Firstly, if you've clicked onto this Essay because you're interested in spirit guides, but know little to nothing about them, I should probably give you some background info. How did they get here? Why are they here? Why me? What do they look like? Do I have one? How do I get in contact with mine? Well, these (and probably more) questions are likely to be flying around your head at the moment.

I should probably start at the beginning. So here goes...

How did they get here?

There is, naturally, debate on this topic between mystics. Some believe that they are simply our higher selves speaking to us, and others believe that they are separate beings (or 'achetypes' of the same being. Personally, I believe they are separate energy beings (if there is such a thing - since EVERY single atom on this planet is joined to the next in some shape or form - so in this way, we are ALL connected) to ourselves, whose 'job', if you like, is to guard us, and, generally, to help us through life by any magickal - or mundane - means possible.

What types of Spirit guides are there?

I have several guides I like to work with. The first of these is my guardian angel (yes, you can be Pagan an have an angel! Actually, the concept is an originally Pagan one) whom I really discovered a month or so ago. I was reading about angels in one of my many witchy books, and what I read really resonated within me. This is how I found her. I didn't meditate for hours to get in touch with her - nor did I pray to the Goddess to show me this being. I simply knew. I'd always had an invisible friend when I was younger, and now I believe we all have one of these beautiful beings of energy around us, always.

The second type, is the animal guide/s. I have several of these, my favourites being the owl, fox and the horse. You have certain 'character' guide/s which project your being, and you can also call on a certain type of animal to help you aquire their traits. This is not as hard as it sounds, promise!

The Third type is a Human or Humanoid guide. Many merge this with their angel, but I think that this sort of guide isn't the type that is always at hand, but that you have to seek out ( like the animals). I'll provide a meditation later on for this type.

Why do we have these beings around us?

To help us, plain and simple. We may call on them for their positive attributes, they may help us when we ask (consiously or sub-consiously) or they may be helping us already, without our consent (but obviously they would work much better with it).

So there you go. I'm going to go through each of the main guide types, and explain how to get in touch with them.

GUIDE TYPE #1 - ANGELS

To find out if you have a close connection with your angel (possibly without even knowing it), try this questionnaire.

Nifty Angel Quiz

Did you have an invisible friend as a child? Could you sometimes 'feel' someone watching you, or around you without seeing them? (in a non-malevolent way) Have you ever been stopped from doing something that would have hurt you in any way by something you couldn't control (is. Car not starting, being off sick, seeing/hearing something that made you stop)? Ever lost something only to find it later in some strange place (if someone put it there it doesn't count!)? Feel safe and protected most of the time? When meditating, or closing your eyes, can you see, or otherwise 'sense' someone near you? Has anything ever happened to you that seemed like a 'bad' thing at first, but then turned out to be a blessing in disguise? Has wishing upon a star ever actually worked for you? Do you ever notice a specific smell (like a perfume) that no one in the house wears, and comes from no plant around? Do you ever receive signs to a question that's been nagging on your mind? Do you ever receive opinions out of the blue that you don't hold yourself, disguised as thought patterns? Have you ever been in an accident where you should've been hurt, even killed- and came out with only small injuries, or without a scratch?

0 - 3 You do have an angel, but just don't have that strong a bond with her/him. If you wish to develop it, meditation with/on your angel, divination, or developing your awareness is the way to go. Firstly finish this essay, then check out www.spiritweb.com for some other ideas on how to get involved.

4 - 8 Your connection isn't yet strong, but it has plenty of potential. Keep in daily contact with your angel, and ask her/him for help in things, both magickally and mundanely. Your relationship with your angel will soar.

9+ Keep up the angel-speak! You're obviously a natural angelic conversationalist. Keep on reading for some new ideas on working with your angel. He/She is lucky to have you!

So now you know - EVERYONE has angels, spirit guides or animal guides (I put it in the form of angels here). It just depends on the way you interpret them (some people, however, -like me - like to assign slightly different purposes to them, though). They are beings made of pure light, and you can sense them with your second sight or sixth sense. They live on the Astral plane (seperate yet joined to the physical, the one you are reading this on conciously now), and are possible to visit through Astral projection and even meditation, providing you go deep enough - you don't actually need to A.P. These beings help us in different ways - they may give us counsel, reassurance, and sometimes even step in and stop something physically(just because they're astral beings, doesn't mean they don't have a hold on the physical, too). Some philosophers ( like Jung, for example) argue that there are no such things as angels - rather they are being created by our own minds - a trick, something that makes us feel special. Either way, the existance of these beings in an intruiging subject, but of course I am biased! If you've ever had the things happen to you in the quiz, you may start to doubt scholars like Jung yourself.

GUIDE TYPE #2 - ANIMALS

Now I'm going to talk about my second set of guides - the Animals. I find the animal guides work in a slightly different way to Angels..they need to be called upon (either conciously or subconciously) to be of any help. Sometimes, they come to you in times of great need (subconcious calling), and other times you need to seek them out. A person usually has a main set of animal guides that personify themselves - different strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, etc. But, you can call on a certain animal for the streangths it possesses... for example, if I wanted wise advice, I'd call an owl. Or if I wanted to be brave, I'd call on a lion. To help myself remember my guides, I may bring a little talisman - like a lionshead-shaped piece of wax, or for the owl, perhaps a little statuette. These help me reatin my focus, and to remember that my guide is right there by my side, ready to be called upon. But anyway, you're probably wondering how to call a guide? Well, if you want to find your personal guide/guides, then follow this little meditation:

TO FIND YOUR PERSONAL ANIMAL GUIDE

1. Make sure that you're comfortable.

2. Close your eyes for a breathing exercise.

3. Breathe in deeply, and so your diaphram goes out - while you do this imagine a pure white, blue-white, silver, or silver-white light entering your body, and flowing all around it.

4. When you exhale, imagine either a gold, grey, brown or black mist flowing from your body - all the toxins, the impurities and rubbish.

5. Do this a few times, until you feel clear.

6. You need to imagine yourself in nothing but blackness. Then, turning, you see a little pinprick of light in the distance - make towards this, going faster and faster, until you come to the bottom of some stairs.

7. Count yourself up the stairs - there are 30 - until you reach a door of pure gold at the top. Open the door and walk through. You are standing on a platform far above the clouds... here you turn into a bird.

8. Here you take off. The trick is that you must 'feel' your surroundings. Feel your feathers flying in the wind, feel the sun or the moon on your body. Smell water in the clouds, or the salt from the sea. Hear the wind. Really immerse yourself in the experience. You fly over what you can see is your house far below.... you see the coastline, and make for it, taking you out to see, until you find an island. You circle for a while before going in for a landing. You come through clouds and fly above some trees.

9.You come into a landing on a tree near a beautiful pool of perfect reflection. Change back to a human, then climb down the tree.

10. Walk up to the pool, and stare inside. At first, you see your own reflection, but then it starts to change, and becomes the shape of your animal.

11. This animal, the first animal that you see, has a lot to tell you about yourself. When you see it there, in your reflection, turn around and see it before you. You may want to ask your questions, but always treat it as you would yourself, for it is you - in animal form. Some questions to consider: What latent abilities do I have? What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses? Do my friends deserve me? For the animal guide is just like a guardian angel - some would consider it to be another face -, except it does not step in unless you ask it.

12.When you are done, thank the animal. It will go away.

13. Climb back up the tree, and turn into a bird again.

14. Fly back, high above the island, circling it a few times. Then, head for home.

15. When you reach the platform, turn back to a human.

16. Open the golden gates, and walk inside. Take the steps back down, counting from 30....29...28... ect.

17.Run along the tunnel, your pace slowing - until you stop. This is the end of your road.

18. Feel your spirit project back into your body, and your memories of the event settle into your brain. You may wish to do this exercise with a friend, who can ask you questions throughout, and note them down - this will help if you are somehow unable to remember your adventure.

19. On the count of three, open your eyes - slowly.

So there you have it. This meditation may also be used to summon a certain animal for help. Below is a short table about different animals and their uses....

ANIMAL STRENGTHS

Horse Intelligence, Speed, Grace, Freedom.

Fox Cunning, Wit, Speed, Stealth.

Wolf Instinct, Mystique, Speed.

Raven Mystique, Signs, High Magick.

Cat Mystique, Agility, Intelligence, Self-Confidence.

Dog Loyalty, Friendship, Kindness, Love.

Dolphin Freedom, Friendship, Playfulness, Intelligence.

Butterfly Grace, Beauty, Freedom.

This is a VERY short table, and you should be able to find plenty more by keying 'Animal Guides' into one of the many wonderful search engines online.

GUIDE TYPE #3 - Human/Humanoid Spirit Guide

This meditation will help you find him/her.

1. Close your eyes, and repeat the breathing exercises in the last topic.

2. Whe you're done, concentrate on the blackness all around you. Morph this into a field of beautiful coloured flowers. You've just awoken in this field. You get up, and in the not-too-far distance, you see a palace made of glass and jewels.

3. You start towards the castle, and there are steps at it's base. Walk up counting form 1 - 30.

4. You are at a large silver door. Knock three times, and it swings open by itself.

5. You walk in and shut the door. Before you lies a sweeping staircase, with 50 steps. Count them.

6. When you reach the top, there is a great wooden door made of the darkest, richest wood. You knock 3 times with the silver knocker.

7. It is opened by your guide. That him/her for letting you up, and take some time to see them as they are. Ask them their name, and possibly why they appear as they do.

8. They let you inside. It is a great library full of the stories of people's lives. They becon you to a little table with chairs in the corner. You both sit, and he/she takes out a book from one of the shelves. They tell you it is the story of your life so far, and put it down on the table.

9. Here, you can ask to see a certain part of your life, and what exactly it ment. You can also ask them (being a scholar of your life) what they think you should do next, what your life may be lacking in, or what they think will happen if you take a certain path of action. There's probably plenty of other questions.

10. When you are done, thank them. They may give you a present to mark your first meeting (It could be anything, even a treasured piece of advice). Ask them what it represents, it may be very important. Then they will open the doors for you. Give them a last wave, and start back down the stairs, 50 -1.

11. When you are here, open the doors once more, walk through and shut them.

12. Walk down the outside steps, 30 -1.

13. Make your way through the field of flowers, first running until you get slower and eventually stop. You lie down and go back to sleep.

14. Feel your vision fade to black, and silence. Let your spirit slip back into your body, and your memory.

15. On the count of three, open your eyes. Take a long breath or two, write down your experience ( or have a friend that you wouldve talked to during the meditation that has taped or written it down). You're done!

As I said before, it's always a good idea to have a friend who can walk you through the exercise, and can write important details down.

So here we are, at the end. I hope you have enjoyed your journey into the world of Spirit Guides. I find that they are a very interesting insight into myself.