Many years ago, on a cool autumn day in Seattle, I rang the doorbell of a large mansion in a swank old neighborhood. The mansion's residents were a group of young adults, each renting out a large room while sharing expenses and food--affordable living at its finest. I came to teach yoga to the residents at the behest of my best friend, and I was checking out the living room as my possible classroom.
A nice fella in his mid-30's answered the door, smiled, and said hello. I smiled back and then heard a Voice in my head--clear, matter of fact, much like a newscaster with a newsflash: "There is the father of your children." Startled, I remember looking around me, shaking the fella's hand quickly and bolting past him to find my friend.
Listen, the voice was nice enough, and sure, the fact that I was looking at the future father of my children might have been so, but there were a few complications to this possibility. 1. I was married to someone else, and 2. this was the boyfriend of my current best friend, and 3. this was a disembodied masculine voice in my head. Crazy.
I'll cut to the results of this encounter: I've been married to the young man for 29 years, and he is indeed father to our 2 awesome sons. Our beginnings were a bit on the rough side, but it all worked out. Yet, why the voice in the first place?
I've heard this voice again--usually on important-to-my life occasions: It, or maybe He spoke to me when I was trying to decide whether to stay on the planet or leave this life while dealing with cancer. At the time, I leaned toward leaving because from my view, life on this weird planet was awful and too challenging. And I was tired of coping with my evolving aura sight: Too much information on a constant basis. Then there was the falling apart marriage, and the possibility of painful treatments, and a miserable quality of life.... Nope. Better go while I had the chance.
The Voice, though, gave me a view of what I might be missing if I left: While sitting on a bluff overlooking the sparkling sea, next to a good friend who the Voice had originally claimed to be the dad of my future children, The Voice directed my attention to 2 children playing on the shore nearby: "Those children will be your children. But you're going to have to choose life." "What?" I asked, startled by this information. Without hesitation, The Voice continued: "The gentleman sitting next to you will be your husband." I tried to act unfazed. It didn't work: "See those faces before you?" I gazed at the sparkling sea, each of the thousands of sparkles a face as far as my eyes could see: "Those are the people you will help. However," The Voice paused (for dramatic effect?), "You're going to have to choose life." Sighing mightily, I relented and said, "Yes, OK. Deal me in."
I know that there are folks who hear voices tell them all kinds of unhealthy things, prompting them to bad actions. I also know that there are clairaudient people who hear voices and messages all the time-- sane, good people. My own inner voice speaks to me on occasion as well--a voice that sounds like me, it usually offers guidance or perspective or even ideas. And then there's that masculine, authoritative Voice: Who the heck is that?
In all honesty, I don't have a specific entity or name attached to the Voice. All I know is that when I've listened, the Voice has something important to note. So, how does one know whether a voice is benevolent, or malevolent and/or crazy?
I have one abiding rule I follow: If there is even a hint of judgment in the voice or a voice's message, it is probably either one's ego, or the voice of someone else--from this world or the spirit world--who might not have your best interests in mind, or has an agenda of some kind.
Even auditory warnings do not have to come from judgement or agenda. Note the difference between this statement: "Leave now." to this: "If you don't leave now, you'll be sorry." Or even this: "There is the father of your children," which is a simple statement, and this: "There is the father of your children, you better go get him now, or you'll lose him forever." The former had no agenda nor judgment; the latter clearly did.
I would rather follow the Voice of Guidance than the Voice of Have To Or Else. And so I look forward to the next communique...
Voicing my appreciation for you, Elke