Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe

Ashley is Jackson’s eldest daughter. Jackson references Ashley intermittently throughout the text, but focuses on her story most notably in Part 3. When Ashley was about to start high school, she developed a mysterious rash on her back. The rash went undiagnosed by doctors but Ashley’s behavior began to change in the weeks following. Before she got sick, she “was pure sweetness. She was a beautiful, tender, compassionate soul. She was in advanced classes throughout middle school, […] took ballet and lyrical dance, she excelled at art, and she […] was delightful to be around—funny, kind, thoughtful and loving” (228). By Jackson’s estimation, she “was the ideal child” (228). In the wake of getting sick, Ashley became ornery, difficult, rebellious, and rude. She couldn’t sleep, was overcome by anxiety, and couldn’t focus on school. Jackson and her husband weren’t sure what to do and brought Ashley to the doctor for several tests. Still no one knew what was wrong with her and her behavior didn’t improve.

Jackson’s journey toward finding help for her daughter emphasizes the Personal and Universal Meaning of Signs as a central theme in the text. Ashley’s condition lasted for three years—a period which Jackson describes as one of the hardest in her and her family’s life. She uses Ashley’s story as an example of a time when she needed help from her Team of Light. Although she felt lost and unable to help her daughter, she didn’t immediately seek help from the Other Side. She didn’t do so until she realized how desperate she and her family were and how at risk Ashley was. By the end of this extended anecdote (which features in Chapter 29), Jackson and a team of specialists discover that Ashley has Lyme disease and bartonella—conditions Jackson had suspected after receiving transmissions from her Team of Light. Once Ashley got treatment, her condition started to improve and her behavioral changes dissipated. The deeply personal nature of this story about her daughter reflects Jackson’s attempt to establish intimacy with the reader by depicting herself as a confused and worried mother, who simply needed to surrender to her Team of Light in order to find help for her child.

The death of John, Jackson’s father, represents a key moment in Jackson’s personal journey in the text that underscores the Transformative Power of Engaging with the Unseen. Jackson describes her relationship with her father as difficult. While she “loved him profusely and unconditionally,” John “had a lot of issues,” including an addiction to alcohol, anger, and self-isolating habits (82). Jackson tried to maintain a relationship with him but it grew difficult after she left home, married, and started her own family. In 2016, John fell ill. Jackson received a message from her Team of Light informing her that John would soon die despite what his doctors said; this information proved correct. Jackson’s Team of Light also helped her to share songs and memories with John on his deathbed—an experience which offered Jackson peace of mind before John’s passing.

Jackson uses her father’s story as a way to explain how relationships with loved ones can improve after death. In Jackson’s experience, she has felt closer with John since he crossed to the Other Side. He sends her messages all the time (often in the form of Elvis songs or memorabilia), and these messages feel gentler than John was when he was alive.

The Four Cs, a family that Jackson worked with and read for, all have names beginning with C: Carla, Chris, Calder, and Caleb. After Carla and Chris’s son Calder died in a freak accident, a friend connected Carla with Jackson. During their reading, Jackson facilitated a conversation between Carla and Calder. He wanted his mom to know that he was okay and to stop doubting his presence. He also assured her that he’d send her a sign in the form of a deer—not long later, Carla had a moving encounter with a deer in a parking lot which helped her to reconnect with her late son.

Priya, one of Jackson’s relatives, is also one of Jackson’s clients and subjects. Jackson tells a story about Priya’s encounters with the Other Side in which Priya’s father, Shahid, died in Pakistan not long after Priya moved to the United States. She despaired because she didn’t get to say goodbye and because Shahid wasn’t there to see her marry her husband. During the wedding, Jackson received a transmission from Shahid informing her that he was going to surprise Priya with a sign. Then a ray of light beamed down on Priya while she was at the altar and a hummingbird fluttered over her head throughout the remainder of the ceremony. Priya immediately interpreted these as signs that her father was with her. She found comfort and healing knowing he was there. Like the Four Cs’ story, Priya’s story reiterates the comfort that signs can bring the individual amid grief.

Clayton and Natali are also Jackson’s clients and subjects. She relays her experiences working with them in Part 3, Chapter 23. Although Clayton and Natali were in love and had a happy family life, they weren’t sure if they wanted to have another child. During a reading, Jackson informed them that Clayton’s late grandmother, Alma, wanted them to know they should “just have the third child” (175). Through Jackson, Alma encouraged Clayton and Natali to put aside their fear and embrace life. Clayton and Natali listened to Alma’s spirit and had another child. Ever since, they’ve been more open to signs and transmissions from the Other Side. Jackson uses their story as an example of how our Teams of Light can guide, encourage, and bring us joy.