“Magic, it's a kind of magic,
It's a kind of magic, magic, magic, magic, magic,
It's magic”
(Songwriter: Roger Taylor
Songs by Queen)
I have written about signs and messages before but I want to remind and ask you again – just how observant are you to the signs and messages our spirit guides send us? When we pray and ask for guidance to problems we're facing or advice about how to handle a situation, we need to be alert and observant for the answers that may come in ways we least expect.
Over the years, I have learned to appreciate the flow and repeat of numbers that appear to me, the songs that suddenly drop into my mind, over and over again. An unusual sighting or sound of an animal often sends me messages, even the people that cross my paths at times that seem so random, and then I realize that they've been sent by my spirit guides as a way to assure me that they're listening and they're helping me.
5 Ways to Recieve Spiritual Messages
One evening, after a particularly enlightening evening with my shaman teacher and other aspiring shamans, I left the house hearing Freddy Mercury belting out, in my mind, “It’s a kind of magic”.
Believe me; it was a kind of magic that evening and hearing this song reminded me, wholeheartedly and with love and gratitude, to appreciate how fortunate I was to have experienced such a magical evening.
Just recently, a little sparrow knocked hard on my window – this isn't the first time I've received a message this way. I looked up at her and realized she was asking me to take note of her message. As I said thank you, she flew away, knowing she had done her job. The message I took from the sparrow? “No matter how small you feel, never underestimate the power within yourself”.
Two hours later I found myself in a situation where normally I would have shied away from the interaction. Instead, I remembered the little sparrow and stood up for myself, proudly. The outcome was empowering and I engaged with a person that I normally wouldn't have had the courage to share my own journey with.
So, in what ways can you receive messages?
1. Numbers, Numbers, Numbers
I love looking out for messages through numbers. Your spirit guides often turn to numbers to catch your attention. Do you find yourself seeing the same number everywhere? On the truck in front of you in the traffic, on the radio, as you turned it on, and even the first number you see as you open your laptop.
Seeing the same number over and over again is a message. So is seeing the same number in doubles or triples. Every number has a specific message and I always turn to the Sacred Scribes Angel Numbers online to help me interpret the message.
Sometimes the message makes no sense at the time but then it suddenly all makes sense a few days later. I also rely on these numbers to be the answer to something I have been mulling over. Or, try and remember what you were thinking about at the time you saw the number. Therin lies your answer.
You'll enjoy Kyle Gray's book, "Angel Numbers: The Message and Meaning Behind 11:11 and Other Number Sequences" as he talks about the different meanings of different numbers.
2. That Song Keeps Playing in My Head
How many times do you find yourself saying, "That song keeps playing in my head?". Or do you wake up in the morning to a song singing in your head? This is another way to receive messages and answers to our prayers. Listen to the song and take note of the lyrics. There's a message there in all those words.
I've also become very aware of hearing songs when I'm in the shopping mall, or the first song playing when I turn on the radio. I know there's a message there and I make an effort to check out the lyrics.
Whenever I hear "Amazing Grace" I know my father is not far away. Months before he passed on, I kept hearing that soulful song in my mind. I believe it was a message to me telling me my father would not be with us for much longer. Now, I hear it at the strangest times, in the strangest places, and I know all is well because he's telling me he's not far away.
(If this doesn't stir you, then I don't know what will. Thanks, Dad for always being there xxx)
3. The Book That Suddenly Lands in My Lap
Okay, don't take this literally although if a book does suddenly land in your lap, take the message seriously! But how about the times you've been browsing in the book store and your eye suddenly catches a title? You take it out of the shelf and you know you simply have to read it.
Or the day a friend gives you a book out of the blue and tells you to read it. That's a message for you, my friend. Read the book!
Sometimes, you may find yourself picking up and book and randomly opening it. Take note of the page you land on - someone is trying to send you a message. This happened to my mother the day after my father passed away. She was urged to open his Bible and the first page took her to Psalm 23, "The Lord is My Shepherd". My father would often quote this (and he wasn't a deeply religious man but he loved the words).
My mother was calmed, convinced this was a message from him. At his memorial, our neighbor offered to say a few words. Guess what his opening lines were? The words from "The Lord is My Shepherd". My father was there, loud and clear!
4. Feathers, Feathers, Feathers
Spirit guides love to send feathers as a way of telling us they're close and hearing us. I always feel reassured when I see a feather and give thanks for its presence. Feathers have been sent to me at most "random" times and I know there's a message somewhere, even if it's just to say, "Don't worry, you're not alone".
A few years back, my partner came home with a rescue dog. She was an old dog whose owner had recently died from cancer. She was frightened and I wasn't sure I could help her with her new life with us.
I was sitting outside in our garden with her on my lap. She was tense and her eyes were huge. I felt my heart breaking for her when all of a sudden, this tiny white feather floated down in front of me and her. Then I knew all would be fine for her and us. It gave me the strength to welcome her into our home and give her the love she needed.
Messages from animals are very powerful and you can explore them when using these oracle cards - Messages from Your Animal Spirit Guides: Oracle Cards (Steven D. Farmer).
5. What Did You Just Say There?
Have you been praying for help or some answer to a problem you're facing when someone says something to you that gives you the solution you need? This someone could be a work colleague or a complete stranger who knows nothing about your prayers. But, in a conversation, they say something that resonates with you.
That's the power of being aware of the words being spoken around you. Perhaps you're sitting in a coffee shop and suddenly you hear the person at the next table say something. Those very words give you the answer you're seeking.
Don't underestimate the words you overhear others saying or what's been said in a conversation even if it seemingly has nothing to do with your problem. Spirit guides use words spoken by others to get a message to you. You simply have to listen.
Final Thoughts
Our world is full of the magic that is the Universe. All you need to do is open your eyes and ears to the miracles that do exist. Whether you believe in spirit guides or not, by being open to signs and messages, you're giving yourself another tool for solving dilemmas in your life.
Listen to your intuition, you know...that "gut feeling". If you keep seeing the same numbers over and over, and your intuition is telling you to take note, well then, take note! I don't believe anything is random. I believe in synchronicity. The secret is being aware of it when it happens.
Embrace it all – after all, it is a kind of magic.
This post was originally published on February 6th, 2021, and updated on July 18th, 2022.