Stop, Look and Listen!
In my experience, every event in our lives carries a message. Of
course, some occurrences are more significant than others. These
significant events are considered signs or messages from Spirit,
or Higher Self. The purpose of all signs is to get our
attention. For what reason? To get us to "Stop, Look, and
Listen!" Listen to what? Our intuition.
An Ancient Tradition
Native peoples relate to every form of life as being alive,
filled with energy and always communicating something to us. The
key is in learning how to receive the communication.
"Omens are a way Spirit communicates with us in the physical
world," states shaman Ken Eagle Feather in Traveling with Power.
"You can decipher omens from virtually anything, but pay special
attention to unusual occurrences, whether it's the strange
behavior of birds, or conversations in which someone says
something that catches your attention in a special way, or when
a book falls off a shelf in front of you. You might find that
messages on billboards change right in front of you, so that
while others are reading an ordinary advertisement, you end up
reading a message from Spirit. Be careful about being too strict
in your interpretations, though. Remember, you are looking for
guidance, not assurance. An omen might be the same for several
people, or it might mean several different things. It's up to
you to create your personal omen dictionary. This open-ended
response is called non-patterning, and it provides the space for
Spirit to communicate with you."
All Creations Speak to Us
Using personal experience as the means through which wisdom is
gleaned (rather than through reading, thinking or analyzing),
the practice of reading signs presents opportunities where you
can begin to sense a real, interactive connection with
everything else that exists, even those things believed to be
inanimate such as rocks, plastic, glass or metal.
What Is a Sign?
A sign--by definition of its purpose--is anything in our outer
environment that gets our attention. There are two broad
categories of occurrences that are considered signs.
Anything Out of the Ordinary
Any occurrence qualifies as a sign that is so unusual, strange,
weird, or out of the ordinary that it grabs our attention. It
may be an event that is out of sequence or out of the usual
pattern. A sign is any inexplicable happening, or any occurrence
outside the box, outside our normal experience. Any object or
event that stands out in some way is an omen. It may glow, feel
electric, or is more pronounced than normal--like louder or
brighter than usual. You might feel a resonance within your body
when you're next to an object or person. The scene or object may
appear surreal, in extreme sharp focus or extremely vibrant in
color.
Synchronicity Rules
A second major way that Spirit gets our attention is through
synchronicity. Synchronicity grabs our attention by repeating
events or patterns beyond the range of mathematical probability,
beyond what could be considered happenstance. Synchronicity is a
meaningful coincidence--a coincidence that takes on significance
because it is very unlikely to normally occur. For example, it's
synchronistic when you encounter the same number, topic or
person's name more often than usual in one day. What
synchronicities are showing up in your life?
Intuition Is the Arbiter
Our intuition is the ultimate decipher of the signs life gives
us. Intuition is direct knowing--direct insight or
perception--of the truth. Often you get an instinctive hit about
the import of an event. You simply sense the meaning, have a
"gut feeling" or just "know" what the Universe is trying to tell
you.
This sixth sense may be immediate--or delayed. The meaning of a
sign may be clarified later by a dream, vision, movie, song or
image appearing soon afterwards in your life.
What If Your Intuition Isn't Working?
Sometimes we can't get a clear intuition about the meaning of a
certain sign. We can narrow the field of possible meanings by
asking ourselves some questions that focus our inquiry. Here are
some questions that can help you hone in on the message your
spirit is sending you.
What Is the Literal Meaning of the Sign?
The Universe is often direct and explicit. For instance, a stop
sign usually indicates that you might need to stop what you are
doing in some aspect of your life to take a closer look--and
listen to your intuition for re-direction. A dead animal, plant
or person might suggest that some aspect of your life is dead or
dying--that is, that the way you are doing that part of your
life is no longer working for you, or nurturing to you.
Once I was using a crosswalk when I saw a police officer in
front of me pull a white sheet over the body of a man who had
just been killed by a hit-and-run. The dead man in my path
indicated to me that my relationship was dead between me and the
group I was crossing the street to visit.
What Is the Function of the Sign in Your Life?
The function of your car is to get you to work. If your car
won't start one weekday morning, it might be a hint to take a
look at whether that job is still intuitively right for you. Or
perhaps you need to make some changes to HOW you do your job. If
your computer crashes repeatedly when you are working on one
particular project, maybe that project needs some intuitive
re-alignment.
What Does the Sign Mean Symbolically in Your Culture?
In our culture, an eagle symbolizes freedom. Would creating more
freedom and space somewhere in your life nurture your spirit?
Also, when an eagle enters your world, it may be suggesting you
take a higher vantage point to see more clearly.
What Does the Sign Mean Symbolically to You Personally?
An eagle might remind you of a specific personal experience or
association. For example, an eagle might trigger a personal
connection with the brand name of a car, a song by the band "The
Eagles" or being an Eagle Scout.
Track Your Signs
Often one isolated sign isn't enough of a hint for you to
recognize the message Spirit is conveying. My native spiritual
teachers recommend that you keep track of the various omens and
signs that life throws your way. Write down all repeating
patterns and synchronicities, whether or not they make sense or
you understand their meaning. Make note of any images, memories,
colors or any other signs that you encounter. You are collecting
pieces of a big picture, your soul's destiny. As with a jigsaw
puzzle, once you have enough pieces, the overall picture begins
to come into view.
Have fun! It's a treasure hunt, and a joyful life journey is the
prize!