Spirit Guides
There have been spirit guides around since the beginning of mankind. And this has been irregardless of religious path. For some it has been faeries ( does the faery godmother sound familiar?). For some it has been guardian angels. For others like the shaman it has been totems (more on this in the shaman section). But the point is there is very little doubt about the involvement of guardian spirits.
These spirit guides have and do, fill the role of teacher, protector, and of course spiritual guide. For the purpose of this section we will be concentrating on animal spirit guides, though there are many others. Included in the animal kingdom are the reptiles, birds, fish and insects.
The next question we have to address, is how does one ascertain their spirit guide
To accomplish this task, we have to be able to open up our senses.
Not only our physical senses, but also that which resides deep in our spirits and our hearts. We have to be aware of our surroundings. For we do not choose the guide, rather they choose us based on the lessons that each of us requires in our lives.
Has there been a particular animal that has appeared in your dreams? Have they showed up in your thoughts? Or perhaps in your physical environment? If this happens with frequency, then the chances are that this is your primary spirit guide.
I say primary, because the belief that I've been raised with, states that there are five types of spirit guides. One that stays with you pretty much your entire life (though these can change up as needed). There are several that appear as messengers when special lessons are needed in your life or when an unusual situation occurs. And the fifth is the shadow guide. This is the one that represents the barriers that we need to learn to overcome. This is the guide that constantly tests us. For it is the inner fears that this guide brings out that we must be able to face and conquer in order to grow spiritually.
Once we have determined our spirit guide, we have to learn to establish a relationship with our guide. To do this we must learn all we can about our particular guide. What habitat does it thrive in, what foods does it eat, what skills does it represent and so on. But above all we must learn to treat this guide with respect. One way to do this is through meditation where we meld and become one with the guardian. Showing a spirit guide disrespect is a sure way to drive it away, thus resulting in a loss of valuable life lessons.
I have attempted to provide examples and their meanings for each class of the animal kingdom spirit guides. But as with everything else that we put on this site, this list is not conclusive. but simply a starting point.
Spirit Guides and their Meanings
