Voice of the Spirit

In the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, a man discovers a Coca-Cola bottle in the Kalahari Desert (which had merely been dropped by a passing pilot) and promptly has his life completely turned around by this “mystical object.”  In this setting, a Coca-Cola bottle is perceived to have literally come from God – as a “sign.”  This may sound absurd to us who think of a Coca-Cola bottle as nothing more than an inanimate object that contains soda, but is the premise of this comedy really as strange as it initially sounds? 

People have been claiming to have been witnessing “signs” directly from God for all of recorded history with recent examples ranging from a statue of the Virgin Mary weeping bloody tears to Jesus’ face appearing embedded in a piece of toast.  In fact, “signs” are everywhere and for some, they apparently come out of the blue while others ask, look and wait for them.  Whether seemingly by “accident” or deliberately sought out, signs can come to us in a variety of ways from prayers; visions; dreams; affirmations; intuition; a physical manifestation; the tarot; Rune Stones: the I-Ching; a psychic reading; to even what is perceived as a bona-fide “miracle.”

Many of us who have some type of spiritual belief strongly trust in signs and ask to receive them to help provide answers to our current situations and clues as to what the future may hold.  Sometimes, we even expect signs to come to us, while some take it even further and absolutely demand to know (through signs) what’s in store!

However, how truly spiritually valid are the signs we receive and moreover, how necessary are they in our lives?  The Bible says that we should never look to signs for answers or spiritual knowledge, but even evangelical Christians seek out signs, pray for them and believe fervently in their messages.

Of all of the aspects of our spirituality, “signs” is amongst the most deceptive, tricky to figure out and complicated to decipher.  Many times, what people would swear on their children’s lives are direct signs from God are not signs at all and the fervor of one’s belief in a sign doesn’t necessarily make it valid.  We are often quite fooled and duped by what we erroneously believe to be a sign from God when it actually isn’t.

There is indeed a place for signs in our spiritual life, but it is not as simple as to say that all signs are either completely valid omens from God, or complete hocus pocus.  Again, the validation of a sign can never be judged by the emotional reaction and intensity any of us feel when receiving one.  It is the goal of this writing to help sort out the fallacy from the reality of signs and provide the tools, techniques and understanding for you to be able to know the difference.

Looking for the signs we want and believing we’re getting them

I once knew a woman named Kristen whose career involved a great deal of daily driving up and down the highways as she was in sales.  Kristen was very much into signs and had a daily ritual in her pursuit for answers by starting her day with a question.  Then, she believed that the actual answers would reveal themselves through the various license plates on the vehicles that she would see while driving her car on the road.

After Kristen began dating a man in 1995, the majority of her questions that she wanted to be answered by signs through license plates would center on this relationship.  One that she typically asked was, “Is my boyfriend going to marry me and be with me forever?”  One day she saw a license plate that read “2B1720,” which she interpreted as “2B” meaning “to be,” and that “1720” was providing the date of “1-7-2000.”  In her mind, she was convinced that the answer to her question was that it was meant to be for them to be together and that it would happen on or by 1-7-2000.  Another plate she saw said “2BGO” which she interpreted as “to be go,” meaning the relationship was meant to be and would go forward.  Believe it or not, Kristen actually based her relationship with her boyfriend on these license plate “signs.”

In fact, she kept receiving what she firmly believed were signs from God that appeared on license plates, especially because they all seemed to be saying the same thing to her.  Therefore, in her own mind, everything that she wanted would ultimately come to pass as it was just a matter of time.

The year 2000 came and went and by mid 2001 he had not offered her a commitment of any kind as the relationship had not progressed at all.  Even though the writing was clearly on the wall by then, because of her unwillingness to give up, Kristen stayed with this man through the end of 2005 when it was actually he who left her for a younger woman.  For ten long years, she believed she was receiving divine signs about their future together when she wasn’t.

Here we see that not only were the “signs” she believed with all of her heart to be directly from God completely inaccurate, but the fact that she refused to look at this relationship realistically allowed Kristen to stay in it much longer than she would have had she just assessed it for what it was.  He was a man who never promised her anything, was inconsistent, and only saw her when it was convenient for him.

Instead, she let her emotions and ego lead the way using what she falsely misconstrued as signs, which allowed her desires to take her on a ten year ride – one that didn’t end at all the way she had convinced herself it would.  Here we see how Kristen believed in signs, sought them out and falsely allowed her emotions to believe whatever she wanted and one could easily say that the old phrase of “If you’re looking for it, you’ll find it” sums up her story in a nutshell.

Kristen’s story is certainly not the only way signs manifest in our individual journeys and as we explore further, we will look at the tremendously varying relationships and experiences many of us have with signs.  For better or worse, the consequences can range from destroying our lives to saving us from disaster and pointing us in the right direction.

Looking for signs where our emotions affect the answers and the outcome

John was a man who regularly practiced “dictionary divination” by first asking a question, closing his eyes, then flipping through the pages of the dictionary until his finger stopped, at which point he would open his eyes to discover the word he arrived at.  That word was the answer to his question and therefore, his “sign.”

In 2006, his regular question was whether he should sell his house, quit his job and relocate or not.  On certain days, he was emotionally open and neutral regarding selling his house and moving, knowing that if it was supposed to happen, it would and at the right time.  When he practiced his dictionary divination on those days, he would always end up with a word such as “patience,” “wait,” or “timing.”  He took that to mean that he should wait, as it would unfold as it was supposed to.

Then, on other days, he would feel restless and anxious about wanting to sell the house and compelled to move right away without a minute to spare.  When he was in that frame of mind and asked his question and went through the same process of arriving at a word through dictionary divination, John would always come up with a word such as “now,” “immediately,” and “hurry.”

This back and forth see-saw ride went on for about six months and during that time, John became more restless because he didn’t like his job and wanted to turn in his resignation and leave town!  So with each dictionary divination, the words he arrived such as “today,” “go,” and “move” kept reinforcing what his anxious emotions wanted. 

How could this happen?  Was it just some sort of a coincidence?  Of course it wasn’t, as John’s strong feelings actually interjected themselves into the dictionary divination process and legitimately affected the outcome of the words he arrived at because his emotional desires were so strong that they became the driving energetic force of the “signs” he received.

As he kept receiving the same exact type of words each time, (the ones he emotionally desired) he decided that he had the signs he needed and put his house on the market.  After all, he had received the same signs so many times that he felt that it had to be time to go!  It was his destiny! 

But was it really…?  To sell the house, he had to lower the price significantly which didn’t give him hardly enough money to be able to relocate.  When he did finally move, he went to a location where he couldn’t find a house in his price range and had to rent – something he hated doing.  To make matters worse, he couldn’t find a job nearly as good as the one he disliked from before. 

We see that John’s practice of dictionary divination gave him two completely opposite types of words as answers: one when he was calm and relaxed and another when he was anxious and restless.  Two things happened:  first, John received the right signs when he was open and not emotionally charged about his situation; words such as “wait” and “patience.”  He needed to wait this thing out and let it unfold as the right course of action would reveal itself through time down the road, but he didn’t listen.

Secondly, John received completely different “signs” when he was emotionally anxious and restless – words that reflected on those emotions and provided the wrong answers as witnessed by the tremendously negative outcome of his situation – one that was solely based on choices John made based on his belief in the words that instructed him to act right away. 

As we see how John’s emotions were life altering regarding the “answers” he received and acted on, we must always look for signs with an open mind and an unbiased point of view.  The more open we are, emotionally unattached and objective regarding our situations, the more likely that that we’ll receive and listen to the truthful signs offered to us – just like the ones John was given but refused to accept. 

Asking for signs and when arm twisting doesn’t work, the answers are discarded

Tasha had been receiving psychic readings with her personal reader Janet for a ten year period where the consultations she received were almost 100% accurate.  In 1990, Tasha asked her reader about a business opportunity where she would work for two friends who owned a business that entailed her moving to Denver Colorado, the place she had wanted to relocate to for many years.  She was definitely looking for a sign, so she immediately sought counsel as a decision needed to be made right away as her friends were pressuring her to relocate to Denver and work for them.

“What do you think?” Tasha asked her reader Janet.  “This seems to be everything that I’ve ever wanted: to work for friends, leave the area I’m in and live in Denver.”  However, what Janet felt was troublesome and told Tasha, “I do not get a good feeling on this situation.  Don’t make this move for at least a year.  Give yourself a year before making this decision as it will be clear at that time why.”  The most important part of Janet’s insight was to wait for a year, because she felt that in one year, everything Tasha needed to see would be revealed to her factually.

But Tasha didn’t like the answers she received, so she began trying to twist the arm of her reader by saying:  “What could possibly happen in a year that would make it different?  If you don’t know what it is now, how can I not go based on something that isn’t clear yet?  Maybe you’re wrong. You’ve been wrong in the past.”  However, Janet had never been wrong regarding anything of any real substance. 

Tasha even tried to pit her own “intuition” against Janet’s, as a way of being competitive, again to find a way to get what she wanted from any signs that were received.  “My intuition says that this would be a good thing,” Tasha stated.  Of course the psychic didn’t argue with Tasha as after all, it was her decision and her karma, not the reader’s.

So Tasha refused to listen to Janet this time, simply because the reading wasn’t what Tasha wanted to hear.  She asked for guidance and when the divine universe indeed gave it to her, she discarded it.  And of course, she had to make some lofty excuses as to why she wasn’t going to listen: from needing to trust her own inner truth, following her own path to believing and relying on herself. 

But none of us can do it all on our own, which is why we ask for guidance from a hopefully objective source in the first place – in this instance, the psychic who had never steered her wrong.  The answers were there in a positive way to protect Tasha, but she immediately upped and moved to Denver and began working for her two friends anyway.

What’s so telling about this story is the initial prediction of waiting it out for one year, because the business ended up closing in exactly one year, which completely explained the insights the reader received.  Through this one choice, Tasha’s life was irrevocably ruined: She had to file bankruptcy as her career collapsed, she was alone without the support of family and friends, her credit became ruined, she had no money and things didn’t end up working out at all for her in the long run either.

Like Tasha, many of us often disregard the signs we receive.  We look to an objective source to supposedly get truthful insight but then try to manipulate the signs when they don’t conform to what we want and ultimately, toss out life saving information.  But when we know that the source of our questions is objective, reputable, accurate and reliable, we must listen to the signs the divine universe offers us through that source to not end up like Tasha, whose life was permanently damaged by this one life altering choice.  Remember, God is not a trickster – the right information is offered – but we must not try to twist it into what we emotionally want it to be once we’ve received it…

Asking for signs where the answers are adaptable: the I Ching, Rune Stones, and the Tarot

Many of us ask for signs through such ancient systems as the I Ching, Rune Stones, and the Tarot.  These tools certainly do work, however there is a catch.  Their messages are not always literal and open to interpretation; therefore, we must make every attempt to read the signs we receive with an objective, open mind and heart.  It is highly dangerous to distort, twist, and maneuver what we receive through these ancient tools into being what we want.  Here, I would like to offer a little background on what the I Ching, Rune Stones and the Tarot are, what they can do for you and how to best handle these systems when asking for signs and answers:

I Ching:

With some portions dating back to 3000 years ago, the I Ching (pronounced Yee Jing) is one of the most ancient books we know of.  It is also known as The Chinese Book of Change and for centuries, it has been consulted by people of all walks of life from ordinary folks seeking guidance to the great Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.  In fact, the I Ching has even been utilized to answer questions of state and assisted leaders in making decisions regarding warfare throughout the ages.

As people, we would often like to think of our lives as stable and “set,” but the basis of the I Ching is that our life is quite the opposite.  According to the I Ching, our existences are in a constant state of change and we are always confronted by the unexpected.  This profound book of wisdom helps us to make sense and provide order to what often seems like merely at random chaos in our journeys.  Consulting the I Ching does not present us with yes/no black and white statements of a future already written in stone, but a future that is constant flux, much like the changing seasons that we interact with.

In searching for guidance, the best type of question to ask the I Ching is one that is simple, clear and direct as opposed to a question that is complex and multi layered.  Yet don’t expect one dimensional thumbs up or thumbs down responses.  One can compare consulting the I Ching to a conversation with someone who is rather wise and insightful, who might point out our options to us, suggest different pathways we may take, but who will always leave the choices up to us. 

This helps to inspire us and direct us toward a clear mindset regarding the problem or issue at hand.  Therefore, a consultation with the I Ching is more a way of helping to define, clarify and understand our actions and thought processes than a sedative for our various worries about what the future may hold in store.  We are helped by the awareness that we create our own future and that we must coexist peacefully and harmoniously with the world we live in.

Since the guidance we receive from the I Ching is very much open to interpretation, we must make every attempt to use the information received in a spiritually objective way and not an emotionally subjective way.  This is tricky, as almost all of our questions would have at least some emotionally charged element to them, as they tie into our lives and those we interact with on a deep personal level.

Rune Stones:

Runes are an oracle from which one seeks signs, advice, counsel and guidance.  Traditionally used for divination, magick and writing, Runes are actually an ancient Germanic alphabet.  The actual rune stones are stones (or they can be pieces of wood) with runes carved on them for the purpose of divination. As we understand that the word “rune” means mystery, secret or whisper, we begin to get a glimpse of what a rune stone reading entails.  Answers are not offered as absolute facts which indicate a predestined outcome but rather hint toward answers, with you having to figure out the details. 

Since each particular rune stone has esoteric meanings associated with it which are far deeper than mundane definitions or simple phonetic values, the guidance received is multi layered and requires interpretation and insight on your part.  Think of runes as providing a type of road map which points you in a direction, but how you navigate and view the journey is up to you.

The early peoples who used runes attached particular words and phrases to them which signify concepts that are important and relevant.  As each rune has its own specific unique story attached to it which represents the forces of nature and mind, each rune stone carries a secret meaning which is then encoded by you.

Throughout places such as northern Europe, Scandinavia, the British Isles, and Iceland, runes were used from about 100 B.C.E. to 1600 C.E.  Challenging the historical premise that Columbus discovered America, ancient Runic inscriptions have even been found in North America, supporting claims that it was the Vikings who actually arrived there first.

Regarding questions, runes work best if you detail your current circumstances and then ask a specific question, but the answers may not be crystal clear as rune readings are sometimes vague.  Remember runic divination or “rune casting” is not a way of predicting the future in the sense that one actually sees what’s ahead in a fixed unalterable way.

Instead, runes give one a means of analyzing the path that one is on and a possible outcome as the future is not written in stone because it changes with our thoughts, words and choices.  This is why it is so important for the person casting the runes to be able to interpret what the reading is saying correctly. This not only entails listening to one’s intuition; it also involves not letting one’s ego, emotions and desires get in the way.

The Tarot:

The original purpose of the Tarot was to keep secret records of history, and the origin of the Tarot is ripe with allegory.  At the time of the Tarot’s creation, allegory was culturally prevalent as a form of expression and description to tell the story of the ever present and unfolding human drama and the Tarot easily personified these dynamics through its powerful, colorful and expressive images.

In modern times, the 78 card Tarot deck is quite often used as a spiritual tool for signs, divination, self-help, spiritual and psychic readings and development of intuition as well as internal growth.  Part of its power comes from the visual concepts the Tarot cards themselves provide.

Some believe that the pictures themselves work as a trigger – like a universal Jungian archetype symbol that opens up our own subconscious and super conscious powers to allow universal information to come through to guide us.  Others believe that the pictures can mean absolutely anything and that their respective meanings are personal in nature. The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, which comes with as instructional booklet offers specific meanings for the cards.  Many believe that even if someone merely did a basic Celtic cross card spread and had no apparent psychic ability, they could follow the meanings of the cards as indicated in the included instructional book and receive an accurate reading.

No matter which of these belief systems one subscribes to, it is clear that the Tarot is open to interpretation.  Even if one follows the instructional booklet included with the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, one’s interpretation and intuition generally comes into play.  That’s where things get tricky.  If you’re doing a Tarot reading for yourself, it is presumed that you’re dealing with an emotionally charged issue, therefore, you may not interpret what the cards are saying in on objective way – but rather in a subjective way.

Of course it is easier and probably better to have an expert Tarot reader perform the reading for you.  Make sure this is a person who is ethical, spiritual and not out to manipulate you through playing on your emotions by telling you what you want to hear.  A truly ethical and evolved Tarot reader can help provide the signs and ultimately the answers you’re looking for.

Interestingly, one can read regular playing cards in the same way as the tarot as our modern decks of playing cards are derived from the tarot.  The 56 cards of the minor arcana of the tarot correspond to the 52 cards of the modern deck, with the page and knight of each suit blended into the jack in the modern deck.  As far as suits, pentacles, swords, wands and cups they correspond to diamonds, spades, clubs and hearts.  The joker in the modern deck corresponds to the fool of the major arcana.

As we see with the Tarot, one can literally see anything they want in the cards.  I have known people who completely reject any standard interpretation of the cards and just view them in the way they speak specifically and individually to them.

When we’re looking for signs using tools and systems that are quite adaptable such as The I Ching, Rune Stones and the Tarot, we should never assume that we’re being objective.  If they don’t let surgeons who have been rigidly trained for over a decade operate on family members because of emotional bias, we as people must have the humility to never be presumptive as to our emotional frame of mind when seeking signs.  We work a lifetime at trying to be objective, open, and willing to interpret what is given to us through signs, guidance and direction in a spiritually accurate way – and it is worth the effort as the benefits of our work to become clear minded can allow us to see the truth.

Looking for signs with an open mind and heart through receiving a legitimate psychic reading

We should always make every attempt to look for signs that get us in touch with our higher selves versus signs that validate what we want and we must always work toward seeing the real difference between the two.  It is never a good idea to want a reading only to confirm what we already feel or validate our own “intuition.”  Sure, a reading that confirms what you already feel seems accurate at the time because it’s a mirror of your mindset, but that type of reading is not necessarily helpful or accurate. 

It is important for us to not insist on our own opinions as the reading should offer an objective viewpoint and show us our higher possibilities and not parrot back to us where we’re already at in consciousness.  If one is truly doing his or her job, a capable reader is objective.  By seeking counsel with an open mind and heart through a legitimate psychic reading, we can find the signs, guidance and answers our higher selves are looking for. 

Constance was a woman who had been in an abusive marriage for ten years.  Even though she kept hoping and waiting for her husband to change for the better, the pain and torture she experienced firsthand in her marriage was pushing her to the edge of what she could handle.  At her wit’s end, Constance was truly looking for signs with an open mind and heart, so she sent out a prayer for the universe to connect her with the right reader; one who would help her with accurate and truthful information.

Here, Constance asked the divine universe to give her the information she truly needed — and she got it.  When she received her reading, the psychic clearly picked up the physical abuse, financially deception and cheating of her husband.  In addition, the reader asked Constance if there had been some unusual occurrences, such as her tires being slit and repeated hang up phone calls.  Constance confirmed that both of these things had been happening.  The psychic felt that it was the other woman who was doing this and that she wanted to physically hurt Constance. 

The reader clearly advised her to immediately file for divorce.  The timing felt important to the reader as things were coming to a head one way or another:  either the other woman would assault Constance along with her husband continuing to abuse her, or she would leave the marriage, but it had to be done now in order for Constance to be physically safe.

In this instance, Constance listened to the signs she asked for, promptly filed for divorce and moved on with her life.  Furthermore, the psychic also told her that if she worked on being at peace with herself and rebuilt her life, she would meet her truly right life partner in a year.  Constance also followed through with that aspect of the reading and in a little over a year, she met the man of her dreams and is happily remarried today.

One might think that it would seem obvious that anyone seeking signs, guidance and answers whether through a reading or in daily life would do so with an open mind and heart — although that is not always the case at all.  Our ego, emotions, desires, self deluded thinking and false beliefs allow many of us who are seeking signs, guidance and answers to only be willing to hear what they want to hear.

But there’s often an additional twist which is that some people actually pretend that they are not looking for a sign at all regarding a particular situation, but in reality, their internal desires are sending out a strong request for the sign they want loud and clear – and the universe will tend to grant that request, regardless of whether the request is right or wrong.  Remember, pretending we’re not looking for a sign makes the signs we receive (based on our inner hidden desires) seem that much more truthful and accurate even when they’re not.

Pretending we’re not looking for a sign when we actually are

Sherry was deeply interested in a married man named Fred who she worked with and couldn’t decide whether to enter into a sexual relationship with him or not.  She claimed she wasn’t asking for a sign at all regarding her decision when in actuality, she really was.  Her internal desires strongly sent out the request into the ether for a sign — one that would completely validate her emotional desires – and Sherry got one. 

A few days later, she just “happened” to turn on the television and Oprah was doing a show on married couples who met while one of them was still married to someone else.  As she watched the show, Sherry literally felt that God had directed her to this particular episode.  After all, what was the likelihood that she would just turn on this show, especially when she didn’t watch Oprah that much?  

Tears began flowing down her face as a woman named Jessica confessed how she initially felt so horrible dating a married man, but in the end, everything worked out as he divorced his wife and married Jessica.  Sitting side by side on the show holding hands, they claimed to be completely happy together and in love.  Other stories by various guests told the same story and Sherry believed that these people were speaking directly to her as a divine sign from God regarding her dilemma.

Right then and there, Sherry made her decision based on the “sign” she received and the next day, she entered into the sexual relationship with Fred, fully believing that this was meant to be – no questions asked.  After all, she received her sign.  Sherry believed he was going to fall in love with her, divorce his wife, propose marriage to her and that they would ride off into the sunset just as all of Oprah’s guests supposedly had. 

However, Fred just wanted to use Sherry for sex as she was quite attractive, younger and in great physical shape.  So they embarked on a sexual relationship with not much else involved for about a year until Fred’s wife found out, at which point Fred promptly dumped Sherry in order to save his marriage.  But it gets worse.  Fred’s wife attached a condition to staying married to him, which was that Sherry would have to go – as in being immediately fired from her job.  Fred indeed had the connections to do just that and he did so. 

Within a week of Sherry and Fred’s affair ending, she was fired and immediately escorted out of the building by security guards, never to return.  Devastated, broken hearted and without a job, her life was in shambles:  “How could this happen to me and why did God do this to me?  I wasn’t even looking for a sign and then I got one, a real one, and then this all happened?  There’s no way that this wasn’t meant to be.  Out of the blue, I was directed to this show on Oprah, a show I hardly ever watch and then, I feel like I was played,” Sherry screamed to her friend Sue!

But if we step back for just a moment, we see that Sherry is looking at this situation from a completely biased and self delusional point of view with several aspects of her thinking being off base: First, she claimed she wasn’t looking for a sign, but she actually was.  Second, the sign she received was based on her emotional desires so of course she got what she wanted, but it wasn’t a valid omen from God.  Third, she assumed that just because she didn’t usually watch Oprah and that the show she was “directed” to told her what she wanted to hear, that it had to ne truthful, but it wasn’t.  Fourth, she assumed God somehow duped her, but it was her choices and desires that set this whole thing up.  And that’s not to blame Sherry for what happened to her; it’s just that she made these choices and unfortunately, her life fell apart because of them.

Since desire is such a tremendously powerful force, it is the desires of Sherry and Fred that set up their relationship, not a divine sign.  But even if we’re not consciously or internally looking for a sign as Sherry was, it doesn’t mean that a “sign” we receive is necessarily truthful.

Not looking for signs but still getting the wrong answers

Katie is a young Evangelical Christian woman with a strong religious faith who believes that God sometimes speaks directly to certain people through visions and prophecy.  She had never been in the habit of looking for signs, but has always felt that if God ever wanted to give them to her, it would just happen.

One day, as Katie just got off the phone with her husband in the mid afternoon, she suddenly had a vision.  She couldn’t stop it or help it – she started seeing money falling from the sky, then she saw her husband, two daughters and herself moving to a large, luxurious home.  What followed were the words, “Have faith, move now, money is yours!”  She was taken aback by this vision, as she legitimately wasn’t looking for one.  What did this mean?  Should she actually put the house up for sale?  Was this their destiny; to live in a beautiful, luxurious home?  Where would the money come from?

After not being able to get it out of her mind for a few weeks, she decided that this vision had to be from God – after all, she wasn’t into psychic readings, wasn’t looking for a sign and hadn’t even thought of moving.

So she took a huge help of faith, as she convinced herself that she would not be living up to her faith in God if she didn’t’ adhere to the vision she received, which she now assumed had to be right.  Boldly, she put her house on the market and believed with all of her heart that somehow, the money would be there to move into their new luxury home she received in her vision.

The house did sell, and rather quickly.  This further convinced Katie that everything else would fall into place. However, the house was only a modest home and gave her a little under $70,000.  But she kept believing and took that money, cashed out her savings along with her 401K and went looking for her dream home with a total of $200,000 in her pocket.

When she entered a lovely home that looked just like the one she saw in her vision ( the one where she believed she was receiving divine signs), the price was $500,000.  Of course it was out of her price range, but could she turn back now, as “God must have been guiding her to this house?”  So she plunged in, put a $200,000 down payment on the home which all the money she and her husband had and assumed that the rest of the money would end up being there to pay off the mortgage.

But what happened was quite different then what she received in her initial vision.  The money never came, Katie and her family went into serious debt and ultimately, lost the house after two hard years of debilitating struggle.  Flat broke and with no other options, Katie was in complete despair over the “signs” and “vision” she received.  How could it be wrong? 

Katie ended up blaming herself, as if she must have just not had enough faith to complete God’s vision that was given to her  – therefore, in her mind, it was her fault.  So without much of anything, Katie and her family had to start from scratch after filing for bankruptcy and ended up with horrible credit in the process and back in a house about the size and value of the one they were originally in.

Ultimately, what Katie couldn’t wrap her mind around was the idea that something she felt she received from God was not real and since she wasn’t looking, it would have had to be right as it was “given to her” without her asking.  However, she, like any of us cannot make assumptions about signs.  Just because she wasn’t looking for one, doesn’t mean that what she believed to be direct communication from God actually was, as proven by the disaster her vision led Katie and her family to.

Assuming that this wasn’t a spiritual lesson that she had to go through but rather, a choice, it’s important to comment on some alternative ways Katie could have dealt with her vision.  Certainly, the Buddhist phrase of, “When in doubt, do nothing” applies to Katie’s situation.  There was no real reason that Katie had to put her house on the market, cash out her savings, 401K and purchase a home far beyond her and her husband’s means merely because of a “vision.”

Also, God is not in the business of fooling us.  It wasn’t as if Katie had to move, or that somehow she and her family were in danger where they lived.  We should not take anything we receive as being gospel truth, but instead, question anything we believe is a sign, a vision, or a direct communication from God.  Through that process, we filter out the real signs from the ones that are not divine, but an extension of some part of our inaccurate internal process.  False “signs” can even from many sources that are not of a higher nature, such as a physical medical or mental condition, and/or a negative spirit.  We must look at any signs from all possible angles, to make sure we don’t act on the wrong information as Katie did and pay such a heavy price.

Not looking for signs and getting the right answers

Lorraine was a woman whose intuition was often correct – however, she never believed that she was always right and questioned whatever she felt to always try and do the right thing.  Her ego was not involved into wanting to think she was talking to God, or receiving signs in ways that put her above others.  She maintained humility about whatever intuitively came to her.

One night she had quite a disturbing dream that woke her up from a sound sleep.  She saw her son John, who lived in New York, walking down the street to a business meeting that afternoon where someone was shooting a gun at someone else, but her son happened to be in the crossfire and was shot to death.  She saw this dream as clear as if it were happening right in front of her.

So she called her son to share this information with him.  John confirmed that he was to go to a business meeting that afternoon where he would be walking down the street, as the meeting was only three blocks away from his office.  When his mother told her son of the dream she had, John was startled, but willing to listen.  Even though he wasn’t particularly intuitive or into that type of thing, he was somewhat open-minded, so he decided to reschedule his meeting to the next day.  After all, there was really nothing to lose.

At five o’clock that afternoon he called his mother almost speechless, as there had been a shooting exactly where his mother saw that it would be.  Her dream was obviously a completely accurate sign and indeed saved her son’s life.  Here we see how there are times when signs are legitimately spiritually accurate and can be a life saver!  It is mind boggling to think of the potential difference in the conclusion of this story had John’s mother not received this sign, didn’t give it to him, or if John would have refused to listen.  And it should be humbling and encouraging for us to realize that the divine universe is trying to watch out for our best interests and protect us.  

Bad validation and good validation

We strongly want validation when receiving signs, guidance and answers, but in and of itself, is validation a catch all term that represents the truth?  Clearly, there is bad validation and there is good validation and it is incumbent upon us to draw the best possible clear line between the two.  Just because a sign validates and confirms things, does not mean that it is accurate, right or for our highest good at all.

Many people crave what I refer to as bad validation, because it feeds into their ego, emotions, desires, belief systems and current frame of reference.  Never think that just because you’ve said a prayer for a sign that the next one you receive has to be “the one.”  Don’t try and connect the dots to have a “sign” make sense. If you’re emotionally involved at all, be extra careful.

Good validation reflects the positive path one is on.  If a person is open, humble, unattached and as non subjective as possible regarding the entire process of signs, they will often receive good validation, as Lorraine did regarding her son John. 

But even then, all of us – yes, every one of us can still get fooled.  We must put into place the best possible tools and techniques to differentiate between bad validation and good validation – and that is not easy to do.  No matter how intuitive, enlightened or spiritually aware we are, we can never assume anything about the signs we receive, except that we will do our best to see the truth. 

Perhaps most importantly is to never forget that before acting on a sign, assess any risk factors involved:  The risk for Katie and her family selling their house was life altering, while the risk for John was merely that he would reschedule a meeting for the next day.  If there is high risk involved, it may not be a divine “sign.”  If there’s no emergency involved regarding a sign, wait it out if you’re not sure.  In time, it will become clear and make sense either way. 

As with anything the divine universe gives us, it cuts both ways and must be utilized correctly:  food can keep us healthy or make us overweight; physical beauty can give us self esteem or make us arrogant manipulators through our sexuality; money can provide us with the prosperity that frees us from lack and limitation or turn us into being greedy.  It is the same with signs – they can literally destroy our lives, or offer us the transformationally positive life altering information that protects us from danger, attack and harm, helps guide us and lead us to a life of miraculous dreams.

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