2016-06-30
Q: From time to time, I see what appears to be ripples in the air out of the corner of my eye. Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?

A: We infer that you believe you are perceiving some kind of disturbance in the atmosphere around you created by your guardian angel or spirit guide. Interestingly, you are not alone in observing this strange ripple effect, for we receive many such reports.

Whether it's a supernatural occurrence is difficult to assess, but some of our correspondents say that such an optical manifestation brings them reassurance and peace of mind in the midst of stressful situations. To intensify the sense of tranquility and the feeling that a supportive presence is near, they pray for guidance and direction in extricating themselves from their present trouble and strife.

A number of Native American tribes believe that such manifestations signal the possible appearance of two spirit presences. If the entity appears over your right shoulder, it is your spirit guide making its presence known. If the being manifests over your left shoulder, it is the Spirit of Death, and you may ask it any question you wish and receive a truthful answer. The Spirit of Death has no reason to be other than completely honest, regardless how bad the answer may be, for it knows that whatever occurs, it will be there to accompany you to the Other Side.

However you interpret these "ripples in the air" that you have seen, pray for guidance that you do not embrace the concept of a benevolent guide near you until you have tested the spirit for its true intentions. And try to be objective enough to consider that some natural phenomenon may be responsible for your "spirit manifestation."

Q: Is it possible for someone to have more than one spirit guide? Why would anyone have several guides?

A: Many spirit mediums and tribal shamans say that they have more than one guide. They believe that spirit doctors assist their healing work, spirit teachers convey messages of wisdom, and a host of other spirit specialists manifest to help their human channel in his or her spiritual mission.

Whether or not these are individual entities or a single source that shows different facets of a single spiritual essence could be the topic for endless discussions and debates.

Should we communicate with our angel guides? Read more >>

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  • In our opinion, there may well be certain spirit specialists who assist their human operatives in their earthly endeavors. We believe that unseen "powers and principalities" surround us. We also accept the existence of spirit helpers that respond to our material as well as our spiritual needs. While we may each have one particular guide ever-near us, we may also rely on the wisdom of Spirit to guide us.

    Q: I firmly believe that I have established a rich and rewarding line of communication with my guardian angel. Why is it that you seem opposed to people communicating with their angel guides?

    A: We rejoice that you feel that you have been so blessed as to have developed a line of communication with your guardian angel. We are certainly in favor of everyone enjoying such heavenly link-ups. What we have continually advised is that people exercise discernment and take the time to evaluate the status of the spiritual entity with which they feel they are in contact.

    We also strongly suggest to those who wish such contact that they carefully assess the qualifications of those psychics or channels, who state that they can establish such angelic communication in exchange for a fee. In our opinion, the contact is always more likely to be genuine if the guardian angel is the one who initiates communication, rather than the connection having been forced. In fact, we are uncertain whether a true angelic contact can be achieved by any intelligence other than that of the heavenly being itself.

    As the title of this column indicates, we make a distinction between guardian angels and spirit guides. We believe that spirit guides come to us from an "in-between universe," a multidimensional realm between heaven and earth. Some of these guides were once physically expressed in human form; others are Light beings that have never visited Earth in physical bodies. While one always hopes to contact benevolent entities, one must understand that this "in-between universe" is also home to sometimes mischievous, sometimes negative, astral masqueraders that delight in deceiving gullible and desperate humans.

    We hold angels to be messengers of God that receive their heavenly assignments from the Creator of All That Is and are therefore unlikely to be readily responsive to the trivial whims and desires of mundane human enterprises and ambitions. While we may develop attitudes of reverence and respect that may encourage the presence of angels, we are not to pray to them, worship them, or expect them to become involved in material matters beneath their dignity.

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