Spiritual Helpers?

[StarCraftLia]

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[Toby Stimpson]

I'm probably not the wisest or best person to ask, but I will add what little I know on this subject anyways :). As for your first question:

Spirit Guides: To my understanding these are the honoured departed who choose those to guide in the afterworld. They act as a Guardian but also as a friend to advise. They are always with you and will be that small voice inside of you in bad situations.

Guardian Angels: These are similar to spirit guides, but are more angels. they are basicly assigned at birth to portect and watch over a Human being. If memory serves, there are different levels of Guardian angels sent to protect different peoples. In Islam I remember certain members of the Royal families of various areas are assigned higher Angels. They act directly to protect and preserve, including influencing a situation directly.

Familiars: These are the spirits in the form of animals thought to be traditionally used by Witches. this is where the association of Black Cats comes into play, as it is a common myth that witches would keep Black Cats. They are kind of like assistants and helpers during ceremony and rituel, adding their enegy to the mix. They are more material than the others, although I have heard of people keeping astral Familiars, who they invite to rituels.

Spirit Friends: I honestly have not heard of these, although I would assume that these are the group that the soul travels with through existance. There is a theory that certain souls travel through the lives as a group...each one reincarnating or staying close to those who are alive...if you ever get the feeling of knowing soemone like deja vu, you could have met a memebr of this group. I would assume that spirit friends are the souls of members of your group that chose not to incarnate the same time as you and stay close protecting you from harm?

Totem Animals: These are the Guardian essances and spirits of Animals. These are fundamental in Shamanism. The idea is that certain species hold certain types of energies and 'wisdoms' and that an animal grouping may adopt you as, and become somewhat like your 'patron' animal...I havnt looked too deeply into Shamanism and can offer no real advice on these :(.

Now in regards to your second question...a spirit guide is generally (regardless of what kind they are) is a Guardian spirit. They help to guide you and improve your life bys ending lessons and situations to grow from. They act soemwhat like a Patron deity, yet when your Deity wants soemthing they get out of the way! They are soemwhat like your shadows, following you where ever you go. Imaginary friends when you are younger are thought to be your spirit guides manifesting to you to make friends :). They are generally assigned at birth, or could join you afterwards. If any of your family members die or you have close friends who pass on they may choose to follow you to make sure you are alright in this life. They are perhaps your closest friends, whether you know they are there or not :D. Namaste

Tobias

[SoulHealer]

Spirit Guides
Spirit guides are exactly what the name tells you are – manifestations of spirit that come to guide you through your life. Everyone whether they are aware of them or not has a spirit guide.

Spirit guides will at some point have had incarnations as humans in the physical world, simply because the best people to guide you are those that have been through the same sort of thing as you.

They are able to see you and your life, and as they are looking down they are more able to see the full picture and give you the best advice. However spirit guides just like anyone else can make mistakes, although most of the time though their advice and guidance will be good and will help you through your life.

Often people have many guides. There will be a primary one or two spirit guides who will have been with you since birth and will most likely remain with you throughout your life. Then there will be others that come and help with a specific problem or situation and when their work is done will leave.
Just like in real life you will not meet a spirit guide that is good at everything –therefore you will need more than one guide to help you.

Primary spirit guides are chosen prior to your present incarnation –other guides may be chosen during the course of your life depending on which path you choose to take.

I personally do not view spirit guides to be the same as angels. Angels are on a higher plane to spirit guides and tend to intervene on a more direct level –for example guardian angels stepping in when there is an emergency. Whereas spirit guides give advice and guidance but often do not take direct action –although sometimes the two fields can overlap. The other difference is spirit guides have had human incarnations whereas angels have evolved in other ways.

Spirit guides will not make decisions for us –they are simple there to help us learn the lessons we are meant to make within this lifetime. They can guide and advice us but ultimately it is up to us which path we choose. They will not condemn or judge you whatever path you choose to take.

Guides can be relatives or friends that have passed over –these are rarely our primary guides but are sometimes the ones we recognise and communicate with first.

There are many ways to meet your spirit guides –through meditations, visualizations, automatic writing, dreams etc

Spirit guides will let you know when they are near in a number of ways –from smells, to chimes (which sometimes other people nearby will also hear), chills (sometimes on just one part of the body), goose bumps, light orbs, tapping etc

You may not know the identity of your guide –some simple choose not to tell you their name or what they look like. Spirit is naturally formless and some guides feel creating a form distracts from the reason they are there.

Most people do not see their guides as physical manifestations–although some people do. However they may change their form slightly –for example if they passed over when they were 70 years old they may choose to come back looking younger

If a spirit is struggling to be heard especially during bad times in your life when you need uplifting they may send a message via another person. By inspiring a friend to call you with words of wisdom or a stranger to smile at you for example.

Occasionally a spirit guide can be a living person, –these are never primary guides but occasional visiting guides. Often they will only come at night or when the person is asleep. The person may not be consciously aware that they are acting as a guide.

Temporary spirit guides may also reincarnate after their duty to you is over. Primary guides do not plan to reincarnate at least during your physical lifetime.

Often people have a fear of meeting negative spirits –more often then not though like attracts like. If you set out with good intentions then you will receive good spirits. If you set out looking for spirit communication for the wrong reasons then you are more likely to attract the wrong kind of spirit. The only exception to this is occasionally a lost soul (one who has died and not properly crossed into the light) may come to you if they see the light of your spirit. These are not negative sprits but confused spirits looking for their way. If you can guide them towards the light, someone from the spirit world will meet you halfway to take them into the light so you yourself do not cross over.

You also have a spirit guide who acts as a doorkeeper –their duty is to try and control which spirits contact you. Therefore they will try to prevent any negative spirits from coming to you.

It however also wise to protect yourself prior to any work with spirit.

Remember spirit moves in mysterious ways –so never discount anything you suspect might be spirit

Types of Guides

Guardian Angel – This is a very enlightened being that has access to the akashic record and protects us.

Doorkeeper –This is an spirit that helps to protect our physical body when we leave it in out of body experiences, mediumship, etc. The doorkeeper can also control which spirit contacts you. Sometimes the doorkeeper is also a primary guide.

Primary Spirit Guide –This is a guide who has been chosen prior to our present incarnation and will normally be with us throughout this lifetime.

Spirit Guides –These can come for a brief period or even a few years to help us learn a particularly skill or aid us with a particularly problem. Sometimes these are relatives or friends that have crossed over and sometimes even a person that is still alive.

Animal Messengers –These are animal guides who come into your life with a message and leave was that message has been passed on.

Shadow animal guides –These are the creatures we fear, the animals that fill us with dread. It is there to teach you a lesson that often you have repeatedly failed to learn in previous incarnations. Ignoring these guides can harm your development as the fear and negativity grows.

Journey animal guide – These appear when we are at a crossroad within our life. These can be with you for many years until a certain path has reached its conclusion

Life Animal guide – These are the guides you are normally born with and are with you throughout your life although others may join you during the course of your life and occasionally a life guide may leave and be replaced by another. .

[StarCraftLia]

Thanks so much for clearing that up guys! ^^

[Teresa]

Everyone has 9 animal totems. Different ones will come at different times of need. The 9 represent : North,South,East,West,Above,Below,Center, Left,Right.Lunacie posted a good link about spirit guides and animal totems in the God and Goddess section in a thread started by WitchiepOo. Both of the links to sights she posted offer a good deal of knowledge and can explain in more depth.

[fangedeshana]

Everyone has 9 spirit guides. Different ones will come at different times of need. The 9 represent : North,South,East,West,Above,Below,Center, Left,Right.

I have never hard that before...

Though, I wasn't bought up holding directions as all that significant spiritually, like Wicca and other pagan trads do, though I did work and meet spirit guides and helpers. My exsperiences were somewhat like Soul Healer explained. :drool:

[Teresa]

It is a Native American belief that each person has 9 animal totems to teach us as we walk our paths.The animals are found in 7 directions around your spirit North,South,East,West, Above,Below,Within. Right side =male,Left side =Feminine. Those 2 are always with You.They are Your protectors.
http://www.geocities.com/~animalspirits/ (http://www.geocities.com/~animalspirits/)
http://www.wica.com/celtic/wyldkat/anmlintro.htm (http://www.wica.com/celtic/wyldkat/anmlintro.htm)
http://www.sayahda.com/cycle.htm (http://www.sayahda.com/cycle.htm)
http://www.linsdomain.com/totems.htm (http://www.linsdomain.com/totems.htm)
These are some of the Websites listed by Lunacie.I do not think that she would mind them being posted here for Your use.Perhaps You have not heard of it because you were born in another generation ? Most of these ways have been lost with each new generation.

[fangedeshana]

I'm checking out the other post you mentioned currently.

Curious though.. I've never come across animal spirits before, other than brought witha guide (As in, something that was close to them, before they passed). I've had everything from asians, to vikings, native americans, roman soldiers, mafia/classic ganster people... and everything inbetween, including people who I'd class more as helpers, since they're not as old/wise as guides and look just like you or me. But I've never actually come across animal guides. They have almsot always been human.

[Teresa]

I have human guides as well. One that walks closely with me and has been with me for as long as I can recall. Other ones come with specific times of needs.The animal guides are here to teach life lessons.They show us aspects of ourselves and sometimes things we have a need to change.

[fangedeshana]

My life lessons so far have all be taught by humans.

[StarCraftLia]

I use to know a dragon, she hung around for a little while, but we only really communicated through my dreams, which was only about two. She played a vital role in my life, I think her important lesson was to be who I am, instead of whom others think/force/believe I am or should be. We sorta left on bad terms, though.

By spirit friends I mean not really angels/guides or totems.. Just non-body having astral beings that're well.. Your friends! ^^

[Hærfest Leah]

SoulHealer, thanks for the excellent information. So if you are trying to contact & communicate with a guide you need to be specific as to which one you want to hear from (primary, doorkeeper, guarian angel etc) correct?

[Teresa]

:abbed: