Dreams are not just the flickering residue of daily life. Sometimes, they are openings. Sometimes, they are offerings. And sometimes, they are bridges between our world and something holy.
Re-Reading Sea of Miracles Together: Chapter 13 - Angel Dreams
This is an excerpt from my book, Sea of Miracles.
To read along, chapter by chapter, and review my more recent reflections,
check out the full project here: Re-reading Sea of Miracles Together.
Have you ever awakened from a dream that felt different—crystalline, radiant, and somehow more real than the waking world?
Some dreams arrive not just with symbols and stories, but with presence. They carry a message, a feeling, a knowing and seem to shimmer with something otherworldly.
Dreams involving angels often feel this way—more vivid, more direct, more loving than regular dreams. Still, angel dreams don’t always include winged beings or glowing apparitions. In fact, they usually don’t. More often, they contain symbols or powerful stories - like watching a film and you’re the star.
Sometimes, angel dreams often arrive (or end) with a whisper, right in your ear. A familiar voice. A single sentence that can stay with you for days - or forever. Other times, as in my mother’s dream, recounted in today’s excerpt, a bird or other animal may appear to offer comfort, wisdom or a message that leads you to a new discovery - or an entirely new way of life!
In the stories that follow, I share two encounters with luminous dreaming—one from my mother, one from a stranger whose dream helped someone she hadn’t even met. Both remind us that we live in a field of connection far greater than we often realize.
Before you read, take a moment to tune in.
Have you had a dream that has always stayed with you?
Have you received dream guidance that has helped you to heal or understand something you couldn’t quite name?
Is it possible that something—someone—might be trying to reach you in your sleep — or even as you walk around seeming to be awake?
Let this be a gentle invitation to remember what you may have forgotten. Now, onto Chapter Thirteen of Sea of Miracles.
Thirteen:
Angel DreamsAngel dreams feel different from regular dreams — more ‘real’, more loaded with meaning. Angel dreams may arrive with Technicolor imagery and full story lines. You may hear your name or a meaningful phrase whispered as you open your eyes. You may wake up remembering one powerful image or idea that changes everything.
The white owl
When our dear family friend, Edith, passed away, my mother felt guilty that she’d neglected to keep up the friendship in the past few years. One evening, she called to tell me, “When I went to sleep last night, I felt agitated and sad. I was crying a little, thinking about Edith and wishing I’d been a better friend to her. I felt bad that I’d been unable to get to her memorial service in Nantucket. Then, I fell asleep and had a dream…
“I was standing in a field when a great white owl floated down before me. It had the widest, whitest wings and it had the most beautiful eyes,” she recounted. “It just sat there on a branch a few feet away, looking at me.”
“How did you feel when it looked at you?” I asked.
“So loved… it felt as if it was just projecting love at me.”
“What do you think that was?”
“Oh, yes,” she suddenly realized. “It was Edith!”
Mom began to cry, but joyfully — with great relief. As we talked some more, my mother realized that the wise white bird had been beaming love to her. I wanted her to know that there was no reason to feel sad — that all was forgiven. Indeed, there had never been anything to forgive, for the friendship she’d shared with Edith was eternal.
A week later, Mom told me she’d started a painting of the white owl. She says that the dream “told her” to do this. It’s a haunting and beautiful painting. It’s also a healing.
Dreams for other people
Sometimes a friend or family member who’s more open to receiving imagery will dream something for us. I’ve read stories in which dreamers receive information about the health of a friend or loved one; sharing this information has led to early detection of medical conditions — even saved lives!
The lost bracelet
One woman told me she’d dreamed of finding a piece of lost jewelry, a beautiful diamond bracelet, in the garden behind a bed of tulips.
“But I never had a bracelet like that,” she said. “I didn’t lose it.”
The dream felt so important but soon, unable to understand its meaning, she forgot about the dream. Then, a week later, she met a woman at a party.
They got to talking and then, the woman confided, “I’ve been so distracted lately. I lost a very special bracelet.”
“What kind of bracelet?” the dreamer asked, chills up her spine.
“It was a family heirloom,” the woman sighed. “A diamond bracelet.”
Amazed, the dreamer shared the information she’d received. The next day, she received a phone call. “I found my bracelet — in the garden behind the tulips!”
Was the dreamer a psychic? Probably not. But she was open to receiving and trusting guidance and, somehow, knowing she’d be at the same party as the woman who’d lost the bracelet, the angels had sent her the dream. They’d probably also guided the two women to talk to each other.
Dreams are not just the flickering residue of daily life. Sometimes, they are openings. Sometimes, they are offerings. And sometimes, they are bridges between our world and something holy.
If you’ve ever felt the hush of a dream as you woke—the strange certainty that what you saw mattered—you’re not alone. These dreams might be nudges. Blessings. Messages. Or simply love, reaching you in the only way it can.
Take a moment to reflect:
Is a dream memory resurfacing now - even as you read this? What relevance might it have for your life today?
If you were to paint or draw one dream, like my mother did, which would it be?
What might your dreams be asking of you? Or offering you?
Are you a person who doesn’t remember your dreams?
Invite them to linger by keeping a dream journal, or simple paper and pen beside your bed. Sometimes all it takes is writing down the first word, the first image, to open the gate.
Don’t dream at all?
If you have the sense that you are not dreaming, look to your waking life. Often, the people who tell me, “I don’t dream” are the ones who have the great adventures — living exciting, even mythic lives with their eyes open.
Remember: The symbolic will find its way to you - whether you are sleeping or wide awake.
And if you feel moved to share a dream, I would be honored to read it. These stories belong to all of us.
Until next time, I look forward to hearing about your angel dreams!
~ Amy
xxoo
Hi Amy. I just loved this essay. I've been a Precognitive Dreamer most of my life. My dreams are often about things I see in the future, as I often have feelings of Deja Vu in real life. I've come to learn they are glimpses into another reality where time is a lot more fluid... the 5th dimensional reality. Thanks so much for sharing. ✌️❤️🕯️and👽