Tag Archive: messages


Can We Try TOO Hard to Communicate with Spirit Guides?

Filed Under: Divine Guidance, Energy/Vibration, Intuitive Development, Spirit Communication by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Can We Try TOO Hard to Communicate with Spirit Guides?

on communicating with Spirit and/or spirit guides
Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

In your experience, do you think that in trying to consciously connect with Spirit or our Spirit Guides, one can try TOO hard and miss the mark totally? I ask this because I make what I feel are real attempts to open myself up to Spirit, and don’t feel that I ever really do. Thank you for your insights!
Desma

Dear Desma:

Absolutely! We (including YOU) are actually in communication with Spirit all the time, but few of us are consciously aware of it. When we act on “impulses,” where do those impulses come from? When we have a “bad feeling” or a “hunch” about something or someone, where does that come from? Sometimes it is from our own intuition and inner knowing, but often it is from a source beyond ourselves.

If we “try too hard,” not only do we block ourselves from receiving what we desire, but we lock ourselves into our conscious, logical minds, which deafens us to our intuitive faculties. Psychic perception is about receiving, not about attaining. A radio does not have to try hard to receive a signal; it just needs to be turned on and tuned in.

If you think about it, you’ll realize that every psychic exercise begins with the same step: relaxation. This is because in order to perceive anything psychically, we have to alter our state of consciousness so that we’re in a day-dreamy “alpha state.” While this may not be wise if we’re driving a car or chopping vegetables, it’s ideal if we’re seeking communication with non-physical entities.

Further, when we “try too hard,” it’s like we’re at war with our goal. Instead of trying to conquer this challenge, we are wise to make love to it, play with it, experiment! If you’re hard on yourself, you’ll only lower your vibration, which will effectively prevent you from reaching that higher state wherein spirit communication is possible. Try to embrace a sense of anticipation, joy and gratitude about all the magic in the universe, the amazing things humans are capable of, how wonderful beings like guides and angels are weaving in and out of our experience every day. Try to get out of your head and open your heart and soul to Spirit. You can not logically find your way to what you desire here; you must let your heart lead you. While your head plays a key role in interpreting what you receive and in discerning fact from fantasy, you have to be willing to take an initial leap of faith and BELIEVE in order to receive the kind of proof logic demands.

Connecting with Spirit is a psychic ability, and psychic perception is not a science: it’s an art form. Like any creative process, you have to be willing to “mess up” – to be experimental in your approach.

Be light about it. You might begin by manifesting signs from Spirit that you’re on the right track, or that you’re capable of doing what you desire. Decide what your sign will be, ask with all your heart for Spirit to send you validation, and then begin to look for that sign wherever you go. Let’s say you decide you want your sign to be a “thumbs up.” As you’re flipping through the television channels, your attention may be caught by a basketball player giving a “thumbs up” to someone in the stands, or while driving you may see a “thumbs up” on a billboard, or a coworker may walk by and just give you a “thumbs up” to communicate that you’re doing a good job. These are proof that you are already dialoguing with the Universe. When you determine the form of the sign/communication, it’s much easier to spot. The more you acknowledge such experiences as meaningful, the more Spirit will say, “Hey, we’ve got her attention, send more, send more!”

I believe that many “coincidences” are not necessarily meaningful in and of themselves; they’re simply little wake-up calls to pay attention. For example, the other night when I left karate class with my husband, this total stranger struck up a conversation with us, and ended up massaging my neck and shoulders right there on the sidewalk. (He was showing my husband some great techniques). We walked on and several blocks and turns later, my husband introduced me to an old friend who was standing outside her store. In the five minutes we spoke to her, she mentioned that she used to be a massage therapist, but that now, “there is a guy doing massage on every street corner.” Zing!

The next day I was again at karate, talking with a friend about the power blackout last summer, and I thought to myself, “I’d better stop talking about this, or else the power will go out again.” An hour later my husband stopped by as I was leaving class to let me know that our power was out. The rest of the city was fine, mind you; only our neighborhood was out. Now, I don’t think I “caused” the power to go out. I think that I was nudged to think about the power outage before it happened. I realized then that I had been running my usual hectic pace through life on auto-pilot, and that Spirit had been trying to get me to stop and pay attention.

In addition to seeking signs like this, you might try just “making stuff up.” If you COULD connect with a spirit guide, what might he/she be like? Draw a picture or write a description and conversation with this spirit guide. It’s all based on what he/she MIGHT be like “IF” you could communicate with him/her. Honor whatever comes to you as VALID FOR YOU, even if you think you’re making it all up. (Even if you ARE making it up, it’s coming from SOMEWHERE. Just like dreams, it’s all meaningful and valid for you personally.)

The more you communicate with these deeper/other parts of yourself, the more your awareness will expand.There is a whole lot of clutter in our subconscious, waiting for our conscious awareness. This is why meditation is so powerful. It’s something you begin to do like cleaning your house: when your mind is all cluttered and crammed with stuff, it’s time to clear it out so you can see everything in your inner environment clearly again.

Begin to honor your hunches, impulses and intuitions. If someone pops into your mind, give that person a call or look around for them. I will know I’m going to see someone in an unlikely place because as I’m going along, that person will just pop into my mind. You often hear people say, “Oh my gosh, I was just thinking about you!” Begin to pay attention to your state of mind when things like this happen. I’m sure you’ll notice that you aren’t “trying hard,” but rather, are just going along in your life, probably doing something that allows your mind to “wander.” This is the state of mind you need to recreate to purposefully connect.

When you do try to consciously connect with Spirit, set your intention with your heart, not your mind. You can’t force your mind to do it, but you can wish with all your heart and succeed. Feel the desire to communicate with spirit burning in your heart, and allow the calm certainty of your faith to keep it in balance. You can RELAX while wanting if you believe you’re going to get what you want. That is the perfect state of mind and heart for receiving Divine guidance.

Above all, remember that if you don’t feel good about yourself, you’re going to lower your vibration right out of the psychic range. Frustration will only block you. The more gratitude and love you’re flowing, the higher your vibration, and the easier it will be to connect. Raise your vibration via meditation, prayer, a healthy diet, exercise, positive thinking, affirmations, etc., and it will be much easier for you to connect with Spirit.

– Soul Arcanum

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Seeing 11:11 Everywhere: What Does It Mean?

Filed Under: Divine Guidance, Law of Attraction, Manifesting, Strange Phenomena by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Seeing 11:11 Everywhere: What Does It Mean?

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I have seen the number sequence 11:11 over and over many times on clocks, and then a couple of years ago, I started seeing it other places, and it really struck me. I searched the internet and found that many other people have had this same experience of seeing 11:11 all the time. That day opened up a new world for me, and I started to question many things. Before this, I lived my life without thinking much about anything beyond the mundane. Then I found a website that explained that seeing 11:11 was a prompt from angels, and a sign they are trying to communicate with us. I’m still struggling to understand this. Then another door opened: a lightworker gave me a healing, and told me I had an aura unlike any she’d seen before, and then a psychic told me that I am an incarnated angel. I’m very analytical, and I’m finding all of this hard to swallow. I have no special gifts, but I’m starting to wonder. I feel this need to do something, but I don’t know what it is, and I’m getting impatient. What do you make of all this?
– Angela

Dear Angela:

It was with a smile that I noted your name is Angela!

First, I think it’s important to remember that our interpretation of any situation or experience will be colored by our belief system. Since you didn’t have any relevant spiritual beliefs about this 11:11 experience when it began, you didn’t know what to make of it.

The psychic who told you that you are an angel incarnate was putting her own labels and understanding on what this might mean. A different person might have told you something totally different. For example, a “lightworker” might have told you that this is a sign that you are here on a certain spiritual mission. As there are a lot of different ways to interpret and express the same underlying truth, I think we should back up and explore the general meaning of this experience. The specific path you choose to follow in light of that general meaning will be up to you, and it will prove as individual as you are.

I do want to commend you for questioning all of this. I’m sure a lot of people would like to think they’re angels incarnate. (For the record, I’m quite sure I’m NOT, and my husband will back me up on that.) For those readers who are now wondering, “Hmmm…I wonder if I’m an angel incarnate too?” I’d like to offer this perspective: despite the sweetness and goodness we associate with angels, it might not be a good thing to be an angel incarnate, if that is even possible. According to spiritual lore, humans and angels are essentially different in that humans are made in God’s image and have free will, while angels do not. So in this sense, we might say that humans are more “God-like” than angels. In this hierarchy, God is like the parents, humans are like the children, and angels are like the nannies hired to follow the parents’ orders and watch over the kids. If this lore is true, then given a choice, I think I’d rather be human than an angel.

Now is it possible that you could be an angel incarnate? Some people say that angels never incarnate as humans; others say there are angels in disguise around us all the time; still others say that angels can take human form, but only temporarily – like a man who shows up and saves you when you’re in trouble, then disappears on the spot. I personally wouldn’t presume to don’t know which is true. When I meditate on this and ask about it all, all I get back is an enigmatic, All things are possible. Put angels aside: the real question is what this course of experience is trying to tell her.

That matter is far easier to address. As you no doubt know by now, you are definitely not alone in seeing 11:11 everywhere, or for that matter, a number of other repeating number sequences. A simple internet search will yield thousands of websites wherein this phenomenon is discussed. As far out as this all sounds, I experienced it myself years ago, so I know it really happens.

Most people begin by seeing 11:11 or other striking number sequences (such as 22:22, 12:34, etc.) on digital clocks. Every time they look at a clock, it just happens to have such a number on it. If they pay attention, they start to realize that they have an impulse to look at the clock when such a number is displayed, and that this impulse/experience has a certain feeling to it – it feels like someone is trying to tell them something.

If they don’t figure out what this means at this point, they usually experience an acceleration of this phenomenon. They start seeing number sequences everywhere: on receipts, license plates, VCR’s, microwaves, addresses, etc. They may begin to wake up at night and look at the clock at the exact moment it will display this sequence. Some have even had the power go out, and instead of the clocks in the house all blinking 12:00, they all blink 11:11, or whatever sequence has been following them around.

So what is this all about?

Some say that these are signs from our angels that they are with us, that we are on the right track, or that something is about to happen. Still others say that when we have this experience, our DNA is being activated on some level – whatever that means. It all comes down to the same thing: this experience is what it feels like it is – a call to pay attention to what may be happening beneath the surface of reality – on what we might call a “spiritual” level.

Generally speaking, this phenomenon is considered to be a spiritual “wake-up” call. It tends to occur when one is just where you describe yourself to be: not thinking much about spiritual matters, but very ready to embark on a conscious spiritual path. It’s a call to start thinking more deeply about life, and to become more aware of yourself as a spiritual being. (It appears to be quite effective!)

Some say these numbers are sort of a code that was programmed into our subconscious before we were born, and that it was set to “go off” at a certain time. When it does, the nagging feeling we have is our own memory or subconscious trying to tell us that there is a deeper meaning hidden in this experience. It is designed to lead us to question the nature of “reality,” and grow conscious of the higher goals we set for ourselves before we incarnated.

If we do wake up spiritually and begin a conscious spiritual journey, we will usually stop having this experience. This waking up may be a subtle change, but more often, it’s a major shift in one’s whole thinking and life direction. At this point, many people begin actively exploring spiritual matters for the first time, and with a passion. They may change careers, leave a stale marriage, totally overhaul their personal lives, or make other big changes. In the wake of such an awakening, they are transformed on every level. This is what happened to me: when I woke up and embraced a conscious spiritual journey with gusto, the “wake-up” calls stopped. I presume/hope this is because I was awake!

So when you see these number sequences, stop and wonder for a moment at the strangeness of this synchronicity, and what it must mean about the deeper, hidden nature of life. Whether you think angels, loved ones in Spirit or some other force is behind these experiences isn’t the point: the important thing is to note that something is trying to tell you something, and it wants you to stop and get quiet and receptive enough to really hear it, for then it can guide you wherever you personally need to go.

– Soul Arcanum

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How to Dialogue with Spirit

Filed Under: Divine Guidance by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on How to Dialogue with Spirit

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

I have many times heard the term “dialogue with Spirit.” This notion feels very appealing to me even though I’m not sure exactly what it means. Can you explain a bit about how to dialogue with Spirit and what we can gain from doing so?

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn:

This is a favorite subject of mine, for when we make a habit of dialoguing with Spirit, we receive helpful signs and experience amazing synchronicities. By “dialogue with Spirit,” I mean asking to be guided and then watching for meaningful events, signs and messages as well as listening within for answers.

By way of example, I’ll relate a recent experience in which I asked Spirit a question and got a clear, immediate response. I had been visiting some young people I’m very fond of who are avowed atheists and also incredibly bright. The more time I spent with them, the more I started to question my own views even though they are soundly founded on direct personal experiences.

As I was flying home from this visit, I was reading a book about synchronicity, which reminded me to ask Spirit for a sign or message about whether I was right to be questioning my beliefs. (In my view, our beliefs should always be open to revision, so questioning them is a good thing.) I took a moment and focused on the question in my mind and heart, and asked Spirit to send me a sign either confirming my existing views or validating the need for me to question them.

No sooner had I sent this request out to the Universe than the man sitting beside me on the plane pulled out an e-book and started reading. I noted with some interest that he was reading the Bible; I found this interesting since I was also reading spiritual material but of a much different nature. As I pondered this, I got an intuitive “nudge” to surreptitiously read over his shoulder. When I did so, I discovered the following passage from Galatians:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

While I’m certainly not in harmony with the whole “curse” element of this passage, to me the message was crystal clear: don’t question the beliefs you have already built upon a sound foundation of personal experience (direct revelation). When I reflected upon this further, I realized that I was succumbing to my old nemesis: worrying that people I love and respect will think I’m crazy for believing the things I believe. I have for years had to overcome this concern in order to put my relationship with Spirit first regardless of what other people may think of me.

When we are congruent with receiving a sign from Spirit, by which I mean we believe this is possible and wholly expect it to happen, and are high enough in vibration to manifest fulfillment, the signs we request can come to us this quickly and clearly.

Dialoguing with Spirit is very simple. Basically, you just have to consciously ask for signs, messages, and other forms of guidance, and then pay attention to what happens next. This is an internal process that is more than mental; you have to ask with your whole being. You can ask with your mind and heart, or you can write down your request and place it in a special box or on your meditation altar.

For this to work, you have to be above ego so you can be objective; otherwise you will tend to see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear. It’s also important to be open to signs coming to you in unusual or unexpected ways. For example, you will greatly limit your experience if you say something like: “If I am meant to go forward with my plan to adopt a child, then my boss will walk in my office in the next five minutes and somehow work the word adoption into the conversation.” While it’s not impossible for things like this to happen (I’ve had some amazing signs from Spirit over the years), it is far easier for Spirit to deliver the answers we’re looking for if we allow Spirit to work out the details. A better request would be to ask for the subject of adoption to come up frequently for us over the next three days, and to evaluate those specific instances for guidance on whether or not we should move forward.

You can set up your own rules. Many people ask Spirit to deliver signs in threes so they know they aren’t creating self-fulfilling prophecies. Personally, I just listen to and trust my intuition. Signs have a special feeling to them; they get your attention and make you wonder if something meaningful is happening. Seemingly remarkable experiences can be mere coincidences if they don’t carry this special feeling, while ordinary events may be signs if they nudge us to pay attention.

You can also set up personal symbols and omens of a permanent or temporary nature. For example, a friend of mine has asked the Universe to show her gifts or presents when she is going to get what she thinks she wants. When she then receives gifts or notices others giving and receiving gifts, she knows that what she wants is on its way to her. Back when I was dating my firefighter husband and wondering about our future together, I told Spirit to send me firetrucks if my sense that we would one day be married was accurate. For weeks, I saw fire trucks everywhere I went.

The more you ask for guidance from Spirit in this way, the more will come to you. Further, the more open your beliefs and expectations, the more this will tend to happen in amazing, unmistakable ways. Making a habit of dialoguing with Spirit is a powerful way to navigate through the endless challenges and opportunities life sends our way.

Often when we’re lost and confused, we forget to simply ask Spirit for answers. We don’t have to wait until we’re desperate; we can ask at any time. If you begin to dialogue with Spirit in your own way, you’ll receive helpful guidance for improving your life, and your everyday reality will begin to grow more magical and meaningful in delightful, inspiring ways.

Soul Arcanum


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Could She be Getting Messages Through Soul Arcanum?

Filed Under: Divine Guidance, Law of Attraction, Manifesting, Psychic Ability, Spiritual Growth by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on Could She be Getting Messages Through Soul Arcanum?

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum::

I always enjoy reading your column. Do you think it’s possible that I’m getting spiritual messages through your website? I’ve noticed that when an issue arises in my life or I’m thinking about different spiritual matters or questions, the next issue of Soul Arcanum will have an article with the answers I need. For example, I signed a contract for my house at 11:11 p.m., and said to my girlfriend that there are so many experiences of 11:11 in my life, then the next Monday there was an article in Soul Arcanum about the spiritual meaning of 11:11. Another time my dog got sick and the next thing I saw in your magazine was an article on how to meditate with your dog. I could give you a lot more examples. Soul Arcanum definitely plays an important role in my life! What do you think – am I really getting messages this way? Thank you!

– Ellen

Dear Ellen:

You are not imagining things; everything in the Universe is interrelated, and the more conscious we become of that truth, the more we notice connections like those you describe.

The common term for what you’re experiencing is “synchronicity.” It was a favorite topic of Carl Jung’s, who noticed that many so-called coincidences are statistically inexplicable. For example, one of his most famous experiences of synchronicity occurred as he was listening to a patient describe a dream she’d had about a golden scarab beetle. As he listened to her, he heard a tapping noise at the window behind him, and when he turned around to investigate, he saw a beetle at the window. When he opened the window, the beetle flew in, and it looked just like the beetle his patient was describing in her dream. We might say that this experience “blew his mind,” and launched him on a journey of exploration into the nature of synchronicity.

We’ve all had experiences like this that strike us as highly improbable. They’re usually laced with a sense of meaning; something deep inside of us makes us sit up, take notice and wonder at what is happening. Since there is no obvious rational explanation, many people’s minds just shut down and they brush the experience off as a coincidence. Those who are more mystically inclined, however, are able to use their intuition to bridge the gap between common reality and the subtler realities beneath the surface. In this way, we find meaning in synchronistic experiences where others do not.

So how does synchronicity work? Sometimes there are intelligent forces like spirits using such means to communicate with us, but more often, we are simply answering our own desires and questions via the unified field beyond the dimension of time and space. Our conscious minds are tuned into three-dimensional, physical reality, but there are other aspects of our minds that abide in what we might call more expansive dimensions. When we become more spiritually aware, we begin to link our conscious mind with these other aspects of ourselves, and they begin to work together more adeptly because they are more “in synch.”

At a quantum level, the universe appears to be a “magical” place. Things can move from one place to another without traveling the distance in between. Time collapses at this level of experience. This is basically what is behind the experience of synchronicity – when we are vibrationally in harmony with something (such as an answer or an idea) it will come to us or we will be led to it. For example, perhaps you needed the information in that article about 11:11 BEFORE you began noticing those numbers popping up in your experience, and that is WHY you began noticing them.

When we begin to look for signs, we open up a vast new realm of potential ways that we can receive them. If we set an intention of having certain dream experiences or accessing certain information in our dreams, our dream life will blossom. If we look for signs in the spoken conversations of others, or in random books, or any other way, those avenues begin to expand for us.

This leads me to why I am so in love with the internet. The internet is as close as we come in the physical dimension to that vast unified field wherein everything is connected. Nothing tangible actually “exists” on the internet, and it is not an actual “place,” yet we can all visit it and have very real experiences there. We can quickly access whatever we need to know or connect with whomever we desire, even if they are on the other side of the planet! Just as we can access information and understanding by mentally “dipping into” other realms, the same is true of the ‘net. As it is a half step above the level of space/time, the internet is a very powerful channel for synchronicity.

I’m suggesting that you had a certain need or desire that led you to Soul Arcanum in the first place, and that you subsequently defined Soul Arcanum as a great avenue for finding the answers you’re looking for. In this way, Soul Arcanum became a key channel through which you receive synchronous “answers” to your questions.

Now you’re probably wondering how your questions could be answered as opposed to the questions of all the other seekers out there. Here’s where things get very complex but also very interesting. Practically speaking, you probably read a lot at Soul Arcanum that doesn’t “grab you,” and you naturally latch on to those articles that have special meaning for you. Your eyes may glide ride past anything you don’t need and go right to what you’re most interested in.

At the same time, however, it’s natural for you to resonate with most of what you find here. From a higher perspective, those of us who read and appreciate Soul Arcanum are a virtual spiritual community based on our shared interests and experiences. Along what we might call “the spiritual path,” everyone passes through the same territory. It’s like driving from L.A. to Las Vegas: While a few people will get lost or wander off the beaten trail, most people will follow the same basic route, and along the way, there will be various landmarks that EVERYONE passes. (Some will notice some things more than others, of course.) Now imagine that Soul Arcanum is like a travel guide devoted to this journey from L.A. to Vegas, and you’ll see why when you’re reading it, you often think, “Hey! I just noticed that myself!”

Further, since we are in the same virtual “community,” we are in communication at a subconscious, energetic level. The articles I choose to run are thus being influenced by your needs and desires. In fact, long ago I set the intention of choosing articles and topics intuitively; I just go with whatever feels right. So if you’re sending a strong signal, I may just receive it. At the same time, YOU may be picking up on what I’m doing. I work about a week ahead, so it makes sense that articles would either appear shortly after you sent that signal, or you might develop a sudden interest in the topics I’m working on at that time.

It’s exciting to know that the more we look for synchronicities, the more we’ll find. When we clearly define what we want to know or experience and then watch for signs and synchronicities, we weave magic into our lives.

If you’d like to experience even more of this magic (and who wouldn’t?), begin to focus on it and ask for it. Try manifesting answers through other specific sources and see what happens, or try writing down some theme, question or subject you’d like to explore further. Tape it to the wall behind your desk or carry it in your wallet or pocket. Then just watch for something related to this subject to grab your attention, and instead of brushing this experience off as a coincidence, celebrate it as validation that through synchronicity, the Universe can work for us in wonderful, mysterious ways.

– Soul Arcanum

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How to Get Signs from Spirit

Filed Under: Divine Guidance, Psychic Ability, Spirit Communication, Spirits by Soul Arcanum — Comments Off on How to Get Signs from Spirit

Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved. :)
 

Dear Soul Arcanum:

You sometimes write about getting signs from Spirit. For example, you wrote a few weeks ago about three crows that showed up outside your window, and how they brought you a meaningful message. How can I get signs from Spirit like this?
– Becky

Dear Becky:

You don’t have to be officially “psychic” or undertake any elaborate training to start receiving signs – you just need to ask for and then look for them. In fact, Spirit is sending every one of us signs all the time. Every time we ask a question in our hearts, Spirit answers. It may seem like an impossible amount of work for Spirit to handle, but I believe it’s a natural or automatic process. If we drop a rubber ball, Spirit does not have to “work” to make it bounce, and I believe that asking for and receiving signs is natural like this. Unfortunately, not many people actually expect personal answers from Spirit, much less know where and how to look for them.

Sometimes we sense that something is a sign, but we’re not sure. We generally label these experiences “coincidences.” At one end of the spectrum, some people believe there is no higher meaning behind “coincidences,” while folks at the other end believe there is no such thing as a true coincidence at all, because every experience we have carries some purpose or meaning. I believe that not everything in life is purposeful, but the more we cultivate a conscious approach to creating what we desire, the more purpose and meaning we’ll weave into our experiences.

To sort random “coincidences” from meaningful synchronicities, we must employ both logic and intuition. Sometimes, a very striking combination of details can be random, and at other times, seemingly mundane experiences can be ripe with deeper meaning. The only way to really “know” is by checking how the experience feels deep within us.

For example, a book we’ll call “The Best Spiritual Book Ever” may come up in conversation. Three days later, I may be browsing in a metaphysical bookstore, carefully scanning the titles on the shelf, and see that same book there. Is this coincidence, or a sign? If I feel pretty indifferent about it, it’s probably just coincidence. If, however, my eyes lock onto that title and something in my gut sort of revs up, then I’m supposed to pay attention, for it’s probably a book I’m meant to read.

Learning how to accurately determine signs and their meanings takes some practice. Fortunately, the more we work with this, the clearer and easier it gets. This is not only because we become more adept at reading our intuition, but also because the more we ask for signs and then honor the signs we receive, the more signs come to us! It’s like exercising a muscle; as we practice, our skill and our conscious connection to Spirit grows stronger.

Looking for signs in nature is a practice as old as humankind. Native peoples around the world have long believed that animals, for example, often bear spiritual messages. You mentioned the “crow story,” and this is a classic example. For those of you who missed it, this is what happened: I was working at my desk when I heard some loud cawing, which drew my attention to the window. There, I saw three crows squabbling in the street. I then felt something grip me, so I got up and went to the window. The three crows then promptly flew into my own yard and landed right in front of me. There, they proceeded to act out a conflict: one crow was cawing very loudly as it chased another around, trying to get whatever was in this other one’s mouth. The third crow just followed the other two rather nervously, as though it was fretting about an escalation of the conflict. I was mesmerized. Finally, the first crow gave up whatever was in its mouth to the one harassing it, and then the three birds promptly flew off.

A few hours later, I was involved in a conflict where someone wanted something that my husband had, and he was not about to just give it up. I remained in the background, fretting about the situation and trying to “tune in” and determine what to do. Remembering the crows, I asked my husband if it was really worth the hassle, and he decided it wasn’t and gave in, which promptly ended the squabble.

Sometimes, signs just come to us like this out of the blue. At other times, however, they are a response to our conscious request for them. If something is weighing heavily on your mind, you might ask Spirit for clarity and insight, and then just go for a walk. One of my favorite spiritual teachers (Sig Lonegren) taught me this method of looking for “day signs.” It involves just walking through nature and noticing whatever grabs your attention. If a hawk lands on a branch ahead of you, for example, you can either interpret this in light of your personal associations with hawks, or you can look up possible meanings on the internet or in a book. One such internet resource can be found at earthwonders.com, but there are many more out there. Ted Andrews has written a couple of very useful books: Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small and Animal-Wise: The Spirit Language and Signs of Nature, both of which are available at amazon.com.

Please note that day signs do not have to come through animals or nature. If you’re trying to decide if you should end a relationship, and you find yourself at a “dead end” on your trail, this could be your answer. Or you might be driving and thinking about the situation when a song comes on the radio about moving on with your life.

If you’re looking for confirmation or validation, you can also determine what you want the sign to be, and then watch for that. Many people, for example, ask for a loved one who has passed into Spirit to give them a sign that they are okay via a butterfly or a certain bird. You can ask for your sign to take any form you desire: rainbows, butterflies, cupcakes, tennis balls, guys named George: the possibilities are endless. It’s an amazing experience to select a very unusual sign and then have it show up like crazy in your life!

Here are some of the many forms signs from Spirit can take:

  • Real “signs” such as billboards, road signs, advertisements, etc.
  • Songs that come on the radio at meaningful moments, or songs that you can’t get out of your mind
  • The words of others, both in conversations overheard, and words spoken directly to you
  • Written words, either those that seem to leap out at you in books, magazines, etc., or those you find by opening books like the Bible at random (A great book for this is The Book of Secrets by Osho, but any spiritual teaching should work)
  •  Information, words or ideas that leap out at you from television shows or movies
  •  Unexplainable or unlikely developments, such as your car not starting or losing your keys when you’re about to take some unwise action, or your internet connection going down when you’re about to send a potentially regrettable email
  • Unlikely patterns that catch your attention, such as hearing of five different people in one week who are trying a certain diet, or who have decided to go into business for themselves, etc., especially if this pattern relates to a decision you’re weighing yourself.

There are actually endless ways we can request and receive signs from Spirit. So often when we’re lost and confused, we forget to simply ask Spirit for answers. We don’t have to wait until we’re desperate; we can ask at any time. Begin today to “dialogue” with Spirit in this way, and not only will you receive helpful guidance for improving your life, but your everyday reality will begin to grow more magical and more meaningful in delightful and inspiring ways.

– Soul Arcanum

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