike spearmint gum—spearmint anything, really. And yet, I knew immediately how it must have gotten there. And in that moment, it was a very powerful message to me. Poignant, sweet, and extremely meaningful. Suddenly I found myself in the highly unlikely scenario of holding a decade-old pack of spearmint gum to my heart.
On occasion, the angels will send you a whole series of signs that you simply can’t ignore. It’s sort of like a gentle angel whomp on the head! For example, a few years ago, Lee and I were driving around town doing errands when he suddenly shouted, “Oh my God! Look at that car!”
The car in question was stunning. It was a fiery red and orange color I had never seen before, and it blazed in the sun. I’m really into cars and especially fascinated by their colors. I’ve saved stacks of car “color chips” all the way back to 1957. So once we were home, I went on the Internet to search for that color because my car “color curiosity” had gotten the best of me.
It was surprisingly hard to track down the color, as it was brand-new to the model. I found the car and discovered that there were only 4 (an angel number!) in that color in the country. One of the cars I found online had just been traded in after having been driven for only 777 miles. (In angel numbers, 777 means: “You’re on the right path. Keep going.”)
Interesting, I thought.
Out of curiosity, I added up the vehicle identification number (VIN), which I always do for cars that I’m thinking about purchasing. Now, mind you, I wasn’t really thinking of buying this car. I wasn’t in the market for a new one, and this car was crazy expensive. I also liked my current car. It was only four years old, with 14,000 miles on it, and I planned on keeping it for years and years. Still, just for fun, I went ahead and did the math and got 8—the number of abundance. Basically, I just took each digit of the VIN and added them together. In this case, the number added up to 35, the two digits of which I then added together to get 8! This is the number I always like the VIN of the cars I buy to add up to.
Right about then, I looked down at my feet and there was a white feather. Now, please keep in mind I was sitting in my living room. Not outside. Not at a café. In my living room. How does a white feather just mysteriously show up in your living room?
So now, even I (Mr. Magic) was starting to be a little freaked out. I thought about turning off my computer and forgetting the whole thing, but my guardian angel Josh kept saying, “Keep looking!”
I sighed deeply and said to my angels, “Okay. Fine. You better know what you’re doing here.”
I e-mailed the dealership, which was in another state. It was Easter Sunday, so I was sure I wouldn’t hear anything until at least Monday. But no. Right away I got an e-mail back from a guy named Michael. (You know. Like the archangel?)
Okay. Feather at my feet. E-mail from Michael. My little freakarama continued to grow.
Michael told me that the car had been purchased by a man for his wife, but she found the car not to her liking, so they traded it back in after just three months.
There were too many signs to ignore. Reluctantly, I headed out the next day to a dealership in my own city to drive a car that was just like it, although in a different color. When I sat down in the car to test-drive it, I saw that the odometer read: 1,444. The number of angels. They’re with me. (This angel number is a message about staying optimistic and to let the angels help you with your fears.)
I asked the salesperson, “Why does this car have so few miles on it?”
He said, “Oh, we sold this car to a guy, and he traded it back to us after just three months because something he wanted more showed up on our lot.” Same story as the car with the 777 miles on it in another state! Seriously?
As you might suspect, by this time I was just laughing. Then, while leaving the lot, I got a call on my cell phone telling me that Hay House had just approved my fifth project with them. As I was getting the information about my new contract, a car in that fiery color drove past me. Then, when I got home, I found an unexpected check in the mail.
I didn’t need a new car. I wasn’t inclined to buy a new car. Although none of this made the slightest sense to me, by my count that was 10 signs from my angels within a 24-hour period telling me to buy this car. That’s just not something you can ignore, so I bought the car, and I love it!
I still don’t know exactly why I needed it, but I got a hint when a friend of mine told me she felt the fiery color was more visible and safer than the beige car I had. If that’s the case, then perhaps I averted an accident that I will never know about by listening to my angels.
Of course, the way I explain this story, it sounds like a total “Well, duh, Rad! I wish all signs were that easy.” The truth is, most of them are. If I had just blown off the first one or two synchronicities, I would never have had so many pile up like a metaphorical trail of bread crumbs. The overwhelming message to buy the car would have been lost. That’s why it’s so important to stay awake to the messages of signs and to give each one special attention.
Another thing you need to know is that the angels and Heaven are very efficient. I mean, like, very efficient! Not too long ago a friend of mine sent me a picture of an image that to her looked like Archangel Jophiel. To me, it appeared to be Archangel Gabriel. Indeed, both archangels made sense for her particular situation. By showing it to me, she allowed Heaven to make the one image have multiple correct meanings. On top of that, by showing it to me, I got a message that I needed from Archangel Gabriel. So don’t allow human perception to let you think a message must only mean one thing, and only be for one person. Don’t underestimate Heaven’s magical ability to help many people at once.
The way in which you ask an angel for a sign also matters, especially if you’re just getting the knack of this. Make things easy on your angels. Don’t make your queries too complicated, such as, “Angels, I need to know whether I should move to either Detroit, Chicago, or some other city.” While the angels could send you an answer, you might not see the message if you’re a newbie.
For your own sake, set up your requests in either-or and if-then statements. For example, you might say: “Angels, if I’m supposed to move to Chicago, then send me simple and easy-to-notice signs that you’re with me on this.” Over the course of the day, look for feathers, pennies, doves, and the like. If you see none, then tomorrow ask the angels the same question about Detroit. If you see feathers galore, start packing! If you see nothing, then ask your angels on the third day if there’s somewhere else you should move to.
Later, as you get better at noticing signs, you can ask more open-ended questions, and somehow images of Chicago or people who are from Chicago or subtle references to Chicago will be easy for you to see. And then you’ll know!
As time goes by, you’ll also discover special signs that angels use just for you. Maybe you’ll smell roses where none appear to be present. Or, just finding yourself near roses when it’s an oddity for you to be in their vicinity could be a message!
Open your heart to the possibilities. Open your mind to the idea that big messages can be found in little things (like a pack of spearmint gum).
Open your eyes to the magic. Because it’s beautiful. And it’s waiting for you.
IT’S IN THE CARDS
Without question, the biggest impediment to recognizing messages from angels, signs from Heaven, or even answers to prayers is the ego. The ego wants you to believe that God is big and judgmental and mad as can be at you—and you’re small, flawed, insignificant, and nothing special. The ego says, “Oh puh-lease! Why would God bother with you? Of course you can’t hear your angels; you have no gifts. Oh, and by the way, there are no angels.”
My response to your ego is: “Liar, liar, pants on fire!”
God is big. That’s about the only part of that narrative that’s true. God is grand and loving and expansive and so proud of you that there are simply no words to express it. You, on the other hand, are also grand and loving and incredibly magical and deserving. Unless you’ve been studying your entire life, you undoubtedly have spiritual gifts you can’t begin to comprehend—and yes, you have angels. Both God and those loving, devoted, always-at-your-side, adoring angels can’t wait to talk to you! As I’ve already explained, Heaven is very chatty. It’s always talking to you.
Still, wrestling the ego to the ground can be quite challenging, for some more than others. That’s why over time highly spiritual people have developed specialized ways to communicate with the Divine that can get around the ego. One of those ways is angel oracle cards and tarot cards. (At the time of this writing, I’ve written five tarot decks and one oracle card deck, so I know a lot about this topic.) You can think of these cards as being like a “telephone to Heaven” or “God’s hotline.”
There are a couple of reasons why cards and other divinatory tools work:
1. First of all, the ego is constantly beating you up, but when you use cards, you’re putting your faith in them and their connection to Heaven. Either consciously or unconsciously, you see them as magical, and the pressure is off you to be the source of the Divine messages that come through.
While cards are magical, they aren’t the source of the message. God is. These cards just help you get your ego out of the way enough for you to allow the Divine messages to be delivered. They’re fun to work with, but in the end, you don’t need them to get messages from Heaven. Remember that you—not the pictures in front of you—are the one connected to the Divine, receiving messages.
2. Another reason why divinatory tools work is best explained by analogy. Imagine a beautiful forest that people have walked through for hundreds, even thousands, of years. Naturally, people would choose the most efficient (and maybe most scenic) route through the forest. What develops is a well-worn path that has been tread by millions and millions of people. People have faith in that path and trust that it’s the perfect way through the forest. In a similar way, millions and millions of people have put their faith in those cards or divinatory tools for hundreds, even thousands, of years. Imagine the combined Genie magic that has been invested in that way of speaking to the Divine! Can you comprehend how powerful that is? You can trust the cards to be a magical path leading you through the forest of spirituality right to Heaven.
A lot of people have been frightened by tarot cards in the past. I get that. I was none too pleased, either, by much of the imagery and words on the cards. There’s a card in tarot that traditionally shows a poor guy lying facedown in a pool of blood with 10 swords in his back. Well, ew. We don’t need that kind of gore just to get the message, “Hey. This situation has come to an end.”
I see it as part of my life purpose to remove the “tarot-fying” parts of tarot by bringing the cards up to date to match the sensitive nature of people on Earth today. We can get that same message with imagery that’s more poignant and meaningful.
Frankly, I consider it part of my life purpose to take the fear out of spirituality in general, not just tarot. It helps to remember that the imagery and words on ancient tarot cards harken back to a time when life itself was pretty frightening. People were more accustomed to the frightening imagery on tarot cards because it was pretty close to what life was like. While life on Earth right now is nowhere near perfect, it’s still a lot better than it used to be. We have evolved. Our souls have grown to be more sensitive and more spiritual.
Tarot mirrors life, and there are sad times that come in life. I didn’t remove those experiences from tarot. But I did make the imagery and words more accessible to people so as not to scare them to death. I tweaked tarot to match the sensitive natures of the people currently living on Earth.
With nothing left to scare us, what remains is a beautiful, insightful, and magical way to shove the ego aside and talk to God.
GENIE ACADEMY
Lesson #7: Talking to Your Guardian Angels
A great method to start getting messages or the names of your angels is automatic writing. I suggest that you dedicate a journal or notebook solely to your angel messages. As in meditation, find a peaceful space and time for your writing where you won’t be interrupted. I like to start with a little prayer. I’m using the word God, but as always, use whatever term fits your faith.
Dear God,
I am very excited to begin a deeper relationship with You through communicating with the angels. Please send the perfect guardian angels or archangels to speak with me. Allow the messages to come through clearly and easily. Please help push my ego aside so that I can receive the information with full faith that it’s Divine in nature and perfect for helping me at this time. I ask that You send Archangel Michael to surround and protect me and this space during this time of angelic communication. And so it is . . .
I like to go about automatic writing like a conversation. If you don’t know the names of your guardian angels, then you might want to begin by introducing yourself and asking them to do the same, just as I did when I first met Joshua. If you do know the names of your angels, then you can either start by writing a hello to one of them, or something along the lines of: “Hi, this is Kathy. Who wants to talk today?” This allows your guardian angels (or perhaps even an archangel) to decide who has the most pertinent message for you in that moment.
Ask your question, then write down the answer as it comes to you. Don’t edit, and don’t rethink it. Just write freely, letting your hand move across the page without trying to direct it. The answers probably won’t sound like your voice and won’t use words you tend to use. Over time, you’ll also start to recognize the differences between the ways each of your guardian angels speak, and you’ll know immediately without asking who’s communicating with you.
Remember, if the answers are harsh, judgmental, or unkind, you’re in your ego. When this happens, ask Archangel Michael to clear that energy from your conversation, tear out the page to remove the ego-based conversation from your journal, and throw it away so that you can begin fresh.
In time, you won’t need the journal. You’ll just be able to start up a conversation with your angels in your private space, in the car, while going for a walk, or just about anywhere!
Lesson #8: Archangel Prescriptions
Many years ago, I discovered a way of working with the angels when I needed their help that I’ve found to be amazingly simple, effective, and supportive. I call this method “Archangel Prescriptions.”
Imagine yourself standing in a room or out in nature. Envision four angels surrounding you, forming a square, with you being the magical person in the middle. (Remember that 4 is the number that represents angels.)
Now choose the angels for whatever situation you want help with. If you’re just looking to have your angels’ general protection and companionship for the day, you might select two archangels to stand before you and two of your guardian angels behind you. For topics you consider to be very important to you, opt for four archangels.
The key is to let your intuition guide you as to which archangels you ask to walk with you and which of the four positions to place them in. I initiate every walk with my angels by asking for Archangel Uriel’s help. Many people simply wouldn’t go anywhere without Archangel Michael.
Since Archangel Michael is known for safety and protection, you might choose him as one of the archangels blazing a trail in front of you. If you’re feeling as though other people might not be being as honest or kind as you deserve, you might choose to put your guardian angels in front of you so that you know that Archangel Michael has “got your back.” Then, if you’re having trouble staying optimistic, you might want your fourth angel to be Archangel Jophiel. She can help you to see the positive in every situation by beautifying your thoughts. Think of her as angelic rose-colored glasses (but only in the most supportive of ways) for more serious situations.
Let’s look at some other examples of groupings of archangels for specific topics. Say that you’re looking to find a romantic partner. One possible group of archangels you might ask to walk with you would be Raphael, Chamuel, Jophiel, and Raguel. Archangel Raphael is known to have done some matchmaking in ancient texts. Chamuel can see anything and everything, so he knows exactly where the perfect match for you is and how to make your paths cross. Archangel Jophiel can help you to remain positive and create a beautiful experience for everyone. Archangel Raguel can make things go smoothly and assure that everyone is being open and honest about their feelings.
If your concern is career or life purpose, you might start with Ariel, the archangel of abundance and prosperity. Add in Archangel Jeremiel, who specializes in life reviews, to help you understand where you’ve been and where you are now in order to get a grasp on where you want to go. Then consider including Archangel Michael, known for helping people understand their life purpose, and Uriel, the archangel of great ideas and epiphanies who also helps make you stand out in a crowd.
Of course, these aren’t the only groupings of archangels that can be created. Take a moment now to come up with lists of whom you might call upon for each situation in your life.
Lesson #9: Your Angelic Alphabet
One of the most powerful ways in which angels will speak to you is through signs. Remember, however, that there’s no need to learn all about the meaning of specific symbols to receive signs from the angels. Think of signs as a language of their own, with each symbol representing a letter of your angelic alphabet. The Universe is very happy to talk to you in any way you want it to, so you can also create your own symbolism. For example, my mom loved pink roses and owls, so my sister and I have come to see pink roses or owls that pop up unexpectedly as signs that our mother is sending her love.
In this lesson, you’re going to make a list of signs that you would like the Universe to use when communicating with you. It’s best if the symbols you choose aren’t things that you see every day. If you are a lover of orchids and your home is full of them, then it might not be a very effective symbol for you to give to Heaven to use.
Also, don’t make it extremely difficult for the angels to use your alphabet. If you live somewhere very warm where it never snows, a snowflake might not be such a great choice (though it’s not impossible!). Conversely, you don’t have to live in Africa to have an elephant as a sign. Your angels may just show you elephants painted on coffee cups or in magazine ads. You might also want to incorporate some traditional signs into your alphabet. I’ve already noted that feathers, coins, and butterflies are very common signs that your angels are with you and want you to know they love you and wish to communicate with you.
Take some time now to create your angelic alphabet of signs. Write down each sign you want the Universe to use and what it means to you. Then ask the Divine to use your alphabet to talk to you! Over time, the list will expand as you get better at paying attention to the messages you’re getting.