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Types of Spirit Guides | There are More than 7 Types
Spirit guides are non-physical entities that guide the practitioner, whether it be through giving support, wisdom, or protection.
Finding out who your spirit guides (yes you can have more than one even before you step into spirituality) can be an empowering process.
It may take months, or even years before you can fluently communicate with your spirit guides, and even longer before you can act on their guidance, but knowing who they are is one of the first steps in your spiritual journey.
Spirit guides can appear to us in many forms, the main types written below in this article. Depending on your cultural beliefs, spirit guides can be assigned at birth, or come to you when you need some form of guidance in your life.
My belief as a witchcraft practitioner is that all of these are true. Sometimes spirits can come to you simply because you have drawn their attention.
With that, I shall quote the all so famous phrase "The Universe works in mysterious ways”. Let’s get started on the most common types of spirit guides that may appear in your life.
Song of the Angels (1881) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau
Angels: Archangels, Guardian Angels, Higher Guardian Angels
Spirit guides come in different forms, but angels are easily the most recognizable because they are always shown as having wings and halos in mass media. They are also considered Messengers of God that give protection as well as comfort while guiding people. Despite popular depictions of Angels as beautiful and friendly, they can also be highly intimidating. Due to their Angelic nature, they can also come off as apathetic because they lack the fundamental understanding of human concepts like time.
For example, when you wish to pray for financial abundance, the Angel may agree to it “very soon”, however their concept of “very soon” can be in a span of a few years to decades. There is a need to mention that Archangels has greater autonomy in free will and thus, their mileage in communication differs from person to person.
The Ice-Maiden, Dreamer of Dreams by Edmund Dulac
Animal Spirits: Deceased Pets, Collective Animal Consciousnesses
What better way to tap into our physical reality, our world, our instincts than to seek the wisdom of the creatures who have been roaming this world with us? Animal spirit guides can come in the form of deceased pets, or a collective animal consciousness (Moreman, 2014). It is important to note that connecting with animal spirits can be challenging as they do not communicate through words, which makes divination (tarot reading, pendulum, scrying) challenging.
Ancestral Spirits: Deceased Family Members, The Mighty Dead
Depending on which part of the world you live in, connecting with Ancestral spirits can vary hugely. Passed family members or even ancestors that you have passed before you were born can pass down valuable knowledge that aids you in your specific circumstances. Regardless of your spiritual interests, you should approach your Ancestors according to family’s cultural beliefs.
The Mighty Dead are notable deceased human spirits like Cleopatra, Marie Laveau and King Solomon that can guide you in their associated spiritual paths, even if they have no relation to you (Teariki & Leau, 2023). These spirits tend to be more selective in nature and may choose to approach you only if you have an affinity with their paths.
Deities: Zeus, Anubis, Odin, Ishtar, Kali, Cernunnos, Saturn
There are a multitude of pantheons and numerous deities that may be your spirit guide. Deities in your culture and geography affects your affinity with them but is not the defining factor in your connection. Due to the numerous pantheons, it is recommended that you learn more about the popular pantheons like Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian and your local deities. This allows you to get a feel of your “attraction” to a certain deity, the first pull of your intuition into letting you know who may be your spirit guide.
Hylas and the Water Nymphs by Henrietta Rae
Plant Spirits: Sylvan Genii, Nymphs, Tree Spirits
Plant spirits falls under the broader category called Sylvan Genii, which are the spirits of plants, tree and nature in general. Plant spirits are often overlooked, with herbs thought of as merely ingredients. However in each herb you utilise, you are using the spiritual essence of that particular plant spirit, which is why it is important to get to know your plant spirit guides. Nymphs are minor Grecian female deities who personify a herb or aspect of nature, falling under the category of both deities and plant spirits.
Mythological Spirits: Faeries, Dragons, Sirens, Hags, Gnomes
Mythological Spirits are the most varied type of spirit guides and require extensive cultural research before approaching or confirming that said spirit is seeking a connection with you. Spirits like Dragons and Faeries vary in personality and powers depending on the culture they originate from, so the method to confirm your connection with them may differ.
Due to the great variety of mythological spirits, there are a lot of spirits who are rooted in malice or have a more ambivalent nature, like the Siren spirits for example: They are enchanting half-woman half-bird spirits, lulling those who hear their deadly songs into the sea to drown. Despite their infamous mythos, many practitioners have come forward, mentioning positive results from connecting with their Siren guides when it comes to healing and justice work.
Artwork source unknown
Extraterrestrial Spirits: Aliens, Eldritch Beings
Most people can agree that there are some forms of alien life outside of our galaxy, however the concept of these multi-dimensional guides are a recent revival in spirituality. If you look at new-age spirituality, these extraterrestrial spirits are said to guide us in our “soul evolution” and ascend to a higher plane of existence.
On the flip side, Eldritch beings are ancient and chaotic spirits that wield great power. While a select few may hear their call, humans who are exposed to their influence tend to be driven into madness. Those who survive, gain knowledge akin to enlightenment.
Demons: Fallen Angels, Daimons, Djinns
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we also have demonic guides to aid us for the better. Demons have gotten a bad name due to misconceptions that they are inherently evil which is further away from the truth. The etymology of “demon” comes from “daimon” which means "provider of fortune, divine power, guiding spirit”. Spirits who came from earlier pagan groups were demonized into well, demons by the Church for political power.
It is without a doubt that some demons are inherently evil, but all of them bolster a human-like understanding and empathy from the result of walking the earth so long with us. If you find yourself drawn or called by a demonic guide, make sure to show the same level of respect that you would with any other spirit guides.
Les Sylphes Ou La Danse Des Sylvains by Fritz Zuberbuhler
Elemental Spirits: Sylphs, Gnomes, Salamanders, Undines
Elemental spirits are fundamental forces of nature in the occult, each element (Fire, Air, Water, Earth) personified into being. They are thought to not only have spiritual bodies, but material bodies, much like us humans. This is why they too have needs like sustenance and procreation. They are closely connected to nature spirits and usually overlap in categories.
The Common For Of The Spirits Of The Moon by Dexter Brightman
Planetary Spirits: Planetary Intelligences, Planetary Archons
While elemental spirits represent each main aspect of Earth and nature in general, planetary spirits are ethereal spirits personified from the 7 traditional planets (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn). Planetary spirits tend to personify more abstract concepts of the Universe, like Venus that represents love and attraction and Saturn that represents death and boundaries. Like elemental spirits, planetary spirits tend to overlap into different categories like deities, angels, demons and even more.
Final Words
Knowing what type(s) of spirit guide you have makes connecting with them much easier on your end. From knowing the culture they came from, to adopting tried and true ways to approach them successfully from other practitioners, there are a multitude of ways you can grow in your journey. There is one final advice before I end this article off, while categorisation helps greatly in the initial process, spirits are ethereal and illusive in nature, so do not always assume every type of spirit guides act in the same way.
