I'll focus this entry on my current theories about Spirit Guides. My experiences and comprehension interwoven into a thread of perceptions that continue to grow as I absorb more knowledge and wisdom from my journeys.
Remember that I don't claim to have all of the answers. It is an ever changing conceptualization.
Spirit Guides are aspects of Self tied to the chord of All-Self - the Divine.
We use our human mind-frame to anchor perceptions of the unseen realms through our lens of perception so we can get the most accurate meaning of XYZ-Topic the easiest and the quickest way possible. Our Lens of Perception is constructed by our experiences and the information that we receive. We can use the Raw Mediumship Demonstrations at The Light Wizards' Bazaar as examples to help our healthy logic mind understand our LoP.
Spirit Guides can either be seen as a personification/humanization of an aspect of Self or an entity not housed by our unique, individualized consciousness expressing from All-Self - the Divine. I think both are accurate and they are the same depending on how you wish to perceive.
I remember a vivid experience I had that I believe was during Summer 2010. I was journaling outside in my backyard when I heard a distinct, separate voice that was of a female who I knew to be named Rosemary. She appeared as a figure of Light emanating pristine Love and Wisdom. I don't remember her words, but I do remember that the vision produced by my physical eyes was non-existing. My psychic eye blanketed my entire mindscape. She paired her appearance with Sailor Venus transforming into Super Sailor Venus. A crystal birthing a transformation of Love. This is another example of our LoP since I am a fan of the Sailor Moon series.
There was an experience that I had during prayer. I was explicitly directed not to look up as I pray - to look within. To see myself as an expression of the GodForce so I may shed the conditioning surrounding the perceptions of the Divine.
Spirit Guides do not want to be worshipped. They are our guide and they inherently desire to assist us navigating our incarnation. Now...I don't know what to think concerning all of our incarnations existing at the same time. So I don't care, as of now, to further explore how Spirit Guides operate through the constructs of time/space. These are Mysteries after all! I may dive deeper into this one day.
They know how to "parent" us exactly how we need to be parented. The figure of Rosemary was the nurturing mother to help me as I awaken to my psychic and mediumistic skills. To encourage me and to help enrich my being with motherly love.
There are teachings that state we have one main guide and then other guides connect with us depending on our current challenge, projects, lessons, XYZ. I'll liken this to just view them more as different avatars of various expressions of our Higher Mind. Almost like the idea of Deity. Personified expressions of themes/characteristics formed into a humanized representation of the Divine.
Now I perceive "my" Spirit Guides as the master Pai Mei from Kill Bill. A strong, skilled fighter equipped with the knowledge and experiences to traverse this world knowing thyself and knowing thy enemy. I don't feel that motherly love when I broadcast my awareness to what I call Team Light. I feel a master knowing the realm I am journeying through and what characteristics I need to develop within my personality construct / incarnation / Avatar-Spirit Matrix.
I do not think that the figure of Pai Mei is the fictional character. My LoP is presenting me with an image to convey the Essence of this expression of Higher Mind - Spirit Guide.
I feel like Spirit Guides are able to influence our physical reality subtly and influences positive synchronicities. Gentle nudges to extreme shouts depending on our current circumstances so that we may align more closely with our Optimal Paths.
It was made to me very clear over the last few years that Spirit Guides are not the source of our Psychic Abilities. It is our personal Psychic Antenna that picks up on information fields. This is to illustrate to us that we have Divine Power and that we do not need a Gatekeeper.
Spirit Guides know what we need to learn, what aspects of Self to develop/nurture, and to break us out of the comfort of known-reality so we can embrace the birthing process from unknown-reality. This ties into what our intuition is for - to help guide us to create from the unknown.
Communicating with your Spirit Guides will be of ease in your conscious mind as you engage with psychic development. I never had the experience with Rosemary like I mentioned above since that time. Now it appears just a glimpses of certain images, feelings, sounds - hyper-focused clues. I don't perceive it as you connecting with a being and then broadcasting a holographic human.
I'm going to include a clip from the series Legend of Korra. The main character, Korra, is greeted by Aang. Aang is Korra's past life who assists Korra during her current incarnation. You will see Aang then be surrounded by other human figures which are also Korra's past lives. Use this as a symbol to perceive Spirit Guides as countless expressions of Self housed within the Higher Mind and All-Self.
You can skip to the 2:40 minute mark for the specific illustration.
I really don't think about Team Light too often. I know that I have Divine helpers assisting me. Higher Mind. Aspects of All-Self. I'm not dependent on them nor do I really try to "maintain a relationship". I reject the habitual need to humanize Spirit Guides compared to my earlier years engaging with my skills. I am comfortable with not knowing all of the answers and to just trust in higher guidance.
Aspects of All-Self and/or Separate Higher Beings would suffice as a definition of Spirit Guides. They are teachers who know what is best for us to evolve depending on our psyche. Try to resist the need to humanize them by declaring that you need to know the name, date of birth, nationality, of earth or off-world, or anything like that. It is about the Presence of Help without overlaying our filters contained in our human mind construct.