When I think of a spirit guide, I do not think of a human form, let alone a particular sex. My understanding comes from Chinook tradition and you have to find it yourself (although you can have guidance). After you find it, you can share it but only if you want to. Other people can't tell you what it is.

Of course, ancestors play an important role, too. You can pray to them to help you because they are wise to the ways of the world. They've already walked the earth and know about life but you don't see them in human form.

What tradition does spirits with a human form come from? Maybe its a form of Christian angels or ghosts or demons or something. I don't really understand the roots of this knowlege. It seems very strange to me. How did it evolve?