Hi Joe,
You ask questions that are most likely at some point, on everyone's mind who has ever reached out to the celestial realms.
First of all, I am no expert in these matters any more then any one of us are experts. We are all in this wonderful "play" together and feeling our way along with the help of our celestial friends...
So with that, let's talk about the easy one... you wrote:
As of late I have been intrigued by the concept of the thought adjuster, or the still small voice inside- I hope I'm not confusing the two.
Nope, they are terms used interchangeably for our Gift of God within.
The reason I bring this up is as of late I think that I have begun to hear celestials speak to me. It's strange how it happened; one day I was working on a project of mine and I started to get impressions of words in my mind. They would say things like "good job" or "Keep up the good work" They have even expressed sentiments relaying Gods love for me and all his children.
The question I have is how does you discern the difference between your own thoughts, and say the thoughts of a celestial that is trying to communicate with you, or even your thought adjuster?
Let's start with the confusion on whether this is your own mind or impute from a celestial...
Okay, I ask you a couple questions, ones you don't have to answer on the board but something to ask yourself as you try to understand who is speaking with you....
"Are you in the habit of speaking to yourself whether in you mind or physically in such a manner? Did it come out of the blue... surprisingly unexpected? Now this is not the acid test... because as we get very comfortable and friendly with our celestial friends and communication comes easily and frequently, it is the same as with any human friend. You ask a question or speak about something to them and they can and will answer... and visa versa they will chime in as you work together on a project.
But in the beginning the "Wow factor" can come into play.
So I ask you how did it make you feel... Did you feel sort of "Wowish" inside? I don't know exactly how to describe this feeling when they are around and speaking with you... and then too, what I feel and sense may be different from what others feel and sense. So perhaps the best course of action and how to proceed, may simply be to not over analyse it. Go with your gut...your intuition and celebrate that "it" likely has begun.
But offering advice in this area can be very tricky because we each view this from our own experiences. For instance, my first moment in hearing a celestial was a Midwayer speaking a very loud, Happy Birthday In my ear. (long story) I was sort of half asleep on the couch after watching a movie. I then, jumped to my feet and by all appearances, was alone in the room. But I wasn't...far from it, and they were making their presence known to me as I had longed to communicate with them for a long while. Perhaps the delay was to get myself ready, allowing me time to exercise my spiritual muscle a bit until I was ready...not sure, but I discovered the more I allowed myself to become available for conversation and lessons the easier it was for me to discern their presence even when they did not "speak"... sort of like a bloodhound on a scent, I could feel them around me whether we were at home or out doing the shopping... still can when I allow myself to be quietly, peacefully in the present.
but there I go again off on a tangent...
So in reality, you can hear them with your ears...at least the Midwayers, and you can "hear" them with your mind...in your minds eye or is it ear?

...depending on the way they choose to connect.
Knowing the difference between Thought Adjuster communication and our celestial cousins...???? well, once again I can only tell you from my own experience and it may be a totally different experience for you. When my TA speaks to me there is a splendid pressure within. Something awesomely wonderful from deep within me that comes over me and an inner joy that is hard to explain. (It is like it radiates from within me not outside of me in any way shape or form. Even sitting here thinking of it sets every cell in my body a tingling... so beautiful it is... Yet our "Pilot Lights", can come through to us via intuition and those quick thoughts and comments just as you describe too... So In the end, I believe it comes down to your "gut"...your intuition... Go with what you feel and then do not doubt it... chances are you are right! And truly you are the only one who will be able to discern this.
But regardless of the connection and the who we are connecting with, it is always something to be savoured and enjoyed...like a special treat with someone you love.
Anyway that's my 2 cents... please do take it worth a grain of salt as you remember that working with celestials is not an exact science. And so, your experience will be unique to you... requiring you to trust your inner guidance, your "gut". Do enjoy every minute of it when it occurs for you... allow it to flow without wondering, "should it be like this? or "should I do that?" Just "be" with it, making yourself available on a regular basis to exercise and strengthen your spiritual muscle, and you will continue to progress and deepen the bonds with the celestial family.
Hey, it is good to hear from you Joe! I hope you have been well!
love,
Sandy