I imagine that the angels are spirits of light and playfulness. They are often depicted as playing musical instruments. They have none of the seriousness or narrowness that often accompanies dead religion. Angels are specially present around young children. In the West of Ireland, people always recognized that the angels were near children. Fresh from the eternal world, babies are often said to be able to see their own angels. To know that you have a strong and individual spiritual companion is great encouragement not to linger for false shelter in unnecessary prisons. In your angel, you have as much shelter as you need. You are not on your own. If you could see your path with the eyes of your soul, you would see that it is a luminous path and that there are two of you walking together; you are not alone. When loneliness or helplessness overcomes you, it is time to call on your angel for help and courage. This is the tender region of the heart for which your angel is especially competent and helpful. There are lovely prayers the Celts said to their angels:
SOUL-SHRINE
Thou angel of God who hast charge of me
From the fragrant Father of mercifulness,
The gentle encompassing of the Sacred Heart
To make round my soul-shrine this night,
Oh, round my soul-shrine this night.
Ward from me every distress and danger,
Encompass my course over the ocean of truth,
I pray thee, place thy pure light before me,
O bright beauteous angel on this very night,
Bright beauteous angel on this very night.
Be Thyself the guiding star above me,
Illume Thou to me every reef and shoal,
Pilot my barque on the crest of the wave,
To the restful haven of the waveless sea,
Oh, the restful haven of the waveless sea.
The angel keeps a circle of light around your life, and your angel is particularly active in the region of friendship and relationship. One of the mysteries of friendship is the attraction between two people. Where does it come from? What animates this attraction? How do two people meet? How do they manage to be in the same place at that particular moment so that the whole adventure of longing and belonging can come awake between them? Had they missed that moment, would they have remained strangers? Or would some other moment have gathered them towards this beginning? There is a whole arena of secret preparation and gathering here that we cannot penetrate with our analytical or conscious minds; perhaps this is the domain of angelic creativity. Perhaps the attraction between two people is not accidental; could it be that their ancient angels know how much they have to bring each other and without this their lives cannot become true? The angels are artists in the subtle chemistry of Spirit. If you are in difficulty in your friendship, it is wise to go to your mutual angels for the gifts and blessings that you both need. Because your friendship is now paralysed you cannot give anything to each other. When the metallic distance of pain cripples the sacred space between you and the one you love, it is wise to ask the spirits of light and inspiration to make a path for you towards each other.
The angels awaken the sacred melodies of inspiration and brightness and beauty in the soul. A friendship with one’s angel is a choice for each of us. If we do not open this up, the angel continues to work for us anyway. To make this explicit is to come into a new depth and sense of presence. It releases you from the grey walls of the inner prisons where life gets lost and stale. In a certain sense, your angel is the voice and presence of ancient divine longing within you. This urges you forth from all false belonging until you come into the divine rhythm where longing and belonging are one.
