How to Recognize
Angelic Guidance
The angels want to offer some clear and practical guidelines about how to recognize their guidance. Your relationship with your angels is special and unique, so always trust what resonates and feels true to you, but the following suggestions should help. You might find it’s easier for you to get angelic guidance by one or two of the methods outlined here, much more so than the others. This is normal and will vary from individual to individual. As always, run anything you believe to be angelic guidance through your own filter of common sense and intuition. The more you work with angelic guidance—by looking out for it and acting upon it—the better you will become at communicating with your angels and the more guidance your angels will send. It should also be noted that all of the methods of receiving intuitive guidance outlined here are the same ways that Spirit, ascended masters, spirit guides, and your own higher self can send you guidance.
Hearing Angelic Guidance
Have you ever heard a voice in your head, and known it wasn’t your own? When an angel, other spirit guide, ascended master, or even Spirit speaks and only you can hear it, the voice will feel disconnected from you, unlike one of your own thoughts or fears. This is sometimes referred to as clairaudience. These messages arrive quickly and fully formed, not like a thought of your own that takes a few seconds to develop or work through.
Often we think the same things over and over, and these messages from the angel realm will usually be unique ideas that come as a surprise. Perhaps the angels give you a solution to a persistent problem, a solution that you would not have arrived at on your own. The angels might reveal something about yourself, or your situation, that makes you feel comforted or confident or hopeful. Or, the angels might offer a warning that certain attitudes or actions are not appropriate or might even be dangerous.
Whatever the message, the angels will never deliver it in a way that feels scary. Even when their message is one of urgency or warning, it will be delivered in a calm, steady voice. (The exception to this being if you are crossing the street and about to be hit by a car. Then an angel might shout, “Look out!”) It is worth mentioning here that there are some mental illnesses where people “hear voices,” troubling voices that are not their own thoughts and feelings. This is not clairaudience or angelic communication. Angels will never tell you to hurt yourself or anyone else, and angelic voices will never feel tormenting, agitating, cruel, or distractingly constant.
Hearing your angels speak right into your inner ear can give you a wonderful sense of how close your angels are, and how closely they follow your thoughts, as much of what they say will be like a direct answer to your own thoughts.
Seeing Angelic Guidance
Sometimes we are given valuable information about our emotions or a situation in our life via an image that flashes through our mind. Again, this is one way the angels can send us messages, otherwise known as clairvoyance. One thing to always keep in mind if you are prone to getting angelic messages as pictures is that these images are sometimes a metaphor. Perhaps you’ve been looking back on your life, and wondering where Spirit was during your darkest hours. Suddenly you see a picture of yourself stranded in the middle of a stormy ocean. Yet you are holding on to a buoy, and able to safely float there in the middle of the sea. Your angels are trying to tell you that even though you have been through challenges, Spirit was always there, making sure you had what you needed to get through difficult times. Or perhaps you are embarking on a new business relationship, and an image flashes in your mind of your potential partner down on all fours, head bent to the ground, listening. The angels are telling you that one of your partner’s biggest talents is being able to know what is happening in your industry, what will sell and what won’t. She has her “ear to the ground.” Other times the image will have a simple meaning: a mental picture of your car glove box when you are wondering where you left your lipstick. If these images aren’t straightforward, it can be a fun game between you and your angels for your angels to send these visual puzzles and for you to try and interpret them.
Knowing Angelic Guidance
There are moments when we just know something, instantly. Most angelic communication comes quickly, or in a flash, but when the angels gift you with information that you suddenly just know, like a download from heaven, it happens faster than the blink of an eye. This is known as claircognizance.
Maybe you were watching a love scene in a movie, and a king informs his would-be queen that they must part, even though he loves her. As the camera zooms in for a close-up of the king as he delivers this message, in a flash you realize this is exactly how a former love felt about you: This person cared deeply for you, but felt strongly that a separation was to your mutual benefit, even though that decision was painful for your love to communicate—and painful for you to hear. Or perhaps you are simply lost on a car trip, and in the midst of the chaos and tension of those around you and your own anxious thoughts, you suddenly get a strong knowing about which way to go.
This method of angelic communication is useful because you don’t have to sit with or process the information given to you, even if it is about a complex relationship or situation—you understand the message instantly. It’s also a great way for angels to impart a lot of information to you quickly, handy for times like when you are giving a friend counsel and suddenly just the right words of insight or comfort or advice come out of your mouth. Or when you are working on a big project at a new job where you are inexperienced and all at once you understand how to solve a complex problem.
Feeling Angelic Guidance
Do you ever get a “gut” feeling about something? Possibly you met someone and felt an instant connection or “electric energy” move between the two of you, or just got a gut feeling that this person
—doctor, boss, teacher, Realtor, romantic partner, friend—is supposed to be in your life. Or have you read something in an article and gotten the uncanny sense that it applied exactly to your situation? Were you ever told a miraculous story, and had the hair on your arms stand on end? Can you walk into a room and feel the collective stress—or joy—of the people there? Or maybe you get a gut feeling of warning and foreboding about certain people or places. Are you sometimes overwhelmed by the emotions of others, as if you can actually experience their pain or excitement? This is called clairsentience, and if you are naturally highly clairsentient you are very sensitive to energy, and can sometimes find being out in the world a bit much!
This method of angelic communication is very common, so keep an open mind the next time you have a hunch, good or bad, about a person or a situation. It might be the angels trying to lead you in the right direction or connect you to the right person, and save you valuable time and energy. Angels also use feeling messages to tell you about the needs of friends and family. You might get an uncontrollable impulse to pick up the phone and call a friend. You’re not sure why, but you have a feeling she needs someone to talk to.
Numbers as Angelic Guidance
Angel expert Doreen Virtue often points out the significance of number sequences as angelic communication. The number 444 is the most common. Much like when Victorian ladies would visit a friend’s house and leave their card with the butler if their acquaintance wasn’t home as a sign that they had called, so do angels use the number 444 as a calling card to let you know they are nearby. Catching sight of a clock at 4:44, seeing a bill for $4.44, or being given an address or phone number that includes 444 are all ways the angels remind you of their presence. Seeing the number sequence 444 can be especially comforting when you are waiting for news about a big project, working toward a long-term goal, or just feeling down and lonely.
Angels are also very aware of numbers that are significant just to you, and will send you those numbers as messages. If you’re favorite or lucky number is 21, and you’re going on a job interview and discover that the company is on the 21st floor, it could be a sign from your angels that this is indeed the job for you! Or maybe just as a thought crosses your mind about how you should view a situation in your life, you happen to glance at the number 21 on a calendar. The angels might be telling you that your insights are right on!
Synchronicity as Angelic Guidance
Carl Jung, the famous psychiatrist and philosopher, defined synchronicity as a “meaningful coincidence.” Perhaps you looked at your bank balance, thinking you really needed to take on some part-time work to make ends meet. That night an old colleague e-mails out of the blue and says he’s so busy that he has a job he must turn away—would you like to take on the project?
Is this a random coincidence, or the kind of meaningful coincidence Carl Jung wrote about? Most likely it’s full of meaning—the universe and your angels letting you know they have your back by sending exactly what you need. Synchronicities can be small things too, like when you are feeling hungry and someone offers you a snack, or when you’re wishing for more fun and your mate comes home early from work and suggests a bike ride.
Ever have people mention the same movie, song, or book to you over and over? Your angels probably know there is a message for you in this piece of art that will resonate with significance right now. Ever keep running into the same person, even a stranger, over and over again? The angels have probably timed these meetings because this person, or simply their presence, contains a message for you. Maybe this is someone you are meant to meet or spend more time with. Or perhaps this neighbor or fellow commuter is someone you see whenever you aren’t taking good care of yourself, or need to slow down, or are about to receive good news. When something or someone appears continually in your life, it’s a given that Spirit and the angels are sending them your way for a reason, like a clue on a treasure map. It’s not by chance—it’s synchronicity. Unsure what the message is behind the synchronicity? Get quiet and ask your guardian angels to give you the answer, either in words, pictures, knowledge, or feelings.
Dreams as Angelic Guidance
One of the biggest obstacles to receiving or recognizing angelic guidance is our own mind. Sometimes our heads have so many thoughts swirling around that we might not have room or space to recognize angel messages. The more instances throughout the day when we can sneak in some quiet moments, and train our brains to be still, the more open we become to angelic guidance.
When we’re asleep, it’s much easier for angels to get inside our heads and offer guidance—and sometimes lots of it! Ask yourself the following questions to discern whether a dream was just something random or an important message from an angel, your higher self, etc. Do you have a strong, clear memory of the dream, even if you usually have no memories of your dreams or only foggy memories? Did the dream seem to end right before you woke up? Did the dream feel more real, or vivid to you, than your normal dreams? Does the dream feel significant to you, like there was a message in it you needed to hear? Did the dream give you practical information that your conscious mind was not aware of, like the specific name of a supplement, company, or person you have never heard of before? Did someone from the other side, like a loved one who passed, visit you in the dream? Did an angel visit you in your dream? Was there information about a specific future event in your dream? Answering yes to any of these questions might indicate that an angel was communicating with you while you slept.
Angel Oracle Cards as Angelic Guidance
Angel oracle cards have become increasingly popular in recent years, thanks to the many decks created by Doreen Virtue. They are yet another way to receive guidance from your angels. Angels love these cards, because angels are always excited about new ways to communicate with you. The concept is based on the tarot system, which no doubt angels have used to communicate with people in the past. Only these angel oracle cards are dedicated to angels and usually depict images of angels and archangels. Angels are honored by these images and, sure, get a kick out of being in the spotlight! The messages written on the cards are penned in the voice of an angel: loving, encouraging, and gentle—even when the cards also offer a warning or suggest you make changes.
Look at a few different angel oracle decks at your local bookstore or new age shop and see which deck calls to you. Most will have a book inside that explains each card and offers you tips about giving yourself and others a reading. But really all you need to do is ask the angels a question and draw a card, or simply draw a card with nothing special in mind to see what the angels most want you to know right now. Shuffle the cards, and when you get the feeling you should stop and draw one, do so. That feeling is an angel nudging you. I like to see which cards stick out or even fly out as I’m shuffling, and those are the cards I use for my reading. Whatever you do, don’t get hung up on the process. You can’t pick a wrong card—angels are always guiding your hands.
I started using tarot cards as a teenager and switched over to angel oracle cards many years ago. I personally prefer the angel oracle cards (if tarot or another type of card deck works better for you, that’s great). I get amazing accuracy and insight through angel oracle cards when reading for myself and for others (go to tanyarichardson.com to book an Angel Reading with me). The cards are simple to use and interpret. No need to be intimidated by them! It really is fascinating how the angels make sure just the right card emerges at the right time. As with all other variations of angelic guidance, you’ll get better at and more comfortable with angel oracle cards as you practice over time.
Family and Friends as Angelic Guidance
Spirit speaks to us through our loved ones, because that is one of the best and most direct ways to reach us. It’s common for your angels to put an idea into the mind of one of your friends, knowing they will share the idea with you. Ever had a friend or family member tell you exactly what you needed to hear to feel comforted, courageous, hopeful, loved, or safe? Ever had a friend or family member give you the perfect advice? Say something that gave you chills? An angel probably urged them to make this communication. Of course sometimes friends and family can drive us crazy, and say exactly the wrong thing! Or they might give us well-meaning advice that just doesn’t apply to our situation or doesn’t ring true. But when a friend or family member says something that resonates deeply with you just when you need to hear it—pay close attention. This might really be a message from your angels!
Angel Prayer: Dear angels, assist me in recognizing and interpreting all the guidance and wisdom you send me on a regular basis.
Angels Communicate Through Music
Angels are music lovers, record geeks, and divine DJs. That’s because music has the capacity to instantly change our emotions. The opening chords of a favorite song can bring you to tears or put a smile on your face—or possibly both—within seconds. And angels know how powerful and healthy it is for humans to be in touch with their emotions. Angels are also attracted to music because, like the world of Spirit, we can’t see music or touch it. Like your guardian angels, music travels on the ether, permeating your senses and calling forth your soul.
So it’s no wonder that your guardian angels love to communicate with you through music. Do you have a song that reminds you of a loved one who has passed? You probably hear it in stores or on the radio around your loved one’s birthday, or whenever you miss them most. Is there a song that helps you get your confidence and fire back? No doubt the angels make sure you hear that song when you’re feeling uncertain or defeated. For years I was learning how to treat and manage a chronic condition, and every time my illness was about to flair I would hear a song by one of my favorite hard rock bands. I always got a sinking feeling when this tune—which was not one of their hits that received regular radio play—came on the radio, but I was thankful for the heads-up from my guardian angels. They let me know it was time to visit my doctor and stick close to my supplement and diet regimen.
The angels also know that music is a potent healer, and they encourage you to turn to music as medicine whenever you’re hurt or afraid. The songs of a favorite artist can instantly calm your nerves or give you courage. And music can help you get in touch with and express difficult emotions. Turn up a song that speaks to your broken heart and shout out the lyrics. Or use music to celebrate by cranking the tunes and dancing and prancing around your living room when you’ve won a major victory.
The angels encourage you to make a soundtrack of your life. Write down or take mental note of the songs that the angels have sent you over the years to comfort, inspire, or heal. If you hear a song that holds meaning for you when you need it most, or you seem to encounter a song often, it’s a sign the angels are serenading you.
Make a playlist of songs that have the most meaning for you, or songs that were sent by your angels. Or make playlists of songs that are useful when you need emotional support—songs for courage, songs for hope, songs for peace of mind, songs for love, songs for rebellion, songs for celebration.
Angel Affirmation: Angels send me messages through music, and I am always listening for my guardian angels’ guidance.