The Witching Hour- 3 to 4 AM Spiritual Message Time

I wake up somewhere between 3 and 4 in the morning, on a pretty regular basis. I'll toss and turn for a little while, then my body heat will skyrocket, and after it goes down, shortly after 4am, I'm able to go back to sleep without a problem.

It's been happening for probably 10+ years now, ever since I truly found my spiritual path. 

I can remember explaining things to my friends when we lived in England over a decade ago, and they giggled as they told me quite matter-of-factly, "That's the time when the veil is the thinnest, love." What? Veil? Thought that was only on Halloween...

When we lived in England, I joined an amazing moot- a very eclectic group of pagans from many different spiritual paths. They held workshops, meetings, outings, camping trips, handmade goods fairs- I LOVED it; my soul was truly at home there. I learned so much about different beliefs, old-world philosophies and much more. I was finding myself spiritually,during this time, so I was a sponge who soaked up every bit of metaphysical information I could. I asked questions, researched, and immersed myself in the ancient spirituality that is found in England.  

They all knew about the 3am - 4am waking time, so they shared with me. (This was back in 2003ish, so while there was the internet, there was nowhere near the amount of information on the internet as there is today.)

Between 3am and 4am (some articles on the web today say 2am to 4am) in the morning, the veil between the spiritual realm and our realm is the thinnest. This isn't so much the same veil-thinning found at Samhain (Halloween), where past loved ones and spirits can communicate with us- this daily thinning is more for spirit guides, your higher self, and messages from the other side. 

I used to fight this nightly interruption, get really mad that I was up, yet again in the middle of the night. Once I found out that the wakings would continue until I opened myself to whatever message they needed to get to me, I stopped fighting and started listening. Sure enough, I was given a message- one that led me to the spiritual path I'm on to this day. 

Now, I don't fight the intrusion. I welcome it.

It doesn't happen every night, and when it does happen, the message isn't always clear, so sometimes they have to try a few nights to get things across. They're communicating across realms or dimensions, not just shouting from down the hall, so some patience is needed.

Over the years, I have found some tricks that have helped me receive the messages more clearly, and on the first try, so maybe the rest of my week is interruption free (unless they have more messages, of course). This is just what has worked for me:

• Note the time of awakening. I have found that it's pretty much the same time each night. I feel this is because each guide has a "sweet spot" in the thinning of the veil, so that's the best time they can reach you. If you start to note the time, then you'll know when you are being awakened for a message, and not just because someone's car alarm went off outside.
• Lie on your back and take 3 deep breaths. Center yourself and relax. I usually face my palms upward, just so I can receive any energy that might be heading my way. 
• Concentrate on your third eye area, between your eyebrows. Continue to breathe smoothly.
• Take note of anything that pops into your mind. Messages don't always come through as "Don't forget to take attend that natural healing convention next week." Usually, they are sent through as symbols, images, fragmented thoughts, etc that can all be pieced together to obtain the meaning. For me, I'm commonly sent images of animals or ideas for my store/blog/writing. In the morning, I'll look up the animal and find it's associated with an energy or idea I need to incorporate into my life at that moment. I love it when that happens.
• When the images/thoughts/messages clear, you'll know it. I definitely recommend keeping a journal or notebook and pen on your bedside table, because you will want to write down everything you saw/heard/received as soon as possible. I don't even turn on a light most nights. I just open to a blank piece of paper, date it, and start randomly writing words down. It looks crazy in the morning, but the key words help trigger the experience, and our brain can put together the message after it's fully rested. Write down your interpretation of the message on the same paper the next morning, just so you can keep everything together to look at later, if need be.
• Thank your spirit guide. This is pretty important. Please don't forget it.
• Go back to sleep. If the message was conveyed, it will probably be no problem.

• More than likely, your body temperature will skyrocket. I usually break out into sweats, which last all of about 10 minutes, then things go back to normal. From what I've read, this is simply due to the surge of energy you'll get while connecting to the other side. Some articles state a rise in body temperature correlates to a rise in your body's vibration level- that makes sense, too. Whatever the reason, if an immediate torrential downpour of sweat bothers you, be sure to keep a towel near the bed. It will come on, stick around for 5-10 minutes, then go away as fast as it showed up. 
• For me, things aren't always handled so smoothly in bed with simply deep breathing and opening myself to the message. I have felt the need to get up, draw, write, light candles, etc. So, while most of my nightly message deliveries come in the manner I stated above, some heavier messages require more to receive or truly understand them. As long as you don't fight it, and go with the flow of energy, sleep after the message still shouldn't be much of a problem. Your spirit guide or higher self isn't here to torture you with sleepless nights when they know you have a big meeting the next day; they simply want to get their message across to you, and once that is done, they help you with getting back to sleep. If you are up for hours after the message, that's on your own brain not being able to shut off, not on the message or messenger.