Do you believe in guardian angels? Have you ever felt the presence of yours? Maybe a near-miss on the highway, where a split second made the difference between continuing your journey as planned and taking a detour to intensive care? Or maybe it was something that put you just the right place at just the right time to hear or receive the exact thing that you most needed at that moment—anything from a job offer to a kind word from a stranger. Maybe your actions have saved someone else's life. In that case, perhaps their guardian angel was working through you!

What about "signs?" Have you ever had an experience where things just seemed like too much of a coincidence? How many times have you heard someone exclaim, "It's a sign!" about something that might not seem like a big deal to you, but seems to have incredible significance for them?

Call it serendipity, synchronicity, good luck, providence, intuition, your guardian angel, or even "a sign"—often these become some of the most memorable moments of our lives.

In the twenty-first century, we have come to understand much more about how the world works. Instead of Demeter and Persephone, science has explained why the seasons change and even how ice ages come and go. We no longer fear the end of the world when the sun darkens in the middle of the day. Instead, we can watch the dark path of the eclipse move across the earth via satellite images transmitted from outer space! We can literally glimpse other worlds—from the microscopic to the cosmic. But our belief in a force greater than ourselves—God, Goddess, Buddha, Spirit, the Universe, or other names used throughout the ages—seems as strong as ever.

Guardian angels and divine signs are the link between the one and the One. They are messengers, comforters, protectors; and the moments when we feel their presence are often when we feel most alive, most connected to the divine.

The three wise men are said to have journeyed for many nights to see the newborn Jesus Christ, following a sign in the heavens—the Star of Bethlehem—that they knew was a sign of the Savior's birth. The current Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of millions of Tibetan Buddhists, is believed to be the fourteenth reincarnation of Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion. As a child he was found to display an extraordinary familiarity with the previous Dalai Lama's possessions, a sign of both his past and his destiny. On November 30, 1835, the mother of newborn Samuel Clemens predicted great things for him because Halley's Comet blazed across the sky at the moment of his birth. After a long life of fame and shifting fortunes the same man, now known to millions as Mark Twain, saw the comet's return as a sign:

"I came in with Halley's comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's comet. The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now, here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.' "

Mark Twain died on April 20, 1910—seventy-six years and one day after the famous comet reappeared in the sky.


What's Your Sign?
No matter where your spiritual path may lead in this life, you can cultivate a relationship with the divine. And according to Adrian Calabrese, author of Sacred Signs, one of the best ways to do this is by asking for a sign.

"Signs … may come directly from the Universe, or through people who have passed on, spirit guides or angels. They will most often appear in your material world as a physical manifestation. Sometimes signs will come to you through folks living here on Earth with us."

Sacred signs are perfect examples of what has become known to many as "synchronicity." Originally coined by noted psychologist Carl Jung, synchronicities are those remarkable instances where an event seems too coincidental to be completely random, yet is not something that you could have consciously engineered. For example, about a year ago I moved and was "randomly" assigned a new home telephone number. I'd been thinking about a friend I hadn't seen in over a year, but she only had a cell phone, and that number was no longer in service.

My friend is a musician and had been planning to move to another state, so I assumed that she was hundreds of miles away. But just weeks after I moved in, she left me a message at my new number inviting me to a New Year's Eve party … or so I thought. I called her back and soon discovered that I had inherited the old telephone number of a mutual friend and one of her former bandmates! In the middle of a major metropolitan area, moving to a new neighborhood with a different three-digit prefix, what are the chances that I'd receive that particular phone number? I actually didn't spend that much time to wonder, because I chose to see it as yet another example of synchronicity, a "sign" that my friend and I were meant to reconnect. Since that "wrong number," we have become even closer and I now count her as one of my best friends.

"Synchronicities are more than just coincidences," says Adrian Calabrese. "Synchronicity is not random. Neither is the Universe. And believe it or not, neither are the events of your life. Synchronicity is an integral part of the process when you ask for sacred signs. It is the method the Universe uses to get the answer to you."

Sacred Signs was written to help anyone learn the language of signs. Most people first notice the signs that are so strange that you will never forget them. But with practice, you can begin to ask for signs as a form of guidance, and interpret the answers you receive from the Universe on a regular basis. Anyone can ask for—and receive—a sign. In Sacred Signs you'll learn about the three keys to this process in detail, but in short they are: ask, accept, and trust. Ask for a sign regarding a question or choice you may be facing. Accept that the answer will come, often in a form that you never would have expected. And trust that the answer you receive is for your highest good, even if it may not seem that way at the time.

It is important to be sincere in your request, as your sincerity and trust is precisely what connects you with the Source and assures that the guidance you receive will truly be in your best interest. There are several longer relaxation meditations in Sacred Signs designed to help you reach the calm, relaxed, and focused state that is best for requesting your sign, but for our purposes you may use any meditation or relaxation method that you are comfortable with. Suggested techniques include focusing on your breath, relaxing all the muscles of your body from head to toe, or even focusing your eyes on a candle flame. Do whatever feels most appropriate and helps you achieve this calm, focused state. Once you have relaxed your body and your mind, recite the following affirmation. You are sending your energy out to the Universe and opening yourself up to receive sacred signs.

Guardian angels bestow both blessings and protection, says Richard Webster, author of Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians. Our angels most often make themselves known at those critical moments in our lives when we are most in need, especially when facing grave danger or crushing despair. But you can also contact your guardian angel whenever you feel you need guidance, protection, or even reassurance. In many ways, reaching out to your guardian angel is similar to asking the Universe for a sign.