Connecting to Angels

Angels have been making their presence felt to me recently, and it seems appropriate for this time of year (Christmas), when our focus is drawn to probably the most famous message to be delivered by an angel. And that's exactly what angels are - "messengers of the gods" (translated from the Greek word angelos) - and they are referred to in every mystical tradition from the earliest Sumerian and Egyptian religions through to Islam, Judaism and Christianity. In that fact alone, I feel, there's a lesson to be learned about the nature of divine love. Angels act as a bridge between the Divine Intelligence, in whatever form you worship him or her, and the material world. They remind us of the spiritual source from which we came and to which we will return at the end of our physical lives.

Angels are pure spirit so they have no defined form, but they're most often seen as beautiful winged beings, bright lights or spinning disks of energy - when they appear they choose a form that is most appropriate for the person or situation involved. They can also manifest as ordinary people who are around for a vital few minutes or hours and then are never seen again - I'm convinced that in my time as a single mum I met a few carpenter and plumber angels! Often unseen, they are felt or sensed as calm voices, heavenly scents or protective presences. I'm sure we've all had experience of a near miss, a miraculous escape or a warning of something about to happen, and I'm convinced that is the work of angels. As pure spirit, angels are perfect and so they transmit only love and positivity and that's something the world definitely needs more of right now.

So how can you connect with the heavenly realm of angels? The first and most important thing is simply to ask, as angels cannot intervene in our lives without our permission - that's part of the gift of free will we've been blessed with. Next time you face a difficult decision or a stressful situation, mentally ask the angels to help you and notice carefully what you experience. Make sure you keep a diary of any sensations or occurrences after your requests, however insignificant they may seem, as it's so easy to dismiss angelic intervention as coincidence. The most common calling card of an angel seems to be a white feather, and I've had these float down in front of my nose seemingly out of nowhere in all sorts of places!

Crystals are a lovely way to raise your own vibration to the higher angelic frequencies and my favourites are angelite and celestite which are both a beautiful, ethereal blue colour. Angels also seem to connect effectively through pink danburite and crystals that have been cut into a merkabah, which is a powerful three dimensional star shape. We all have our own guardian angel, so meditating with one of these crystals is a good way to make that first connection with him or her. Just to get you started, the four most well-known archangels and their special gifts are Michael (protection and strength), Raphael (healing), Gabriel (joy and freedom from fear) and Uriel (wisdom). I'd encourage you to read more about these wonderful beings and develop your own respectful relationship with them.

Far from being merely pretty and fluffy decorations on Christmas cards, angels are immensely powerful and transformational and I've noticed far-reaching results when I call on them in my healing work. As an immediate reflection of spirit, angels bring love, compassion, joy and freedom into the world and can help us to do the same. It's something to think about when you're putting that halo'd figure on top of your Christmas tree, or making coat hanger wings for the nativity play!