Angels + You

  Vernet, Horace, Angel of death, 1851

    "The angel personifies something new arising from the deep unconscious" -Carl Jung

    The first question I am always asked after sharing my story is , "How?" How do you know you aren't going crazy? How do you know Angels are real?" The answer is, you don't. Well, you do. Just not when relying on faith alone. 

    As a human you are given the gift of choice. You are allowed to believe in and become whatever you please, which sometimes creates confusion. With infinite options and influences, it can feel impossible to decide what you truly desire. Thus, before working with angels one must know thyself.

    Perhaps this seems like a daunting task, but luckily there are hundreds of resources available. In fact, the path to self discovery is pathed with online quizzes, articles, and opinions waiting to be utilized. Although if you're looking for a psychological perspective, one way to understand the self is through its opposite. 

    This concept originated from Socrates and was later explored by psychoanalyst, Carl Jung. According to Jung, the self is made up of two parts: consciousness and unconsciousness. Consciousness is one's individual awareness while unconsciousness is all that is subliminal, forgotten, or repressed. (Jung, 1958) In order to truly know thyself, both parts of the self must be integrated. For instance, in my previous blog post I explained that I found my light because I was experiencing so much darkness. Similarly, I know I am a sensible person because I accepted the "crazy" aspects within me. In illuminating all parts of the self, you begin to trust who you are and what you experience. 

    Furthermore, I know angels are real by using an incredibly powerful tool called...discernment. Following the theme of opposites, there is a word used by psychologists called apophenia meaning "one's tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things." (Webster, 1999) In an effort to avoid this phenomenon, I have a curated set of rules for myself to decide if an occurrence is magickal or misguided. Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide your own practices, but here are some ideas to consider:

1. Is there a logical explanation? 

Ex. Does this candle keep blowing out because of an angel or because the air conditioner is on?

2. Notice how many times it occurs

Ex. Did you see something one time today or have you seen it a dozen times this week?

3. Do. Your. Research.

Ex. I think an angel is reaching out to me but I don't know which one, let me consult several sources. 

       Lastly, practice makes perfect. This might seem like a strange choice of words, but the more you practice using discernment the easier it becomes. Spiritual senses develop through grounding oneself in reality and mastering balance.