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Spirit Guides

It seems like lots of people are interested on the topic of Guides.

Have you come across the American television show called the Gifted Man? It’s about a successful, competitive neuro surgeon whose life drastically changes after his ex-wife dies and appears in his life as a Spirit Guide. Suddenly she’s triggering important life lessons; which help her arrogant, self-indulged ex-husband to look at himself with a more humbled perspective. I’m assuming the writers picked medical doctors as main characters to give some credibility to the alleged New Age concept of Spirit Guides. You get the idea that healing occurs with the help of science and skilled practitioners; but also assisted by mystery and spirit. God and medical doctors still go hand-in-hand in this show. Despite the attempt to be open to phenomenal occurrences Western judgments and programs are still palpable in the background. Still the writers thought of including a young, urban Shaman to the story. Unfortunately I’m not sure if the character is meant to be taken seriously or not. Yet, I’ll admit Anton Little Creek does bring forth some interesting and accurate information on Spirit Guides. On a few occasions I did cringe and shake my head at a few details; but all and all the show is a good starting point for anyone who’s interested to learn more on the topic of spirit guidance.

I’ve often been asked “does everyone have a Spirit Guide?”

Yes we all have guides. They help us through our personal journey by triggering lessons; challenging us; and pushing us to explore certain life themes deeper. Some guides can be family members; but in many cases they are not. When I was dating my husband, 25 years ago, I often noticed his Spirit Guide when he was driving. Right away I was told his guide was a race car driver who had passed away in an accident at one of the major races. At the time, I was slowly getting to know ET and I wasn’t yet aware that he was a race car enthusiast; and loved cars and driving. At first, like most people ET didn’t quite believe in guides or spirit. Yet after I shared with him the information I received from his guidance it was very hard for him to discredit any of it. The compatibility was uncanny and so were many of the synchronicities. For years, ET’s guide protected him from car accidents and brought him the “sweetest deals” when it came to vehicles and motor bikes. These days, he refers to his guide as a friend and spends many hours chatting with him in the garage while cleaning his latest ride.

Some people will keep the same guide for a life time while others will move through many guides. I like JEN’s story. For years she’s been talking about soul mates and how important it is for her to find her life companion. A year ago I noticed how her guide kept showing up in the form of a Blue Jay every time she referred to the notion of “soul mates.” I hesitated to speak to her about “him” at first because I didn’t want her to feel even more lonely than she already did. I figured if she knew “her soul mate” was still in the form of Spirit she’d give up on love or fall in deep resistance and denial. I waited until she asked about her “soul mate” before bridging the topic.

Every time I asked JEN’s guide for his name, I’d hear: JAY. One night I dreamt of a man called Jay. He drove a motorcycle and was madly in love with JEN. When I finally shared the information with her she told me that for as long as she could remember she loved the name JAY and was attracted to motorcyclists. It was as if she had already met the love of her life and they had already spent the better half of a life time together. Of course for most people dream reality and waking, mundane, daily reality are very different from one another. JEN’s first reaction was that she wasn’t too trilled with the idea of not being able to hug or kiss JAY. She expressed a strong dislike towards the fact that he remained in Spirit reality.

It’s absolutely natural to feel somewhat disappointed when we find out the love of our life didn’t follow us in flesh and bone. On the other hand, it’s an excellent way to learn about unconditional love and to understand to what extent our “soul mates” are willing to go to love us and support us. MR’s story resembles JEN’s in so much that she too connected with a “soul mate” through discovering a guide.

**Notice how I wrote “a” soul mate … According to the Wheel we have more than one soul mate and the actual definition of “soul mate” implies “someone who completes the learning, healing and growth process of the soul.”

Coming back to MR – her story shows how you can actually fall in love with a guide and live years of incredible moments with Spirit without feeling cheated of a lack of intimacy. In many cases, a connection with a guide through lucid dreaming can be as strong and as read as if you were meeting with a waking reality mate.

In the early 1990’s there was a New Age trend where people believed all Guides had to be First Nation. Part of this trend came from a spiritual belief system where it was said: “Guidance was ancestral wisdom; which came from the land.” If you lived in America it was understood guides were the First People of this land. I believe there is some truth to this idea; but not in the way it was used. By experience and after collecting countless stories on the topic – I’ve come to understand guides / and guidance as a phenomenon; which speaks about an individual and his or her personal journey.

Between the age of 4 and 9 years old my son often referred to his guide as a “monkey-man”. You knew he wasn’t imagining this presence because he could describes this man from head to toe and it wasn’t a character any of us would have come across in North America, in the 21st century. As a mom I found it incredible how my children were open to learn and grow through all kinds of teachings. Monkey man taught CT how to trust himself and open up to creativity. It’s because of his guide he’s a drummer today. There’s so much a parent can bring a child. I was glad to see my husband and I weren’t alone in getting our kids ready for their life story. To be honest a lot of my own personal education came from my own guidance. It is so important to tell our children to trust their inner world and the characters who live there. They are important pieces of their personal puzzle and they are instrumental in the journey towards wholeness.
Carl Jung’s journey into Shamanism helped me see I wasn’t going insane when I opened up to my own journey into self-discovery and personal, spiritual awakening. In his journal he speaks of his guidance and what he learnt from this creature. I recommend to everyone who is looking to learn more about spirit guides to read Carl Jung’s personal journal. From my perspective everyone’s story with a guide speaks of the learning and the healing one has to do to reach wellness and wholeness. Every story is different and unique. Yet every story is similar in form; which shows the reality of the experience and the reality of the character.

I believe some guides are still in the realm of the living. People assume that the word “spirit” implies “dead or deceased.” In some cases it’s true; but in other cases it is not… I’ve had a guide who literally told me “where he lived and how one day we would meet.” For years, I anticipated him and actually sought him out. It was only once I surrendered and didn’t expect him anymore that I finally met him. It was incredibly and obviously changed the way I understood guides. With time and a few shamanic initiations I was able to become a guide myself.

Believe me when I say the experience was not at all like I had expected.

It’s not something you pre-plan; or you mentally or intellectually put into action. It’s completely outside your control and is connected to your personal instinct. When it happens both you and the person you are guiding --- sense it. Indeed, it’s a sensual experience and it has a deep impact at the heart and soul level.

If I had one message to convey when it comes to guidance I would say: “It’s all about having someone out there who believes in you and believes you are indispensable in the scheme of Creation. “ Too many people translate the experience to phenomenon or this notion of “being gifted” when really it’s about the simplest most natural connection between us and a higher force. If you believe there’s something out there that “wants the very best for you” – just send out an energy of trust and faith; and surrender. You can be sure you’ll soon receive an answer in reply and in no time, you’ll be living a deep, lucid connection with a GUIDE.

I welcome your stories with GUIDANCE. Please don’t be shy to leave comments.
If you have any questions please leave those too…… If I can’t answer them in a few sentences, I’ll be sure to write another blog for you. ☺

Comments

Anonymous said…
I had two psychics tell me that my guide's name was Theo. Ten years later, I married my husband, Ted.
Bootie said…
Both my husband and I have deep connections with our Guides. At first, we were afraid to discuss these relationships with eachother. We are both in loving relationships with our Guides and were afraid that talking about the experiences would make the other go into Jealousy. His Guide is a 35ish blonde. Mine is a Shadow-man, dressed in a black trenchcoat and hat. We both resisted developing relationships with our Guides, at first, to protect our relationship with eachother. However, when we both Surrendered and finally discussed these phenomanal Individuals we found that there was no Jealousy and that the Guides were actually helping us grow into the best aspects of ourselves. And it brought us closer together because we were going through the dame experience.
Jen said…
aaaand cue the tears.

i think about him daily. Jay. and i believe i meet fragments of him often.

i had a customer come in last week for a hair cut who was taking off his leather jacket, and he had on body armor underneath. i pointed to it and asked what it was, he replied, it's armor. i said "are you a cop?" it was then that i noticed the helmet on the chair in the waiting room. i smiled really big and said "oooooh you ride!"

then i noticed his motorcycle parked on the sidewalk outside the store. it was a beautiful red color. and red is my FAVORITE color. his helmet had red white black and silver designs. again...my FAVORITE colors.

i was drawn to him and we talked about riding and motorcycle trips and my childhood bond with my dad's motorcycle for the whole hair cut. he also got a #2 guard buzz cut...which is my favorite on most men.

when he left, i just could only smile and say thank you to Jay for coming and bringing me a good morning.

a motorcycle at the end of november...it couldn't be anything BUT my guide.
Lili said…
Thanks Lisa,
I got goosebumps when you wrote about Jen and Jay.

When I was lacking in touch I dreamt lucidly and felt the touch of a man I recognised.
I wonder if he is a soul mate, to create such a feeling of overwhelming completeness and fullness, I guess he must be. He was in the right space and place at the right time.
Loved your blog Lisa.

LOVE
Leannea
Rose said…
I wish I was aware of my guides... I do believe my husband is my soulmate though. Before we even met, we caught each others eyes across a crowded room and that was that. It was like there was some sort of light in each others eyes. I do believe I was guided to this part of the world so I could meet him. How do you know if the voice you hear in your head (as in thoughts) is yours or a guides?
Emily said…
Great topic!
I also have two guides in 'this' world.
Lisa you mentioned in my first dream chart that I would meet them both at some point during my life.
I feel closer to one of them in particular, he brought me to you. I still remember the dream. I know his name since then (7 or so years ago now). Hesitating to say it aloud here so I wont lol. I never actively sought him out. Still curious as to how and where we will meet though..in my dreaming he has light red hair, and his name is of IRish/gaelic origin.
I'm not certain if his name will be the same or if he will look like how I remember him to be.

Lisa, Was your guide the same when you met him?


Emily
Lisa F. Tardiff said…
Emily,

Great question.
NO -- my guide wasn't at all the same.
He shared the same personality; he confirmed all of the personal information I had received on him; but he didn't look at all like I had pictured him in the dream.

Later.
LISA
Emily said…
Hmm interesting! This is GOOD to know. lol
Thanks.


Emily
Anonymous said…
I feel as though my soul mate is not in this reality in this lifetime as part of the lessons that I am meant to live. I find that there are times that I ached and craved certain things... later when I heard about my soul mate I realized that our interactions were the things that I craved in this life time. For instance he used to sing to me... I always found myself asking my husband to sing to me, which was so far from his natural behaviour. Made sense after words.
Unknown said…
I have so many stories on my soul mate who is also my guide. I have kept a journal of our encounters, which I become aware of when I was 16. He appeared to me in many ways and forms. The love is so amazing and I got romantically attached and had to learn to let go of expectations. I've met a few of his fragments here on earth and helped them to come together. Apparently, Spirit guides can also be working on themselves at the same time as they help us.

As much as it pained me not to have him here in spirit, I now understand the incredible love that he has for me to stay on the other side as a guide because he can and has done so much more for me than he could have if he were in the physical.

I've also met other soul mates of mine and the connection is always about learning and healing and growing.

Maybe one day I will share the book I am writing about my Guide. It is a very sacred and special relationship and I am very blessed to have him with me in this way.

I loved your story of the man who came for the haircut Jen. It is wonderful how they appear to us.

MR
Unknown said…
Em,

My guide has appeared to me in dreams and in the physical, always in a different form... a bird, a man on the street passing by, a hitchhiker I picked up and more...many people who had the gift to see spirit would describe him as incredibly handsome, masculine and sexy, a tall, thin native man. He would also send me messages... in the clouds, in billboard ads, songs on the radio... etc... there is no limit to how you can connect with your guides.
Lisa F. Tardiff said…
I love reading your comments. Many inspire me and make me want to know more about your stories and your insights. Please don't be shy to leave comments or to introduce to me your own blogs. I'd love to follow some of your postings.

LISA
Suzi Smith said…
I woke up one night to someone yelling 'wake up can't you effin hear me'.... the first time i heard a real voice rather than a feeling of what was being said.... turns out its sam, who apparently i am supposed to be helping to learn about being a guide!

I can, but don't particularly swear, but sometimes i find myself throwing in the curses in a fashion thats so not me.... usually to someone who absolutely doesn't, often someone who thinks they're a bit superior.... sams way of letting me know they don't really know as much as they are trying to tell me!
Hello Lisa, I am a friend of Linda R. She has told me of her involvement with the medicine wheel and dreaming.
I am curious about the topic of spirit guides and how I can get in touch with mine and identify who or what they are?
I am enjoying reading your blog!
Thankyou!
wickedwiseowl said…
Hi Lisa! I love this post because recently my spirit guide came to me. Let me start from the beginning. Last week I decided to live my life for me. 29 years of living for others I finally had the courage to accept me and who I am. I'm on a spiritual path now exploring all aspects that make me happy. Well two nights ago I had a very vibrantly colorful dream. I could feel and see colorful energy all around me. Then in my dream it switches to me sitting down by a table giving a reading to someone I never met. Mind you I have never done a reading in my life so it was strange. Then I'm me looking at the older woman at the table. That's all I remember. Oh and a clear crystal quartz stone keeps flashing in my mind. *shrugs* Well that's not all last night I had that same feeling as my dream energy all around me. as I'm doing my homework I see light blinking then disappearing. That lasted til I stopped my homework and closed my eyes.When I reopen my eyes my computer screen had gone black and my reflection was all I saw. Something told me to keep staring at the black screen then I saw my face change. The image I saw was a different person with different features. I felt her strength and confidence but goodness as well. It felt like I was in a dream like state but I know I was awake. That lasted for a good hour until I felt so drained I had to say please stop and let me rest. Today I felt that same strong energy and it made me dizzy then a name popped in my head, Selene. I'm not sure if this is my spirit guide or and ancestor. I've been dreaming about the ancestor who is native american. I'm thinking about smudging my home just in case any of these energies are bad. When I asked for the spirit to leave me alone they did. I believe I have three who are here. I also have recently been seeing an owl and a wolf in my meditations. Some one told me those are my power animals. Any advice or suggestions would be helpful. So sorry for this super long comment but your blog was referred to me.

Thanks!
Steph

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