This is on my mind, as I’m just starting Roland Merullo’s new book, The Eight Visits, which is all about his experiences with a spirit guide. Like all of his books (especially the Buddha series, the second of which led me to a divine experience of the physical presence of my dead husband), this one is already delicious. So I’m hurrying to put this out here for anyone else who may question how our guides and angels might feel when we’re oblivious to their help (so I can get back to the book on this rainy afternoon in Georgia).
This I know. There is ZERO purpose in punishing ourselves if we miss a sign, a wonder, or some kind of guidance whether from our loved ones or the guides/angels/masters/whatever kind of team we assembled to get us through this human experience.
Think of this: if you even know ~ and can admit! ~ that you’ve got guides and angels with you, you’re ahead of the vast majority of the rest of the world. A good number of people know but won’t make use of their guides and angels.
But most people are born, live, and stop breathing before they ever have any idea. That doesn’t mean the guidance isn’t still happening for all of us. Those guides and angels aren’t just lounging around smoking and playing poker because we don’t know they’re there. It only means that we lack awareness of their presence and their efforts. I don’t think this world is survivable without guidance, even when we don’t know it’s happening.
And even when we know, this human experience is so dense. There are all sorts of energies galloping around, colliding with one another. We’re immersed in positives and negatives and inbetweenatives. The human soup is the mix we came here for, but it’s A LOT, no matter how awake and enlightened we may be.
So even when asking for help, we can still miss what comes. Briefly, I did just that not too long ago. Setting out for an extended hike in the mountains just north of home, I was about to slip into a parking space at the trailhead when I spied something. What is that? How strange. It was a single hiking pole with a bandana tied on the end. Abandoned.
I parked next to it and while getting out my backpack and my own (single) hiking pole, noticed that the one I’d almost run over was a pretty nice one. It looked sturdy. There was not one other soul at the trailhead, no parked cars, nothing, even though this trailhead is just a mile or so from the Appalachian Trail.
Another pole. Hmmmm. But I don’t really like having poles in my hands. Even with the standard rocky-rooty Georgia trails where they’re useful, the poles feel fiddly and they’re annoying on the inevitable smooth patches. Though this was a challenging hike up Georgia’s Blood Mountain, with a climb of about 1400 feet, and even though the thought floated through my brain that two hiking poles would be wise, I quickly abandoned any idea of picking up that pole with the hearty approval of my lifelong impulsive and heedless pal, OverConfidence.
It was she who drew my eyes away from the abandoned (gift) pole in the parking lot. It was she who urged me to hurry, hurry onto what proved to be a ridiculously challenging climb up a pile of boulders in hiking sandals, and with that single pole, which was inadequate for the job.
By the time I realized the trail was not a good choice for a grownass (read old) woman wearing sandals and with a single pole, I was two miles in. Two miles? Yes, because as I clambered over the crazy rough trail at the beginning, I kept thinking it wouldn’t last. This was based on nothing but happy hope and my own tendency toward recklessness (also OC, because she never shuts up), and so I persisted past the point where turning around made sense.
Stopping for a bit to ponder things, it occurred to me that I had asked for safety, for guidance, for a great hike. I needed two hiking poles for that to have even a chance of happening. And there it had been, literally dropped in my way: safety and a great hike in the form of the extra pole I so desperately needed.
Yes, I had noticed it. How could it not catch my eye? It was literally in front of me in the first parking spot I was going to turn into. But I listened to the enthusiastic Pollyanna chirping of OC, and set out, to my detriment.
The trail was wretched (turns out, in a habitual mistake, I’d misread the directions to the moderate hike to the top of Blood Mountain, and had started out on the hard one).
But as I’m pondering my failure to notice and pay attention, there was Act 2 of Guides And Angels Here to Help You Without Judgment Even When You Ignore Us: a very sturdy, just-the-right-height branch literally lying across the rock next to me.
promises of my guides and angels.
It was a little heavy, but it fit well in my hand and it definitely saved my bones going down. (And going down was the result of my listening to Act 3 of We Will Always Help You, which was a response to prayer I said while pondering things as I sat on a monstrous boulder: “Should I continue to the top?” And the answer was “NO! The mountain’s not going anywhere. Get sturdy shoes. Leave that blabby heifer OC at home. BRING TWO HIKING POLES.”)
So much of my life has been about silencing the critical voices in my head which either came pre-installed or which I acquired in the pews of First Lutheran. Probably both. I imagine that our birth-wiring has scritchy spots, a kind of emotion-and-thought-Velcro, which will catch one thing or another as we encounter matches in this lifetime. So if I arrived with a little bit of a tendency to self-criticism, the onslaught of Reasons You Are Terrible that I heard in church just hooked right into that, amplifying it.
I’ve never forgotten an interview with Stephen King that I read years ago. The interviewer asked him why his mind seemed so readily able to produce these incredibly rich, intricate, and terrifying stories. His response was that he thinks we each have a filter, and what catches in some brains will just pass through another. His catches bizarre and terrifying things, while someone else’s will filter out all but sunshine and flowers.
That makes sense to me. Otherwise, since we all arise from the same fabric of the One Big Love in the world, how would we differentiate ourselves for some new experiences?
So while my tendency would be to castigate myself for missing the very clear response(s) to my request for guidance and safety, my newfound freedom of accepting and allowing all things lets me just laugh. Of course I missed it. That’s human default. To even imagine that such a thing could be dropped in my path is a long way from how we’re made, which is to think we’re all that exists.
So instead of castigation this morning, I’m celebrating that I got it that day on the mountain, even if on delay, even after taking on the fairly dangerous thing I’d hoped to prevent.
And hooray to that, because that pole, with its little waving bandana, is a reminder I now take on every hike of every new trail I’m unsure of. Yes, indeed, we are always guided. And yes, we will ALWAYS miss some of that guidance. And yes Yes YES it’s okay.
There’s no judgment. We’re made to miss it. That’s the human experience. And always, no matter what, we are so very loved. Eternally so. That’s guidance worth knowing.
___________________________
*As I was rereading the last three paragraphs, as I checked this for typos, as there WILL BE, no matter how many times I read it, I felt my guides, my whole spirit team laughing with me. And these words arrived in my brain: “Of course you will miss these things and of course *we* will find it all wildly entertaining, because no matter what, we know that you’re coming back to us. And we will celebrate you and all that has unfolded. Enjoy it all, as we so enjoy you.”
I’ve saved this cartoon for years, because yes, puppies do these things. But also humans. Humans do these things. And, as my favorite Billy Fingers quote says, “It’s okay, honey. It’s *all* okay.”
An Unexpected Mystic 
‘The onslaught of Reasons You Are Terrible that I heard in church’… girl, we are cut from the same cloth! I am so glad we are now both seeing that we were greatly loved and only human after all. 🙂
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So very loved BECAUSE of that humanness, not in spite of it. Thanks for reading and for your comment. There are so many of us who had the groundwork laid for awakening in what was supposed to be a sacred experience of church. Torture for years (that fear of hell) but what a gift now.
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Dear Unexpected Mystic,
I know it is beside the point, but, was the pole still there when you got back and did you take it?
Always love your story telling, thanks for sharing and writing your view on things!
MClare Schuster
Sent from my iPad
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It was! I did! It now accompanies me everywhere so I will have it when I need it. 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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Thank you for another wonderful post! I want to hear/see their guidance, but I feel like a solid block. LOL
PS I suggest you set up a menu for this blog so we can easily get to the home page and see your other posts. I don’t see one on either mobile or desktop.
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It’s okay. We ARE solid blocks. AND we are still guided. What we are always looking for is the consciousness of what’s happening behind the scenes, and believe me, I totally get how much we can long for that when it doesn’t seem to be happening. A long time ago, when I mostly didn’t even believe they were there, I started repeating a little mantra and surprise! for someone so wildly ADHD, I kept it up. Three lines, affirming that I was aware of and every day *seeing* the guidance and support that is here for me. Short and sweet. Something I could keep twisting under the radar. I kept little reminders in my desk, my car, purse, pockets, so I’d always see them. And every time I thought of it, I’d start the mantra again. That was the beginning of becoming aware of them. I only had to change *me* ~ my consciousness ~ not them, because they are everpresent. I don’t know, maybe that will help, and if not, just know that they’re with you, always.
AND THANKS!!!! Thanks for reading! And for the suggestion. I do think I need to do a lot to this blog and then I just drift away because rocky trails await, and warm puppies, and much more. 💚
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Thank you for the reminder, we are seen and always loved anyway. Tonight & tomorrow I’m listening to Suzanne Wilson’s Know Your Angels on-line sessions. Looking forward to learning and listening more.
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Oh that’s wonderful! I remember taking a class with her and Suzanne Giesemann maybe in 2016? At that point I was DESPERATE to know the names, ranks, serial numbers (kidding, but almost) of my guides and angels. I mean, I was obsessed. It was really helpful. Hope you find something wonderful too!
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This is wonderful!! It’s what we do. David told me once when I harassed him about sending more signs: “Mom! I don’t mind being obvious, but you have to quit being oblivious!” He was so good humored with that that I knew it didn’t bother him (although perhaps it was a bit much that I was always whining for more and not realizing that the signs were abundant- perhaps it was the unwillingness to believe I was that cared for or that their love for me was that abundant that was the culprit.) Water, water everywhere comes to mind. I am so grateful for my guides and the reminder that most of us don’t see them, know them, and benefit from their companionship. What a metaphor in walking sticks! I read somewhere this week that God works with us, he doesn’t work for us, and I love that.
LOL!! I turned to AI, a new admin for my guides, to ask “What’s the spiritual meanign of a walking stick? AI delived: A walking stick’s spiritual meaning centers on divine support, guidance, protection, and inner work, acting as a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms. It symbolizes the “staff of life,” representing wisdom, resilience, and the journey of faith while providing balance and strength during challenging times.
A little further along AI offered this “Holding/Finding a staff: Symbolizes upcoming blessings, miracles, or a call to ministry.”
Thanks once again for reminding me to open my eyes and smile. ❤
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Oh my stars, I didn’t even think of looking up the meaning of a walking stick but how perfect is that?? Another gift, just waiting to be revealed by Claudia.
When I think of how many of the shower-like signs and wonders rain down on us every day, I envision one of those old school switchboard affairs, a big one, like when there was Bell Telephone and all the rest. A long row, endless, angels and guides frantically plugging in one line after another and …. So many times, MOST of the times, no answer. Nobody home.
But when it lights up? A big HOORAY!!!! The angels clap their wings! The guides high five one another (and go out for a smoke), the higher ups smile happily. We got through. That sign MADE it. So much fun to think about what it’s going to be like when we clear out of here and it’s all revealed, in all of its perfection … Thanks for reading, honey.
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What a beautiful location for a walk and a story to unfold! I can picture you with a wry smile, the moment you realized the significance and gift that was the ‘extra’ walking stick.
One pass time I enjoy is to watch someone playing a fun video game that I myself have played and loved. I sit in the background, watching eagerly, hoping they get to have all the experiences, all the feelings and successes, marveling at their own approaches and choices. I’m cheering and whooping and laughing. And I’m ready with a hint if they ask for one.
But I know that if my hint is too spot-on, too detailed or too directive, it will suck the joy of the experience right out of the moment. It moves from ‘help’ to ‘back-seating’. Similarly, if I offer a hint that they ignore, I remind myself that it’s their play-through, not mine.
I think that is similar to what our guides in Spirit go through: They are cheering and hoping for us to have just the richest experience. They’ll give a subtle nudge or hint when we ask, but they only ever ‘grab the controls’ when there’s eminent danger that will derail us from our soul’s objectives.
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WOW, what a perfect analogy. And yes!!! 100% this. To intervene obviously is to take away the joy of discovery and adventure and achievement. I love LOVE this, Marilee. Thank you.
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Oh Lynette you are such an inspiration and I can hear your wonderful chuckle as you write. Such a delightfull story told in your honest, inimitable way and and such a vital lesson to me who is constantly berating myself for not listening
Thanks to Suzanne, you and the team on both sides, I have no doubts about the existence of my guides and angels but oh boy do I so often forget to ask…maybe because there is somewhere an element of unworthiness, athough I’m very lucky not to have ever suffered from a heavy bible bashing homelife…just an awareness of not being being particularly bright at school and always trying to live up to my school mates..a sense of inadequacy which I think I bring to my relationship with my guides because I don’t “see/hear/feel stuff.
Much much love and gratitude
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I’m so sorry to hear you say that, Oriole, because I’ve read your comments here and there ~ and enough ~ to see “not particularly bright” and I’m shocked that you’d ever think such a thing. Your thoughts are so rich and beautifully expressed. One thing I know: schools are not a good measure of “brightness” except in the narrowest sense, and there are so many expressions of a creative, beautiful mind that don’t even come near those narrows.
Listen, I used to berate myself for not asking every day too, and a lot of people will say “you have to invite them, they’re not going to help you unless you ask.” Again, if we think that through, WHAT??? Impossible. We are ALL guided. It’s part of the rule set here. And as I said in this piece, the vast majority of us will never even know we have guides, let alone ask them to help us.
Does it help ME to ask? It only helps if I don’t punish myself when I forget. So what I did was make contracts with all of my dead people, my spirit guides, my angels. “Okay, you guys. You beyond anyone know what this brain of mine is like. It’s like a hoppity toad on a good day. That said, I’m sick of forgetting to ask you and then feeling bad. So here’s the deal: going forward, HELP! Help me in whatever ways are appropriate. Don’t wait for me to ask. Just jump in. All of you. Every one of you, even those I may acquire in the future. Consider this a permanent HELP WANTED agreement until revoked. By me, because only I can do that. As you know.”
It was such a relief. I’m paraphrasing my actual contract lol but it took away any of that “oh hell, I forgot,” and the twinge of guilt, less than, whatever that comes after. Now if I ask it’s just a bonus. But my contract has me covered.
AND that contract is just for me, because they’re going to help anyway. Thanks so much for reading, Oriole, and for your lovely comment.
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Look at the photographs of this trail. Look familiar? 😂 It’s not the same one we started out on at Fall Creek Falls, but so similar! Thought you’d enjoy this story on listening/not listening to our guides. xo, Jana
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I would enjoy a story about that? Do you have a link? Thanks for reading, Jana.
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