These are entities that are known by many names, Spirit Guides, Guides, Helpers or Spirit Helpers, Angels and Guardian Angels. They are all of these things. I have heard them called "controls" or "spirit controls". I do NOT like these names as they do not in any way try to control you. These names are usually used by phoney "mediums" or phoney "psychics" who are trying to bilk some innocent seeker out of their money.

No, they will not make your decisions for you. They feel that this is your life and that you must live in it. They will offer their opinions and advice if you ask for it, but they will NOT tell you what to do. It is your life and you must decide how to live it.

Where do they come from and who are they?

Benevolent Guides:

Many people believe they have spirit guides. Some refer to theirs as angels or guardians. Regardless, if you believe you have one, a spirit guide is there simply to guide, not as an entity that you need to give yourself over to. If a spirit guide has a negative influence on your behavior, then chances are good that it's not a spirit guide at all, but something else entirely. These are some of the more commonly found types of spirit guides:

Ascended Masters:

These are guides often found by people who do energy work, such as Reiki. A ascended master who appears as a spirit guide is often a being that led a physical life and has moved on to a higher spiritual plane -- for example, Buddha, Krishna, even Jesus. Ascended masters usually work with collective groups of souls -- in other words, if you've got an ascended master hanging around you, you're not the only one he or she is helping. Their primary focus is that of helping all of humanity. It's not uncommon for an ascended master to have access to Akashic records. Also referred to as Master Teacher guides.

Ancestral Guides:

An ancestral guide is one who can claim some sort of kinship with you, such as your dear Aunt Tillie who died when you were ten. It may also appear in the form of a long-dead ancestor. In some schools of thought, these entities are seen as reincarnated guides, because they are the spirits of someone who loved us during their physical lifetime, or who had some sort of blood connection to our family. Some people, depending on their religious upbringing, may see these types of guides as guardian angels.

Common Spirit Guide, or Teacher Guide:

A typical spirit guide is archetypical, symbolic or representative of something else. For example, you may find your guide appears in the form of a warrior, a storyteller, or a wise woman, and they have appeared to you for a purpose. Typically, that purpose is to teach you and guide you along a particular path. They may also introduce you to other archetypes along your journey, and help out with problem solving, based upon your needs. They are known to provide insight by way of dreams or meditation, and may only hang around as long as you need them, then move on.

Animal Guides:

Although many people claim to have animals as spirit guides, often these entities are more companions than anything else. It's not uncommon for a deceased pet to linger around, keeping you company through the grieving process. In some spiritual traditions, such as various Native American or shamanic paths, a person may have an animal totem, which provides teaching and/or protection.

Is Your Spirit Guide Really There To Help?:

Every once in a while, someone will manage to contact what they think is a spirit guide - perhaps by way of a ouiji board or other method of divination -- and the next thing you know, things are getting weird. If any of the following scenarios seem familiar, then chances are that what you've connected to is not a spirit guide at all.

How to know your spirit guide isn't really there to help:

You're the only person the spirit has EVER contacted, and you're really super special, which is why they're sharing their message with you and not two hundred other people.

Your guide talks about magical doorways, secret portals to other worlds, or gates that you somehow managed to open, and nobody else ever has.

The spirit doesn’t mind you bragging about it to friends, but gets grumpy whenever anyone questions its existence or purpose. Not only that, it encourages you to isolate yourself from friends who think the spirit guide may well be full of poo.

The spirit claims to be hanging around in order to protect you from some other spirit that you've never encountered. Weird stuff happens, and your spirit guide is handily there at all the right times to help you out.

Your spirit guide claims to be from another planet or world that is as yet undiscovered by scientists.

The spirit claims that it needs your help -- and only yours -- to help it do things like write, talk, etc., and basically wants you to become its instrument of operation. In exchange for this voluntary form of possession, the spirit will impart you with all kinds of nifty new wisdom, that only you will be privy to.

The spirit seems to have no real purpose other than to share information with you, but the information you're receiving is of no real use, other than to make you believe you are way more enlightened than everyone else.

The spirit informs you that people who love you and care about you are secretly plotting against you, and that the only one who truly understands you is the spirit itself.

All the information you're being given by the spirit goes against common sense, logic, laws of science and physics, and basic human decency�?and yet it all makes sense to you now, because you're the only one special enough for the spirit to talk to.

So keep these things in mindas you commune with the higher realms.

Spirit Guides, Angelic Guardians, Angels. Many people these days are aware that they have someone watching over them. Most everyone at some point has credited their 'intuition' , 'natural instinct', or an 'inner voice' for helping out at some point in their lives, without considering where these thoughts come to us from. There are two truths here that need to be addressed. First, whether you call them your guardians, guides, or angels or refer to them by name, or even if you don't yet feel their presence, everyone has them.

Second, and equally important, our spirit guides are here to guide, assist and encourage us. They hold nothing but the highest of intentions for us. However, they are not here to take responsibility for us, to learn our life lessons for us, to give us all the answers we may wish we had, nor to give us material possessions. They love us enough to allow us our own free will and the right to make our own mistakes.

Communicating with your spirit guides can be one of the most rewarding and important parts of your spiritual evolvement. As you learn to hear their messages through telepathy, meditation, clairaudience, or other means, you will discover that their presence is comforting and that developing your friendship and partnership with them will greatly assist you on your spiritual path. Although, by human nature, we will rarely be able to take all of their advice, we can come to realize that we are never alone and that they will continue to guide us despite which choices we make by our own free will.

     Spirit Guides, Angelic Guardians, Angels. Many people these days are aware that they have someone watching over them. Most everyone at some point has credited their 'intuition' , 'natural instinct', or an 'inner voice' for helping out at some point in their lives, without considering where these thoughts come to us from. There are two truths here that need to be addressed. First, whether you call them your guardians, guides, or angels or refer to them by name, or even if you don't yet feel their presence, everyone has them.

Second, and equally important, our spirit guides are here to guide, assist and encourage us. They hold nothing but the highest of intentions for us. However, they are not here to take responsibility for us, to learn our life lessons for us, to give us all the answers we may wish we had, nor to give us material possessions. They love us enough to allow us our own free will and the right to make our own mistakes.

Communicating with your spirit guides can be one of the most rewarding and important parts of your spiritual evolvement. As you learn to hear their messages through telepathy, meditation, clairaudience, or other means, you will discover that their presence is comforting and that developing your friendship and partnership with them will greatly assist you on your spiritual path. Although, by human nature, we will rarely be able to take all of their advice, we can come to realize that we are never alone and that they will continue to guide us despite which choices we make by our own free will.

For a good book that describes life between lives (where these entities come from) try Michael Newton's Journey of Souls. Dr. Newton was using regression hypnosis with patients when he accidently regressed a patient to a time before birth. Since then he has made an ongoing study of the subject and regressed many in this fashion. His book includes case studies.

Spirit Guides are not the same thing as Animal spirit guides or animal totems. For a good book about them try Ted Andrews' Animal Speak. From his Native American background Ted describes hundreds of different animal guides or totems. He describes their significance and even tells you how to find your own animal totem.

One often hears Spiritualists, mediums and others refer to "spirit guides" and other terms. The following is written to clarify things for people.

The Guardian, or as has been referred to by orthodox religions as the Guardian Angel is, in most cases, the most important spirit looking after us. They are often understood to be the most enlightened spirit helping us as an individual, as compared to more highly evolved spirits who help groups, countries, planets etc. Guardians are responsible for the overall spiritual guidance we get, and are usually with us for the whole of our physical life.

The Guardian has access to the "akashic record" or what is sometimes called the "Book of Life", and is often the one to remind us of our past lives. Another job they have is to help protect us when we intentionally, or unintentionally, leave our bodies (OOB, Astral Travel etc). They will be there to help us get to the spirit dimension when we die.

Guides. These are spirits of like spiritual age to ourselves, working on the principle of "like attracts like". They are usually not with us all the time. They come when we are "receptive", or when they feel that their attempt at guiding us might help. They, like the Guardian, often have a love link with us. Knowing us in this and/or a previous life/lives as a brother, sister, wife, etc.

Helpers. These people are like guides, but often they are interested in some facet of our life rather than ourselves particularly. For example, if we are a carpenter, and a spirit who was a carpenter is aware that we are doing this, then he/she may take an interest in what we are doing.

Doorkeeper. If we do a form of mediumship (channeling) that involves us getting in and out of our physical bodies then a spirit is often appointed to help us get in and out safely and to stop other spirits taking over our physical bodies ("possession").

Most spirits show themselves to people who have clairvoyant sight as some "form". Rather than their true "spirit light" image. This form is usually human but can just as easily be alien. This image usually represents the physical image that they had in a past life, not necessarily their last one. Therefore a guide, for example, might look like a Red Indian, Chinese person etc. Naturally, they are none of these things. Spirit is spirit. However on our side of life it makes identification easier. Otherwise it might be hard for us to tell one spirit light from another while we are still physical ourselves.

A number of people, who are beginning to see clairvoyantly, see spirits as lights, and don't know what is going on. This should finally resolve as seeing images in time. Particularly if we ask our "guides" to show us the "image" that they wish to be identified as. The spirit, once identified will usually look the same whenever you see them. Otherwise, if they changed their looks weekly, you might think you have 52 guides !

Practical considerations usually govern how guides look. If we had a happy life with a guide as a Red Indian, and an unhappy life with them as a Spaniard, it is easy to see which way they would identify themselves. Also, if one had six guides, then it might be sensible for them to show themselves as belonging to different cultures. To help differentiation. Lastly if a spirit person has had a life with you as a monk, and also as a bloodthirsty soldier, and they want to help you spiritually now then the former memory is usually the one encouraged.

A spirit guide is one who helps you through the trials of life and helps you learn the lessons that these trials teach. Often, ones Spirit Guide represents different aspects of themselves. A spirit Guide can be somone from your past who cared about you, or someone who owes you a sort of karmic retribution for somthing in the past. They can also be spirits sent by the Divine to help you in times when you need it.

A Spirit Guide may stay with you your whole life, or it may not. You may have several or only one. This will depend on the lessons you must learn and the trials you face in life. I have found, that, on average, people have about four spirit guides. One for each aspect of themselves: emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical. Somtimes people have more to represent sub selves like the love self, the working self, the careing self etc. All this will depend on you.

There are several ways to discover who your spirit guide is. Most guides want you to discover them. There are also several different ways of working with a guide. You just have to do what feels 'right'.

I thought I would add this excerpt as I feel it has some good information : 

Spirit Guides, Our Multi-dimensional Teachers
by Sherry Janes

Wouldn’t you love to have a group of friends who have your highest and best good as their sole interest, who answer your call at any time of the day or night and never say they’re sick, sleeping, or can’t help you because they’re busy? "Never happen," you say? Then you’ll be surprised to learn that we do have such an entourage with us all the time. They’re called Spirit Guides and we all have them.

Spirit Guides are higher dimensional beings who work with us to further our spiritual growth and accomplish our mission for one or more lifetimes. They can be beings that have had Earth incarnations, Star Beings, or even members of our Soul Family not currently incarnated on Earth. Guides often come from different Earth cultures.

Our guides are there as teachers and helpers in the tasks and lessons we’ve set for ourselves before we enter an incarnation. Their job is to help us, arranging situations and circumstances in order to provide us with the experiences we need to progress on our paths. Everyone has at least one guide, but you probably have several. Some people have a guide who has been with them through all of their incarnations. We can also call on other guides to help us with specific tasks. I have asked for the "computer guru" guides, and even the "washing machine" guides. We also trade guides as we progress, attracting guides who are more suited to our current needs. It is even possible to have members of your family who have passed over as guides, allowing that they have their own work to do in other dimensions.

Guides may have names or not. My main guide is from another star system where beings work more in groups and do not have individual names. I call him Blue, based on what he looks like. He seems to work with me the most, adjusting my energy field as I continue to grow, working with me on my own spiritual growth and while I do healings. I also have a Native American woman, an Oriental man, and a somewhat amorphous-looking light being who also assists me with my healing work.

How do we reach our guides? I simply talk to mine as I would to any close friend. They have heard me rant and rave at current circumstances, demand that they accomplish a certain job for me, and just ramble about anything and everything. I’m sure they’ve had a few good laughs during their tenure with me! You can reach them in meditation and through my favorite method of guidance, dreams. They also work with me through a set of angel oracle cards I use. I have given my guides absolute permission to help me in all ways, particularly those times when I may not think to ask for assistance and as a result often find events or circumstances arranged for me in ways that leave their unmistakable energy imprint! I have also asked my guides to give me their messages in any way possible: bumper stickers, on billboards, via T-shirt wisdom, and out of the mouths of my friends and associates. You only have to be alert.

How do we know when they’re around? You can simply call them to you, asking them to be close to you in times of stress or particular need. If you are sensitive to energy you may feel their presence. Some spirit guides use fragrances to let you know they’re there. You may hear chimes or faint music. I used to hear faint voices as if two or three people were speaking low in the next room, not quite loud enough for me to hear the actual words. I thought it was my guides, but was finally informed that I was actually hearing into the fourth dimension and that I must ask Blue to help me bypass that and to raise my frequency into the fifth dimension. At night when after I’ve gone to bed, I can see dancing lights, some tiny sparks, and some larger shapes of certain colors in the dark. Ask them to touch you, on the shoulder perhaps, and then focus on what you feel. If they wish to talk to you, they might send you signals. They may flicker the lights or cause your phone to ring. Or you may just have an urge to sit down and be quiet. Regardless of what you do, they are always there and available to you.

Do we need to ask our guides for assistance? Yes…and no. We already have an agreement with them struck before our current incarnation that undoubtedly sets out the parameters of their help. They may certainly go beyond that if they see our desire for them to do so, as they are well aware of our needs maybe more than we are! But do not hesitate to ask them to get creative in any situation where you feel you need extra assistance, as spirit guides, like angels, are bound by the Law of Free Will, and will not interfere with our decisions even if we decide to ignore the entire lesson plan for this lifetime!

Angels are not spirit guides although we have angels around us from time to time anyway and can certainly call them in whenever we wish. But there is a definite division of duties between angels and spirit guides, angels simply being the protectors and messengers of God they were created to be, and spirit guides the teachers and guides we need in accomplishing our earthly mission.

But a word of caution: It IS possible for negative or dark force entities to jump in and masquerade as a spirit guide or a benevolent entity. Be particularly wary of anyone - or any thing - contacting you through such instruments as ouija boards. Just because some talkative being says it's an archangel doesn't mean it is. It may seem loving and offer what seems like positive advice �?at first. But their goal will not be positive and will often be full of misinformation leading you away from Truth. But such encounters can be prevented with greater awareness and some simple spiritual protection. Complete information about that is the subject for another article, but you CAN make sure your environment is energetically cleansed often and surround it with protection as well, in whatever way you know.

Spirit guides are our unseen benefactors, guiding us to be more centered and empowered beings, and it is to our benefit to work with them as much as we can. They want to work with us, as what fun is it hanging around the ethers waiting and hoping that eventually your lost and befuddled earthly charge will listen to you?

I have come to think of my guides as my best friends who always have my best interest at heart and who will always be there when needed. When we also consider that they can see a more complete picture that we usually can not, why would we not want to work with them?

Article source: www.lightseeds.net

Sherry Janes is a spiritual healer and teacher with over 20 years of experience in spiritual growth and trained in many healing techniques for mind, body and spirit. Visit www.lightseeds.net offering resources, information and a spiritual glossary for seekers.

 

Meeting your Spirit Guides

There are many ways that a guide can come to you and introduce themselves. Dreams are one of the most common, but you don't have to sleep through the visit. You can talk to them while you're driving and you need guidance getting out of an unfamiliar town, or country road. Just ask and then follow your instincts, it's usually a little whisper telling you which way to turn.

If you'd like to have a more meaningful face to face, you might try one of the best methods. Meditation. If you sit down and plan out what you want to do with your meditations, set the intent so to speak, then you can accomplish journey's across the globe, to the moon, or into the ethers to meet you guides or relatives.

Why meet your guides?

Your guides are a great source of strength, comfort, support and gathering information for your current embodiment. From asking them to help you find your lost keys to supporting you and giving you direction with a major life decision, they are here for you.

We've laid out some examples of these guided or visualized meditations for those who would like to give it a try. Remember that our method is simply what works for us and it may not be the perfect structure for your efforts. But don't give up if it doesn't work the first time. Just keep practicing and trying to "sense" the presence of your unseen friends.

Before undertaking a meditation to meet your guide for the first time, there are some things you should know.

Spirit guides are the same as ordinary people when it comes to communicating with politeness �?

"Please" and "Thank you" are still required!

They, like us, appreciate being spoken to with respect. They usually have a good sense of humour - and always only want what’s best for us.

As you get to know your guide, you will get to know their quirks and little ways, and become more comfortable with your communication. Mine are always joking and providing laughter !

Don’t become dependant on direct communication with your Spirit guides. Our own intuition and gifts are aided enough by our guides most of the time anyway.

Communication is on their terms as their first mission is to guide you 24 �?7 on a more subtle and subconscious level.

They will not be summoned to answer trivial questions that have no real illuminating purpose, for your life purpose or the greater good!

Don’t be concerned if you don’t meet your guide first, second or third time you do the meditation �?when the time is appropriate for your guide to introduce themselves, they will....And not before!

Below are two easy to follow meditations, either of which are suitable to use as a means to meet your guide for the first time.

Choose which suits you best, you only need to do one of them.

Don't be concerned if it doesn't happen for you the first time -this is common.

Create the right atmosphere for meditation, unplug the phone and make sure you won’t be disturbed, get yourself a glass of water, relaxing music on, light a candle (make sure its safe), now make yourself as comfortable as possible.

SAFETY FIRST!

1 �?Follow some essential protection and opening up exercises by doing a protection exercise.  I have included some suggestions below.

You can print them off and keep them with you if need be.

Only when you have completed your protection you are safe and prepared to begin.