Angels II
Lois Burnham Wilson
Below is a reading from my book THE OTHER ROAD AHEAD followed by a comment inspired by the selection.👇
Comment
What does the ancient dude in the above picture have to do with angels? Aren’t they supposed to be ethereal beings with wings and flowing hair who bring serenity to our world? Or are they just the subject for kitschy porcelain figurines?
The old dude is Emmanuel Swedenborg an author, philosopher, scientist, and theologian who lived in Sweden during the 1700’s. Influenced by great Christian mystics like Jacob Boehme and Phillip Spener, he wrote volumes about the Bible and vast commentaries about natural history and other learned subjects. Since his death he has been studied by millions of people who have organized into study groups and continue to find new inspirations in his work.
Although he was steeped in rational ideas he also wrote about heaven, angels, and spirits analyzing them with his scientific mind. His book, Heaven and Hell, remains popular and discusses angels, demons, their origins, and the effect on our life in a very clear and measured manner.
The theories of Swedenborg have spread throughout the world. He has influenced many well know historic figures such as: Balzac, Emerson, Yeats, and a very interesting American woman who would put the Swedenborg philosophy into practice.
In the study of angelic impact it seems there are many areas that can be imprinted by forces outside our senses. People throughout the ages have reported unexplainable events that have altered their life. At other times situations have been subtly adjusted to accommodate an unanticipated outcome. Yet for some people it is just the knowledge that there are other forces at work which brings beneficial results. This is the fascinating account of Lois Wilson.
Born in 1891 the grand-daughter of a Swedenborg pastor in New York City, Lois Burnham Wilson (d. 1988) was well schooled in the reality of spirits and angels in our world. She was able to identify the metaphysical nature of the illness that afflicted her husband Bill W. Accordingly she encouraged him to manifest his spiritual vision for regeneration, eventual recovery, and then share his experience, strength, and hope with the rest of the world.
Having a knowledge of the angelic world and a very non-dogmatic approach to people she was able to adapt her insights without forcing her beliefs. In 1951 after years of tireless service to the victims of chemical dependency she co-founded the Al Anon Family Groups to aid people who were negatively effected by the spiritual illness of alcoholism that has an insidious effect on family and friends.
While the Wilson story is known today in the Late Middle Ages the occurrence of angelic interaction was systematically studied resulting in certain agreed upon conclusions. Angelic effects took on an organized social program.
In those days Western Civilization was not ruled by the mechanical ticking of the clock or flashing digital numbers that are everywhere around us telling us what time it is. Instead the day was divided into periods that were each presided over by a different angel. This notion may seem to us to be both unfamiliar and complicated if not a little far-out. Yet in a different time it made perfect sense.
Angels are part of our reality albeit they are usually just outside our ordinary senses. Each hour has its own unique signature in our life as the day passes. If we can train ourselves to understand that every hour is a angelic blessing then we are on the path of The Other Road Ahead.
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