How to Communicate with Angels by Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. I am a psychotherapist with training in traditional therapeutic methods. As a former director of two different in-patient units, my background involved diagnosing people who had hallucinations. It’s ironic that, today, I train people to hear the voices of angels, God, spirit guides, and their higher selves. Yet, as a concerned healer, I have to admit that the angels are much more effective at healing emotions and physical pain than any man-made method I’ve ever used or studied. As the daughter of a spiritual healer, I’ve spent a lifetime studying metaphysical principles. Yet, nothing prepared me for an event that was to change my life, both personally and professionally. On July 15, 1995, I heard a male voice outside my right ear warn me that my car was going to be stolen. One hour later, I was in an armed car jacking. The angel who warned me saved my life and my possessions. After the car jacking, the angel also helped me to heal from the emotional aftermath of the event. I continued talking with the angel and his angelic companions about other matters, such as how to best work with my counseling clients. They taught me "angel therapy"; that is, how to heal with the angels. I also found that hearing the voices of the angels — both my own angels and the angels of my clients — was a skill that I enjoyed. Other people began asking me to teach them, and I found that anyone who has the desire can learn to hear their angels’ messages. The angels have a different way of seeing ordinary situations. Their messages help us heal our beliefs and thoughts to empowering and loving viewpoints. They teach us how to use our spiritual senses to see, hear, feel, and know the real world that transcends the illusory world’s problems. I am grateful that I am now aware of the real world, in which we are all loved, guided, and surrounded by angels. From the angels: "We’re aren’t that difficult to hear, if you will listen for us with an open heart. Most of the time, we are closer to you than you can imagine. A whisper, a thought, is the only signal we need from you to get a conversation started. We have enormous respect for what you’re going through here on planet Earth at this time. We never seek to interfere with your lives, only to bring you blessings of insights and new ways of looking at yourselves." You can communicate with angels in a variety of ways, including automatic writing, dreamwork, oracle cards, and intuitive or psychic communication. It’s important to choose a communication style to which you feel naturally drawn. Anything that feels forced or frightening will block your ability to clearly hear your angels’ messages. Also, angel communication takes a little practice and patience at first, so you’ll want to try methods that you are likely to stick with for a while. Automatic writing is a method that many people enjoy. I received the angels’ messages in my book, Angel Therapy, through a process called automatic writing. This means that the angels literally write their message through the channeler. Automatic writing can involve a form of dictation, in which you hear the angelic voices, and then write what you hear. The voice may be inside or outside your head. It may or may not sound like your own voice. You’ll likely be conscious of what you are writing in this form of automatic writing. Another type of automatic writing involves the angels physically pushing your hand while you use a pencil or type on a keyboard. Most people who automatically write this way are unaware of the words they are writing. This is the form of automatic writing used in my book. You can try this second form of automatic writing by taking these steps: 1. Set a definite time and date when you will attempt to channel with automatic writing. Mentally tell your angels of this appointment, so they can prepare. Then, be sure to follow your promised schedule. 2. Choose a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. Turn off the phone and put a sign on the door so others won’t make noises that will block your communication flow. It’s best to have quiet background music or a tape of nature sounds, and also some pleasant fragrance, such as fresh flowers or incense, in the room. 3. If you plan to try automatic writing with a pencil, you’ll need a seating arrangement that allows you to comfortably hold the pencil over the paper on a steady surface. In the beginning of automatic writing, you want to make it easy on yourself, so you probably won’t want to try automatically writing upon a pad of paper on the floor, on your lap, or another position where the pencil doesn’t easily flow. Some automatic writers use pens; however, pencils are traditional since they don’t skip or bleed. You might opt to conduct automatic writing with a computer or typewriter keyboard instead of with pencil and paper. No special seating arrangements are necessary for this, beyond your normal chair, desk, and keyboard. 4. Make sure that you are comfortable. It’s best to wear non-binding clothing, and it’s important to channel on a slightly empty stomach without the influence of any stimulants (coffee, colas, sugar, herbs, chocolate) or depressants (heavy meals, alcohol, drugs, herbs). 5. Take two or three very deep breaths. Say a prayer such as The Lord’s Prayer, or an affirmation such as, "I see myself surrounded by white light and divine love. I am safe, protected and loved." You may want to ask Archangel Michael to oversee your channeling, especially at first when you may not readily discern an earthbound spirit from an angel. Michael will act as a doorman who only allows invited guests to enter your territory. 6. At this point, you may immediately feel the channeling sensation begin. Don’t let it frighten you. The first time I tried automatic writing with a pencil, it began rapidly moving on its own, which startled me. My fear then blocked the whole channeling process for a long time. At first, the pencil will write circular doodles. These circles are the angels’ way of expressing their great joy at making a connection with you. After you and the angels become accustomed to working together, then letters, words, and sentences will come through your pencil. Usually, though, the pencil will write circles for the first one to three days that you try automatic writing. Or, you may hear an inner voice and feel a tug that pushes you to write what you hear. The automatic writing can also take a more tactile approach. If you are writing at a keyboard, the sensation may feel like a piano teacher grasping your hands and pushing your fingers onto the appropriate keys. Or, you could receive intuitive impulses that give you an emotional feeling about what you should write. Your angelic messages may also come as visions, and you may feel guided to write about what you see. If you are a claircognitive, you will receive chunks of information from the angels. You will have certainty of the facts of your knowledge, without knowing "how" you know. Trance and semi-trance channelers aren’t aware of the writing that occurs through them. A full-trance channel actually loses awareness of his or her surroundings. These channelers feel a sensation of being lifted away from their bodies while the spirit world channels through them. My channeling is in a semi-trance state, where I am aware of my "me-ness," but unaware of most of the messages coming through me. I also lose track of time and place during most of my channelings. I will think that twenty minutes has gone by, when actually several hours have passed. The main point with automatic writing is to flow with whatever sensations you receive. Your impressions may come as visions, words, information, or emotional or physical feelings, or you may receive a combination of these various communications. Practice really does make perfect with automatic writing, so do not allow yourself to become discouraged just because your first few messages don’t seem coherent. If you initially get superficial messages, that’s okay too. At first, you’ll want to concentrate on becoming comfortable with the process of automatic writing. Then, you’ll naturally move on to gathering meaningful communications from the spirit world. When you become tired, disoriented, or feel any pain, it’s important to stop your channeling. Many people limit their channeling time to an hour or less at first. Allow yourself time to build up to longer automatic writing periods. You’ll know that you are receiving messages from angels by their telltale signature of: • Loving, positive words, phrases, and messages. Angels may warn you of danger, or ask you to stop an unhealthful habit, but always, they word their advice in a "you can do it" coaching style. • A very high, fine frequency. Your head may feel some pressure, as if you are singing a very high note. • Consistently reinforced, and sequential messages. Your angels will ask you to complete one step at a time as they counsel you to improve your life. They will patiently ask you to fulfill each step and may repeatedly say the same message until you complete their request. After you’ve finished one step, the angels will applaud you and then give you another suggested step to take. If you ever find yourself channeling a spirit that belittles you, or pushes you to do anything that would cause pain to you or another, stop. You are not channeling angels at that point. Angels would never give messages that cause emotional, physical, or psychic pain. Call in Archangel Michael and ask him to clear away the earthbound spirit that you are channeling. Do not fight the spirit with fear or anger, but do say prayers and visualize yourself surrounded with white light before having another channeling session. Your greatest ally in the channeling arena is your determination to channel only love. Nothing that is from love can ever hurt you. With automatic writing, you can form an even closer bond of communication with the angels who always love and guide you. Their messages will uplift your heart and help you with every area of your life. As the angels always emphasize: "We love you and desire to assist you in many ways. Yet, we cannot interfere or breech your free will. So please, beloved ones, ask for our involvement in your life. We love to help you in all ways!" Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. (yes, that is her real name) is a metaphysical doctor of psychology who works with the angelic realm. She is the author of Angel Therapy, The Lightworker’s Way, and the audiotape, Chakra Clearing. Doreen will speak about angels and give audience angel readings at the Seattle Unity Church on July 11, during "The Messengers Symposium" with Nick Bunick. For information on this symposium, please call (888) 228-5637 or (503) 246-6085.