EACH OF US HAS A PERSONAL GUIDE who is with us from birth until our passing into Spirit. Some people prefer to relate to a Guardian Angel instead. In addition to this Being we also have access to many other energies which can help us in our daily lives. I communicate with a whole range of Guides, Angels and Ascended Masters who assist me in healing, medical intuitive and psychic work, psychotherapy, teaching and writing as well as with the more prosaic issues of finding parking spaces and specific items in the supermarket! You might choose to work for example, with a Guide on a business project, with an Angel for self healing or with an Ascended Master such as Serapis Bey to help you with an addiction to perhaps chocolate or cigarettes.

So what are the differences between these three energies? A Guide is a Being who was once incarnate, meaning that they have lived a physical life here on Earth. Guides therefore understand what it is to be human and are part of the human stream of consciousness. As a Guide they now have an objective overview of the situations in which you might find yourself. A Guide does exactly what is implied - it guides and assists. It does not force you into a course of action or go off in a huff if you decide to take a different route. We all have free choice. If you find yourself working with an energy that aggressively instructs, threatens, bullies and sulks then it is not a Guide and needs to be firmly sent away.

There are many levels of Guides who bring a wide variety of skills, resources and ways of communicating. Numerous Guides appear to us in a personified form, but others appear as color or as a feeling. Some will be very practical, others will be creative and assist with the production of music or art, some will offer teachings and knowledge, others will protect the house or people. They might communicate in words, pictures, colors, feelings, touch, smell, taste or through knowing and sensing. Later in this chapter I will describe how to safely connect with a Guide.

An Angel is a Being that has never been incarnate apart from the two exceptions of Sandalphon and Metatron. All Angels apart from these two have names ending in "el" meaning "of God" in Hebrew. For example, the names of the four well known Archangels - Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel all end in this way. The Archangels Sandalphon and Metatron are different because they did once live upon the Earth. Sandalphon is said to have been the prophet Elijah who ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot. Metatron is thought to have been Enoch, a prophet and scribe who is now thought by some to be in charge of the Akashic records.

Angels have a higher vibration than Guides and may therefore be experienced in a different way. If we accept the fact that Angels have never been or ever will be incarnate then it follows that neither humans nor Guides will ever become Angels. There are different levels of Angels just as there are Guides. So you may have heard of the Archangels, Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers and Principalities. We can also call upon the Angels that represent qualities such as peace, beauty, justice, and love. In addition there are Angels that take care of and protect a particular place or community.

The Ascended Masters were once great spiritual teachers, prophets or healers in their time and continue now to help us from the Spirit World. They arise from all cultures, religions and civilizations and include New Age masters as well as those from myth and legend such as Merlin. Some of the most famous are Jesus, Mother Mary, Moses, Saint Germain, Buddha, Krishna, Ganesh, Kali, Horus, Kuan Yin and Babaji in addition to various other saints, devas, deities, gods and goddesses. All Ascended Masters may be called upon for guidance and assistance and each has specific issues, goals, aspects or qualities that may be of help in certain situations.

I have described in chapter 8 how I call upon and work with the Beings of Light in a spirit release session. In this chapter I will explain the various Beings with whom I have worked and how they can assist. All of the following might be summoned specifically by name or may attend of their own accord as appropriate. At the beginning of a session I may not know whose help it is that I need so I generally let Spirit decide.

Guides
In a spirit release session I will work with a whole range of Guides with different roles and abilities. My personal Guide is always with me and constantly available. He is multi-tasking and very practical as well as providing guidance and protection. In addition my Committee of Seven are always in attendance when I am working. They provide me with the psychic information I need to do the job. For instance, it is they who show me the person sending a psychic attack and how it has been carried out.

Other Guides come and go as I need them so they will not all attend every session. I have one group of warriors and another of hooded beings who will overcome and surround a difficult entity and escort it away. Both of these groups ensure that the entity is taken through one of the astral doorways, is kept safe and cannot return. At times I work with a group I call the "social workers." Having spent twenty five years in social work myself I felt this was very appropriate! This particular group takes care of a spirit that is fearful and not yet ready to leave. Once I have explained that the spirit cannot stay where it is the social workers take care of them. The spirit is taken to a resting place, given counseling, healing and support until they are ready to move into the Light.

After any entities, curses or cords have been released from a person my healing Guides then arrive. They assist me in healing the aura and chakras and in grounding and protecting the client.

Angels
I am often aware of a large angelic presence while I am working to release spirits. I rarely see personified figures as with Guides, but feel a group energy and sometimes see or sense Light and color. With the Archangels however, I am able to distinguish one from the other by sight and sense. I will go on to describe the Archangels with whom I frequently work during a spirit release session.

Archangel Sandalphon
I first met Sandalphon when working with Archangel Michael to release a difficult entity. He appeared as a very large powerful figure shrouded in black who quickly resolved the situation and removed the spirit into the Light. It all happened so fast that I did not have time to check him out, but was reassured by Archangel Michael that he was a good guy! It is often the case that we fear any spirit that appears to us as dark and does not show any features. I have discovered in the work that I do that I cannot judge a spirit by how it appears just as none of us can judge another human being by their appearance. It is a case of getting to know them and their energy. So when Sandalphon approaches now I recognize and welcome him as a powerful friend to have in this work. If I specifically call him he arrives promptly and will do whatever is needed. His energy at times feels gentle, but at others can feel very strong. Some people report hearing music when Sandalphon is near. He is particularly good at working with extra-terrestrials as well as the negative entities. I sometimes call upon Sandalphon and Melchizedek together as the two most powerful forces to deal with the demonic spirits.

Archangel Michael
It is estimated that around 600,000 people call upon Archangel Michael every minute of every day. He responds to all of those calls. One group exercise that I sometimes carry out with a class is to summon one of the Archangels to stand in the center of the group and then ask the energy to also stand behind each individual. The students are amazed that an Archangel can be everywhere at once and that each of them can have a very special and individual connection to that Being at the same time. You can be assured that every time you summon Archangel Michael he will be with you.

Sometimes I see Michael with his sword pointed upwards and sometimes it is pointed down to the Earth. Once I saw him on horse back and I regularly see the color blue when he is present. I find he is excellent at working to release human spirits who are resistant to leaving. He uses his sword to sever any attachment or cording and also to protect myself and the client. Many people call upon Michael for protection in various situations.

Archangel Raphael
Raphael is the healer. A healer of the planet Earth, people, animals and plants. I always experience him as a huge energy which at times feels gentle and at others quite strong depending on what is needed. He will often work with Archangel Michael in removing spirits. Raphael can also be asked to assist in the distant healing of another person.

Ascended Masters
I have found that the Ascended Masters tend to arrive during a session with a client whenever they perceive a need. Over the years I have therefore met various Beings of whom I was not previously aware. Once they have indicated to me who they are I have often had to go away and find out a bit about them. Some of these Beings I have only met and worked with on one occasion while others are regular co-workers. In this section I plan to include the Masters with whom I have personally worked as well as others who you may also find helpful in the areas of spirit release and protection.

It is important to say here that in working with the various Ascended Masters or Archangels you should have the confidence to trust your own insight. There are many books describing how a specific Master or Angel appears and it is very easy to lose confidence if the energy you connect with does not match a written description. For example, some experience the color red when they connect with Kuan Yin. Whenever I work with her I always perceive the color yellow. This does not mean that anyone is wrong or connecting with a different Being. It just means that we understand her energy differently. Be confident in your own perceptions and senses.

Melchizedek
I first met Melchizedek when I was struggling to release a Dark Force Entity (DFE). I called upon Spirit to send a powerful enough Being that could assist. Behind me arrived an exceptionally huge, dark entity that for an instant gave me concern that I had allowed something in that wasn't a Being of Light. I instantly asked three times if he was from the Light and received very strong responses that indeed he was. I always like to warn students that if they call upon Melchizedek this is the energy they can expect to meet.

I quickly learned that Melchizedek does not communicate a great deal during a release. The method we have formulated is that as I stand at the head or the feet of the client on the couch, Melchizedek walks through me and their prone body. As he moves forward their physical body, chakras and energy field are cleared and then Melchizedek leaves as suddenly as he arrives taking any entities with him. Sometimes he will tell me to instruct the client to breathe in deeply and then as they breathe out he removes the entity. On other occasions Melchizedek will overshadow me while we carry out the work.

The energy of Melchizedek is now instantly recognizable to me. If he appears as I am doing my general summoning of the most appropriate Beings of Light at the beginning of the session I know that I am about to encounter a strong, dark and sometimes demonic force attached to the client.

Mother Mary
I found for a couple of years in particular that many female clients had the presence of Mother Mary with them. Through these experiences I came to recognize her gentle, compassionate, loving energy along with the color blue. On one occasion I was working to release a very elderly, frail, confused male spirit from a client when I saw Mother Mary approaching. I waited to see what would happen and she very simply put her arms around him, talking quietly to him and led the man away.

Jesus
Let me elucidate the difference between these three energies. Before working I always connect to Source. By this I mean the source of "all that is." The Light from which we have all come and to which we all return. The source of healing, joy, peace, love, compassion and all other positive energies. You might refer to Source as God, Allah, Yahweh or simply as Spirit, the Divine or the Universe depending upon your beliefs.

Jesus was a man who lived upon the Earth and has become known as an Ascended Master. Many Christians are very familiar with his energy and He may be called upon to assist in many ways including healing. The Christ Light is quite different to the energy of Jesus and of Source and I always sense it as white Light. It is a calm, powerful energy that may be called upon in spirit release work just as at any other time.

Horus
Another energy that has arrived during a spirit release session was that of Horus. Horus is of Egyptian origin and is seen with a falcon's head which has one all-seeing eye. The occasion on which he appeared in my therapy room was to resolve a past life issue in Egypt experienced jointly by the client and accompanying spirit. Horus assisted in that resolution and in the peaceful removal of the spirit.

Saint Germain
I have connected with Saint Germain many times, but in only a few occasions of spirit release. The very simple way to recognize his energy is the violet flame or color that you might see or sense when he is present. The violet flame can be used very effectively to cleanse and transmute energy, changing it from negative to positive.

Other Ascended Masters
In addition to those above with whom I have personally worked there are various others that you might connect with to help you in releasing negative energies or with protection. Doreen Virtue's book, Archangels and Ascended Masters provides a variety of suggestions. Do remember to make your own connection and form your own perceptions of each.

Some examples that you might like to call upon in spirit release work include Kuan Ti, a Chinese warrior god who helps to clear the lower energies; Sanat Kumara, a Hindu warrior god devoted to clearing negative entities; Solomon who is mentioned in various ancient texts as banishing demons; Ashtar who works to protect the Earth from negative extra-terrestrials; or Anubis the Egyptian jackal headed god who helps souls in their transition.

For protection you might like to try Athena, El Morya, Ishtar or Kuan Yin.

Exercise To Connect With a Guide, Angel or Ascended Master

The following exercise may be used to connect with any Guide, Ascended Master or Angel, but there may be some differences. This is due to the fact that many people tend to perceive a personified image of a Guide and receive a communication. When we connect to Angels or even Ascended Masters this might not happen in the same way as we are dealing with different energies as previously described. When connecting with an Angel or Master you may therefore see a color or feel an energy rather than perceive a visual image. In addition you may or may not receive a specific message or guidance.

The main emphasis in the process I am about to describe is one of safety. It is absolutely essential to ensure that you are connecting and communicating with a Being of Light and not a lower energy that could cause considerable difficulty. The format includes grounding, opening the chakras, connection to a Being and a check of their origin. I then facilitate a specific communication with suggested questions followed by disconnection, closure and grounding. I have broken up the process into different parts which may be used as separate exercises, perhaps to ground or to attune, for example. It is suggested that you read the instructions first before trying the exercise. You might prefer to tape record the words for yourself.

Grounding
First of all ensure that you are sitting in a comfortable, relaxed position with your eyes closed and your feet flat on the floor. Bring the focus of your attention to the bottom of your spine. Now imagine that you are sending an anchor from your spine deep into the Earth on a very long cord, rope or chain. As it drops deeper and deeper into the Earth you might feel as if your spine is growing longer or pulling slightly downwards. Now bring your focus to your feet. Imagine dropping two anchors one from each foot deep into the Earth on very long cords, ropes or chains. As the anchors drop deeper and deeper you may feel as if your legs are pulling downwards. They might feel heavy and your feet may feel as if they are stuck to the floor. You are now grounded; your body is heavy and relaxed.

Opening the Chakras
Imagine the energy of the Earth flowing up your legs and into the red Base chakra at the bottom of the spine. You might feel this as a pulsing or as waves of energy flowing into the body. Imagine the Base center opening and expanding. Now bring your focus up to your orange Sacral center, just below your tummy button inside the body, allowing this also to open and expand. You may perceive a feeling of expansion of the lower abdomen and of the lower back. Come up to the yellow Solar Plexus at the diaphragm, feeling this area and the middle of the back relax as the chakra opens. This is the center for sensing or clairsentience. Now bring your attention up to the Heart chakra in the center of the chest, the color of spring green. As the Heart expands feel it open at the front of your chest and also out between the shoulder blades at the back. Many Guides connect with us through the back of the Heart center which is the chakra for our intuition and knowing. Bring your focus now up to the Throat chakra, the color of sky blue. Feel the expansion of the neck and throat. This is the center for communication, smell, taste and hearing or clairaudience. Many Guides will connect here. As you focus on your Brow center allow your forehead to relax and feel the expansion of the indigo chakra at the back of the head as well. This chakra is for telepathic communication and seeing or clairvoyance. Some Guides connect here to communicate through images and color. Come up to the violet Crown center now. This is your connection to the Source, the Divine, the Universe or however you choose to acknowledge that power. Feel the Crown as it opens at the top of your head. You might notice a tingling sensation and a feeling of expansion upwards.

Attuning
Now take your focus up as high as you can. Imagine that you are traveling up through the Universe to a point of white Light; the Source of "all that is." As you connect with that Light allow it to flow down through and around you, welcoming that Light as it fills and surrounds you, bringing a sense of peace, clarity and protection.

Connecting to a Being of Light
Feeling relaxed, grounded and protected it is now time to connect to a Guide, Angel or Ascended Master. If you would like to summon a particular energy such as a known Guide with whom you are already familiar, Archangel Michael or perhaps Babaji, then you may call for that Being specifically by name. You might call upon your personal Guide or one that can help you in a particular way. Otherwise you can ask mentally or out loud for the highest, most appropriate Guide to connect with you.

The Guide, Angel or Ascended Master will approach from behind and you will probably sense a change in your energy or body. These changes can be quite subtle. You might for example, feel coolness or warmth, a tingling or a pressure. You may feel very calm or filled with love or joy. You might want to ask this Being to move around to the side or front of you, to touch your shoulder or hand. If there is a sensation which you don't like such as the feeling of a cobweb on the skin, then ask the Guide, Angel or Ascended Master to change this. If it is too cold for example, then ask for warmth or vice versa. It is important to communicate what you need. As you are trying to establish a connection to this Being then they too are working to make a good connection with you.

Safety Check
Once you have made the initial connection then it is time to check out this Being. This is done very simply by asking the same question three times. The question to ask is "are you of the Light?" If this Being is not of the Light you will receive a very definite "no" answer by the time you have asked all three questions. This is not a common event and is nothing to be worried about. If however, you do receive a negative answer then quite simply tell the entity very firmly to go and it will do so. Once it has gone you start again by asking for the most appropriate and highest Being of Light to connect with you.

The majority of Beings with whom you connect in this way will be from the Light. The answers you may receive could include a very clear verbal "yes" or "I am of the Light" or "I am Light." You might be shown a flash of Light or receive a feeling of love or warmth. You may simply experience a knowing that this energy is a positive, loving one.

Another way to check out an energy that connects with you is to look into its eyes if they are shown to you. If the eyes stay the same and you sense a loving presence then it is OK. If the eyes change in a negative way then send it away as it is not a Being of Light.

Do not be afraid to send an energy away if you are in doubt. If it is a true Being of Light it will not mind and will understand your hesitancy. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Getting to Know This Being of Light
Once you are sure that you have connected with a good energy then allow yourself to receive information. Do you sense or see what this Being looks like? Is it male, female or genderless? Does this energy seem old, young or ageless? How would you describe the personality or character of this Being? Do they have a name for you to use? How can this Being of Light assist you in your life? How will they communicate with you? How will you recognize this energy again? Is there a symbol, color or feeling that you might associate with them? There are many questions which you might ask on this or subsequent occasions.

Disconnection
Once you have finished your communication with the Guide, Angel or Ascended Master then it is time to disconnect. Thank this Being for working with you and ask them to depart. As they leave focus on your own energy, body and grounding. It is at this point that many people feeling the Being of Light depart know that there was an energy with them that perhaps they were not sure about before.

Grounding and Closing Down
Ensure you are firmly grounded by re-checking that your three anchors are deep into the Earth from your spine and feet. Then starting at the Crown chakra imagine gently closing a door across the top of the head. This desensitizes and protects the chakra. Close a door at the Brow center and then at the Throat. Very gently close the door at the Heart remembering that you are just desensitizing and protecting this energy. When you reach the Solar Plexus close this door very firmly, lock it three times with three different keys in three different locks. Then put a shield of golden Light in front of your door to give it added protection. Come down to the Sacral center and close the door. When you reach the Base center keep this red center open and expanded. Fill and surround it with Light for protection and then extend that Light down into the Earth. This means that the Base center is always able to receive energy from the Earth which keeps your body healthy and strong.

Surround yourself in a Bubble of Light which should be about half a meter or eighteen inches from your body all the way round and up above your head. Your Bubble should extend about two meters or six feet below your feet. This is your Bubble of protection and you may keep it filled with Light or imbue it with a color or colors which suit you.

After a connection with a Guide, Angel or Ascended Master you might like to record the event in a journal of some kind to which you can add on successive occasions.

In the next chapter we will explore other techniques for grounding and protection that you might prefer to use instead of those described above.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue Allen trained as a teacher while doing a variety of part-time/holiday jobs. She then worked in Social Services for 25 years which included work with non accidental injury to children, adolescents who were truanting and committing crimes, older people, those who were mentally ill and for the last 12 years of service ran the HIV/AIDS service for a London Borough. She is now self-employed as a healer, medical intuitive, psychic, psychotherapist and teacher, specialising in spirit release. She has a busy practice in South London and also work at the College of Psychic Studies in South Kensington.