Help for Newbie

[sophiana]

um, im a newbie and i dont really understand the conseps of a spirit guide
as you see, i have never been in a group like this before
any ways, what exactly is a spirit guide?
also, how do you contact it?
if anyone can give me a thorough answer, i appreciate it

[Traumwandlerin]

Not everyone believes in a spirit guide, there is not proof they exist, so it's not necessary to have one, unless you want to

A spirit guide is something spiritual (means not physical) which somehow guides you or teaches you things. They can help you with problems, give you insights about yourself, help you in your spiritual healing process, help you in a physical healing process, can teach you spiritual technics, give you energy and so on. Really they can do a lot positive things.

They can come in many forms, human, human-shaped, an animal, a plant, some energy form, just a voice, really anything you can imagine.

And you can contact them in many forms. Most common is Journeying, Trance, Channeling, Meditation, Dreaming and the like, I guess. But there will me more ways to contact them. Again, probably any way you can think of.

I've got three animal guides (only two of them I'm in contact with right now) and I had human-like guide.

[shadowx]

My views on spirit guides are simple, they are just ordinary people like us who look after us. I dont believe it is like "you are born, here are your guides" but rather a relative who has died.

We are all spirits, ghosts are spirits, except we have a physical body and they lost theirs through death. So when we die we become them, hence to me if a protective grandparent dies they might choose to help their living relatives in the spirit world by protecting them from negative energy for example.

A spirit guide isnt some special creature or spirit, it is just as ordinary as.

[reikihealer83]

My views on spirit guides are simple, they are just ordinary people like us who look after us. I dont believe it is like "you are born, here are your guides" but rather a relative who has died.

We are all spirits, ghosts are spirits, except we have a physical body and they lost theirs through death. So when we die we become them, hence to me if a protective grandparent dies they might choose to help their living relatives in the spirit world by protecting them from negative energy for example.

A spirit guide isnt some special creature or spirit, it is just as ordinary as.

That was very well stated shadowx, thank you! I have to agree with you on all but one part. I personally believe that we do have guides from the moment we are born but that is my personal opinion of course

[sophiana]

now im creeped out

[Lost_Demise]

now im creeped out

May I ask why?

[shadowx]

now im creeped out

You are on a forum devoted to witchcraft and spiritual communication and you are creeped out by the idea that a dead person may be watching and following you 24/7?

Interesting...

As for having a spirit guide from when we are born... It is a nice idea but i dont buy it. Like i have said in other places i believe the spiritual realm is normal, just like ours. There are "mediums" there who have the ability to contact us but apart from that the majority are probably oblivious to what happens over here just as i am oblivious to what goes on over there. I would say that *almost* all of us have a "guide" (despite the fact i dont think they guide us at all but merely walk with us as a friend might in this life) from when we are born but it isnt a requirement of life and i think that we could all live happily without a spirit guide.

I believe that they sort of protect us if a negative entity were try to attach itself to us and fill the same sort of role as a grandparent to a child, they enjoy being around us, it is just like me looking out for my friends in this life, i enjoy it, they are part of me and i feel the same is true of spiritual guides, i dont think they are provided or given to us, i think they willingly choose to be with us for as long or short as they desire.

[JuniperBerry]

I don't believe in spirit guides per se, but rather that we have ancestors that look out for us. Whether it's your known Grandmother that recently passed, or some relative from the Middle Ages that feels a connection with you because of some resemblance to their own personality and situation. They tend to be female, as women are the nurturers and care-takers of a family, and are called the Disir. Historically, the dsir was normally the clan priestess or elder that remained to watch over her family after death and to lend them assistance. The Disir are also related in some ways to the Valkyries since these unseen women would watch a man at battle, protect him at times, and then carry him off at death.

As to animal guides- The Vakyrie also relates to the fylgja, as they both appear to their ward at the time of death. Fylgia is said to mean "woman that follows", though it can be in animal form, usually the animal shape you take in a dream. Warriors were said to have Fylgia in the shape of bears or wolves, hence the Beserkr (bear shirt) who fought dressed as an animal and with an animal's rage. From what I gather from the lore, it was most often men who would see the animal fylgja, and this is an omen of death. A man might see a swan, for instance, as he rides to the battle field. (Valkyrie are known as swan-maidens.) Unlike modern neo-pagan beliefs, seeing an animal fylgja, or a spirit guide at all really, is generally a bad omen. I sense in some way it means the veil that separates our organic minds from our spiritual nature is lifting as we prepare to cross-over. Though seeing the fylgja in her female form is usually a good sign.

Also seidhr workers were said to be capable of taking over a animal spirit, Queen Gunnhild appearing as a bird to distract Egil Skallagrimmson. I don't see this as a person having one specific animal guide/spirit that they send into another realm, but the capability to push your will outwards and define a moment.

The Fylgja is also related to the Norn, and every child has one at birth and this Norn assigns their 'fate'. (Think of Sleeping Beauty and the fairy-godmothers). Guardian Angels are also a absorption of this belief.

Just some thoughts.