Synchronicities: Making Sense of Signs
I remember when I first began really noticing synchronicities. It was, like it is for many, through repeated numbers showing up for me every day, in all manner of ways.
Through the years, the type of synchronicity I receive and the frequency at which I receive them has evolved. Along with that too, with much contemplation on the subject, has my relationship with them. Do I have all the answers? Never will I ever (on anything), but this is what I’ve come to realize for myself where these little signposts are concerned.
Synchronicities Play Off Our Love Of Patterns.
We, humans, love our patterns. We love seeing how things fit and connect, and we tend to draw conclusions and find meaning when things line up or when paths intersect. This makes perfect sense because nature is a pattern in itself - from the way our DNA unfolds to the way we evolve and give birth to more of the same. This universe is like a giant fractal every replicating, growing, and repeating what it knows. It’s no wonder our senses would gravitate to experiences that pay homage to this force.
Synchronicities, Like Beauty, Exist In The Eye Of The Beholder.
And in this way, our experiences with and responses to these experiences tend to be very personal. It is difficult to convey the awe that a synchronistic event can elicit, and therefore, our retelling of them can often fall flat. Many times, to grasp the gravity of synchronicity, one would have had to travel the same path as the recipient. Without this, the event can lose context and can therefore come across as meaningless and random - an inside joke of sorts. This brings us to the next few points…
Synchronicities Are Often Private Conversations.
What is shown to you has been noticed by you and therefore, that connection can often feel like a very closed conversation between ourselves and that greater force (god, higher self, or whatever you want to call it). For this reason, I liken synchronistic events to a sort of language that develops privately between ourselves and the invisible. What this also means is that synchronicities can mean different things, for different people, at different times and that meaning and the associated feelings are difficult to translate. More on how to discern some of that at the end of this post!
Synchronicities Are Like Dreams…
…everyone has them. Some people remember them more than others. Some people care about them more than others. There are even those who take it further by engaging with that state by becoming lucid (awakened) during them. And, as we all know, no one is ever as interested in your dreams as you are! The retelling of such fantastical tales, while totally important to us, can often lose significance when trying to convey to others. Also think about it like this for those lucid dreamers out there. When we are in the simple consciousness of that dream, it is often an element that sticks out and grabs our attention, causing us to “wake up” to a more self-conscious (aware of self) state. I think much in that same way, synchronicities in the waking world can rouse us from self-consciousness to something just beyond that threshold or at least, bring us to higher levels of awareness within this one.
Synchronicities Are Neutral And Unremarkable By Nature.
With that being said, part of their beauty is the fact that they are universal phenomena that does not discriminate. It doesn’t require any degree of literacy, extrasensory ability, education, or experience. Synchronicities can engage any of our senses at any stage of life, and the only barrier is our ability to notice or care. I also believe their neutrality can be assumed by the fact that synchronicities on their own are useless. It is only when they are observed, and meaning is applied, that they come to stand out. They are also, if you’re paying attention, happening all the time…which brings us to the next point.
Synchronicities Will Increase The More You Take Notice.
The more you notice the universe noticing you, the more the universe takes notice and sends more…notices? The point is, I believe we live in an ever-communicating universe. It will use whatever it can to get our attention and engage with us and as long as we pay attention and express interest, the connection will continue to grow. Think of it along the lines of the constant chatter in our brains. We are always, basically, talking to ourselves. Some of that noise is useful, and some of it is wholly unhelpful. Every once in a while, you get a spark of insight that rises above the rest. When we take notice of those good ideas, those helpful conversations within, they tend to multiply. This communication, with ourselves and the universe (another version of ourselves), is ever-evolving and fine-tuning itself, adjusting based on our feedback and response. In life, what we bring our attention to tends to increase in presence, and it’s no different for synchronicities.
Synchronicity And Divination Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin.
Tarot, like synchronicity, is a kind of language that plays on sense and symbol, with both helping us to understand the other. When we are divining, we are actively inviting synchronicity into our lives; a sign or message to which we will then interpret. In addition, the relationship has the potential to go deeper. Sometimes when I am reading for myself, what I will notice is not a technical message, but more a synchronicity touching on something that came up earlier that day. For example, Tim (my partner and collaborator) pulled The Chariot for himself the morning after we did a ritual with The Chariot as a focal point. Yes, perhaps The Chariot has its own unique message, but the connection from the night before was the first thing we took notice of. Similarly, we pulled an oracle card recently and there was a line in the guidebook referencing an apostle’s beheading. Meanwhile, earlier that evening, we found ourselves in a good deal of discussion around the significance of decapitation after a tiny glass Buddha statue broke at the neck! I see these occurrences as being validating and awe-inspiring; a full and complete message in themselves.
And finally, with all that being said, what does it all mean? Or, how can we begin to find the meaning in these awe-inducing but unremarkable events? On a very basic level, I believe synchronicities are nods from the universe that show us that we are in constant conversation with it and it with us. It is a reminder that everything connects, meaning is everywhere, and separation is a temporary state. On top of that, for all the frustration that separation brings, without it, we wouldn’t be able to perceive these small wonders.
More specifically though, I like to look at what’s going on around me or what I was thinking at the time the synchronicity arrived. I often find it is a signal of reassurance and validation along those lines. I also see it as being a sign that I am on the “right” track, so much so that even the little things are aligning. Of course, if you wanted to gain additional insight, I would suggest taking the query into meditation or even pulling a card from your favourite tarot or oracle deck.
And finally, synchronicities to me have become a form of awareness training. Awareness training is a term I started using with my cat, kind of as a joke around developing her consciousness (don’t ask). So I see these little blips along those lines. They are, if we are open to it, opportunities to “snap out of it”, “come to”, “wake up”, “take notice” or lift those veils and filters ever so slightly. So when synchronicity occurs, you don’t need to worry about the specifics. Simply step back, take deep notice, express gratitude, and open yourself up to whatever the message might be. That is one sure way to elevate your experience with these messengers and even those beyond.
Julia