Published in Alaska Wellness, January/February 2001.
We are never
alone.
We all have guides.
Many of them are angels.
Spiritual guidance is one of the more mysterious
topics in the world of healing. This is because we live in a culture
that is grounded in the scientific method. As a society, we learn to
disregard information that does not come from a concrete, physical
source. Yet, spiritual guidance has been part of the human experience
for millennia. It is the inspiration for countless profound moments in
history. While we may not be witness to a burning bush that speaks with
the voice of God, or be inspired to write the Declaration of
Independence, we can develop our own personal relationship with Spirit
that will enrich our life and sooth our soul. This is our birthright.
We are never
alone. We all have guides. Many of them are angels. Most of us have
heard of the guardian angels that protect children as they sleep.
Actually, the scope of service provided by angels is much larger.
Personal guardian angels (most people have several) are available to
assist us in achieving our life's purpose. They can provide help in
endless material and immaterial ways. The trick is, they are bound to
respect our free will. They cannot interfere with our life, no matter
how miserable we have made it, unless we ask. If we are unconscious
about guidance in our life, our angels may spend a lot of time sitting
around reading comic books. With an actual request for help, however,
they can really go to town.
Prayer is a form of request. That's why it is so
effective. It doesn't matter who it's directed to; since angels answer
God's prayers, it only matters that we ask. We may also call angels to
assist us with special problems such as getting home safely on icy
roads or finding something. It is important to know that we can make
our urgency known in an authoritative way for a just purpose. In those
panic stricken moments when one's child is suddenly out of sight in a
potentially unsafe situation, we might say, "I need help and I need
help right now! Send ten angels to surround my child and keep her safe.
Lead me to her now!" This has always worked for me, with my little one
found calm and happy. There are legions of angels waiting to be
requested for service and we have the right to call on them.
Guides or spiritual helpers can present themselves
in many forms. Angels are common. They bring with them a high clear
energy and devotion to human service. Power animals represent a more
earth-connected form of helper that can provide very sophisticated
information and support. The natural strengths and habits of the animal
are also available to be called on -- the vision and speed of the
falcon, courage of the bear, or gentleness and grace of the deer.
Spiritual teachers such as Jesus, Buddha or Mary can be called on for
guidance. Sometimes ancestors or previously incarnated souls that have
had particular skills in an area that we are developing may inspire us.
All are the voice of Spirit. The relationship is ours to develop.
In my classes, I love to invoke the student's guides
so that they can feel and experience some kind of contact with their
spiritual helper. Sometimes we will request the guides to move one
place to the left, so that we can feel how different someone else's
guide feels. This helps to establish a sense of reality about the
presence of guides.
Besides protection, many of us desire an active
relationship with our guides in which we can ask for specific direction
and guidance. Should I get married? Go to graduate school? Take
this class? What is the source of this pain? How can I support the
healing of this disease? Any question can be posed to our spiritual
helpers, although inquiries about future outcomes can only reflect
potential resolutions based on the energy of this moment. Free will can
always be exercised to make new choices; new choices produce new
outcomes.
The response
to our questions can come in a myriad of forms depending on our
individual gifts. Information will come through the channel that is
most open. For example, sometimes guidance comes through the physical
pain. When all else fails, pain will get our attention. It demands
attention. Pain is our body's port of last resort. Many times I have
treated people for pain and uncovered the deep emotional and spiritual
issues that were held by the pain. It is wise not to ignore pain, for
the next step is disease.
Emotions are present to inform us about our
experience. Hatred lets us know that something is toxic for us, and we
need to get away or set boundaries around it. Envy informs us that
there is something that we want to create in our lives. We don't need
to take it away from someone else. We simply need to create an
expression of that vibration in our lives. Disappointment and betrayal
tell us that something is about to end or change. Longing calls us to
our life's purpose or the next step of our path. If we are present for
our emotions and attune to their messages, we are following guidance.
Intuition is that vague feeling about where we
should go and what we should do. It is quiet and often overlooked, yet
is linked to the instincts that can save our lives. It requires
attention and respect. Most of us are aware of the ways that subtle
senses are utilized to receive guidance. We may hear a song fragment, a
poem, a sound or a quiet voice respond to our prayer or question. How
do we know that this voice is guidance and not our egos? Guides are
never critical, nor will they put us down or advise us to hurt someone
else. A simple litmus test is whether following the guidance makes our
life better. If not, it's our inner critic, not our inner guide. The
bottom line is that if we are not comfortable with the guidance we get,
we always have the option to say goodbye and ask for a different guide.
Spirit communicates in symbols. If we develop an
awareness of personal and archetypal symbols, including (for example)
the meaning of colors, shapes and numbers, these symbols may become a
mutual language between us and our guides. For those with subtle
vision, information can come in both literal and symbolic forms. It is
common for people to see colors and images. For some, a whole
movie-like scene will unfold. A careful study of the image can reveal
the message. Remember that one's personal interpretation of a symbol
takes precedence over someone else's. In receiving guidance, our own
experiences are our foundation.
A relationship with one's guides can be a source of
comfort, peace and understanding. The opening that can develop with
practice brings with it a wonderful sweetness and sense of rightful
belonging, even companionship. With patience, it will become the work
of a lifetime.