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

The baston de muerto: staff of the dead and ancestors

The original indigenous ways that people honored their ancestors and worked with their dead was not through the white table boveda, tableau espirituale. The white cloth table is from the seance traditions of European mediums in spiritualism, which crossed with folk traditions in the 1900's in Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Originally libations were poured upon the dirt ground. But since in many apartments and temples not being on ground level, people began to modify. Libations were then poured into a bucket, where they could pour outside after, or a few drops of water poured onto a clay tile (teja) in Yoruba faiths in the new world if it is prescribed by your reading. This was kept with an egun shrine near pipes leading to the ground such as in the bathroom or kitchen, usually with marigolds, flor de muerto: flower of the dead. Or was also kept outside by the back door and yard area.

This is also where a Baston de muerto can be placed, and can be indicated that you need to work with the dead this way through your readings, and which type of stick needed for example one or two faces, a skull, or snake can be featured. If the Orisha Oya is suspected to be close to a person, it may be recommended to get a stick or set up a boveda in a certain way. Oya or Yansa is a warrioress of the cemetary gate related to the dead in the new world and the river in Africa, and not death the reaper herself, but she is related to how death, Iku got brought to earth out of compassion, because of suffering, starvation and disease. The stick again is indicated in a reading, and may be relate to the mysteries of earth.

Other names in different traditions for this stick of the dead is Bakulu stick in Palo or Kumangongo. The stick must be taken from nature in a certain way. Sometimes a main staff that is prescribed from a special tree is needed, but the rama of Palo does not have a baston de muerto in their lineage otherwise.

The palo or baton de muerto: Opa or igi egun, pagugu, aumba, although Yoruban faith will add things to this altar like 9 bundles sticks of flor mar pacifico (hibiscus) with a red ribbon and approach their dead a different way than the Palero, Vodouisant or Espirista. The egun stick for eggungun, was the ancestral altar axis mundi, tree, between our world and the worlds of the spirits.

                                                                       From auctions609 store

 It is used for ancestral dead or other dead in the frame mostly and not spirit guides approached through spiritualism who are more elevated. In Yoruban spirituality, egun are the collective dead who are from different sources or types, such as some serve as guardians of a place, or initiatory dead. The egungun are technically also a subset of bloodline ancestors as far as I understand.

The dead are very important for many reasons, and without them there is no Orisha, the saying Iku Loba Ocha, the dead gave birth to the Orisha explains cosmology and from the Odu stories.

                                                artwork by Marietjie Henning

The staff represents the creative generative power of the dead, and as a phallic wand you will see the Ghede Lwa Baron dance with of life and death. It is like a family tree. The wand is like the body of Dhamballa, as Moses turned his staff into a snake. It is generative and spiritual fire of the Ace of wands. Thus some say the baston helps to strengthen the connection with the dead, and male line of ancestors.

                                                                tvtropes.org

In Puertorican Vudu, the staff of the dead is linked to base of the poteau or poto mitan or palo majeur (pillar, Ceiba world tree of the peristyle, caye, badji or hounfor), Papa Loko, and Papa Legba's cane (from us to the Lwa). I keep mine against my boveda, or by Legba's cane at the front door. Likewise we may use a sacred tree for our repository and tie 7 ribbons on it for the 7 Jefe Lwa Misterios of Sanse.

In espiritismo or Sanse: The stick can be placed as an "outside" shrine, or boveda "astral", such as against a strong tree which can serve as your spirit repository. Astral doesn't mean in spanish what we think of in ceremonial magick as a lunar realm. It means outside in nature, or without a physical body. This area is usually marked and consecrated with a border of cascarilla chalk with 9 dashes or arrows. There can be kept ovoid river stones which are special repositories, otanes. To here you can place the items you normally would as a boveda such as white flowers and candles, multicolor bouquet, a sunflower, food offerings such as sweets, coffee, pork, fish, rice, stew, cigars, water, rum overnight.

                                               from ibuocantomi@blogspot.com

The staff is tapped 9 times upon the ground to evoke and give notice, of vibrations to the ground where the dead of the world are connected, while giving orations and prayers and traditional songs to Egungun.
                                                                         
Some in Ocha have taboo on what a woman can do around Egun, such as they did not wear the costume according to pataki stories, they can have the stick but some do not strike the ground with it. The stick also banishes negativity, and some place bells apon the lengthy (almost to the ground) 9 colored ribbons or cloth strips tied at the top to ward off misfortune (osogbo). Some do not place the bells stating it scares off Egun, as there are different types of baston, some are built to remove the dead tapping from one area of the house leading to the outside of the dwelling. Some also just place one red ribbon to mark the staff is empowered by the dead. Can be multicolor beaded. The colored ribbons represent the egun dance dress costume, and as the number of the dead. The stick is straight, true as possible, and can be made of different or a specific type of woods.

Iku is the spirit of death itself

 
Not everyone should have this stick, which needs to be taken seriously. It will also be revealed to you if you are a medium, or have a spiritual court which deals more with the dead. You should have already begun a regular practice to attending to your ancestors.

                                                              army of darkness

However, you do not need to be initiated to get this stick, if you have guidance from a priest. The top can be drilled into, to pack the secrets into it and then sealed by a priest in Ifa with certain types. The stick is washed with different herbs and preperations, dedicated, consecrated, fed (animal blood in Ocha and Palo) and prayed over. 

In Sanse, I do this with various herbs, washing, colognes, and epo (red palm oil) with a service to the dead. But if you are seriously entertaining entry to another tradition than Sanse, I recommend you get one in that tradition, as we are a syncretisation.

 I have also received my Bakulu ancestor necklace from my godfather, a Palero. In Sanse we also use a multi-color glass or crystal seed bead necklace consecrated to the dead of your court.

Sanse:

We do not use the 7/7 pattern unless you have the 7 african powers as guides or are an initiate of Sanse for Los 7 Jefe Lwa in our house.

These items are sacred and must be cared for. The necklaces are not worn during sleep, in the water, nor during sexual activity, or out at the club, and should be kept in a special place, preferably wrapped in a white satin or silk panel of cloth and put away.

If you would like either of these items, then you can contact our temple and start a consultation and rapport.

                  A qualified Santero, Palero or Espiritsta can make you a Baston de muerto.
                  We currently offer these items to the Bakulu or your spiritual court: ancestors and dead.
Whatever your tradition you receive the stick in, influences where and how you will serve your dead, because these religions have a different group of ancestors spiritually. So a Bakulu stick is not placed at the Boveda.

                     
                  The staff can be used in misa, or in working the boveda in Espiritismo,
                  and marks the officiant in rites to the dead.

                               Sancista 7

                                                            crossroads

Cantos para misa espirituale, learning songs for spirit guides, the dead and misa part 1

This is an affordable lyric booklet availiable at many botanica, which focuses mainly on Cuban espiritismo songs used to help call, honor and joyfully greet the spirits. There are songs for the congos, africanas, mama francisca, nuns, etc: spirit guides as well as for the eguns "dead" and coronation (baptism or crowning in espiritismo) that I would like to focus on.

Many are already familiar with the song "sea el santisimo" which we sing near the beginning of misa, and many of these songs are able to be listened to by spanish speaking artists, whose music groups arrange the words how they may differently or combine them. Most are familiar with the artists Los Nani, and their two albums: canciones espiritista & divina creacion, one I got on amazon, the other at a botanica. Oba Ire has a new album Espiritual. Beautiful album I purchased on itunes.
There are albums cajon pa muertos by Luca Brandoli Y Grupo Barracón

For this purpose it is important to learn the chorus. There is beauty in the spanish latin language, and how they have arranged them, but I will roughly translate in english so you will know what you are saying. By learning them you will be able to greater participate and practice the tradition.

The songs, for the most part share a similar beat, which are congo based called palos. In palo religion they call their songs mambos. They can even be stated as prayers.

Since I am partially writing this post for members of our temple, The first group is Los nanis
I will write out the sea el santisimo

Sea el santismio, sea                  Be it most holy (great) spirit, so be it
sea el santisimo, sea                  "
madre mia de la caridad,         My mother of charity
ayudanos, amparanos              Help us, protect us
en el nombre de dios               In the name of god
ay, dios                                     Oh god

Chorus for an africana or often with a mama Francisca song also called siento una voice:
I hear a voice

Siento una voz que me llama                          I hear a voice which is calling me
de lo profundo del mar                                    from the depths of the sea
y es la voz de una africana                              its is the voice of an africana
que me llama/ a laborar                                   which is calling us to work

Siento una voz que me llama de lo profundo del mar, es la voz de una africana

ADVERTISING

que nos llama a laborar. Siento una voz que me llama de lo profundo del mar, es la voz de una africana que nos llama a laborar. Ay, yo llamo a Mama y no viene, llamo a Papá y tampoco y yo ando buscando a un ser que venga poquito a poco Siento una voz que me llama de lo profundo del mar, es la voz de una africana que nos llama a laborar. Mama Francisca, te estoy llamando, ay Dios Mama Francisca no me responde Reina africana te estoy llamando, ay Dios te estoy llamando yo a laborar Mama Francisca, te estoy llamando, Mama Francisca no me responde Mama Francisca, te estoy llamando, te estoy llamando a laborar. Ay, corre el agua, corre el agua, corre el agua Yemayá. corre el agua, corre el agua, ay con corriente espiritual. Corre el agua, corre el agua, corre el agua Yemayá. corre el agua, corre el agua, con corriente espiritual. Es que corre el agua, ay corre el agua, ay corre el agua Yemayá. corre el agua, corre el agua, con tu corriente espiritual. Mi Dios. Corre el agua, corre el agua, corre el agua Yemayá. corre el agua, corre el agua, con corriente espiritual. Que corre el agua, ay corre el agua, ay yomi yomi mi Yemayá. corre el agua, corre el agua, con tu corriente espiritual. Mi Dios. Corre el agua, corre el agua, corre el agua Yemayá. corre el agua, corre el agua, ay con corriente espiritual. A remar, a remar, a remar. A remar. A remar, a remar, a remar. A remar. A remar, a remar, todo el mundo a remar que la virgen nos va a acompañar. A remar, a remar, a remar. A remar. A remar, a remar, todo el mundo a remar que la virgen nos va a acompañar A remar, a remar, a remar. A remar. A remar, a remar, todo el mundo a remar que la virgen nos va a acompañar. Rema mi Yemayá.

I feel a voice calling me
From the depths of the sea,
Is the voice of an african
Which calls us to labor.
I feel a voice calling me
From the depths of the sea,
Is the voice of an african
Which calls us to labor.
Oh, I call Mom and she does not come,
I call dad and neither
And I'm looking for a being
Come a little bit
I feel a voice calling me
From the depths of the sea,
Is the voice of an african
Which calls us to labor.
Oh mama, I'm calling you, God
Mama Francisca does not answer me
I'm calling you, African God.
I'm calling you to work
Mama Francisca, I'm calling you,
Mama Francisca does not answer me
Mama Francisca, I'm calling you,
I'm calling you to work.
Ay, run the water, run the water, run the Yemayá water.
Run the water, run the water, and with spiritual current.
Run the water, run the water, run Yemayá water.
Run the water, run the water, with spiritual current.
It is that the water runs, and the water runs, and the water runs Yemaya.
Run the water, run the water, with your spiritual stream. My God.
Run the water, run the water, run Yemayá water.
Run the water, run the water, with spiritual current.
That the water runs, and the water runs, ay yomi yomi mi Yemayá.
Run the water, run the water, with your spiritual stream. My God.
Run the water, run the water, run Yemayá water.
Run the water, run the water, and with spiritual current.
Rowing, rowing, rowing. To rowing.
Rowing, rowing, rowing. To rowing.
Rowing, rowing, everyone rowing
That the virgin will accompany us.
Rowing, rowing, rowing. To rowing.
Rowing, rowing, everyone rowing
That the virgin will accompany us
Rowing, rowing, rowing. To rowing.
Rowing, rowing, everyone rowing
That the virgin will accompany us.
Row my Yemayá.

Merciditas Valdez of cuban espiritismo starts with the egun song for the dead. The los nani song is called also sung in si la luz redentora.

Si la luz redentora te llama (buen ser)                  If the good redeeming light calls you
y te llama con amor a la tierra                            and calls you with love to the earth
yo quisiera ver ese ser                                       I would like to see that being,
cantandole al gloria divino manuel                    singing to the divine glory, manuel

Oye buen ser                                                      Hey good being
avanza y ven                                                      come forward and seen
que el coro te llama y te dice ven                      the chorus calls you and says you are

              

Ven buen ser                                                       Come good beings
avanza y ven                                                       forward and see
que el coro tel llama y te dice ven                      the chorus that calls you forward and be seen


She mixes and goes into other songs including sea el santisimo & a very pretty cleansing song at end
but at 3:45 my apprentices take notice to learn for upcoming baptisms. It is Oh venid, a version by Los Nanis as well.
the coronation song

Oh venid protectores                                        Oh come protectors
Oh venid                                                           Oh come
Seres guia de nuestra mision                             Spirit guides of our mission
Oh! venid protectores a la tierra                       Oh come protectors to the earth
a ver que linda coronacion                                 come to the beautiful coronation

En coronacion, en coronacion                           A coronation A coronation
bajan los seres                                                      lower (come down) the spirits
(repeat)repite

Oh venid

oh venid protector oh venid sere el guia de esta mission oh venid protector a esta tierra

ah esta linda coronacion eh coronacion, que coronacion para los seres tu dejastes la tierra mi hermano ahora vienes hacer caridad le pido al padre misericordia hara que venga la paz eh coronacion que coronacion bajan los seres que distantes se ven estos seres y sin embargo los tenemos presentes en un sal de amen que coronacion que coronacion bajan los seres san hilarion potencia divina san hilarion donde estan estos congos san hilarion potencia divina san hilariondonde estan estos muertos san hilarion potencia divina san hilarion yo los llamo y no vienen san hilarion potencia divina san hilarion con mision africana san hilarion potencia divina san hilarion donde estan las gitanas san hilarion potencia divina san hilarion donde estan estos indios san hilarion potencia divina san hilarion en el nombre del padre

Oh come protector oh come
Spirit guides of this mission
Oh come protector to this earth
Ah this beautiful coronation

Eh coronation,
What a coronation lower the spirits

You left the land my brother
Now you come to do charity
I ask the father
Mercy will make peace come

Eh coronation coronation down beings

How distant are these beings
And yet we have them present
In a salt of amen

What coronation coronation down beings

San hilarion divine power
San hilarion where are these congos
San hilarion divine power
San hilarion where are these dead
San hilarion divine power
San hilarion I call them and they do not come
San hilarion divine power
San hilarion with african comission
San hilarion divine power
San hilarion where are the gypsies
San hilarion divine power
San hilarion where are these Indians
San hilarion divine power
San hilarion in the name of the father

As well there are many other songs such as a simple congo verse to start learning, but you will want to start learning the song for eguns, sea el santisimo if you have not yet, as well as songs for spirit guides types you know you have first discovered from the misa sessions you have attended. Practice these songs, and when we meet, and at the misa we will rehearse a few.

With Love, Sancista 7 crossroads