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INTRODUCTION
 
In every moment the universe is whispering to you. There are messages for you carried on the winds. There is wisdom for you in the morning songs of the birds outside your window and in the soft murmurs of an ebbing sea. Even ordinary, everyday events in your life carry communications, from the realm of spirit.
 
Right now as you read this paragraph, you are surrounded by personal messages from the world around you. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you are always encircled by signs. Of course, your night hours are filled with signs that appear in your dreams; however, no less valid are the signs that encompass you in your waking life. Signs are powerful indicators that can give you understanding about yourself and insight about direction in life. They can also reflect what is occurring in your subconscious mind, beneath your conscious awareness.
 
In times past, people understood and knew how to interpret these portents and omens. In fact, the entire destiny of a tribe or even a nation was often decided by signs. However, as technology expanded, people became more and more isolated from their connection to the earth and their inner wisdom. Most lost their ability to listen to the secret messages around them and to see the signposts giving personal guidance at every moment.
 
It is now time to regain this lost ability. Our planet is changing very quickly, and in the face of this rising tide of change we need to remember how to taste the messages in the wind and how to listen to the gentle voices in the clouds. This ability will be increasingly important in the years ahead. As we hurtle into the twenty-first century, there is an accelerated awakening of planetary consciousness. We are entering a time of signs and omens. There has never been a more powerful time in the history of our planet to realize our magnificence. Signs can show us the way. It is now time to relearn how to listen to the whispers of the universe.
 
My journey into the realm of signs and portents began when I was very young. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t watch for signs. I always felt that there was a deep connection between all people and all things. Even as a young child I intuitively recognized that there was a vast, interconnected system of the universe deep within me, where all permeations of life resided. And I listened to the signs around me that emanated from that deep inner source. I believe that my Cherokee heritage is partially responsible for this perception of life, for native people throughout the world follow signs and believe in omens.
 
However, I believe that my interest in signs can also be credited to my upbringing. As I was growing up, a very close family member was mentally ill for a period of time. This family member was a paranoid schizophrenic, which often made life very difficult. However, every burden in life carries a hidden gift, and I gained a great gift living with her. She saw the entire world through signs. All occurrences had meaning and significance for her. Every event was connected to every other event. Often, her perception of reality seemed entirely random and irrational. There is a fine line between the mystic and the insane. Every once in a while I would slip beneath the veil of the illusionary, normal world and enter her world. When I saw the world through her eyes, remarkably, everything did have meaning. I recognized that many seemingly unrelated factors and occurrences would lead to a particular event, and horizontal analysis could link any event to signs surrounding and even preceding the event.
 
While still a teenager I had a traumatic near-death experience that gave further credence to the validity of signs. When it was thought that I was dead, I entered a realm where I experienced a profound unity with all things. My experience was so meaningful that when I recovered my health, I started my quest to discover more about the hidden dimensions of life. My journeys led me to Native American tribal traditions, including my own Cherokee tribe (I’m an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation). I also spent time with the Maori in New Zealand, the Aborigines in Australia, and the Zulu in Bophuthatswana. I trained with a Hawaiian kahuna, learning ancient Hawaiian healing techniques; trained in Reiki (a Japanese system of channeling energy) with Hawayo Takata and organized the first Reiki courses for Westerners; trained in and taught shiatsu (a Japanese form of massage that utilizes pressure points); and lived in a Zen Buddhist monastery for several years. Every experience I had deepened my respect for portents and omens. It is on my lifelong experience of “observing the signs in the world around me that I base this book.
 
Many of the examples I use in this book were gathered from people who attended my seminars. Giving lectures for more than twenty-five years on six continents, I have been honored to hear some remarkable personal stories. I have attempted to recount them accurately, although some have been edited for brevity and, most likely, some have faded a bit in my mind over the years. As I don’t know all the names of those who shared stories with me, I have used pseudonyms in some of the examples and have used first names throughout. Several of the stories have been changed to protect the privacy of the persons who told them to me.
 
Within each of us is the ability to read the signs. This book assists you in regaining your innate ability to hear the whispers of the universe so that you can make decisions and choices that will empower you and your family in the times ahead.