Spiritual Development: Desarrollo

These are some things put together but if you can thing of other ways to develop please comment.

Prayer at Boveda
Prayer and songs to your ancestors and guides to their presence.
Prayer is the most important offering because it elevates our spirits so they can better help us spiritually progress.
Giving and using cigars smoke also helps our communication as a messanger spirit.
We use prayers and bibliomancy of psalms and Allan Kardec's book of selected prayers.
Spontaneous words that are felt from the heart are also more effective than bland reading.
By following good suggestions and what the spirit require this reinforces our relationship and communication.
You might want to read my other entry on why your spirits are silent.
Some of them could take a couple years to even show themselves in some way, and the most important is faith, over thinking materially.

Keeping the boveda clean and giving your spirits candles, gives spiritual light and clarity, as the faculties or psychic sense all begin with the word "Clair" or clear. ex Clairaudience is clear hearing.

For that reason certain saint orations like to Saint Clare or Lucy (lucid/light) can be used. St Clare is associated with the Monstrance (of spiritual alchemy and enlightenment) and the ability to lead spirits to us through light.

With Santa Clara just the white of a white egg can be put into a water glass to clear up the frame, and messages can be seen inside. This can be placed in the middle of 3 white novena candles with the point facing up. This mimics the eye of God and the form of the spiritual frame. Tata Oriate advises a similar way of placing a whole white egg in the middle of the candles in his book.

The white egg adds clarity, but a whole brown one can be used to remove negativity in the frame, or the lighting of sulphur novenas and elevation work and prayers for 9 days. Putting the white egg is different as it adds clarity but similar to a cleansing egg limpa con huevo. Messages can be seen in the glass.

Developing is a slow and consistent process, it needs to be a routine well practiced. Just because we know how to do it mentally, does not mean anything until we make it a practice.

Cleansings:
Eyewashes with prepared herbal water and scrying helps clairvoyance.
When people ask how to open the third eye I also recommend detox of clean diet, water and personal care products. Certain herbs can also assist.

White bath rogacion to cleanse your head actually adds spiritual connection, usually done after bitter herb removing bath neck down for an odd number of days each.

Routine spiritual cleanings help a clear connection and with fresh flower petals to add back energy to your spiritual field and sensitivity. There are many ways to spiritually cleanse besides spiritual baths.

Dirty house, self and altar can attract unwanted dark spirits, who can cause spiritual and life blocks to our evolution. These will then have to be dealt with in misa or ceremony with persistent cases in person. Dark spirits can be sent by witchcraft, given access by our own bad actions or faults, or by unconsciously picking them up. The environmental factors can impact the internal.

Work on Divination
Everyones gifts are different or suited to different tools, and some abilities are slower to unfold
For example some at the boveda have inspired writing sessions or automatic writing.
Meditation
Imagination
Dream work
waterglass at bedside, etc
Hypnotism

Solar work: 
for cleansing and higher spirits and light, of spiritualism. Linked to ashe, life force.
System of energy work and manipulation whether qigong, reiki or yoga
Lunar work and natures rhythms, subconscious and shadow work.
These two areas must be balanced and harmonious together. They are the gateway beyond self control and knowing of personal thought and emotion to higher celestial or planetary energy and polarity.

The cross and monstrance on the boveda indicate this union and light as some also displayed eucharist communion wafer as a church icon.

Going to Misa Espirituale

In the presence of strong spiritual fluids, and can practice mediumship and add light to yourself and your spiritual court.
More experienced mediums can help investigate and confirm your guides, as well as work on ancestral and spiritual issues.
Here you can develop your gifts by practice with others.
Misa can be held to your spirits,or if Catholic can pay them to do mass for the dead.
It is good to attend many misa in your spiritual house, and as well if you cannot afford private misa.
Safely at misa you can work on mounting spirits or physical mediumship.

This development and connection is given firm foundation on baptism and crowning the dead: 

Misa Coronation.

This crowning also protects the medium from unwanted spirit mounting.

During misa the godchild will demonstrate development, 

and have misa investigation into the spiritual frame.

For those that have no misa near them, a priest with alot of ashe or development can come pray at your white table with a small suggested payment or derecho of $21 to add light.

Moral Progress

Key to Spiritual development is dependant on personal progress.

Our guides and ancestors see our efforts to improve our personality and right action.

We then: Merit power and cooperation by beings who see this.
But these powers that are given by certain spirits that have the power to do this,do not give this to anyone, but they prove the integrity and moral and spiritual integrity of the person, and if they see that person can handle a power. Because they will freeze it, they do not give more, or in other cases they withdraw the gift or power that they gave to that person, that for a misuse of that power. Power unfolds and goes to those more responsible with its usage. God gave our gifts and can take them away.

The Principal Guide, the important thing is to be aware of our connection with them. To invoke, but always asking for the blessing of (God), so that every work we do is for good and successful, with the guidance and assistance of our spiritual guide, to ask him to reveal his name, either through a dream, a vision, or that he comes down and directly, or message through another spirit.

We must have humility and give gratitude and acknowledgment of the good spirits and God and not take personal credit for mediumship abilities.

Spiritual Reward or Suffering

Osogbos (diseases, accidents, calamities, untimely death, misfortunes etc.) happen to those who abuse their power and faculties. 

Some suffering is expected as a human condition, as a result of reincarnation.

Our ancestors may allow suffering to happen or create these problems because they are displeased. We are their representatives on earth, and are linked to them spiritually. When we are living in accordance with our good ancestors, we are in spiritual flow and receive their blessings. They are permissive gateway spirits. Ask for their forgiveness and for not listening to their good advices with an offering. 

Even if someone deserves ill doing and you to serve justice, ask yourself if you would rather receive a higher reward. I found this true, we are tested due to our medium ability as a duty of service and for our moral betterment according to Kardec. As I continually resist bad or commit to the correct path, the more I am shown curses, and therefore the way to remove or protect the self.

Egun helps us to deal with the contradictions, injustices and imperfections that exist within life itself. When we are weak, they help us to tap into our strength and through them we ask that God hears and grants our requests so that we can walk the correct path of our earthly lives towards our destiny. We need our messengers and allies to help us, as the way of progress is to decrease our suffering and ignorance.

Throw mud get muddy I say. There is great protection in living the right life and in spiritual purity and cleansing all the time to keep any negative energy off, is easier to keep negative energy off as the number one way to prevent spiritual problems. The Yorubans believe in thought projection as a magical action, but that it cannot affect a good person. Or at least not as easily.

                                                           Sancista 7 crossroads

Care of the dying and newly passed over

While they are passing
Encompasses many things and dependent on their ability to participate such as counselling, cleansing baths, counselling for the family, organizing a will, palliative care team planning, and completion of a bucket list. Speak to them when you visit and hold their hand because hearing is one of the last sense to be lost. No one knows the last date we will be in our physical body in this incarnation. The prayer for the sick, and the medium who heals can be of benefit from Allan Kardec's book of selected prayers.
If you are knowledgable with psalms certain ones can be said or use Acts 19:11-12 in the bible for healing. Even if their death is imminent it can improve symptoms or help spiritual healing.
It gives peace and consolation to the person who is dying, and to process their suffering to be of benefit as they think on their life.
It can also help to pray for the wisdom and compassion of the health care team, to get the care and attention the patient needs.

A water glass is often placed at the bedside of the sick and dying to purify, and have a portal for the spirit to go through when they pass.

Some of the prayer can be found in the references and links below.

Act of prayer:
A white candle, a clear water glass is needed for this.
Cleansing and purifying the material and spiritual aspect to ease transition, assists to call their spirits to help them transition, and orient them, awaiting them on the other side of the door of mortality to decrease their confusion. Pray that the good ancestors will greet them when it is time. Purifying them will lessen the shock of transition and gain light spiritually by lighting them white candles. Lighting white candles also dedicated to their spirit guides and higher spirits will empower their spirits to be better able to assist them as well. It protects them from outside influences, and to help further elevate them for spiritual progress and healing spiritually. This will assist them also to have a better reincarnation when it is time. We have lived many lives and our soul is eternal. This will also help their ti bon ange, ghost self or personality to be maintained for ancestral veneration at a later date.

Speak from the heart or paraphrase: I light this candle and offer this water to (name) and thier spirit guides, good ancestors and higher spirits, cleansing and purifying the material and spiritual aspects to ease transition. Upon passing orient them, awaiting them on the other side of the door of mortality to decrease their confusion. Good ancestors greet them when it is time. May this light spiritually empower you to be better able to assist. Protect them from outside influences, and help further elevate them for spiritual progress and healing spiritually. Our soul is eternal, and I will continue to assist (name) on your journey, with love. May it be so.

After death
Mass for the dead is usually done in church funerary rites and funeral home services in western culture first. They usually will hang out around their body at the hospital, home or grave site around 9 days after they have passed. You can still speak to them here. Flowers are traditionally given to the dead and not to the Orisha, and will also help them spiritually. White is the best color. Otherwise just a white candle and water, holy water should be given at this time in a clean space, and on a white cloth if desired.

After burial or cremation you can preform an elevation, hopefully they have released emotional attachment to their body they have shed and start transitioning to spiritual realms if they have not already and depending on the type of life they lead and manner of death.

 9 night novena candle elevation
Fire, though divided, suffers no loss. It may pass from candle to candle and grow in number, while remaining one from the source.
This is done at least nine nights after they have passed and have had the funeral, done for 9 nights.
For 9 nights take a white novena candle which has been cleansed and dedicated to God, the persons spiritual court and ancestors to help the person along with the clean water glass each day. The water can be held up to the sun and visualise it taking on light. 

NEVER blow this candle out, it can be placed in a fireproof dish or on a baking sheet. Anoint the candle with a cleansing, olive oil, or protection oil from the bottom up. Lift this candle up and just state this general dedication, you may write their name if desired on it. You are going to need several because they will only last 2-3 days. Each night move up from the lowest to gradually the highest part of your house on a clean surface during your prayer session. You can perform the sign of the cross and imbue this with light to provide a spiritual crossroad or doorway for them, and begin to pray. You can state as I lift up this candle, I also elevate this spirit.

This is not crossing a spirit over, however this can be the end result. You should be clean and maintain pure thoughts, and any words that are heartfelt. Concentrate on the light, and giving light emanating from a higher source, and through yourself. You should be taking spiritual baths to assist this process, and keep your energy clean and together. Dress in white or light colors no brown or black. Describe the water you have given for purification and to quench their thirst, describe the candle to help them see, orient them and give them warmth and energy.

Crossing a spirit over can be dangerous if they are earthbound or angry who can turn into a standoff or battle, and began to take you over or attach to you and influence your life, so its better if you have support of a spiritualist. This is why their manner of death must be taken into consideration if they were extremely mentally ill or died of violence or suicide. What I am describing is a very simplified process. However most normal dead people are extremely grateful and accepting of the help, no matter what their religion was in life. and may not have other options. You should get a feeling of grace, triumph or exhaltation, clean energy and peace.

Prayer for the newly "fallen" who have died, or passed over

PREFACE:

Prayers for those who have just left the Earth are not for the exclusive purpose of showing our sympathy. They also have the effect of helping to release them from their Earthly ties, and in this manner shorten the period of perturbation which always follows the separation, so allowing a more peaceful awakening on the other side. Nevertheless, in this case, as in all other circumstances, the efficacy depends on the sincerity of the thought and not on the quantity of words offered with more or less solemnity in which very frequently the heart does not participate.

Prayers which truly come from the heart encounter a resonance in the Spirit to whom they are directed, whose ideas are still in a state of confusion, as if they were friendly voices come to awaken them from sleep (See The Gospel According To Spiritism, chapter 27, item 10).

PRAYER:

Almighty God, may Your mercy be shown to the soul of X . . . whom You have just called back from Earth. We beg and implore that the trials suffered here may be counted in their favor and that our prayers may soften and shorten the penalties still to be suffered in the Spirit form!

Good Spirits who came to fetch this soul, and most especially their Guardian Angel, help them to free themself from matter. Give them light and a consciousness of themself so that they may quickly leave the state of perturbation, inherent in the passing from the body back to the spiritual life. Inspire in their Spirit a repentance for all errors and faults committed and a desire to obtain permission to remedy them, so as to quicken their advancement in the direction of the life of those who are eternally blessed.

And you, … ., who have just entered into the World of the Spirits, we wish to say that despite this fact, you are still with us; you hear and see us, since you have merely left the perishable physical body, which will quickly be reduced to dust.

You have left the gross envelope which is subject to vicissitudes and death, now retaining only your etheric body which is imperishable and inaccessible to material suffering. If you no longer live through a physical body, you live instead through your Spirit, and the spiritual life is free from those miseries which afflict humanity.

You no longer have over your eyes the veil which hides the splendors of the future existence from us. Now you may contemplate new marvels, while we remain bathed in darkness.

You may travel through space and visit the worlds in all liberty, while we still painfully drag ourselves about here on Earth, prisoner in our material bodies, which are like heavy armor.

The infinite horizons stretch themselves before you, and on seeing their grandeur you will understand the vanity of terrestrial desires, of worldly aspirations and the futility of the so-called joys to which Man delivers himself.

For Man, death is nothing more than a separation from matter, lasting but a few instants. From this place of exile in which we continue to live according to the Will of God, and with the duties we still have to fulfill in this world, we will continue to follow you in thought till the moment when it is permitted for us to join you once again, just as now you are reunited with those who preceded you.

We cannot go to where you are, but you may come here. So come then to those who love you and whom you love; help them in the trials of life; watch over those who are dear to you; protect them as much as you are able; lessen the bitterness of absence by suggesting to them the thought that now you are happier and that one day, for certain, you will again be reunited in a better world.

In the place you are now, you must extinguish all earthly resentments. You must hold yourself inaccessible to them now, for the sake of your future happiness! Therefore forgive all those who may have incurred debts towards you, just as those against whom mistakes were committed now forgive you.

There are other prayers which can be recited such as the prayer for the suffering spirits

PRAYER:

God of clemency and mercy, may Your goodness extend to all the Spirits we have recommended to You in our prayers, especially the Spirit of X .

Good Spirits, whose only occupation is to do good, intercede together with me for their relief’. Make a ray of hope shine before their eyes and enlighten them as to the imperfections which maintain them distant from the homes of the blessed. Open their hearts to repentance and the desire to cleanse themselves, so they may accelerate their advancement Make them understand it is by their own efforts that they may shorten the duration of their trials.

May God, in all His goodness, give them the necessary strength to persevere with their good resolutions! May these words, infused with benevolence, soften their trials, so showing them that there are on Earth those who sympathize and wish them happiness.

A different version

For Suffering Souls Asking For Prayers
Kind and merciful God, may you extend your abundant mercy to include those who seek help from us.
Oh good and merciful spirits charged by God to instruct us, pray with us for the souls of those who would benefit from our positive thoughts. Make us vessels of Divine providence; enable us to share with the spirits of those who need light whatever light may have been granted us by that Great Spirit, the Creator of All. Amen

You can find these prayers in Allan Kardec's book of selected prayers, or the version by Candita Gual. 

No spiritist should be without a copy. It is of utmost utility.
There is within prayer for those facing imminent death.

There are some of the prayers linked here

and others here

I also suggest the books helping yourself with selected prayers by original publications.

After these 9 days then you need to let these spirits rest and have no further attempt at contact nor offerings for one full year. The spirits have their own journey, healing centers to go to and work and spirit lives to do. We do not want to keep them around here because it would be damaging to them and our grief process, until they are ready to visit which could take from 1 to 5 years or more for you to receive messages, and for them to be able to. They may even choose to reincarnate quickly if it is needed or their decision. However the person they were will remain as a spirit.

After one year, you can pay the Catholic church to preform a mass for the dead if you wish for a very nominal fee. This was traditionally done and sung because they believe most people go to a holding place or purgatory. This is a great charity we can do for a loved one. The church does this for those who are Catholics mostly, but also can be performed by those who know how in Espiritismo and Sanse, or by well versed spiritualists.

You can hold another elevation or have a Espiritismo misa seance as well or instead where you may receive messages and status update, then you can add them to boveda or ancestor altar if their status is good. A Palero or Santo can read them to see their disposition. 
The boveda or a white table can be placed in elevation for them using the water glass formation in a pyramid or the point of the ^ formation facing away like so on the table.
Otherwise experienced spiritualists mediums can guide you to further help them out.
There are other rites such as if they were a priest in the ATR's the casse canari: breaking of spiritual pot to seperate gros bon ange and met tet Lwa from the soul for rest. As well as taking care of their spiritual tools, other pots, and robes of office or spiritual clothing.
They can also call up the family member or priest into a govi clay pot for veneration.
A Haitian Vodou seance is done by some Mambos in a white tent on a streamlet or by the river and give trance messages to the person who enters.

Hopefully this will help alot of people out, and reassure them of life after death.
If you have any questions or need to clarify, just ask.

An end is just another beginning or chapter on your souls journey, 
light and progress,
Sancista Siete Encruzhiladas

Why your spirits are silent: Blocks to mediumship

When you are first opening yourself up to your spirituality, this is normal, as it takes time and practice to develop your abilities and strengthen your relationship with your spirits. It is also normal to have lulls in spirit activity, but there can also be reasons for a lack of response.

If you are not serious about your work, then good spirits do not want to work with you. A bad spirit will usually scare these people off, or they lose interest because development is slow, and they have no patience, nor dedication. It is a passing fad, something new for the flighty, and something wanted just to possess it, until they are on to the next thing. We cannot make people be spiritual. If you misuse your abilities and spirits, there will be repercussions to your abilities and spirit relationships in general.

A lack of humility or no confidence: be honest with yourself and examine your motives, and self doubt. This can be to shirk responsibility, fears, or feeling unworthy. Being full of ourselves can lead to error in lapses of judgment, as mediums we know we can be wrong at times, as no one is 100% all the time, as well as the future can change. Mediumship is a special gift, rather more for the improvement of the medium’s spiritual progress in Kardeican spiritism, and the tests that come with it. This is a warrior path not for the weak, and as much as an inner battle as one with external spirits. Spirits will use who they can, but leave and go to better mediums who work, persevere, have patience and sincerity. It is a relationship and not superiority over your spirits, bossing them around. As our abilities and confidence grow, so does our discernment. The only reason we have knowledge is it has been given by God, our elders and our spirits, and via our hard work, not intrinsic specialness.

Role & Path: we all have different abilities and community roles as part of a house and initiate. Other faculties can be developed in time, but usually a couple are strongest for you. Likewise your spirits have their own ways of communication. As a priest for the community, a wider variety of spirits will contact you to facilitate for others. As part of the temple, you may mostly have the contact of your own spirits.

Ingratitude: This gift is by grace of the will of God, and can be taken away as swiftly as it has been given.

Acknowledgement must be given to God and the helping spirits for their work and beneficence.

Charity: must give to receive.
Give to others and take care of your spirits, your duty, and what you have promised.

“enemies of spiritism”: Bad spirits: problems with inferior spirits: use prayer. Incarnated spirits: People seeking to undermine you, atheists or even the catholic church trying to say mediumship is evil or impossible. We use both our intuition, further research, and our logical mind. Institutional religion or mental disease: stigma on the medium leads to lack of confidence if you let that affect you. Lack of follow through and Dedication: Write down or follow advices given, reflect on information last given, and have a dream journal: did you follow the advice? Review last information given or session. Keep your obligations, keep practices current, and keep promises. Did you do what your godparents prescribed? Quote from my Tata's book, "when godchildren don't show dedication, then they will turn around and point the finger at the godparent for not teaching them". Dedication and tests are part of improving ourself and spiritism. Communication is key, but you may still feel their prescence in other ways than you are looking for specifically. This is part of our training and to see our dedication. Keep your spirit altars clean and uncluttered for clear communication. Spirits who are silent may be trying to get your attention after you ignore them by ignoring you and hoping that you self reflect. You need to listen. After you have spent time actively being open and listening, reflect. After you have reflected go before your spirits and tell them what you are committing to improve upon your person, and then ask for their assistance. Not following advices: being a bad person: gossiping, being mean to others, hurting others. Not being on your proper spiritual path, and not following proper protocols within the tradition. Going after or not respecting people in your temple or family, being antagonistic, stubborn and difficult, spirits will not take kindly to that. The same reasons your godparents may be ignoring you. Doing these things also can attract misfortunes, illness and bad spirits. You would be surprised what you get as a reward for not taking the low road. Timing: natural to have off days or ebbs and flows in ability, there are many variables and conditions. During the period of after Christmas to the first week of January, some let their spirits rest and cover their altar after removing water. This is the darkest time of year when the sunlight is the farthest from earth in the western hemisphere. During the holy week at Easter most voudouisants take it as a week of reflection on God. Likewise at other times of year, such as the saint feast dates, certain associated spirits will be more active. Try to have a regularly scheduled event such as misa date, or regular day of the week for contact. Spirits have their own spirit lives, they are not idle, waiting around. If you are lazy or disorganized you will attract lazy spirits.   When it comes to specific family members who have crossed over, for the first year they are given rest after the work that is done 9 days after their funeral. After that, you do not want them to always be present, because it is not natural, the risk is that they would be an earthbound spirit you are dealing with instead. Disinterest: for whatever reason they are ambivalent to what you are seeking help with, for example selecting your major at college. We have to live our lives and cannot do a divination for every single thing. This is a spiritual path. They are more interested in your moral and spiritual progression, but the ones closer to us and earth also know what it is like to have been human, and that we have physical needs such as food and shelter. Not every spirit you want to approach and work with wants to work with you, nor should you try to force them. Working with spirits not in your spiritual frame creating gaps in the links of your energy body and relationships with the spirits you should be working with that you actually have instead. This also can attract bad spirits and other problems in your life. You should only be working with spirits of your ancestors, and guides identified by your godparents as you are developing. Bad or dominating spirits. There may be also spirits in your frame that have to be dealt with blocking your abilities or other spirits. This requires spiritual work to placate them or extract them. Bad spirits or energy may require a cleansing, but also may need more work to be done to lift them off. This may be due to no fault of the afflicted, or may be due to the underdeveloped medium. We need to be current on our spiritual hygiene to remove that which can impede communication and cause other problems in our life. Sickness and lack energy, emotional issues, being unbalanced, can be not ready, not well rested. If you need healing and need to balance and be more grounded. To add fluids and magnetism you may need a healing medium to help if you are discharged. It is believed eventually the medium will discharge and need others to assist to heal you if you are continually healing others and do not have a way to replenish. Energy blockages can inhibit your transmissions. While this is more of a what not to do list, there are also ideas within what you should be doing. Be good, support, and love one another Sancista Siete Encruzhiladas

Exorcism and controlling unwanted spirit influence

It is believed in the Catholic church, which informs many beliefs in Kardecian spiritism, that an individual may not fall under possession unless they consent to it. Of course the church believes that we are all pitiful sinners, and lays on the guilt trip that we are culpable for all our sufferings, so that these bad spirits are just the agents of our choices. To remind the reader we do not use the word possession for when we are in physical mediumship of the good spirits, of which the Catholic church believes there is no such thing, unsanctified (unapproved), of these abilities without evil influence.

One day we went into our local Catholic store. It is conveniently located, beside a dollar store, liquor store, and coffee shop. We get incense, charcoal tabs, saint cards for Lwa and other supplies here as well as small local mexican botanicas. I also got a really cool glass bottle to put my holy water in.

Anyways, one day we went in, and a young man we had not seen before, or since, was working there. He had some kind of ability and reacted to a man I was with. He knew right away there were spirits there with us who fought bad spirits. He gave us a book free, called: Freedom from deliverance. although I am unsure of the author presently, about exorcism, and said that he recommended it to many people such as Buddhists who deal with the same thing.

I read this book and it was very eye opening about what the practices were, and some were similar. Of course they state a lay person can only do certain prayers etc, and matters better left of to the church.

From watching ghost paranormal shows, it is evident of the number of failed Catholic exorcisms, and how long the process must take to get help from their system. Of course there is a psychological and mental health component as well, if it is just psychopathy arising undealt with from the subconcious. It can be a lengthy process of even years in their teachings.

(The powah of christ compels you)....from the movie: The rite


Removing spirits, how to stop physical possession must be taught for safety, as we practice physical mediumship and traffick with the dead. As priests we are protected from this as we have a spirit seated on our head of our main guide as spiritualists, and our misterio Lwa as Sancistas. They are protective of this head space and will likely kick the bad spirit out or stop them. The same is true in other african traditions, with their spirits, connected to their head in initiation ritual. Since we provide and invite a environment where spirits come in misa, we have to protect the attendees, beyond properly setting up the session. And they may come with a spirit already attached.

It would be foolish to teach exorcism outside of temple environment. However I can give a few tips, because spirits will visit anyone, regardless of being called, paid attention to or not, they will try to use mediums.

Safety & Prevention is key and number 1
Keeping clean with your behavior and up to date with your spiritual baths, clean environment and having a good working relationship with your spirit guides and clear frame. They are called to protect us.We get to know our spirits and when they are coming on, and know how to identify them and good spirits. Do not try possession untrained and unassisted. Do not work with random dead or spirits or higher spirits you think you have like Lwa, but is never confirmed. Your spirit frame links must be solid. Your priest knows your centinela: the main spirit guide name to call and help you if incapacitated. Keep your altars clean and water cups refreshed. Do not be under the influence of substances, without adequate cultural usage and protection. This opens you up to influence and lowers our control. Getting drunk at misa or ritual is a bad idea, but we do use rum and cigars as a drink, or spiritually.
2
Consent can be implied or by silence.
having a strong will, and strong force of the word NO
ask them to provide their message another way and what their issue is, why have they come
they will try to make you consent, may try to provoke fear, disarm your guard, or make pain or discomfort to submit.

There are many warning signs of impending possession such as any psychic ability or mediumship is a spirit edging closer. Clearer examples would be: physical sensations of being touched, pressure, or pulled, dizziness, cloudiness or fuzziness, temperature changes, loss of physical function and control, strange thoughts and urges or fascination.

Coming to certain rituals like a voudou Lwa service implies consent, specifically called, and they are powerful good higher spirits, who can likely do as they please. We view possession as different than being mounted by our spirits.

One espiritista I talked to believes people can be possesed without their consent. It is true one might be weak or very unaware person. But on some level of passivity, self destructiveness, or negative personal traits, this is also how consent can be given. Some will even want to hold on to these spirits, and be conflicted about letting them off.

We do not believe in my house that people can be possesed without their consent. As humans we are very powerful in unrealized potential. We have physical bodies as an advantage point in the physical world over spirits. Children, the ill, and elderly are at greater risk because they do not have as much strength, or will. Personality development is more limited as an infant to know themself, have boundaries, and can be easily manipulated. Teenagers put off sexual energy and angst, emotional energy that can be used as spiritual fluids for spirits to manifest, which is why poltergeist activity is more common.
3
body positioning: cross arms,  cross legs, remove feet from floor if on chair, sit with back against the wall on the floor in this crossed position will stop the flow of energy from being as strong. This is why we ask people do not cross their limbs at misa to get spiritual energy flowing, but also can be inhibited.
If laying in bed position yourself in a cross, praying. Turn the light on. In Vodou we will cross and uncross the person to attempt and loosening off a spirit.
Lay also the best way to breath, if you are female lay on left side, male right side will decrease activity and dreams but also nightmares.
4 prayer raise vibrations, and assistance of higher beings, strong faith in your spirits and god
If you are alone putting on the light, playing music, ringing the bell, laughter can help to break up negative stagnant energy. Although the dead can bother you during the day, it is easier during the night, at 6am or pm, 12 am or pm and 12 pm to and at 3 am to 4am. These are crossroad times and hours of manifestation during darkness. A bubble of light alone is not enough to protect you. Close down the ritual or divination session if you must. Prayer is a powerful tool, such as kardecs prayer to the obsessed, the revocation of st michael, .......our father and hail mary if thats all you can do at the moment and/or spontaneous and heartfelt. However prayer alone is not enough always, which is all kardecian spiritists can do, besides calling the guides......and all the catholic church recommends the laiety to do. As folk espiritistas we have other tools in our toolbox.
5 physical agents of cleansing or exorcism: perfumes, holy water, crucifix, herbs such as espante muerte wash, also called chasing the dead or false daisy.
cascarilla chalk applied to the body, to the feet, back of the neck, head, around white cloth around waist etc This is also why we cleanse and wear white head wraps in misa and dealing with the unknown dead as a spiritual layer of protection.
6 physically restraining them, binding and dominating them. This I recommend only a group of trained priests or espiritistas attempt. We do not do this alone if it can be helped, it is foolhardy. It is easier to dominate and fool one espiritista than the combined force of a group of us with different strengths and weaknesses.

Of course again, there is much more that I cannot say here that training would provide.

Another thing I would like to add is that banishing the dead does not work. Meaning ceremonial magick of banishing pentagrams and a magickal circle alone. This is because that is a mental astral construct. The dead can go to the dream realm, and astral lunar world, but are not of there. There are backdoors into our world and from the moon realm to what can be understood as the underworld. Yes the astral also contains a mixture of emotional energy as well as mental, but the dead are much more physical, retaining a perispirit matrix body of personality of energetic matter, even if the soul has moved on. The banishing ritual also called the LBRP or lesser banshing ritual of the pentagram,in which the pentagram of earth is usually used, are designed against astral spirits such as the goetia, thoughtforms, rogue elementals etc and to balance energy for a neutral space, depending. These astral entities, which the common sorceror tends to overintellectualize and abuse or misuse, thus needs continual protection every 24 hours, and the worse if using yaweh godnames faithlessly (or faithfully in my opinion as the demiurge). To be trained how to have command of angels it need not be a judaic operation. It would be more so effective if calling in gods as a pagan that one actually has personal relations with, and not the elements. However when malevolent dead (who won't play by the rules) are present, a multipronged plan of attack needs to happen.

The sun and cross, in the lunar watery cup astral, fire and water is air, steam, alchemy.

The LBRP proper also contains the exercise of the qaballistic cross which is formalaic of the prayer Our Father but more energetic and internal, and is of use for balancing the energy in ones bodies. (In heaven....thy kingdom come, apon earth)( as vertical pole axis). (Give us this day our daily bread (right hand), forgive us ..who trespass against us (justice left hand)(the horizontal axis of the cross). An imbalance makes one more prone to polarized entities, but there are powerful negative spirits and adepts which can exist at the solar level and higher. There are many methods to do energy balance.

Your light will shine brighter, and is synonymous with the lighthouse of Sanse.

The cross (position of mercy) and central energy pillar is of use in balance, and connecting to deity, but I will leave this here, because as it is publicly or popularly known is of little use. The pillar or trunk of the world tree and palo mitan or majeur of the peristyle and temple or home is the microcosm of our world tree universe, as well as our body or as humans.

The daosits this is the dao or balance between the yin and yang polarity. They have the taiji pole of the navigational or celestial north star, running through the body into the earth through the 3 dan tien to anchor, as the in qigong, taichi and other practices.

Spirits will rely on getting an emotional reaction, such as fear or sadness/depression, which can throw you off kilter. Anger is largely viewed as a negative emotion, if blinding. But anger can also be protective of self/ego/personality, and be motivational, if calculated. Energy vampires can feed off of neutral energy, frenetic energy, positive energy, or excitement such as at a sports stadium or concert, often ritualized, or at a church as the congregation is unaware where their raised energy is going.

The underlying energetic truths of christianity and tarot is of ceremonial magic preserved/of the Jews, gypsys and egyptians from much older cultures. Christianity encorporated or overlayed many indigenous cultures beliefs and sites. Since christianity made its way into most new world african traditions, it is empowering to understand. Of course many espiritistas, hoodoo workers and christians do not understand. I am just adding my 2cents for the varied backgrounds of the reader.

A man makes a pentagram of earth or a cross, and also the proportions of a hexagram, another solar symbol. Spirit in matter of the 4 elements. There are 3 crosses and centers: one of earth, of the sun, and one of the pole star, linked to the head and destiny.

Well, I seem to be getting tangental, until next time,
S7X

Pennies from heaven: gifts from spirit

Feathers and pennies are a well known sign around the world as spirit communication and gifting. Usually there is more meaning attached around the circumstances, such as the date.

This is two of my most recent gifts acquired from spirits.

I gave service to my indian spirits we call in the spanish way indios, spirit guides, as well as I honor my native ancestry. An offering was given of cooked corn, a wineglass of water, beer, cigar, and a green candle. Prayers of protection were recited, along with ones of peace, and acknowledging the people’s struggles, strength and courage. We prayed for particular people that needed to be liberated from negativity in their life. We perceptible got the message that they had left through the cracked front door and spread out to complete our request, and that we were heard.

The next day as I took out the recycling out the back door, I saw a weathered $10 bill against the left side of the door by the wall. There is a bar beside us, a block away, but that is no matter if someone drunk coming come down the alley could not have dropped it under the influence of not only alcohol but spirits. We needed the money at the time for groceries in between paychecks, but we still bought the indios more corn to give thanks.

The second story is that I have been keeping a statue of St Lazarus on the floor of my white table, which is like a boveda ancestral altar but also includes spirit guides. He is on the left near the congo section that I share with my husband. I originally bought the statue to use for the Lwa Sobo and Bade, twin goat humans who rule over wind and rain, crops in terms of drought, priesthood, warriors, misfortune, disease and healing. The statue is used to represent them as the brown and white dogs, however other saints can also be used for them, such as St Roque but perhaps that stronger represents Papa Sobo of the pair.

But that was not to be. My one congo warrior spirit came out of need and ritual calling before I was initiated, and confirmed by my Padrino who was puzzled at the spirit's presence in my cuadro, which is your spiritual frame or entourage that you are generally born with. Since I am part of a house with several traditions, and my husband is a Palero, I am around the congo based tradition of Palo Mayombe frequently. The spirits know me and although I cannot work with their Mpungo, I have had my life path reading and follow up in which Kobayende is likely my father, who is like the other religions spirits of Omulu or Babalu aye, or Bade/Badgessy or Sakpata, Heviosso. However their similarities they do of course have differences. They are of varying degrees of aggressiveness. Kobayende or Kaviunga is king of the cemetery but not the underworld. Bade unfairly is blamed for diseases, etc, but is only a messenger of ancestors who are mispleased, and in partnership with his brother, whose name Sobo or Sogbo is similar to this yoruban concept of osogbo, the spirits of misfortune, but magick and healings are also called sogbos by him.

In my second reading I was told to put the bitter melon herb around him for healing, as I was suffering an illness at the time. I keep a basket of beans to him as an offering and for cleansing , in which dollar bills go for health and protection, on a purple crown royal bag, tied with a yellow ribbon. The saint colors are yellow and purple, and white is a cooling peaceful color. I have not made his covering yet, a purple and gold beaded cape, with burlap on the inside. St Lazarus and some of these spirits likes to be covered, such as straw hat which flows over the body. So I have just tied whim with a white bandana, and given offerings of white wine, etc and have consecrated the statue. Palo does not regularly use saints for the spirits, especially if more african based, but I am an outsider. It is for my congo spirit to work with who I call Damien as a nickname. Damien does not have a statue yet, as I have a picture in my mind, but he does have a congo spear replica as his place marker.

Kobayende can protect you against the dead and disease, which is important for me as a spiritist and a healer. 

You can see in the picture his statue cracked in my backpack around his feet as I travelled back from Florida, from visiting my godparents. One of Kaviunga's epitaphs is "he who moves the earth". As Sobo represents lightening, these twins are also associated with the Lwa Agaou of earthquakes. I superglued it when I got home about 6 months ago and prepared some items in the perfectly made cavity, but now I see it has come undone, perhaps from the cold?

One day I noticed that a dried herb which was on the bookshelf about 3 ft away was in the basket. I asked if my husband put it there and he sworn he had not. Oh well, I thought maybe the overhead fan or a draft from the front door moved it. The herb is a yellow flower top called everlasting life. It was intended to make an oil designed for necromancy, as life to the dead.

About a week later, my husband found a feather tied with the yellow ribbon in the basket. I had noticed already that the ribbon around the basket seemed to be missing, but thought maybe it had slipped or moved under the items, from being moved, as it is in an area we keep supplies under in a cramped space. He mentioned it to me, and I said, I did not do it.

The feather has some blood or dark sticky substance on it, and could have come from a sacrificed rooster, the cardboard box with the Palero’s tools is often used to transport to and from ritual place he is using, the feather could have come unattached from items being fed and then placed back in its place. We have bags of feathers for item construction such as from turkeys, roosters, guinea hen, and parrots, but none like this one. The feather is not “perfect” crafting quality, it is black or dark brown with a brown stripe, and none of the roosters used had that color marking as far as we could tell.

The knot on on the quill is tied in such a way that is very strange. A sort of doubled over slip knot, but tied so tight it cannot move. One section is shorter than the other but able to be tied into a necklace to slip over the head. We both have no detailed knowledge on ways of knot tying.

This is something I could not ignore. I have seen and experienced some crazy and physical, tangible spirit contact, but nothing so solid, lasting and “real”.

Because we routinely work with the dead, avoiding the bad ones in the house, this anomaly made me concerned. I do not want random dead in my house, so I asked my husband to consult his shells for me. Everything else in our life seemed to be ok. Kobayende did not do it, but he directed it to be done, likely using a disincarnated human, and I was to wear this feather at certain times.

I gave him a small offering in order to thank him and do some bibliomancy with my congo, and as a prayer offering. The page that came up was to give thanks for a special favor obtained. "I would be unworthy to attribute them to casualty of happening or to my own merit....and to make out of it something against benevolency". I also consulted the Allan Kardec book of selected prayers for a sick person and up came the passage; I am hope: "I play with the breeze.....words which will console them.....I am with you when you are poor and sick".

Do I dare see a face?

When things like this happen they are to be taken seriously, and a good rapport with your guiding spirits, as faith that they will help you, and to follow their advices for their effort, so we may continue to receive their blessings.

Blessings to all, light and clarity,

Benediciones, luz y claridad para usted.

Sancista Siete Encruzilhadas