Protected by Angels

by Jacky Newcomb

  Here is another mind-blowing experience from Eleanor.

  ‘My friend and I were having a coffee around a year after my mam had died. We were chatting away putting the world to rights, when we heard an almighty crash; at the same time the house phone was ringing. I answered the phone to some really bad news: my little nephew had died. After the call I went to look at what the noise had been, and my mother’s picture, which had been hanging on the wall upstairs, had fallen and the glass smashed into bits. The strange thing was that the hook that held it up on the wall was still in place; no windows or door were open, either. The only explanation was that it was a warning of bad news… from my mam.’ – ELEANOR

  I think that sometimes, after such tragic news, these experiences have a second meaning: it’s a way of reminding you that life is eternal and in this case that Eleanor’s mum was reminding the family, ‘Look, I am here to look after the baby,’ and ‘Try not to worry, he is safe with me.’

  Finally, this one is completely bizarre and was also very confusing to experience, as Eleanor explains.

  ‘One day my friend and I decided to pop to the local shops. We were out for ages, and when we returned I opened the front door to find my loaf of bread (which I always keep inside my bread bin in the kitchen) was on the step in my hallway! It seemed so strange and we both wondered how the bread had got there all by itself. We were still trying to figure it out when the phone rang. I answered it and a woman asked if she could speak to Alice. Well, Alice is my dead mother’s name, so I told the woman she must be mistaken; no one called Alice lived at my house. The woman was insistent: “Yes,” she said, “I just had a call from this number from a woman called Alice saying she was locked in the house!” Apparently this Alice had sounded very distressed. Well, we were completely baffled. I always wondered if it was my mother coming to visit.’ – ELEANOR

  Mirrors

  My sister has seen Dad in the mirror on more than one occasion. This form of communication spooks me a little and I make a point of not looking in the mirror if I wake to go to the bathroom in the night… just in case!

  It is traditional in some countries that mirrors in the house belonging to the deceased (or where the wake is held) are covered during the wake to guarantee that the soul does not become trapped! In some countries this even goes so far as to cover all reflective surfaces – it makes you wonder where these customs come from, doesn’t it? Maybe in the long-distant past a poor spirit tried to appear in a mirror to reassure a loved one that they were safe…

  I posted a request on my social networking site to see if any of my friends had afterlife contact via either mirrors or computers. The following reply came right back (strange coincidence… or was it?!):

  ‘My computer has just shut down and my husband has just this second rung me to ask me which mirror I wanted for our bathroom… Ooooh, spooky!’ – LISA

  Beautiful Flower Scents

  Angels often appear on a cloud of perfume. Common are the strong scents of flowers and vanilla. This can be especially powerful right after a passing or even at the funeral itself (especially if there are no flowers in the room or house you are in at the time).

  ‘My husband’s aunt died and she had pretty much brought him up. Then one day we were sitting there and I was overcome with the scent of flowers, and I said to my husband “Come here quick” and he welled up with tears. He said it was the scent of his auntie’s favourite flowers.

  ‘A couple of days later in the morning he had a shower and went into the bedroom and was overcome with the smell again. He said out loud,“Auntie, is that you?” and the lights went on and off twice. It was lovely.’ – JOANNE

  Just occasionally people pick up the scent of ‘not so nice’ smells associated with those who have passed… cigarettes and tobacco! Dad used to smoke a lot in his early years, then later when he was meant to have given up he used to carry mints around in his pocket and use these to cover the smell of the occasional misdemeanour. After he passed on, my daughter picked up the strong scent of cigarettes and mints at the same time. She was abroad at the time and I was at home feeling very sad and sorry for myself. She instinctively knew that it was a sign for me and sent me a text on her mobile phone! It really cheered me up. Here is another story.

  ‘I once picked up the smell of mint and I immediately thought of my cousin Susan, who was very ill at the time… 20 minutes later I had a phone call to say Susan had passed away. I can remember my cousin’s house always smelling of mint, as she loved to cook with it.’ – TERESA

  Angels and Music

  Angels actually create their own music. The sound of the celestial choir is one of the most beautiful sounds you will ever hear. Imagine beautiful harps and voices in complete harmony. The sound moves you and even has a feel to it. You’ll know you are surrounded by complete and unconditional love and peace… magical. Once you have this experience you’ll never forget it.

  ‘Three years ago my husband was working away in Denmark and the company he works for was going through a tough period and announced redundancies via the post. Unfortunately, I had to open the letter and let him know over the phone that he had been selected for redundancy. It wasn’t a great time for me, with him being away, and I got very upset.

  ‘During my upset I heard music, a sort of fanfare and it was loud and clear. It made me feel very calm. I knew then that everything would be all right. Hubby and his colleagues were flown home and then informed that there had been a mistake and that they were all actually safe and would keep their jobs!’ – BECKIE

  I loved this next experience, too. Music, like colour and all sound, is just another vibration. Do you need to hear it in order to experience it? Maybe not!

  ‘I haven’t exactly heard angel music, but I have felt it. I know that sounds strange! It was when I was really upset one day. I was sniffling away in my misery when I was suddenly engulfed in vibrations that made me stop crying. It was as if a thousand beautiful voices had passed through me… and the thing is I actually hadn’t heard a thing, but I knew I would be OK and I was safe. It sounds so bizarre but it was so real.’ – JOANNE

  Knocking, Rapping and Similar Phenomena

  In my opinion, this section of phenomena is probably the scariest of all, and is often reported as signs from ghosts as well as angels and deceased loved ones! Although many ask for solid experiences, when they happen it can be more than a little spooky! Knocking on the walls and windows has been reported as a warning or advance notice from loved ones as they cross over. They often create this type of phenomenon just to say ‘Hi’ from heaven.

  ‘When my brother died we had knocking on the windows. We don’t get it as much now [because we believe] he is too busy where he is.’ – TARA

  Another phenomenon that fits into this category includes waking up to find the bed shaking or the covers being removed! Now I know that wouldn’t be the type of sign I would like to receive. Sometimes these types of tricks can be funny or just heart-warming though, as this story illustrates very well.

  ‘My sister wanted my granddad at her wedding and said as she went down the aisle, “I wish he was here.” Just as she got to the altar the door behind the registrar burst open! My sister, my mum and I fell about laughing. It seems like Granddad made it to the church after all!’ – NATASHA

  Coins

  There is a song about ‘pennies from heaven’, and it’s true. Our angels bring us little gifts in the form of pennies from the other side, as well as other small coins. Sometimes the coins are given as a tangible sign that our angels are with us, protecting and comforting us.

  ‘I had to leave my rabbit at the vet’s for surgery and was really upset and asking the angels to take care of her. When I stepped out of my car at the vet carpark I found a coin right by my feet. It felt like a sign and I felt much calmer – and my rabbit got through the surgery.’ – CORINNE

  For some reason my angels bring me the small silver five-pence pieces instead! Five-pence pieces are said to be gifts f
rom the Archangel Michael! It seems I’m not the only one.

  ‘My gorgeous angels leave me five-pence coins everywhere, I have lots… and I find them in the strangest places!’ – JOANNE

  Dreams

  One of the more powerful ways that your angels can appear to you is in a dream. The angel might manifest as just a face in a glowing light, or you might see a full-bodied form appear in front of you. You might know that you are asleep but at the same time be fully aware, or maybe you are just falling asleep or on the verge of waking up.

  Your angel might be your guardian, or maybe a deceased relative. Both can use this special way of reaching out from the other side of life.

  ‘I was having a dream, and my uncle was with me. We were in a car and I was driving along a country road with very, very vivid colours on the leaves and the grass, and I could see this even though we were passing very fast. He then said, “Well done on passing your test, Titch,” and smiled. The thing is, I knew in the dream he was dead.

  ‘Then the car stopped and he got out and I went to follow him but he told me I couldn’t go. He disappeared into a bright light and I woke up. I hadn’t actually taken my test when I had the dream, because my test was the following morning. Uncle was right, I passed!’ – LISA

  Light and Twinkles

  Not every angel appears in full-bodied form. It might be easy to miss flickering and sparkling twinkles of light that appear when you’re in need of a little comfort. The lights can appear like glitter in sunshine… a beautiful sign indeed!

  ‘I always see blue lights in my bedroom. I started seeing more of them and more often when I was pregnant, and now that my baby has been born I find it very comforting and believe it’s a sign that my grandparents and the angels are watching over my family.’ – KIM

  Voices

  I was once awoken with the word ‘test’ spoken very loudly in my ear! It makes me giggle even now when I think of it. I was all excited at the time because I figured my angels were going to use this easy method to communicate with me from then on… they didn’t! Ha ha. Another time (years later) I was awoken again with the sound of a voice, and this time it was calling my name.

  ‘My son Shane was a joker; if he saw me in town he would sneak up behind me and make me jump, or put his hands over my eyes from behind so I had to guess who it was. Not long after he went “home” I was lying in bed nodding off when all of a sudden I heard a loud whisper really close to my ear, “BOO!” Well, I tell you I jumped out of my skin!’ – FIONA

  Angels and deceased loved ones will mainly use this method of communication in emergencies. I believe it’s one of the harder forms of contact for them to achieve. They save it for times when we are in danger, most commonly when driving the car. Many of my readers have written to tell me they heard a voice tell them to stop, slow down or, as in my case, hear their name called, which has woken them up in time to protect them from some hazard!

  TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL

  Although it’s hard for angels to manifest physically in our space, they can sometimes bring the weight of a hand holding your hand or a comforting arm across your shoulder in times of need. Strangely this happens a lot when we are daydreaming, so at times when you are doing boring tasks, this is when you’re most likely to experience this phenomenon.

  ‘I was touched by a hand once… or perhaps I should say the hand tried to hold on to me, but it slipped away (even though I couldn’t see anything). The next day I found out a friend of mine was killed during the exact hour I’d had the experience.’ – SHAYNA

  SIGNS THROUGH BABIES AND CHILDREN

  Children and small babies often bring us signs that a loved one or an angel is around. Have you ever seen little ones smiling and giggling at ‘no one’ in particular? Toddlers will point out an angel, even if they can’t describe it easily. Little ones will tell you how Grandma came to say goodbye when they were asleep the night before.

  Youngsters will regularly keep in contact with deceased family members, even if they’ve never met them in life. Great-grandparents seem eager to pop back to Earth to meet their new baby relatives. If you are interested in this phenomenon, you’ll find stories like these in my book Angel Kids. It seems that not all ‘imaginary’ friends are make-believe!

  ‘I was babysitting my granddaughter, who at the time was about 18 months old, when her talking/singing “Barney the Dinosaur” toy kept going off. If it wasn’t that, it was her melody ball toy! She was sound asleep. At the time she had started talking to an imaginary friend and an old man!’ – SUSAN

  Televisions

  If you’ve ever wondered who’s messing with the remote or recorded the wrong channel, you might want to look further than your living family. Angels love to bring us signs through the television, although it can be a little scary when you walk into the room and the television switches on all by itself! Yes, I’ve had this happen, too!

  ‘My TV switched itself on in the night with the words “Happy Birthday” and balloons on a yellow screen. It was about two weeks after my birthday and my brother had died on my birthday… this year! I know it was a message acknowledging what had happened. When I went to grab my camera to take a photograph, it switched back off.’ – KELLY

  Radios and Other Music Players

  Spirits love to play ‘their song’ for you on the radio when you’re feeling low. That special song, which meant so much to you both, might be playing in a shop you walk into, or start playing on the radio. The tune might be an old one that you just never hear played nowadays, yet if you need to hear the song it starts to play just when you are ready for that reassuring sign.

  The sound might unexpectedly increase in volume or go quieter to get your attention, or a particular song might be playing and suddenly stop midway through to be replaced with one more relevant to your feelings.

  ‘My friend’s partner died at 29, unexpectedly and traumatically. A year later she was still questioning how she would move on and be with anyone else; she was convinced that her dreams of motherhood and married life were now just dreams.

  ‘At the time we were discussing this we were getting ready to go out for a meal. All of a sudden her iPod randomly started playing one of her partner’s favourite party songs! I’m pleased to say she has now met someone and is moving on (albeit slowly) with her life.’ – ANONYMOUS

  Posters and Adverts, Messages in Print

  I remember once asking my angels for a sign; I was driving at the time. I was mulling over my question when I drove over the top of a hill and there in front of me was a massive advertising poster with the word ‘YES’ in large capital letters. I got my angel answer loud and clear! An author friend of mine had a similar experience.

  ‘The night I gave up my job to concentrate on my writing full time, the bus I was on drove past a 20-foot high poster that said “BELIEVE”. That put a smile on my face!’ – JANE

  Try this one and ask your angels for a sign in a poster or advert. You might pick up a magazine and a picture will give you your message, or maybe like me your sign will come in an advert… sometimes you can be reading a passage in a book or magazine when particular words will almost jump out at you. You get a gut instinct or a strong feeling of excitement in the pit of your stomach when your sign appears. You’ll know by how you feel that this is your sign!

  Watch out for signs on car bumper stickers, and even car number plates.

  Clouds, Bubbles, and More

  Have you ever laid down in a field on a summer’s day and looked up at the clouds and seen pictures waiting for you? Sometimes a particular shape reminds you of an old dog you used to have, an angel or even the face of someone who has passed on. Our angels love to bring us signs this way, and people have even told me about seeing similar shapes in things like bubbles and candle wax! Maybe your loved one will bring you a sign in this lovely, gentle way.

  ‘One day I saw my mam’s face in the clouds. Mam wasn’t ill, well I thought she wasn’t at the time. Strangely when I told her what I
’d seen, her reply was, “That’s because I’ll be in the clouds tomorrow!” She died the next day.’ – ELEANOR

  WHEN IS A SIGN NOT A SIGN?

  Of course, not every bleep, buzz or flicker is a message from heaven, so it’s important to remain sensible and logical, too. Potentially paranormal signs often have normal explanations. I think this story perfectly illustrates this.

  ‘I had constant flickering lights in my new home. I couldn’t figure it out; they were flashing fast and furious off and on for weeks. I got it into my head that it must be an angry spirit and I was so convinced that I called in my priest to bless the house. Annoyingly, the light-flickering continued after the blessing, and a friend suggested I call in the electricity company to check it out. How stupid did I look when I discovered that the house had a doorbell for the deaf, so when visitors rang the doorbell, the lights flashed!’ – JUDY

  Priceless!

  Angels and Archangels

  ‘And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.’

  LUKE 2:13–14

  Let’s have a little look at how all the different angels interact with humankind. Then I’d like to tell you a little about the archangels and how they can help us, too. We are most familiar with the guardian angels, those that work closest to humankind, so let’s start with them.