Choosing to walk with Spirit has not always been easy, but ultimately it has always been what I choose. In my youth, I had the privilege of an open dialogue with Spirit. My parents never forced me to believe a certain way, although my mom felt a strong tie to her Jewish roots, my father left it up to me to decide, he just wanted me to decide and not flip-flop through beliefs that would cause me to be unstable.
My teen years were plagued with family pain. At age 13 my older sister Joann, 15 years my senior was diagnosed with Lupus after her entire body shut down. In the 70s, doctors didn’t know what they know now. Two years later, when I was 15, and she was 30, Joann’s body would fail her, my beautiful sister, the one I completely idolized, would leave us, my parent's firstborn, and for a good part of her life, their only child was gone. The unraveling of the next five years was piercing. Next, my brother Eddie, just 2 years older than I, crashed on his motorcycle and was unconscious for days, he would wake as Eddie 2, his head injury was a cross between severe and manageable, he was still reckless but not completely the same as he once was. Next my younger sister, Sheri, nine years my junior, I know, quite the family spread, was playing handball in school when she missed the ball and slammed face and fist first into the wall, breaking both her arms and her teeth. My mother was so deep in her grief while tending to her children that needed her beyond the scope of normal, and my father, a doctor, sank into his own despair, wrestling with, what he felt, was his inability to save Joann, and heal Eddie.
At 16 years old I was looking in on what my family was going through, I was facing not only a fork in the road but the multiple directions each fork could take me. I started down the road of chaos, the inviting one that shows you that you can numb the pain and dry your tears in wild colors that are untouchable. This season was short, I was making my mother even more miserable and if I can’t touch the colors, how is that going to help me? I wanted more. In fluid movement the road shifted, and I was introduced to Mrs. Elkins, an older woman with a funny last name, I reflected. In the lifelong clutter of her kitchen, she used an old playing deck of cards to teach me about life, love, and the angels.
One night when I was lying in bed, I felt a strange energy, paralyzing yet warm, I heard an audible voice say “I love You” then my body went limber. This happened several times, not always hearing words, yet always knowing that I had been visited by Angels. In my early 20s, when I was dating my children’s father, I was lying on my bed resting while Mitchell was in the front room, again I felt that paralyzing warmth and heard an unknown language, then it faded, my first thought was Mitchell had come in to say something to me, I jumped off the bed, went into the family room to ask him what he wanted, I stopped mid-question and said ”Oh my gosh, there were two of them” I describe these Light Beings, Angels that had been by my bedside, they were tall, 10 feet or so, light beams of energy that was speaking over me, I continue to be awed and mystified by that evening, it is etched in my memory, I can see them right now as if it just happened.
We would both continue to have visitations from the angelic realm, waking almost nightly at 4:44 am simultaneously hearing what we thought we're wings outside our bedroom window.
Angels and Spirit continued to guide me as I voyaged forward in my life.
Next to come was the experience that would set me on this tangible walk with the Angels. I was doing energy healing on my friend Becky, I was on her left side, I felt feline energy “OK” I thought “that's interesting” I shared this with Becky then crossed to her right side, “Becky there's an Angel by your head“ I told her, I went on to describe this Angel, and as I laid my hands on her stomach, I told her the message of the Angel is “have courage” I heard the name Ariel, I had no idea there was an Archangel Ariel, I was hesitant to even say it “crazy girl, Ariel is The Little Mermaid“ I doubted to myself, not wanting to be wrong I told Becky I heard the name Airy or Airy something. When we were finished I told Becky to take her time getting up and I ran to the computer to Google Archangel Ariel and to my surprise there she was just as I had seen her, as quick as I ran to the computer I ran back to my healing room “Becky come to the computer, there is an Archangel Ariel, come see!” Becky looked at me and said “you didn't say Archangel Ariel “I told her “I know I thought it was hearing The Little Mermaid” laughing “Becky and I looked at this picture in utter amazement. There she was Ariel with her long braid, a lion, a feline, behind her with the word Courage across the picture, just as I had described. Both of us gazed at it in astonishment, we unquestionably needed to continue the day together. We both needed to shop, so together we headed out. I was across the store from Becky when I heard her footsteps coming towards me and her giant eyes with information, “Raina!” She said almost panting from getting to me so quickly “what? what?” I questioned “there is a mother over there calling to her daughter, guess what she saying? Ariel, Ariel, Ariel “she exclaimed before I could reply. We could not deny; archangel Ariel was communicating with us.
And with that the next fork appeared, the road shifted, and I was off to study the Angels.
Since my encounter with archangel Ariel, I have gone on to be certified in almost everything angelic.
Let me share with you a few of the Angel I work with.
Archangel Ariel is known as the 'lioness of G~d (feline) Ariel can help us directly by providing the means by which we can acquire our physical and material needs. Archangel Ariel is charged with overseeing the natural world. She is closely connected to animals, minerals, and the elemental forces in nature. Ariel is the earth Angel; she helps ground us and reminds us to look at all the beauty this earth still has to offer us. She vibrates to the color of pale pink, rainbow colors, and golden orange.
Essential oils that help you connect with her are frankincense, jasmine, neroli, and sandalwood.
Archangel Michael is the Angel of strength and protection; He comes in severing the chains that keep us weakened. Archangel Michael is the protector who releases us from fear and doubt. His name means ‘Him who is like G~d.’ Call on Archangel Michael and you can clear away negative energies surrounding any situation, protecting yourself and everyone involved with the situation from negativity of any kind. He vibrates to the color cobalt blue.
Essential oils to help you connect with him are Frankincense and myrrh.
Archangel Raphael, The name Raphael literally means ‘he who heals’ which means that you can call on Raphael with any ailment for healing, or guidance about the course of action you should take to achieve better health and healing yourself and others, mind, body, and spirit,
If you feel called to be a healer, Raphael can guide you on your journey as well. Raphael vibrates to the color emerald green.
Essential oils, Chamomile, Clove, Lavender, Sandalwood, Spearmint, and Thyme.
Archangel Gabriel is the archangel who helps those of us who communicate through the spoken or written word. The name Gabriel literally means ‘messenger of God,’ and he is known to help teachers, journalists, and writers communicate effectively. Archangel Gabriel is a powerful and loving messenger of Divine love, wisdom, and guidance, and is the archangel of communication, strength, and new beginnings. Vibrates to the color white, Essential oils, Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Coriander, Melissa, Myrrh, Neroli, Rose, and Spearmint.
Archangel Azrael has become my connector. I was introduced to Archangel Azrael in the new way I work with him in a class I took several years ago. Our teacher described Archangel Azrael, telling us Azrael had gotten a bad rap over the years as the death Angel. The Grimm reaper, but that's simply was not true. Azrael’s main purpose is to help individuals transform the human life to the spiritual life guiding them through the translucent doors to eternity. He also surrounds those left behind with Divine Light and healing energies, helping them cope with the loss and providing spiritual and emotional support. Azrael stands by as a source of quiet strength and comfort. We learned to call in Azrael before connecting to loved ones in spirit; He is the bridge and protector of this spirit realm. It made sense to me to have the protection of this Angel. I never have dark spirits, there simply not allowed near me, but how much more enhanced would my connection be with the guidance of Azrael?
My Journey would once more be thwarted, this time, the earth shift would be more of an underground shoot straight to a personal hell, I would need ropes, ladders, spiked shoes, gloves, flashlights, oxygen, a lot of time, love, and without question, the Angels.
I found myself down in this ditch on a warn California Sunday, October 22, 2017, when a phone from a hospital hundreds of miles away told me my son Josiah had crashed on his motorcycle, they had tried to save him for an hour but! But? I handed the phone to my husband; the earth opened and swallowed me whole. Complete darkness was my visibility. As I cried for my son, I also cried out to the Angels, especially Azrael, if you are the one that has him, show me where he is and bring him to me. You are the connector. Without ceasing I cried to Azrael, to bring me, Josiah. Josiah had a vision a few years prior where he had heard the name “Akoya” He announced to me one day that his Artist/Spirit name was, Josiah Akoya. “Ok” who am I to argue with such a powerful vision. I needed to connect with his spirit. “Azrael, please connect me with Josiah Akoya, my Josiah David, right away I began to connect, Azrael opened the translucent door and Josiah showed up, in an alchemy of ways. My cry was and continues to be answered, every single day and night without fail, I call in Archangel Azrael. I use Cypress, Frankincense, Cardamom, Cedarwood, and Sandalwood on forehead and pulse point to open my intuition and create a clear connection. I bathe in the vibration of pale yellow and ask Azrael to connect me with me to son, and any other loved ones I may need to bring through.
I am still digging my way out. Each step I take towards the opening gets easier. I don’t need any of those tools I once’s thought I needed to dig with. The light that shines in the darkness is and will always be the love that surrounds us. From the angelic realm, our loved ones in spirit and the love that is right here every day reminding me that we are exactly what these angels represent in our lives. They are our teachers and our tools.
We are Ariel’s Earth Angels, charged with overseeing the natural world, and as we do that, it grounds us so we can see the beauty this world has to offer us, filling us with courage.
We have Michael’s strength; we are strong and capable of untangling ourselves from the past, releasing fear and doubt, and moving forward with a new sense of confidence and shelter from the storms.
We are Raphael’s healers; the passageway of healing
We are Gabriel’s divine love, wisdom, and creativity
and we are Azrael’s doorway, we can transform our spiritual life and see through those translucent doors of possibility, connecting us to infinite love.
As we call on The magnificent Angelic beings, they not only help us, they become us.
side note (That funny last name Elkins, would become my last name, no relation to my wise kitchen counselor, but the irony that my 3 children are Elkins is profound wouldn’t you say).
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