There are many different kinds of spirit guides; getting to know them, and what they have to teach us helps us to live our lives to our fullest potential.
The first lesson I learned about spirit guides is that they don’t think names are important and the type of guide isn’t always important for us to know immediately, if at all. Often they will refer to themselves as “We” and leave it at that. Some will allow you to choose a name for them, and others will give you a name. This is a part of the process that varies from individual to individual based upon the relationship and the knowledge and lessons involved in that relationship.

Everyone has spirit guides. Everyone. Building a relationship with your guides can take years; that was my own experience. Where some may speak to a guide or guides clearly from a young age, I spent years trying to connect with mine. I learned about spirit guides at a young age, reading books by psychic mediums. I wanted to know my own guide, but I was afraid.
Fear of the unknown is the number one obstacle to building a connection with our guides.
I finally began to connect once I moved past the fear and other obstacles, which I share here Connecting to Your Spirit Guides. I spent time meditating, notebook at my side, ready to jot down any bit of information I could gather. I did finally gather their names, and connected with them deeply, and then the most wild thing happened…
They left.
Connecting with my guides as deeply as I finally was able to, it was as if I had learned an important skill, and for that had then leveled up, and was being offered a new path. Some time passed before I realized I was receiving information from a new source, and I wasn’t immediately informed that my guides had changed. I knew something had changed, that I had done something important. I was shown a celebration, but I didn’t understand until much later what had actually taken place.
Your Guides Can Change
It’s like a changing of the guard; we are never left, and never left alone. We may have the same guides for the entirety of our lives, or some may leave while others stay, or some may leave and new guides come in. As we experience life, learn and grow, as we awaken; our needs may change, and with those changes sometimes comes a shift in our guidance.
Our Many Selves
Highest Self
Your highest self is the spirit version of you. A portion of your spirit intertwined with the body during gestation, and integrated with the mind and body. Our highest self is who we are, also known as our Soul, or The Observer; though it is so much more than an observer.
Our highest self is loving, non-judgemental, and infinitely intelligent; containing the entire scope of our lived life experiences and the infinite knowledge of the universe. We are our higher selves in human form, and the more in tune we are with them, the more sacred and rewarding our life experiences are.
I’ve only seen my own higher self once, she came to me during a time when I was meditating daily and actively seeking positivity in my life. Her visitation was a confirmation that I was on the right path. She brought me gifts of confidence and immense love. I have, since then developed my relationship with her, ummm… myself. She is me and I am her.
There is no separation between yourself and your higher self. You are your higher self.
Future Self
In this incarnation or in another, more knowledgeable versions of ourselves can come forward and assist us with our difficulties and help to relay needed information or support. If you have ever done an Inner Child meditation, and in your mind gone back to your childhood self to comfort the younger version of yourself, this is what you are doing; you are visiting the younger version of yourself to offer love, comfort, or knowledge.
This is no small practice. Though it is generally rather easy, and seems as if it may be insignificant, it is incredibly powerful and can be life-changing.
Past Self
Our younger selves can come forward to assist us but more often than our younger selves, versions of ourselves from past lives can come forward to bring us information that is important to our current life’s path. This is similar to a past life regression except that during this experience, the past incarnation of ourselves speaks to us; gives us information they have learned, potentially the hard way, and they want to help us make a better choice in this life than we have in the past. This isn’t to prevent the lesson, but to further solidify it for us.
When this occurs, we may not understand immediately that this is a version of our own spirit. When this occurred for me, I thought it was a spirit that had come forward, and didn’t realize it was a version of myself until later, when my guides explained it to me.
Spirit Guides
You have one primary guide, though you may have others that are consistently present; one is assigned as your primary guide. Your spirit guide is a spirit being who has lived many lives, many of which have given them specific life experiences that align with your life experiences, lessons, gifts, and purpose in the current life they guide you through. In each incarnation we have different spirit guides with a specific set of skills to help us along our particular journey.
Though they are, in a way, assigned to us, they choose us and we choose them. No soul is ever made to work with a soul they do not feel aligned with.
Spirit guides are pleased to be sought after. They love to have our attention and love us unconditionally. They’ve been in the tough spots we find ourselves in, have similar personalities to ours, they have suffered through similar lessons, and they have experienced life to its absolute fullest in both difficulty and ecstatic beauty and joy. Their entire purpose is to lovingly guide us through life.
Spirit Ancestors
Our ancestors, past loved ones whether we know them in this current life or not, and our spirit family can all participate in our lives; offering their wisdom, especially how it relates to our familial purpose and healing of karmic patterns.
I was introduced to this concept early in my spiritual awakening, and became aware that my grandfather from this life, who has passed, was a constant presence as an elder and mentor in many of my past lives. Much of the family we are close to in our present lives are our spirit family, as are some of our friends, lovers, and even some acquaintances.
Ancestors are by far the most powerful guides in our lives when healing familial trauma and trauma in general. Healing these wounds brings healing to familial lines through generations, and can serve to release energetic blocks to love, understanding, commitment, financial abundance, and health; depending on the karmic circumstances.
Spirit Animals
We all have spirit animals and even past pets that visit or remain with us. Spirit animals are the animal embodiment of traits that serve us in our lifetimes. These can remain with us throughout our lives, or visit us just when we need them, depending on their purpose and how it aligns with our own purpose.
If you’re going through a time of great transformation, a deer may cross your path, or a snake, or you may have an animal you feel connected to for some reason that feels unknown to you, these are spirit animals.
Though they can be fierce, like the tiger, for instance, they contain the purest of energies. Recognizing, connecting with, and embodying the traits of this animal may help to ease your path, and bring a deeper understanding of yourself and your purpose in life.
Angels
There are a large number of different kinds of angels. Angels are celestial beings with the highest of purposes, directly related to helping humanity. There are so many different kinds of angels, that entire books could, and have been, written about them.
Many people experience angel visitation throughout their lives, whether they are aware of them or not. Angels may come into our lives when we need them for a specific purpose, or can be dedicated guides throughout our lives depending on our particular life’s purpose.
Angels love to be called for guidance and assistance. To call upon the angels requires only that we ask. No specific name must be mentioned. The Universe, in its infinite knowledge, aligns your needs with the appropriate celestial being to assist you.
Other Beings
Other beings exist as guides such as deities or Ascended Masters. I’ve also seen other types of guides spoken about that I don’t personally align with. This doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. Whether they do or not, they are not, at least at this time, within my scope of understanding or need to understand.
Some others have been presented to me by my guides, but I don’t work with them directly.
Connecting with spirit guides, in whatever form, brings great healing to our lives. Their purpose is to help us, to guide us to our best selves through very important lessons. and gifts, and with more love than we can fathom.
Channeled Message
When I asked my own guides what the most important information I could share about spirit guides is, they said this:
You are never alone. We are always with you, whether you feel us, see us, see the signs, or don’t. You are always worthy of us, and we always love you absolutely unconditionally. We know who you are, where you are, why you are, and at all times. Whenever you feel alone, call on us, and know that we are always with you.
You are never alone.
Connecting with our spirit guides is the beginning of a beautiful relationship that opens us up to a new understanding of our lives, our paths, and our purpose.
Do you connect with any of these guides? I hope that if you don’t, you will try to, and that it transforms your life in beautiful ways.
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