What are Spirit Guides?

Spirit Guides are friendly spirits who give knowledge and help on spiritual journeys. Anyone, but especially mediums and those who channel, can have Spirit Guides. They are beyond intuition, they are actually in touch with events and those who have passed on and can translate messages of importance for those on this plane.

Working with Spirit Guides is a transformative process, a building of a bridge to the higher realms giving a loving, caring, purposeful collective higher consciousness that has been called "the All-One," the "Universal Mind" or simply "God."

Spirit Guides can be specific spirits of the dead or some unknown force that wishes to communicate with us. Some refer to them as Angels or Guardians. They can be all of the above.

Some of the more commonly found types of spirit guides:

Ascended Masters - These are guides often found by people who do energy work, such as Reiki. An ascended master who appears as a spirit guide is often a being that led a physical life and has moved on to a higher spiritual plane -- for example, Buddha, Krishna, even Jesus. Ascended masters usually work with collective groups of souls -- in other words, if you've got an ascended master hanging around you, you're not the only one he or she is helping. Their primary focus is that of helping all of humanity. It's not uncommon for an ascended master to have access to Akashic records. They can also be referred to as Master Teacher guides.

Ancestral Guides - An ancestral guide is one who can claim some sort of kinship with you, such as your dear Aunt Tillie who died when you were ten. It may 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 lifetime, or who had some sort of blood connection to our family.

Common Spirit Guides, or Teacher Guides - A typical spirit guide is archetypical, symbolic or representative of something else. For example, you may find your guide appears in the form of a warrior, a storyteller, or a wise woman, and they have appeared to you for a purpose. Typically, that purpose is to teach you and guide you along a particular path. They may also introduce you to other archetypes along your journey, and help out with problem solving, based upon your needs. They are known to provide insight by way of dreams or meditation, and may only hang around as long as you need them, then move on.

Animal Guides - Although many people claim to have animals as spirit guides, often these entities are more companions than anything else. It's not uncommon for a deceased pet to linger around, keeping you company through the grieving 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.