Inspiration from Spirit Guides

By Gord Riddell and Kathy Ryndak 

In our column in September, we explored the concept that many divine beings exist on the ‘other side’ for us to communicate with and receive guidance from. As the veil becomes thinner for receiving wisdom from higher spiritual realms, making divine connections becomes easier. This month we will look at communing with Spirit Guides, an important spiritual relationship for us.

Spiritual and Human Support

Our Spirit Guides are like counsellors or spiritual directors  who are always present to give us direction and clarity on our spiritual growth, soul lessons and human struggles. They can also inspire our creativity, visionary thinking and the ability to co-create. Many unique concepts and new paradigm thinking are downloaded to us from them. They let us see a bigger, more objective picture, helping us to understand meaning and purpose in our life. They offer us insight into what our higher purpose is and are agents for transformation. 

When we are confused or dealing with chaos and challenge in life, they can decipher what is happening, giving us a higher perspective. They allow us to understand what might be behind pain and suffering. They inspire us with faith and hope when we feel despair. They will always be there for us in moments of grief or loss, providing us with a supportive life-line. Guides help with our spiritual and human natures, being there in times of great illumination or darkness.

The Relationship

Our relationship with our Guides is based on a reciprocal, mutual contract. As we learn from them, they also learn from us while coaching us from the other side. If and when they were in human form, they might have worked on similar issues to ours to reinforce their own learning.

They will never interfere with our free will or take away our learning and lessons.  They will not let us down, are always congruent and come when we call. Firstly, they honour our connection to our Higher Self. Messages from our Guides will uplift or inspire us and won’t instill fear. They can also help us to develop spiritual gifts such as energy healing or clairvoyant abilities, to be of service to humankind.

A question often asked is: “If we can talk to God, why do we need Spirit Guides?” They help us to raise our vibration and expand our consciousness so that we can connect more deeply with God at a higher level. They are objective and can lessen our distortions when we receive messages. They can bring us closer to God and the Divine. On the other hand, when you feel you need to talk to God directly always honour this – both connections can be on speed dial.

Types of Guides

Most of our Guides have lived on Earth to learn about the human condition and are unlikely to reincarnate. As such, they have empathy and compassion when we struggle with our egos, shadow and the joy and pain of being human. Some can be just pure beings of light and spirit and haven’t lived in the physical but reside in higher dimensions. Others can be extraterrestrial, from different galaxies to provide us with a unique perspective. Some Guides function in a plural way, representing a soul group of spiritual entities. 

We do not have one Spirit Guide just as we do not have only one friend. Sylvia Browne, however, says we will have one primary guide that will be with us for our lifetime. Sonia Choquette, author of Ask your Guides, notes that we can have over 30 different guides over a lifetime who work with us in specific ways. She discusses this in her book:

Runner Guides help in practical situations like finding parking spots or misplaced items.

Helper Guides assist with special tasks, projects or to develop talents. Psychics can call on Edgar Cayce to do readings. 

Healer Guides were doctors or shamans in past lives and provide guidance on your health or illnesses.

Teacher Guides come from a higher vibration and guide us with soul lessons and spiritual growth.

Joy Guides are the child spirits of the universe and bring in levity and play with your inner child. They can lessen emotional pain, grief or loss.

Light Beings are of a high voltage and help us to shift with planetary evolution and earth changes.

Channels of Communication

Meditation, going into an altered state, opening your chakras, and connecting with your Higher Self is the most effective way to talk with your Guides. You will need to stretch upward and they need to lower the vibration to make a connection. Most often we will feel their presence through increased energy around our head, brow and crown chakra. 

They communicate with us telepathically so we need to be a receiver and translator of their messages. Guides will speak to us through images, symbols, colours, analogies, metaphors and words. They can use a trigger word or symbol that will initiate the development of an idea. Developing your own intuition, clairvoyance and clairaudience cultivates your ability to receive messages. We need to trust the flow of their information without editing or censoring it. Doubt, fear, skepticism or your inner critic get in the way.

Besides meditation, we can also contact them through automatic writing – go into a meditative state and put pen to paper, allowing the words to stream without your filters getting in the way. Keep track of their messages in a journal and make a point of checking the degree of accuracy over a period of time.

Spirit Guides are your friends from the non-physical and the other side. They are akin to calling a friend, a help-line or seeing a counsellor when we need support – only they reside in higher spiritual realms.

After all, “We can all get by with a little help from our friends.”

Gord Riddell and Kathy Ryndak are therapists and co-founders of Transformational Arts College which offers personal and professional courses in spiritual development, psychotherapy, spiritual direction, holistic health and coaching.

For more information on the school, call 416-484-0454 or visit their website: www.transformationalarts.com. To receive the monthly e-newsletter e-mail tac@transformationalarts.com

Transformational Arts College will be exhibitors at the Whole Life Expo, coming up on Nov. 23 to 25. Visit them at booth numbers 129 and 130.