Okay, I admit it. I’m a skeptic.

When I think of angels, I think of kitschy angel shops. Even more challenging, I reflect on my estrangement from organized religious practices, which contain more inconsistencies than inspiration.

I’ve had a change of heart.

Maybe it’s the pandemic, which has caused me to look beyond the physical world seeking a deeper sense of purpose and connection. Maybe it’s my increased understanding of angels and their roots in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism (think bodhisattvas), and new age practices. Or it could be that angels have led the way.

Do you believe in angels?

Angels are spirit beings that bring us closer to the Divine. We all have an angel team. Scottish-born angel whisperer Kyle Gray says, “An angel is pure, sacred energy. They are here to help us and guide us toward our greater purpose.”

Angels are here to provide guidance (when we ask), to comfort us, and to help us reach our goals. Angels help us connect most deeply to the Divine.

More people are looking toward these heavenly beings and seeking their guidance. So how can we know that angels are here and speaking to us? Look to these signs:

1. Signs that angels are near. When I first started getting messages from angels, they wanted to be really sure that I was getting them. The angel duck from my rubber duck collection wound up in the middle of my tub—someone sent me a bottle of wine called Angel Whispers. Finally, I walked into my bedroom to find that my cat had liberated only one book from my precariously stacked pile: Messages from Your Angels.

2. Do you find yourself often finding feathers? This could be another sign of angelic presence. White feathers are a classic angel sign—especially if you find them in a surprising place. The feathers I receive are often more. In a single week, I had several clients bring me gifts of feathers. One was a beautiful peacock feather. Another client’s toddler brought me a feather insisting it was mine.

3. Angel numbers. Angels also communicate in numbers. There are several good online guides to the significance of angel numbers. Angel numbers often come up in repeating patterns (such as 111, 222, 333), and they tend to show up again and again. You may see them on your Wawa receipt, your gas gauge, or your digital clock. Recently, I was going through a challenging time and kept waking up at 4:44 am. When I woke up enough to look up the significance of 444, it was about navigating challenges and assured me that the angels were there to answer prayers for protection.

4. Angels love music and often communicate in songs. Have you ever been in the car and heard that very song that was the answer to your problems? Or reassures you that all will be well? This may be an angelic communication. Just feeling alone and want to know that you are not? Listen for songs about angels, such as “A Hundred Thousand Angels” by Bliss, or “Angels Watching Over Me” by Amy Grant.

5. Animal messengers. Angels often work through animals. I know that my cats are connected to the angelic realms. Many animals are. Look for behavior that is out of character. An example of this was that I was on retreat in the mountains and had been thinking a lot about the need for balance. While out for a walk, several deers ran right by me (I could have practically reached out and touched them). When I looked up the significance of deers, I found that they represent the need to play.

Look toward your angels. You never know what you might find.

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