Who Are Your Spirit Guides?
Recently, a friend asked me a challenging question.
She asked, "Who are your ancestors and how do you know"?
I sat there for a movement trying to figure out how the hell do I even know!?! I've been in the practice for so long, I forgot I too was once a student in that same class. I can remember being 19 years old when I was first told to do my research on "Orishas". I was told a spiritual bath could help me connect to my Orisha and I would know who she was. I was led down that path because that's the path my stepmom had taken.
And yes... I was just as confused as you are right now. So let me give you the "Tenants of the Treehouse" interpretation that spirit is guiding me to share.
Ancestral Ties
Some of us have Magic "in our bloodlines". That means we come from a family of mystics. After all the witch hunts and the demonizing of African Spirituality, not many families talked openly about being gifted any more.
I'm from New Orleans so I know all trash talk surrounding "Voodoo", "Hoodoo", Tarot, etc. I also know all the misclassifications and the defamation. In my youth, I turned away from the gift for a while due to the "dark magic" I'd witnessed. That, coupled with Hollywood's plight to demonize anyone who's religion isn't "Puritan", I hid from magic to avoid becoming something dark.
That's why it's important to know our family ties and talk to each other. No one took my hand and guided me because it was "taboo". So I had to dig through family heirlooms and do my own research. Now that the portal has opened, we're not afraid to "come out the closet". We must honor those who came before us.
Spirit Guides
Your spirit guides could be your Guardian Angels, Buddah, an old Cherokee, or even Jesus. Then you have The Orishas, better known as,
THE SEVEN AFRICAN POWERS! The Orishas that make up the Seven African Powers are: Elegua, Yemaya, Oshun, Chango, Obatala, Oya, and Ogun. Coupled together: Oshun, Yemaya, Obatala and Chango make up one of the FOUR PILLARS of Santeria!
Obatala, the eldest of the Orishas, is revered as the creator of all mankind. He is called upon in times of legal strife. Known to be a fair and honest judge, Obatala provides strength to the innocent and justice to the guilty.
Elegua opens and closes the path to mankind. He rules the crossroads that men journey across and is considered the first Orisha created. All prayers pass through Elegua before reaching any other Orisha. Pray to Elegua in matters of destiny and fate.
Yemaya is the Orisha of motherhood and the queen of the sea. She is prayed to in matters of fertility and spiritual growth. Yemaya is a source of comfort and strength in times of emotional crisis.
Oshun is the goddess of love and abundance. Often seen as the Aphrodite of the Orishas, Oshun is called upon for guidance in love and desire. She helps to support those who are going through a period of growth and transition.
Chango is the Orisha of lightning, power, sensuality and passion. Together with Oshun, Yemaya and Obatala, Chango is one of the four pillars of Santeria. He is widely beloved and a beacon of strength and dignity.
Ogun, a protective father figure, is the Orisha of tools and weapons. A lover of the wilderness, Ogun offers strength and protection to those with a battle to fight.
Oya, a whirlwind of fierce energy, is my guide! She's the Orisha of communication between the living and the dead. A favored lover of Chango, this female warrior summons tornadoes and lightning to battle her enemies.
The Seven African Powers are summoned to assist with overcoming obstacles, spiritual growth and connecting to one’s inner power. Anyone can call upon the Seven African Powers, as they are spirit guides and everyone has access to these Orishas for their guidance.
Messages From Mother Nature
Last, but most certainly not least, THE UNIVERSE! Some mystics receive messages from nature like plants/trees, the wind, the water etc. Kitchen witches like myself even use fresh or dried herbs in their magic.
Still others may use "Animal Spirits". Have you ever seen a Black Cat and thought of the "bad luck" stereotype? That's a form of using an animal as a sign or symbol. Some people associate "seeing a crow" with "someone's out to die". If you have a dream about snakes you might think you need to watch your back. That's the way your spirit guides communicates with you.
And the most famous of all signs ... dates and times! Pay attention to the Synchronicity, the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.
Who are you guides? How do they communicate with you?
Take your time and do more research and figure out who you connect with more and the ways your guides communicate with you.
Here's a Pick-A-Card reading to help you out!
Comment below and let us know some signs you've been noticing...