A cornerstone belief of mine is that the soul exists independently of the body. The soul willingly takes on a body to accomplish very specific things, and to learn specific lessons. When done, the body is discarded.
When actively working with energy and magic, we often become aware that our space is more crowded than we once thought. We begin to notice “things that go bump in the night” more frequently, and with more intensity. Recognizing your sensitivity to them, some spirits may, in fact, be seeking you out. But before you go and “banish” that spirit, courtesy demands that you attempt to find out more about it first.
Sometimes, a soul may get disoriented and "lost". They sometimes need a nudge in the right direction to help them cross the threshold. I've met some, and helped some. (And some simply didn't want to go.)
But not all... by no means all. There are definitely souls who are actively working on their deeper soul missions without bodies. "Guardian Angels" (Usually former loved ones) would be a good example of this. They are sticking around in the astral to help specific people, and they'll get a body when they need one.
If you sense a spirit in your space, respond. Try to reach the rest of the way and make contact. Find out if that spirit has a message for you, or if it’s lost and needs help.
Simply put: Not all who wander are lost. "Banishing" a spirit without knowing more about that spirit is arrogance, and potentially damaging. We have no right to interfere in the growth of another, whether they have a body or not.
~Flame RavenHawk
July 30, 2002