This is a question that comes up from time to time in the group. There are as many different thoughts on what a guide is and what a guide actually does for each person, as there are grains of sand on a beach. However, there are some general ideas that almost everyone can agree on.

So…

What And Who Is A Spirit Guide?

Spirit Guides are non-physical beings who are working with you during your life here on earth. These can be people you’ve shared a past life with, but with whom you have a loving and respectful, relationship. They can be family members that passed over before you were born. Or they can simply be someone you made an agreement with in spirit before you were born here into this life. An agreement that they would help, support, encourage and assist you in your journey here. Or that they would help you to learn specific lessons that you both felt were important for you to learn this time around. They are always beings that have lived on this earth previously so understand what it’s like to be here.\

Do I Have More Than One Guide?

Well, most people have one lead guide. Someone who is with them for their entire life’s journey. This guide will stay with them from birth until the time they pass back into spirit. However, this guide is not the only one a person will have during a lifetime. Each of us will have other guides who will come and assist us in specific times of need. Or when we reach a certain level of growth. Or when we have specific lessons we need to learn.

These guides can be with us for just a number of hours, days, or even for a period of years. They come and go, as the need and personal growth determines. Your spirit guides can be either male or female. Some have names, some do not. Some can be a group that work together to help you throughout your life. Coming in as discussed. But they may call themselves under the one name.

How Do Our Guides Know What We Need, When Often We Don’t?

That’s a good question. Each of us, before we came to this life, have an idea, a blueprint – if you like, of what we want to learn before we come to this life. This blueprint has all the major lessons and the things we want to experience. A bit like planning out a trip to a foreign country, if you like. We discussed this with them before we came here. So they know the lessons you decided that you wanted to learn. And the things you wanted to experience. They know your blueprint that you have completely forgotten in the birthing process.

But here’s the thing. They will not interfere with your choices. Even if you are struggling and need help. Unless and until you ask for help. Except in very rare instances. It’s good to get in the habit of asking them for guidance in times of need. They’ll help you to follow your blueprint and keep you on track. If you start to stray from that plan, they’ll gently nudge you back onto your path.

Before I leave this topic, just a side note about our life blueprints. Just because we know the lessons that we chose to learn here, it does not mean that we have any control over how these lessons are presented to us. We do not. They’re like a Christmas package, you may think you know what you’re getting from the vague shape of it. But until it’s opened, you really don’t.

How Do Out Guides Help And Communicate With Us?

It’s often quite difficult to know when your guides are trying to communicate with you. Unless you are one of the very fortunate and few people who can audibly hear them or can visually see them. These are very rare indeed. On a personal note, I don’t know who my current guides are. I don’t see them. And I don’t hear them, audibly. But indeed I know they’re around me and do help me.

There are times when I’ve wanted a name. Or wanted to see or hear who it is. But for me, this has never really been necessary. Which is likely why I’ve never experienced them in that manner. So, don’t feel inadequate or assume that you have no one assisting you simply because of that. You do, indeed, have those in spirit aiding and supporting you in your journey. Unseen, unheard.But there, nonetheless. Think of them like the backstage workers in a theatre, and you are the main production. It is their role to ensure that you shine in your role, so to speak.

Anytime you need help with anything, ask your guides. Then take the time to stop. Be still. And listen for an answer. This may not be an audible response, as I’ve already said, or a visual one. However, there are still many ways that your guides can answer you. The more open you are to receiving guidance and help from them, the easier it is for them to get their responses to you. Make sense?

Here are some ways your guides can respond to you.

• Through other people. They may send someone your way, out of the blue who has a conversation with you about the very thing you’re dealing with or wanting to know. Which may point you in the direction you need to look or be at.
• Through music on your radio or other device.

This sounds really peculiar, but so often they will use the lyrics in specific songs to respond to us. If you’ve asked for help and you keep hearing a particular song no matter where you are, then take a good listen to the lyrics or how that  music makes you feel.

• Through our own thoughts and feelings.

Most of us think that all of our thoughts and feelings are our own. And for the most part they are. However, different beings can send us messages that appear to be our own, but are actually from them! They can communicate telepathically.

Now this doesn’t mean that you will automatically hear another voice in your head other than your own that you hear all the time. Although you might. And this doesn’t automatically mean you are developing a psychiatric disorder. But if you are at all concerned, then by all means go and have a health check. This is where you need to learn to trust yourself and your thoughts and feelings that you get. The feelings with the thought are most important.

• Through signs or significant objects, repetition in the signs.

For example, if you keep finding white feathers, like, three times in a row, or you see a particular bird or animal repeatedly within a short space of time. And for me, here in New Zealand, it’s always the fantail bird. It can be your guides trying to get your attention.

• They will often place items significant to your journey in front of you. Like finding coins or feathers floating down out of the sky as you are walking.
• Through meaningful coincidences. When your guides are trying to help you, you may find all these meaningful coincidences popping up all over the place.

For example, you could be thinking of becoming a nurse, writer or any other career path and wondering if this is the right path for you? You open a magazine and there is an article on a person talking about why they decided to become a nurse or a writer and what they have learnt from their journey.

• Through words and numbers.

They might try to give you guidance using words or numbers. For example, if you see  specific numbers all the time or notice that whenever you look at a clock it is always eleven, eleven, for example. These might be signs that your guides are trying to contact you.

• If you’re reading and a line from a poem or passage from a book, makes you feel really strong emotions. Stop and listen carefully to see what guidance has been offered.
• Writing your own words.

You might feel a really strong desire to put pen to paper, in whatever way. Write a poem, keep a journal. And you do so. But as you are doing it, you feel like the words are coming to you from somewhere other than your own mind. Pay close attention to the words and see what they might be trying to tell you.

Now, this is totally different to automatic writing, which is not the subject of this episode.

• Through dreams.

Dreams are one of the easiest ways for guides to give you information. In your dream state, they can create wonderful scenarios with colours and fantasy. They can send a message through someone telling you something in your dream. Through the drama that’s unfolding in your dream.

When you have asked and want an answer, sometimes it’s good to ask just before you go to sleep. Be sure and keep a pen and paper or your phone with audio recording on it next to your bed. And as soon as you wake, write or record your dream and any message down. If you leave it until later, it will likely fade from your consciousness.

Another question that I’m often asked is:

How to meet your guides?

If you want to meet your guides, one of the easiest ways of doing so, is through a guided meditation. There are many good guided meditation videos on YouTube that you can use to help you with this. A guided meditation can walk you through the process.

I did one about three decades ago and found myself walking through this Amazonian jungle. In front of me, leading the way, was a native man. He was short and had a bald patch at the centre of his crown like a… pudding basin, shoulder-length haircut. Wearing some sort of loin cloth. I only saw him from the back, and carrying a sheaf of arrows on his back, and a bow, and blow dart in his right hand. I don’t know if he’s still with me. But at that stage he was definitely a teacher to me. And it was the only time I’ve seen one. So it is possible to see them that way.

You can also ask your guides about themselves verbally. You might feel kind of silly speaking out loud and apparently to yourself. But don’t worry about it. Then pay attention to any feelings you get. You don’t have to meditate to do this. For example, you can ask, if you ask them out loud, can you please tell me your name? It’s not likely you’ll get an answer right away. You might though, but then you might see the name Frank three or four times that day. There is a very good chance that Frank is the name of your guide.

You could also ask a medium, clairvoyant or psychic ,about them. They may or may not be able to give you information about your guides. Don’t ask me, I’m generally never given this information. My focus absolutely is other areas. But some are given this.

Here’s the key. If it’s absolutely important for you to know who they are for your growth, and not merely to fulfil some desire. Then you will know. Otherwise, if it’s just for curiosity, you will be very unlikely to get the answer you’re seeking.

Connecting to your spirit guides is all about learning to rely on the voice of love. Guides help us because they love us and want us to learn what we came here to learn. Sometimes this is tough love, but always love. Your guides will present you with creative solutions and beautiful opportunities for learning and development.

Sometimes in our life we can become so overwhelmed we really don’t know where to begin to ask for help. And you really need to be specific when you ask your guides to help you. It helps them to know how best to  help you. So make a list of perhaps the biggest five or ten things that you feel you currently need help with. This may require some effort on your part, to weed out what you want from what you actually need.

When you’ve written this list, verbally ask that your guides be of the highest truth, love and compassion. With only your highest and best of interests at heart. You don’t  just want anyone helping you. That they come in and help you with the things you have listed. Be very specific and clear about what guidance you are calling in to assist you. As with here in this human world, there are many different sorts of beings and spirit. And you simply don’t just invite anyone into your home and life. You are selective about who you invite. The same goes for any spiritual relationship of any sort. We only want to open our consciousness, our space, our energies to guides who have our highest and best of interests at heart. Only those of the highest truth, compassion, love and understanding.

But don’t stress or worry about this too much. Because YOU call the shots. YOU have the physical authority over your body. They cannot come without your permission. So just make sure to call on only those of the highest truth, compassion, love and understanding. And when I say come in, I do not mean allowing them to enter your body. I mean to allow them to come near you and your energies, so they can assist you.

Ask them to help you find solutions or the direction you need to head in to sort these issues out. Read them out one by one. Please, be aware that your guides are not here to do your work for you. They will not stop you from falling over and grazing your knee as you learn to walk. If you don’t fall, however will you learn to walk? They will, however, patch your grazed knee with love. And send you off to try again. Just as we do with our children who are learning. It does them no favours if we constantly stop them from falling when they’re trying to learn to balance on their own two feet.

Be respectful in all your requests to your guides. Do not assume they will automatically assist you if you need to learn the lesson yourself. Don’t be rude or demanding. Approach them as you would the person you love the most in the world. Express gratitude to them for the help, mostly unknown and unseen, that they give you. Everyone likes to be appreciated. They are no different.

So, make your list, verbalise it, call in your highest guides and then express gratitude for any and all help that may be forthcoming. Once you’ve received that help, don’t forget to thank them again. Gratitude goes  such a long way on this planet and in spirit.