What helper spirits do…

When you combine your intent, spell ingredients, and ritual you have a spell. The final push of that spell, or the big magic, is supported by your helper spirits. We all have spirits around us, a spiritual court as it were, that is made up of our ancestors, spirit guides, and the divine beings that we have either called to us or who are drawn to us.

Working magic will involve your spiritual court, making it an excellent practice to build a relationship with them. This relationship involves knowing their personality, what they bring to your life and your energy, what type of messages they send to you, and how you can honor them. Yes, honor them. No one likes a one-way relationship, not even your spirit guides. When you are always taking from them, eventually they will run out of energy to give you. Honoring them with energy from this physical world refills their reserves and builds a better relationship.

Know who your helper spirits are. Building a relationship with your guardians and guides helps you discern the type of spirits that are around you. There is an important distinction between your spiritual court, your helper spirits who won’t interfere until you request their assistance, and spirits who interfere without your consent, even when it seems like you are gaining from their actions. Interfering spirits are working from their own agenda and always expect a price. Often that price is your energy and the price grows until you can no longer pay it. Just because something is in the spirit world doesn’t make it beneficial to you. Know who you are working with before you strike a deal. The relationship with your true helper spirits grows with time and practice. Spirits that glom onto you quickly and take over all aspects of your life are not usually healthy ones. Be wary of instant success in all things, including your magic and spirit relationships.

The helper spirits that are closer to you and easier to connect with are often found through meditation and quieting your mind. Next time you find yourself with a bit of free time, just sit without noise or input and let your brain unwind. That is the core of meditation, allowing your brain to release the clutter of thoughts that are running through it. Eventually, you cut through the outer noise, your own anxiety chatter, and get to the inner still voice of your guides.

When I was first meeting my guides I would get quick snippets of thought that were in a different mental voice than I was used to. I learned their energy signature and asked for a sign that they were talking to me. One guide would show me feathers, one guide would talk to me in songs on the radio, and another would talk to me through my interactions with the public. I was pleased with this spiritual court for years. The representation of my spirit guides remains on my magic altar. They taught and guided me and when it was time to meet more, they pushed me further still.

For some, working with their ancestors is natural and the first spirit helpers they ever meet. For me, they were the second group. Their introduction into my life was profound and grounding. Your ancestors teach you about the power you were born with, the power that has come through the generations. Having an altar dedicated to my ancestors has helped me heal legacy wounds that needed to be healed, create boundaries between the dead and the living, and ask for the help of my ancestors when needed. They also pushed me further, to deepen my connection with the spirit world and reach for those harder-to-reach spirits who have a wealth of knowledge that only time and experience allowed me to access.

Your magic winds its way through the spirit realm during its journey to completion, it’s a good idea to know who is guiding it to success.