Historian Joseph Loconte notes that many people today are still obsessed with angels, particularly angelic beings who seem tailor-made to meet our every need. Dr. Loconte writes:

Take, for example, Angels 1O1: An Introduction to Connecting, Working, and Healing with the Angels, written by metaphysician Doreen Virtue. We are informed that, in contrast to the ideas of sin and guilt in some religious traditions, angels love every person unconditionally. They help everyone who calls on them, regardless of their religious faith or lack of it. "They look past the surface and see the godliness within all of us," she writes. "So angels aren't judgmental, and they only bring love into our lives. You're safe with the angels, and you can totally trust them."

[Doreen] Virtue lists the many ways that angels can be counted on to assist people, even in mapping out their travel plans. They will:

• Help you get an extremely nice, warm, friendly, and competent customer-service representative when calling an airline to book reservations
• Help you avoid lines at check-in, and work with sweet and competent personnel
• Let you sail through airport security without being searched
• Protect and deliver your baggage so that your suitcases are the first ones on the luggage carousel when you're there to collect it

[Angels] make no demands on us; rather, they wait to be summoned to help us overcome every difficulty. [Virtue claims], "You never have to be afraid that the angels would ever ask you to do anything that would make you feel afraid."

With her appearances on CNN, Oprah, and The View, Virtue's message—shared by many other authors in the field—clearly has a large audience. "I've discovered that the quickest and most efficient route to happiness is through connecting with the angels," she writes. "So whether you need help with your health, career, love life, family, or any other area, the angels can help you." Yes, even your sex life can be improved with a little angelic assistance, whatever that might mean.