I'd turn back if I were you

Signs, signs, everywhere the signs....

Symbolism is everywhere, but when you are so desperate to see a sign in something, you miss the ones meant to stand out for you to witness..to experience. Beyond the awe and wonder ever-present we must also learn to trust the sign that sings from that inner knowing…and keep your eyes wide open, but don’t miss what’s right in front of you because you are so busy “looking” for something else.

Someone stole the stop sign in front of my house. I wasn’t mad about it though what compels someone to “steal” a sign, I wonder? The government operatives came to replace the sign leaving it sticking way too high up out of the ground and being an eye sore impeding my beautiful view. I asked the guy nicely to please lower it. He was reluctant as someone had made up some arbitrary rule that it must be at a certain height…I’m sure they have some “study” that is probably made up, nonetheless, I explained the hindrance and he gave in and lowered it beyond the “guidelines” set forth by management.

It's funny, the people who comply with authority and follow man-made rules never see the magic in signs.

There’s no doubt that signs come into our lives as confirmation, validation or a nudge that we’re going in the right direction. Synchronicities and serendipitous occurrences, sometimes small, sometimes grand…that invite us to connect with the magic of the realm with which we reside. Love notes from the Universe that help us not feel so alone, that give reassurance when there is doubt, that ignite a memory or a feeling triggering the knowing already inside of us…activating the love and purpose to guide us.

Like many things, this can be taken too far, there is another side to “signs” from the Universe that is rarely addressed, or at least I haven’t seen it….and that is that not every sign is Divine.

I write about this, and other similar topics, as an offering to deepen our discernment with the world around us as God has given us this tool and, like any tool, we lose it if we don’t use it…practice…and sharpen it.

Signs in real life are made up by rules, arbitrary rules by a government, an association, or a company….speed limits and billboards, everything is trying to tell us what to do…but rules are different than man or woman stating their law, setting boundaries or offering consequences for impeding upon someone by force (Aka, those rules).

Some signs follow the laws of nature, such as a bathroom indicating man or woman, these are the only options, as such this is a directional sign, nothing synchronistic, a notice that should be intended to bring safety and privacy.

Some signs are used as mind programming to elicit conditional responses. For example, if you’re in the middle of an intersection in the middle of the night and there are NO cars around, do you still stop? If you do, is it because you have been conditioned or you fear the Camera Monsters might fine you? Both indicate a greater issue and learned response to an outer stimulus, or symbol, universally agreed upon as an indicator to stop…or go.

Tangible signs in real life can display ideas, rules and regulations that are an attempt at bringing order as a mechanism of control or can also be useless (except maybe to fund someone else’s pockets, to which you following is useful to THEM).

Do you really need a sign to “yield”….don’t your instincts automatically know how to navigate without a sign? I think the answer is yes.

If there is propaganda in the physical world then I’m betting there is the same enticement…beguiling…marketing…. seductive signs in the metaphysical.

If angels can send signs, then why can’t demons? How do you know it’s really serendipity? If your only answer is, because it feels good, then I issue a caution…. a sign.

And no, I’m not trying to spoil the synchronicity…. but get you to look deeper into it.

We have this thing called a Reticular Activating System where we are always looking for meaning, clarification, confirmation bias…. a sign. When our focus is looking, we’ll often find it. But, sometimes, this is just the RAS doing its job, not Divine intervention. The RAS is heavily involved in our decision (and reward) making system….and we sure love rewards….and finding meaning where there is none…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is a thing.

Signs lose their specialness when we declare everything as a sign, yet there is beauty in realizing that ever-present in our reality is feedback waiting on us to recognize it and make meaning from it….and that perspection can be intuitive, reflective, recording, remembering, reacting, responding, categorizing, storing, even snapping a mental image…. the subconscious doesn’t rest.

When we become over-zealous in seeking signs it can be an indicator that there is a lack of trust in our decisions. The only way to move past this sort of wishful thinking is to stop looking for a sign and start trusting our own decisions, even if they are wrong. This is important as we cannot build trust if we are not willing to face the consequences, both good and bad of our choices…without any sign…or outer input.

Sometimes in an effort to “feel good” we might claim things are a sign as a tactic of avoiding doing something we don’t want to do, something difficult…often doing what’s right is hard, thus, we may or may not want to see the sign that says, DO IT…even though it is hard AF.

The new thought, love and light, spiritual communities will lie to you and themselves stating, everything is working out in your favor if you just follow the signs. This is a blatant denial of reality as I guarantee you a hundred signs you claim to have encountered included: bearing no fruit, being a distraction, being incorrect – leading you the wrong direction, insignificant….as much as the opposite can also be true.

I think when we look at the types of signs that might present themselves to us, we can begin to better discern what holds the magic and mysticism as we connect with the metaphysical realm…. or what is just coincidence, hoping, and inconsequential.

So how will you know if the sign is a sign? Let’s look at some possibilities:

DREAMS:

I’m an avid dreamer who remembers dreams in great detail. I have no doubt dreams are not always just us processing information, but a definite point, or portal, of finding lucidity and messages unavailable for us to see or comprehend in waking life. If a dream is recurring or stands out in some way, it can be asking us to look at something deeper. Sometimes this may not make sense to the logical part of our brain, to reasoning, so it can be useful to write them down. I’ve understood dreams 20 years later that did not make sense to me at the time. One way to know if it is significant is beyond understanding but when enmeshed as the sign in the dream appears in waking life. Dreams can be terrible and painful or wonderul and curious. Obviously, we all know that dreams are complex and deserve more than a single paragraph on the topic, but for the sake of brevity, let’s bookmark this as a universal meeting place where signs often occur.

CLOUDS:

Cloud gazing is a sore subject these days as the x’s and streaks seem ever-present in our sky more now than ever. But clouds hold magic, too. Malleable and easy to spot, they invite in a place for daydreams and lazy days laid out in a field of flowers and grasshoppers. Ominous, at times, it seems like dragons spit lightning to see if we are paying attention. The most memorable sign I’ve ever had in the clouds was 3 days after my cat Julius died many years ago and I was deeply grieving. I took a walk outside only to see a giant J right over my house and it looked as though it had wings. It was so impactful and meaningful to me that I’m reluctant to even share it here. It wasn’t even a cloudy day…. I knew it was, indeed, a sign from my beloved kitty who gained his wings. I need not understand it to know it’s true. I could de-rationalize all day to convince myself otherwise, but some signs, even if explainable, are incredibly poignant and seemingly Divinely ordained.

NUMBERS:

Numbers are another complex topic that I can’t begin to address in such a short post. From the cosmic order to the numerical wisdom right in our fingers, they pop up often and repeating, as if something beyond is speaking to us (because it is). That being said “everything” is not an angel number…. even if it has numerical significance in the Universe…back to the reticular activating system…. just because you see license plates with repeating numbers does NOT always mean you are going in the right direction. This oversimplifies choices that we must make by our own will and gives away power to an unknown as if to justify and confirm instead of owning our decision and moving forward…. with, or without, a sign.

AND, if angel numbers exist, then I’m certain their opposite can equally mis-guide us, especially if the metaphysical energy knows we’re keen on placing our trust in signs over ourselves and over the relationship we have with the Creator. This is where that discernment must come in, are you placing too much trust in signs…. are you looking for a “feel good” dopamine moment to soothe your uncertainty, impatience, or doubt? If so, stop and acknowledge the sign, but do not get caught up in letting them lead you, it’s emotional hijacking of ourselves when we WANT or DESIRE for something to happen that isn’t actually happening and it’s easier to look for a sign than face the truth. Take stock from time to time, that’s all…numbers are important and deeply significant…. the sign we need…and sometimes not.

The New Age loves signs, but it gets a bit silly, hence my whole motivation behind this post.

WARNINGS:

Some signs are warnings. I remember hearing a song when I was driving once and some words stood out in the song as if they were yelling much louder than all the other words. I didn’t heed the warning to pull my car over in the storm as I was on the way to a job interview… this was many years ago. By not listening to the sign that tugged at my own intuition, I was in an intense car crash that affected me for many years.

Was the warning there to protect me from not crashing?
Was the warning there to stop me from going on the interview?

I have no idea.

Warnings in the form of ominous signs can also be a TEST. When these signs present as a test, it’s often a barrier to see if we’re ready to move past the fear that the sign is bringing up to see what’s on the other side. This can be both negative OR positive depending on the context of each situation. Will you walk through the fear and leave the sign in the dust or turn back? How can you tell if it is a warning or a test?

ANIMALS:

If you’ve read any of my work, you know I have a deep affinity for animals and the wisdom they bestow upon the earth. There is no doubt they bring us messages and signs, from insight into traits and qualities arising in ourselves that may be out of balance OR useful to pay attention to for a time we are embarking upon. They show us how to live in harmony with nature, ignite feelings of awe and beauty, and touch our hearts in ways that are unexplainable and mysterious. They are in constant communion in a way that we can learn and gather information if we can gain even a smidge of that awareness.

Sometimes we forget to just enjoy the splendor of their magnificent presentation, visitation, or trust in us when we respect and treat them right.

It might be a deeper sign…and it might just be a goose trying to catch up with its gang…one almost hit my car the other day.

No doubt, animals are messengers and bestowers of signs and symbols in the vast archetypes of our existence together and our role in their lives. An animal can be a teacher, a guide, and an intricate part of our path.

They can bring warnings, teach loyalty and cooperation, watch out for us…they have every reason to be cautious around humans.

Ultimately, animals will bring us significant signs after we gain their trust…until then, it might be a sign, and it might just be a turtle trying to cross the road, to which I highly recommend helping it.

MEMORY:

Sometimes a sign comes in the form of a memory. Suddenly you smell grandma’s special casserole as if she is in the kitchen making it for you. There’s nothing tangible and it might JUST be an olfactory memory, but often these stored moments in time resurface in strange times for a reason (or a season…get it?) ;). Maybe you are going through hard times and this memory comes forward because it reminds you of comfort and safety. Maybe it’s your grandmother giving you a sign or maybe it’s just ok being a memory to hold in your heart and bones of someone special. Either way, our memories both play tricks and give treats…is it a sign? Can you differentiate if not? Can you be ok not knowing…and just being in the moment?

This list could get long as signs can come through in conversation, texts, poems, songs, feathers, findings….objects…dejavu…

A sign can be big an overt or subtle and covert….

A sign can grow louder when truly something seeking our attention and ignored…

A sign can be positive…comforting, reassuring and validating…. coming from a benevolent Source.

A sign can also be negative…which can also look like…comforting, reassuring and validating…. yet coming from a malevolent source.

If you’re looking for a sign you will find one…but it might just be a distraction.

Principalities of propaganda can play on the mind and senses in the metaphysical as much as the material. Our senses can offer up tangible experiential evidence or explanations…deception or direction ….is it a sign or just hoping? Is it your intuitive knowing? Can you tell the difference?

Most of the time we want a sign, but we already know the answer we’re looking for…we just want confirmation or validation, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s human nature. At the same time, when we deepen trust in what we already know, we no longer desire to always be on lookout for a sign…. we just let them appear as they will…. it’s a softening…. a tender nod from the Creator …it’s a sign.

Trust yourself…

We’re surrounded by signs….they only mean something when they do…when we look up from our phones and find real connection with ourselves and how we “connect” and “view” the world around us we feel the SIGNals beyond just the senses. We know if the sign is indeed a signal or something to sign-off from.

Remember, sometimes a sign is not an omen or a message, it’s just a sign. Sometimes the sign is wishful thinking, distraction, a warning, or even something trying to send us in the wrong direction….including ourselves by avoiding what we should do for a moment of comfort, of wishing for things to be different than it is. And sometimes it’s something more, even if we can explain away the magic with labels by humans who “think” they know how the mind works…but have forgotten what they don’t know…the mystery.

Be-aware of the signs…discern wisely.

Remember, if the sign “sings” to you then you’ll know it’s real…does it “ring” a bell?

If you’re always looking, you’ll miss the magic.

…Sometimes you are the sign.

…Sometimes you are here to break the rules and show the signs inSIGNficance. ;-)

…Sometimes everything feels SIGNificant an other times….not, because sometimes a sign is just a sign.

God communicates with us in many ways…but we must not be foolish and assume all signs are from the highest power.

Be careful what you “sign” off on…or agree to…is it metaphysical marketing or something to truly hearken?

Recognize when a sign is really a sign…and more importantly, look for patterns in your life and the world-at-large that reveal deeper insights and truths.

Always ask:

• Where is this sign coming from and why am I noticing it? Let the true answer come.

May your life be filled with meaningful serendipity…synchronicity…and special signs….the kind that touch your heart and help you on your path.

With love,

~ Angela

(p.s. speaking of signs, I’ve got to go hang one for my rooster coop…) ;-)