Understanding Spirit Guides
Understanding what is a Spirit Guide and how to connect is discussed in this blog.
Do I have a spirit guide?
My sense is that we are all of spirit re-born into this physical form and this lifetime, and that we are at essence magical beings ourselves. We arrive with the bloodline of those who have gone before and my experience tells me that those who have made it to the other side indeed walk with us. We gather more as we go, and others fade away all we have to do is be open to perceiving them. Perception can be both literal and more ethereal. A simple and literal indicator as to whether or not you have a spirit animal guide is this; do you keep on seeing one particular creature from nature? Magazine articles might happen across your desk that include it. Do you have something from your childhood which is in the form of a sea creature or bird that you just can’t seem to let go of? Chances are that this is an ordinary reality manifestation of a spirit guide.
As a child, I spent many an hour fantasising about being baby Bambi from the Walt Disney movie of the 70s. I still remember the day I merged with him. I know that we have grown up together. As a teenager I toiled for weeks on a stencil of the wings of a bird which I later printed. I know that bird is still with me and gives me a bird’s eye perspective on all that I do in life. If you identify with either of these stories and can reflect on something similar in your life, take the time to go into stillness and reconnect with this guide. Remember from your innocence what it was that attracted you to it. You can reconnect, find new spirit guides and have many in your life at any one time. Some of my peers have only one, I have guides that come and go.
How can I find my spirit guide?
One of the key roles of a shamanic practitioner is to find your spirit guide and bring it from the invisible realms to you and your life. I work doing this in the ShaWoman Healing session. My website gallery is filled with my visions and perceptions of the invisible world guides. Spirit Guides can come as angels, spirit animals, ancestors, spirits the land, spirits the ether, star beings or even your higher self.
You may already have spirit guides in your life. A clue might be, is there an animal or bird that you have images of around your home or figurines on your book shelf? Do you constantly see a bird in the sky. Tune in. Ask it what message it has for you.
Meeting spirit guides
Some people are born with a second site. Voyant defines a person who has perception beyond the ordinary range: clairvoyance is about seeing, clairaudience is about hearing; clairsentience is about feelings and claircognizance is being able to see beyond the ordinary range of perception. I identify as a psychic and harness each of the aforementioned. So for example, in my conversations with spirits I often sense them whispering in my ear, or I will hear their otherworldly songs. At other times I have vivid journeys seeing creatures from the skies, under the ocean, walking the earth in Palaeolithic times, beings from the stars, spirit of place or ancestors all offering the wisdoms. Dreams are yet another layer to the ways one can perceive the messages of a spirit guide. This is something I actively assist you with during a spiritual healing session.
Connect to spirit guides
It is one thing to find a spirit guide, it is quite another to maintain the connection with that being. There are shamanic techniques to assist you in embodying your spirit guide. You can actually then merge with their consciousness to perceive the world as they would. Animal spirit guides are remarkable and so trustworthy; in the wild they simply take what they need. If you are connecting with spirit guides it is vitally important to ask them if they come to you unconditionally. At times people take on guides who are not there to act in their best interests. Another aspect to this conversation about spirit guides how they communicate. It is often by way of metaphor. The messages are not literal but come to us in such a way that we are left wondering about their meaning for quite some time. Such is the value of a metaphore.
How do I communicate with my spirit guide?
Once you have a relationship in place, as with any relationship you need to nourish it; take time to communicate, make date nights, celebrate special occasions. By moonlight and around an evening fire I will drum and connect with my guides. This is where an altar comes into true purpose. You call in the divine into your ordinary reality. I like to include elements of earth, wind, fire and water in my altars and an item representing the spirit guide that I feel I most need at that time in that space. I sing, I dance, I journal my journeys and dreams. Mostly I draw what I see and some of these I shared with you in my gallery.
How to use a spirit guide?
In these strange and uncertain times, it is wonderful to feel that you are guided and supported in some way unconditionally. Oftentimes I will be having an important conversation with myself or another and will hear the laugh of a kookaburra, or see a white heron when I look up. I think to myself, right that was important, or if I am getting laughed at I look to the funny side.
Spirit guides help to answer questions and this is my process. I use breath to withdraw from the outside world and tune into me. I set my intention, or work out my question and then call in my guide to have that conversation. As with anything, your answer is only going to be as good as your question. This is where being a long time meditator, I know how to go quickly to a place of ‘no mind’ and from here can be still enough to let the answers come to me. Sometimes this is subtle. Other times it comes literally as a knock on the head. I recall one day walking down the street, pondering a ridiculous thought and suddenly I was face down on the concrete. I tripped over something. I took this fall as a wake up call; wake up to the real issue.
I walk with spirits in my everyday life and answers are never far away. There is one practice I particularly like which I call beach divination. I ask my guest to collect a number of items from the beach be that shell, seed pod, driftwood, or pine needle and bring these to our session. I call in a guiding spirit and blow their wisdom or clarity into the clutch of items in my hands and throw them onto the sand. Like reading the ruins I find the answer to whatever it is that is asked by reading the arrangement of items as they fall.
Truly good art has the ability to elevate us, transport us beyond our limited ways of thinking and move us in surprising ways.
How to ‘Find Your Spirit Guide’?
If you are wondering what your spirit guide looks like, I may be able to help.
Wherever you are in the world, with your permission I can see who is there to guide you. You may have a question for your spirit guide. I locate your spirit guide, seek healing on your behalf and an answer to your question. Once the healing is complete. I later email to you a mixed media drawing of my vision which can be printed as a spirit guide canvas. Print or frame the drawing and use it for your healing and inspiration. Keep it on your phone as a screen savers for a constant reminder. You might feel the urge to get creative and make a shrine around it.
This drawing of the white heron was for a client who had been estranged from his daughter for many years. He found her on social media. Many years of estrangement had seen many tears shed on both sides. This bird came to me with its wings spread between heaven and earth, or two sides of one country in this case. Its wings symbolising hope holding up the sky.
The artwork is imbued with magic, because it comes to you from the spirit world, and you called it in. Its magic lingers long and as with any artwork or depiction f a sacred being it is inspiring and uplifting. Clarifying and protecting. People ask questions like ‘Whom do I call on for protection at this time?’, “How do I let this person go?’ ‘How do I heal my broken heart?’. You can book a session by clicking on this link.
Guides and our future
Lastly, coming into your own spiritual power and living each day as a gift is ultimately where we all need to be. Once we sort through the woundings of the past, and let go we can step into your future with a clear slate and fresh eyes. Life still happens but when we are powered up with your guides by your side, above, below, behind and or in front of you, life will flow. Blog entry about flow and the universal laws of consciousness and creation coming soon.
Author is Jo Fay Duncan