Who Are Angels?
First, I want to share with you how excited the angels are about this book. Angels love books about angels! As I’ve been working on this book, the angels have sent me strong messages and made their presence often known. Your own guardian angels are thrilled that you picked up this book. They know it means you want to have a closer relationship with them and learn how to better communicate with angels in general.
There is an angel for every time and purpose under heaven. Angels who watch over you from birth until you return to Spirit, angels who help you heal, angels who are teachers, even angels who can assist you in marketing a product! We’ll learn about many of them in this section. But remember, there are always angels uniquely qualified to help you with even the most specific, esoteric tasks. The angel realm is asking me to assure you that there are angels equipped for the digital age, who can aid you with modern problems or anything new you are trying to invent. The angels tell me they are “light-years” ahead of us regarding these matters. All you have to do is request their help.
Guardian Angels
Let’s start by discussing the type of angel people are most familiar with: guardian angels. Your guardian angels are different from your helper angels, and your guardian angels are not archangels. You will have relationships with many angels throughout your life, but the relationship you have with your guardian angels is the most intimate, the most constant.
Angels are Spirit’s helpers, Spirit’s right-hand entities. Think of Spirit as a conductor, and angels are musicians in a divine orchestra. Every musician has a unique part to play, and the part of each guardian angel is crucial, enormous: to guide and protect a single human life.
Your guardian angels were assigned to you at birth and took sacred vows to protect you and advocate for you throughout your soul’s journey on this planet. The energy of your guardian angels is a maternal energy: devoted, unconditional, protective. I’m not talking about a human maternal energy, but an archetypal one. A maternal energy that is divine and what we would think of as “perfect” or “ideal” or “pure.”
Have you ever had a child enter your life? Perhaps your own child or the child of a family member or close friend. Do you recall how it felt to hold that infant in your arms? To notice how small and delicate it was? To sense the sacred charge that comes with realizing how much this precious little being needs your affection, guidance, and protection? That is how your guardian angels feel about you. Not just when you were a baby, but when you are an adult in your prime, as you mature into the final days of your life, and every stage in between. Your guardian angels’ sense of duty toward you is not a job, but a calling. Like a mother, their calling is a labor of love.
Angels are noble creatures, creatures of virtue and honor. And your guardian angels have sworn loyalty to you. It is a promise made with great ceremony and soberness. A promise made to you and to Spirit, witnessed by every other angel in heaven.
Each human has guardian angels. And yes, I believe that is angels, plural. How many guardian angels you have varies from person to person, and I suspect the amount has something to do with the life path and challenges each individual soul will experience on earth. I was told by the angel realm that I have nine guardian angels. My initial thought was, So many, just for me? The answer I heard immediately back from the angel realm was, “You deserve it.” And you know what? We each deserve all of our guardian angels. Your guardian angels are a gift from Spirit. But they are a gift you do not have to earn, a gift that will never be taken back. The love and healing energy of your guardian angels is your birthright.
Your guardian angels will never abandon you, never forsake you, never punish you, never judge you. This knowledge can be very comforting for those who were abandoned or abused either as a child or an adult, and for these people I believe it is especially healing to develop greater communication with, and a closer bond to, their guardian angels.
Your guardian angels already know the flight plan of your life, as it was laid out before your birth, just like your soul is already aware of many of the sorrows, challenges, accomplishments, and joys you will experience here on earth. Your guardian angels have agreed to stay with you during all of these predestined events as well as see you through the wild-card aspects of your life, which are undecided and in constant flux. Your guardian angels will help you face any foe, walk through any fear, and savor all the joy and pleasure in life. They will never leave you, no matter how grave the danger, just as they will never decide that your life is going so well that you simply don’t need them anymore. They are in it for better or worse.
You are the top priority of your guardian angels. They are always with you. They never have something more important or more pressing to be concerned with. Like a mother forever trailing behind her curious, active toddler to make sure the child stays out of trouble, so your guardian angels are always hovering nearby. Your guardian angels are so closely linked to you that they will often know your needs and desires before you do, just as a mother knows the signs that show a child is hungry or tired. This is how angels can save people from accidents in a split second, or bring you an unexpected treat or change to your schedule that leaves you thinking, Wow, I didn’t realize it until now, but this was exactly what I needed today.
Although your guardian angels are creatures that possess phenomenal power and gifts, there is a limit to how much they can help you. If it is someone’s time to pass on to heaven, a guardian angel cannot interfere and save their life. Nor can a guardian angel save you from an experience that your soul chose to be a part of (illness, war, etc.), either to help someone else, heal the planet, or simply to learn and grow. Your guardian angels are also bound by your own free will. They can give you guidance and send people and resources into your life to aid you, but it is often up to you to accept or deny this help, to act on this guidance or not.
What can your guardian angels do? They can help you achieve the divine missions your soul came to earth to accomplish. They perform this feat by giving you intuitive information about the best decisions you can make in a situation, decisions that lead to your highest good, the highest good of those around you, and your best possible life. They help you by sending advantageous people and opportunities to you. And they help you by comforting you, and giving you their strength and courage. Your guardian angels will always guide and protect you, but because you have free will the more you invite your angels to assist you, the greater role they can play in your life.
The main reason your guardian angels are so excited to see you reading this book is because they want to have a closer connection with you. Your guardian angels know the more you learn about them, and the better you get at communicating with them, the more you will ask for your guardian angels’ assistance, the more you will recognize their presence, and the more your guardian angels can guide you and aid you.
Angel Affirmation: My guardian angels always have my back. Because of my guardian angels, I know I will never walk alone.
Angel Exercise:
Learn the Names of Your Guardian Angels
Feel closer to your guardian angels by calling them by name. For this exercise, go to a room that is quiet, where you can shut the door to block out other people’s energy and concentrate. Sit still, close your eyes, calm your mind, and ask your higher self for the name of one of your guardian angels. Often your higher self or one of your guardian angels will answer by placing the name into your head. This name might appear as written letters in your mind: S-A-R-A, for example. Or you might hear the name Sara whispered into your ear. This exercise can be repeated as often as you like, until you feel you have received the names of all of your guardian angels. Some angels have regal names, like Celestia, while other names might be more practical, like the name of one of my guardian angels, Sharon. Once you ask, the first name that pops into your head is the most accurate.
Don’t despair if you try this exercise for a few minutes and no name comes. Take a break and try the exercise again later on. If you feel like you can’t get a solid intuitive hit on a name, it might be that your guardian angels are inviting you to give them names. If this is the case, give each of your guardian angels a name that makes you feel cherished and protected every time you think of it. When I was told by the angel realm that one of my guardian angels is named Samantha, I had to laugh. It was my favorite name as a little girl, which is why I named my beloved teddy bear Samantha, a teddy bear I kept with me even through college, long after I had outgrown stuffed animals. Obviously I loved that name because my guardian angel was whispering her name in my ear, and obviously I loved that teddy bear so much because it was, unbeknownst to my conscious mind, a connection to my angels. If there is a name you have always been attracted to, it might be the name of one of your guardian angels.
Come up with two or three names, and then ask if there are still more guardian angels assigned to you who would like nicknames. You’ll know you’ve come up with a good guardian angel nickname if thinking of it or saying it out loud makes you feel warm and peaceful, gives you chills and the hairs on your arms stand up, or brings a smile to your face. You can use this exercise for every member of your family, because every person has guardian angels assigned to them at birth.
Write down the names of your guardian angels, and feel free to call them by name when you ask them for comfort or guidance. In time you may get to know each of your guardian angels better, even sensing their individual personalities, learning which guardian angel is best to call upon in different situations, etc. My guardian angel Sharon has a very comforting, nurturing personality. Another guardian angel of mine named Grace is very optimistic and reverent. And Lucinda is a guardian angel assigned to me who is dramatic and a bit of a diva (she’s great to call upon when I need to bring out my own inner diva).
Using your guardian angels’ names might help you stay more connected to them, or make your guardian angels seem more “real” to you. Asking for help or guidance for a family member by addressing your loved one’s guardian angels by name can also make you feel more empowered and connected to the angel realm.
Helper Angels
Besides guardian angels, each human also has access to an endless amount of helper angels. Unlike guardian angels who stay with you throughout your life, helper angels usually come and go. They appear when a need arises, and then fly away when their job is finished.
Like archangels, helper angels each have certain areas of expertise. If you are working on launching a new product, you might pray for some PR helper angels to lend a wing with your publicity campaign. PR helper angels might send you great marketing ideas and perfect people to pitch for press coverage. If you are facing an intimidating diagnosis, ask for healing helper angels to surround you with their transformational energy. Healing helper angels can also gift you and your healthcare providers with the wisdom required for your recovery, and give you the courage and peace to face the healing or chronic-illness management journey ahead.
There are countless angels in heaven to aid you, and there are specific helper angels qualified to handle any request you offer up. Some helper angels might only be with you for an afternoon; if, for example, you ask for a helper angel who specializes in fashion and shopping to assist you in picking out the ideal dress. Other helper angels could be with you for decades if the project requires it. For example, you may be a concert pianist who asks for a helper angel who specializes in music and performance. This angel might remain with you throughout your career.
The angels told me that you can get as specific as you want when requesting a helper angel. If you are a singer, one helper angel might be a voice coach, another angel can help you with stage presence, another angel could help you with stage clothes, another angel would help you in choosing songs and arrangements, and still another angel might help with management and bookings. Get the idea?
Helper angels are not often committed to being at your side throughout your entire life, as guardian angels are, but helper angels are still devoted, loving creatures. Some of your helper angels may have even been assigned to you before birth, when your life path was being designed by Spirit. Those helper angels probably agreed to be with you during important transitions, and see you through pivotal projects and relationships at set times in your life. These helper angels will show up whether you ask them to or not. Other helper angels needed for less serious, critical issues might only appear if you let them know you want their input.
Helper angels are highly capable experts in their fields. They are professional and possess abilities that can really bring the wow factor to any project or situation. After all, no one has higher standards than heaven! Each helper angel will aid you the same way any other angel would: by sending you enlightened ideas, appropriate partners, unique opportunities, and, of course, straight-up miracles.
Angel Affirmation: Helper angels possess a diverse array of skills and specialties, and are always available to assist me with any task. All I have to do is ask!
If You See an Angel …
Fear not. This is the Bible’s suggestion when you see an angel, and it’s great advice. But why would you be afraid if, for instance, your guardian angel—someone who loves you unconditionally and eternally—appeared before you? After writing about angels for more than a decade, I’ve had many people share with me their encounters with these beings of light, and I’ve read about still more, both modern encounters with angels and ancient tales of humans communing with these magnificent, diverse, and dynamic divine creatures. Usually people sense an angel’s presence, or hear an angel’s voice, but sometimes folks actually see an angel.
Humans who see these entities are sometimes, though certainly not always, initially terrified at being in the presence of a divine angel with wings. Many times these are folks who believe in angels, and know that angels are benevolent creatures devoted to serving, loving, and protecting humans. Therefore I never understood why seeing an angel would provoke a sense of fear in humans … until I saw an angel myself.
One day I was in my bedroom at home working on a project, so engrossed that I hadn’t looked away from the computer screen for some time. Suddenly I sensed a presence behind me. I could feel their energy, and the skin on my neck tingled like a kind of primal alarm system. I glanced up to see if someone, maybe my husband, had entered the room. Over my writing desk, which faced a wall, hung a large mirror. When I looked up at the mirror I could always see who was walking in the bedroom door behind me. But when I looked into the mirror that day I gasped. Standing just behind my desk chair was an angel: tall and graceful and very real. Although she appeared muted and soft, I could make out her features and her dress very clearly. She appeared to me the way most people report seeing a divine angel in physical form: wearing a long white robe with hair that fell in ringlets around her shoulders, donning a golden rope at her waist, and possessing two gigantic wings covered in hundreds of white feathers. The sheer size of these wings alone terrified me! Her wings seemed so powerful. In fact, there was an energy coming off this incredible being that was, frankly, intimidating. I knew at once when I saw her that this was a mighty creature, capable of more than I could guess.
My heart beat hard and fast in my chest while the rest of me sat there still as a deer surprised in the woods, watching this otherworldly being in the mirror as she slowly moved—floated—out of view. The whole experience lasted about thirty seconds. Once I felt able I turned around in my chair. The room was empty—or at least it appeared to my human eyes that the room was now empty.
The angel I saw was exactly as many others have described. Of course I have heard different versions of this image over the years (please also note that people I’ve spoken with have seen angels—with wings—of all ethnicities). I learned later from the angels that the angel I saw is named Samantha, and she is one of my lead guardian angels. Samantha brings me wisdom and insight from the angel realm and the world of Spirit in general. That’s a big role to play in my life and I am indebted to this angel for her constant assistance. And it explains her presence in my bedroom that day: I was working on my guided journal, Heaven on Earth. Samantha had obviously come to guide me as I wrote. Now I know that even though I can’t always see her, this guardian angel is always right beside me when I am working on a book.
Later, of course, like many people who are initially frightened by encountering a divine angel in physical form, seeing an angel became one of my most treasured memories. But at the moment my angel sighting was happening, having a being from another dimension with feather wings suddenly appear before me unannounced was incredibly unnerving. For most people, seeing an angel is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But there are exceptions. There are people, such as Irish author and activist Lorna Byrne, who see angels often. Some people are good at math, and some people are good at seeing angels! And although I hear angels often, I don’t normally see them. No matter what society, or any individual, would have you believe, in spiritual truth none of us is more worthy or special than another. We each have unique talents and gifts. When I have asked the angel realm about Lorna Byrne, the word that comes to me is witness. She was singled out to bear unique witness to the angel realm by seeing angels often, and to share what she experiences with the world, just as each of us is given certain experiences and opportunities to share something unique and important with the world—whether that is directly touching the lives of a few people or millions. (When I asked the angels about me, the word they gave me was messenger. I do believe I am destined to recieve messages from Spirit and share them with others.) Remember, even if you are not influencing on the scale that an author like Lorna is, everyone you touch, aid, heal, love, protect, or teach has an impact on many other lives. The angels are showing me an image of a single drop of water hitting a pond. There is a ripple effect to all your actions, just like the drop of water has a ripple effect, and just as its presence contributes to the size and makeup of the pond as a whole. Lorna is very precious, but so are you. And whether you see angels or not, they are always nearby, and the angels are asking me to tell you that they love each and every one of us “enormously.”
Other common ways angels appear—in distilled divine states similar to having wings—are as a bright or glowing white light, as small dots of colored lights, or as what looks like white vapor or mist. When angels appear in their divine state, they don’t tend to say much—or if they do the message is very brief and to the point.
But often angels will take on a human form when they visit you, like when the angel Clarence Odbody visits George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. It is more typical to see an angel in human form than in their full divine glory (feather wings and flowing robe, or bright white light). Possibly this human disguise is assumed so that the angels won’t scare us so badly that we wet our pants when they appear! Can you imagine if George Bailey had been visited by an angel who was not disguised as a human? Considering the day George was having, that might have sent him completely over the edge. Also, assuming a human form allows angels to move freely in public, and interact with you in public, if the situation requires this.
I’ve heard and read far more stories from people who have encountered angels in human form. These angels offer information, comfort, or assistance, and then vanish. The people who interacted with the angel in human form will usually go back to the hospital or police station or store where they saw this helpful person and ask to speak to the individual who assisted them so they can thank them properly. “Never had anyone working here by that name and description” is a standard response. It is only then that these folks realize that the person who saved their life, inspired them, or made them smile was really an angel. Yet when people reflect on the details of their experience with an angel in human form, they probably remember there being something different about this stranger they encountered, something different that was noticeable from the beginning. Angels assuming human form often have very kind eyes, for example, or have a calming, soothing energy that becomes infectious to those around them. They might seem to know everything about you, even though they are strangers. Angels who assume human form are often remarkably sweet tempered and say just the right thing. Or they might appear out of the blue just when help is required, and then vanish just as quickly afterward—without leaving footprints or tire tracks behind them.
No matter how an angel appears to you—in human form or in a divine state—angels tend to manifest in physical form to us at pivotal moments. Angels can materialize in life-and-death situations when you need assistance (an angel might save you from drowning or dying in a car wreck—sometimes in these cases you will not see the angel, only feel their hands pulling you to safety). Angels might show up at a crossroads in your career (an angel in human form might give you wise counsel and encourage you to pursue a certain path, or an angel with wings might appear as you are typing away on a book, signaling you have a potential career as an author). Angels may come around when you desperately need to know you are loved (an angel in human form might visit you like Clarence visited George Bailey and convince you that you are precious and important). Angels may offer their services when you require comfort or courage (an angel in human form might pray with you or hold your hand in a hospital waiting room).
Angels can appear in physical form at small moments too. Angels love to inspire you and aid you even with everyday matters. It’s fun for them to show up, assume a human form, and lend a hand when you are stressed or tired or in a jam. That’s why you will occasionally encounter an endearing stranger who seems unrealistically happy to change your tire or pick up your tab—it’s an angel getting joy from doing a good deed. If a stranger appears right when you need them, and is extremely kind and generous, it could very well be an angel in disguise. If you realize later that it was an angel who helped you, the treasured memory can increase your faith and your connection to the angel realm.
If you have never seen an angel, that does not mean angels aren’t with you. You have probably unknowingly encountered an angel in human form. People who have seen an angel in their divine state are not loved more or favored more by Spirit. There simply exists a veil between this world and the next that must remain intact to a degree. I believe when you see an angel in a divine state (wings, bright light) that veil is parted for a moment, and it’s an event that just doesn’t happen every day and isn’t supposed to happen every day to the majority of people. (As always, there are exceptions: People who regularly see spirits or angels.) You may even long to see an angel in its divine state, and pray to see one, and still never have the experience in this life. Why? It’s a mystery.
However, making contact with your angels via the other methods discussed in this book (see chapters 3, 4, and 5) is much easier and more common, and can allow you to create daily contact with your angels.
Angel Affirmation: When I hear a story about someone seeing an angel, my guardian angels simply want me to take it as a reminder that they are real and always with me.
Hospitals Are Staffed by Angels
There is a sub-group of helper angels known as hospital angels. Like other healing helper angels, hospital angels’ sole purpose is to facilitate healing on an emotional, physical, and spiritual level. But hospital angels aren’t assigned to one patient for the duration of their healing journey, as other healing helper angels might be. Nor do hospital angels follow the practice of a single healthcare professional by shadowing him or her exclusively during their work, as healing helper angels will. Hospital angels are just what their name implies: angels who are attached to one hospital as a whole. Hospital angels’ allegiance is to everyone in the hospital, just so long as those people are within its walls. An exception would be ambulances or helicopters that transport patients to the hospital. Although not technically located in the hospital, hospital angels are most definitely along for those rides!
Like nurses, technicians, housekeeping staff, and doctors, hospital angels are on call twenty-four hours a day, working in shifts, just as humans work at hospitals in shifts. These angels aren’t only hanging out in the hospital chapel (although there is an angel always on duty in the chapel, an angel whose large presence is like a very soft white light, an angel who is an expert at comforting and consoling and restoring hope). Hospital angels are highly skilled celestial candy stripers who roam the halls looking for patients or healthcare professionals in need of assistance. And of course these hospital angels perform daily rounds just like doctors and nurses, where they check up on all the patients in the building.
Whenever you are visiting a healthcare professional in their non-hospital office or small clinic, or are receiving a healing service of any kind, please know there is a healing helper angel present. Wherever there is healing, there are angels. But it can be very reassuring for people who are entering a hospital as a patient, people who are visiting a loved one in the hospital, or folks who work at a hospital to know that they are surrounded by angels specifically assigned to that hospital. Hospitals can be chaotic places where decisions sometimes have to be made very quickly, where life-and-death procedures are performed daily, and where diagnoses that are serious and may come as a shock to the patient and their families are routine. Therefore hospitals can be especially anxiety producing to the people inside. Knowing that Spirit’s invisible guardians are all around can do a lot to put those staying, visiting, or working in a hospital at ease.
If you or a loved one is a patient, angels will be doing a lot of hand-holding, working on giving you and your loved one patience, strength, courage, hope, and peace. Likewise these angels will also aid patients on a physical level to help speed up the healing process. Please remember, though, angels cannot save someone if it is their time to pass on. Likewise, an angel cannot spare someone from an injury or an illness that will serve their soul’s growth, or enable them to serve others, and is part of a larger divine plan. But angels can do an enormous amount to ensure a patient passes away as peacefully as possible, and they do their best to make sure that patients receive excellent care and plenty of mercy. Don’t be surprised if an angel appears to you in human form and is very helpful or consoling. When you ask the hospital staff about this person later, you may get this response: “No one by that name or description works here.”
If you are a healthcare professional, it can be daunting to know how much patients depend upon you. Rest assured that there are angels right beside you while you work, providing medical insight, steadying your own emotions, and guiding your hands. You are not alone—you are divinely supported. Hospital angels are exceptional healers, and can help on a very practical level. Picture them in white coats and stethoscopes or in scrubs with masks over their faces—only they are also sporting a giant pair of wings!
The next time you find yourself in a hospital, take a moment to picture angels all around—sitting at the reception desk, standing behind the equipment, sticking to your doctor’s side—and breathe a sigh of relief. When you are in the hospital as a patient, visitor, or healthcare professional, you are under the care, guidance, and protection of angels.
Angel Affirmation: There are angels dedicated to serving those who work and heal in hospitals. Whenever I am in a hospital, I am always under an angel’s care.
What Are Spirit Guides?
When we talk about receiving messages from Spirit, in truth you could receive spiritual guidance from many different avenues: from angels, from spirit guides, from loved ones who have passed on, from ascended masters, or from Spirit itself—to name a few. I thought it might be helpful to touch on this briefly, just so you know that not every intuitive insight you get comes from an angel (insights could even come from your own soul, your own higher self). As you work more with the realm of Spirit, you will be able to tell who is talking to you or sending you guidance. There can be a lot of voices running around in your head if you are very intuitive and adept at communicating with the Spirit world. I have gotten to the point in recent years where I can tell if I’m getting a message from my mother who passed away, Jesus, one of my guardian angels (hey, Sharon!), or Spirit itself. In time it is possible that you too can become this in tune with your spiritual support system if you are highly intuitive and work on building your intuitive muscles and connecting with and identifying your spiritual guidance team.
We’ve already talked about some of the angels you will get messages from: helper angels, archangels, and guardian angels. Again, you can hone in with practice and time and learn to distinguish one angel from another, although it’s not necessary to do so. The important thing is the message, not which angel is giving it. I realize I am partial to angels, but I feel most of the intuitive guidance I get comes from angels. This actually makes sense as angels are the messengers of Spirit. Taking our messages up to Spirit and bringing messages back down from heaven is simply one of the things angels do best. Also our guardian angels are devoted to us in a way that other spirits may not be. You should feel comfortable calling on ascended masters such as Jesus and Buddha; you can actually access their energy any time and their spirits are able to be all places at once. But as you know, guiding you is not their entire purpose. However, your guardian angels are always nearby and you are their top priority. Also I don’t think spirit guides can jump in and intervene in the dramatic ways an angel can (like saving you from a fire, performing a miracle healing, etc.).
Just like with angels, your spirit guides will deliver guidance, comfort, and inspiration. Spirit guides are usually people who have lived before, are passed on, and have chosen to help you navigate your earthly journey. They will have something important in common with you (mastered a career you are entering, for example). Spirit guides either signed on as your spirit guide via a soul contract before you were born or you picked them up along the way once you got to earth. I’ll give two examples of spirit guides of my own, a Native American shaman and Keith Moon, the famous drummer of The Who.
I believe the Native American spirit guide signed on with me before I was born, and perhaps we shared a past life together. I do have Native American heritage (my great-great-grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee) and I have always had an interest in Native American culture. I believe this spirit guide helps connect me to the earth and grounds me in a love of and respect for nature. This spirit guide is also a mystic and can teach me much about connecting to the world of Spirit and the healing arts. I feel this spirit guide’s presence with me when I am in nature and sense the holy quality of the earth around me. This spirit guide was also once a warrior as a young man, and I feel him with me whenever I have to find my courage and tackle a big challenge or fight for what I believe in. I imagine that this spirit guide will be with me for life.
Keith and I made a connection after I read a biography of him. I was drawn to his sweet, mischievous energy. I sensed he was very tenderhearted, and that in life he’d had a lot of demons and regrets. I felt he was a highly intelligent, extremely talented romantic who loved deeply, and he communicated to me that his biggest regret was dying young and subsequently not being a part of his daughter’s life. Learning about Keith’s life and personality helped me understand an important relationship in my own life that was causing me some anxiety at the time (the fact that I love rock and roll—and Keith’s drumming—probably helped my bond with Keith too). For a few years, whenever I got upset or down, Keith’s favorite song, the Beach Boys’ “Don’t Worry Baby,” would suddenly come on the radio. I don’t sense Keith’s energy with me very often anymore, because he taught me what I needed to learn from him. (As soon as I finished writing this paragraph about Keith, I went on Facebook and guess what was at the top of my news feed? A live concert video posted by Keith Moon’s Facebook page.)
Keep in mind that these spirit guides will still have many of the same personality traits they had in life. If you call upon a famous artist who was a workaholic in life to help you with a project, for example, he might encourage you to burn the midnight oil—perhaps a bit more than you are comfortable with or is good for you.
As you can probably guess, I am only touching on the world of spirit guides and the larger spiritual support system that I believe we each have (again, relatives who have passed on are also part of this support system, and you may feel the presence of a particular loved one on a regular basis, as I do my mother, who I believe has signed on to be one of my spirit guides).
Angel Affirmation: Angels have lots of help in guiding and supporting me. There is a whole team of spirits in heaven who care for me.
Angels of Mercy
If you are scared or hopeless or in pain, one of the most calming, comforting prayers you can offer up is to an angel of mercy. Just calling upon these powerful helper angels will instantly make you feel more peaceful, protected, and hopeful, no matter how intimidating the challenges you face.
Every angel is capable of sprinkling mercy and grace over a situation or person, but there exists a specific group of helper angels who are dedicated to missions of mercy. Angels cannot always spare you from a physical, emotional, or spiritual wound, but an angel of mercy can dress that wound and speed its healing. Angels cannot always help you avoid a path of challenges and obstacles, but angels of mercy can walk beside you and lay rose petals down in front of your next steps.
The angel realm assures me the angels of mercy are an extremely large group of helper angels, large beyond human comprehension, because there is so much suffering in the world. When people think, whisper, or scream prayers of desperation, when humans are crying out or even begging for Spirit’s intercession, it is often an angel of mercy who is sent by Spirit to answer these pleas. The angels are showing me pictures of angels of mercy on battlefields, and angels of mercy sitting by hospital beds. Wherever there is poverty, there are angels of mercy. Wherever people are imprisoned, there are angels of mercy. Wherever there are people living in fear or hatred, there are angels of mercy. You may not have money in the bank, but you always have angels of mercy. You may lose your health, but you will never lose the angels of mercy. You may not be able to exercise your freedom, but you can always exercise the mighty influence of the angels of mercy.
The angels have given me an image of a flock of angels of mercy. In this vision they are floating silently but very swiftly to those in need, because the angels of mercy would never make a suffering creature wait a moment for the benefit of their aid and presence. These angels of mercy I see have a very intent, somber look on their faces because they take their jobs so seriously and because often the circumstances of their assignments are so serious. They can feel the intensity of the pain in humans that they are working to alleviate, and angels of mercy take on your problems as if they were their own.
It should be noted that while angels of mercy often intervene in dire, extreme circumstances, you do not have to be at the end of your rope to call upon an angel of mercy. Any time you are facing a challenging situation—from preparing for a difficult talk with a coworker or family member to wanting to make new friends after switching towns or schools—is an ideal occasion to call upon an angel of mercy to bring opportunities, people, and ideas into your life that will make these situations easier and more pleasant. Angels of mercy are “happy,” they tell me, to take on any assignment, large or small.
You will feel the presence of these angels and know that they are with you when you experience an undeniable sense of peace despite the circumstances of your crisis, as if the angels of mercy have swooped down, picked you up, and flown you into the calm eye of the storm. Angels of mercy will give you emotional assistance by making you feel at ease, powerful, brave, faithful, sure, worthy, forgiven, or even joyful. Once these angels have wrapped their wings around you, it will feel as if you have been granted sanctuary. They will also give you very practical assistance by sending opportunities, people, and ideas to help you. This might look like suddenly getting a recommendation for the perfect doctor if you are ill, or hearing about the perfect part-time job from a friend if your home is in need of major, expensive repairs. Or the angels might give you ideas about the best way to leave a toxic, abusive relationship, and it is up to you to summon the strength, determination, and faith to act on these nudges from the angels of mercy. If you are having trouble finding this strength, determination, and faith inside yourself, ask the angels of mercy to help you locate or remember it, or ask them if they can lend you some.
Remember that there is nothing that can bar you from the unconditional love and intervention of the angels of mercy. No person or organization or group can stop them from helping you—including yourself. Angels of mercy will assist whether you ask them to or not, whether you believe in them or not. However, the more you call upon them, the more you will be aware of their presence and recognize and therefore be able to act on their guidance. And the more you call upon and acknowledge them, the more you invite the angels of mercy to play a greater role in your life. No matter what you have done or whom you have harmed, the angels of mercy are yours to utilize. You cannot do anything—anything—that will alienate these angels or make them turn their backs—and their wings—on you. The more wretched you feel, and the more cruel your actions, the more they will surround you, trying to convince you of a different way forward and pointing you onto a higher path. Angels of mercy come willingly, eagerly, and equally to all when called. There is no judgment from them regarding you or your situation. Only mercy and—the angels of mercy are asking me to add—forgiveness. The angels of mercy are telling me that they are the angels of second, third, fourth, etc. chances. If you are having trouble forgiving yourself for something, or want help forgiving someone else, ask the angels of mercy to help.
The angels of mercy have a very special request they want me to share with you: More than any other group of helper angels, the angels of mercy need your assistance. Angels often put ideas in our heads and feelings in our hearts about how we can act as human angels. So the next time you get the impulse to make life a little kinder and gentler for someone who is hurting, go ahead and give them a second chance. Help them get back on their feet. Offer them a smile and some encouraging words. Donate to a cause that will benefit them. The angels of mercy will thank you and say a special blessing over your life.
Angel Prayer: Spirit, please remind me that angels of mercy surround me whenever I am scared or in pain, and that I may call on them any time for comfort, grace, healing, and courage.
Angels Are More Like Us than We Think
One of the strongest messages I received from the angel realm while writing this book was also the most surprising: Angels are more like us than we think.
Usually our minds are focused on how different angels are. Often angel experts and intuitives talk about how angels are always near, always eager to help. I agree wholeheartedly. One reason angels are able to give so much is because the physical laws that govern heaven are vastly different than the ones that govern earth. The angels are telling me that the easiest way to explain this in terms we can understand is: There are no physical laws in heaven. For example, angels are not run ragged and exhausted by their constant giving and presence in the lives of so many because angels can be everywhere at once.
Anita Moorjani, author of Dying to Be Me: My Journey from Cancer, to Near Death, to True Healing, addresses this phenomenon when she talks about her near-death experience. In her lectures, Ms. Moorjani explains how, once she passed over to the other side, she learned that in heaven we are able to be with several loved ones still living at the same time—in other words, watch what they are doing on earth and really be near them, right beside them, as a spiritual presence. One person might be snuggled up in bed fast asleep, while another is busy working at their desk on the other side of the world. Yet once we pass over to heaven we can be with both of these people at the same time. Just like an archangel or ascended master can be with multiple people in different parts of the world at the same time. Ms. Moorjani finds it hard to describe this concept in earthly terms, as it makes no sense here, but according to her it makes perfect sense in heaven and is effortless to execute.
People who’ve had near-death experiences also relate being whole and healthy in heaven, and seeing relatives who struggled with severe physical limitations on earth in top physical shape and full of energy in heaven. This might be another reason that angels do not get tired or worn out from helping us the same way we might if we attempted to be available to someone twenty-four hours a day. Angels don’t have a human body that experiences fatigue and illness. Again, the physical laws that govern earth do not apply in heaven. This is one of the main ways humans and angels differ, and it’s a significant difference!
So how are angels like us? I believe angels have hearts and souls just like we do. Although they are not of this earth, and their home is in heaven, a dimension away, the angels are telling me that we should think of them more like the “cousins” of the human race.
Shakespeare makes reference to angels shedding tears in Measure for Measure. When a character pleads for mercy, she pronounces that man “plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven/as make the angels weep.” And the Bible speaks of angels rejoicing. I too believe that angels are deeply emotional creatures, who experience great joy at our triumphs and great sadness in our despair. A friend asked me if I thought angels felt anger. The angel realm is telling me they feel anger at injustice. The difference is the angels would not take out that anger on the person who perpetrated the injustice, or punish anyone. Would angels try and steer someone toward a more enlightened, loving path? Of course. But an angel’s forgiveness is like that of Spirit: immediate, complete, and unconditional. Again, this is another way angels differ from humans. The idea of angels possessing great emotional depth should not come as a shock. Dedicating your existence to helping others certainly requires it. Many angel experts and intuitives say that angels love to hear a thank you for the help they offer. Anyone with a heart would be touched to know that they truly helped someone, and that the person they helped was grateful.
Do angels have distinct, individual personalities? Yes, and identifying your guardian angels’ personalities can help you better connect to them. One of my lead guardian angels, Sharon, is very loving and maternal, the ultimate nurturer. I believe Sharon is the guardian angel I connect with most often because I have abandonment issues from childhood, and Sharon was obviously assigned to me before birth to help me navigate, heal, and address the deep need for love and acceptance that this life has challenged me with. The other guardian angel I connect with often is Samantha, who brings me wisdom and insight from Spirit. Another guardian angel, Windy, is just like her name: a free spirit, and she encourages that part of me that is a free spirit, a wanderer, a loner, an adventurer. Grace is optimistic, holy, and always sees the best in people. And Lucinda is an artistic diva. She cheers on my own artistic endeavors, pushes me to demand the best for myself and of myself, and has a sarcastic sense of humor. You can often get a hint about a guardian angel’s personality from their name. My guardian angels are a great team, mainly because each one is unique.
It’s easy to think of angels as one-dimensional props that are simply here to grant wishes, send messages to Spirit, or give us love and comfort. Angels are all those things. But I believe they are also far more dynamic. It’s equally easy to focus on the vast differences between humans and angels. But in many key respects we are very similar. That should make you feel more comfortable communicating with angels.
Angel Affirmation: Angels are like humans: endlessly fascinating, deliciously complex, and pure magic.
Angel Exercise:
Angel Blessing for Homes or Offices
A friend who was going through a rough patch once asked me if I could sense any angels around her. Even before I tried to tune in to my friend and her immediate family members, I was able to assure her that angels were definitely surrounding her, now more than ever in her hour of need.
But since we were sitting on her couch, the two of us alone in her apartment, the soft evening sun setting outside her windows, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try and ask the angel realm for the names of her guardian angels, as well as the names of the guardian angels of her husband and child. The names of my friend’s guardian angels and the guardian angels of her family members came quickly to me. (It’s interesting to note that my friend and her husband are of Jewish descent, and the names that came into my mind—both male names—for the guardian angels of her husband and her child are traditional Jewish names.)
Then a voice told me that there was also an angel who was guarding over her house. This communication from the angel realm came as a shock to me, because I hadn’t asked for it: I had simply asked for some names of my friends’ guardian angels and those of her husband and child. My friend let out a sigh when I told her there was an angel guarding over her house. Somehow this final bit of information from the angel realm made her feel most at ease. She felt she was covered from all angles now!
Since that day on my friend’s couch, the angel realm has communicated to me that what I told my friend is not uncommon: There are angels, probably a sub-group of helper angels, who specialize in protecting and watching over locations such as homes and offices and even woods, lakes, shorelines, oceans, and fields. So it is highly likely that there is an angel who is assigned to guard your home, as well as other guardian angels who are assigned to each member of the family in the home. What do these angels who watch over homes or specific locations do?
The angel realm is telling me that one of the chief tasks of these angels is to keep the energy of the home or space positive and loving—to increase the vibrational energy of the space, bringing it closer to the vibration of Spirit. In a practical sense this could mean family members getting along peacefully or if it is an office space that the work done there is ethical and of exceptional quality (these are outcomes the angels cannot control, only encourage.) The angels have also told me that these helper angels can clean an area. The angels show me an image of angels sweeping out a home with brooms, but what they are sweeping away is not dirt! It is old energy that can accumulate over time: arguments, illnesses, even intense joy and celebration can clutter the energy of a home over time. Your home should feel peaceful, like a safe womb to retreat to. The angels are also telling me that sometimes, probably without the knowledge of the people inhabiting a house, spirits might be hanging out. The angels are showing me an image of a homeless person living on the street in a makeshift cardboard box. That’s what these spirits are like—wanderers, sometimes old “ancestors,” the angels tell me, of people living in the house. The angels also tell me they may just be spirits who are “lost.” Often we will get a sign from a loved one on the other side. These loved ones, as most spirits do, have passed over to heaven and just come to visit us now and again. Popping in to say hi by letting you feel their presence, playing their favorite song on your radio, etc. But these homeless spirits are scared to, or don’t know how to, cross over. Usually you never even know these spirits are around, although the angels tell me you might sense that something is “off” about the vibe of the home (this happened to me, and I did, which is rare for me, actually see a ghost in that home later on). But an angel who guards and cleans houses can help these spirits travel to their true home, to heaven.
The following exercise can help maximize or increase the energy of the angel realm in a space you regularly inhabit, as well as clear or reset the general energy of the space. It can be fun to do this exercise if you are moving into a new living space, or if the energy of your office or home feels negative or stagnant. If you perform this angel blessing on an office where there are a lot of other coworkers, it might be best to do it remotely. That way you respect the belief systems of your coworkers (perhaps they are not comfortable with the idea of angels). If you do the exercise remotely, simply picture yourself in the space performing the blessing instead of physically standing in the space as you go about this ritual. I like to perform this ritual with a sage stick. Burning herbs, such as frankincense, in spiritual ceremonies is an ancient practice that has been part of many cultures and spiritual traditions. There is something about smoke, mist, and steam that is mystical and reminds us of Spirit, perhaps because these things appear to magically exist somewhere between the elements of fire, earth, water, and air, just as Spirit seems to be both of this world and not of this world. Sage in particular is known as a purifying agent, used by the ancient Celtic druids and the indigenous people of the Amazon. You can buy sage sticks online or many places where incense is sold. Simply light one and let the smoke fill the space you are purifying. The smell of sage is pungent and distinctive but pleasant (in my opinion). If you can’t find a sage stick or don’t like the odor of sage, try using any incense stick made of natural herbs—not artificial, chemical perfumes. Using some sort of incense stick adds an element of ancient ritual to this angel blessing, which will increase your ability to be present during the ceremony. Remember, always be mentally alert and responsible when working with anything that must be lit and then put out.
First, make sure you choose a time to do this angel blessing when you will be alone in the space, and there is no danger of interruption for at least half an hour. If you are doing this exercise remotely, simply make sure you can go to a quiet room with a door you can shut as you visualize the space you want to bless. You can either visualize a burning stick of incense or light some incense in the room where you will be doing the visualization.
Go to a corner of the room you want to bless. Wave your sage or incense stick around the area, and as you watch the smoke waft through the air, say, “Divine Spirit, please send an angel to guard over every corner and cranny of this space, and keep the energy of this space supportive, inspiring, and loving. Let this angel keep the people who live in, work in, or simply visit this space, safe and healthy. Let this angel help purify their hearts and minds, and finally let this angel bring them closer to you.”
Feel free to add your own message as well. You can personalize this angel blessing by listing the names of the people who inhabit this space, or you can list some of your specific concerns (maybe someone in the space is ill and needs extra support, healing, and positive energy, or perhaps two people in the space have been at odds recently and you hope an angel can help them work out their differences or clear some of the negative energy this bickering has left behind).
Repeat this angel blessing in each corner of the room you want to bless, or if you are blessing a large space with many rooms, you can simply stand in the middle of each room and perform the blessing. At times you may sense that an area of a room, or a whole room, has a thick energy that needs extra clearing. If so, simply stay in that room, waving your incense stick carefully and safely, a bit longer before moving on.
When you have blessed each corner or room of this space, you can carefully put out your sage or incense stick. Sit cross-legged or in a comfortable position in the center of the space or in the center of the main room of the space.
Close your eyes. Visualize an angel flying down from heaven, through the stars and the clouds and finally landing softly on the roof of this space. This angel has enormous wings, wings that are as big as the space itself. The angel wraps both of these wings around the space and settles in on the roof, like a momma bird settles into its nest. This angel is here to stay, here to support and protect this space and everyone in it.
Close the blessing by thanking the angel realm for clearing the energy of your space, and thank the angel who is now watching over the space.