On Wednesday May 30, 2007 Malaysia’s highest court ruled that they did not have the authority to help Lina Joy, a Malay Muslim, officially convert to Christianity and have that change reflected on her National Identity Card. Depending on what you know about the Malaysian Constitution and their judicial system, this may or may not surprise you. Obviously, I found it distressing. When I then learned that Article 11, clause 1, of the Malaysian Constitution states, “Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause 4, to propagate it.” I grew more confused. I should also mention that Article 3, clause 1, is “Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.” So why is Lina Joy screwed? Welcome to the nightmare of the Malaysian Constitution butting heads with the Malaysian judicial system, and religion.
“This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of inconsistency, be void,” Article 4, clause 1, the Malaysian Constitution. Of course, the Malaysian Constitution is enough to make the average person bash their head against the wall, or maybe that was just me. The Constitution became official in 1957 and has been amended approximately 42 times up through 2005. The wrinkle is that every batch of amendments only counts as one, regardless of how many changes were actually made each time the Constitution was amended. Thus, some scholars estimate that the true number of amendments has been more like 650. Ouchie. To help with your perspective, the United States Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments, takes up roughly nineteen 81/2×11 pages. The Malaysian Constitution, in a similar font and format, uses up one hundred and sixty three 81/2×11 pages. Most authorities agree that the Malaysian document was deliberately vague, because the founding fathers were unwilling to upset any of the three dominant groups at the time of independence from Britain, when building a multiracial and peaceful nation was more important. Upon reading the document, a brain buster to say the least, I can safely say that the Malaysian Constitution is a somewhat conflicting piece of governance. Among loads of things, it allows for the freedom of faith, yet it says that Islam is the official religion. Anyone who understands the importance of separation of Church and State knows that this is a recipe for disaster.
I found several different numbers, so I’m taking the average. Approximately 54% of Malaysians are Muslim, with the remainder being Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh. Malaysia has long served as an example of the world’s most progressive and modern Muslim democracies. I don’t want to put down Malaysia, it’s blend of religion and cultures is impressive and made for an awesome episode of “No Reservations” with Anthony Bourdain, but the more I’ve been learning, the more I have to say that Malaysia has some issues that terrify a born and raised American. Here is where the fun starts. Most native Malays, like Joy, are Muslim and have been for generations. Muslims, by order of their faith have certain requirements, and in an effort of the Malaysian government to better serve the Muslim needs, which have different laws that apply to them, a Muslim’s National Identity Card identifies them as Islam. In addition, to better serve the Muslim populations, they have their own court, the Shariah courts. These courts deal in the family and personal affairs of Muslim citizens. Civil courts see to the affairs of everyone else. Bumiputra, Malays and other indigenous people, who are primarily Muslim, benefit from a 30 year-old program of privileges that require certain levels of ownership by bumiputra to be maintained and enforce hiring quotas within large companies. Obviously, those standards continuing are dependent on the bumiputra staying a majority in Malaysia, and that religious conversions potentially can mess with those numbers. All of this lays the groundwork for how Lina Joy was screwed.
In 1990, Azlina Jailani began attending a Christian church. In 1998, she became baptized and filled out the paper work to have her name legally changed to Lina Joy. She also requested that her religion on her National Identity Card be changed to Christian, so that she could marry her Christian fiancé. Muslims in Malaysia are not allowed by law to marry people of other faiths. The intended spouse is expected to convert to Islam. Her name was legally changed, but both times she made the request to have Islam removed from the card, it was refused because she was ethnic Malay and was legally Muslim and could not change religions. Citing Article 4, 3, and 11 of the Malaysian Constitution, Joy took her case to the civil courts, because she was a baptized Christian and felt that the Shariah courts should not be involved in the matter.
The Federal Court was divided 2 to 1 in its decision that the matter was beyond the jurisdiction of the country’s civil courts and must be handled by religious authorities. Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim said that the government agency responsible for identity cards acted reasonably when it refused to change Joy’s religious status. According to the International Herald Tribune, he was quoted as saying, “She cannot at her own whim simply enter or leave her religion. She must follow the rules.” Yep, 8 years is very whimsical. Silly girl.
What are these rules that Joy should follow? She must offer proof in a special Muslim court that she has abandoned Islam and that the civil courts cannot interfere. Oh, that’s not so tough. Bearing in mind that according to Leonard Teoh Hooi Leong, a lawyer representing the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (they’re called MCCBCHST for short…I’m serious), Joy will have a very difficult time getting the Islamic authorities to allow her to leave Islam. No one in recent years has done it in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur, where Joy is registered. He says that those who have tried have been threatened and cajoled. Um, okay. That’s tougher. Oh, by the way, the abandonment of Islam is called apostasy, is deplored by many Muslims, and in several Malaysian states is punishable by fines and imprisonment. (To show how progressive Malaysia is, in other Muslim countries the punishment could be death.) Lina Joy’s fate now rests with the Shariah courts, and that would be why she is screwed. The Malaysian Constitution does not clearly state who has the final say in such matters and so by default it goes to the Islamic court.
Judge Richa
rd Malanjum, the one dissenting opinion, was quoted in the International Herald Tribune as saying Joy’s “fundamental constitutional right of freedom of religion” had been violated. Also, “She is entitled to have an identity card in which the word Islam does not appear.” Calling the agency’s refusal to officially change her religion “an abuse of power.”
Well amen brother! The older I get, the more I appreciate the simplicity, yet effectiveness, of the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. After trying to learn and weave my way through this mess, I would kiss every last person involved with the Philadelphia Convention. Moreover, I don’t mean that figuratively. Go! Dig up their bones! After learning all this, I appreciate them enough I would French kiss their decomposed remains! Take heed friends, Malaysia is a shining example of what happens when there isn’t an effective separation of Church and State, and when civil liberties are whittled away at. The next time someone is willing to make a concession and gives away even a sliver of our rights, all it’s doing is making it easier for them to take more away.
In honor of Lina Joy and her plight, take a moment to read the Constitution of the United States of America, its Bill of Rights, and subsequent amendments. Savor the freedoms that our Constitution gives us that poor Lina Joy does not have access to. http://www.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/constitution.pdf
Obviously, a dumb average American like me does not innately know all about the Malaysian Constitution and justice system. I read many articles and visited many sites to cobble this together. If you want to walk in my footsteps, here are the many websites I visited and articles I read:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/30/news/malaysia.php
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=9403&size=A
http://www.nysun.com/article/55680
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Malaysia
http://www.pogar.org/publications/other/constitutions/malaysia-e.pdf (all 163 pages of Malaysian Constitutional headache!)
http://article11.org/
http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/content/view/1834/27/
Category: Christianity/Catholicism
Roman Catholic Womenpriests
Canon Law 1024, “A baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly.” This is from the Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church, which was put forth on the feast of Pentecost in 1917, and later revised in 1983. So when I see the statement that only a baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly I feel forced to ask, “Says who?” The answer is a bunch of guys in 1917. Not good enough for me, nor is it good enough for the Roman Catholic Womenpriests.
In 2002, the Danube Seven were ordained. The Danube Seven are a group of seven women from Germany, Austria, and the United States, who were ordained on a boat on the Danube (river that is) by Romulo Antonio Braschi. Although Braschi has since left the Roman Catholic Church, he was at the time a valid Roman Catholic Bishop. Unfortunately, the Roman Catholic Church viewed this as an extreme violation of Canon Law and when the women refused to repent, they were excommunicated and their ordination was invalidated.
A movement was born that is active to this day thanks to the efforts of the Roman Catholic Womenpriests (http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/index.htm). In fact, on May 27, 2007 in Toronto (that’s in Canada for you kids playing along at home) 5 women and 1 married man were ordained as priests or deacons.
In an article on Canadianchristianity.com (http://www.canadianchristianity.com/nationalupdates/070531priests.html) Father Damian MacPhearson, Director of Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto was quoted as saying, “Since Roman Catholic doctrine forbids the ordination of women, the ordinations are automatically invalid.” This is in response to the RCWP’s assertions that its ordinations are in apostolic succession since they began with ordination by a Roman Catholic Bishop. MacPhearson was quoted in the same article stating, “Whatever happened today had no relationship to the Roman Catholic Church whatsoever, whatever those individuals may say.” In case a church based smack down is not annoying enough, The National Post ran a brief, and I might I mention unattributed, editorial letter in response to the ordinations (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/editorialsletters/story.html?id=a4bf9bc7-2ab7-4679-b341-8cc2008fb5b0). In this piece, the author encourages the women to “go find another Christian sect” and suggests, “they (the RCWP) are less interested in reforming their faith than in putting on showy feminist stunts.” To that I say, if you’re not man enough to sign your name, your opinion doesn’t matter. I like my critics to have enough conviction to sign their name. (In case you weren’t aware, Rebecca Elson is writing this piece.)
So, just what is the deal with these evil subversive women? I went to their website and found “A Brief Overview of Womenpriests in the History of the Roman Catholic Church” (http://www.romancatholicwomenpriests.org/RCWP_Resource.pdf). It tells me that “In our mission statement we clearly uphold the following: The goal of the group ‘RC Womenpriests’ is to bring about the full equality of women in the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time we are striving for a new model of Priestly Ministry. The movement ‘RC Womenpriests’ does not perceive itself as a counter-current movement against the Roman Catholic Church. It wants neither a schism nor a break from the Roman Catholic Church, but rather wants to work positively within the Church.” Those vixens! In the same document they mention an equally world destroying opinion, which is “We All are church, not just some.” And that “We reflect the people we serve: married, celibate, domestic partners, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered.” How dare they try to be all-inclusive and adapt to our modern society! I mean, just because it’s largely known that in 1976, the Pontifical Biblical Commission concluded that there is no biblical reason to prohibit women’s ordination, doesn’t give them any justification to feel that can be ordained Roman Catholic Priests! Oh, wait, that is not too bad a justification.
There’s more where that came from too. To see more arguments to their point visit the link to their document. However, just like a paranormal investigator speaking about skeptics, “For a believer there is already enough proof, but for the skeptic there will never be enough.” Neil MacCarthy, a media relations representative for the Archdiocese of Toronto, says in the Canadianchristianity.com article that the Church “doesn’t have the authority to change the rules Jesus established.” Then how and why were the Canon Laws revisited after 1917? Also, I’m not a New Testament girl myself, but I doubt that Jesus said, “Don’t let women be priests.” I could be wrong on that one. Of course, not to worry, both MacPhearson and MacCarthy point out in that article that there have been statements made by recent Popes affirming the role of women.
I read one of the statements in question (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_29061995_women_en.html) and I was not impressed. Don’t get me wrong, those Popes write some beautiful documents, but as a woman, I didn’t find it very satisfying at all. Pope John Paul II thanks women for all the important roles they fill, but in my opinion, the Pope thanks us for being team players, but never offers the indication that he thinks we could ever coach.
After everything I’ve read, I have come to this conclusion, these women are Roman Catholic Priests and Deacons. They are members of the Roman Catholic Church, and that despite what Father Damian MacPhearson says, everything these women do is in relationship of the Roman Catholic Church. To say otherwise is ludicrous. These women were baptized in the Roman Catholic faith and have never stepped off the path of that faith, and in fact were so inspired and moved by the Roman Catholic faith, that they desired to become ordained priests. At what point do you feel they stopped being Roman Catholics? I cannot see it. The role of the Roman Catholic priest is unlike any other role within the Church, and to try to sell people on the idea of settling for a different position is outdated thinking.
It’s 1917 thinking. It’s before the Pope was even televised kind of thinking! Religions need to respect that 1917 is not 2007, and that their followers are not the same people that they were 90 years ago. It is time; in my opinion, it’s well past the time, to allow women and married men the option of becoming priests. I would also say homosexuals, but it’s the Roman Catholic Church, what do I expect, miracles?
I have been in contact with Bridget Mary Meehan, Media Contact with RCWPs. She was kind enough to send me one of her published articles with permission to quote until my little heart was content. It’s a thoughtful piece, and here are some of her thoughts that I would like to share with you.
The Catholic Church teaches that a law must be received by the faithful. Seventy percent of Catholics in the U.S. support women’s ordination. Therefore canon 1024 which states that only a baptized male may receive Holy Orders does not have the force of law because it has not been accepted by the community or sensus fidelum.
In fact, we have a moral obligation to disobey this unjust law. St. Augustine said that an “unjust law is no law at all.” As Cardinal Walter Kasper, the former bishop of Rottenberg-Stuttgar, Germany and current president of the Vatican ‘s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity wrote: "Some situations oblige one to obey God and one’s own conscience, rather than the leaders of the church. Indeed, one may even be obliged to accept excommunication, rather than act against one’s conscience. It is time for an inclusive church, in which all are welcome at the table.”
Amen.
Angel Communication 101
by Rev. Sheri Kozdron
There are two common questions that may come to mind when hearing the term Angel Reader or Angel Medium. “What’s that?” And “How do you do it?”
What is an Angel Reader, and how is that different from other readers? There are some differences among all types of readings, but the main underlying purpose is very similar. An Angel Reader may use angel oracle cards like the beautiful collection of oracle card decks created by Dr. Doreen Virtue. Some people feel more comfortable with a reader who uses angel cards versus a reader who uses the Tarot. While Tarot can be a very accurate prediction tool, angel guidance is more difficult when it comes to predicting time; the concept of time is our creation and does not really exist in the Angelic Realm. However, some individuals who may not completely understand the Tarot may also fear some of the cards or images, like the death card, and will prefer an Angel Reader just because they are more comfortable with the images. Whether you go to an Angel Reader, Tarot Reader, or Crystal Ball Reader, it is vital that you first feel comfortable with that person so that your energy will be open to being read. The process of an Angel Reading includes calling in your personal Guardian Angels and Spirit Guides (including your Master Guide), your deceased loved ones, the Archangels and Ascended Masters, and only the highest energies for your highest good. There will never be any lower energies or Earth Bound Spirits (souls who are stuck here) intruding in your Angel Reading. While it is definitely possible to connect with those individuals if it’s needed, lower energy beings are not generally called upon to give you guidance and messages by an Angel Reader. Readings are also performed with the understanding that those being read have their own free will and are not bound to adhere to any guidance received.
How does someone learn to communicate with angels? Learning to connect with the Angelic Realm means learning how to communicate with Guardian Angels, Spirit Guides, Archangels, Ascended Masters and Deceased Loved Ones. The truth is that anyone can learn this. The biggest secret is not to try too hard; angel/spirit communication is really not as difficult as you might think it is.
My favorite question of all time was asked of me in the bathroom of an event where I was offering my services. An attendee happened to see my name badge with my company name, Angel Messenger. She asked me if I offered angel readings then asked if I had studied under Doreen Virtue. I answered that I had not ever met Doreen but loved her work and had read almost all of her books. I could see the look in her eye, and then she proceeded to tell me that I really should study under Doreen as this was a way for me to basically be good at what I do. I politely thanked the woman for her advice but laughed inside at the same time.
Ask yourself, “Where did Dr. Doreen Virtue receive her gift from?” She received her Divine gifts and talents from the same Source or Spirit as John Edward, Sylvia Brown, Rev. Sheri Kozdron and you. Yes, I said “and you”. It wasn’t until someone asked me my favorite question that I realized how people misunderstood this. Anyone can learn to communicate with their angels, guides and loved ones. All you have to do is develop the ability by gaining the appropriate knowledge and practicing that knowledge. No one is born knowing how to ride a bike, but just about anyone can learn. You may need training wheels at first, but you can do it.
We are all born with the ability. As children, we may have had imaginary friends that were actually angels or spirits. We were more likely to be able to see things that others did not including angels and spirits, auras, or even knowing things about our own past lives or that of our loved ones. It’s as we grow older that we learn to doubt what seems so obvious when we’re children.
I once worked as an assistant in a day care where one day a little boy was coloring a picture of his family. Everyone was colored in as you would expect . . . shirt, pants, proper hair color all colored within the lines – except for the dog. The dog was purple and colored as if there were no lines at all. In fact, it just appeared to be a mass of purple scribble. The teacher had good intentions when she jokingly suggested that he had made a mistake. “Dogs aren’t purple,” she said. It wasn’t until years later that I realized how that dog was in fact purple. That little boy saw the dog’s aura – purple!
Another commonality among children is their ability to recall past lives. One of my clients has a little girl who enjoys sharing tea time with her great grandmother more than playing with children her own age. She told her mother all about her “old family” . . . names, where they lived, etc. Guess what? Those people are still alive! This child’s eighty year old past life husband is still alive! It’s amazing the ability we throw away as we grow older . . .
It is amazing the ability we throw away as we grow older, but the good news is that we can get it back. Some people, like Sylvia Brown for example, are born with the gift and nurtured by family or other influences to develop their gift. Others, like John Edward, learn to turn the light back on so to speak. John Edward was a skeptic until he met a psychic who changed his life. John was still only a teenager when he began to reopen his gifts; but, if a teenager can be open enough to a new idea and accept such amazing ability, there’s a good chance you can too. Not all of us are meant to be famous Psychic Mediums as we all have different paths, but it is an incredible gift to be able to receive guidance or reassurance from your own angels and guides or to communicate with someone you’ve lost.
One thing that makes it easier to communicate with the other side is knowing who you are talking to. Guardian Angels and Spirit Guides are the two main beings you will have with you at all times. Your Guardian Angels are with you throughout your whole life, from birth to death. Guardian Angels have, for the most part, have never lived a lifetime on Earth. So, your Grandma Pearl is usually not going to be your Guardian Angel. Spirit Guides, on the other hand, have lived on Earth. They are considered teachers in the after life and are guiding you on something they have some expertise in. Spirit Guides do change throughout your lifetime; however, your Master Guide remains with you throughout your whole life. Both your guides and angels can appear to you as a feeling, animal, or even another human being. They can appear both in your dream and wake states. There are also Archangels and Ascended Masters which are basically a level up from Guardian Angels and Spirit Guides in that order. The main Archangels you should know are Michael, Gabrielle/Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Metatron, and Sandalphon. There are many important Archangels, but this is a good start. Although it is important to point out that you do not need to know which Archangel does what, the following is a basic rundown of the above:
Archangel Michael – courage and protection; helps with changes
Archangel Gabrielle – nurturing and children, communication and the arts
Archangel Raphael – physical healing; also helps healers find money for education, brings in clients, and anything to do with helping the healer to heal
Archangel Uriel – “psychologist angel” – emotional healing; sheds positive energy onto any situation; also for travel and world healing
Archangel Metatron* – Crystal and Indigo Children, Sacred Geometry, Abundance; was prophet and scribe Enoch from the Bible in his life on Earth.
Archangel Sandolphon* – Carries prayers to Heaven; was Prophet Elijah.
*Metatron and Sandolphon are the only two Archangels who were once mortal men.
Lastly, the Ascended Masters are people like Buddha, Jesus, Mary, Moses, Saint John, Aphrodite, Athena, Brigit, Dana, Maat, Maeve, and Merlin. Basically, the Ascended Masters were those people who became spiritual leaders in their Earthly life. They are considered masters of their realm and were granted high position in Heaven. Masters are relevant to all faiths and can be called upon for assistance whenever there is a need.
Now let’s talk about some ways that you can begin to communicate for yourself. Dreams are a very common way for angels, guides and loved ones to try communicating with us. It is the easiest for us to see and hear the other side upon awakening or when we’re just falling asleep. Being in a dream state puts our ego on hold, and our subconscious is in charge. While the ego likes to tell us that everything is just coincidence, our higher self (soul) breaks free in the subconscious. To begin communicating in your sleep, you must first hold the intention of wanting to do so. Say aloud or within your mind, “Dear _______, I want to talk to you in my sleep. Please come to me tonight, and help me remember my dreams in the morning. Thank you.” You can ask for a loved one, angel, etc. Don’t be upset if you don’t have the dream you expect or don’t remember any dreams. Holding the intention and trying is the first step.
Important suggestions are #1 to keep a dream journal. Keep a spiral bound notebook and pen at your bedside and write down anything you can remember upon awakening . . . colors, feelings, people, etc. If you wake up in the middle of the night, be sure to also note the time you awoke. You may not notice anything immediately, but the colors, numbers, feelings, situations, or other things may mean something to you in a few days. (Be sure to also date your journal.) Suggestion #2 is to get an amethyst and put it either in your pillow case (tumbled only) or again at your bedside. Be sure to cleanse the crystal by using the smoke of white sage or another cleansing method and ask the crystal to help you to have intuitive dreams that connect you with whomever you wish. Suggestion #3 is to protect yourself if you are afraid. This can easily block you from remembering, and can prevent you from connecting at all. If you are afraid, ask your Master Guide to guide you during your dreams. Unlike regular Spirit Guides, your Master Guide has been with you since you were born into this lifetime and is your main guide. If you don’t know your Master Guide, or prefer extra protection, call in Archangel Michael. Archangel Michael is the “Guardian of Guardians”. If you are ever afraid or needing courage, calling in Michael is calling in the “Big Guns”!
Meditation is another wonderful tool to help you connect with the other side. The most common response to the idea of meditating is “I don’t have time for that!” But you do have time! Do you take a daily shower? Let’s hope so. It’s this simple . . . while taking your shower, imagine the water as a waterfall of Divine White Light falling down over your body and cleansing away negativity and impurities. Allow the light to enter through the top of your head (your crown chakra) and flow through your body and out the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Just stand there and allow yourself to feel the warmth and love of this Heavenly energy. This is a great little meditative exercise that will energize you for the day, help you stay positive, and begin to introduce you to the energy and simplicity of mediation.
Meditation Recommendations for Communicating
Angels & Guides Meditation CD by John Edward – This program discusses the differences between angels and spirit guides then walks you through a guided meditation to meet your own guides.
Take a bath! Relax into a hot bath to get some quiet relaxation time. Tell your angels and guides this is their time to talk to you, and allow your mind to drift into nothingness.
Experiment with different aromatherapy scents or colored bath salts.
Here’s a favorite method of mine . . . Ask a question then forget about it. Don’t constantly look for the answer to your prayer. Really, I just ask something like “Please give me sign about ________.” Then I go on with my day and forget about it, all the while having faith that my question will be answered in its own time. My answer usually comes when I’m in a meditative state by accident like when doing the dishes, cleaning, driving, etc. All of a sudden, I will just “know” the answer. Or, an important message may come from a song on the radio or overhearing a conversation. For example, I wanted to know if I should continue to work on a specific project that I had put on the back burner for a while. I accidentally came across a book related to my project but thought it might be coincidence, so I asked for confirmation. Then, I received a phone call from a client I hadn’t heard from in a while that discussed a specific name that means something to my project. The final confirmation was when I was at an event recently where a woman walked up to me and specifically asked if I had anything like my project. Once you at least begin to notice the guidance coming to you, more will come, and it will become more and more difficult to ignore.
Once you have learned some basics, you can begin to practice some of what’s called “The 4 Clairs”. . . . Clairsentience, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, and Claircognizance. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by the titles; it’s really not that hard.
Clairsentience is probably the most common way that people receive messages from the other side. Named “The Force” in Star Wars, Clairsentience is the physical and emotional reactions we have as an intuition about different places, ideas, people, and events. Gut feelings, hunches, spiritual senses; it’s a strong sudden sensation or emotion unrelated to current surroundings. It’s when you “just have a feeling”. Clairvoyance is the most well known form of “seeing the future”; however, it’s not always about having detailed visions like Phoebe Halliwell on Charmed. Clairvoyance also includes having detailed or lucid dreams. Although Clairsentience is known as “clearly seeing”, it is not always related to seeing with your physical eyes as visions usually happen within the safety of your mind. Clairvoyance is from the Third Eye Chakra which is in the middle of your forehead just above your physical eyes. Clairvoyant messages may come to you through snapshot mental images or whole scenarios you see within your mind’s eye (third eye). Seeing colors/auras and angel lights/orbs, having corner of the eye visions, and seeing visual signs or symbols (objects) are also forms of Clairvoyance.
Clairaudience is when you hear guidance or messages. Considered the still small voice from within, Clairaudience can come in the form of overhearing a conversation, a song on the radio, your own inner voice, a voice outside your head, or evening ringing in your ears. Doreen Virtue tells a story about how she was saved from being harmed by someone trying to steal her car because of a loud voice that came from nowhere. Joan of Arc also heard voices. Although she was considered crazy, many believe that Joan did really hear the Voice of God. Fear of being considered crazy is a big reason that many Clairaudient people are closed off to this gift. But, rest assured, you are not always crazy when you hear voices. Just be sure you know the difference between true guidance and something else. True Divine Guidance from Heaven will be supportive and loving while false guidance will compare you to others, may ask you to hurt yourself or others, and may be just plain creepy.
Claircognizance is when you all of a sudden just “know” something without any reason for knowing, and it is also the most difficult form of communication to trust because of the fact that those who are most likely to be primarily Claircognizant are highly intellectual people. They are the people who cannot be hypnotized, those who are more scientifically minded, and those that are the most likely to doubt information which seems to come from nowhere. These intelligent people are more likely to believe that they’ve just made up what they’re thinking on their own. Claircognizance is when you receive sudden revelations, insights, foresight, or other knowledge.
To help open yourself up to connecting with the Angelic Realm, it could be very helpful to have an Angel Reader/Medium/Channel give you a reading where you can begin to understand what it’s like to work with the Angelic Realm. You may even be able to uncover past life issues that might hold you back from opening up to your own abilities. This is also where healing sessions can be helpful in removing any blockages and jumpstarting/balancing your Chakras (internal energy system). Of course, there are many types of healers including those who use angel energy, Reiki practitioners, Shamanic healers, etc. Whether for a reading or a healing session, it is best to go with what makes you feel comfortable.
To find out more about connecting with the Angelic Realm for yourself, there are many products on the market you can consider. Some products I personally recommend are as follows:
Divine Guidance by Dr. Doreen Virtue
Archangels & Ascended Masters by Dr. Doreen Virtue
Angels & Guides Meditation by John Edward or Developing Your Own Psychic Powers by John Edward which includes the other meditation.
Rev. Sheri Kozdron is a Spiritual Intuitive and Teacher who offers her readings and healing sessions to clients all over the world. She offers angelic guidance and messages for past, present, and future through her work as an Angel Medium. Rev. Sheri is also Certified Master Crystal Healer who uses her knowledge of crystals and Divine ability to channel Angel Energy to heal energetic issues within the body and all levels of the aura and soul.
Rev. Sheri’s most popular class is her Mediumship Workshop where she teaches students how to communicate with angels, guides and loved ones for themselves. While Rev. Sheri believes that that seeking “professional help” from a Psychic Medium like herself is important, she believes even more in the necessity of learning to communicate for yourself.
Check out www.AngelMessenger.net for the Angel Moments Podcast and Free Online Angel Card Readings! You’ll also find an Online Store with products to help you develop your spiritual and intuitive self.