This is the inner archetype I’m probably asked about most often by clients, primarily because many are uncertain of how to access it or trust it. We’re so conditioned to look outside ourselves for answers that we’ve forgotten about the ultimate guidance system that’s pre-installed within us. Of course there are always times when some objective advice is helpful, and I’d be talking myself out of a job if I said otherwise, but it’s healthy for those times to be the exception rather than the rule.

The guide is our own deep wisdom, the part of us that just knows what’s best and appropriate for us in any moment and can point us in the right direction. It is both deeply grounded and sensible, and so speaks through our gut instincts, but it’s also connected to our Higher Selves so that we’re able to tap into the higher mind and the soul knowledge that reaches beyond that available on the physical plane. Gandalf is a wonderful representation of the male guide, as the Oracle in the Matrix film trilogy is a female one.

Because we’ve all lived previous lives, no matter what our current age we have stored up a wealth of experience on our soul journey. We’ve already been the elder many times over, so we have access to that wise old woman or knowledgeable sage part of us whether we’re three or 30.

An important thing to understand is that our guide doesn’t always know the answers or have the ability to predict a definite outcome. This is a sticking point for many as we humans do like to have the security of an absolute certainty before making any decisions. The guide, however, trusts in the mystery and flow of life, knows that wisdom can be gained from both joys and sorrows, understands the cosmic patterns and natural cycles underlying all life and so helps us to weave our individual thread into the collective tapestry. This means that the guide will always speak to our own personal wants and needs within the context of the greater whole, not just to the pursuit of selfish gratification.

Some of us are born with a naturally easy connection to our inner guide, others are persuaded by parents or culture that it’s wrong or of no value to listen to it, still others have early life experiences that suggest it’s dangerous to follow it. So there is always some programming to delete, and it won’t happen overnight. As with any good and loyal friend, you’ll need to dedicate some time and energy to developing and maintaining a vital relationship.

Ways to enhance connection with your inner guide

Make sure you’re grounded and fully present in your body. Gut instincts are called that for a reason, as our bodies are finely tuned receivers that can sense and read energies. By caring for your body and checking in with it regularly, you learn to interpret its signals and understand what it’s communicating to you. Here’s a simple way to start in my article Listen to your body talk.

Establish a practice of daily meditation or deep breathing. The voice of your guide has a quiet and calm authority, so it really helps when you can tune out the noise and interference of everyday life and create a still, silent space in which to listen effectively. Try my simple meditation which also tunes you into your body and helps you to feel connected to the divine aspect of yourself: https://youtu.be/2gtIAZ4LQyY

Become comfortable with not knowing and learn to get curious by questioning everything. Wisdom is really not so much about having the answer as asking the right question! So be prepared to explore any issue or situation with a childlike curiosity that’s free from preconceptions, as if you’re seeing it for the very first time.

Keep a dream diary, and try exploring the meaning of your dreams. An excellent way in is to see every image (things and people) in the dream as representing a part of you. With this approach, what might your subconscious be communicating through those images, and what they represent for you, and what was happening in the dream?

Spend time in nature. Regular observation and absorbtion of its rhythms and cycles of life will gradually permeate your awareness and feed into your understanding of how you can best co-operate with the natural flow of life. You can read about one of my personal experiences of how this works in my article Earth entrainment.