Allies

Allies are beings/intelligence's/entities/your preferred descriptor here that exist along side of us, can interact with us, and if you're not a dick, can actually be extremely helpful in a variety of ways if they like you. They aren't guides, in that it isn't their job to assist you in your walk. That said, many of them have long memories, and they can be relationships that last beyond this life that are invaluable. Unfortunately, it seems a lot of modern magicians either ignore these beings or try to use or even enslave them rather than treat them as entities worthy of respect and friendship.  

The Fae

This is a broad category that's become kind of a catch-all. I'm not sure that everything I put into this category is technically a "fae", but they don't seem to mind being referred to that way, so here we go. Yes, the fae are a thing. Elves, brownies, sprites, and lots of others. They're everywhere in the same way that we are everywhere, they just live in the lower astral in the same way that we live in the physical. Interacting with the physical, for them, is similar to us interacting with the astral when we do magick, astral project, etc. They have a deep connection to Gaia, and thus to nature. Leaving them offerings is still very much a thing that they appreciate. They won't turn your milk sour or steal your baby if you don't; but they do often reciprocate and show their appreciation in various ways. 

We have an open door policy at our house. All are welcome as long as they do no harm and act in harmony with everyone else. When my wife and I bought our house we made nice with the locals and started leaving offerings every full moon. We had a group of brownies that were passing through. They were only in the area for a few months, but they appreciated our offerings so much that they started thanking us by clearing our front deck and ramp of all the leaves and junk that falls from our neighbor's trees in Autumn. Everything all around us would be completely covered, but our deck stayed clear. It's a small thing, but it was appreciated. Sprites will occasionally leave things that we thought were lost in obvious places that we would see them. One second nothing is there, then you turn around and there's that screw that fell out of the remote last week that I couldn't find or whatever, even though I'd walked past that same spot several times that day and nothing was there before. 

The fae are incredibly loyal to those that they've formed strong bonds with. Sometimes that bond can extend beyond a single lifetime. I've had several sprites that have stayed with me and watched over me since I was a child. We currently have four fae that live with us and act as guardians for our house. I haven't needed to ward my home in years. This is because of friendships that "I" and my wife both formed several lifetimes ago. To the fae, I share the same soul, so I'm still that person. As long as I honor those friendships they'll always be there for me and my family.

I'd also like to add that tricksters are very much a thing among the fae. We've had things go missing, only to turn up again later (sometimes months later) in odd places. I once had three bottles of the original recipe Huy Fong sriracha sauce squirreled away in our pantry that straight disappeared. My wife and I both, separately, pulled everything out of that pantry in an effort to find them. Nothing. A few months later a single bottle of it was just there in the pantry one day like it had always been there. When that one was used up- poof! Another showed up. I still haven't seen that third bottle, yet. We've not had anything more serious than that happen, but I've been assured that they can get downright nasty with people that they feel have disrespected them or that they just don't like. Trust me; don't be a dick. 

Elementals

Elementals are spirits that direct and control the elements around us. They have consciousness. They think and feel, though maybe not in the exact same way that we do. They act as guardians of their particular areas. I have an Earth elemental that I've become close friends with that I've had lots of enjoyable conversations with. He's taught me a lot about magick and our connection to the world. They've been around and seen, well, everything, so making friends can be an absolutely fascinating and educational experience if you take the time. Again, from a practical standpoint, they can also be really helpful friends to have. My aforementioned Earth elemental friend, for example, helped to rapidly thaw out our frozen pipes this last winter when we forgot to leave water dripping one night after it dipped below zero. It could have been a huge costly mess, but my friend assured me he could help, and within fifteen minutes our water was running again, even though the temp outside hadn't warmed up at all. I've been diligent in making sure not to make that mistake again. 

Again, some magicians tend to think elementals are beings to command or try to control. Just because you can doesn't mean that you should. Like the fae, elementals deserve our respect. 

Planetary Intelligences

This refers to the collective consciousness of a planet, but it really holds true for just about everything- moons, stars, etc. Here on Earth, the planetary intelligence is Gaia. Yes, you can speak to Gaia. She likes that very much, in fact. I say "she", but she doesn't actually have a gender (duh). She can be anything to anyone. She meets you where you are and what you need at the time. I've always thought of her as our "Mother Earth", so when I speak with her, that's generally how she presents herself. Luna is the moon, who is kind of Gaia's daughter, in a way, given that the moon was once a part of Earth. Both enjoy interaction and can be quite instructive and healing if you open yourself up to them and form a strong connection. 

Angels & ‍‍Demons

Lots of traditions work with either/both angels and demons. They aren't exactly what religion makes them out to be, though there are kernels of truth to the myths, just like with a lot of the occult. Both angels and demons represent huge categories of beings that all have a wide range of responsibilities/roles. Angels are not the "good guys" while demons are the "bad guys". Demons aren't out for your soul. None of it works the way that fiction, and even religions, portray. This is a very large and complex topic that I'm not at all qualified to talk about in detail right now. I have links to some books on the topic in the references section for those interested, and I plan on doing a deep dive at some point in the future. Just know that they're real, they do work with people, and they should be treated with the upmost respect.