Snow Patrol
‘Did I believe in angels? Well, in all honesty probably not; I thought they were no more than fantasy or wishful thinking. Did I believe in spirits? Yes, as dead relatives helping out from beyond… maybe.
‘My mother and I have always shared a strong spiritual bond; we are very close and often think alike. As I grew into my teenage years we would go and visit Spiritualist mediums together; we shared a common interest in “this sort of thing”. We both became more aware of spirit energy 20 years ago, around the time of her mother’s death (my beloved Granny Cashon).
‘Before my granny’s passing we would see shadows move around in the house. Three days after her passing Granny Cashon visited me in the middle of the night; she touched my arm to wake me, then spoke to me in her normal voice. This was the spark that lit the flame, and I have been interested in this sort of phenomenon ever since. I have sat in Spiritualist church psychic development circles in the past, but to be honest hadn’t done much with angels until having the urge to purchase dozens of books with some redundancy money two years ago (2009). This was when I discovered angels were actually real, after reading books by several well-known authors… including yours. Reading the books changed my life somewhat, and I even ask for angels to help me every day now… but one day they proved to me they were real. I believe an angel saved my life.
‘My partner John and I have a daughter, Erin, who was two years old at the time. We did everything back-to-front, really, because we had our house and children before getting married (we finally married in 2008 after 13 years together!). John was a sales rep and covered all of Northern Ireland and Scotland, including the Shetlands, so he was often away from Monday until Friday!
‘Snow fell in the area around our house one winter. It was beautiful and I was very much aware that this was little Erin’s first experience of snow and I was keen to take her out to explore. John was away, so as it was my day off I decided that I could show Erin lots and lots of snow if we took a 40-minute drive north to the Trossachs, a very rural forest area near Callander. Without thinking too much about it I strapped Erin into the car, picked up a take-away from the drive-thru for lunch, and set off… totally unprepared. I had high-heeled fashion boots on and in the rush had left my mobile phone in the house. Nobody knew what our plans were, and as I write this I can see what a big mistake I’d made.
‘As we drove along the snow got thicker and it became more and more tricky to drive the closer we got to Callander, but still I continued. Erin was so excited with all the white stuff and I didn’t want to disappoint her. Eventually we turned off the main road, taking the route uphill towards the lochs and forested areas (needless to say, nobody else was doing the same thing because the weather was now so bad). I drove a fair distance, but as we continued I started to panic a little. I truly was on the road of no return. The ground was completely white with thick snow… exciting, but I was on a narrow track and the wheels of the car had begun to spin. The only way was up.
‘I remember being in such a panic and feeling such a fool for compromising the safety of myself and Erin. I often talk to myself or sing along to the radio in the car; I began asking for help in my mind as the car slithered about the track in the snow. It was so scary, but I have no idea who I thought would come to help me; I just wanted to get out of the situation.
‘Time went on and I was in quite a panic now. I had no phone, no jacket, I hadn’t told anyone where we were going, I had silly inappropriate footwear on and now it was starting to get dark. I wondered about abandoning the car in the middle of nowhere and walking into the town with Erin, but I couldn’t abandon the car in the middle of the road! I was way too scared to leave the car in case it blocked the way for someone else, so the only thing I could do was to keep persevering with the car up the hill in the hope that I might be able to turn the car around somehow. Our passage was slow, the wheels were spinning with the icy, slippery snow underneath and, worse, I had no idea what was up the hill and no idea where I was going. I just continued to pray as hard as I could while driving very, very slowly.
‘Suddenly right in front of us a huge jeep appeared, creeping towards us from the road ahead. It was travelling down the hill as we were travelling up. By the time I saw it I was already stuck in the snow… I was going nowhere and had now blocked the path, and the jeep had no way of getting past us.
‘The occupants of the jeep, a man and a woman, got out so I got out, too, and made my way over to them to tell them how silly I’d been. I recall the woman saying to me, “Of course you have your mobile phone with you…?” And I said yes, even though it was a lie, because I felt too humiliated to tell her I hadn’t!
‘Strangely they didn’t judge me; instead they offered help. The man got into my car to move it for me. Erin was still strapped to her car seat, but I wasn’t concerned. I stood with the woman and it was only at this time I noticed the sheer drop next to the track. It looked very scary to me, but the man didn’t seem troubled. He turned my car around very efficiently, pointing it downhill; to me he did it with such ease, but it must have been a 20-point turn! At no point was I afraid; if anything I felt strangely calm, as actually there was something very serene about the whole situation. Erin was happy to be in the car with him, too.
‘After thanking them most sincerely I returned to the car with my contented daughter. I gathered my thoughts for a second before starting the engine. Then I pulled away and, as I looked up to wave in the mirror, the couple were nowhere to be seen! I was completely confused because they had been on their way down the hill at the time they found me. I hadn’t heard them pull away from me, and to have disappeared they had either reversed back up the hill, which seemed a dangerous thing to do, or done a 20-point turn in their jeep as the man had just done for me! I was completely bemused! I can’t see why they would have turned around and gone back the way they came; they must have been coming downhill for a reason, surely? I’ve got goosebumps even now thinking back, but I also felt excited and couldn’t wait to get back to my mum’s to tell her all about it. Who had helped me?
‘I drove slowly and carefully on the drive to Mum’s, and luckily the rest of the journey was uneventful. When I arrived, the first thing I did was tell her how incredibly stupid I’d been going out with Erin, especially as I was so unprepared. I wanted to cry actually because I felt so mad with myself and embarrassed that I could have been reading about myself in the newspapers having been rescued by the police or a mountain rescue team… at the cost of thousands of pounds. I was just so humbled by what could have happened had we not been “rescued”. After feeling so calm, the reality of the situation suddenly hit me.
‘Mum, on the other hand, was delighted because we’d made it back home safely and also that someone or something had intervened. I remember us standing looking at one another with big eyes in that sort of “knowing” way. I still don’t know to this day whether I think the couple were angels or whether they were sent by the angels. I suppose if they were angels then they had every right to just disappear into the air; if they were an ordinary couple out for a drive in the snow, then they would definitely have been driving behind us as we drove off… so I guess they were angels!
‘I was so mad at myself, I have often read in newspapers and heard on the news about people (like me) who had gone out totally unprepared for bad weather, and yet this very day I had been that person about whom you always say, “Why would someone do such a thing?” I had wanted to show Erin her first snow, but I could have cost us our lives. I definitely won’t be so foolish ever again. I believe everything happens for a reason and this life is a learning process. I guess the experience didn’t quite change my life at the time… however, since reading about angels over the past couple of years I now wish I could go back in time and absorb every piece of information the couple were willing to give. How awesome. I feel so loved.
‘It was another five years or more before I immersed myself in angels with books and figurines, etc. It
may sound daft, but I’ve always felt protected throughout my life, and even more so now that I have a strong connection with angels in my daily life.
‘Erin is now ten and has been joined by Teagan, who is five. Both girls are spiritual and I think it’s just magical to be able to talk to them about spirits and angels without any fear. John is now disabled but he too regularly asks the angels for assistance and they never let him down… he’s always sure to thank them. We have all been given a white feather at one time or another, and as well as knowing the angels are around us all I know Erin and I were saved by angels on a day I shall never forget.’ – ANGELINA
My Angel Michael Saved My Life
‘I had a car accident on 17 May 1982. I was at a friend’s house when one of their children kicked a cup of hot chocolate all over my white jeans. At the time we were on our way out to the cinema, so I jumped into my little green car and raced home to change my clothes.
‘I had only a short journey but on the way back to the house I had an accident. It was a beautiful sunny evening but the road was wet. The drive from the local fruit farm had been washed down, and as my tyre hit a patch of water it immediately went into a skid. My car wheel dropped into a hole in the road and it was then that I lost control of the car. The car flipped right through a fence.
‘I was conscious throughout the experience, but when the car came to a stop I realized a post had gone through my body and pinned me to the seat. A 4 × 4 wooden post came right through the door of the car; it had ripped through my jeans and gone right through my stomach, stopping at my hip.
‘Strangely, I didn’t immediately feel panic… I guess I must have been in shock at the time but I did feel as if someone was with me by this time. Someone or something was helping me. I felt a sort of warmth, like a hug, and it comforted me.
‘I think I must have damaged the fuel tank, too, because the smell of petrol was overwhelming. There was a type of “urgency” feeling for me to get out of the car, so I felt for the stake and pushed it out. I really don’t think I did this on my own. I knew I was being assisted somehow. Then I moved about ten feet away from the danger of the car.
‘I now found myself lying in a field. I had severed the main artery in my legs and had a broken pelvis, so there was no way I could have walked from the car. It was, and still is, a mystery to me.
‘The next thing I remember was a man running across the field to help me; he had already called for an ambulance when he heard the crash from the other side of the field. Luckily for me he was an ambulance driver himself, so had some experience in dealing with emergency situations.
‘Everyone at the scene commented on how bad my injuries were; I had two police cars and four police motorcycles to get me the 16 miles to the hospital. I really think I could have died in the accident.
‘I was taken to hospital, where they also discovered I had ripped my bowel and intestines as well as having many more horrific injuries. I was in the operating theatre for seven hours following the accident. Apparently I died twice, and at one point I can remember seeing myself in theatre and all the doctors around me.
‘The first time I died was when I first arrived at the hospital; I felt a pull and I was looking down from the ceiling at the nurses and doctors running round. One nurse was cutting off my trousers and T-shirt, which were bright red. I knew I didn’t want to die, but I also had the feeling of fascination, watching exactly what they were doing. The next thing I remember was when I was on the operating table; I was examining my own body as they removed part of my bowel and intestine, and stitching my face. Then I could hear the doctors saying they were losing me and I remember thinking that I wasn’t going to let that happen, and that feeling of warmth as someone or something was helping me back. I can also remember talking to someone called Michael during the procedure when I was unconscious.
‘I believed then and now that Michael was an angel taking care of me. He stayed with me all the time, holding me; I felt as if he was holding on to my life-force and not going to let me go. I could hear all the sirens and felt the speed at which I was being driven to hospital, but all the time he kept me calm and he told me to stay awake.
‘It was a horrific experience and I was told at the time that I would probably never walk again and never have children. But I knew I was being helped by my angel that day. Clearly I still had important work to do on Earth. I certainly believe in angels and I think I am living proof that Archangel Michael saved my life that day. I still believe he is with me. The best thing that came out of that day was my daughter. I was told I would never carry a child after my injuries, and most of all I would probably would never walk again. It was 29 years ago today, and my daughter is now 13. I have my own horse; I taught myself to ride again after the accident, and I have four lovely basset hounds and a little mongrel. They are all rescue dogs. My life changed completely that day and I am sure it made me a better person.
‘…Oh, and I’ve never been in a green car since!’ – HAYLEY
Archangel Michael is a very busy guy indeed. He appears in story after story. It’s clear how he is one of the most important angels to work with human beings. He talks to children, aids in rescues and offers comfort. Never believe that angels aren’t real… of course they are real!
Pet Stories
‘Lots of people talk to animals…
Not very many listen, though… That’s the problem.’
BENJAM IN HOFF, THE TAO OF POOH
Many of my books contain paranormal stories relating to pets. Our animals are boundless energies of unconditional love; their love never ends when the body passes to the other side. I know that these pet stories are very special to my readers, so I wanted to include one or two here for you.
My Precious Dog Came Back to Me
‘We never knew Belle’s age exactly, but we believed she was around 14 when she passed away. Belle was such a special dog, a Nova Scotia Duck-Tolling Retriever mix. My husband-to-be and I had just got together when she came into our lives, a new, fresh relationship… it was 1998.
‘One day we were driving around with no specific place to go. We drove by a small town where a little private festival was taking place. Bands were playing and it looked such fun that we decided to stop. In the crowd I spotted this little cute dog, but it was dirty, thin, shy and begging for hot dog leftovers. My heart melted immediately. I started to ask questions about her, and discovered she was a stray. Belle used to hang around the bar where the festival was taking place. The bar owner was fed up with her begging and had already decided to have her put down. I talked to my partner and we decided to give her a chance at life. We packed her up in the car with us and took her home that very day.
‘Animals always have been a big part of my life. At that time, I just wanted to give her a second chance and save her life. When we brought her home I knew right away that she had been mistreated. She was afraid of everything and she didn’t have faith in herself or anybody. She trusted nobody. I’d had a rough life myself… so I looked into her eyes and I told her, “I know what you went through. I’m going to help you find your strength again and your trust in people. I’m going to love you with all that I have, and give you the life you deserve.”
‘And so the journey with Belle began. In no time she gained her trust in the people who surrounded her and was just the perfect girl. Belle was always making us laugh and giving us love in the way only she knew how to give. She was amazing in every way. She was always there for me when I needed her the most. She was my confidante, my best friend and always by my side.
‘Belle looked like an angel. She was cream in colour, with white markings on the tip of her four paws and a white spot on her chest. She used to make us laugh when she played with her plush squeaky duck. She just loved that little duck, though I never really understood why.
‘Belle had grown in confidence but she was still a shy little girl. She really loved to play, and turned every moment of the day into a game. Even with her food, I had to th
row her kibbles so that she would run and catch them. Loving us was her goal in life. She loved giving us kisses and she knew how to make us laugh. She used to do a strange thing with her ears that I used to call her “mouse ears”. When I asked her to make the “mouse ears”, she would and it made us laugh and laugh. Like many dogs, she loved a belly massage. It didn’t matter how many times you did it for her, it was never enough and she always asked for more.
‘Every moment with Belle was a blessing in every way. I told her several times that she was an angel sent from above. We went through everything together. We have so many memories with her: the walks, the games, the vacations, the rides, the talks… at Christmas she would let us make a fool of her – we used to dress her up in Christmas hats and reindeer ears. She’d give us that look that said, “OK… I’m not enjoying this but I will play along because I know you like it!”
‘The best thing of all was to see her overcome her fears. It taught me a lesson that with love, we can overcome anything. Belle taught me to love unconditionally. And because of her, I decided to devote myself to animals. In 2005 my husband and I began a non-profit shelter for cats. We saved the lives of over 400 cats and some dogs during the time we ran the shelter. Unfortunately, we had to close it in 2008. Lack of help and financial support made it so hard. But we still care for 27 cats we were left with, the older ones who couldn’t find a home. Some of them have medical problems like diabetes, but we will never let them down. I now own five dogs, 27 cats and a horse. We’re a family.
‘Belle was special and she slept in our bed with us. She loved walks and she especially loved to ride with me in my convertible jeep. If I close my eyes I still see her fur and her ears flowing in the air. Later on we found another stray dog, a German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix. We found him in the middle of the highway when he was about four months old. We brought him home and he and Belle became inseparable. Later on we adopted a Basset Hound. And then of course the shelter came. When Belle passed away, my German Shepherd kept searching for her and wasn’t himself anymore. Belle had such a kindness about her; there was a special look in her eyes. She had such special love to give and she meant everything to me. A lot of people always told me that animals have no souls. I never believed that.
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