In response to Jeff...
I haven't questioned the recurring characters in my meditations before, except when I verified who my anima was. I have had similar occasions where entities have been different from what I would imagine them to be, though. Most often, when I'm being childish and I ask for the God and Goddess to appear (Wiccan tradition), the Goddess would appear as the Crone and be extremely cryptic... God wouldn't be anywhere in sight. If I'm on path, though, I get both God and all three forms of Goddess, sort of shifting back and forth as She makes Her points.
I haven't talked to guides much in meditation, though. In fact, I have only seen one once, when I was questioning the nature of evil, and she simply told me to follow her. She came first as a snake (symbolism: bringer of knowledge, though I didn't realize it at the time) then reappeared as a woman dressed in white robes when I looked at her oddly, and led me to the Akashic Records. I can 'feel' my guides much more than I can see them, and I find it easier to recognize them when my eyes are open... They like resting just behind my shoulders...
I suppose that is a side effect of me practicing energy manipulation more than visualization, though.