What does it mean when you don't have a 'spirit guide'?

[Secret_Twilight]

I hope I have the correct forums for this sort of question, this being my first post, but I believe I do because I saw a post about guides below. Ok, on with my very specific, and troubling question..

Now you have to realize with me having just believed all along that I did and always had a guide, this truth came as a rather upsetting fact. Funny, I never thought to ask until age 22.. but it makes sense.

My pendulum goes side ways for no, and circles for yes.

So I ask extensively " Do I have a spirit guide?" "No" "Do I have a guardian angel?" "No" "Do I have anyone from the dimensions watching over me?" " No." "So this means I am without any guides?" "Yes" etc for about 15 minutes with plenty yeses about nothing helping me from the other side in between...

Now, this means not even either one of my parents, who I loved and they loved me very much, are not watching over me. I've always felt alone and out of control (not like wild and crazy, but more like a displaced endlessly lost feeling, disconnection from normality and unable to work within the confines of it ) could this be that I have been dropped here with no aid whatsoever in a life that has been one 'thing' right after the other??? With no protection? No guidance..

What does this mean if you have entirely no help from the other side? Am I cast out? Do I even have a soul? Did my guide abandon me? I never asked for much or sent them away. What do I do now that I know? What does this mean?

I used to hear voices as a young child, but the 'grown ups' taught me to suppress that. I used to catch images from people's thoughts if I'd close my eyes, I could see the outline of the thought they were projecting. But I haven't been able to do that/tried for years. I know what to tell people when they need council about their problems, I know what they are seeking and why they are the way they are pertaining to their question. I have astral projected but not at will. It's always after extensive study and effort, and I do it shortly after I've fallen asleep. Never able to leave the room that my body is in though.. It's like I have powers, but I am trapped, but that is another issue all together. It's just proof that I know something is out there. So I know I'm capable of something, but I just can't -wake up- despite all that I know. It's very frustrating. No one is stopping me from doing this. I live in isolation so it's not like I'm receiving a discouraging message from anyone.

And the truth of I have no guides, is disturbing. I always told myself, no matter how alone I am, I always have my guides.

Anyways, thanks.

[Shanti]

Thats impossible. You always have a guide..your own spirit!!!

Maybe its time to tap into you!!

Your body is not you, you know.
Its a form your spirit inhabits while it experiences this life.

[wolf]

How's about your pendulum is wrong, or tapping into your fears?

Or you're in between guides.

Or they're just shy.

[Secret_Twilight]

It was my belief that you have one, or a few, but in most cases one guide that is with you before you enter the womb until you part from this life. That you approach your guide on the ethereal planes out of trust just before you map out your life path on this earth, no matter how short or long it be. That the guide, in a spiritual bond of agreement, then becomes your medium for speaking with a divine higher council, or what have you, and handles in the affairs of the alteration of your life path, for example if a path you've chosen for yourself is too great for you to handle, or if things just aren't working out right... among other things.

Tell me, is this bull? Why did I have this conception if it was not to include my path? I've been reading on paganism for years (8 on and off), I still don't deem myself worthy of the practice though, even though I have had remarkable results before, but sorting the bull from the actual seems impossible unless you are actually capable of working with the realities on the other side.

Mayhaps my guide swung my pendulum in the wrong direction merely to say to me, " Oh no you don't, I'm not that easy to find. You're going to have to work a lot harder to see me." I can entertain various ideas and reasons, but will I ever find out the true reason, or am I actually guideless? I'm not sure if the pendulum was tapping into an inner fear, I pretty much did the question mindlessly. I also asked afterwords is Hecate real, this signaled a -strong- yes. I have no reason to doubt my pendulum, but I have read that spirit guides can be tricky for all the right reasons, but to be honest, I am not well-read in guides. It's funny Wolf should mention that my guide might be shy, for I have always been so, to the point of public anxiety attacks. That would be funny. Two shy folks trying to communicate. But why do you say in between guides?

I went out and purchased the book: Spirit Guides, Angel Guardians from Richard Webster, just to focus my research on guides. Although I heard Silver Ravenwolf is a far better 'angelologist', but I just had purchased a book from her I have yet to finish in it's massive entirety. Not to say I am going to except everything spoon fed to me from either book. My mind questions -tirelessly- -everything-. If my mind were a football game, one portion of it would be The Atheists, and the other side would be the Witches. *Chuckles.* It's not as fun as it sounds.

But yes, Shanti, I also share this belief as well, that our guides are not our ultimate source of power, that there are a multitude of sources to draw from, be it the self, the cosmos, the earth, the God/Goddess, what ever is more attainable by the individual. I believe that the body is a vessel and the conscious quiets the subconscious as our banality from this world grows on us, and that we are taught from a very young age to suppress our unique qualities. I, at this current state in my life, yet still, am unable to fully understand, and thus am uncertain what works for me, what is 'truth'. I realize I am merely a pup and as impatient as a lot of this stuff can become, I accept that it may be years before I am able/worthy.

But to entertain the basis of the question, at least for theological purposes:
What does it mean if a person is without a spirit guide/aid from the other side what so ever?
Has anyone ever read of such a thing?
What are your thoughts on the individual/the circumstance?

Thank you for your responses and I hope to have many more conversations with you all.

[Autumn]

In close to 20 years of being a witch no spirit guide has ever made itself directly known to me. Indirectly yes, the hair on the back of my neck might stand up or I might KNOW that I have to dig deeper because something's wrong.

Now I can't use a pendulum to save my socks, but I've never taken my lack of guide as any deficiency...

[Xander67]

I believe we all have guides and masters in the other realms and by connecting within our selves through meditation and accessing our higher selves, we are able to communicate and recieve what our guides have for us at that point in our development. I believe it is important now more than ever that we all work towards the development of our light body!

[cydira]

People tend to make a really big deal out of spirit guides. I, for one, don't because while it's nice and all to have a spirit guide they're not essential to my path. Now, if they're essential to *you* path, please disregard what I'm going to say here because it's entirely different from what you apparently need.

Not everyone is going to have a spirit guide, in my opinion and experience. I've also noticed that spirit guides don't always have the answers and sometimes are not so much guides as it is just presences around you that are occasionally helpful. Let me give you an example of this from my own experience.

I have a spirit guide (if you really want to call him that :P) who is a young man and is more prone to giving smart ass responses to the situation then any real help. His efforts to assist are generally ineffective at best, though they're well-intentioned.

I wouldn't say that he is a guide per se but rather a spirit that has attached himself to me. I use the term spirit guide as it has become conventionally applied to any and all spirits that tend to hang around us. For my part, I have several that hang around me and at times do assist me and at times are helpful in acting like cheerleaders for me during rough times in my life.

They're not always there, however. Generally, they are more like the ethereal roommate/best friend that pals around with you nearly everywhere in my experience. At times they are incredibly helpful in providing a new perspective on the problem and at other times, they're not helpful so much as present. And they'll go off and do things on their own, where I don't have the psychic noise of their presence about me. And at times, I will ask them to leave me be. They'll return later but generally they respect my request and go.

My experience is that spirits and angels are entirely different. Angels are alien entities in the sense the way they communicate and look at the world is entirely different from the perspective of humanity. The same for most any other spiritual entity. Where as the spirits who were once living within human bodies are far more approachable and human-like.

It is also my experience that the dead never are the best sources for advice on a situation. Generally, the question to ask is why are they dead and how did it happen? Sometimes, the answer to those questions points at glaring errors in judgment that occurred in their lifetime. While it's possible to learn from one's mistakes and such, is it really wise to trust the guidance of a person whose own errors lead to their demise? For my part, I take the advice of the dead with a grain of salt on many, many different topics.

And, as I said earlier, I don't think everyone is going to have a spirit guide. I don't think that not having one is a bad thing. I think it has the potential to be a good thing. Sometimes the spirits that are about you are not there because you need their help. Sometimes, they are there because they need your help. Sometimes they are there because they just want to visit with some one and sometimes they're around for reasons that they refuse to share.

Generally, I've found that spirits are around us because of a few different reasons. One is that we've agreed to have their presence about us at one point in time. Second, they're about because they are friends of ours, though we may not recall it during our incarnation and they just want to hang out. (This is where it's helpful to remember that time is different to the dead and most spiritual beings and a lifetime of 80 years may be a couple days or hours to them.)

Now, as for the pendulum matter, I feel a need to point out that if you have deep seated beliefs on a given matter that you're questioning the pendulumn on, they will influence the answer the pendulumn gives you. If you believe that you don't have spirit guides and you believe it in the same way that a person with very low self esteem believes they are ugly, the pendulumn's answer to a question about having spirit guides is going to reflect that.

Given what you've said about how your psychic gifts were approached by others as a kid, I'd find a different method to get this question answered and then get a second opinion. Runes and tarot are a little harder to influence but can still have that reflected in the interpretation. The divination method of scrying is even easier to influence with your deep seated opinions and beliefs no matter if you're using the methods of a mirror, bowl of water, or a gazing crystal (or crystal ball).

It sounds like you've got a block in place on some of your psychic gifts that you put up to keep yourself from using them and there by keep yourself safe when you were younger. It takes some effort to remove that block and generally it requires working out why that block is in place to begin with. In my case, the blocks that I have in my own psychic abilities (which I'm slowly making progress in resolving) are tied to my PTSD and various traumas that I've experienced.

At one point I had a block on my ability to hear or see spirits. This turned out to be tied to when I was rather severely punished for it by an abusive family member. I 'turned it off' rather then face getting punished again. The same is true for my telepathy, which I'm making strides in resolving even as I work thru the trauma of the abuse that I experienced when I was around 5 years old.

The psychic abilities are still there. Our ability to use them is hampered by the coping mechanisim we used to protect ourselves from them (the block) and the lack of use for an extended period of time. It's much like having your arm immobilized for a significant period of time. The muscles are still there and the nerves are still intact. There will be difficulty in using your arm, however, because the muscles will be weak and your ability to control them will have diminished some from the lack of use.

You can regain your psychic abilities, just be patient and gentle with yourself.

[Morgaine_cla]

Greetings,

I feel sure I've posted at length on the subject of Guides elsewhere in the Forum, so I'm a bit hesitant to "hold forth" on the same subject at length again, but in brief, you do have a higher self that guides you. As for other beings or entities as guides, the need depends upon the spiritual practice. Personally, I think anyone who wanders around the Otherworld doing shamanistic work without guides is taking foolish and unnecessary risks, but I see no reason one would need guides to do other things, like basic spellwork, for instance.

You probably know this already, but you'd be surprised how many people don't (or simply don't bother). I was taught by a hereditary Irish dowser and he was quite right... When dowsing it is always good to start the session (after you've asked to see "yes,", "no", and "scan") by asking "Can I dowse," "Should I dowse", "Should I dowse today"? If you get a "no" for any of these questions, put the rods and pendulum away... There are also tests you can do to determine if your mind is scripting the answers you are getting. If there is any doubt, check, and if you're scripting put the tools away for awhile or have someone less invested in the answer dowse for you.

Is it possible that the issue lies with the way you were stating the questions?... Formulating really effective questions (so that the answers are not ambiguous and don't refer to something other than we intended) is the hardest part of learning to dowse. It's much harder than one might expect! In any event, I seriously doubt that there is anything *wrong* with you or that you have been "cast out". You seem far to intelligent, level-headed, and sincere for that!

Hope this helps!

[feralmama]

Is the pendulum something you're used to using with usual success? Some tools of divination just don't synch with everyone- I'm great with tarot, ruins, bird and animal augury, lots of other divination in general- but pendulums... I can't get anywhere with them. No accuracy, nothing making sense. So I gave up on them i favor of methods that work better for me.

Other than that, I think there are a lot of great answers already here that I can't improve on. :)

Oh, here's one thing- you might try working from the assumption that actually you do have a guide, and decide you will get a sign about it, if not from your guide, then about your guide.

[MonSno_LeeDra]

You know one of the major errors or problems with doing a thing on yourself is that we often do not seperate the assumption of a thing from the realility of it. Our beliefs color or ideas or notions and infuse the item we are devining with.

You ask a question and get a no answer so assume the worst. Yet was the truth no or only your notion of what a thing is or was?

For years I had gone on the notion I did not have a thing because a divination said so. Yet it was years later when I realized the answer had to be no for it was divining against what I believe and knew to be truth, which was wrong in its content. So the divination told me the truth of my question as defined by my beliefs and expectations.

Yet when I again asked after the realization and aceptance of that fact I discovere it had always been there, I simply did not recognize it for what it was. I had been so preoccupied with what I though it should be I was unable to see what it actually was.

You want a true reading let another read for you and if it again comes up no then perhaps, but I really doubt that will happen for thier readings will not be colored by your own energy impacting upon your reading.

[Dio]

But to entertain the basis of the question, at least for theological purposes:
What does it mean if a person is without a spirit guide/aid from the other side what so ever?
Has anyone ever read of such a thing?
What are your thoughts on the individual/the circumstance?

Thank you for your responses and I hope to have many more conversations with you all.

My mind has that same football game on, and I totally understand what you're going through. :P

Shanti did say it very simply and sweetly. Look to yourself. But not just in the sense that you fundamentally know that you have your own spirit or soul. But in a sense that you have your own truth.

We think that in order to practice any spiritual path, we need to be able to have the same experiences that every book says we should have. We believe our experiences should reflect other's experiences. We believe we should do everything that the book says. Then if it doesn't work for you that way, well...I guess you're not a real witch/shaman/spiritual seer/ etc. We trick ourselves too much by reading too much into books, or believing too much what other people say, or even believing a divinitory tool when this situation probably doesn't warrant the use of one.

You seem like a highly intelligent young woman, so I can imagine you will probably be questioning like this for a long time. That's good. I understand how dissappointing it can seem to feel as though all those wonderful spiritual ideals may be for naught. I don't really have a good answer for that. Spiritual growth is painful and confusing sometimes. It's up to you to figure these questions out for yourself, and understand that it is completely normal (I hate using that word!) to go through these things. You're a free-thinker, so naturally a lot of things you read or hear elsewhere may not really ring true for you.

Don't get too discouraged. You may or may not have a spirit guide. We're all in the same boat :) The difference may be, that in your case, when you figure it out, you REALLY figured it out....for yourself. At that point you will have an unswaying belief in something that is purely yours. That's pretty powerful :)

[feralmama]

You know what I didn't even mention. I've never felt as if I had spirit guide, but it never bothered me. I feel often that I'm guided in some way, that something is watching out for me because wow were there times I should have bought the farm or ended up worse off than I did. However, I have not once felt the presence of any 'spirit guide' or needed to.

I do let animal spirits guide me, but it's not the same thing as what people talk about when they say "my spirit guide".

Does it really matter if one knows about their supposed spirit guide? I don't think it does. We're not all on the same path. I'm fine without that kind of interaction. I look to myself, my ancestors, the animals, and the gods, and it's been more than enough.

[Scott Hill]

Just to chime in on the idea of spirit guides - I have dozens, and I've been told that it's probably because I'm weak, and I need a large team on my side to function :).

It might help to think about how you define "spirit guide". For instance, one of the threads above talked about guides as intermediaries between ourselves and deities - if you believe this and you speak directly to a deity, you may well have no need of a guide. To me, guides are just about anything that lives in the world of the spirit - seriously, one of my guides is fungus spirit. And they tend to work with me not simply because I need them, but because we can learn something from each other.

I also believe that you may have confused your pendulum - and that the pendulum isn't the best device for your particular questions. In fact, while I like using the pendulum in certain circumstances, I often prefer to use it as a secondary device (something that gives me extra details when I'm reading with the tarot, runes, etc., but not something that I generally use on its own). It's very possible that you confused your pendulum/higher self when you framed your questions.

Whether or not you choose to use another type of divination - and whether or not you perform it yourself or let someone else perform it - you might consider other ways of framing your questions. Some possibilities might be...

Do I need a guide right now?
How could I benefit a guide?
Do I need to hone my skills to properly communicate with a guide? If so, how?
Is my guide operating my pendulum (tarot, scrying, etc.)?
Is my guide a trickster figure?

If you feel most comfortable with the pendulum, then you may well want to begin in your comfort zone. If so, perhaps you should start by asking your pendulum, "Is the pendulum the best tool to answer my questions?", "What is the best device (you may need to let the pendulum give you a yes/no for several possible options here)?" and "Should I choose another person to help me answer this question?"

Thank you for posting about this topic, as I think a lot of people have deep questions about it. I wish you the very best.

[Scott Hill]

I just had a couple of brief afterthoughts after posting that.

Another good question might be, "Am I resisting my spirit guide(s) in some way?"

Also, you mentioned Ravenwolf and Webster. I've read one of Webster's books (on color magic). I didn't always agree with him on everything; there is no author with whom I agree 100% of the time. Still, I thought he was a competent writer who offered valuable insight. Personally, though, I can't recommend Ravenwolf's writing. I've tried reading a couple of her books. Besides my feeling that she's not entirely competent when working with magic, I have several grave reservations about her ethics.

But that's just my opinion.

[wolf]

A large number of guides is not an indication of weakness
But it could mean that one has a number of different lessons to learn.

[Lunacie]

Just to chime in on the idea of spirit guides - I have dozens, and I've been told that it's probably because I'm weak, and I need a large team on my side to function :).

It might help to think about how you define "spirit guide". For instance, one of the threads above talked about guides as intermediaries between ourselves and deities - if you believe this and you speak directly to a deity, you may well have no need of a guide. To me, guides are just about anything that lives in the world of the spirit - seriously, one of my guides is fungus spirit. And they tend to work with me not simply because I need them, but because we can learn something from each other.

I also believe that you may have confused your pendulum - and that the pendulum isn't the best device for your particular questions. In fact, while I like using the pendulum in certain circumstances, I often prefer to use it as a secondary device (something that gives me extra details when I'm reading with the tarot, runes, etc., but not something that I generally use on its own). It's very possible that you confused your pendulum/higher self when you framed your questions.

Whether or not you choose to use another type of divination - and whether or not you perform it yourself or let someone else perform it - you might consider other ways of framing your questions. Some possibilities might be...

Do I need a guide right now?
How could I benefit a guide?
Do I need to hone my skills to properly communicate with a guide? If so, how?
Is my guide operating my pendulum (tarot, scrying, etc.)?
Is my guide a trickster figure?

If you feel most comfortable with the pendulum, then you may well want to begin in your comfort zone. If so, perhaps you should start by asking your pendulum, "Is the pendulum the best tool to answer my questions?", "What is the best device (you may need to let the pendulum give you a yes/no for several possible options here)?" and "Should I choose another person to help me answer this question?"

Thank you for posting about this topic, as I think a lot of people have deep questions about it. I wish you the very best.

Those are excellent questions. Sometimes it really helps to look at an issue from a different perspective - or to broaden the question beyond "yes or no". :thumbsup:




You know what I didn't even mention. I've never felt as if I had spirit guide, but it never bothered me. I feel often that I'm guided in some way, that something is watching out for me because wow were there times I should have bought the farm or ended up worse off than I did. However, I have not once felt the presence of any 'spirit guide' or needed to.

I do let animal spirits guide me, but it's not the same thing as what people talk about when they say "my spirit guide".

Does it really matter if one knows about their supposed spirit guide? I don't think it does. We're not all on the same path. I'm fine without that kind of interaction. I look to myself, my ancestors, the animals, and the gods, and it's been more than enough.

I thought this was very helpful for me. I see other who talk about having a spirit guide and wondered why I don't have that same kind of connection with a spirit (although I have had some great guidance from animal guides!). I think that for me perhaps, I don't need that presence, that conversation, that my guide works with my subconscious more and leads me through my intuition.

Shanti would probably say that's just my own spirit, but I see all Spirit as being interconnected in some way. So whether it's my own inner spirit or some ancestor spirit or something else entirely (maybe even a whole slew of something elses), it's been working fairly well for me so I don't suppose at this point I will make any demands that Spirit begin speaking to me in a different way. :chatty:

[Scott Hill]

Yep - I do have a LOT of lessons to learn! But it's probably a good thing that I'm aware of it :).

[aluokaloo]

it could mean that you need to contact them before you meet them

it could mean that your spirit guide is you and that your the best guide for yourself.

it could also mean that subconsciously your afraid that you don't have one at all or are very skeptical (nothing wrong with that) and that could be undermining the whole thing.

divination is not full-proof btw. and nothings written in stone

[MankyCat]

I've known people without guides. I've known people with "newly acquired" guides. I've known people who had certain guides for years.

It's very possibly you simply just don't need one, and that's not necessarily a bad thing!

[Deerwoman]

It depends on what type of witch or pagan you are whether you need a spirit guide at all. If you are a pagan, but not a priest or priestess or practicing witch and do not work with spirits or the otherworlds, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you're not actively practicing magic regularly, spirits will not be drawn to you. Some spirits are not strong enough to travel where they will or between worlds, which may be why your parent's aren't with you. For practitioners who have ancestors as spirit guides, those ancestors were usually also magical practitioners and schooled in walking between worlds.

If you believe you do need a spirit guide and none has come to you, then you have to go out and get one on your own. Depending on what path you follow this could involve anything from inviting an ancestor to be your guide and residing in an object or container on your altar (the new "home" must be consecrated in ritual), or travelling to the otherworld to seek out spirit guide if you follow a more shamanic or hedge-witch path. You could also perform a ritual asking your gods to send you a guide. Whatever fits into your personal practice. Once you have a spirit guide remember to treat them well, talk to them regularly, give plenty of offerings especially before and after asking for help - do not allow them to be forgotten or mistreated as they may leave or turn on you. They are as much a responsibility as they are a help.

I believed I didn't have a spirit guide, but later realized the same spirit had been following me for 5 years. They had to show up to me in their true form to get me to wake up and pay attention, and now that I know they're there I work with them and give them offerings regularly. Sometimes a spirit marks you and watches you, but doesn't get involved until you are ready.

[roguetamlin]

In close to 20 years of being a witch no spirit guide has ever made itself directly known to me. Indirectly yes, the hair on the back of my neck might stand up or I might KNOW that I have to dig deeper because something's wrong.

Now I can't use a pendulum to save my socks, but I've never taken my lack of guide as any deficiency...

Yeah same here and I just don't trust pendulums.

As for spirit guides specifically, it sounds like the OP was taught to shut out spirits and will need to learn how to hear them all over again. This is more common than I think people realize. As I said, I don't hear spirit guides but after working next to channellers a lot I know when they're around (back of neck too, Autumn). I don't what they are precisely, but I advise the OP to learn how to channel so she can control who comes visiting.

[Nesta]

I've been a witch for about 18 years and I've never had a spirit guide. If it's ever supposed to happen it will, in time. I just trust my instinct. I get tingles down my back when I'm supposed to pay attention.

[BearDancing]

I beleive we all have guides....it is whether we are open to receive the guidance or not....many feel they are the director of the great play of life...*raises eyebrows and smiles*

[Dumunzi]

I really don't adhere to any of it. If anything is watching over us in any way shape or forum I sincerely doubt were able to or suppose to communicate with it.

[Mylene]

you have a protective spirit, we all have. it keeps you away from troubles. One day concentrate and say thank you to it, it is going to be a wonderful experience for the spirit.. trust it ...
most of the times it is connected with sb who loved you very very much in another life and is still close to you ...
if you ever find yourself to have the urge to speak to sb who is not there it is the spirit..

[Allytria]

Ew silver ravenwolf. No me gusta.

[LunarSoldier]

I hope I have the correct forums for this sort of question, this being my first post, but I believe I do because I saw a post about guides below. Ok, on with my very specific, and troubling question..

Now you have to realize with me having just believed all along that I did and always had a guide, this truth came as a rather upsetting fact. Funny, I never thought to ask until age 22.. but it makes sense.

My pendulum goes side ways for no, and circles for yes.

So I ask extensively " Do I have a spirit guide?" "No" "Do I have a guardian angel?" "No" "Do I have anyone from the dimensions watching over me?" " No." "So this means I am without any guides?" "Yes" etc for about 15 minutes with plenty yeses about nothing helping me from the other side in between...

Now, this means not even either one of my parents, who I loved and they loved me very much, are not watching over me. I've always felt alone and out of control (not like wild and crazy, but more like a displaced endlessly lost feeling, disconnection from normality and unable to work within the confines of it ) could this be that I have been dropped here with no aid whatsoever in a life that has been one 'thing' right after the other??? With no protection? No guidance..

What does this mean if you have entirely no help from the other side? Am I cast out? Do I even have a soul? Did my guide abandon me? I never asked for much or sent them away. What do I do now that I know? What does this mean?

I used to hear voices as a young child, but the 'grown ups' taught me to suppress that. I used to catch images from people's thoughts if I'd close my eyes, I could see the outline of the thought they were projecting. But I haven't been able to do that/tried for years. I know what to tell people when they need council about their problems, I know what they are seeking and why they are the way they are pertaining to their question. I have astral projected but not at will. It's always after extensive study and effort, and I do it shortly after I've fallen asleep. Never able to leave the room that my body is in though.. It's like I have powers, but I am trapped, but that is another issue all together. It's just proof that I know something is out there. So I know I'm capable of something, but I just can't -wake up- despite all that I know. It's very frustrating. No one is stopping me from doing this. I live in isolation so it's not like I'm receiving a discouraging message from anyone.

And the truth of I have no guides, is disturbing. I always told myself, no matter how alone I am, I always have my guides.

Anyways, thanks.

Hi,

Don't listen to it.

You have spirit guides and you're not left out.

Pendulums don't give truths and sometimes these tools can be very harmful. Either negative spirits respond to you or the pendulum is reacting to your own fears. I think it's the latter.

There are ways of contacting your spirit guide and it isn't the pendulum or anything else like a ouija board.

[Neville]

I do not wish to be dismissive or kill any more threads, However once again this question asked .


What does it mean when you don't have a 'spirit guide'?

It means you are not aware of your Spirit Guide..That's all...Nothing more,nothing less.

Toodle pip Neville xxx

[Burning Angel]

Hi,

Don't listen to it.

You have spirit guides and you're not left out.

Pendulums don't give truths and sometimes these tools can be very harmful. Either negative spirits respond to you or the pendulum is reacting to your own fears. I think it's the latter.

There are ways of contacting your spirit guide and it isn't the pendulum or anything else like a ouija board.

Pendulums are actually a surprisingly effective divination tool - it all depends on who's using what tool as to how good the results of that particular divination are :)

By Star And Sword,
~Jon~ :boing:

[Torey]

People fall into a dangerous trap of thinking that religious experiences 'have to' be a certain way or that they 'have to' experience the same things as everyone else. Not everyone is the same. We can only perceive things as only we can! What others have doesn't matter. It could be that you don't have a spirit guide yet or that you may never have one. You don't judge your self-worth on whether or not some spirit wants to 'guide' you. I always say if and when the time is right, things will happen. If they don't, then so be it.

[RubyFire]

I hope I have the correct forums for this sort of question, this being my first post, but I believe I do because I saw a post about guides below. Ok, on with my very specific, and troubling question..

Now you have to realize with me having just believed all along that I did and always had a guide, this truth came as a rather upsetting fact. Funny, I never thought to ask until age 22.. but it makes sense.

My pendulum goes side ways for no, and circles for yes.

So I ask extensively " Do I have a spirit guide?" "No" "Do I have a guardian angel?" "No" "Do I have anyone from the dimensions watching over me?" " No." "So this means I am without any guides?" "Yes" etc for about 15 minutes with plenty yeses about nothing helping me from the other side in between...

Now, this means not even either one of my parents, who I loved and they loved me very much, are not watching over me. I've always felt alone and out of control (not like wild and crazy, but more like a displaced endlessly lost feeling, disconnection from normality and unable to work within the confines of it ) could this be that I have been dropped here with no aid whatsoever in a life that has been one 'thing' right after the other??? With no protection? No guidance..

What does this mean if you have entirely no help from the other side? Am I cast out? Do I even have a soul? Did my guide abandon me? I never asked for much or sent them away. What do I do now that I know? What does this mean?

I used to hear voices as a young child, but the 'grown ups' taught me to suppress that. I used to catch images from people's thoughts if I'd close my eyes, I could see the outline of the thought they were projecting. But I haven't been able to do that/tried for years. I know what to tell people when they need council about their problems, I know what they are seeking and why they are the way they are pertaining to their question. I have astral projected but not at will. It's always after extensive study and effort, and I do it shortly after I've fallen asleep. Never able to leave the room that my body is in though.. It's like I have powers, but I am trapped, but that is another issue all together. It's just proof that I know something is out there. So I know I'm capable of something, but I just can't -wake up- despite all that I know. It's very frustrating. No one is stopping me from doing this. I live in isolation so it's not like I'm receiving a discouraging message from anyone.

And the truth of I have no guides, is disturbing. I always told myself, no matter how alone I am, I always have my guides.

Anyways, thanks.
Did you have an "imaginary friend" as a child? I'm guessing that when you asked you only had Human types in mind, or am I wrong? Did you draw anything as a child? Were you ever 'rescued' in a nightmare by someone? If yes, did you see the same being in more than 1 dream or nightmare? If yes, that might be your guide/astral companion.

[sara hernandez]

:hi5::hairred:Dear friend; I know what your tolking about, I will be lost without my gardian angel, my advice to you is that your have to ask for a gardian angel, than you can ask what you spect from hem keep on traing until you got a sign from hem , or ask to get it when he comes in to life. tolk to hem all the time it will be the best frien you'l ever have.
blessed be:boing:

[Newbieoffractals]

Not every pagan faith has a spirit guide. Hekate might be the Goddess watching over you, but she's not just there for you and such and isn't taking you as her own. The Gods watch over you, you watch over yourself,but no one watches over you except yourself in the most simple of matters.

I personally don't have a spirit guide, and as a result, I thought that Gods didn't exist for several years. I then saw that the Gods appear to me themselves, to give advice, but aren't just there for the taking of constant need.

As so far as childhood imaginary friends go... Well, I was friends with a land spirit as a child, and she is NOT a guide towards me. She just lived near me and befriended me. I've seen her since I've moved, but rarely and only outdoors casually.

[meowmeow]

I don't have a guide either, really. They would make life alot more bearable.. But not everyone has one. :(

[Wandering Bear]

What does this mean?

In my experience, not everyone has a spirit ally (or spirit guide, as you call them). Spirit allies are not arbitrarily given out to people at birth. A spirit ally is simply a spirit that allies itself with a living being for some reason. Usually, the spirit sees a kindred soul within the living being. Also, you can always gain and lose spirit allies; and you do not need one, though they are helpful.

My advice, if you want a spirit ally, begin studying shamanism or astral projection, and eventually you may find one. Be aware, however, these practices are not completely safe as many people nowadays seem to claim, they can be quite risky.

[AlAskendir]

using a pendulum to communicate with my subconscious! But you have to keep in mind 'the nature of the beast'. When you do this pendulum practise, do you make it a point to ask your subconscious "Do you know that I love you?", "Do you understand that I cherish having you as a part of my team?", "Do you know how much I value you?"

I think perhaps you have not. I think perhaps you have gotten to the point that the answers come so easily that you are not only taking the answers for granted, you are coming to take the process for granted, and the source of the answers for granted. Your subconscious manages your entire body, all of your involuntary reactions, your memory, your imagination, all of your psychic senses, and contact with your higher self. But it has the 'innocent' mentality of a child. Do you interact with children much? They can easily jump to conclusions about how you feel about them if you do not make them aware of how you actually feel often, and they can easily become angered, malicious, and hurtful. You've been thinking of your question, your subconscious knows what you are going to ask, and it knows which answer you want to 'hear'.

Every incarnated being on the planet has not only 'A' Spirit Guide, but an 'entourage' of hundreds of Spirits, happily ready to help you or be of use to you at any time. The answer can be 'no', and be truthful - - - you don't have 'a' spirit guide, you have hundreds!!!

But remember the nature of your subconscious. Start making sure that it knows that you love it. Spend time thinking about what an excellent job it does for you, cherishing it, praising it, and thanking it. Be ready, when you ask: "Do you know I love you?" to get an intensely positive response. That would be the time to ask if you have an entourage of hundreds of spirits. Forget completely any ideas of 'punishing' it or 'taking it to task'. Just find a way to become more positive with it and go forward.

I read the other responses on this post and quite a few were excellent! How DO you define 'Spirit Guide'? Are you sure that your subconscious is defining it the same way?
If there is a better way of coming to fully know some thing that is in your life than loving it and thanking it, I don't know what that would be.

Decide that you DO have a spirit-guide, and make-up a name. Send her/ him love for whole minutes at a time, every day. Follow that with joy that s/he exists, and gratitude for being your spirit guide. Give that a few weeks, and then ask questions about him/ her with your pendulum.

[RocknRoll_Goddess85]

I haven't read all the posts here so if I say something that has already been said, I'm sorry.

We have spirits around us at all times. Now the problem is that we don't always have the abilities to speak to them or what not. But any dead relatives that we have and any ancestors that decided to not take the human experiance with us agian, show up alot to check up on things going on in our lives. They may not be spirit guides but they are defeniately helpful when you get there signals. (I don't like the term spirit guide anyway, but that's for a whole nother reason.)

I don't personally like pendulums, pretty much for the same reason I don't always like Ouija boards. There is just too much room for user error, experically when it comes to how much our emotions are put into the questions. Hope this helped some!

Cheers!!

[phathead]

Coming from the Afro-Cuban Lukumi perspective, I have to agree with Neville. The first bit of advice I would give is do not attempt to divine this for yourself. Find a well established experienced reader who is respected in their particular path and community, whether a spiritualist, initiated priest or whatever. Also, try to create a continuous, meditative dialogue - minus any preconceived expectations, with your ancestors....aunts, uncles, parents, grandparents,etc. all can be a huge source of help in opening up to spirit.(yes, even the bad ones)

[LadyDryad]

Personally, I don't have any spirit guides that I am actively aware of and work with, but that's just me.

As for your pendulum...if you're already worried that you may not have a spirit guide, your pendulum will pick up on that negative energy, and won't give you a straight answer to save your life.

[calamedes]

I admit, I'm not sure what I'd do without my guide. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. It could be in the form of God, an angel, a mythological creature, an animal, etc.

Mine, for example, is a wolf who doesn't talk much but is always there to guide me along the right path and give me the strength and stamina to keep going.

I'm sure if you ask for one, somebody/something is bound to answer your prayers. On the upside, if you really don't have one, then maybe you don't need it; you may be strong enough to survive on your own. :thumbsup:

[hypno_cossak]

To the ones looking for their spirit guide, and the ones who feel they do not have one.


To the ones looking for their spirit guide, and the ones who feel they do not have one.

I am a CHt, Certified Hypnotherapist. I’ve done many amazing things with hypnosis, that more often have shocked me. However, I am only now shocked at what can be achieved under trance. I will save for a later post, all of the myths about hypnosis, and just lots of other things.

We all have a sprit guide. For a long time I’ve been on the fence as to weather or not, they come in the form of animals, or human-like. I feel, the guides take what ever form, that might be welcomed by us. Per our teachings, some faiths, see animals (Heavy in the American Indians). If you grew up with Judo-Christian, Islamic, Buda or others that had God as the “big guy.” Its not uncommon to see your sprit guide as a “person.” Angel, or human formed being. Lets not forget, energy is more or less mystic-play doh.

I am going to discuss something that, many of you might not be really able to follow but, I heartily recommend reading, “Live between Lives by Edgar Casey.” Not to short change his teachings (READ THE BOOK), but the idea is thus.

Each and every time, we come back to Earth, after we die, its for a reason. Something we did not learn, or something we have to relearn, ect. But, in that limbo stage, is were we are able to go over what did not go so well in this life. We are taught things. We pick our total lives, day in and day out, from the moment of birth, to death; and means off. As random and chaotic as our lives might be, or feel. We planed it that way. Our spirit guides, are the ones who are here to point us along, sometimes when we get a feeling to do something, its more often then not, them letting you know something is up.

How to get in touch with your spirit guide. Something I use in my practice to help people.

I usually have a half hour induction, when working with clients. So, this is self paced. DON'T GET DISHEARTENED if it does not work the first time. Anything worth while is not achieved over night. Also, don't force yourself to "see things" or read into things. Your experience will be real, and it wont have to be thinking about it.







Introduction.


They lived their life, performed their tasks, died, and crossed over to the Other Side. Some choose to come back, to reincarnate in a new life, in a new place. Others, however, make the choice to remain in Spirit so they can learn and spiritually advance while helping others still living to learn their life's lessons. This is a Spirit Guide.
Spirit Guides, as former human beings, are well aware of the problems we face in our everyday, mundane lives. They were once concerned with very similar matters. They tend to have their own special areas of expertise, often based on past personal experiences or careers they have had in a past life.
Your Spirit Guide, unlike your Guardian Angel, comes & goes in your life. A Guardian Angel is with you from birth until death. A Spirit Guide, on the other hand, comes into your life when an issue arises that falls under a guide's field of expertise. So, Spirit Guides often come and go, changing as the situations in your life change, and as you change and grow, you attract new guides to you.
Your Spirit Guide is always there to help you. This is their sole purpose, to offer the living their help and guidance. However, as spirits, they operate on a higher vibrational frequency than mortals do, so the majority of us cannot see them, cannot hear them, and cannot sense their presence.
So, how do we know when a Spirit Guide is trying to make contact with us?
Unless you are fairly intuitive, most of us are not consciously aware of when a Guide attempts to make contact with us. Think of the random thoughts that occur to your throughout you day. Hmm, no, that's too much. What about the random thoughts that occur to you in just 3 minutes?
Take this simple test. Try to focus & sustain your thought on one goal:


"I wish to make contact with my Spirit Guide."
Do this now. I'll wait right here.


tick .... tick ....... tick .... tock ......... tick ......... tick ..... tick
All right, 3 minutes have passed. How many of you were able to sustain the thought:


"I wish to make contact with my Spirit Guide"
for 3 minutes without having a single unrelated thought enter your head??? I'm willing to bet very few of you were able to do this, unless you already practice some form of meditation or guided visualization techniques.
You see, your brain is like a giant sieve. It processes input continuously while you are awake and even when you are asleep. Unless you perform this simple exercise inside a sensory deprivation chamber, other thoughts are going to occur to you. For example, I also tried this exercise. I do not meditate, however I practice visualization & focusing techniques when I perform spells & readings. Yet, when I did this simple exercise here are some thoughts that occurred to me in ONLY 3 minutes:


my wrist itches


what will I make for dinner?


the air conditioner seems extra loud


I hope my daughter doesn't interrupt me


someone's mowing their lawn
You probably had a very similar experience, perhaps not the same thoughts as I (now that would be something!), but I am sure some random thoughts interrupted your focus. This is normal because this is just how the brain works. When this occurs, merely bring your thoughts to focus back on your objective:


"I wish to make contact with my Spirit Guide."
In time, you will find that you are capable of sustaining this thought for longer periods of time before random thoughts begin to enter your head. When you actually do attempt to make contact with your Guide, the ability to focus becomes very important.

Do's and Don't's of Spirit Guide Contact -
1) DON'T expect any famous historical personages, dead rock stars, or religious icons to put in an appearance.
All of these cases have been known to happen, but in the first two instances this is usually our ego wishing for contact with such a person like Cleopatra, Michelangelo, John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, etc ... And religious figures; such as, Christ, the Virgin Mary, Buddha, Krishna, and others, can be Guides, but usually this will not be the very first Guide to make their presence known to you.
2) DO a simple protection ritual (see below) before you begin. This is of vital importance in order to keep spirits of lower vibrational frequencies away from you during your session. Such spirits are often lost on the Earth plane unaware that they are dead, or they could even be demonic in nature. A simple protection ritual will safeguard you against any undesirable spirit encounters.
3) DON'T have any preconceived notions of who or what your Spirit Guide may be. This could lead to a great big disappointment. A client of mine took my Spirit Guide class convinced her guide would be some person of renown from ancient Greece, since that is where her interests lay. Instead, she got a talking beaver!!! Imagine her surprise! However, the beaver had many important things to say and still offers his guidance to her to this day. This is a case of a Totem Animal, which is an Animal Spirit who acts as a Guide.
4) DO always prepare for the unexpected. Turn the ringer off on the phone, put the volume of the answering machine on zero, lock the door, if others are in the house ask them to please not disturb you for any reason - unless the house is burning down, of course. Make sure you are seated in a comfortable position and that you have pen or pencil and paper handy to write down any impressions or messages you may receive.
5) DON'T share what you are doing with others who are not of like mind. Ridicule and disbelief will undermine your attempts by introducing negative energy into an otherwise very positive and uplifting experience.
6) DO keep a special book set aside to be used as a journal in which you note all of your spiritual encounters. This journal will prove to be an invaluable source of information to you over the coming weeks, months, even years.
7) DON'T expect your Guide to be able to foretell the future by asking him or her, "when will I win the lottery?" Guides do not foretell the future unless that was part of their personal expertise while alive. They also will not know what the winning lotto numbers for the upcoming lotto drawing will be. Believe me, I've tried this more than once!!
8) DO believe you will make contact. For some, contact occurs with the very first session, for others, it can take weeks, but persistence always pays off, so just stick to it and your Spirit Guide will make him or herself known to you.

A Basic Protection Spell Prior to Making Contact -

First, prepare by making sure you will not be disturbed. Turn the ringer off on the phone, put the answering machine on low volume, lock the door or put a "do not disturb" sign on the door in which you'll be attempting to contact your Spirit Guides, and go to the bathroom before you begin. You do not want to be disturbed by the urge to relieve yourself.
The materials you need to have with you for every session include:
· a comfortable place to sit while meditating. Remember after your session you'll be writing in this same spot, too.
· comfortable clothing
· a blanket (in case you get cold while meditating - this is common)
· pen or pencil
· paper or notebook
· any spiritual or religious Symbols that you wish (optional)
· candle and/or incense to help create the "mood" (optional)

Once you have all your items set up the way you want them, if you are using a candle and/or incense, light it first. I really do recommend at least the use of a candle. I use the flame to focus on while I meditate and it helps to create a more spiritual atmosphere. Personally, I do not use incense while meditating just because the scent distracts me, but this is a personal preference. Some people cannot meditate without burning incense, so the choice is yours.
For your candle, you can really use any shape or size. The best colors to use are, in order of spiritual preference:
· purple (for higher guidance & protection)
· white (same)
· yellow (mental pursuits)
· blue (spiritual pursuits)
It does not matter if your candle is scented or not, unless, like me, you find scent distracting. If you do, then don't use a scented candle.
As you focus on the flame, imagine yourself in a quiet place. You may have a favorite place or somewhere you loved to go as a child that was quiet & secluded. Bring that place to mind and focus on it. It can be anything ranging from sitting under a tree to being in an Egyptian temple (my personal favorite) or anything in between. Just make sure that whatever your imagining includes only you & your surroundings. If you're imagining your old tree house you had as a kid, don't also imagine all your childhood friends there with you.
As you have your ideal quiet place in mind gently send out your intention:
"I wish to contact my Spirit Guide."
Focus again on the flame if you find your mind is wandering. Don't stop, just re-focus on the flame and continue. As you do, say this simple invocation for Protection:
"O holy Mother/Father God <Jesus, Mary, Isis, Whomever you wish> I ask for your protective White Light to surround me & my home. I ask for your protection at this time. I open my heart, mind, and spirit to any knowledge Sent to me by Spirits or Angels of the Light. Only Beings of Light shall be allowed to enter my sacred space. No Being of negative or mal intent is allowed to enter. I open myself to my Spirit Guides & Angels As I ask for their Guidance & Advice at this time." Remain focused upon your candle flame, imagine your special place, and simply sit and wait for your Spirit Guide to arrive.
Please try not to have any preconceived notions of what your Spirit Guide should look like because this can severely limit your experience. You just never know who may come through. Some Guides do not even appear in human form. They may appear as a mist, a ball of light, I had one appear to me as a talking waterfall. Just remember the most important thing is to maintain an open mind and to be receptive and accepting of whoever comes through for you.
Once your Spirit Guide appears, introduce yourself. Even though they already know who you are, it never hurts to use good manners. Then ask them who they are. Wait for a name. One will be provided. Tell yourself you will remember the name so you can write it down once your session is over.
Next, ask your Guide if he/she has any advice to impart to you at this time. Many times, for this first visit the Guide simply makes their presence known and won't have a real message for you. If that is the case, do not despair. Next time your Guide will have something of importance to say to you.
Once your Guide has imparted their message to you, be sure to thank them, then will yourself back to your normal state of consciousness.
Now that your meditation with your Spirit Guide is over, once you are feeling comfortable, write down everything you remember about your Guide. Start with their name, if they told you, then go on to describe as detailed as you can how they dressed. The manner in which a Spirit Guide dresses will give you a lot of information about what type of culture they come from and also information on the time period of their last incarnation. Also be sure to write down anything your Guide told you, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you now. Later on it may become very important.
Once you have established contact with your Spirit Guide, be sure to play close attention to your dreams. You may wish to keep a recorder or journal next to your bed so you can note any details. Spirit Guides and Angels often communicate with us through our dreams because they have direct access to our subconscious through our dreams. Also, at that time our defenses are down. We do not attempt to filter out any strange voices or images in our dreams so our Spirit Guides and Angels have a much easier time contacting us than while we're awake. When we're awake our minds are preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of everyday life so our Guides and Angels have a difficult time breaking through all that interference, but when we're asleep we are wide open and receptive, so they can much more easily communicate with us through dreams than while we're awake.
I suggest you keep your entries in a journal for your dreams and meditative sessions so you may want to buy a blank book that you keep just for writing down your sessions with your Guide. As you continue to practice this meditative method it shall become easier for you and your messages from your Guide shall become more involved and detailed over time.
The main requirement in connecting with your spirit guides and angels is not psychic ability. The majority of people who write me about questions regarding their guides and angels almost always ask me if they have to be psychic in order to make the connection. The answer is NO. All you need is a sincere desire to make such a connection, keep an open mind, and above all - be patient. It is very rare for a person to get instant results, but it does happen. I won't say that it won't happen to you, but if it doesn't, please do not lose hope. Keep on trying. Your guides are there waiting to communicate, but if they are silent it could be that they have nothing to say at the time. Also, please remember spirit guides were once people, too. They retain many of the characteristics they had while alive. If they loved to talk while alive, then you may be opening yourself up to constant chatter. However, if they were shy in life, then you may have to work a bit harder at getting them to come forward and begin communicating with you on some level. Just be patient, hang in there, and know that you are always surrounded by loving and protective energies.










This is a highly abridged method, i've "stolen" from works i've read and saw on line, should anyone here know the owner, or is the owner, I used your concept out of the greatest respect, to help and teach love and self wisdom