To borrow a phrase: Spirit energy definitely, at times, seems to move in mysterious ways. So never discount any possibilities.

*Can you draw in or open up to "negative" beings when contacting and working with your Spirit Guides?

While most of the time, when you're communicating with your Spirit Guides, you're relatively "closed" to any other contact, there is the potential of "inviting in" other entities. Especially under some circumstances like with Automatic Writing. But if you take some basic precautions, you need never encounter or experience negativity or negative beings. Whenever you sit down to Meditate, or do Automatic Writing, or in any way try and contact your guides, take a few seconds to do a "protection" for yourself and your surroundings. There are several ways of doing this, and all will work and are "good." Basically, any prayer or spoken 'intent' that you will invite only "beings of light" to enter the area and communicate with you is effective. Here's one that I use: While visualizing this, I say (either in my mind or aloud): *White light of protection fills me, surrounds me, this room, this house; repelling negativity and evil influences; I invite my loved ones, guides, and other beings of light to enter.*

*Do you have to ask for your Spirit Guides' help?

In my opinion, you have to ask your Spirit Guides for their assistance! This is one of the very subtle ways in which Angels and Spirit Guides differ from each other, I think. Angels, especially Guardian Angels, are much more apt to help without being asked, or so it seems. And while Spirit Guides will help up to a point without being asked, they are bound by certain "laws" from interfering with our lives. Before we were born, we set down certain lessons and experiences for ourselves in this lifetime. Our guides will help to set these things up for us, but they do truly need for us to ask them to help us in more specific ways. There's a little thing called "free will" or "free agency" at work here which says that we have the right to do as we please.

Even to the point of ignoring the lessons we originally set up for ourselves. And our guides, and most of the angels, cannot interfere with our freedom to choose. It's a very fine line, in my opinion, between helping us and interfering with our "free agency" and one they have to walk very carefully, I think.

*So do we have to ask our Spirit Guides for their help?

Yes and No. They will help unasked to a certain extent, and try to get our attention if we're not tuning into them.

That's part of the reason they agreed to be our guides, but I do believe that beyond that point, we do have to ask! If we want the wonderful teachings they have to offer us, we have to ask for it, and then listen! If we want the extra boost over a particularly rough spot, we have to ask. The "bottom line" maybe is that our guides are willing to help in any way they can, but we have to live our own lives! And they can't interfere with that living of our lives. In my opinion!

I'm finding in my own life that one of the really "key" points in working with my guides, seems to be 'asking questions.' If I just meditate, and listen, I'll probably hear a little bit, and at the very least feel a presence. But it's only when I remember to ask questions -- and the more specific the question seems to be the better -- that I begin to get strong answers and more insights.

Then the challenge becomes figuring out which questions to ask.  Here are a couple of quotes which I've garnered in talking with others on this question whether or not Spirit Guides will assist us without our asking (used with their permission):  "I've been led to understand that our Guides will endeavor to help us whenever they can, but will stop short of living our life for us" (unless asked to do so). No, I don't mean they'll take over our life for us if we ask them too, but rather they cannot interfere with our "free will" (except in cases of dire emergency).

They prefer the role of "helper" to the role of "ruler." If we invite them to help, they will. if we don't, they're limited in the kinds of help they can offer without violating our right to free will." (Goldfish) "That's my understanding, too Goldfish. about guides not helping without an invitation. Though I do think mine have invited the invitation at times.  there's a tightening at the solar plexus that does tell me it's time to ask for help before I make trouble for myself again and occasionally a brief chill or sense of being hugged that says I'm doing okay." (Mary O)