Our Spirit guides are referred to often, but are often seen as something nebulous. Having been exactly in that position, I’m here to clarify this topic for you.

Spirit Guides are often seen as a Guardian Angel, Ancestors, God, etc.. Which one of these is it? The answer is, most likely a little bit of each. The thing is, we don’t all have the same type of guardians. We’re all on different paths, with different goals and missions. It would be illogical to assume we would all be handed the same tools or guidance. Say, for example, that we have two different types of women. Both were raised in a home where there was difficulty. Perhaps the parents were abusive, or addicts, or simply workaholics who never gave them attention. One woman, vows to give her own children a much different future and sets out to be Supermom. She makes sure her children are well-fed, loved, and nurtured. She washes, cooks, and diligently cleans her beautiful home inside and out. The other woman quietly determines she will not be a mother and dedicates herself to orphans, the homeless children and many other kids that need protection and attention. Which one will be guided? BOTH.

Our paths are all unique and shaped by the choices we made, based on the experiences we had. As long as our goal is to uplift, heal, and balance humanity we are all on the right path. We can’t all be Oprah, you know. Perhaps in another life, others were powerful leaders and they’re tired from that journey. This time, they just want to have a relatively quiet and peaceful life. It doesn’t matter on what scale we are doing, every little grain of sand counts. Whether we feel we’re relatively important or not, we have guidance.

I’m going to teach you how to find your guides, ask how many you have, their names, etc…

First, get a blank sheet of paper and a pen.

Second, write the Alphabet in a circle, it doesn’t have to be a closed circle either. Just write the alphabet in a circular form. Make sure that the letters are clear and well-spaced. In the inside of the circle of letters, write the numbers 0-9. In the center, draw a cross with even lines. Imagine you’re writing N for North, S for South, etc.. but replace it with Yes and No. To be exact, in the spot that you would normally put the N for North, write a YES. As well as in the place that the S for South would normally be in, write YES. On the remaining two points left, (East/West) write NO.

Third, because we’re opening an energy portal, we need to be safe. Use Palo Santo, myrrh, frankincense or your preferred method for sanctifying a space and set a protective circle. Try to avoid using Sage, as it is so overused, it’s going extinct. Pray to whatever Deity you serve, to watch over this sacred Ritual and allow only benign energies to come through.

Now, create a Pendulum. If you already have one, skip this step. If you don’t have a Pendulum, find an object that is between the size of a dime or a quarter. It can be anything from a ring, a watch, a piece of jewelry, etc… as long as it’s YOURS. The more attached you are to that object, the better, it’ll have your energy all over it. Tie it on a string. What kind of string doesn’t really matter, it can be sewing thread, twine, etc.. as long as it’s not heavy and cumbersome.

Finally, we get to access our guides. Rest your elbow on a flat, stable surface and keep your hand steady. Dangle the Pendulum about 8-10 inches from your fingertips, directly above the point where the lines of the cross in the center intersect and start asking questions, such as:

Are my guides present? Relax and wait for the Pendulum to point to Yes or No. (Write down the questions you asked and the answers you receive, since you probably won’t remember exactly what you asked later).

May I ask questions about my guides? Since I’ve never seen anyone get a No, let’s move on.

How many guides do I have? Stay perfectly still and wait for the Pendulum to point to a number. There may be more than one digit in the number of guides you have, so after it points to a number, say, “Thank you, next number please”. If it stops moving after that, there was only one digit to show. Now that you have the amount of guides, you can sort them out and ask about each one specifically. For example, let’s start with Guide #1. Ask the following questions:

Guide #1, are you an angel? If no, skip this step and move on to the next question. If yes, ask, what kind of angel? There are different levels of angels and some don’t have names. If it is an Archangel, Cherubim, or Seraphim, it will most likely have a name, though they’re not always forthcoming with it. If it’s a Messenger Angel, it may not even have a name. If it’s the former type of angel, ask if you may know it’s name. If it says yes, hold the Pendulum steady as it spells it out by pointing to the letters you’ve previously drawn in a circle. Keep in mind, the name may not be something you’re familiar with, just Google it later. If the answer is no, don’t be offended. It will most likely be a guide that’s with you for now, for a specific time, and will be replaced. If it’s a Messenger angel, ask if it has a name first. The answer will most likely be No, but in case it’s a Yes, be ready to follow the same steps. Ask why they’re guiding you, since Angels have different purposes. Is it to give Guidance on your path, your love life, your financial ventures, your purpose, etc.. This will give you further insight on who you need to speak to, depending on what your current needs are.

Are you an Ancestor? If No, skip this step and move on to the next question. If yes, ask if they’re male or female. Ask one or the other first, allowing for a yes or no answer. Once you’ve established what they identified as in life, ask if you may know their name. If Yes, wait patiently as they spell it out, one letter at a time. If no, they most likely died at an age where they didn’t have a name yet, such as a miscarriage or stillborn. You may ask them these things to confirm why they won’t give you their name. You may also ask them what year they were born, unless it’s a confirmed miscarriage, as this will be unimportant to them. Ask if they would like an altar. If yes, I suggest you start off small. A candle, a glass of water (use this glass ONLY for this), and perhaps their name in a frame (if you have a picture of them, that would be even better). Ask why they’re guiding you, since Guides have different purposes. Is it to give Guidance on your path, your love life, your financial ventures, your purpose, etc.. This will give you further insight on who you need to speak to, depending on what your current needs are.

Are you a Spirit? If No, skip this and move on to the next question. If yes, ask whether it’s a male or female. Ask one or the other first, allowing for a yes or no answer. Once you’ve established what they identified as in life, ask if you may know their name. If Yes, wait patiently as they spell it out, one letter at a time. If no, they most likely died at an age where they didn’t have a name yet, such as a miscarriage or stillborn. You may ask them these things to confirm why they won’t give you their name. You may also ask them what year they were born, unless it’s a confirmed miscarriage, as this will be unimportant to them. Ask if they would like an altar. If yes, I suggest you start off small. A candle, a glass of water (use this glass ONLY for this), and perhaps their name in a frame. Ask why they’re guiding you, since Guides have different purposes. Is it to give Guidance on your path, your love life, your financial ventures, your purpose, etc.. This will give you further insight on who you need to speak to, depending on what your current needs are.

Are you a Deity? If no, you’re SOL my friend, because I don’t know what they are. If yes, then ask if you may know their name. Most Deities have no issue with giving out their name. In fact, I’ve never seen a Deity respond with No, to this question. If yes, wait patiently for them to spell it out, one letter at a time. Once you have the name, you can Google it. The advantage with deities is that most are documented historically somewhere. You can research them much easier. Ask how you’re connected to them. Were you a Priest of theirs, a reincarnated faithful servant, or offspring? Ask if they require an altar (most Deities do) and set it up. Look up what type of things pleased that God or Goddess and arrange that on their altar. Who they are will give you a big indication of what they’re guiding you in, so do your research.

Additional questions you may ask, regardless of what type of Guide they are:

Are you with me 24/7?

Do I have to summon you? If yes, how do I summon you?

An additional little tip to give them their own unique way to respond to you is to not use the cross in the center for yes and no. Instead, once you’ve identified how many guides you have, what they are, etc.. you can ask them to step forward one by one, and show you what their Yes and No looks like. They may make the pendulum move clockwise, counterclockwise, diagonally, side to side, etc.. that could give you further insight into who’s speaking with you without you having to ask. If you do this, make sure to write down each one’s response to what their Yes/No entails.

Also, if you have too many guides and can’t setup an altar for them all, don’t panic. They’ve been guiding you so far without one, you’ll be fine.

As for altars, make sure the water is changed at least once a week. Don’t let it get nasty, that’s just disrespectful. When you speak to your Guides, use the altars, that’s what they’re for. Picture the altar as a table where they’re sitting on the other side, conversing with you. If it’s a deity or a specific type of angel, you’ll most likely find, not only images of them that can be printed off and framed, but statuettes of them that you can purchase. For special requests, don’t come to them empty-handed. First of all, spirits and ancestors need offerings to survive. So those need to be offered regularly regardless. For Deities or angels, who don’t need offerings to survive, it’s just a sign of respect and honor. They’re aware of what your circumstances are, so if you can’t make a big offering, don’t worry. You can let them know you will make a better offering once your circumstances improve. Just make sure you keep that promise.

If it is a Spirit or an Ancestor, you can ask about their occupation, life, and death. Whatever you’re curious about, ask!

Remember to be respectful with your Guides. Regardless of what their Status or Occupation was before, they’re wanting to help you. Be grateful and open to their guidance, it’s for your benefit that they advise you, not their own. Last, but not least, asking these questions for each and every one of your guides takes a lot of energy. Stop when you start feeling tired. You can continue later, don’t get yourself exhausted because of curiosity. Now go forth and ask!