There’s a question I hear more than almost any other: “Gabby, how do I know if my guides are actually there?”
And here’s what I want you to know right now, before you read another word: your connection to your spirit guides already exists. You don’t need to earn it. You don’t need to be more spiritual, more advanced, or further along your path. You just need to know how to tune in.
I’ve pulled together some of the most powerful conversations I’ve had with five of the most gifted and grounded spiritual teachers I know — Rebecca Rosen, Radleigh Valentine, Lisa Williams, Shawn Leonard, and MaryAnn DiMarco. These conversations explore: how to connect with spirit guides, how to feel your angels close by, and how to hear from the people you’ve lost. What came through — across all of them — was profound, practical, and deeply needed right now.
Your Connection to Your Spirit Guides Already Exists
Before we get into the how, I want to address something Rebecca Rosen shared:
She described our soul sitting at a kind of council table before we enter this world — reviewing our life’s playbook, agreeing to the lessons, signing a soul contract with full awareness of what we were taking on. And then we’re born, and we forget.
We disconnect from source — from that energy of unconditional, pure love — and we slip into the ego. Life can start to feel dark, lonely, confusing, overwhelming. Rebecca was clear about this: “When we disconnect from that and we’re in our human self or our ego self, it can be dark and lonely. The whole goal is to be one with the light, to come back to the God-goddess within you.”
But here’s the miracle: we are never actually cut off. We have a team in spirit — angels, archangels, higher ascended masters, and sometimes departed loved ones — whose entire role is to support us through those soul lessons. We just have to remember to call them in.
“We all are a spark of the divine. And when we align with that every day, it gives us the strength, the courage, and the wisdom to accomplish whatever those soul lessons are — whatever karma we came here to heal and balance.” — Rebecca Rosen
How to Ask Your Angels for Help (It’s Simpler Than You Think)
I’ll be honest — when I was channeling live in this episode, the message I received was almost embarrassingly simple. I could feel the guides almost writing it on a chalkboard. Ask. For. Help.
That’s it.
Radleigh Valentine and I talked about this for a long time, because I think so many of us make spiritual connection feel like a complicated, high-bar practice. But Radleigh was direct: “It’s literally that easy. And also that complicated.”
Easy because the mechanism is just asking. Complicated because we actually have to stop, be still, and listen for the answer.
Here are the practices that came through in our conversation:
- Say it out loud: “I need help.” Even just those three words shift your energy.
- Use an affirmation: “I am willing to heal.” I’ve been using this one every single morning while writing my new book, and it creates an immediate feeling of relief — like a weight lifted.
- Breathe into it: After you ask, take a breath. Don’t rush away from the ask. Let the feeling of “I’m not alone, help is here” actually land in your body.
The key thing Radleigh emphasized is that once you ask, you have to listen. “You can’t ask and then run away. You have to bob your head up out of the water every once in a while and go — what am I hearing? What am I feeling? What do I just know?”
What Happens When Angels Intervene Without Being Asked
There are rare and beautiful moments when the angels show up even before you’ve asked — usually, Radleigh explained, when you’ve drifted so far from your intended path that it’s become a turning point. You may have heard stories of a mysterious nurse in the ICU who no one else could identify. A voice that stopped someone from stepping into traffic. A feeling so strong it redirected a life.
These aren’t coincidences. They’re your guides saying: it’s time to swim.
Get my free meditation to connect with your spirit guides
How to Receive Spiritual Guidance When the World Feels Chaotic
I said something in this episode that I want to say again here, because I meant it deeply. Being a human right now — opening your phone each morning — is a daily assault. Division, trauma, comparison, violence. It’s relentless.
When I asked how to access clear spiritual guidance in the middle of all that noise, the answer from Lisa Williams was powerful in its simplicity: “Find quiet. Come off the cell phones. Come off the TV. Come away from everything that is distraction and noise. Breathe. Allow that little voice to whisper.”
The whisper. That’s the guidance. It doesn’t have to be a thunderclap. Lisa said it beautifully: “When you’re listening to that guidance, it doesn’t have to be a big epiphany of wisdom. What you’re doing is getting into the rhythm of your own soul. And then everything starts from that point onwards.”
Why Stillness Is Mandatory, Not Optional
I’ll raise my hand here: I resisted stillness for a long time. I felt guilty lying down in the middle of the day. Like rest was somehow laziness dressed up in spiritual clothing.
But now I have a daily 45-minute midday meditation — lying on my sofa, not sitting up straight — with my cat Jimmy. And I can tell you with certainty: without it, I could not do any of this work.
Lisa said the same: “Without having that breath, that space — you wouldn’t be able to write the books the way you’re writing. We’re people too. Going for a walk, having that meditation, breathing, sleeping, napping, dancing, frolicking — it’s really important.”
The guides were clear when we asked them directly: patience is required. Slow down. Let the ideas grow like little flowers coming up from the grass, one by one, until they become a beautiful bouquet. You cannot force the blooming.
“A spiritual foundation isn’t optional right now. If we don’t have it, we’re going to feel like a fish out of water — like we don’t know where to turn.” — Gabby Bernstein
How to Know Your Soul Contract
One of the questions I brought to Rebecca was one I hear constantly: How do I know what I’m actually here to do?
Her answer was grounding. “The truth is, all the answers you need are inside of you.” And the best ways to access them?
Meditation. Quiet the mind and get out of your own way. When you stop running from yourself, you tap into the truth of who you are and why you’re here.
Dreamwork. Invite your higher self and your team in spirit to show you in your dreams. The mind is quiet and the guidance can come through more easily.
Journaling. This one I feel strongly about. Instead of rushing to someone or something external, sit down and write. Try starting a page with the question: What would you have me learn from this? Let the words come without stopping or editing. That is your higher self speaking.
Rebecca had one more practical reminder: “Sometimes that shows up in a variety of ways, but we have to — because of our free will — remember to invite it in.”
Calling on the Archangels: Michael, Raphael, Uriel & Ariel
When Radleigh and I opened the space for the archangels to come through, I felt Archangel Michael immediately — a big, high-presence energy behind me. The message was instant: your purpose is already inside of you. It’s not something you seek. It’s something you return to.
Here is what I understand about each of the archangels you can call upon:
- Archangel Michael — protection, courage, and stepping into your soul’s purpose. Call on Michael when you need strength or direction.
- Archangel Raphael — healing on all levels: physical, emotional, spiritual. Call on Raphael when you or someone you love needs healing.
- Archangel Uriel — wisdom, epiphanies, and inner peace. Call on Uriel when you feel stuck or unable to access clarity.
- Archangel Ariel — manifestation, nature, and the physical world. Call on Ariel when you need help creating a peaceful, grounded space.
As Radleigh beautifully explained: “Each archangel leans in on the other. This is an indisputable team. They have no egos. You can’t make them mad. You can’t make them upset. You can’t piss them off. They will not leave you.”
Start simply. Say: Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Raphael. Thank you, Uriel. Thank you, Ariel. Choose the one you need most right now. Practice calling their name. That’s how the relationship grows.
How to Connect with Deceased Loved Ones
Grief is one of the most complex things we navigate as human beings. And one of the most common questions I receive is: Can the people I’ve lost still reach me?
The answer, from every medium in this episode, is yes.
But grief can create static in the signal. MaryAnn DiMarco said it so clearly: “Honor your grief. Don’t let anyone tell you how to grieve. And if you can, try to walk in tandem with it and not let it get above you — they’ll be able to get through to you.”
Your emotions are actually part of the connection. When you feel a wave of love, or unexpected tears, or a sudden warmth in your chest — that is your antenna picking up the signal. Your loved one is right there.
The “Meeting Hours in Heaven” Meditation
MaryAnn shared a beautiful practice she calls Meeting Hours in Heaven, taken from her book The Guide(s) Book. It is a meditation specifically designed to help you connect with a deceased loved one. Here’s how to do it:
- Sit or lie comfortably. Place your feet on the ground and your palms facing up to receive.
- Take two or three deep breaths, releasing fully on each exhale.
- Begin to envision a loved one you want to connect with. Get very specific — the color of their eyes, how their hair looked, what they’re wearing.
- Now envision a place that connects the two of you. A kitchen table. A beach. A living room sofa. Make it real and detailed.
- Invite them to sit with you. Let a conversation unfold naturally — or simply hold their hand and say what you need to say.
- Ask any questions you have, or just be present together.
- When you’re ready, thank them, invite them into your dreams, and gently return.
If emotions come up — let them. Your loved one is right there holding you through it.
“Your emotions are an antenna. They’re a sign that your deceased loved one is with you in love.” — Gabby Bernstein
Writing a Letter to Your Loved One
MaryAnn also shared a practice I love for when the grief is too heavy for meditation. Write your loved one’s name at the top of a page. Then write:
“Dear [name], I am looking to connect with you and I am ready, with love, from the greatest good and for the highest good of all concerned. Can we connect now?”
Then either write to them, or allow yourself to write from them — letting words flow through your pen without stopping or editing. This builds the frequency of connection over time.
Resources to Go Deeper
I’ve gathered everything mentioned in this episode so you can keep going:
🌟 Dear Guides Live — New York, November 21
I’m so excited to share this. I’m hosting a brand-new live event — something I’ve never done before — called Dear Guides Live. I’ll be joined by three of the mediums from this episode: MaryAnn DiMarco, Radleigh Valentine, and Rebecca Rosen. Together we’ll guide you through a full-day immersion into your own spiritual connection, inner wisdom, and a direct line to your spirit guides.
This event will sell out. Don’t wait. 👉 Register for Dear Guides Live
🧘 Free Spirit Guides Meditation
📚 Books & Decks Featured in This Episode
By Gabby Bernstein
- The Universe Has Your Back — My foundational guide to trusting the universe and shifting from fear to faith.
- Super Attractor — Methods for manifesting a life beyond your wildest dreams, in alignment with your guides.
By the Guests
- The Guide(s) Book by MaryAnn DiMarco — A practical, grounded guide to working with your spirit team.
- What’s Your Heaven by Rebecca Rosen — A medium’s guide to understanding what waits for us and the soul contracts we carry.
- Life Among the Dead by Lisa Williams — Lisa’s extraordinary memoir about growing up with the gift of communicating with the dead.
- Archangel Oracle Card Deck by Radleigh Valentine — A gentle, accessible deck for receiving guidance from the archangels.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my spirit guides are with me? Your connection to your spirit guides already exists — you just need to tune in. Signs include repetitive numbers, unexpected calm, physical sensations like warmth or tingling, and synchronicities that feel too meaningful to ignore. The most important step is to ask for signs, then slow down enough to notice them.
How do I ask my angels for help? Say out loud or silently: “I need help.” That’s genuinely all it takes. Angels cannot override your free will, so the invitation has to come from you. Once you ask, you open an energetic door and begin attuning to their guidance.
Can my deceased loved ones still reach me? Yes. Those who have passed continue to communicate through dreams, signs, feelings, and meditation. Grief can create static in the channel — so honoring your grief, rather than suppressing it, actually helps the connection come through more clearly.
What is a soul contract? A soul contract is the agreement your soul made before this lifetime — the lessons, the karma to heal, the purpose you came here to fulfill. Meditation, journaling, and dreamwork are all ways to begin accessing this deeper knowing from within.
What do the archangels Michael, Raphael, Uriel, and Ariel do? Archangel Michael offers protection and purpose. Archangel Raphael supports healing. Archangel Uriel brings epiphanies and peace. Archangel Ariel helps with manifestation and connection to the natural world. You can call on any of them simply by saying their name with intention.
How do I spiritually protect myself from negative energy? Try saying: “I am in agreement with source and only source. I am in agreement with the light and only the light.” This simple declaration, shared by Rebecca Rosen, realigns your energy and clears darkness. Calling your energy home to yourself through meditation also helps restore your sense of wholeness.
How do I open my third eye to connect with spirit? Visual meditation is one of the most effective tools. Practices like the Meeting Hours in Heaven meditation — where you vividly imagine a loved one in a familiar place — build trust in what you see and strengthen your clairvoyance over time. Writing your dreams down and working with them in a waking state also helps develop this gift.
About Gabby Bernstein
Gabrielle Bernstein is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and spiritual teacher. She is the author of multiple books including The Universe Has Your Back, Super Attractor, and Happy Days. Gabby has been featured on Oprah’s SuperSoul Sunday, the Today show, and named “a new thought leader” by Oprah Winfrey. Each week on the Dear Gabby podcast and YouTube channel, she shares tools for spiritual connection, inner healing, and living a life guided by love. Learn more at gabbybernstein.com.
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