Angels are almost universally acknowledged and loved, in spite of the fact that there's no scientific proof of their existence--and they have been part of mankind's consciousness as far back as we can trace records of our spiritual beliefs.

Whatever our concepts are of God, of Heaven, of the great cosmic mysteries, angels seem to consistently maintain their highly revered status as our helpers and guardians, and stand as our closest links to God, or to All That Is. They are our unseen helpers and guides, shining beings of light, truth and all that is good, and whether they appear wearing feathered wings and golden halos, or whether they are our unseen but ever vigilant and helpful guides on our life's path, angels are our confirmation that we are not alone in this vast universe.

In recent decades, in spite of the increasingly practical and rational nature of modern society, the belief in angels and the acknowledgement of angelic encounters and guidance is growing in full counter-measure. What began in the latter decades of the 20th century as an angel 'fad' has showed no signs of slowing, and people's awareness of angelic presences and guidance in their lives has made angels as widely-accepted now as in the ancient eras before the dawn of modern technology and science.

Angels hold an important place in many major religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) and of course, amongst followers of New Age thought. But even more than that, atheists, agnostics and people not the slightest bit interested in religion or spirituality have been blessed by encounters with angels--and as more and more people share stories of their wondrous encounters, more and more people admit that they too believe.

Technically speaking, there are major differences between angels, spirit guides and the spirits of deceased loved ones. Angels are beings of light, created by God to be His emissaries between Heaven and Earth. In fact, the word 'angel' comes from the Greek word 'aggelos' (which is pronounced to sound like 'angelos') meaning 'messenger'--thereby signifying that an angel is a link between humans and God. The traditional Archangels and all our named angels and guardian angels belong to this realm.

Angels of the biblical hierarchies have never experienced life on the earth plane and they live in and experience only pure and unconditional love. They do, however, understand human emotions and difficulties, and exist to protect, guide and uplift us by illuminating our existence and showing us divine grace and presence.

Spirit Guides have lived at least one but usually many incarnations in earthly form and as such, are well qualified to understand the human condition. In between their earthly lifetimes, and after they have completed their cycles of reincarnation, they have worked on developing their spiritual vibrations and have chosen to re-visit us in our human existence to guide and assist us. Spirit Guides usually appear to us in human form, and whether they appear as a contemporary figure, such as a tweed jacketed, pipe-smoking Brit, as an ancient, eccentric personage such as a Hopi Shaman, or an Egyptian god or goddess, or any personage from a distant but spiritual culture, the messages a true spirit guide imparts are consistently compassionate and wise.

Angelic or spiritual encounters, full of loving guidance, comfort and protection, are also attributed to the spirits of our deceased loved ones and relatives. While we cannot accurately gauge the level of spiritual wisdom these souls have gained, we at least know that they have experienced both the human and the spiritual realms, and these spirits, while their spiritual evolution may or may not have reached that of a spiritual master or highest vibration spirit, do appear to us to show their love and to reassure us of their continued existence and their caring connection with us.

But for those who have had visits from deceased loved ones, for those who have seen winged beings of light and for those who have met their spirit guides in vision quests, dictionary definitions are of little importance. The feelings of love, of protection and of transcendent compassion are gifts for a lifetime and proof positive of life beyond the physical plane.

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Angels and Me

I have been aware of the presence and the assistance of angels for many years now, especially since bringing my new age and spiritual business online in the late '90s.

When I originally envisioned my New Age business and services, my focus was on Tarot and esoteric teachings, which was my main field of expertise. As I developed the site and my spiritual services, though, I noticed that angelic influences were consistently creeping in--gently stealing the spotlight--and somehow being a magnetic force calling for attention.

I developed my own style of receiving angel guidance for my clients that evolved into my AngelVoice column, and I began to know without a doubt that the angels were and are guiding me in sharing their messages. I've always considered it the highest honor to be able to help others receive angel guidance, and since I've been doing so, the presence of angels in my own life has become increasingly clear.

The only thing that was missing though, in spite of the wondrous flow of the guidance I was receiving was that, try and try, I couldn't seem to get an angel to speak to me, or to pop into my bedroom while I was saying my prayers. This lack of physical interaction seemed to be even more pronounced as I was receiving wonderful emails and letters every day from people describing their own angelic encounters. Fortunately, the signs and synchronicities that were guiding me were proof enough until the day of my first real life encounter.

Angel encounters can happen in many different ways and each individual experiences his or her angel's visits in a way that is best suited for the circumstances. Also, we all have different and unique gifts--where one individual can 'see' psychically (clairvoyance), another one can 'hear' things (clairaudience) and still another can just 'feel' (clairsentience). Some people meet angels in their dreams, others are simply aware of the angels deep in their souls, and still others know their angels are nearby from the signs and symbols that show up in their lives.

From thousands of letters I've received, I've learned that each individual has his or her own way of 'knowing' his or her angels. No one way is better than the other, and each way brings equal amounts of comfort and peace. The most important thing the angels want us to do is to spread their love--and that's the really fun part.

So, while I knew I should be content with what I was already receiving from spirit in the way of proof and guidance, I couldn't help but ask sometimes if I wasn't doing something right personally or psychically and that is why I wasn't having direct angelic contact. I had in my spiritual treasure chest of experiences, many years of energy work, meditation practice, Meet Your Angels and Guides workshops, past life regressions, and so on, but my angels just weren't about to drop by for a cup of tea in spite of my invitations. Little did I know then that my angels were just around the corner.

The day came, when through a series of synchronicities and repeated signs from Spirit, I came to know that I have three angels who were with me for a time--I was given signs that portrayed them as lovely white beings who formed a triangle as they hovered above me. I was made aware of this information mystically and it felt right. But the true highlight of my angel quest so far was when I finally got to see angels in living color. I had been having a fitful sleep one night and when I opened my eyes during the darkest of the night--there they were--two gorgeous angels floating near the ceiling of the room. They wore richly colored robes, reminiscent of a Victorian painting, and appeared to be kneeling in prayer. Yes, I blinked a few times to make sure I was seeing what I thought I was seeing, and then promptly rolled over and fell back asleep. I hope they come back soon so I can speak to them next time, instead of just accepting them so nonchalantly. I'll have plenty to say on their next visit.

I still have yet to entertain an angel over a cup of tea, but I know that angels are nearby, and maybe one day we'll have a real nice face to face chat. Angels have pretty amazing ways of showing up when they are really needed, as you will read in the accounts that follow, and angels are truly everywhere.

I have been blessed to find a way to incorporate spirituality into every aspect of my daily work, and to be consistently inspired by the love, light and laughter that angels bring. The letters I receive from people about angels touch me deeply, as they touch all who read them.

It is my heartfelt pleasure to share some of these stories with you, with the kind permission of the wonderful people who have taken the time to write them and share them with the world. Some of these stories are awe-inspiring, others are bitter-sweet, many are joyful, and some are simply small, but very precious reminders that we are not alone.

These are true stories sent in by my readers and they prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that angels come in all forms, shapes, and sizes, and exist on all dimensions--the earth plane included. I thank all these readers from the bottom of my heart for sharing these inspiring experiences.

Please note: I have edited these stories with the lightest possible touch, and only for ease of reading. For the most part, the stories are left as they were written, straight from the heart.