Your spirit guides saying no is just as real as a sign that you’re on track. It’s just harder to recognize, and even harder to trust. In this episode of Dear Guides, psychic medium John Edward shows you how to tell a real no from your own fear, what silence from your guides means, and what happens when you push forward anyway.
Watch the full episode on YouTube: When your guides say NO
| Quick Summary: How do you know when your spirit guides are saying no? According to psychic medium John Edward, a no from your spirit guides often comes as a firm, protective feeling, sometimes with no explanation attached. It doesn’t change when you ask the question in a different way. To tell it apart from fear, ask whether the feeling is motivated by love or by fear, and write the message down with the date so you can check it over time. A no isn’t a punishment. It’s a redirect that comes from love. |
Why your spirit guides say no
We talk a lot about asking our guides for signs of affirmation. Signs that we’re manifesting. Signs that we’re on the right path. But what about the signs that we need to pivot? That we’re off track or out of alignment? I’ll be honest with you: I have a strong, clear connection to my guides, but when it comes to the no’s, I get muddy. So I asked John, one of the most respected mediums in the world, to teach us how to hear a no and act on it.
A no from your guides is never a punishment. It’s guidance offered from love, even when it sounds firm or alarming. John put it simply: when negative information comes through in a reading, it comes through “to prevent it,” or to help us better deal with the lesson that’s on its way.
When guidance feels like a warning, it’s divine direction putting you back on the right path. Sometimes it’s just a heads up that something is coming. The question isn’t “Why is this happening to me?” The question is “What am I going to do with it?”
How to tell a spiritual no from fear
Fear, excitement and anxiety can feel very similar in the body. That’s why so many of us confuse a warning with our own worry.
Learn what a yes and a no feel like in your body
John shared this exercise:. Have a friend say a statement you know is true, like “Two plus two is four.” Notice the immediate feeling in your body. That’s your yes. Then have them say something you know is false, like “Mickey Mouse is a rabbit.” Notice that feeling. That’s your no.
Superstition vs spiritual guidance
We can talk ourselves into anything, and we can talk ourselves out of anything. John’s answer to superstition is data. Before he worked as a medium, he worked in healthcare, including in a laboratory, and he still treats spiritual work like an experiment. He calls it the metaphysical lab. A real message holds up over time. A superstition doesn’t. (More on how to track that below.)
Signs your spirit guides are warning you
Everyone receives guidance differently, but here’s what John described from more than four decades of this work:
- It feels like a firm, protective instruction. John described one no as almost parental. The message was clear: do not respond, do not engage, walk away.
- It comes without an explanation. When John asked his guides why, he often got no answer, just the instruction.
- It doesn’t change when you ask again. If you rephrase the question because you didn’t like the answer, you may get nothing new.
- Logic stops making sense. When John hits a place where “logic doesn’t logic,” he takes that as a sign there’s a metaphysical reason, and he goes to his guides.
- It’s a feeling more than words. Guidance often comes as a feeling, a single word, a thought or a picture that you then interpret.
When John’s Guides Said No
This story gave me chills. When John’s first book came out, Entertainment Tonight planned to make his book signing the cover story that night. Then his guides told him: Entertainment Tonight can’t come to your book signing, without giving a reason why.
His publicist thought he’d lost his mind. He held firm anyway. Either the TV crew was cancelled or he wouldn’t go. That night the room was packed, and halfway through, a woman walked in and started screaming at him that it was all nonsense. If the cameras had been there, that’s all they would have covered. It wouldn’t have been about the book.
John heard the no and acted on it. In doing that, he protected not only his own moment but the visibility of this work for so many mediums who came after him.
When silence from your guides is its own answer
Sometimes a no comes in the absence of information. John shared that when a client asked a question, received an answer, and then asked again in a different way because they didn’t like it, he got nothing. The guides had already answered.
Other times, silence means something has to unfold. I experienced this recently when a family member was scammed out of a lot of money. I sit with the best psychic mediums in the world week after week, and I heard nothing. Crickets. No reading picked it up. I’ve come to accept that there was spiritual learning and healing in it for that person, for me and for our relationship.
John shared something similar. In 1989, his guides gave him one word about his mother’s pain: “pass.” He interpreted it as “this will pass.” His mother understood it differently. She passed that October. Looking back, he sees it as a catalytic moment that shaped who he became and how many people he’s been able to help.
In his words, there are troublesome moments in our lives that are catalyst moments and opportunities for transformation and change. Silence doesn’t mean you’ve been abandoned. Sometimes it means a lesson is on its way. (If silence feels more like you’ve lost your connection, try these 5 steps to reconnect with your spirit guides.)
Is a no punishment, protection or a test?
From everything John shared, a no is protection and redirection, not punishment. Even when it feels like a closed door, it’s guidance in the pursuit of love. And if you miss it, John says you can always course correct. He calls your spiritual guidance “the original GPS.” When you don’t listen, it reroutes and puts you back on course.
What to do when you’re not sure it’s a no
If you think you’re hearing a no but you’re not certain, John suggests a few steps.
- Play energetic chess. Sit with the no and play it forward. If I do this, what could come from it? If I don’t, what could come from that? John calls this looking down the “line of probability.” The future isn’t written, and projections can shift. Sometimes there’s more information inside the no than you first see.
- Write it down with the date and time. As soon as you get a strong hit, note it in your phone or in a journal. As a kid, John mailed his predictions to himself so they’d be postmarked. Writing it down means you can’t dismiss it later as a coincidence.
- Get an objective second opinion. John often goes to an astrologer without telling them what he’s wondering about. He asks what he’s working on right now, then overlays that with what his guides showed him.
- Ask what the lesson is. Say thank you for the guidance, then ask, “What can I do with this? What’s the lesson?”
What happens if you ignore a no from your guides
John didn’t sugarcoat it. He calls it “getting slammed.” Over 41 years, he’s had plenty of moments where he didn’t listen and the result was negative. That’s exactly why canceling Entertainment Tonight was easy for him. He’d rather disappoint a TV show than ignore his guides.
We all have free will. Our ego can outtalk our spiritual understanding, especially when we really want something. John described where that leads: a spiritual dead end, where you look around and ask, “How did I get here?” The answer is usually that you didn’t listen.
If you’re seeing the same painful patterns repeat in your life, take an honest assessment. Are you in alignment? If not, how can you shift? It’s never too late to course correct.
How to build trust in your guidance so you can act on it
Trust grows when you have evidence. These practices from the episode help you build it.
Invite your guides in
Start by surrounding yourself in light. John uses a simple statement: “I encircle myself in the white light of universal love and divine protection.” Then imagine your guides as helium balloons above you, and gently pull their strings to bring them close. You don’t need to know their names. You can acknowledge them as a collective.
Receive guidance in the shower
When you lather up, imagine the suds are any negative energy you’ve been carrying, and watch it rinse down the drain. Then imagine the water is guidance pouring down from your guides, surrounding you in a column of energy. Pay attention to what you think, hear and feel. As soon as you step out, write it all down.
Try the one-year calendar practice
Go into your calendar and create an entry on today’s date, one year from now. Ask your guides to show you five or six things about where you’ll be, and write them down, no matter how random they seem. Don’t be logical about it. When the reminder pops up next year, you’ll have your own data to verify what you received.
Go deeper
You don’t have to master all of this at once. Choose one practice and use it regularly. Make it part of your routine and witness the miracles.
- Watch the full episode: When your guides say NO | Gabrielle Bernstein & John Edward
- Get John’s new book: Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent’s Search for Hope and Justice
- Free guided meditation to connect with your spirit guides
- Dear Guides Live: Join me in New York City on November 21 with Rebecca Rosen, John Holland, Bradley Valentine and MaryAnn DiMarco. Spots are limited. Get your ticket here.
Want more? Learn 10 simple steps to connect with your spirit guides, or explore the difference between ego and intuition.
FAQ
How do I know if my spirit guides are saying no? A no from your guides often feels firm and protective, comes without an explanation, and doesn’t change when you ask the question again. Psychic medium John Edward suggests learning what a yes and a no feel like in your body by testing statements you know are true and false.
What are the signs your spirit guides are warning you? Common signs include a clear instruction to walk away, a feeling that won’t shift no matter how you rephrase the question, and moments where logic stops making sense. Guidance often comes as a feeling, a word, a thought or an image rather than full sentences.
Is it a no, or is it just not the right time? John Edward describes the future as a “line of probability,” not a fixed prediction. Projections can shift. Play the situation forward both ways, write down what you receive with the date, and watch whether it’s confirmed over time.
Does silence from my spirit guides mean no? Sometimes. If you’ve already received an answer and keep asking, silence may mean the answer stands. Other times, silence means something needs to unfold so a lesson can be learned.
Is a no from the universe a punishment? No. A no is protection and redirection offered from love. Even a closed door is guidance putting you back on your path.
What happens if you ignore your spirit guides? We all have free will, so you can override a no. John Edward calls the result “getting slammed,” and says it can lead to a spiritual dead end. The good news is you can always course correct.