My First Vision Quest and Angel Sighting

Alexandra Shaw

I pitched a tent in the snow and for three nights slept on the frozen ground. I prayed to God, lit sage for purification and cleansing, and played Carlos Nakai's Indian flute music tapes to put my mind in a peaceful and receptive state. I stayed alone in the tent each night, praying, seeking, and asking for an increase in my spiritual gifts, as God willed it, not myself. I also fasted food, not water, to clear my body, mind and spirit for those three days time. This was about 10 days before the full moon.

Little seemed to happen. I figured maybe I had not done it right and that's why I didn't get BIG results. On the first night of the full moon something woke me at 2:30 a.m. telling me to get up, dress and go into town. I thought for sure I was flipping out and talking to myself. I argued that a blizzard was coming. The voice became a presence of light, more like a mist at first, then gradually taking the shape of an angel, telling me not to be afraid and that we needed to go downtown NOW and to take my good coat with me, not the one I wore daily. I was a little freaked out as you might imagine, but this angel was insisting. I got dressed and drove into town.

I kept arguing with the angel about why I had to bring my good coat. I had paid a lot for it and almost never wore it. The angel told me I would know soon. He told me to stop the car and put my coat in a big plastic trash bag and place the coat by the statues of a farm family memorial.

The angel told me to circle the block and go back by the farm family statues in about five minutes. I raved aloud about my madness and how crazy I must be to be letting my imagination run wild. The angel put his finger to his lips and kept saying, "Be quiet and go back to the statue."

When I got back there was a homeless woman, with her two suitcases sitting in the snow, putting on my coat. The angel spoke to me and said, "Now do you see why we had to come here? She was cold and had no coat and you had two, one you never use. What did it hurt you to give up that coat? You can go home to a warm bed and she at least has a coat so she won't freeze to death tonight. Aren't you glad you came here tonight? Remember to pray for the homeless, Alex.". With that, the angel disappeared, leaving me speechless and ashamed of my bickering and my greed over my extra coat.

On To Next Page...