What are Spirit Guides & How to Connect with Them
Have you ever felt like the Universe is trying to tell you something? Sometimes it is more than just a coincidence. Throughout history, many cultures have believed in the concept of spirit guides offering wisdom and support to those who seek their aid.
It's everywhere, from Native Americans honouring animal spirits to Africans venerating their ancestors. (Although we will only be talking briefly about them as they come from a closed culture).
Even today, the concept of unseen helpers persists with many seeking deeper connections beyond what one can see. But the thing is, they most likely have more questions than answers.
This article will talk about what spirit guides are, the forms they take and how one can connect with them.
Singing Over the Bones by Lucy Campbell
What are Spirit Guides?
Spirit guides are one of those abstract concepts that have a different meaning depending on who you ask. However, they are generally believed to be non-physical beings that provide insights and help individuals throughout their lifetime(s). Simply put, they are perceived as spirits that assist people with their personal growth, spiritual development, and decision-making.
In western esoterica, spirit guides range from one's Guardian Angels or Ascended Masters - enlightened beings who have gone beyond the physical plane. Practitioners tend to believe that these guides communicate their wisdom or offer assistance through subtle signs or intuitive insights.
Art showcasing Ancestral lineage, source unknown
Types of Spirit Guides
For the complete list on the types of spirit guides (other than the ones written below), read our Types of Spirit Guides post.
Ancestors
Ancestral worship is a multi-cultural practice, as shown in a regional study: Morgan and Okyere-Manu (2020) supports the belief that ancestors are deceased family members who continue to influence and protect their descendants. African traditionalists refer to them as the living-dead, a sort of mediator between the Divine and the living.
Animal Guides
Animal guides are prevalent among Neo-Shamanic and Natural magick, with each animal embodying an archetype of nature. For example, the hawk is an animal spirit guide that can aid the practitioner in honing their intuition and awareness.
If you choose to approach your animal spirit guides, you may choose to do so during meditations, dreams, or moments of altered consciousness.
Ascended Masters
When you think of enlightened beings who have transcended the physical plane after achieving spiritual mastery during their lifetimes, who do think of? Figures like Buddha, Jesus, and Guan Yin comes to mind.
The ascended masters openly share their wisdom and guidance to those who seek their assistance. Practitioners often feel a connection to these beings when they are praying, meditating, or introspecting. People usually experience a sense of peace and clarity when they call on the presence of an ascended master during meditation.
Guardian Angels
In various spiritual practices, Guardian Angels are seen as divine protectors that are assigned to humans at birth. It is widely believed that they communicate with the people they guide or protect through random bursts of strong intuition, repeated numbers (Angel Numbers) and scrying (divination using a reflective surface).
There have been cases where people remember what seemed like a timely intervention, or an unexplainable sense of direction during a crisis. Read more about your Angelic Guides here.
Higher Self
As the name suggests, the Higher self is a state of being that represents our true essence and connection to Universal consciousness. While the Higher self is usually not considered as an actual spirit guide because it is an aspect of you, your Higher self has the capacity to bring you to your fullest potential without compromising on your happiness.
Spirit Guides by Ruwangi Amarasinghe
How to Connect With Your Spirit Guide
Connecting with a spirit guide can be a tough and confusing process. Here are some of the ways you can connect with them:
- Zen Meditation: When you silence the mind through meditation, it reduces the conscious filter in your mind, allowing yourself to open up your intuition to spiritual insights. A Psychology article on intuition suggests that meditation can help increase one’s awareness and creativity. When this happens, you allow yourself to align with your Higher self and potentially, your spirit guides.
- Journaling: When you journal frequently, you allow yourself to enter a sort of flow state: People tend to channel messages from their spirit guides this way. It can feel like a story or scenario unfolding by itself without having to make conscious decisions on the "story".
- Dreams: Spirit guides often come to people in their sleep and pass messages through direct communication, repeated symbols or by even showing how the future will unfold. I always recommend keeping a dream journal as cryptic messages tend to reveal itself months or even years later.
- Asking for Signs: Sometimes all it takes to connect with spirit guides is asking for signs and being open to unexpected forms of communication. It is important to not be afraid or assuming you would receive a certain answer as this usually results in receiving a warped or biased message.
Now to address the elephant in the room- "What if nothing happens?: It is natural for people to feel like they are sending messages into the void, but patience is key. Spiritual connections take time to develop. Sometimes it is not about whether your spirit guides contacted you, but rather at the start, our psychic "atennas" are lacking so we aren't able to catch the message.
Signs That Your Spirit Guide is Reaching Out
It is one thing for people to know how to connect with their spirit guides, but it’s another thing to sense when their spirit guide is trying to communicate. In other words, one must know the subtle or not-so-subtle signs to look out for including:
- Repeating Numbers (Angel Numbers): If you suddenly started to notice 111, 222, or other repeated numbers alot, it is most likely a message from the spiritual realm. To understand what it could mean, you should pay attention to your current thought at the point of time when you see these numbers.
- Strong Gut Feelings: Sometimes, when one feels a sudden urge to change plans or avoid a situation, it could be your spirit guide nudging you from danger.
- Strange Connections: When you suddenly think of something and a song, book, or the words of a stranger suddenly pops up, almost like an answer or insight to your thoughts, that may be a sign.
- Feeling a presence: Some people report feeling a warm, light, or tingling feeling on their shoulders. Others also talk about an unexplained sense of discomfort like they are alone.
- Repeated Sightings of Animals or Feathers: A specific animal crossing your path several times or white feathers in random places could be a sign from your spirit guides, although specific objects tend to pertain differently to different kinds of spirit guides.
Final Words
Spirit guides are mystical beings and/or a reflection of your subconscious, depending on your personal beliefs. However one thing is certain- Their guidance is powerful. When you keep an open mind to such messages, you will be able to benefit from their wisdom and nurture a spiritual relationship that adds more meaning to life.
