People often ask, "How do I know what a synchronicity means? Mysterious coincidences seem to be important, but we don't always have a clear sense of what they mean."

The spiritual point of view teaches that synchronicities are universal forces at work on our behalf. Sometimes these symbols or occurrences point us in a new direction. Sometimes they present an unexpected opportunity, answer a question, give us needed information or resolve a problem. Sometimes they are a comforting confirmation that we are on the right path. The unexpected, specific, and "perfect" quality of a synchronicity is often so remarkable that we are lifted out of our everyday perceptions and attitudes and forced to acknowledge the miraculous network within which we are supported and guided. This happened to me several times in my recent visit to Japan.

A few months ago I was invited to give private consultations and seminars in Tokyo. This trip came about very synchronistically. Mr. Hisaaki Naruo, one of the Japanese readers of my book, THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE, emailed me to say hello. Out of that seemingly casual conversation came a whole new development for me-and for him. Mr. Naruo, while working by day in the financial world, has started following intuitive guidance and is developing his passion for bringing spiritual information to people. He was instrumental in paving the way for my trip. We met for the first time in Tokyo and among other possible projects we will collaborate on a Japanese version of this column each month.

Synchronicities are Personally Meaningful

While in Japan, I noticed several synchronicities which seem to confirm that there is strong positive energy for me there. For example, one day while my friend, Robert, and I were negotiating our way through the excellent subway system we saw a large poster advertising a new hotel - The Celestine Hotel, which opened July 7, 2002 (very auspicious numbers, by the way). I insisted on visiting it just for the fun of seeing it. No synchronicity happened at the site of the hotel itself; however, the mere name resonated with me for obvious reasons. On another day, I twice heard Pachabel's Canon in two widely separated subway stations (there isn't a central music system as far as I know). This music has personal significance, and further reinforced that a good connection was happening in Tokyo. I also began to see the number 22 repeatedly. Twenty-two is my favorite number and a sure sign of significance for me. For example, the last four digits of my phone number are 2226 and I saw this exact number two or three times on different digital clocks or train numbers. During a lunch break at my seminar, one participant pointed out a license plate with 2222 on it, without knowing that I have a "thing" about 22. Synchronicities help bring your attention into the moment. So often we go unconscious during the day!

Synchronicities Help Us Follow the Flow

In addition to Hisaaki Naruo, I met some of the other Japanese people with whom I have been corresponding. Masako Saito had emailed me several times with orders for my numerology Life Chart for her friends. She translates them for her friends into Japanese, and now has decided to offer this service to non-English-speaking people in Japan. Following her passion and intuition, Masako-san now has a new business!

I was also fortunate to meet Mr. And Mrs. Yamakawa, who are very well-known in the Japanese spiritual community. They have translated metaphysical books such as THE CELESTINE PROPHECY guidebooks and are currently working on the GOD AND THE EVOLVING UNIVERSE by James Redfield and Michael Murphy. Coincidentally, this last week, the Yamakawas were here in California leading a tour to Mt. Shasta in Northern California. Beside translating books and publishing a daily newsletter, this very amazing couple also facilitates seminars and tours. They are colleagues of my good friend Penney Peirce, author of THE INTUITIVE WAY, as she has been doing seminars and clairvoyant readings in Japan for years.

For the second time in two weeks, I had dinner with the Yamakawas; they brought along Misao Takahara, the woman who organized the tour for them to Mt. Shasta. Like Hisaaki Naruo and Masako Saito, Misao Takahara is following "the path with the most energy," guided by her intuition. After spending much time up in the Mt. Shasta area, she says, " I received 'a sign' from St. Germain [see description below] that I should do a tour to Mt. Shasta with Mr. and Mrs. Yamakawa. This was on 2/22/2002."

Misao-san had written to me while I was in Japan to inquire about the meaning of the number 22, but I did not receive the note until I returned home. At that time I informed her that 22 indicates that one is working on a "mission" or in the network of other committed people-some of whom may even be helping from the spiritual realm. St Germain, whom Misao-san mentions above, is the legendary Ascended Master associated with Mt. Shasta. In 1930, Saint Germain appeared in Panther Meadow to an engineer by the name of Guy W. Ballard who was hiking on the side of the mountain. (I wrote about this meadow in the September 2000 column.) His remarkable experiences are recorded in the books, UNVEILED MYSTERIES AND THE MAGIC PRESENCE, written under the pen name of Godfre Ray, first published in 1934. It's fascinating lore.

Misao-san continues in her email, "The license plates on my brand-new car which I drove to Mt. Shasta include number 222. When I randomly opened a book given to me by Mrs. Yamakawa, I read that St. Germain is Mr. Yamakwa's spiritual guide. He said that St. Germain encouraged him to start a book reading group for men and the day it began was 2/22. The number of people who gathered for the meeting was 22. Furthermore, I noticed that the time Mr. Yamakwa sent me an email accepting my invitation to be the tour leader was 2:22:22. The number of participants in our tour turned out to be 22. The birthday of the first person to register for the tour is February, 22."

I have often heard other people talk about the number 22, which leads me to believe that perhaps one of the spiritual brotherhoods (discussed by such Theosophists as Alice Bailey in the early 1900's) resonates to the number 22-The Master Builder. I encourage any readers who relate to this number to let me know your experiences.

There Are No Accidents

Before writing this column on synchronicity, I emailed my old friend Steve Cooper, the Chicago band leader who is an unfailing sources of coincidental happenings-to see what he had experienced lately. Steve just responded: "After I got your email, I was going to tell you that I haven't been keeping track of synchronicities lately as they just kind of come and go. Something told me to wait one day. Within 24 hours, I had a bunch of new ones!" Steve, as some of you may remember from other columns, has had amazing synchronicities, particularly around his life-long interest in the music of the legendary band leader and television star Lawrence Welk. Steve writes,"I attended a local Lawrence Welk concert with some friends from out of town. I had bought tickets for two friends and we sat together. I had three other friends coming also. They ordered their tickets a month before I ordered mine. The 1000-seat theater was almost filled. I looked all over the lobby and the theater, and couldn't find them. Five minutes before the concert, there were three empty seats next to me. Then, here comes my friends! Their reserved seats were right next to mine. Out of 1000 seats, I couldn't believe it." There are no accidents, and it's no accident that you sit next to certain people, even at a big anonymous gathering. Most of the time we don't take the time to chat with strangers sitting next to us at a meeting or concert.

Synchronicities Answer Questions

Steve continues: "I had a job playing at a BIG high society party -- one of those $500 a ticket parties to raise money for charity. At the end of the night, they usually give away gift bags to all the guests. This time, there were dozens of bags left over at the end of the evening. They gave me one (they usually never give one to the band). As I was driving home, I realized the next day was Sweetest Day and I hadn't even got a card for my wife. So, I stopped at an all night drugstore and bought two cute cards. My wife was sleeping when I got home, so I signed the cards and left them on the kitchen counter so she'd see them when she made breakfast. I decided to check out the items from the gift bag. In it was a small bottle of perfume, a gift certificate for a free facial massage and a jewelry gift certificate. I thought "Wow, what perfect timing."