Divine Timing or: Azrael, the Archangel of Death and Grieving

Azrael, the archangel in the form of a dog

While I was learning to read and make oracle cards, I also received readings from other people. In one of them, Azrael, the Archangel of Death and Grieving made an appearance. I had never heard the name before, so naturally, I was a little taken aback, but quickly did some research.

It may sound like the grim reaper, but Azrael is actually a benevolent figure, who helps the dying cross over, and spends time with the grieving.

Two days later, one of my then landlandlord’s puppies showed up at my doorstep, haggard like a skeleton. Him and his dominant brother used to hang out a lot on my patio, but I hadn’t seen them in a week or two, and thought maybe my landlord had given them up, because the pair were rather boisterous, and his family already had about five dogs to look after.

So far, I hadn’t let the puppies into my house, because I was already living with a dog and two cats, and didn’t really have the time or patience to look after these rascals on the loose. However, the emaciated puppy was really desperate to be let in, and so I relented. He just curled up in a corner and fell into a deep sleep. My neighbor stopped by that day to have a cup of coffee and advised me to let him stay, as he would probably just die otherwise.

The puppy woke up in the evening and slid out, only to return about an hour later and stay over night. In the morning, he disappeared again, but when I came back from my morning walk, there he was, waiting to be let in again. This went on for about two or three weeks, and the little black puppy slowly started putting on weight and feeling a bit more secure.

When I bumped into my landlord, I asked him what had happened to the other puppy. He informed me that the puppies had been sick with parvo virus, and sadly, the stronger one did not survive. I asked him if he wanted me to keep the survivor, or if he wanted to take him back. To me, it didn’t seem fair that I had the dog, while he paid for the food! With a little reluctance, he realized that the puppy had already made the decision himself, and gave him up.

I, on the other hand, realized that this puppy must be the Azrael that was promised to me via the oracle card. After all, he had helped his brother cross over, and then moved on, probably knowing that I was grieving my own previous life, that had crumbled after a near death experience.

So our interspecies family had a new member. Taking Azrael along on our walks was a challenge at first. He was so overwhelmed and anxious that he had a tantrum at every fence with a dog behind it, pulled constantly on the leash because he needed to get to the next spot he wanted to sniff, and every new experience almost gave him a heart attack.

When he saw a human on a bike for the first time, he almost flipped. He already thought that humans are a weird bunch, but humans with wheels was just too much for him.

He also got himself (and me!) into trouble quite a few times, while he was growing incredibly tall and strong:

Several times he snuck out a hole in the back fence to steal one of the neighbor’s free roaming chickens for a treat. Guess who paid?

He quickly made friends, too. One day, we went to the local shop, and he stayed outside playing with one of the streetdogs. Suddenly, an angry man stormed into the shop, asking who the black dog belonged to. He had damaged the man's car by bumping into it. I remember thinking how lucky I was - other people's dogs get run over, whereas mine just put a dent in the car. Of course, I had to pay to have the damage repaired.

The pregnant sheep he chased and attacked while learning to control his hunting instinct gladly also survived, but I was responsible for the vet bill.

Every time we saw working bulls tending to the fields on our walks, he stopped in his tracks and admired them profoundly. "That’s how tall and strong I want to be when I grow up", he kept telling me. I replied: "OK, let’s make a deal. You can have unlimited kibble and plenty of walks, but in return, you have to learn how to control yourself, because you’re going to be stronger than me."

Quite often, I caught him and Benito the cat sitting in front of each other, apparently deep in conversation. When I asked what this was about, I never received a straight answer from either of them. After a while, I realized that aging Benito was instructing young Azrael how to look after me, when it was Beni’s time to go.

Time passed, and Azrael turned into a giant dog, like he had wanted to. The same, mean people who had made fun of the skinny, nervous puppy with the endless legs would now cross the street in fear and keep well out of our way.

Azrael kept his part of the deal: He is the friendliest and fairest dog you could imagine, with nerves of steel. Especially smaller dogs make him light up, and whenever we go out with a group of people or dogs, he makes sure to look after everyone’s safety. He even made friends with a young donkey at some point.

When I was a child, I had always liked big dogs, but we used to live in such small apartments that it was out of the question. My dream came true quite unexpectedly. Most amazingly, it was Azrael who adopted me, not the other way around. He came into my life at the perfect moment, and he is the most caring being you could imagine.

Divine Timing does exist. All you need to do is let life flow, and whatever is meant for you will come to you at just the right time.