Guardian angels are an energy or spiritual presence that some religions believe in, and possess the same essence of protection and guidance within different religions. But there are some differences and particularities about them from the point of view of each of them. Check out below some characteristics of the guardian angel that differ from religion to religion.
biblical vision
Within the Catholic view, there is a hierarchy among angels, divided into different levels of evolution. There is nothing in the Bible that specifically mentions a specific guardian angel for each person – it just leaves some passages open for this interpretation –, but the belief that divine angels guard believers. They are divided into three spheres, from the most celestial (such as seraphim, cherubs and thrones) to those closest to humans, which would be the angels of the third sphere and that interfere in our daily lives:
What are the closest angels to humans in the Bible?
Principalities: they are the first category of angels that come to interact on Earth, and are responsible for guarding large institutions such as countries, kingdoms, leaders, large groups. They are messengers between the higher and lower angels in the angelic hierarchy;
Archangels: they are the main angels and the most similar to humans, they are messengers of God and defenders of good, fighting evil. Archangels are also believed to be divided into more subtypes, but the number of them is not known for certain;
Guardian angels or angels: they would be the closest angels to us humans, therefore furthest from the celestial level. They are the ones who guide us and are divided among angels of luck, love, they protect us and instruct us to make good decisions.
Guardian Angel Prayer in Catholicism
“Holy Angel of the Lord,
My zealous guardian,
For to you I have entrusted divine Pity,
Today and always
It governs, governs, guards and enlightens me.
Amen"
spiritist vision
For spiritists, guardian angels are spirits that have reached the highest possible level of evolution and now fulfill the mission of teaching, protecting and comforting us just as a father takes care of his son, according to the "Spirits' Book". These spirits are also believed to select who they wish to protect. Guardian angels, in the spiritist view, suffer when their protégés refuse to follow them and go down crooked paths and prefer to follow inferior spirits, and may even move away from the person in question. But they will come back closer if the person opens up again to follow their guardian angel.
When we are born, we have designated a guardian angel to accompany us for the rest of our lives, unlike spiritual mentors, who can be several throughout life and are more evolved beings with more purity and wisdom than we are. They work both on the higher plane and here on Earth and help us on our path, working in hospitals, in their professional field and bringing spiritual guidance.
Spiritist Prayer for Guardian Angel
My God, allow the Good Spirits who assist me to help me, when I find myself in difficulties, and support me in my vacillations. Lord, may they inspire me with faith, hope and charity, may they be a support, a hope and a proof of your mercy for me. Finally, make me find in them the strength that I lack in the trials of life, and to resist the suggestions of evil, the faith that saves and the love that consoles.
Umbanda Vision
As for Umbanda practitioners, guardian angels are celestial beings who have never been incarnated on Earth and who are accompanying us from our arrival to our disincarnation, showing us the paths and ridding us of all evil.
He protects mediums from low energy spiritual attacks in moments of incorporation and in the daily life of Umbanda practitioners and it is believed that the guardian angel manifests itself through his intuition. Prayers, candles and offerings are offered as rituals to the guardian angel within Umbanda, in addition to the traditional guide of the guardian angel that is carried around the neck.
The guardian angel does not embody, he is just a presence that is manifested by our intuition. While the Orixás are particles of God, they are manifestations and are incorporated.
Umbanda prayer for the guardian angel
Performing the prayer with the use of a glass of water and a lit candle are important because they are the offering to the Guardian Angels according to the ritual.
My companion of all hours; friend of all moments, both those of joy and of suffering; guide my steps, my thoughts and my actions; it creates around me a circle of defense against fluids, influences or interferences that may affect my body or mind; helping me you will also be helping you, in an exchange of love, peace and understanding; “be” my spokesperson before other superior spirits so that they can guide me in the solution of my physical-spiritual problems.
I sincerely thank you for all the assistance you have given me, all the guidance you have given to my life, helping me in distressing times, consoling me in times of bitterness and suggesting to me the practice of love and charity.
May God give you more light, strength and power as a reward for the effort, dedication and affection you show in fulfilling such an important mission.
Buddhist view
In Buddhism there are devas, who live longer and are more powerful than humans, but they are not enlightened and omniscient like the buddhas. Its presence is noticed by people who have their third eye open, and they whisper some advice, despite not knowing everything. They are subdivided between different classes at different degrees of elevation. Because they have not yet reached absolute wisdom, they still suffer and have mental poisons, just like humans. Their powers are to shine with their own light, to fly and they don't need food.
Types of devas and their powers
The Ārūpyadhātu devas do not interact with the Universe and have no physical form, they are formless entities;
The Rūpadhātu have physical form and do not have a sexual and passionate character, they live in worlds above Earth;
Kāmadhātu devas are larger in size than humans and are generally in a state of immense pleasure and fulfillment.
The Bodhisattvas, Yidams and Buddhas
A Bodhisattva is a being who is on the journey of seeking spiritual awakening and enlightenment, as well as seeking to do good to others and dedicate himself to helping.
Yidam is the form of consciousness that the individual embodies during the state of meditation, when greater enlightenment is achieved.
Meanwhile, a Buddha is someone who has already awakened, that is, who has already accomplished his spiritual awakening process and reached a state of permanent and consistent enlightenment, to the point of overflowing this state in his attitudes, doing good to others and having positive attitudes. The process to reach this state can take several lifetimes.
Buddhist Prayer for Protection and Guard for After Waking Up, by Venerable Master Hsing Yün:
“O great and compassionate Buddha!
Today is the beginning of a new day!
It is said that “dawn is the best time of day”.
On such an auspicious morning,
I reflect on what happened:
I made mistakes,
But I never lost hope;
I was sad,
But I could rest my mind serenely;
I was slandered,
But I understood that everything in life comes and goes according to causes and conditions;
I shed tears,
But I believed that tomorrow will be a better day.
Today, under the blessings and protection
From your compassionate light, O Buddha,
I pray to you to give me courage
To face all the challenges of today;
I pray to you to give me patience
To accept all the defeats of today;
I pray to you to give me strength
To bear all the work of today;
I pray to you to grant me wisdom
So that you may be grateful to all the causes and conditions of today.
O great and compassionate Buddha!
Please help me to reveal my wisdom;
Please help me to open my mind.
May I be able to appreciate the wonders of heaven and earth;
May I be able to thank the warmth of humanity;
May I be able to get help from friends;
May I be able to understand the refined treasure of Dharma.
O great and compassionate Buddha!
Help me to have a big heart:
That every day I can give, with joy;
That every day I can, with good will, create bonds with others;
May every day I practice love, compassion, joy and equanimity;
That every day I can treat people with tolerance and generosity.
O great and compassionate Buddha!
Help me to be a warrior:
May I purify my thoughts;
May I contribute to others often;
May I abstain from evil;
That I can only do good.
O great and compassionate Buddha!
Please bless me:
May I have spiritual wisdom
And the mind of Buddha;
May I have prajna wisdom and compassion
And release beings from suffering.
O great and compassionate Buddha!
I recognize your presence in my mind.
I understand that I came to the human world to be happy;
I understand that I am part of society to contribute;
I know that I am cultivating the path of enlightenment to help others.
I vow, from this moment on,
Of benefiting all sentient beings
And wake me and others every day;
I vow, from today,
Of bringing benefits and happiness to the nation and the people,
And bring deliverance to myself and others, at all times.
O great and compassionate Buddha,
Please accept my sincere morning prayer!
O great and compassionate Buddha,
Please accept my sincere morning prayer!”
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As we could see, each religion has a very particular way of believing in their guardian angels and with this clarity it is possible to reflect on which of these beliefs you feel greater resonance and compatibility with or not.
Also find out which is your guardian angel with your date of birth by clicking here.
