Working With Angels and Spirit Guides

What is the difference between angels and spirit guides?

How Do We Begin Working With Our Angels and Guides?

We are already working with them, whether consciously or not. Our guides are working with us almost constantly, even if we are not aware of it. They come into our dreams to convey information or to help us work through problems we may be having. They can also take us out of our bodies at night to work with us on the "astral plane." When I say, "take us out of our bodies," I don't mean they kidnap us against our wills. What I mean is they come to us, request that we join them, and most often we do because our Higher Selves know and trust our guides, and we seek the knowledge they have to share.

At various times our angels and guides can also whisper things to us in our waking hours, or during sleep. We may hear this consciously, or not. How many times have you been struggling with some problem for days, and suddenly inspiration strikes, and you "know" the answer? You feel amazement that you didn't think of it before now. Very often this knowledge comes from our angels or guides.

Even though our guides work with us all the time, we can attain much higher levels of growth and knowledge if we consciously work with them. I must warn, however, that this is not an easy path to take. Our guides take their jobs very seriously, and they are not interested in our whining or excuses. If we want to work with them, they will actually expect us to WORK. This can mean many different things for each of us. We may be encouraged to alter our lifestyle, or change careers, or work harder and more often on our development. We will be urged to shed the "security blankets" so many of us surround ourselves with. This can be anything from addictions to self- limiting thoughts and activities. But at the same time, this can be the most rewarding path you will ever set foot upon. If you will release your ego and trust that your guides truly love you and want the best for you, you can attain so much growth and meaning in your life that it will astound you.

Our guides are limited by the law of Free Will. That means they may NOT interfere in our lives unless we ask them to. They can certainly offer suggestions to us, encourage us, uplift us and comfort us in our times of need. They don't need our permission to do that. But as far as deeper work with us, we must invite them in.

Before you grab the megaphone and shout out a mass invitation, it is very important to consider your spiritual safety. There are many low-level spirits that hang around close to the earth plane, just waiting for a chance to come back in. These include earthbound spirits, dark spirits and even demons. You do NOT want one of these beings coming into your consciousness, pretending to be a guide. (Yes, plenty of them will resort to deceit to gain your trust)
 
The wisest way to begin working with your angels and guides is to go through God. S/He will filter out any negative entities and make sure our actual guides come through to us, not imposters. The process is very simple, just pray to God (your interpretation of the Creator) that you would like to work more deeply with your angels and/or spirit guides, and ask that they come and introduce themselves to you. Visualize yourself surrounded by powerful, protective white light, and then sit quietly in meditation and see what happens. You may get a feeling of presence with you immediately, or you may not. You may hear a voice or see things in your mind that are related to your guides. Most often, they will come to you a bit later, like in your dreams, or late at night before you fall asleep. Keep a journal of any information you get about them, like their appearance, their name, or anything else you can pick up. This process can take some time, so be patient. Working with our guides is a very subtle experience at first. They come in very quietly and wait for us to notice them, rather than "barging" into our lives. If you don't pick up any information about them at first, don't despair, just keep working at it everyday, and they will eventually introduce themselves to you.

How Can You Tell the Difference Between an Actual Guide and an Imposter?

By the feelings and information you get from them. Remember that our angels and guides are highly enlightened beings that work closely with God. They are filled with Light, Love and Compassion. They will never tell you to do anything "negative," such as harm yourself or others. They would never "demand" you do something. They would never encourage you to do or say negative things. This would be the work of lower-level spirits. Our guides are responsible and knowledgable. They will encourage us to explore our abilities in a positive way. They will point us in the right direction for uplifting or illuminating reading material, or groups of like-minded people we can join. They will convey messages that will aid us in our spiritual growth. They will urge us to shed our ego selves and become more God-like, so we may aspire to even higher levels of insight and knowledge. Their teachings will be of a positive nature, not negative.

That's not to say that they can't be impatient or strict with us sometimes; they certainly can be. As I said, they take their jobs very seriously. They don't have time for games or foolishness. They want to work with us on our development, not perform parlor tricks for us. If you intend to contact your guides just for fun, or to see if you can, or to impress your friends, I'm sad to say you may not get very far with that mindset. If, on the other hand, you are serious about wanting their help, you will be successful in your efforts.

So How Do We Begin Working With Them?

This varies from person to person, but what has worked best for me is to keep a notebook and pen nearby after I ask for their assistance. I do some spiritual shielding and protection first, and then get into a meditative state. Then I ask them questions, and jot down any answers I feel I get. These answers can come in many ways. You may hear words, or see images in your mind, or even see the words in your mind. Don't try to analyze it, just write it down. As you do this more and more, your awareness of your guides will increase, and you will begin to understand more of what they are trying to tell you. This can take alot of practice, but you will get better at hearing/seeing/feeling information. If you don't have any particular questions and would rather they initiate a subject, then simply ask God to send your guides in and sit quietly in meditation until you see or hear something. It may take some time, so again, be patient. If you have dreams that feel like contact from your guides, write these down in your journal also.

As you get to know your guides and begin working with them, remember that they are doing this because they have a desire to help you on your path. They are not your slaves. Be respectful, be grateful and be patient. While they are here to help us, they don't have to reveal all of the answers to us either. It wouldn't be in our best interest to do so. You may not get answers to all of your questions, and in that case, it isn't for you to know at this time. Accept that graciously, and move on. Be sure to thank your guides and angels for their protection, comfort and help. That is all the payment they ask.