Spirit Guides, Guardian Angels, and Archangels Defined (Blog)

[Erin Pavlina]

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog:

Spirit Guides, Guardian Angels, and Archangels Defined

[joylangtry]

Thank you for this post!

I have been reading Journey of Souls: Case Studies Between Lives by Michael Newton, and your info was so relevant. Dr. Newton is a hypnotherapist who specialized in past life regression, when he started tapping into clients' memories between lives/incarnations. He has documented consistencies in descriptions and presented an overview of what soul existence is like... and there is a lot of info about spirit guides.

I find that his material feels true to me. And it meshes with what you present here, very well.

I'm curious if you have read any of his books, Erin?

Thanks,
Joy

[Erin Pavlina]

No I haven't. I tend not to read other people's material because I like to find out from my guides and my own experiences. I don't want to be influenced by others. However, it is always nice to hear when someone else is getting the same information as I am.

[Luca]

I like the article but right now I don't believe in the existence of the guides and the higher self etc. Obviously this comes from the fact that I never received any proof of their existence but I am open to changing that. The thing I find most difficult to believe is that the higher self and spirit guides decided before you were born what experiences your were going to have. Who would chose to have painful experiences? I hope one day I can understand that.

[Erin Pavlina]

I'll blog about that Luca. Great question. Stay tuned.

Also, you mentioned that you never received proof that they exist. It's like tuning your radio to their frequency. Here you have all these people telling you they are hearing from their guides and you are like, "What guides? Where? Show me?" to which they say, "Dude, turn on your radio and you'll hear them." to which you reply, "What's a radio?"

You aren't going to see them if you're not looking. You aren't going to hear them if you're not listening. Before you decide they aren't there, at least buy a radio and tune in.

[kljsadfhklj]

I'm not sure how weird or not this might sound, but I feel like I'm one of these thingies you talk about in the post who's decided to come 'down here' to take a look at how's things going. Kind of like in City of Angels (except, sadly, for the Meg Ryan part).

It often feels like "hyperdimensional warfare? piece of cake. now how do I get this microwave working?". I'm a total n00b in physical existance matters, hehe.

[Erin Pavlina]

You are not alone. I meet many people who are more comfortable in the ether than on Earth. But you made an agreement to come here and help and that includes learning how to use your microwave.

[kljsadfhklj]

I'll see if I can talk to the management so we get better user manuals or more user friendly microwaves for the next version.

[Erin Pavlina]

Word!

A user manual would be awesome.

[Lola]

A user manual WOULD be awesome!

Thanks for the informative article, Erin.

I'd be interested to know your thoughts on childhood imaginary friends. Are they really spirit guides or higher self or something? Or are they really just imaginary?

[Erin Pavlina]

They're both. Oh, I gotta write a blog entry on imaginary friends. Thanks for the idea!

[Lola]

No problem. My imaginary friend told me to say that!

[persephonevii]

So Erin have you ever personally met one of these Archangels? What happens if you do tick them off? What are they like personally?

[Erin Pavlina]

Met is sort of a strange word in this case. I would say encounter. I have had encounters with Raphael and Michael where I knew it was their energy for sure. I have had dealings with Ariel, Jophiel, Lakshmi, Chamuel (sp?) and probably a few others.

I took a one day workshop with Doreen Virtue last year and she taught us all how to detect and feel them and what their different energies were like. But the interesting thing is that I had felt Michael before and didn't know who he was. She helped me discern the energy and put a name to it. After that experience I never fail to notice when Michael is around.

[soccer7]

hey erin, i'm interested in the archangles you mentioned like michael and such, so i got a few questions,

1. what do the archangles do basically, do they like go around a help people by performing miracles or something ? seeing as how you say they are so powerful.
2. have you ever spoken to an archangle
3. is it possible to tick one off
4. how can i start to learn to detect their energy ? or do i have to go out of body to do that?

thanks in advance

p.s. lola i like your signiture, thats a good one.

[Erin Pavlina]

I'm not an expert on archangels but I know a lot more now than I did a year ago, so here are my answers. (but really, I have to defer to Doreen on this).

1. Archangels are more of an ever-present energy not specifically attached to a single person. They will pop in when you need them, and pop out again when you don't. They are responsible for more of a worldly situation than individuals. They help to keep order in the universe. Right hand of Source and all that.

2. Communed with an archangel would be more accurate. Yes.

3. No, you can't tick them off. That's like asking if an elephant is annoyed with an ant crawling on its back.

4. You don't have to go out of body. Raise your vibration, call upon them.

[Lallymac]

I've seen archangels and angels at different times.
On campus a couple of years back, I was having lunch on the grounds with a group of friends. A young Maori girl, who'd just returned to campus after having a baby, joined our table. She looked exhausted and dropped her head onto her hands. I asked if she was ok and she said every time her husband went out of town she became depressed and couldn't sleep. A couple of the others offered advice but she said she was losing her mind because she was seeing a cousin who'd died, in her house. She'd only see him when her husband was away, then get an overwhelming feeling of depression.
Something caught my eye behind her and I saw a leather jacket. She said she'd been feeling like this since her aunt had given her the cousins jacket.
Next thing I saw a huge tree fall down and two young men standing behind her. They were brothers. They'd worked for the forestry and the older brother had died when a tree fell on him. He was a fun loving charismatic man and everyone loved him. Especially his younger brother. The younger man had felt it should have been him who died. He sank into depression, began drinking hard out and killed himself drink driving 18 mths later.
I told the girl what I got and she affirmed it was correct. The older brother was fine but the younger one was still struggling with guilt. I said I'd ask for someone to come forward and help him on his way. I felt the energy build up behind me and watched him leave smiling. I reassured the girl that he wouldn't trouble her anymore but he may pop in to say hello then raced off to my next class.
I passed the girl later in the day and she looked at the ground and as if she was avoiding me. I had that sinking feeling of 'did I do the right thing by her.' Walking to the carpark at the end of the day, my friend Kellee who's a Christian ran up and said 'What did you do to that girl?' She'd told Kellee that I really scared her because she saw a huge angel appear behind me just before I'd left. She avoided me for a few months, then approached me again because she picked up another energy at a funeral. I spent a few sessions with the following year in lunch breaks helping her come to terms with her gift.
Lallymac

[shant121]

Hi Lallymac that was very interesting. I have never seen an angel or an archangel. well, at least i did not know if i'd seen one!

[Theo77]

I had a spirit guide or guides at one time. I still probably do, But I feel like I became too dependant on them. I started questioning the guidence they were giving me, and got really angry.

Is it possible they don't always know what they are talking about?

I feel like asking this question creates a bit of an irreconcileable conundrum. If they are infallible, it makes them god-like and unapproachable. It also implies they they must always be listened to. So then its like you are allowing someone else to be in control of your life.

But if they can err and make mistakes its hard to trust them.

This has been my experience. After a while I kind of tuned them out because of this. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave up on me.

I don't really mind, but its amazing to read about others experiences and remember how in tune I was with this stuff at one time.

[Theo77]

I also looked at it like this once:

What if I were to meet a person face to face who told me, that they know my future and my purpose in life, but they aren't allowed to tell me what it is. But if I do what they step by step they will bring me there.

I wouldn't trust a person like that. I would say "Either tell me what it is up front or leave me alone."

Because really that is a very unequal power relationship. Chances are no one in everyday physical life woud ever offer a proposition like that unless they were a cult leader or somthing.

[Theo77]

Now that I am re-evaluating this, I am remembering that the conclusion I came up with is that there was a negative entity attached to me impersonating as a spirit guide, and that most of the time that was who I would interact with, but that once in a while the real guides would break through. So that I would get mixed messages but also a lot of bad guidence.

I had a really hard time with this. Trying to figure out how this could be, how God could allow this. but looking back, since then, I realize that I have become more independant and its made me persue my goals with more determination.

The other result though is that I am very suspicious of any entity trying to give me any advice. I put an enormous burden of proof on them.

So I end up disregarding a lot of stuff, but I am still empathic enough to connect with the ether if I want to.

Erin,

If you rad this, I want to just say, I like your articles and think you are the most down to earth psychic I have ever read. Most are a bit too dramatic and flowery but you are really straightforward.

[Erin Pavlina]

Thank you Theo. I really do aim to remove the mystery that some psychics seem to want to shroud themselves in, and just tell you what I'm experiencing as I experience it, and let you all evaluate for yourselves how you feel about it.

[shant121]

Originally Posted by Theo77

Erin,

If you rad this, I want to just say, I like your articles and think you are the most down to earth psychic I have ever read. Most are a bit too dramatic and flowery but you are really straightforward.

Yes Erin, I second Theo.

The dramatic and flowery ones make me uncomfortable, maybe cause I don't meet too people like them daily

Some of Sylvia Browne's recordings are available on Hay house radio. Although they are very very brief, one thing I observed was the Sylvia almost believes and treats psychic stuff (I don't know better terms, sorry!) as a science and speaks matter-of-factly.

[Theo77]

You are quite welcome Erin.

I know you do readings for a living, so I don't want to get free information out of you, but do you think that is possible-to have a negative entity posing as a spirit guide?

I might pay to have you do a reading on this. From everything I read, our interactions and communications were in line with how spirit guides function.

I am not totally, whatever the term is for audio-voient. But I am very empathic. I worked out a code for "yes", based on a sensation, and a code for "no" based on another sensation.

It was kind of like Socrates, relationship with his deamon, except in Socrates case it was apparently only "No" answers.

So anyway, the doubts came from me meeting resistence to things I wanted to do from the spirit guide, and me going ahead and doing them any way and having them work out. Also the converse, listening to the guidence and meeting with disaster. I also observed an over all trend in my becoming dependant and not confident of my own judgement.

The most blantant examples, are meeting strong resistence against purchasing a canoe, and doing it anyway, and later through the canoe, having an exptremely positive, life changing spiritual experience.

The other blatant example, is this guide discouraging me from developing my artistic talent. I feel like "Who gave me this gift?"

You talk about the source. I think its from the Source. So who is this entity aligned with that would keep me from exercising this gift?

Also, I often find that when I am "in the flow" doing my artwork, I have had many other powerful spiritual experiences, similar to ones I had out in the wilderness, in the canoe. I had one recently, that I believe is the beginning of my awakening my kundilini energy.

When I do my artwork, I feel more myself, more alive. These are the things the canoe and the artwork have in common.

Its a problem I am always working on in the back of my mind, like a detective trying to solve a case. Meanwhile, I am becoming more and more guided by my basic desires and lust for life.

So its possible that negative entities are my guides, spurring me on to be stronger willed and more aggressive.

I am recently doing a trial exploring being a darkworker, maybe the dynamic of spirit guides is different with darkworkers?

I'd be curious to hear what you think, but I know you must have a busy life so if you don't respond I understand.

I'd also be curious to hear anyone elses impressions.

Thanks

[Lallymac]

Hi Theo,
Higher level guidance that comes to us through our higher selves do not tell what to do. They don't tell us where to go, who to see or how to live our lives. They do not interfer with our own free will. They guide us by sharing wisdom or showing us more of our potential.
One of the reasons we need guidance in the form of guides is that we don't yet trust our inner wisdom from our higher selves (our own voice). We are more likely to listen to wisdom when it comes in the form of a Native American Indian, St Germain, or Yoganunda etc.
Part of the reason that we don't trust our selves to know, is parental/societal conditioning that says we can't possibly know these things. If someone like Donald Neale Walsh who wrote 'Conversations with God' had claimed the wisdoms as his own, everyone would immediately start questioning his credentials and his life, then dismiss his words. The voice he heard was his own 'God within' talking to him.
We all have access to our own 'God within.'
True guides soften and expand us, help us to love and understand ourselves better. Anything less that that is not coming from your higher self.
Lallymac

[Theo77]

Yeah, I definately don't think it was my higher self.

Perhaps, its some cystalized manifestation of my own fear, that had become a sentient thoughtform?

The thing is though it has some ability to know things I am not aware of consciously.

Whatever it is though, The trend I initiated of rebelling against it has paid off in personal growth.

But for over 15 years, I relied on it for all major decisions, even day to day ones.

I had a bicamral brain in a sense.

[Theo77]

I was definately a negative entity.

I just found this on the net:

Watch for entities that demand worship or obedience from you; seem to be boastful or egoistic in any way; insist that you consult them regularly (promote dependency on them for guidance); flatter you with suggestions that you're more "special" than the rest of the human race; make you feel afraid, insecure or anxious. True spirit guides will be comforting, uplifting, loving, supportive, empowering and positive. If you don't feel wonderful during or after communication with a guide, something is up.

There was an energy drain associated with it too, plus it played into my vanity and created a relationship of dependence.

Its been about 2 years of being pretty much totally free of its influence, after nearly 20 years of being dependant on it, from 15 to 34. 19 years.

I was kind of "new agey" as a teen and assumed it was a spirit guide, then I became a born again Christian and thought it was the Holy Spirit or an angel.

The modus operandi, seems for it to influence me into making disempowering decisions in order to remain dependant on it.

I should start a new discussion.

[RallyMcnally]

I've been wondering lately about angels and their connection with religion. Do they exist outside of a belief system? or must you be a follower of God/Jesus/Allah/etc... for them to serve you? Do non-believers have angels? or do the angels go away until they have faith again?

Steve's latest blog about how religion is a crutch has got me thinking! Are angels a crutch too?

[Anna Conlan]

You do not need to be a follower of a religion to commune with Angels. We are all spiritual beings and we all have guides and angels available to us, whether we are atheist, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist...

The Angels are always ready to serve you, all you have to do is ask for them to come into your life.

In the Western world, we associate Angels with Christianity because that is how we were first introduced to Angels - we probably read about them in the Bible and saw them in Christian artworks. But Angels exist outside of religion and have been present in all cultures throughout history.

Angels are not really crutches – they are our friends and helpers. You wouldn't think of your friends/family as crutches. A crutch is something you are dependent on and your guides/angels certainly do not encourage you to be dependent on them – angels want you to be empowered and to access and utilize your own wisdom and strength.

[Erin Pavlina]

When I first heard Doreen talking about angels I realized they had nothing to do with religion. Like Anna said, angels are spiritual beings of a different order than humans. They are connected to Source (God) but don't require worship any more than Source does.