What is a spiritual guide?
Many people believe they have spiritual guides. Some refer to them as angels or guardians. Regardless, if you believe you have one, a spiritual guide is there simply to guide, not as an entity to which you must abandon yourself. If a spiritual guide has a negative influence on your behavior, then it is likely that it is not a spiritual guide at all, but something else. These are some of the most common types of spiritual guides:
- Ascended masters
These are the guides often found by people doing energy work, such as Reiki. An ascended master who appears as a spiritual guide is often a being who led a physical life and moved to a higher spiritual plane, such as Buddha, Krishna, even Jesus. Ascended masters usually work with collective groups of souls. In other words, if you have an ascended master going around you, you are not the only one who is helping. Their main goal is to help all humanity. It is not uncommon for an ascended master to have access to Akashic records. These types of spiritual guides are also referred to as master teacher guides. - Ancestral guides
An ancestral guide is a person who can claim a kind of kinship with you, such as your dear Aunt Tillie, who died at the age of ten. It can 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 life or who had a kind of blood connection with our family. Some people, depending on their religious education, may view these types of guides as guardian angels. - Guide to the common spirit or guide for the teacher
A typical spiritual guide is archetypal, symbolic or representative of something else. For example, you may find that your guide appears in the form of a warrior, storyteller or wise woman and they appeared to you for a purpose. Typically, that purpose is to teach you and guide you along a particular path. They can also introduce you to other archetypes on your journey and help you troubleshoot, based on your needs. They are known for providing insights through dreams or meditation, and can only hang around when you need them, so move on. - Animal guides
Although many people claim to have animals as spiritual guides, these entities are often more companions than anything else. It is not uncommon for a deceased pet to linger around, keeping you company through the mourning 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.
Some people in the metaphysical community break down spiritual guides by purpose rather than by their type. For example, Amanda Meder, who works as a psychic medium, explains that in her practice, guides typically fall into one of these six categories: protectors, gate keepers, message bearers, healers, teachers and guides who bring us joy. She says,
“Once you have made contact with those of true higher energies, such as the Spiritual Guides, it is a great blessing that you will feel. Just like developing a relationship for the first time, working with spiritual guides requires time, dedication and commitment. Working with spiritual guides will strengthen your willpower, lighten your mind and mood, assist you in self-healing work and help you become more compassionate with those around you. "
Furthermore, many people believe that their spiritual guides are angelic beings. This may or may not resonate with you, depending on whether or not you accept the existence of angels. Some members of the pagan community do this, but angels are not typically found in every pagan belief system.
Additional resources
Now that you know what a spiritual guide is, how do you find yours? There are a few different methods you can use to find your spiritual guide. If you think you've made contact with one, but are experiencing some flags read, we recommend that you know some basic warning signs of spirit guidance. If the entity you work with is not a spiritual guide at all, but something unpleasant and unwanted, it's time to get rid of it! Follow these simple tips to eliminate unwanted entities.