By Travis Sanders
Regardless of if you’re a psychic, medium, or muggle, we all have unseen helpers in the World of Spirit. Most commonly these helpers are referred to as Spirit Guides.
In the Modern American Spiritualist Tradition, we designate guides into two categories: Inner Band Guides, and Outer Band Guides.
Inner Band Guides are those of our Spirit team, with whom we have made agreements with prior to incarnation, that they may accompany us through this lifetime as our spiritual support system. We can think of these connections as karmic if you like.
Our Outer Band Guides are those who are drawn to us via our vibration and actions. They may be long term, semi permanent, or short lived connections, meant to assist us with certain aspects of our life. For example, if you have an interest in art, you may attract artists in the Spirit World to assist you in your developing artistic aspirations. You can think of them as Specialists.
In this blog, we are going to explore the Inner Band and the roles these specific Guides play in our lives.
1: The Joy Guide
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
The first guide most people come into contact with is the Joy Guide. For those of us who engage in mediumship, the Joy Guide is usually what is often referred to as the “Gatekeeper” or the guide who acts as switchboard operator helping us connect to Spirit to pass along messages, and keeping order with those souls who wish to communicate through us.
While these souls may be wise beyond measure, they often present themselves as children or child like. Their purpose is to bring levity and humor to our Earthly experience which can be dense and heavy as we learn and evolve. Joy Guides love music, and often give us messages through song. They remind us to play, laugh, and lighten up!
2: The Doctor Teacher
Sometimes known as a Teacher Guide, Philosopher or Dr of Philosophy, the Doctor Teacher is concerned with guiding you in your life lessons, spiritual, and personal growth. They may be more serious, but are very loving. Like a parent, they do whats in our best interest, even if we don’t always like the messages we receive or lessons that we face. They’re role is not to interfere but guide us through our lessons so we may achieve the most growth as possible. Our teachers will often guide us to the right books, classes, teachers, and places that are perfect for what our soul intends to learn at any given moment. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
3: The Doctor Chemist
Your Chemist is like your otherworldly physician. They’re responsible for the chemistry and wellness of our body, both physical an energetic (though some Spiritualist says there is both a chemist and alchemist, the latter of which is more concerned with energetic bodies). You can ask your Chemist, more modernly called Spirit Doctors or Healer Guides for help or advice on health and wellness (though you should also regard a living qualified professional as well). If you’re a healer, your chemist may work through you in channeling healing energies to yourself and others.
For those who work in the realm of mediumship, the chemist assists in bodily changes necessary to attain and hold the vibrational rate appropriate for spirit contact.
4: The Protector
Most of us believe we have a guardian angel or protector of some sort. This sentiment is echoed in the concept of the Protector. This role of the Inner Band used to be called the “Indian Guide” but as times have become more understanding and politically correct, we simply say Protector, as it isn’t offensive as the previous label was.
The reason the former was used, is because for many (at least in the US), the protector is native (or indigenous to where a person was born/lives or sometimes their genetic lineage). I don’t however believe this is always the case. Native Americans had a connection to both Earth, and the Spirit World. They’re grounded, yet attuned- making them ideal guardians. Your protector is naturally there to assist with our safety. We can ask them for physical protection as well as spiritual protection.
5: The Master Teacher
Also called the Master Guide, the Master is our most highly evolved Sprit Teacher. Unlike the rest of our Inner Band, the Master Guide is not exclusive to us. They work with many people, often of the same soul or karmic path. Many people equate them with the Higher Spiritual Teachers such as avatars, saints or mystics of various religions or spiritual traditions, or what New Age has termed “Ascended Masters.” I don’t believe this to necessarily be true. Some might feel their Master Teacher is Jesus, Saint Germaine, but usually these evolved souls aren’t interested in earthly personas as they don’t want their identity to distract from their teachings. Another school of thought is that they might adapt a persona or archetype of a great teacher that soul may have followed, or have similarities to.
The Master Teachers is not concerned with the day-to-day. They’re don’t pop in just because. They make themselves known as needed. You can think of them as who your guides defer to when they need help helping you. They are only concerned with your path, the evolution of your soul, your life contract.
Additional Guides
Familial and Ancestral Guides
While not considered a part of the inner band, our ancestors can often bring us guidance from the Spirit world. Depending on how long ago they passed away they may have elected to become an official guide in some capacity. Many people like to believe that their grandparents or loved ones, known in this life that have passed away, are their Spirit Guides or guardian angels. In a sense this is true, in that they are in Spirit and can bring you guidance, but they are technically not guides as we known them in the Spiritualist sense. The may bring us guidance but remember, the personality has probably not changed much. SO- your grandfather could potentially give you guidance on financial matters- BUT if your grandpa gambled all of his money away, is this the type of guidance you would want to listen to?
When we come into life, when we make agreements with souls to look after us, they go through preparation to adequately guide us. They know our life plan, our spiritual agreement, the intentions we have for this life, and how to best help us navigate through it. Becoming a guide is part of their growth too, and it is a responsibility not taken lightly.
Final Thoughts
We cannot put Spirit in a box. For some this system will resonate. For others it may not. This model of guides is not taught in Spiritualism in the UK. It is more prevalent in Spiritualist communities in the United States. Even if you do resonate or find this model of guides to be right for you, I don’t think someone stands at the pearly gates with a checklist making sure there is a guide for each office. We created these labels SPIRIT did NOT. These are general roles for areas in a persons life. This may mean a guide may fill several roles or positions for you and you may feel the guides who work most closely with you may change over time. Above all else, trust your own intuitions and knowings, and trust the most important guide you have- your own soul or Higher Self.
My Truth 