I am the Archangel Gabriel, Archangel of the west and water, archangel of dreams and seas, archangel of the oceans, and grace and flow. To many I am the archangel of birth, because it was I who was instructed to bring the message of Jesus' birth to Mary. But in truth my affiliation and connection to the powers of birth began a long time ago in ancient Atlantis when as patron of the royal family of water, it was my duty to instruct the priesthood of this royal family's cast as to the mysteries and ancient truths of birth in the spiritual and physical planes, creating on earth the first midwives of your world.

I come forward in order to speak in part of birth but also of messages and messengers. For this period of time in your year is a time when angels have been hailed and recognised and are thought of more strongly than any other time throughout your year, because of the part that angels played in bringing forth the message of Jesus' birth and because of the way in which this is remembered and celebrated at Christmas time. Angels exist and have existed since the very beginning. Extensions of the Divine, we have always been entrusted with the care of man and of your world and often sent forth to the planet earth in order to pass on mysteries and truths of great divinity and power that would aid mankind in not only their sustation but also their continued evolution. We were the original teachers of those arts and practices that you have now come to know as magick, philosophy, astrology, geometry, numerology, healing, architecture and art. But also at times we have been used to bring forward prophecy, guidance of what was to occur in order to forewarn and prepare. We were used as harbingers to pave the way for important events and individuals who would come to change the destiny of mankind. One such time of course was the birth of Jesus and I was chosen as the angel of birth to bring this message to Mary, not as commandment but as question, to see if she would be willing to allow herself to be used as a vessel through which this birth would be made manifest. I was instructed to make it very clear to Mary as to what would be expected of her, of the judgements that would be made by others and her husband of her and her situation, of the pain and anguish, of the agony and sorrow that she would experience, as well as of the joys and wonder.

Such visions of the future, the great and grand predictions of her child, though startling and inspiring, were nothing more than dreams. Mary was a wise woman who even at such a tender age had been taught of the mysteries of the Divine Mother and knew that predictions uttered, even by an angel, were not guaranteed to be truth, so powerful is the free will of mankind. And so of course her immediate thoughts turned to herself and the part that she would play - not only the indignation that she must endure but also the art and craft that she must exercise in raising such a powerful child and equipping it to cope with its destiny. Mary was a brave woman who assumed this duty and responsibility unfalteringly, who in the fullness of knowledge allowed herself to become the sacred vessel through which this great and powerful light would re-emerge upon the earth and move forwards to carry the great and powerful energy of the Christ light into the world. With all this knowledge of what would be, she accepted this proposal, this invitation and opened herself to receive a child of light.

Such events that occur in time, that mark the beginning of a change for the whole of mankind, that occur both physically and energetically in all planes, create echoes and ripples that vibrate backwards and forwards in time. Although it may be that December 25th is not an accurate calendar anniversary of the birth of Jesus, nevertheless because of mankind's conscious thought centering upon this occurrence at this time, they open themselves to the echoes of this great occurrence. Of course to some this is no more than a story; a fable and a fairytale represented by pretty images on Christmas cards and nothing more. But still these people to some extent will feel the rippling echoes of this powerful moment and be lit by the hope and light that it represented and represents now. For the past is not over, all moments of time in their own place being constant, and as such the light that rippled out from this moment still has power in the now which can be drawn upon, welcomed in, utilised and used, to inspire and uplift, to create hope and joy, so that mankind may recognise that they are not alone but accompanied constantly by the presence of the Divine.

Some people say that there is no relevance now to the birth of this Master, of this messiah, that in this modern age where the global community has become so small and intelligent man and woman recognises that no one religion has dominance over the world, that we live in a multicultural society full of various religions, in this day and age where we must not allow ourselves to be dominated by a single truth, we should not put emphasis upon such a religious occurrence but rather focus on the underlying principles that are venerated at this time. Although this is true, it is also true that the essence of the mysteries and teachings, of the power and presence, of the significance of the birth of this child, is not Christian but something which transcends it, something which is found at the heart and core of every religion and something which every person at this moment in time can seize upon in order to make their life a better and brighter experience.

The birth of Jesus represented hope and was the fulfillment of a pattern that began a long, long time ago - the birth of hope in times of darkness, the emergence of light in the depth of night, the birth of the promised child in the depth of winter. A light that reminds us that we are not alone, that there is always hope and guidance and love that comes from the Source, the Creator of all, the Divine. A light that offers illumination and teaching, enlightenment and truth through its example and its words, through the nature of its being and the echo of its memory, through its burning presence and its desire to follow the path that was laid before it by the Divine. The echoes of such energy can be opened up to and welcomed in, each time we gaze upon the image of a nativity, each time we sing a Christmas hymn, each time our thoughts focus upon the essence of this Christmas story we can fill ourselves with the light of the Master Jesus and the Christ force, of the holy family and the sacrifices that they made for the whole world in order to bring forward the essence and epitome of the light, teaching and love of God the Divine Source.

The pattern that this singular and very famous occurrence echoes is seen in a number of different religions, indeed in the religion which is native to the British Isles, the old pagan religion, the religion of the old ways. For indeed at this time of the year the Goddess, the central figure within this religion, gives birth to a child of promise - to two children in fact, who represent in turn herself and her husband who has sacrificed himself in order to give life to the land. These children of promise grow and become the reincarnations of their parents - the child of light, the son, growing to become the oak king and the daughter growing to become the goddess of spring and summer. This constant cycle of the birth of light and life helps renew within us a sense of flow and grace and trust and belief that light will always, eternally follow darkness and lead us from the shadows into truth. And so, pertinent as the ever-moving cycle of the seasons, this story in its own way echoes the story of the birth of Jesus. Both are mysteries and patterns and in core the same; one occurring on the physical plane and the other a transcendent octave which has always been in the higher spiritual worlds. And so it goes on around the world and indeed there are other places, other religions and cultures which in their own way celebrate the birth of light in times of darkness, acknowledge the presence and the power of the Divine when the world is in need.

It is important then at yuletide, at Christmas, to open yourselves to receive the echo of this love and also to utilise this moment to draw closer to us, the angelic kingdom. For when mankind's consciousness focuses on the existence of such beings, doorways and portals are opened whereby we angels have greater access to the world and to mankind than ever before. And suddenly our presence can be known and seen, our light and life and laughter known. And we can move amongst men and women as we did; be seen, be experienced in a whole and total way. As you gaze upon each Christmas card, sing songs of angels, focus on my part within the Christmas mystery, open yourself to the reality of our being and as such reaffirm to yourself that you are not alone.

And so my message for you this Christmastime, whenever you read these words, is this: I am the angel of birth and have been present at the birth of all of mankind in all of their incarnations. As such too I am present at the death of all life, for death is a rebirth too and as I am midwife to life I am also midwife to afterlife. My message today is not about earthly death but it is about the death and rebirth of the soul that occurs as we journey through life and strive constantly to understand and make sense of our existence, journeying inwards and outwards in order to comprehend the nature of our evolution, of the part that we have to play, striving to grow, striving to expand, striving to be more than we are. This birth, this death, the death of ignorance, the birth of revelation, is a constant process of which I am aware and part of. And so today it is this that I speak of, this message that I give.

Christmas time, which lies towards the end of your year, is a dark time of light and can be for some a dark time of heart. Exhausted from the efforts that you have made throughout the year that has passed, it is common to find this time stressful and hard. And yet this is no more than the labour pains of rebirth, for the new year always brings to the hearts of many hope, a blank page extending before you in which anything may be written to atone and redeem yourself for those things that you have done that make you feel unworthy of the light and life and the true teachings that you wield and also infinite opportunities and possibilities to grow and to exercise your powers with greater restraint, subtlety, gentleness and light.

Pass through this dark time but as you do, feel the star rise in your heart, the light of Jesus being born. Know that this is the continuation of something which occurred before and which has always occurred in many different ways and forms and that you are part of this chain, this link. That each Christmastime as you open your heart to the returning of the light, you are reborn also - as saviour and messiah of yourself and the microcosm that is your world. Acknowledge that you are part of this Christmas miracle and each year decide how much you will surrender yourself to the birth of light that transpires inside you with all your knowledge of the difficulties as well as the loves that this will bring.

As I once delivered this message to Mary, so now do I deliver it to you. As you stand on the threshold of a new year it is your choice. Will you open yourself and be reborn in light to go forwards in full awareness to bring forward the true essential nature of your divinity? And if so how much will you do this? Trusting and then acknowledging that there is darkness to be experienced as much as there is joy. In order to make your decision it is important that you know the simple truth that I gave Mary that enabled her to find the courage and the strength to do what she did. You are not alone, never have been and never will be, but are always surrounded by the loving presence of the Divine and as such the Divine asks no more of you than you are capable of doing and can be called upon, leaned upon and relied upon to provide you with the aid and assistance that you might need in enduring your path and finding within it the light of love and transformation.

Today we have spoken of ancient and mysterious things which may seem simple. The simplicity is an indication of their divinity and not to be underestimated but rather seen as a sign of the deep nature of their truth. Take all that has been said here and use it wisely and well to grow in light.

Distributed by Carole Humber carole.humber@btinternet.com