Far from being the end of life, death is simply the transition to a new phase in our ongoing soul journey. And we never need to make that journey alone. Help is always there, both on this side and on the other side of the veil.
Our own higher self prepares us through dreams, often quite a long way ahead of time. An elderly woman I knew many years ago had cancer. Her life was slowly and peacefully winding down. During this time, she told me of a vivid dream she’d had. She saw a candle alight on a windowsill. It suddenly went out – but then was immediately alight again on the other side of the window. The dream was a beautifully simple way to show her that she had nothing to fear. Her life would continue on the ‘other side’ just as the candle had done.
GUIDE BOOKS TO THE NEXT WORLD
Some cultures prepare their people for death in more detail than others. The Tibetan and Egyptian Books of the Dead are full of advice on what to expect after the soul has left the body. For most people, the symbols and references in these books feel too strange and archaic to relate to. We need a more modern book of guidance to the other side – and it looks like that is exactly what is now emerging.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a compilation of many different writings put together over hundreds of years. I think we’ve begun a similar process – except our writings are more about real experience than religious theory. 
Many people have had near death experiences and returned to say what happened. This often takes place in a hospital operating theatre.Afterwards the medical staff have been amazed to hear what the patient accurately saw and heard while floating above them in their spirit body.This kind of validation is an important part of our modern Guide to Crossing to the Other Side.
SOUL MIDWIVES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEIL
More attention is now given to understanding the processes that people go through in the pre-death stages. Some hospices provide training courses for soul midwives to help people through this important time. One of the best books I’ve ever read on this subject is ‘Perfect Endings’ by Robert Sachs, who was a hospice social worker.
He said that days or even weeks before they depart, the dying can see spirit guides, departed loved ones and even animals coming from the other side to help prepare them for their crossing. In their last days, they are hovering between this world and the next.
The whole experience of ‘dying’ is not sudden – it’s a process that goes through different stages, depending on each individual.
Countless people have reported that shortly after a loved one departed this world, they came back to them in a vivid dream, to reassure them that there is nothing to fear about death, and to thank them for everything.
Raymond Moody’s book ‘Glimpses of Eternity’ is about shared death experiences, and how surprisingly common they are. He discovered that when someone dies, the person closest to them might also leave their body and accompany them for a short way. People who have returned from this kind of journey say they travelled through amazingly beautiful natural looking surroundings.
After a while they reach a boundary, which is often a stream or a gate. This is the point when they must say their farewells until next time. The departed soul then crosses the boundary and moves on; their companion must return to the physical world. The shared experience is helpful and comforting, both for the bereaved and the departing soul.
In Robert Monroe’s books on his out of body experiences, he says that many people hang around their old haunts because they don’t understand that they’ve passed over. They feel just the same, and their spirit body looks like their physical one did. So they can’t understand why people don’t see or hear them; or why someone else may now be occupying their old home.
Monroe found that once he knew how to leave his body at will, a lot of his work was devoted to helping these confused people to let go of their old life, and move on to the higher realms. He wanted to guide them all to the highest light, but said they always went to the area in the astral plains that was closest to their inner beliefs and spiritual vibration. While hospices train soul midwives to help people on this side of the veil, there are also those who have the gift of helping from the other side, as Robert Monroe did.
Jill Escott is one of those special people. She grew up with many strong signs that she had a past life as a Native American. It’s likely that was when she had some training and experience in this kind of work. In her own words, here is her story of how she came to take up this mission again:
THE EXPERIENCES OF A SPIRITUAL MIDWIFE
“A clairvoyant channeled a spirit being called Asmundi who suggested that if I chose to do this kind of work, I’d help a lot of souls who were prevented from passing over through fear and confusion.
That night I went into meditation and found that I slipped easily to a place that I have now come to think of as 
“The Transitional Road.” It is always dark and lit by lampposts whenever I visit. It is very bleak and gives the impression that it is in the middle of nowhere but looks like an ordinary, wide road nevertheless. I found myself standing there wondering what was going to happen.
Suddenly I thought that I would like to be more comfortable. No sooner had I thought this than a pair of big comfy armchairs appeared along with a little table complete with a teapot, cups and saucers. This was a very clear example of the power of thought to create what we desire in Spirit realms! I added a tall light to create a beacon and sat down to wait and see what would happen next.
Sweet little baby
She was just lying, perfectly contented, by the edge of the road when I tuned in – a sweet little baby girl about 8 months old as far as I could tell. She was dressed in a frock of darkish green cotton faced with deep red. She was wearing a very unusual bonnet to match with a huge brim with three deep scallops. She was totally unconcerned and kicked out her legs when she saw me and seemed to be asking to be picked up. I felt she was being held by her mother’s grief.
I picked her up. “Hello sweet baby. Who are you then?” I looked across the road and saw that a Door had opened and that a late middle-aged woman was holding her arms out for her. This woman was quite thin with sandy, curly hair and an anxious look on her face. She was wearing an old-fashioned cotton pinafore over a dark blue crimpelene dress and slippers with pom-poms on the toes. She looked pale and wore no make-up. I handed the baby to her. She smiled and the Door closed.
Baby Boy
After the baby “went over”, I noticed a toddler, about 18 months old, dressed in an all-in-one sleep suit. It was white with some pale design on it. He appeared to be quite distressed and was screaming “Mummy! Mummy! ”
Again, I felt he was held by the grief of his mother. I held out my arms to him, but he did not want to come to me. He was entirely focused on some point to the side of the road. I sat down quietly in my armchair and waited. After some minutes, he toddled over to me and laid his head on my lap. He was much calmer now and was just sniffing quietly.
I looked over and saw a Door had opened and arms were stretching out for him. I could not see the face of the person, but I knew it was a woman by her arms. “Come on, let’s see if Mummy is over here.” I took him by his hand, led him over the Road and delivered him to the awaiting arms. He was, by now, perfectly calm. The Door closed.
Jack
Jack was the third passing I witnessed on The Transitional Road. In Goth fashion, Jack was dressed in black skinny-leg jeans, with a black shirt tucked into a wide belt covered in silver studs. These were arranged in about four or five rows and were shaped like flattop pyramids. He was wearing black boots – pointed, I think. He was lounging against the bonnet of a car with his arms folded across his chest and his legs crossed at the knee. He was looking down and I saw his hair was cut short at the back and fell into a long floppy side fringe – it was very black and shiny. He was of a very slim build and looked to be in his late teens.
I do not know the make of the car. It appeared to be an older “retro” style car of a dark colour, but not black. “Hi – you OK?” “Yeah, I’m waiting for my Dad” He seemed to be anxious and did not appear to want to talk anymore, so I left things there. I tuned in the next afternoon and he was still there, stood in the same attitude. “Hi, again. Still here? What’s your name?” “John – Jack” “Right, Jack.”
I glanced into the car and was shown that Jack had died at the wheel. I addressed him as gently as I could. “Jack, your Dad’s not coming. You’re dead Jack. He can’t come here.” Jack became very angry at this point and began to shout and gesticulate wildly. “I’M NOT DEAD!!! MY DAD IS COMING!” Jack then returned to his usual stance against the car bonnet and refused to communicate further. I withdrew.
Later that night I tuned in again and this time Jack looked up as I approached. He had large brown eyes set into a thin, pale face. He looked sad, resigned and anxious. He spoke in a very subdued manner. “He’s not coming is he? I am dead aren’t I?” “Yes, Jack.” “What happens now?”
Immediately a Door opened to a wild, noisy party. I could hear loud voices and laughing and the chink of bottles. A young man appeared at the Doorway. He was laughing and smiling and held a bottle of beer up in the air. His face was very round, his head shaved and he looked as if he was having a great time. He saw Jack and, still laughing, said, “Jack you silly bastard! Get your ass over here!” Jack’s face lit up in recognition. He rushed towards the Door and went in. The Door closed.
Strange Woman
During my first encounter with Jack, a woman came stumbling along the Road towards me. She was early twenties with blond wavy hair cut to just above her chin. She was wearing a dark biker’s jacket, possibly black, a black knee-length, tight skirt with black high heels. She wore fish net tights that were torn into a hole below the knee of her left leg. She carried a black, shiny handbag. She was quite plump and about average height. She appeared to be in a state of shock and I felt that she had passed as a result of a sex attack.
She tottered towards me in some confusion. She did not appear to see Jack, but addressed me directly. “Can I use your phone?” I looked over the Road to see a Door had opened. I was not aware of any noise or of anyone standing in the Doorway. “I’m sorry I don’t have one, but maybe someone has one over there.” “Thanks.”
She tottered over to the Door, went in and the Door closed. Note: At no point did she seem to be aware of Jack, or Jack aware of me talking to her. The two experiences for this woman and for Jack seemed to be carrying on independently of one another.
Joanne Bethwell
After asking my guides and helpers to link with me, we expanded our energy field to take up station on the same stretch of Road where I’d found Jack. I settled down in my armchair to see if anyone happened along. Something whizzed by, a motor bike I think, and then was gone, so I decided to enjoy my pot of tea and a book.
After a quite a short time I think (though it is difficult to judge time in Transitional realms), I looked up and was suddenly aware of a beautiful chestnut horse walking towards me in a very subdued fashion. I was aware of its lovely eyes, so liquid and brown. I also felt it was a little confused. It was a beautiful horse of the hunter standard. It came and stood quietly by me, looking very lost.
Shortly after this, a little girl of about 9 years or so came limping along the road. She was of slim build, very fresh-faced and had a pale complexion. She was dressed in a navy jacket with a red lining, cream jodhpurs and carrying a small, black hard hat. Her hair was pale blonde, quite thick and fashioned into a loose single plait down her back, not quite reaching her shoulder blades. She saw her horse and seemed quite relieved to have found him.
She approached me. “Hello, could I use your mobile phone please? I seem to have had a bit of an accident.” “Well, you could if I had one with me, but I think you’ll find that you won’t be able to get a signal here unfortunately. It’s a bit out of the way. Would you like a cup of tea?” “Yes please – thanks awfully.” She sat down and commenced to rub her left leg.
“What’s the matter with your leg? Have you hurt it? What happened?” “Well, I don’t really know. Sirius (his real name is Cirrus, you know, after the clouds, but I call him Sirius) was startled by a rabbit I think. He began to gallop and then tried to jump this really high hedge. Then he stumbled when he landed and I sort of found myself here somehow.” I was shown that Jo and Cirrus both broken their necks in a fall.
“I see. What’s your name?” “Jo….Joanna, (Joanne?) Beth” I became confused at this point and was wondering if I was receiving correctly, when Jo removed her jacket and I saw Jo……Bethwell sewn on an embroidered name tag. I could not read her full name because a fold in her jacket obscured it. She was wearing a navy blue ‘Fred Perry’ type tee shirt with white piping on the collar. “I say, isn’t it awfully dangerous to sit in the middle of the road like this?”
“Oh, it’s OK. People who travel this way are used to me being here.” At this point, I looked across the Road and saw that a Door had opened. A forge had appeared, filled with a very welcoming, golden light. A blacksmith was busy working in the Doorway and I could see hay deeper within the room. “Look Jo, there’s a forge. Why don’t you go and get your horse seen to – he looks pretty tired and maybe they have a phone there?” 
“I say, what luck to find a forge in the middle of nowhere!
Yes, I’ll do that. Bye, thanks for the tea.” With that she picked up the reins of her horse and walked towards the forge, went in, and the Door closed.
Note: At no point did Jo seem to be frightened – just a little confused about where she was and what had happened to her. I am sure that it was very calming for her that her horse made the transition with her.” ~ Jill Escott.
Jill said she’d love to hear from anyone who recognises any of the people she has described. You can contact her through me by sending a message from the Contacts page on my website, or by leaving a comment to this article.
BECOMING A SOUL MIDWIFE
Have you ever felt that you might do this kind of work? Here are four signs to look out for:
* You feel attracted to the idea of helping people to make their crossing.
* You have a feeling you might have already helped someone in this way.
* You have dreams that seem to be about this.
* You get signs and synchronicities pointing to this possibility.
Even if you haven’t noticed any particular signs, if you’d like to help people make their crossing easier, simply put out to the Universe that this is your wish. If it’s meant to be, the right path for you will open up.
P.S. Have a look at the comments to this article for more fascinating accounts of how soul midwives work. And please add your own if you feel inspired!
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