SPIRIT GUIDES Spirit Guides are discarnate beings that have chosen to assist us on our path of spiritual enlightenment and unfoldment; their evolution to higher consciousness is bound with our own, thus we have resposibilty for each other.  The more aware we become of these loving spirits, the more aware we become of our own thoughts, words, and actions; we are reflections of their efforts and they of ours.  Though we are separate and individual, we are bound to the truth of our spiritual oneness.  How better to be evidence of our relationship with God, Spirit, and Man with love, courage, and upliftment?  Guides are a highly evolved world intelligence who administers guidance, protection, assistance, psychic information, and hidden knowledge to an Earthling; this intelligence has lived many incarnations and is more evolved than the person he/she serves (though angels are an exception o this rule as, in general, they have not incarnated on earth).  The Guide does not intercede unless called by the Earthling (though there are exceptions). Guides communicate with you through mediumship, which is a compatible sharing of time, energy, talent, and intellect between an earthling and an etheric world intelligence:  the objective is to bring knowledge to the earth world that cannot be obtained through normal educational sources.  A human body is used as a psychic instrument for etheric communication and matter manipulation to enrich mankind's education regarding the growth of the soul-mind; the desire and willingness of the etheric world intelligence and the earthling to work together is shared, regardless of difficulties and time, until here is the proper synchronization, both physically and mentally, for the relaying of matter that can be beneficial in some manner.  Forms of mediumship can be mental or physical (see Tools of Mediumship for this type). The ways that your Guide may choose to communicate with your through mental mediumship are through clair senses, a collective word meaning any one of the types of psychic sensitivity that correspond to the normal five senses:  these are clairaudience (to perceive sounds or words when no person is speaking or no article is causing the disturbance; these sounds and impressions register on the spirillae of the pineal gland and go through the same process that normal hearing go through in the Third Eye area of the head), clairsavorance (clear tasting; experience tastes in the moth without putting anything in the mouth), clairscient (to smell a fragrance or odor of a substance which is not in one's surroundings and is symbolic information for oneself or another), clairsentience (to perceive information b a feeling within the whole body without any other stimuli related to this feeling or information, which comes from within the body, down the kundalini to the stomach area), and clairvoyance (to see into an ethereal dimension without using physical eyes; to reach into another vibration frequency and visually perceive "within the head" something significant). Knowing the names of our guides is nice; it helps to establish them as "real” people in our minds.  It is not, however necessary; they will answer when you call.  It is of great help to ask and thank verbally until solid rapport is established through your vibrations.  When you call a guide in, frequently a guide will give the psychic a name that can be used to summon him/her; the guide may be either gender when manifesting.  The guide will be from the Inner Band, a system of easy access to energy, protection, guidance, and knowledge.  Each guide has a specific part to play, but the cooperation between the guides is such that any one of them can and may assume another's role.  The group situation ranges from the strictly traditional everyone-does-his thing, to the one-guide-does-it-all situation.  In general, there are 10-15 spirits around one individual, between the inner and outer bands, which are the spirits that spend only at time in which he or she can be of assistance.  The guides from the outer band are drawn to one's vibration when their talent and knowledge will be of an aid to the earthling to enhance the earthling's new interest and needs.  A Specialty guide would fall into this category; they are those with past experience in a certain field, for whom the medium would have to ask for specifically.    The Inner Band traditionally consists of a Doctor, Teacher, Alchemist, Healer, Protector, Runner, Message Bearer, Door Keeper, and Joy Guide, though it is possible to have more than on guide in each category. TEACHER:  in charge of the other guides which make up the Inner Band.  His principle functions are to assist the earthling to accomplish the purpose of the incarnation and to bring inspirational information and guidance.  He has access to the Akashic Records and may dole out karmic experiences, as the earthling needs and can understand them.  He is your Master Teacher and Guide; will appear when you are ready. DOCTOR:  watches over one's physical and mental well-being; will work with one's chemist as needed. HEALER:  is in charge of one's spiritual well being and will work with one's Doctor and Chemist, so that the person is in balance in all areas. . PROTECTOR:  reputed to be 90% Native American (worked with Mother Earth in a previous life and is a source of great wisdom), will keep negative entities away from you and act like your Guardian Angel.  He will often mentally warn you of danger before you experience the situation, but will not prevent you of purposely doing something that is not in your best interests.  He will often keep you from unintentional bodily harm. RUNNER:  will take messages to others in the astral plane and will also assist the human in remembering what is needed at the time. MESSAGE BEARER (SPIRITAUL MESSENGER):  is higher than the Runner; will take and bring messages of grater importance and of a higher spiritual nature.  He carries messages to other Message Bearers and returns; wanting to assists humans.  He is constantly on the move; one has to form a bond of trust with him. DOOR KEEPER (also known as the GATEKEEPER or CONTROLLER):  only lets what spirits that are positive and beneficial into your vibration and keeps those that are negative out.  As you grow, these are often replaced (have to give them a time frame to get working better with you before you have them leave).  One will often hear their name loudly and clearly called from seemingly nowhere when this happens.  It is his/her responsibility to allow only certain entities to enter the mind of the medium, regulates the amount of time with the medium, and oversees that only high qualitative information is presented.  Acts under the guidance of the Master Teacher and contributes to keeping the medium cheerful.    ALCHEMIST:  main function is to keep a chemical balance in the physical body; is capable of attaching to the pineal gland to help with one's psychic development and to add elements to the physical body for better physical health.  He can also change he water one takes in before drinking.  Try placing a glass of water beside your bed before going to sleep and ask you Alchemist to change it to what you need the following day.  When you drink the water the next morning, often you will notice that the water tastes different to you. JOY GUIDE:  a highly intelligent etheric world intelligence whose function it is to bring gaiety to the human; guides his/her lifestyle to balance recreation and work.  Manifesting as a very young person of either gender, he/she is very eager to serve when summoned.  IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER ALWAYS remember to do your Protection Affirmation and CRC (see the Protection and CRC page to review) before any type of mediumship and meditational exercises.  You may consider adding to other colors to the White Light for further protection from negativity and better clarity of messages.  Also ask for protection for the person you are working with.  Always ask for the Highest and the Best to come in and thank your Guides for working with you.  Keep Ego out of it, as it is not you, but Spirit that is working through you.  Excessive Ego can cause your guides to shut you off.  Give the messages that you are given and keep yourself out of the message.  Ask for clarification for vague messages and symbols that would make sense to you. TEST YOUR GUIDES Ask for a reasonable message that can be verified within 7-10 days; if it doesn't work the first time, try again, rephrasing the request if necessary.  Ask for messages for friends, reasonable favors, about the weather, and for assistance during trying times.  Spirit will not do the work for you, but they can assist; all you need to do is to ask. Take a walk with your guides.  Arrange and set aside a time to mentally communicate with them while walking in a peaceful atmosphere, such as a park or in the woods, where you are not likely to be disturbed.  You can also try a group exercise in which you can arrange a time when everyone is sleeping for a mental meeting; simply ask your guides to take you there right before you go to sleep.  Later, compare notes with others in the group as to where everyone "went" to and what was discussed.