10 Ways to Connect with Your Spirit Guides
Divine guidance illuminating the path (Image courtesy of worldofmiri.com)
And 7 questions to help you get there
I used to be a skeptic. I did not believe in anything supernatural.
A mid-life challenge and years of healing changed my views.
I’d like to share my way of communicating with the Divine. It might help you master the courage to step onto your own path.
Ultimately, you have to develop your own “code”. This may seem daunting at first, so if feelings of overwhelm come rushing in now, take a deep breath, let them float away, and focus on the first step. Once you’ve mastered that, focus on the next step, and so forth. This may seem tedious, but if you look honestly at how we move to a level of mastery in anything, you will acknowledge that every journey starts with the first step.
Guidance is available for everyone
The best thing is: Guidance is available for everyone.
Some people seem more prone to guidance. You might have seen a medium connect with the other side describing in vivid colors what they see or hear. You might wonder why you don’t have the same abilities. Please don’t compare yourself to others. There is no “one right way” to connect with the divine. Guidance comes in various forms. They are all equally worthy. Ultimately, guidance is meant to help you, so does it matter if you hear the answers in your head or if they are passed on through a third person?
Where does guidance come from?
People call the source of guidance the Universe, Source, God, Angels, Higher Self, or Spirit Guides. I am sure there are more names to this invisible force. But “what” to call it, is not the main issue. This is about faith into a higher power in alignment with your highest good which can help and guide you through your live on earth. Choose the “name” that feels best for you. If you don’t resonate with a particular one, that is fine. Simply connect to whatever is in alignment with your highest path: that which feels good.
What if I don’t have the faith?
Guidance and help can only come in when you believe in it. If you feel unsure about holding this form of faith, please stop for a moment. Take a deep breath and ask yourself: What if I put my doubts aside for three days? What if I “pretended” to believe for this period of time? What would I lose?
You can always go back to not-believing. But what if you allowed yourself to give this a go? What if you told your mind, whenever it comes in during those three sacred days, to be quiet because you committed yourself?
How do I allow guidance to come in?
It is essential to ask for help or guidance as any higher beings cannot interfere with our free will. Opening the conversation is like a start-signal from your side. I am pretty sure your guides have been waiting for this for eons! I bet they are already revving up their powers to connect with you. I can almost hear them cheering you on with excitement: “Go for it, do it!”
I’ve made it a habit to continuously converse with my guides. I talk to them every day. I don’t wait for a special occasion. Sometimes, I drop a sentence only, sometimes I ask a question, and sometimes I engage deeply in meditation.
Will I be able to see my guides?
I am not one that easily sees other beings, but when my conscious mind has gone into a place of stillness, I can sense energies, and sometimes get internal visions. For me, this works best when I go for a walk or a run which sends me into a deep meditative breathing pattern. To achieve this, I put on my cap to blend out most of my surroundings and I do not use any device. This way I don’t get distracted easily and can focus on the walking-breathing rhythm. It usually takes me at least twenty minutes to settle my mind enough to be able to reach a higher state of calmness where I feel aligned with my Higher Self.
You may see your guides or not. Remember, however the guidance comes in will be perfect for you.
The importance of discernment
This might very well be the trickiest part. It is for me. My mind continuously talks. How do I know if this is guidance or the internalized voice of my parents or an emotional trauma wanting my attention because it needs to be healed? Discernment requires practice. This is why meditation or mindful movement are helpful because they can transport you into your heart space which is where true guidance comes from.
Sometimes, it takes following a nudge to understand, in hindsight, if this was true guidance or something else. This is part of developing your own coding system. It is like learning a new language. It is key to connect to your feelings. If something feels good and warm on the inside, it is usually right. Try playing with it. You can start with easy tasks, like “What do I have for dinner tonight?” or “Do I need to nap, or do I need to walk?”
What if the guidance doesn’t come?
Guidance always comes, though the answers can be delayed up to days, weeks or months. The answers might also not be what you expected. This can make it tricky to acknowledge or accept which might make you think you haven’t received the guidance. Sometimes we are too busy in our minds and miss the guidance because we are not in the present moment, instead occupied with past mishaps or worries for the future.
How do I start?
It is vital to set the right intention. This involves calling in guidance of your highest light and resonance.
Start by imagining a white dome of sparkling light around you and breathe deeply into your body. Put your hands onto your heart to help you land in your body. Imagine letting go of everything that is not yours to carry or does not serve you anymore. Imagine bringing in a waterfall of white pure light washing over you. Put a smile onto your face. If you can, it also helps to connect to gratitude or joy.
Say something along the lines of: “XXX (insert “title”, e.g., Angels or Spirit Guides) of the highest light and resonance, I call in guidance in alignment with my highest path.”
Ask your question.
Say “Thank you”.
Observe and be open to receiving the guidance!
What does guidance look like?
I’ve listed a few typical ways guidance comes in for me. This is not a comprehensive list, but it can help you getting started!
Guidance through another person
Other people may answer an unspoken question. These can be strangers, friends, or close family members. Once, I felt nervous because I was flying to Melbourne over the weekend. I don’t particularly like flying and anxiety had been building all day. I kept asking for a sign I’d be alright. When I did some last-minute shopping, the cashier casually asked me about my weekend plans. I told him I was flying to Melbourne later that day. He smiled and said: “Nothing can ever go wrong in Melbourne.” There was my confirmation. I instantly relaxed.
2. Guidance through the web / electronic communication
Answers can pop up anywhere; you just need to see them. We have an orchid at home, and it did not look happy. Every time I looked at it, I subconsciously sent out help signals. When I opened YouTube a couple of weeks later to connect with a guided meditation, the first new suggested video clip was on “How to save your orchid.” I’d like to mention I had not done any web-search on the topic, so the video wouldn’t have popped up because of my browsing history.
3. Guidance through animals
I love guidance through animals! With this, I mean real-life animals, animals that come to me in a meditation or dream, or animals that appear in books, on the web or wherever else. Here is an example of how this works:
When I was on the phone with a friend, she was on a bush-walk and discovered a tawny frogmouth in the tree next to the path. She was very excited and told me about it while chatting.
A couple of weeks later, at night, I noticed a humming noise coming from outside. The next morning, I discovered a family of four tawny frogmouths taking shelter in the tree outside our bedroom. They stayed for two days and were never seen again afterwards.
Well, tawny frogmouth clearly had a message for me! I usually do a web search, in this case “Tawny frogmouth spirit animal”. I choose the first suggestion or the one that feels best. Here, tawny frogmouth wanted to communicate that “breakthroughs were near”. I loved that!
4. Guidance through songs
Have you ever had a song on infinity loop in your mind? These can be great forms of guidance. Whenever I notice a song replaying in my mind, I know it’s time to check in with the lyrics to heed the message.
5. Guidance through numbers
Numbers are a beautiful form of guidance. I notice patterns everywhere. They can be on the clock, on license plates, or simply referring to the word count of a text you’re writing. When I started typing this section on numbers, the word count was exactly 666! My favorite website for guidance on angel numbers is here:
http://sacredscribesangelnumbers.blogspot.com/p/what-are-angel-numbers.html
I keep a piece of paper and a pencil next to my bed at night and whenever I wake up, I note down the exact time. I look up the meaning in the morning.
I also may put out a request while driving:
“The first license plate number that shows up three times is my angel number message”.
Then I observe and connect. Once, we had to buy a car. We were on our way to look at a used vehicle which was being sold privately. I felt unsure if the car would be a good buy, so I asked for a sign. The first license plate number I noticed three consecutive times was 57. Well, guess which number was on the car’s license plate when we got there? 57. I took this as a good sign.
P.S. The car is still running like clockwork and has never caused us any trouble!
6. Guidance through coded signs
I’ve set up a few signs that are very important for me. One example is a butterfly. Butterflies symbolize to me that my angels are nearby. I’ve seen butterflies in the most unexpected situations. They always comfort me. Tune in with yourself and pay attention to what feels great for you. This can be your sign. You can also ask your Angels to send you a sign, e.g., “The animal that shows up three consecutive times next” etc. Try playing with it and don’t lose heart if it takes longer. Remember, you are establishing a new language. It takes time to catch every single bit of it.
7. Guidance through dreams
I’ve made a habit of asking a question just before I drift into sleep. Often, I get answers in my dreams. I’ve been recording and interpreting my dreams for many years. When a certain animal or person pops up in a dream, I don’t always follow what the person does, but how I generally feel about this person or animal. This is a good starting point to decipher the message of the dream. I observe how I feel or react in the dream. Do I feel scared? Empowered? What did I do to get to that state of empowerment? I also use web searches to guide me, though it is important to make sure a message resonates with you. I’ve written this before, but I’d like to repeat this here: Snakes for many people are a symbol of fear. For me, snakes mean healing. A house symbolizes my inner world. Once, I dreamed I was at home. A snake was trying to come in and I desperately tried to keep it outside. The next day, I looked at the message of the dream: I was not allowing healing to come to me. Now, I had a starting point to explore the topic further.
It may seem difficult to remember your dreams. This is why I keep a paper and pen at my bed. I record snippets of the vivid dreams so I can remember them the next day. Often, I have an important dream just before waking up. I take note of this, too.
When I cannot understand a dream straight away, I ask for clarification. Often, the message will drop in a few days later.
8. Guidance through oracle cards
Well, I love oracle cards! There are great sets available for purchase or even online, often for free. Again, use discernment and feel which card set resonates with you. You can ask a specific question or pose a universal one: “What do I need to know right now? What do I need to do right now?”
9. Guidance through voices in my head
I love when this form of guidance occurs. I admit it’s not consistent for me. I’ve had situations where I had complete conversations in my head while cutting up the vegetables for lunch! Then, this form of guidance can disappear again for months at a time.
Discernment for this form of guidance is key. If you feel unsure, put your hands onto your heart space, re-build the white light around you and re-set your intention. Genuine guidance will not waver.
10. Guidance through images in my head
This mainly happens during meditation. I personally love moving meditation because I often doze off during sitting meditation! The other great option for me is a guided meditation at the beginning of my day. The likelihood of falling asleep is much smaller when I’ve come out of a good night’s sleep!
Again, images need to be deciphered and this is similar to what I receive through my dreams. I can also guide the images by asking questions. For a long time, I received images of being small and frail, walking through tall grass or dense forest. I stumbled on, not knowing where I was going. When I asked, “How to I handle this situation best?”, I always received the same image: Grow taller. For me, this meant I had to step up, embrace who I am and trust in my own light.
This is an exciting topic to explore. I wish you the best of luck. Move forward with love in your heart. Celebrate any form of incoming guidance! By acknowledging it, you open the door for more. Be patient, generous and kind with yourself.
Remember, your Guides are itching to get in touch with you.
They want to cheer you on.
Allow yourself to dive into this wonderful support!
