The Toano Angel

A vast system of angels make up a communication network traveled by both positive and negative influences. According to the Zohar, this network is an interface between the physical world and the Upper Worlds. Everything in the physical world is governed by angels, including every blade of grass, every creature in the sea, and mankind as well.

Because our five senses are so limited, the presence of angels is invisible, but their power doesn't go unnoticed. Positive actions bring positive angels. Likewise, negative actions (all blockages, turmoil, and distress) attract negative angels. The good news is we have a choice. Our behavior determines which angels are aroused in our world. Whenever we react, we open the door to negative angels. If we can stay positive and pro-active, we draw positive angels to us. It's as simple as like attracts like.

In looking back, car trouble on the highway can bring out the worse in me. Especially when the passenger in the backseat is my elderly Mom on a sweltering summer day.  The first day of her vacation to come and spend a week with Elliot and me at the beach. The trip began with the ambiance of what was to be a perfect day unfolding as we got an early start to beat the heat and heavy traffic on I-64. 

Speeding along, with almost half of a three-hour trip on the highway behind us, Mom was in the backseat, enjoying the ride, humming Rock of Ages along with the tape deck. 

Suddenly the car began making a strange noise. The gold Buick was losing power, slowing down. My heart dropped down to my stomach.  Mom getting stuck in the heat brought up some fear, but timing was good.  An exit was coming up right then! Toano, a place we'd never stopped.  Our trusty "Goldie" coasted down the ramp as we all cheered the car onward, calling on the angels. Something was up, Elliot laughed, as the old Buick rolled downhill right into a Golden Arches parking lot.  

Relieved not to be stranded on the sweltering highway, we thankfully enjoyed an early lunch inside an air-conditioned McDonald's while waiting for road service to show up. 

 An hour later, the Rocky Road Tow Truck arrived with bad news.  We laughed at the name...Rocky Road...  Turned out, Goldie needed a tow from Toano to a garage in Williamsburg.  Since there was only room for me and Mom to ride up front in the service truck, Elliot sat behind the wheel of our car on the flat bed truck. A small crowd of curious folks gathered in the parking lot, and we decided to have fun. I snapped a picture of Elliot with the car window rolled down, waving to a smiling crowd, but the camera didn’t work either.

“I can hardly wait to see the good that’s going to come from this,” I said, climbing up to ride in the Rocky Road cab.  Somehow Mom managed to get up the high step, too. Zooming along the back roads to the repair shop, my attention was drawn to an angel ornament swirling on the truck driver's  rear-view mirror.

“See, Mom, the angels are with us.” 

She laughed, holding down her wild windswept hair as we rode along the country road, playfully singing "Country road, Take me home to the place I belong.” 

At the repair shop, we got bad news. Goldie needed a new transmission. We all accepted what is, making the best of it. My brother in Richmond came to the rescue. We spent the night with his family and enjoyed an impromptu dinner at a wonderful restaurant. 

Years later, while randomly searching the web for angel pics, I came across a Toano Angel! What were the odds! I laughed, thinking of the angelic help we received that hot summer day in our hour of need. The synchronicity was a reminder to stay positive and have a smoother, happier ride through life with the angels. Yes, there will be bumps, but the angels are powerful shock absorbers.

Happy trials and trails.  You may want to take some time to reflect on how the angels have come through for you in the past. How wonderful that God has sent his angels to be with us. We are never truly alone. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

(Toano angel: web)

Thanksgiving Blessings: An Angel Message

 

 Every day is a day to be thankful, but this time of year my heart is especially full of gratitude for the many blessings, as well as the challenges (and there were many) that have come my way. Not just thankful for the wonderful relationships with loved ones, but for a precious experience that transformed my world by a new way of seeing.

This experience is not one that I take lightly. It is the gift of knowing the Holy Spirit as a real loving Presence in my life. I often reflect on just how different things would have turned out if I hadn't been willing to let the Holy Spirit show me that He is with me always, in all ways.

I know I would not be sitting here feeling such a strong, peaceful, loving connection with all life.

Trust is a big issue for me, so it was not easy to become a believer. I had to ask the Holy Spirit to let me see things differently, time and time again. Although He is invisible, I began to see the effects of His loving presence working through my life. And, this brought great joy and wonder.

My faith began to increase. I began to know that I of myself do nothing and to rest in God's love and let Him unfold my life according to His will, not mine. Many unexpected gifts exceeded my wildest expectations and I began to understand that every struggle and setback was always leading me to higher ground. Sometimes this happened more gracefully than others, depending on my resistance!

The more I called on the Holy Spirit, to let me have peace, instead of the problem, I began to notice my recovery-time sped up as I was going through a spiritual roto-rooter, cleaning out my ego stuff to make room for more light. My old limited thought system was being overhauled. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

So on Thanksgiving, I am remembering to give thanks that God created me in His image and likeness, as He did each of us. Foolproof in spite of my ego's misgivings.  What mercy!

Thank you for joining me on this journey home with the angels.  The best is yet to be.

Happy Thanksgiving!

With love and peace,


Rae Karen

To Let Go...An Angel Feather

Many years ago, while looking out the window, concerned about a loved one, I wondered, What could I do to help? 

 

To my surprise, as if on cue, a lone white feather glided by on a breeze, as if it had wings!  I looked up at the blue sky, but the feather appeared to come out of nowhere. My mood brightened with thanks for an uplifting and timely reminder. Our loved ones are in the constant care of a guardian angel. They are children of light. Trust.

 

My part in being helpful also came from the advice offered in this anonymous poem, a handout at spiritual support group.  

 
 

LETTING GO

To let go does not mean to stop caring, it means

I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization

I can't control another.

To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning

from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means

the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,

it's to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another

to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the

outcomes, but to allow others to affect their own destinies.

To let go is not to be protective, it's to permit another

to face reality.

To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead

to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires, but

to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and

live.

To let go is to fear less and love more.

--Author Unknown

To let go, is to remember, no one is truly ever alone. God loves us all.  We are children of light.

 

"He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91)  

 

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

(photo from the web)

A Buzz in the Bag: An Angel Message

While watering the flowers, I noticed the bushy pentas in the large terracotta pot needed pruning to bring in new life. I got a plastic grocery bag and hung it on my wrist to collect the dead blooms, and there were many.  

Focusing on the task at hand, a strange buzzing noise caught my attention. It was coming from the bag on my wrist.  I recognized it was the call of an angry bee bumbling in search of a way back out in the sunshine.  I ran and turned the bag upside down on the lawn. Purple and white faded blooms lay strewn on the quiet ground. The bee had flown free.    

The unusual encounter made me wonder, what was angel message?

 Maybe a sign not to get caught up in revisiting the past, dwelling on yesterday's faded blossoms. The best is yet to be.   Bee represents enjoying the nectar of life.  Bee also symbolizes doing the impossible since they can fly with a big body and a little pair of wings.  The speed of those tiny wings enables the bee to achieve the impossible.

As far as the symbolism of the flowers, pente means a series of five, and Pentas are often called star flowers. They represent luck and bounty. 

Love and peace,

Rae Karen 

(photo:web)

 

A Sun Cross Surprise At Disney World

 

Signs and wonders.  Yesterday, an amazing angel message beamed down, out of the blue, at Disney World when a photo of the train station was taken.  What a surprise to see the radiant afternoon sun form a cosmic cross in the sky, beaming down a cylinder of blue light that captured the upper train station window. The window frame also resembled the sign of the cross.    

As above, so below.    

Sometimes, in the natural, we find ourselves doing something ordinary that turns out to be extraordinary and captures an uplifting view that the best is yet to be.  Keep on trusting God, and look up to see the signs and wonders.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

(Photo: D.Livesay)

Answering the Call

Water can be a great conductor for psychic ability. Often when my hands are washing dishes, I get inspired by my guardian angel. A thought will suddenly pop up to call someone. Or it may be like a flash, a cameo glimpse of the person's face.  When it happens, I'm trying to honor these angel messages  by paying attention and making the time to trust the angel thought and follow-through on the guidance received, to send a card, make a phone call, or say a prayer.

I recall a time my hands were in soapy water and my thoughts drifted to a dear friend in a distant state. We hadn't spoken in quite awhile and suddenly I felt an urge to make contact.

After doing the dishes, I sat down in the living room, having forgotten the angel nudge.

It came again. A clear knowing to reach out to my friend.

Sipping my tea, thinking about making the call, the phone rang. It was her, wanting us to know about her brother's passing after a long illness.

We had a long, comforting phone visit that was inspiring and healing for us both.

In these troubled times, we can act as angels to one another, reaching out a helping hand or a word of encouragement. When our minds are still, our guardian angels can guide us to those who need our help the most.

 Love and peace,

Rae Karen

 

 

 

(photo:web)

An Ibis Feast of Light: An Angel Message

 Happy All Saints' Day! With a bag of thawed Ezekiel bread from our freezer, Elliot and I made a stop from running errands, to visit the lake in our old town.  Oh, my goodness, what a rush!  Flocks and flocks of hungry white ibis--long pink curved beaks and galloping pink legs--ran to greet us! 

The 7th dimensional  energy was amazing in the midst of a sea of white flapping feathers, more than 50 ibis, if I had to guess.  I sent up a prayer to let the loaf last long enough to feed all that gathered. 

The birds were polite and patient...waiting for the bread to be tossed on the ground, before ganging up to nab a morsel. Yikes, I was breaking bread as fast as I could.   I asked the birds to go slow and share--let each one have a turn. 

 

Tossing the bread reminded me of "casting your bread upon the waters"... and how what you send out shall shall return to you, so choose wisely. A karma lesson on giving and receiving.  In other words, do your best by sharing what you have to give, and let God take care of the details, who gets what, when, and where.

Ibis, as the first pictorial letter of the ancient Egyptian alphabet, was associated with the origin of language.  Its white plumage symbolized the light of the Sun.  The ibis were sacred for their ability to eat snakes, even poisonous ones.  Snake represented transformation (life/death/rebirth), and ibis was a symbol for having dominion over the process. 

When an ibis flies into your life, get ready to welcome an upcoming change to a higher state of consciousness. New mysteries are about to open up in our life.  What's below the surface will readily be seen.   

 

If you're reading this uplifting message it is meant for you. God's angels are anxious to help humankind  make that upward shift in Higher consciousness; a celestial speed-up is happening to awaken us to our true spiritual divinity.  Humanity is hungry for what you know.   Cast your bread upon the waters...

Love and peace,


Rae Karen

 

(Ref: Animal-Wise, Ted Andrews)

Way Up, Way Up High: Angel Message

It's the simple things in nature that bring joy, especially when she communicates in a bold language that breaks through the illusion like a breath of fresh air.  A healing sign that you are never alone, something greater than you presently are aware of is doing a mighty work in your life.  Unseen, but not unnoticed, the message always leaves one feeling more peaceful, and gratefully grounded in the precious gift of now.

On Saturday afternoon, I happened to look up as I stood in the driveway.  Something new and different caught my eye.  A vision of giant yellow tufted flowers cheerfully waving in the sunshine, above the tree tops.  Surprised, I laughed, wondering about the unusual bouquet of giant golden spikes of light.  The happy sight lifted my spirits, and peaked my curiosity.   I went to check out the source.

Back in the woods, behind the house, I found an old pine tree embracing a change in season crowned in a vision of golden glory.  Pine trees never lose all their green needles. And, Evergreen is a wonderful symbol of immortality, the soul, eternity.  The evergreen of the soul, some call it. 

I was thankful for this angel messenger, not only for the reminder to keep looking up, but to keep shining and giving your all, no matter what the physical circumstances.  With the help of the angels, we can do this. 

Then, early this morning, another messenger delivered an up-beat message from on-high.  A juvenile red-tailed hawk swooped down and perched on the power pole, facing east. The direction of new beginnings.  Like the bald eagle on The Great Cross at St. Augustine, the hawk seemed to echo the message, Keep our thoughts on-high.  

The photo, taken from the sun-room window, turned out like a silhouette, but an angel thought directed my attention to the metal wires at the coil of the power pole. Gleaming in the sunshine, the silvery wires were bent in the shape of the Christ-fish. 

 

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."  (Eccl. 3:1)   This too shall pass.  The best is yet to be. Be of good courage, pray,  and put your trust in God.

Love and peace,

Rae Karen

Rainbow Hands of Light: Angel Message

 

On our anniversary trip, the ocean sunset was so beautiful from the balcony, that later, around 7 o'clock, an angel thought prompted me to open our back door on the second floor, and look to the west where the sun was setting.  

I hopped up, and quickly opened the door wide, unprepared for a blast of brilliant light flooding the doorway. So bright, I couldn't look out, and retreated inside, shading my eyes.  That's when Elliot stepped up and joyously spotted a rainbow.  Look, you've got to see this!  A rainbow!

Not wanting to miss a rainbow, I snapped the camera, blindly toward the light, asking the angels for help to share a photo with you.

I was glad I listened to the angel guidance or I could have missed a golden pair of rainbow hands blessing the sky.  Then to my surprise, at the lower right-hand corner of the heavenly view, I saw the Great Cross was in the picture.  Across the miles, like an exclamation point, above the treetops.  

A rainbow is a reminder of our greatest gift--to be one with God. God loves you and has sent his angels to watch over you.  The best is yet to come.

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

 

A Wonderful Angel Messenger from On-High

Last week, Elliot and I delayed the celebration of our 26th wedding anniversary by one day, and headed for St. Augustine the following morning.  The energy was on, and we were good to go.    Little did we know, the timing was in divine order. 

We arrived at our favorite healing spot in nature, and sat on a stone bench overlooking the inlet at Our Lady of LaLeche.  As I gazed up at the peaceful blue sky, to my surprise, I thought I saw a little bird. It was perched atop the Great Cross. A historical landmark of Spain's claim to Florida in the late 1500's.   The Cross, rises above the rest of the city, and can be seen for miles. 

In all our years of pilgrimage to this first Marian Shrine in America, this was a first-- a bird on top of the twenty-story gleaming cross! It seemed like a wonderful angel message from on-high.

I hoped it was true. What looked like a bird to my eyes appeared as a black speck, with a white dot for a head. To satisfy my curiosity, I got out my camera. An inner voice told me, it's an eagle. To good to be true, my ego claimed, it's an osprey (seahawk) with a white head, and looks like an eagle.  

Excitedly, the camera lens bounced, zooming upward, higher and higher, scaling the 208-foot beam standing triumphant in the sunlight.  

Then, I had it! 

 A bald eagle!  

What were the chances?

And, in that sacred moment, it appeared as if God was showing that America, represented by the eagle, would be victorious in the end. A wonderful omen of spiritual resurrection and rebirth for our country.  Also, the eagle represents Great Spirit who has dominion over all the earth, the cross of matter.

 

On a personal level, it was a comforting reminder.  Although we each have our crosses to bear, with Christ, we, too, are Overcomers. So be of good cheer, and don't be deceived by external appearances.  The best is yet to come. Keep thoughts and prayers on high. 

"But they that wait upon the LORD 

shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings as eagles; 

they shall run, and not be weary; 

and they shall walk, and not faint."  (Isa. 40:31)

The clouds in the sky were dynamic, forming a mighty hand, reaching down to crown the Great Cross. Another heavenly image offering hope.  

I hope you will find these images as comforting as we did.  They are too wonderful not to share.  Please remember that you are never alone.  God has sent his angels to watch over you and guide you in all your ways. Never give up.  The best is yet to come. 

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen

 

Turkey Blessings: Angel Message

With all the sadness in the world today, I had a sudden boost of spirit this morning.   Returning home from the grocery store, what a surprise to find a flock of wild turkeys pecking around the front yard.  Seven.  The number of completion and perfection. 

The timing of their visitation was amazing. Yesterday the turkeys crossed my mind, sadly thinking they were gone for good now that the back woods is under heavy construction.  But against all odds, the happy brood returned.  Big, beautiful, young feathered harbingers of thanksgiving and gratitude.   A sign that there is more going on than meets the physical eye, so keep the faith, and give thanks for everything. 

I ran inside the house, grabbed my camera, and stood at the living room window to look out, so as not to frighten the skittish birds away.  LOL. One  turkey was especially close to the window, standing in a clay flower pot!  That was a first!  Maybe a signal to keep my feet planted in good soil and to keep growing toward the light to bloom. 

The turkey, sometimes called the earth eagle, is a of symbol of all the blessings that the Earth contains, along with the ability to use them to their greatest advantage.  A wonderful reminder that we are here to be a blessing, and to give thanks for all the Unseen Heavenly Help, physically out of sight, but certainly not unnoticed.  The best is yet to be.  

Peace and love,

 

Rae Karen

Turkey ref: Animal-Speak, Ted Andrews

Love Always Makes A Way: An Angel Message

Angels may use whatever we've got to teach us lessons on love, joy, peace and harmony.  Sometimes the most unlikely objects can become tools of transformation and renewal if we let them.

In that vein, something unusual happened yesterday, out-of-the-blue.  

Let me back pedal...  Years ago, I picked up a couple of Smurfs at a yard sale. A cute long-haired female with a happy orange flower.  And, her mate, a gardener Smurf holding a brown shovel with a red cardinal on it.  Being a nature lover, they spoke to my heart, and also filled a need for a memory of happier times.  

Back in the early 80's, my young son had collected Smurfs.  These whimsical small, blue, fictional humanoid creatures who lived in mushroom-shaped homes in the woods.  Their iconic Phrygian white caps represented freedom during the modern era. 

Last month, in a Fall letting-go mood, I cleaned out the house, with bags of stuff to donate.  The books went to the public library book store, and knickknacks to a local angel thrift.

A few weeks ago, while at the library book store, I was in for a surprise. The little blue Smurfette was standing alone on display, atop a bookcase. She looked so bright and sunny, yet oddly out of place for sale with a few holiday ornaments. I wondered how she ended up there?! Maybe I accidentally dropped her in a bag of book donations?  Rather than buy her back, guidance was to let it be as it is.  

Our next several trips to the library, I was curious, would she still be waiting? But there she was, brightening up the book store like a ray of sunshine.     

Then, a few days ago, while visiting the library, she was missing.  I wished I held on to her, but kept it quietly to myself.    

Now, this is where the story gets a little squirrel-ly... 

Yesterday morning, searching high and low for my missing garden shears, I opened a shallow, deep drawer on the counter, but no luck. Quickly I moved on in a hurry, leaving the drawer ajar.  Elliot came along, and tried to shut the drawer.  He had to yank it twice, rattling the contents, before he discovered the problem.  

He reached inside and grabbed the obstacle. 

Time stood still and I could hardly believe it! 

My little smiley faced Smurfette! I held her in my hand, as if finding a long lost friend. What were the odds?  She had disappeared from the library shelf and ended up in my drawer at home. 

Then, it dawned on me, the whole big beautiful idea. What I thought I had lost was with me all the time.  A sudden mist of tears caught me off-guard. And, here's the thing...  These vintage blue Smurfs are a rare find these days, over forty years later.  I'll admit it felt like the touch of an angel played a hand in the reunion.

Now, the search was on for her mate, the gardener Smurf.  I hoped I hadn't let him go.  The little red cardinal on his shovel was a reminder of a comforting saying: When a cardinal appears, a departed loved one is near.   A quick search, he popped up, holding his shovel, looking as smitten as ever with his flower gal beside him again.  Now the happy couple is back together on the kitchen windowsill. A wonderful reminder ... that Love is never lost.  Love always makes a way. 

 

Love and peace,

 

Rae Karen