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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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