The Spirits Book was the first published in the works compiled by Allan Kardec, dictated by the spirits of light in attending seances, and by observing and interviewing mediums. Table turning and these reunion sessions were en vogue during the Victorian era. The second in the series is the Mediums Book.
The philosophy of spiritism was thus codified, which set it apart from other spiritualism at the time during the mid 1800's- 1900. Classic or scientific spiritism follows this doctrine, in spanish espiritismo.
Thus defined:
"Spiritism has no priests and does not use or use in its meetings and practices altars, images, candles, processions, sacraments, indulgences, alcoholic or hallucinogenic beverages, incense, smoke, talismans, amulets, horoscopes, cartomancy, pyramids, crystals or any other objects, rituals or forms of worship.
Spiritism does not impose its principles. However other religions assist in Espiritismo aka Spiritism.
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Cruzado:
Espiritismo is a separate spiritual and religious practice that has incorporated into most houses of Santería. The type of Espiritismo practiced in Santería Lucumí is called Espiritismo Cruzado (Blended Spiritism) because it has been blended or hybridized with African elements from the Congo people." It is a nod to Kardec but contains syncretic elements in its spiritualism."
The Book of Mediums is essential to understanding Espiritismo Cruzado in our lineage and spiritual house, although it is beneficial to read other Kardec books. And of course our misa, folk seances are conducted with the Kardec Book of selected prayers.
The language is somewhat antiquated and dry. A hard copy of the book can be bought, but a free pdf is provided here. The Mediums Book <<<<<click here
The difficulty also for some I have encountered is learning difficulties and problems with reading a digital pdf on a screen.
Therefore I have dictated a summary and parts of the chapters, and adding some information to the Mediums Book in a series on youtube, for learning in my temple, and to provide it to the public.
"Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, under the codename Allan Kardec; proposed the study of "the nature, origin, and destiny of spirits, and their relation with the corporeal world". It encompasses "A discussion of the means of communicating with the invisible world, the development of mediumship and the difficulties encountered in the practice of spiritualism" and more....
I already wrote about this when I wrote about cascarilla (ground eggshell or chalk), the color white, and cleansings, but I thought I would just do a short entry. A version of this I also wrote about for guardian angel work. It is based on the Yoruban rogacion de cabeza or kobori eleda(feeding the head, Ori) but through espiritismo criollo.
You will need to pray over the mixture for your guides and ancestors. To the following add "good water" from your water cup on the boveda which is full of bubbles and you have the feeling of peace and purity. Cocoa butter, cascarilla, coconut water (traditionally fresh but I use coconut milk), holy water or rain water, a bit of honey, white flower petals from your boveda. A small splash of white rum or florida water can also be added. Flower petals from your boveda if you have them. This is done on the head after lighting a white candle and a normal shower and not rinsed or towelled too much off. This can be done for an odd number of days sometimes after an odd number of days of doing a bitter herb wash neck down to remove negative energies. You will then dress in white with headwrap overnight and can use white bedding with cascarilla or a white clean towel, sleeping alone and avoiding violent movies, sexual activity, violent video games, spiritual work, arguments or spicy food anything to heat you up for 24 hours. The bath will give you peace or energy and done in the evening you will not go out after dark. The purpose of this is to clear your connection to your guides and through contamination of the spiritual fluids on your boveda to your head or conciousness The white items are added also as clearing. If you cannot afford it or are desperate then just use the glass of water alone. Pour this over your head after showering, then towel off gently not too much, no need to rinse. Do this for a minimum of once a week for at least 3 weeks and replace the water glass right away, but you can do it 3 times a week or days in a row.
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.
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
