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 When you wake up, note any strange figures or unusual patterns that emerge in your dream. The goal is to find repetition: what messages or dream beings keep appearing?

 Sometimes our spirit guides don’t directly reveal themselves, but instead symbolically reveal who they are to us. Take note of symbols that keep emerging and journal about them. What do they mean to you (don’t overthink the answer)?

 Once you have a strong inkling of who/what your guide is, thank them. Continue to ask for guidance and for their appearance in your dreams before going to bed. Learning how to lucid dream is also a powerful way to contact your spirit guides.

 One of the best ways to contact your spirit guides is by silencing your mind through practices such as meditation or mindfulness exercises. Here is one simple practice:

 Sit or lie down in a quiet place that is undisturbed by other people. Focus on your back or thighs as they come in contact with the ground. Notice the rising and falling of your chest. Listen to the sounds around you and focus on being present in the Now.

 If you have raging thoughts, jump up and down for a little bit (to expel the frantic energy from your body), then resume your meditation.

 Whenever a thought, storyline, image, memory, word, etc. comes up, note it silently, then let it go. For example, you might notice a memory from yesterday, and note silently “memory” or a random thought and note “thought.” Don’t try to fight these thoughts, just let them flow.

 When you feel sufficiently relaxed and centered in the present moment, ask to hear the name or see the face of your spirit guide. You might need to wait for a while, so be patient. Let go of all expectations (they will block what you are about to receive) and keep your mind open like the sky.

 Journal about your experiences afterward. If you struggle with this practice, don’t worry. Most people do. Just practice it for 10 minutes each day for a week and see what happens.

 Bibliomancy is the practice of seeking spiritual insight by opening a book you’ve intuitively chosen at a random place. This form of divination was popular in the middle ages, but it continues to be a valualbe way of gainin guidance, even until this very day.

 Go to your personal library or collection of books. (Alternatively, if you don’t have any, go to a local library.) Stand in front of the books and close your eyes. Ask to be drawn to a specific book that will help reveal your spirit guide. I encourage closing your eyes as you do this so that you aren’t influenced by bias. Let your inner feelings guide you.

 When you feel a pull or intuitive ‘nudge,’ pick up the book your hand has paused over. Then, either open the book at random and quickly look at the page, or wait for a page number to pop into your mind. Read what is in front of you.

 Sometimes bibliomancy takes practice because it requires you to have a strong connection to your intuition. Other times, you won’t receive a direct response, but will instead receive a clue that will help you explore further.

 Remember, spirit guides are powerful beings with their own personalities. Calling on them will not necessarily make them want to reveal themselves to you straight away. Often, by concealing themselves and making you work to discover them, you learn important lessons along the way.

 (However, with this being said, spirit guides may decide to send a very loud and clear message, it all depends on your life context!)

 There are quite a few spirit guide visualizations already out there on the internet which you might like to try out. You might even like to create your own visualization by listening to soothing music and imagining that you are walking down dark a staircase into a white room at the bottom. In that white room your spirit guide will be there, waiting for you.

 Remember to always set an intention for your visualization. In this case, it would be “I wish to connect with my spirit guide” or something similar to that.

 Firstly, a word of warning. Plant medicine isn’t for the fainthearted and it absolutely requires a ‘sitter’ to watch over you such as a sober friend you trust or a trained shamanic guide/healer.

 If you have the ability to access plant medicines such as ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, or mescaline where you live, approach them with the utmost reverence. These aren’t “party drugs” – they’re doorways to profound places and must be used reverently. Even marijuana, in the right ceremonial setting, can open a portal into the ‘other side.’

Spirit Communication

 Please note that journeying with sacred plant medicine doesn’t always bring what you want – it brings what you need. So while you may have the intention to meet your spirit guides, you might instead be tossed into a cosmic kaleidoscopic voyage into another realm or a subterranean sacred geometrical ego-death experience.

 Above all, please ensure that you’re mentally sound (i.e., balanced, neutral, and relaxed) and are as emotionally prepared as possible for the experience – plant medicine isn’t something to trifle with. If you approach it with an anxious or depressed mind, chances are you’ll experience what’s known as a “bad trip.” Mindset is everything.

 Remember to set a strong intention to connect with your spirit guide before going into the experience, and repeat that intention throughout the journey if possible.

 No, I’m not referring to a genre of music! I’m referring to the state of mind, as in, a half-conscious state.

 You know that strange mental space you enter before you go to sleep (technically called the hypnogogic state) where images play out in your mind, kind of like you’re dreaming? That is the state we’re aiming for here.

 When you’re in a trance, your mind is open and receptive. It no longer has the typical filters of conscious waking reality. As such, this state is perfect for connecting with your spirit guides.

 Many ancient cultures used trance to ‘connect with the gods.’ Different ways of entering trance include self-hypnosis, various breathing exercises, relaxation techniques like catharsis, sensory deprivation, watching a pendulum, visualization, drumming, and dancing.

 Many ancient cultures used trance to ‘connect with the gods.’ Different ways of entering trance include self-hypnosis, various breathing exercises, relaxation techniques like catharsis, sensory deprivation, watching a pendulum, visualization, drumming, and dancing.

 One simple way to enter an altered state is to stare at a candle gently while practicing the shamanic breathwork technique. Shamanic breathwork involves breathing softly in through the nose and out through the mouth in a circular or connected way. There should be no pause in between, immediately following the out breath with the in breath, and in breath with the out breath.

 If you decide to try this trance-inducing practice, do it gently and slowly for about ten minutes. Stop if at any time you feel uncomfortable.

 When you take the time to look and pay attention, nature is sublimely magical. It is also a beautiful place to come in contact with your spirit guides (particularly animal spirits and trans-species beings).

 Find someplace outside. Sit in a park, by a river or stream, or go hiking. Look at the clouds, bodies of water, and trees. Can you glimpse any faces? What animals keep appearing that have seemed to accompany you for a while?

 Just the other week I was staring at the clouds. Out of nowhere, one particular cloud morphed into the face of Pan. I interpreted this as a clear reminder of his constant presence in my life. And yes, while this could have been a product of my imagination, the very fact that I interpreted the cloud as showing the face of Pan speaks a lot about my personal unconscious.

 Look around you, be mindful, and soak in the mystery. Nature teaches us so much with or without the presence of a distinct spirit guide!

 What exactly are spirit guides? Using the language of modern mystics, a “spirit guide” is a nonphysical being assigned to guide us to attain the greatest potential on Earth. In a way they care for us like guardian angels and assist us in many processes and transformations as we navigate life. A spirit guide is an ascended being that has thoroughly mastered life’s lessons, and comes through energetically as a true North Star, a guiding light.

 The following insightful deep dive is written by Mallory Leone; witch, healer, and mover of energy, who owns and operates Four Corner Studio.

 Whether you know it or not, you have a full team of spirit guides cheering you on and subtly guiding you through all of life’s ups and downs. No matter your cultural or spiritual background, these beings are here to give you an added layer of knowledge, wisdom, and protection.