Meet Your Spirit Guides: Is It Me or My Guides?

Lynne from Boston, Massachusetts asks:

How do I know when the message I’m receiving is from one of my guides?  During meditation, I will sometimes hear many things in my head, but have trouble sorting everything out. I’m not sure if I’m getting messages or if it’s the thoughts in my head. Then I don’t know what to trust, and get scared and confused.

Dear Lynne,

Your challenge is one that occasionally bedevils even the most proficient psychic or channel, especially when the issue is one which they feel strongly about. And it’s easy to feel scared and confused when you’re first venturing into the realm of spirit, because the rational mind, which we all depend on so heavily in every day life, is not as useful when you’re exploring spiritual territories.However, you can make your logical mind a supporting partner while you learn to sort out what’s your “stuff” and what’s real guidance. Here are some techniques to help you do that.

1) Use oracles to double check. Spirit guides and angels can usually interact easily with Tarot, runes, Angel Cards and other divination tools. If you don’t already use a tool, Runes are good for beginners. Just remember – if you ask the same question again and again (as we often do when we’re anxious) you’ll start getting really skewed results. Ask once. If you don’t like the answer, or if it doesn’t match your intuition or guidance, leave it alone for a week and ask again.

2) Start a journal, and keep track of all your intuitions and thoughts. Pay attention to where in your body or head you “feel” them, what the surrounding circumstances were (were you falling asleep, waking up, taking a walk, driving down the freeway, showering), and – very important! – note later whether the feeling was accurate. If you keep good records it will be easy for you to see in a few weeks or months where and when the most accurate intuitions occur.

3) Ask for guidance while in sacred space. There are hundreds of ways to create a protected, spiritual environment, whether you use incense or sage, crystals, prayer, meditation CDs or music, or find a special spot outdoors. After you ask for guidance, use the techniques listed in item 2, and compare these results with the rest.

4) Remember that you’re in charge! If you’re scared and confused, you’ve given your power away to circumstances, and on some level believe that your fate lies in hands other than yours. Even in spiritual realms, if you keep your wits about you, pay attention to what’s going on, and remember that you get to decide what happens next, you will be less afraid, more centered and grounded, and better able tell the difference between true guidance or intuition and wishful thinking.

My feeling is that you’re going to be very good at this, Lynne.