Earth Angels

By Susan Smalley 

So many of my friends and colleagues have urged me to write about my work, my accounts of being connected with angels and my travels - especially as they are apparently ‘inspirational adventures’ through life. To me, every journey I take is a fabulous adventure. I could never be bored in life, there is just too much to see and do!

I have to say the flow of experiences life offers me seems to come effortlessly in that they are frequently appearing like magic bullets. I have outgrown initial fascination and now I revel in appreciation of each encounter. I appreciate all my journeys and the people I meet, especially when angels appear on my travels. You know, that special guest, attendee or train companion who you don’t want to leave upon reaching the end of your particular seminar or journey. Earth Angels are amongst us, all of us. 

Let me share with you one very such encounter one Friday afternoon… 

I had not slept the night before and had stayed awake until 4.30 a.m. My energy could not settle but I was neither stressed nor in pain. I had posted on my Facebook page at that time of the morning; this was duly noted by my friend who was also awake because her dogs were unsettled due to the wild and stormy rain hammering against her windows.   

She and I met at 1 p.m. later that afternoon in her hair salon, which is a twelve-minute drive away from my home. I was delivering her birthday gift of cappuccino covered coffee beans, intense fruity crumble cookies, a bottle of rose wine, and tub of rhubarb and custard white hot chocolate; together with half a dozen rainbow coloured, glitter sprayed roses. We chatted for an hour and then I made my exit, but not before she gifts back to me a small bottle of her newly developed Aroma Heart Aura Spray.

Her stunning potion of blended essential oils contained natural flower essences in a purified elixir, with purple amethyst healing properties infused within. I sprayed it across me and breathed in its deliciously uplifting aroma. I set off for my ten-minute drive towards my next destination - The Hardwick Hall Hotel, situated on the outskirts of Sedgefield, County Durham. 

Romance is all around me and the scenery before me is picture postcard perfect. As I splice through puddles past the icy cold lake in a bowl between woodland, there are tiny pods, mock palm trees, tents, marquees and colourful magical roundabouts set out on the green adjacent to the old mansion house.

I clamber through the front doors leading into a large, deadly-still lounge, chandeliers hang and I sense their loneliness. Music plays and I can see through the arch into the bar lounge, where groups of ladies and their loves are sat enjoying afternoon tea. The conversation subdued. I place my order at the bar for a light lunch whilst Bruno Mars sings out his honey voice into my ears, and my heart drops. An eeriness of emptiness beside me clings to my left arm as I open my bar tab. I am going to be here a while writing. I wonder if I can find inspiration on this grey, wet, Friday afternoon.

We are at the close of August and just coming out of a five-month lockdown; everyone is still nervous about mingling with others, even in nice little country manor house hotels like this! I have visited here for decades with friends, clients and family. I have shared dreams and wishes in this very place.

I stepped into my favourite section - the large open lounge. My heels create music upon the real medium oak floorboards and the walls recognise my smiles. There is something rather etheric about this place. I cannot say I am even that fond of it, other than I know that at every juncture of my life, there has been much release, clearing, and healing achieved here. Something draws me towards it. I love the 1930s décor. I feel safe. Comfortable. At ease.

Just as I turn the square pillar on my right-hand side, I glimpse for a split second, a young man and woman coupled up, so much so that they are entwined. In slow motion it seemed, I turned to them.  ‘Are you comfortable, there. Why don’t you just make yourself right at home?’ They smile and laugh whilst adjusting their posture. I plonk down my grey briefcase and leather handbag. Then I lay out all my belongings: two large books, half a ream of white paper, three pens - orange, emerald and navy – and my mobile phone.

It’s Friday afternoon and I make an entrance like I am about to set-to in a corporate office for the day!

I glance towards the young couple and say, apologetically, ‘Don’t mind me, I shall not intrude. Please, just continue enjoying yourselves, regard me as being invisible. I shall not intrude upon your space.’

Three hours later, we say farewell!

My pens are untouched. They have not moved across the paper. My laptop remains closed. The froth from two cappuccinos clings to my cups and a pot of hot steaming tea has emptied. We do not stop talking. In fact, even upon leaving - and having hugged each other - we promise to meet up before the summer is over. How magical. They are ecstatically filled with love.

A rapid fire of exchange is undertaken from our distance with respect, but there’s a pull that I recognise. ‘Well, I will let you return to your romance.’ That tug inside will not break away. He speaks, she speaks, I speak. There is just no way we are able to unlock from an invisible force.

They sipped their drinks, then ordered another. Never once releasing from the connection between us, or each other, such was their closeness of bond. We spoke about our childhoods, our homes, our families, health, mental health, death, acute health problems, near-death experiences, philosophy of life, pain, loss, abuse and violence. A fluidity of exchanging life stories with no interruptions or pauses. Nothing else mattered other than our meeting of souls. A serendipitous encounter – three souls who have all experienced very uncannily similar pasts. 

How is it that we can know people for years and find ourselves never really knowing them. Or, perhaps shielding them by not showing them our truth for fear that they would become anxious or unhappy. Looking out for their welfare and not wanting to concern them with our life issues, and yet, total strangers can meet with you in synchronistic ways where you feel so close and pulled together into a bind of a magical spell that no one can break. 

No other guests enter, the light outside dims, I remain seated. The conversation runs and runs. I had planned to write and I wondered if perhaps a sad and grey afternoon in an empty hotel lounge would offer me any inspiration. The young man was so respectful and engaged in our connections too, with his reason for living right beside him, and I could feel his love for her. He watched her become more and more animated. She sat on the edge of her seat - sensual and sassy. He talked and she watched his mouth use words of truth and experience, and I could sense she wanted to be right by his side for eternity, such was her pride. They both glowed.

A group of eight boisterous ladies entered and sat at the fireplace sofas. They drowned out our voices. I stood and neared towards the couple and I was about to excuse myself from the conversation when our faces illuminated with even more of a soul tug inside my solar plexus! Without hesitation, they welcomed me deeper into their space. I declined and remained standing, aware that I really must leave them alone to enjoy their time together. But they would have none of it. So, the conversation ran through travels abroad, countries, language, health, favourite special people and emotions. Eventually, I indicated that I really must go and get some work done.

 It was the weekend!?!?!

We hugged like friends who have met up after years of not seeing each other. I saw myself reflected in her. I saw each of us reflected in him. He was like an Archangel Raphael - healing and wondrous.  She, like Aphrodite, milk-white complexion and oozing kindness. This had been an unforgettable chance meeting that I knew had been orchestrated by Spirit. A healing had taken place that evening.  For me, for them, for all of us. I could sense it. I knew I had been guided here to this place, at this time, in these circumstances. 

I returned to my seat filled with inspiration, lifted my journal from the copper topped table, opened up my laptop and began to type. Those two souls do not know how much they have played a part in helping me to move on from my past. They are Earth Angels.

If I were to ask you to identify with your own Earth Angels in your life, I am sure you could count one or two. If I were to ask you to describe an angel, you would no doubt say that angels are shimmering lights, dressed in white, etheric gowns, with crowns of diamonds and outstretched feathery plumes.

Earth Angels are YOU and ME. Angels reside right beside us. Or, like in this instance, they cross your paths, or they are positioned in your life for you to cross theirs.

All of our pasts hold energy like that of a stake through our hearts, but I want you to focus on all the magical and joyous times you exchange with others, and on your own, perhaps, at times where the despair and darkness of emotions pulls you onto the pathway of such angels, who then help to remove that stake and heal the wound in which it was thrust.

Please don’t ignore the necessity of finding even just a glimmer of hope for a return of the sparkle within your soul. Look for the ways in which you can push or pull or project yourself up and out and away from all the gossip, the competition of life, the pressures of materialism, the jealousy of friends, the emptiness of your heart; to know that purity of love will fill you with a strength that returns joy to your heart and mind. Rain will always drench your soul at troublesome times, a bleakness of thoughts will numb your senses and emptiness will freeze your heart. You may at times feel like all sense of light has gone forever. Let me tell you, it has not. At these times where black storms threaten to break you, rainbows appear.

Angels deliver them to you!

The very next day, a chapter I had contributed into a collaborative book to empower women, was published and it shot straight to number 1 on the Amazon new release charts! Earth Angels - every one of us. In sharing our stories of despair then hope, with sincerity and success the positive vibes, we conquered our goal and enabled other women to benefit from our charitable gift of monies raised in the sales of the books, to help go towards their life adventures. A rainbow shot across my heart and soul that evening. I knew I had been visited by angels.

Look for the rainbows after your storms. Deliver a rainbow into someone’s life - a friend, colleague, neighbour. It will uplift and brighten their hearts. You just never know what turmoil they may be shielding you from. Being an Earth Angel to another in your life is the greatest and easiest task you can undertake. Ask for your angels to come closer, feel their divine etheric love in your dream state or in your meditations, and ask them to impart knowledge and guidance for you to share.

Release any entanglement of turmoil you have been through by flooding light right through you and surround yourself in pure love. Love from the very centre of your being. Wear colour! It uplifts you!

Think of the current pandemic whereupon each household and car had rainbows emblazoned across windows and doors, walls and clothing. Hope, faith, brightness, a universal bonding of all hearts and minds, a belief that all would be well in an outcome that would place bridges of light over deep dark despair.

Keep that thought and memory of vision within your mind, let it flood your mind to keep your thoughts bright, light and bouncy with inspiration.

Susan Smalley is a life discovery coach and mentor. Her passion from a very young age has been for all things spiritual, from healing and crystals to meditation to one to one coaching, reiki, tuition, and mediumship. 

Susan is passionate about intuitive guidance, whether that be in relationships, work, business, family dynamics, health, heightening life demands, lack of focus or a drop in self-esteem, supporting you in transforming any of your restrictions to raise your self-confidence and align you again with the true purpose of your soul. Feel free to connect with Susan over in The Community or on her Spiritual Sofa on Facebook. You can also visit her website