The Essential Doreen Virtue Collection Part 9

However, we must be aware of this heavenly a.s.sistance as it comes to us, before it can help us. Sometimes, chatter and noise so fill our thoughts that we can't hear the sweet and loving voice of our angels. The loud din of thoughts about our bills, family, and responsibilities overpowers the softer sound of the angels. We also ignore our angels' messages when they seem inappropriate to our current goals. For instance, if your angels urge you to relax and have fun, you may shrug off their advice with a "Haven't got the time" reply.

Many people also tell me they have difficulty meditating. Either they don't feel there's enough time for meditation, or their mind wanders or they fall asleep when they try to meditate.

While meditation certainly makes it easier to clearly hear your angels' messages, it's not an absolute necessity. There are other ways to quiet the mind sufficiently for the angelic voices to be heard.

For instance, you can slow your body, emotions, and thoughts by connecting with nature. If you can get in the habit of regularly looking out of the window of your home, office, or car and appreciating one bit of nature-a cloud, a tree, a bird chirping-you'll feel a wonderful quieting within yourself. Focus your eyes and mind on this miracle of nature before you, and feel your heart swell in appreciation and grat.i.tude at its beauty. Better yet is when you actually spend time in nature. Of course, camping and hiking trips accomplish this nicely. But even a lunch break in a park or by the side of a brook is sufficient to re-establish your connection with Mother Earth, the nature angels, and your own guardian angels.

Another way to quiet the mind and body is by taking two or three slow and deep breaths. Breathe in as much as air as possible, then hold it in your lungs for a count of five or ten seconds. Then slowly breathe out. Repeat the breaths, and this time, picture yourself breathing in beautiful feelings such as relaxation, joy, and peace. When you breathe out, feel yourself releasing stress, tension, and worries.

You are in-spiring yourself with these deep breaths. In other words, you are filling yourself with the light of spirit. Dannion Brinkley, the author of Saved by the Light, who has had two near-death experiences, once told me that the spirit world communicates with us through our breaths. When we breathe in short, shallow spurts, we don't receive the depth of communication as we do when we really breathe deeply. Breathing is, in essence, our way of phoning home to heaven!

Eastern philosophies teach a visualization for quieting the mind in which you picture a large lake of clear water. Focus your attention in the center of the lake, as if you were underwater and easily breathing and floating as you looked at the water around you. Notice that sand granules are slowly floating to the bottom of the lake. As the sand falls, the water becomes perfectly clear and still. Feel your body and mind responding to this stillness, with all your cares and concerns gently falling and settling into a gentle quietness.

Physical exercise also has a quieting effect. Studies show that after we vigorously work out, our brain chemistry s.h.i.+fts in healthful directions. The post-exercise brain has increased amounts of the mood- and energy-altering neurotransmitter called "serotonin." Many people also report an increase in creative ideas and brainstorms while they are exercising. Probably, the increased breathing during exercise leads to this sort of in-spiration. Try 30 minutes of vigorous walking, bicycling, or an outdoor sport, and you'll find that angel communication comes quite naturally both during and after your workout.

It's easier to hear your angels when you are alone, especially when you are in a natural setting. We all need time-outs from the world to regenerate our energy and collect our thoughts. Make a daily appointment to spend time alone, when your mind isn't focused on some worldly task. Whether you sit in a meditative lotus position or engage in a creative activity such as painting, singing, dancing, or gardening, make time for yourself and your angels to commune together.

How to Hear Your Angels' Messages

Not everyone "hears" angelic voices as audible sounds. Many people receive divine messages through nonverbal means such as visions, feelings, or a knowingness.

Hearing the voice of G.o.d and the angels is called clairaudience, which means "clear hearing." The voice may sound like your own or it may sound different. The voice can emanate from within your body, within your mind, or sound as if it's outside your head. When the angel warned me about my car being stolen, his voice sounded as if he were talking through a paper towel tube, just outside my right ear. While channeling the messages of this book, I heard the words both inside and outside my mind.

You might hear a faint voice and wonder what it said. In such cases, go ahead and ask your angels to repeat their message. Say to them, "A little louder, please." The angels appreciate your feedback, as they want to deliver clear and understandable guidance.

At first, you may believe that the voice is your imagination or wishful thinking. This is especially true when you begin consciously interacting with angels. You think, This is a fantasy. I wish it were true that angels would help me, but I'm probably doing something wrong and the angels won't notice me.

We heal this type of thinking through faith, trust, and practice. If your faith in angels is uncertain, ask G.o.d to help you. Pray, "Please help me to have more faith. I am willing to release all of my fears that keep me from having full faith." The Divine universe always fulfills requests for more faith.

Angelic voices are consistently loving and supportive, even when they warn us of impending danger or wrong turns. As a psychotherapist, I was trained to believe that hearing voices was a sign of insanity. Yet, the voice of the ego is the only source of "insanity." Ego voice messages are always destructive, abusive, and impulsive. For example, the ego may try to convince you that you'll fail. The ego also changes its mind constantly, so it will tell you to do one thing Monday, another thing Tuesday, and a completely different thing Wednesday. If you listen to the voice of the ego, your life will be chaotic and fear-filled.

Angelic voices, in contrast, patiently repeat the guidance to us day after day until we finally follow it. You may hear your angels tell you for years that you would be a great healer or author, for example. Or your angels may repeatedly ask you to take better care of your body. You know that the guidance comes from angels when it is loving, focused, not hurtful to you or your family, and consistent.

Clairaudience is just one of the four ways we receive angelic a.s.sistance, however. Your angels may speak to you in pictures and visual mental images. We call this clairvoyance, or "clear seeing." Angelic messages may come to you as single snapshot images, either in your mind or outside your mind. Or, you may see miniature scenes, as if from a movie. The images may be black-and-white or full color. Angelic visual messages can be symbolic, such as seeing a stop sign as a signal that you should take a rest, slow, or stop what you are doing.

Intuitively, you might readily understand what the visual images mean. For instance, you might see an image of a trophy, and instinctively you know this means that success is ahead for you. If you have trouble understanding your angelic visual guidance, be sure to ask for a.s.sistance. Ask your angels to clarify their message, and continue asking for clarification until you are completely certain of their meaning.

Sometimes we shut down our angelic channels of communication due to fear. You might see an image of your future that frightens you, and you turn off your clairvoyance by shutting the third eye's eyelid. Many years ago, I was an uneducated housewife who was unhappy because I wanted to make a contribution to the world but didn't feel qualified to do anything meaningful.

Then G.o.d and the angels gave me mental visual images of the life I was meant to lead. I saw myself writing self-help books and appearing on talk shows. The images showed me having an advanced college degree. These visions scared me a great deal because I didn't feel capable of fulfilling them. I thought that I lacked the intelligence, time, and money to create the meaningful life shown in the clairvoyant images.

I found that I could shut off the visions by eating a lot of food. My full stomach interrupted my telephone connection with G.o.d and the angels. However, when my stomach digested the food, I'd feel irritable because I would see the contrast between my present life and the life I was supposed to live. Fortunately, I got tired of dodging my divine guidance, and surrendered to G.o.d. When I did, He began opening doors before me, one step at a time. The angels arranged for me to achieve every part of the visions I saw, in ways I could have never planned or antic.i.p.ated.

One of my clients shut down her clairvoyance when, as a young girl, she saw a visual image of her parents divorcing in the future. Another client closed her third eye because she foresaw herself having an affair with a married co-worker, and she wanted to continue her interactions with him while wearing blinders to the truth. One of my other clients was trying to ignore a steady angelic voice within that counseled, "It's time to look for work at a different place," because she didn't trust G.o.d to fulfill her material needs during the job transition.

You might also shut off your clairvoyance if you are afraid of what you might see. As much as you want to see your angels in person, you might harbor a deep-seated fear that seeing a "ghost" would be terrifying. Your angels honor such fears, and you won't see angelic apparitions until you feel confident that such a vision would comfort-not frighten-you.

The third way we receive angelic guidance is through our emotions and physical sensations. We call this clairsentience, or "clear feeling." Clairsentients get divine guidance through bodily sensations, such as a tightening of the jaw, fists, stomach, or s.e.x organs. They intuitively know the specific meaning of these tightening reactions. A clairsentient feels air pressure and room temperature changes that warn him or her of negative situations.

Each of our five senses has a corresponding spiritual sense. Clairsentients receive angelic guidance through an etheric sense of smell, taste, and touch. You may know that your beloved deceased grandmother is near when you smell her perfume or favorite flower. An angel may shower your room with the aroma of orange blossoms to tell you of an impending wedding.

Clairsentients receive a lot of guidance through their intuition, gut feelings, and hunches. Much of our intuition comes from the stomach region, and the stomach flutters, relaxes, and tightens according to the angelic guidance. Instinctively, the clairsentient interprets the meaning of these gut feelings, and a wise clairsentient follows these internal directives without hesitation.

Clairsentients get angelic messages through their heart and love emotions, as well. If a thought of doing something swells your chest with warm feelings of joy, this is a directive from G.o.d and the angels. You may say, "Oh, this is too good to be true; I'm just dreaming," but the joy that your thought has brought you is a road map leading you to the life you are meant to have.

We call the fourth means of angelic communication claircognizance, or "clear knowing." Men are frequently claircognizant, and they may not even realize that they naturally receive detailed and accurate information from G.o.d and the angels. You can ask a claircognizant a question on almost any topic in the world. Within minutes, he will give you an accurate answer, completely supported by facts and figures. You might ask, "How did you know that?" and he'll answer, "I don't know! A few minutes ago, I didn't know that information."

Claircognizants know, without knowing how they know. Consequently, they may doubt the validity of their knowingness. This is a mistake, because when divine wisdom enters our mind, it is a gift we can use to improve our life and to serve the world.

We all have access to all four channels of communication. Usually, we have one primary means of receiving angelic guidance and one secondary-or lesser-channel of communication. With practice, you can become adept at receiving messages in all four ways. In the beginning stages of speaking to your angels, though, most people concentrate upon their natural means of communication.

Naturally visually oriented people will want to pay attention to their mental visions. If you tend to focus upon sounds, then listen for inner or outer words, voices, and auditory messages. If you tend to be a touchy-feely type, your emotions and bodily sensations are the instruments that relay divine guidance to you. And if you are intellectually inclined, or a person who constantly searches for hidden meanings in situations, then you'll want to monitor your thoughts for those heavenly moments of "knowingness" that bring you certainty in guiding your actions.

Some Ways to Communicate with Angels

From the angels: "We aren't that difficult to hear, if you will listen for us with an open heart. Most of the time, we are closer to you than you can imagine. A whisper, a thought, is the only signal we need from you to get a conversation started. We have enormous respect for what you're going through here on planet Earth at this time. We never seek to interfere with your lives, only to bring you blessings of insights and new ways of looking at yourselves."

You can communicate with angels in a variety of ways, including automatic writing, dreamwork, oracle cards, and intuitional or psychic communication. It's important to choose a communication style to which you feel naturally drawn. Anything that feels forced or frightening will block your ability to clearly hear your angels' messages. Also, angel communication takes a little practice and patience at first. So, you'll want to try methods that you are likely to stick with for a while.

While reading the following descriptions, pay attention to your reactions to each method. Ask yourself, "Do I feel happy or excited about trying it? Or, do I feel neutral or even negative about this method?" Then try the methods that appeal to you.

- Automatic writing. I received the angels' messages in this book through this process. It means that the angels literally write their message through the channeler. Automatic writing can involve a form of dictation, in which you hear the angelic voices and then write what you hear. The voice may be inside or outside your head. It may or may not sound like your own voice. You'll likely be conscious of what you are writing in this form of automatic writing.

Another type of automatic writing involves the angels physically pus.h.i.+ng your hand while you use a pencil or type on a keyboard. Most people who automatically write this way are unaware of the words they are writing. This is the form of automatic writing used in this book.

You can try this second form of automatic writing by taking these steps: 1. Set a definite time and date when you will attempt to channel with automatic writing. Mentally tell your angels of this appointment so they can prepare. Then, be sure to follow your promised schedule.

2. Choose a quiet place where you won't be interrupted. Turn off the phone and put a sign on the door so others won't make noises that will block your communication flow. It's best to have quiet background music or a tape of nature sounds, and also some pleasant fragrance such as fresh flowers or incense in the room.

3. If you plan to try automatic writing with a pencil, you'll need a seating arrangement that allows you to comfortably hold the pencil over a paper on a steady surface. As you begin automatic writing, you want to make it easy on yourself. So, you probably won't want to try automatically writing upon a pad of paper on the floor, on your lap, or another position where the pencil doesn't easily flow.

Some automatic writers use pens; however, pencils are traditional since they don't skip or bleed. Several years ago, "planchettes" were used to hold pencils for automatic writers. Planchettes are wooden triangles with a hole in the center, supported by three ball bearings that allow smooth movement in any direction. The pencil is placed firmly in the planchette's hole, and the spirit world guides the channeler's hand to push the planchette, much like on a Ouija board.

You might opt to conduct automatic writing with a computer or typewriter keyboard instead of with pencil and paper. No special seating arrangements are necessary for this beyond your normal chair, desk, and keyboard.

4. Make sure that you are comfortable. It's best to wear nonbinding clothing, and it's important to channel on a slightly empty stomach without the influence of any stimulants (coffee, colas, sugar, herbs, chocolate) or depressants (heavy meals, alcohol, drugs, herbs).

5. Take two or three very deep breaths. Say a prayer such as The Lord's Prayer, or an affirmation such as, "I see myself surrounded by white light and divine love. I am safe, protected and loved." You may want to ask Archangel Michael to oversee your channeling, especially at first when you may not be able to readily discern an earthbound spirit from an angel. Michael will act as a doorman who only allows invited guests to enter your territory.

6. At this point, you may immediately feel the channeling sensation begin. Don't let it frighten you. The first time I tried automatic writing with a pencil, it began rapidly moving on its own, which startled me. My fear then blocked the whole channeling process for a long time.

In the beginning, the pencil will write circular doodles. These circles are the angels' way of expressing their great joy at making a connection with you. After you and the angels become accustomed to working together, then letters, words, and sentences will come through your pencil. Usually, though, the pencil will write circles for the first one to three days that you try automatic writing.

Or, you may hear an inner voice and feel a tug that pushes you to write what you hear. The automatic writing can also take a more tactile approach. If you are writing at a keyboard, the sensation may feel like a piano teacher grasping your hands and pus.h.i.+ng your fingers onto the appropriate keys. Or, you could receive intuitive impulses that give you an emotional feeling about what you should write. Your angelic messages may also come as visions, and you may feel guided to write about what you see. If you are a claircognitive, you will receive chunks of information from the angels. You will have certainty of the facts of your knowledge, without knowing "how" you know.

Trance and semi-trance channelers aren't aware of the writing that occurs through them. A full-trance channel actually loses awareness of her surroundings. She feels a sensation of being lifted away from her body while the spirit world channels through her. My channeling is in a semi-trance state, where I am aware of my "me-ness," but unaware of most of the messages coming through me. I also lose track of time and place during most of my channelings. I will think that 20 minutes has gone by, when actually several hours have pa.s.sed.

The main point with automatic writing is to flow with whatever sensations you receive. Your impressions may come as visions, words, information, or emotional or physical feelings. Or you may receive a combination of these various communications. Practice really does make perfect with automatic writing, so do not allow yourself to become discouraged just because your first few messages don't seem coherent. If you initially get superficial messages, that's okay, too. At first, you'll want to concentrate on becoming comfortable with the process of automatic writing. Then, you'll naturally move on to gathering meaningful communications from the spirit world.

When you become tired, disoriented, or feel any pain, it's important to stop your channeling. Many people limit their channeling time to an hour or less at first. Allow yourself time to build up to longer automatic writing periods.

If you ever find yourself channeling a spirit that belittles you, or pushes you to do anything that would cause pain to you or another, stop. You are not channeling angels at that point. Angels would never give messages that cause emotional, physical, or psychic pain. Call in Archangel Michael and ask him to clear away the earthbound spirit which you are channeling. Do not fight the spirit with fear or anger, but do say prayers and visualize yourself surrounded with white light before having another channeling session. Your greatest ally in the channeling arena is your determination to channel only love. Nothing that is from love can ever hurt you.

- Dreamwork. As the angels clearly spelled out in their chapter ent.i.tled, "Sleep," we interact a lot with the angelic kingdom during our dreams. You'll increase your number of angel messages and the speed of your clearing work simply by inviting the angels into your dreams.

For example, if you are undecided about your career direction, mentally say a prayer similar to this as you lay your head on your pillow: "Angels, please enter my dreams tonight and give me clear messages, which I will remember, to help me to know which direction to take with my career."

They always meet this request, and you will likely have a lucid dream that you easily remember, in the hour right before you awaken. Or, the angels may help you in your sleep in such a way that you don't recall your dream's contents. Yet, you awaken and know that something s.h.i.+fted within you during the night. You feel happier, more positive, and much clearer about which direction to take. This is a sign that the angels have rearranged your thoughts and beliefs, to help you release fears that keep you indecisive about your career.

If you feel blocked in any area of your life, write this message on a piece of paper and place it under your pillow. Repeat the phrase mentally three times as you are falling asleep: "Dearest Angels, I ask you to work with me in my sleep tonight, to clear away any blocks that keep me from fully enjoying my life. Please either call these blocks to my attention, or completely remove them from my mind, emotions, and body during tonight's sleep.

Thank you."

In the morning, you'll awaken refreshed, but with an awareness that you've worked during the night. You may not recall the details of your angelic nocturnal work, but you will feel it deeply. Your head may even feel funny, because of the restructuring that occurred overnight. Still, any blocks that the angels carted away were heavy weights impeding you from your life's plan and purpose. You'll feel grateful that you asked for this clearing, and you may want to invite the angels into your dreams nightly.

- Divination Tools. Oracle cards and pendulums provide a tangible means for communicating with the angels. If you are clairsentient-that is, one who receives intuitions through physical and emotional feelings-these methods will feel quite natural to you.

* Oracle cards. You can purchase angel-themed oracle cards at most bookstores. There are different brand names of angel cards, and you'll likely feel drawn to one or two particular sets. This internal pull will help you decide which set to buy, as it shows which cards you share a natural affinity and resonance with. Many metaphysical bookstores have sample card decks that you can examine before making your final purchase decisions. Some angel oracle cards are based upon the ancient tarot deck. Angel cards feature colorful paintings of archangels, cherubs, and seraphim, along with words or sentences describing the meaning of each particular card.

To communicate with angels using oracle cards, meditate while shuffling the deck, and mentally ask the angels to give you a.s.sistance. I like to light incense and play soft meditative background music as I use the angel oracle cards. As you shuffle the deck, you can ask your angels specific questions, request that they offer guidance about your life, or ask them to help you foresee your future.

The angels tell you when to stop shuffling the deck. If you are clairsentient, you feel when it's time to stop shuffling. You also feel whether you should lay out certain cards or whether you should take the cards from the top of the deck. If you are clairaudient, you hear angels tell you to stop shuffling. Their voices may speak a number such as "seven," signaling that you are to lay out seven cards. Clairvoyants see visual cues, such as cards sticking out of the deck in a certain way as you shuffle them, as a signal to spread out the cards. This visual orientation also tells clairvoyants which cards to spread out. Claircognizants know when the time is right to spread out the cards, and which cards to lay out.

People who have a combination of communication channels use a variety of spiritual senses while shuffling the cards and spreading them out. For example, my clairsentience helps me to feel when to stop shuffling, then a clairaudient voice tells me how many cards to spread out. I clairvoyantly see the meaning of the card spreads. With prayer and practice, anyone can become skillfully adept at reading oracle cards-especially with the help of the angels.

You can spread the angel oracle cards according to the formations suggested in the card deck's instruction booklet. One cla.s.sic card spread, for instance, involves laying out three cards. The first card shows your present life circ.u.mstances. The second card represents an obstacle or challenge you must surmount, and the third card reveals your best possible outcome after you overcome your challenge.

I use several different angel oracle card sets simultaneously. I spread out one row of cards from the first set horizontally. Then, I spread another row horizontally below the second set, and so on. After I've spread five sets of cards, I read the cards vertically. I look at the first card in the upper left-hand corner and know that this is the primary issue concerning my client. Then I look at the cards vertically below the first card and look for a "theme" among the cards in each row. Each vertical row's theme tells a story about my client's life purpose, emotional blocks, and future.

* Pendulums. This is a crystal or gem stone, such as jade, attached to a fine chain or satin rope. You hold the chain or rope and allow the stone to dangle until it hangs motionlessly. When you ask your angels questions, the stone will move in one certain direction as a "yes" response, and it will move in the opposite direction if the answer is "no." To discover which direction the stone travels to signal "yes" and "no," ask a question that you already know the answer to, such as "Is my name Susan?" or "Do I live in Ohio?" Watch which direction the stone moves, and you will establish its "yes" and "no" pattern. Once you establish the pendulum's "language," you can ask the angels to answer other questions. You'll find that a strong "yes" or "no" answer makes the stone move in very strong and wide swings. Some people, through practice and intuition, can determine more detailed answers than "yes" and "no" from the pendulum's movement.

- Asking for Signs. In your meditations, ask your angels to give you a clear sign in answer to your prayers. Usually, it's best not to outline which particular sign you want. Instead, your angels will signal you in an unmistakable way. You will notice and know that it's the sign you ask for.

The sign may come in nature, such as a feather falling from the sky, a bird soaring close to you, or a rainbow. Your sign can come from the ethers, such as a sudden fragrance, music, or flash of light that has no physical origin. Angel signs also include out-of-the-blue opportunities, like a phone call or letter delivering good news, or a book that jumps off the shelf as you walk by. Or your signs can come psychically, such as a vision, a dream, a voice, or an intuition.

Whatever sign you get, trust in it. Know that the angels always answer your prayers, requests, and calls. All we have to do is ask.

- Verbal Channeling. The angels will speak through you, if you like. When you verbally channel angels, their messages are spoken with your mouth and voice.

Sometimes, during my sessions, I channel my clients' angels instead of relaying their messages. My clients know that when the messages in our sessions contain phrases such as, "We believe that you would enjoy . . . " or "We counsel you to . . . " that the angels are talking, instead of just me.

If you are a healer, or involved in the creative arts, you've probably already channeled angels. Perhaps you were talking, healing, or creating, and suddenly a wonderful, novel idea comes out of you. Afterward, you wonder, "Where did that come from?" The answer is, of course, from the angels.

To verbally channel the angels, use the relaxation and protective prayer techniques outlined in the section about "automatic writing." Mentally hold a clear intention of wanting the angels to speak through your vocal cords and mouth. Stay in a relaxed and positive frame of mind, as skepticism blocks the angels from communicating through you.

As you feel an impulse to speak, do not allow your mind to wander into fears or doubts. Simply begin speaking, with a sense of trust or adventure. It's a little like the first time you ride a bicycle. The angels will use your vocabulary as they speak through you, as if they are pus.h.i.+ng keys on a typewriter to form coherent messages. Some verbal channelers are aware of the messages being spoken through them; others are not. Either way, you'll want to tape-record your channelings, or speak to another person so you can review the verbal channelings later.

You'll know that you are channeling angels by their telltale signature of: * A very high, fine frequency. Your head may feel some pressure, as if you are singing a very high note.

* Loving, positive words, phrases, and messages. Angels may warn you of danger or ask you to stop an unhealthful habit. But always, they word their advice in a "you can do it" coaching style.

* Consistently reinforced, sequential messages. Your angels will ask you to complete one step at a time as they counsel you to improve your life. They will patiently ask you to fulfill each step and may repeat the same message until you complete their request. After you've finished one step, the angels will applaud you and then give you another suggested step to take.

Hearing Your Guardian Angel's Name

You'll interact with hundreds or even thousands of different angels throughout your lifetime. Some angel groups with which you work will remain consistent. At other times, you'll be accompanied by angels who are completely new to you.

Since angels are not after personal glory because they know that we are all united with G.o.d, they don't seek credit for their heavenly deeds. So most of the time, you won't be aware of the personal characteristics of the individual angels who are helping you. You can, however, get to know your guardian angel or angels, who are with you from physical birth to death.

Your guardian angels have names. Sometimes, they have human-sounding names. For example, my guardian angel is "Frederique." Other times, angels have descriptive names such as "Joy" or "Peace."

Ask your angels to tell you their names. Then be very still and listen. The answer may come intuitively, and you'll get a feeling about the name. Or you may hear a voice, see a vision, or simply "know" the name. If the message isn't clear enough for you to understand, ask your angels to repeat their names until you've got them. Never fear that your angels will be offended or run away if you say, "Could you repeat your answer a little louder, please?"

I met a woman who decided to ask for her angel's name as she was driving home from church one day. After she asked her angel, "What's your name?" the woman heard a little voice within her mind and heart reply, "Angel." The woman thought, "Angel! How can an angel be named 'Angel'?" So she asked her angel to repeat the answer a little louder and clearer, so she could be sure and really understand it. Again, the woman heard the same reply: "Angel."

The woman thought this was an odd name for an angel-a little like a cat being named "Cat." So she asked her angel to give her a sign if "Angel" truly was her name. At that instant, the woman felt compelled to look over her right shoulder as she was driving. There, in front of her was a huge sign that she had never before noticed. It read "Angel Motel." That's how she knew for sure that her guardian angel's name was "Angel."

Trusting the Angels