White Bath: Connection to Ancestors and Guides

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.

                                                                         Sancista 7 crossroads

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

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

Just judge & the 7 african powers

 Alot of people think the 7 african powers are the Orisha but they are not. The confusion came from the saint image of Jesus crucified with an array of saints around him. It did not come from the yoruba faiths that work with the Orisha neither, it came from puertorican espiritismo. People saw these products in the botanica and decided to use them without cultural context, and bad information was spread. You will also see the statues used as 7 madamas or 7 congos as a group of guides, sort of like a package of spirits. The original image likely came from someone in espiritismo to honor their own 7 african guides.

The Orisha religions do not have this concept of the 7 african powers of being "the most important" or prevalent Orisha at all out of a pantheon of hundreds, of some who will be more personally concerned with you than others. The Orisha are all received in ritual and pots anyways, or are in your court and not to be used as a group or pick and choose either. The beginning rituals in Ocha, usually is to receive the 4 guerreros or warriors for your own personal growth and care: Elegguá, Ogún, Ochossi and Osun. This does not make you an initiate until you make kariocha with your personal Orisha.

The 7 african powers are spirit guides, dead elevated humans, just like the madamas, or la madama, not everyone has one of these commissions in their spiritual court or cuadro that makes up your spiritual frame.
Therefore there is no reason to be petitioning them or honoring them without this knowledge, as it will weaken your spiritual connection with the guides you actually do have. Despite people making products and writing books that are not in these traditions since the 1980's.

They represent different african tribes, of dead, that one may have, and one will usually take the lead and come through a reading in Ocha or a misa (seance) in espiritismo. No one person will have the same guide that comes through this category. Dr E, a spiritualist, santero and hoodoo doctor identified them as coming from Yoruba, Congo, Takua, Kissi, Calabari, Arara, and Mandika tribes. Within the diloggun oracle’s corpus of information, the Seven African Powers are heavily referenced in the odu Edigbere (7-8). Interestingly, this odu also speaks about the importance of the drum as a tool to call down the Orishas and it also speaks about the power of Congolese magic within the religion of Palo. (however beyond that one cannot comment on Palo or ones spirits within that religion unless being a priest of Palo, but the dead are the dead). It speaks of working with the dead in context of being around the person, which santerismo, palo and espiritismo would be a path open to them being associated with strong dead.
If a person were to receive the odu 7-8, it would indicate that they have the Seven African Powers in their court of spirit guides and it would be up to them to seek an Espiritista to determine who they are, what their names are. 
Copied from http://santeriachurch.org/the-seven-african-powers/

I do disagree when he says anyone can approach them because we all have dead. Yes we all have dead, but it is appropriate within these traditions and for safety to go to misa, and work with your dead you actually have first. Its not to say you will have these at all, so its pointless. Can you call forth a dead from each tribe? I suppose, at your own risk with varying results. Would this then be guides as used in the originating culture, or the 7 african powers, no. It would just be working with the dead. And they are usually not ancestors, and guides are mostly contracted and present since birth. The best thing would be to enquire before a misa, or get a investigation or reading.

Elekes or Orisha necklaces hanging in a botanica, for the priests of Ocha to sacrifice and prepare over with specific leaves. Note on the second left: 7 potencias or powers. Many in Ocha also practice espiritismo and if they do both may call it Santerismo, especially in New York. In Sanse we do not do animal sacrifice, but may rarely participate in the need to have it. Our necklaces are prepared differently. In the Maria Lionza sect in Venezuela, they use 3 different races in figures of the Indio, African and Eurasian to represent the hereditary and ancestral cultures and of mankind as the 3 powers or potencias, a spiritist tradition, also of the dead. In Sanse you may also see this used, even though they are specific spirits, to represent the 3 groups.

The 7 african tribes are usually worked with a 7 color candle, and a 7 different color striped or patched cloth. For us in Sanse and puertorican espiritismo, 7 is the number of the higher spirits such as Lwa, enlightenment, the auric field light spectrum, and the celestial energies of planets. In my tradition we do not use the 7 bead pattern of 7 colors necklace. We do use a multicolored necklace from the more congo lineage, as we have palo pracitioners in our house. The multicolor also represent all your personal dead including ancestors, necessary spirits of the dead and guides, not just if you have these 7 african powers in our house. This would be called the egun and the egungun associated with the multicolor dress outfit in the yoruban faiths. This is why Oya the Orisha of the cemetary gate is associated with the multicolor skirt, the colors of the wind and dead, besides her brown-red-purple burgundy and the multicolor stripe skirt of the Palera. 9 is moreso associated with the dead and her number. And we use 9 color bandanas on our white table to the dead, 7 on the divisional table to the Lwa. I have seen one lineage use the 7 color 7 bead necklace sequence for the misterios or Jefe Lwa that a emmisario or messanger dead of the Lwa, but we personally do not do this, and have our own way of making a bead necklace for a misterio, but this is not traditional, nor receiving an eleke as they do with Orisha. In Haiti some hounfort do have necklaces which belong to the temple with a specific number of beads to represent all the misterio for the Mambo or Houngan, or made for a Hounsi if it is known the misterio they are under.

                                                       Oya –by Susan Matthews

Egun dancing masks, Benin, by Susan Carlslund

The just judge image is used for folk magic such as hoodoo in justice or court case work, usually in a multiple odd number of novena candles. The just judge is Jesus in the protestant tradition, or Yaweh as they are not polytheist as the judge of mankind, or at least the judaic followers. But it is also a mystic glyph of the sun who is the roman glyph of sol invictus, invincible (winning), and of the bay laurel crown (corona from the sun) of success and victory. Jesus's death signified victory over death as soul everlasting, as well as the justice of a new deal over old testament and Mosiac law. As lady justice has been blinded, many turn to court case work to get a fair trial, for forgiveness, against enemies (as the old guard god of vengence), protection from enemies, or a positive legal outcome. Psalm 94 is sometimes used.

This image and story contains many secrets held within the magical qaballah and hermeticism, and of the numbers, 7, 8 and the dead and solar mysteries.

Of course there are many different Jesus images, as there are fewer than the assorted Mary's used to represent the higher misterios of the Lwa and Orisha. The crucified Jesus may be use to represent Ogun of war and blacksmith god of making the nails and sacrifice, justice and progress,or Olofi incarnated god, the thorn crowned as power of god as mars, the one of good hope or esperanza as Torolisa the bull Lwa, and the sacred heart as Gran Solier sun Lwa.

The 7 saints usually picture around this is:

• Saint John the Baptist.
• Virgin of Regla.
• Saint John the Baptist.
• Saint Martin of Porres.
• Saint Joseph of Arimathea
• Jesus Christ on the Cross.
• Lady of Mercy.
• Saint Barbara.
• Lady of Charity of Cobre
•  The saints are not the Orisha, Lwa, nor the dead guides in question, and saints are used as such in a religious or catholic folk witchcraft, or modern hoodoo sense. As the saints were also not originally in hoodoo, added in since the 1970's. Just Judge, Jesus was used in the protestant sect.

There are many prayers you can use for the just judge. This prayer is from the book:
 New Revised Helping Yourself With Selected Prayers:

Oh Just and Holy Judge, Blessed Son of the Virgin Mary, let my body be calm and my blood be washed so that wherever I may go, the hands of my Lord Jesus Christ be in front of me. That of St. Andrew before and after me. St. Peter's in the back and the middle. Those of the Virgin Mary, that my enemies may come and go with eyes but without seeing me, with arms but without hurting me, and that justice may not apprehend me. That my body be covered with the cloth that covered Jesus Christ's body, that I may not be hurt, or dead, or incarcerated. Oh Virgin Mary, this prayer I say for good or evil that my enemies hold against me. If any sentence be in this day against me, let it be revoked by the blessings of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen

During spiritualist misas, just judge prayers and chantry or mass for the souls of the dead are done to the just judge and especially around the day of the dead, after funerals for their benefit, and souls in purgatory.

 I hope that this clears up the issue and should not discourage you, but encourage you to find out who your spirit guides are, inform your practice, and further your learning. Use this information to evaluate correct resources and teachers, who should actually be in the tradition you are learning about.

Sancista +++++++

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

The spirit guides & commissions

Spirit guides are discovered usually in person through seance sessions or folk spiritist misa or misa investigation with several experienced mediums. One can at times see a guide standing next to a person, or be able to communicate with them using cards to start to look into your spirit court, called a cuadro in spanish or your spiritual frame energetic makeup. This can take some time to shape up, but the main ones should come across first or as directed by your main spirit guide, called the centinela or guardian. This spirit is the gatekeeper and boss of the rest of your court. This is not the guardian angel that is the title we use for a person's head spirit higher misterio such as a Lwa. We can have negative or positive links to spirits called cadenas or chains. Spirit guides are contracted to help us for their own elevation and are elevated spirits free from the need to incarnate. We may have past lives links to them, but they are most not likely ancestors, but may have ancestral connections. Spirit lines and court are not by your current race, but this may also be reflected in some of your spirits.

The spirit guides are not angels. They are not folk saints, or anyone who died that you knew in life.
 You may have some idea of who they are, but the way to work this tradition is to be open minded about how you are read, or you can be wrong about the spirits who are your main guides. Not everyone will have a certain class of spirits or commission, and the spirits can be in more than one class but will settle or identify where they want to be identified or placed, such as if they are mixed occupations or races. For example you may think you have a madama spirit, but maybe she really is a conga. Do not be overly attached to the spirits you think or want to have, because it will make you strongest to work your spiritual frame which can be weakened by not working on this relationship. They are all individual dead humans and people will not have the same one. We say that there are 21 commissions of spirits as it is an important number, along with 3,7 and 9 in the diaspora. But really there are infinite types and courts of spirits, but these are the most common in puerto rican espiritismo.

1) Shamans, brujos/witches, herb workers/curanderos/conjurerers, spirit and spiritual workers
A broad category which can encompass many cultures, usually denotes an indigenous knowledge such as the indian or indios from several tribes, but not always. The spiritualists. Responsible for mediumship, herbal knowledge and healing, visions, dreams, omens, magic.

2) Gypsy commission: Romani people, gyspy jews, spanish gypsy, eastern european. Gypsies travel around a lot and may be any number of nationality therefore. Known for assisting card readers, divination such as skrying or palm reading, dance, music, flirtation and glamour. Have their own systems of folk magic. May have interest in horse training as they had caravans.

3) Madamas: known incorrectly as one being La madama, these were the house caretakers and mammies who took care of the children, and were house servants or slaves. They could be cooks, or have indigenous knowledge of herbs for healing when the family was sick. They may still practice their african religion in the forest at night. They range from a mixed creole to very black color, but technically a caucasian spirit can still be a madama. A male madamo can be a butler, stable keeper, garden or groundskeeper etc. This is a very popular commission and I will do a separate entry about them at another time. Again not everyone has one and they do not belong to Santeria or Hoodoo. Can have public or partial names such as Negra Thomasa or Negro Jose.

Taken from the occult consultancy blog


4) Pirates and Mariners, Sailors, Vikings, Fisherman, Buccaneers. Pirates and Vikings are very aggressive for the most part and may include criminal behavior. I have heard of one wild west outlaw identify as a land pirate. May identify with or served under famous names. Can be like robin hood figures or freedom fighters. Associated with the mysteries of the seas, lost souls and abundance.

5) Indians, Native Americans, Caribbean indigenous, South American Indigenous, First Nations Tribes, Aboriginal. Chiefs and Chieftess
Puerto Rican Taino Tribe and Arawak speaking peoples are very important here. Local spirits of the land where you are born or live. Usually referring to pre-columbian people in the new world. Patience, peace, warfare, justice, knowledge of their ways, tracking or searching. Work with animals, plants such as tobacco.

6) Orientals and Asians
Chinese, Japanese, etc Samurai, Buddhists, Shinto, Daoists, Tibetans, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal tea and energy workers, meditation, i-ching divination, Mathematics, Astrology, Martial arts. Generally happy and peace loving good for luck, money and business, love. Love citrus oranges type fruits.

7) Arabians
Work with Djinn, Astrology, Mathematics, elementals, ceremonial magic, Muslims, Persians, Middle eastern philosophy. They work oil lamps.

8) Medicas, Doctors, Leaf doctors, curanderos, Healers, Nurses, Paramedics, surgeons, Herbal teas, cures. May include faith healers, nuns, knights hospitalliers, midwives

9) Congos, Palero/as, Myomberos, Angolan Sorcerors or witches, royal Lisa heritage and/or slaves. Went to many areas in the new world such as Hispanola or Brazil. Pa Jose, Pa and Ma Francisco and Francisca, but they may also fit in africana commision. Francisca does not like to work without her husband kept by her side. A Madama may be a congo, but not every congo is a madama. They work necromancy, black magick and breaking negative conditions, protections, healing. They love to work and can be very loud and firey, thus easy to hear like the madamas.

10) Saints, Santos
More common if you are Catholic and this can be named in confirmation, or practice modern Hoodoo, but not necessarily. The are canonized elevated dead. Some see saints on the level of Lwa, and keep them on the divisional table instead. They may also be folk saints, which depending on their tradition, energy makeup (example the dead San Simon or Santisma Muerte) and request may be kept on the ground or on a separate place on their own. They belong to another culture other than Sanse or Puerto Rico but can come through spiritism. (Example Venezuelan Jose Gregorio Hernandez The Doctor is more of a Medica). The saints can be contacted by anybody but the relationship differs to you as a personal spirit. They may be associated with a birth date or occupation.

11) Hindu
Vedic, may practice Hinduism and be polytheist and have their own religion and these gods.

12) Angels
Same relationship as saint. Many are confused as angels and saints can be used as the face or cover for other spirits. And people may think they have or work with these other indigenous spirits but using the saint or angel image are actually just working with the saint or angel, or a random dead who takes the function or deceives. Catholic voudouisants will honor the guardian angels on their feast dates.

13) Slaves, Esclavos
Negro Felipe, Negro Jose can possibly fit in this category.
They identify more with their capture or abuse and struggle and can be freedom fighters and liberators or chain evil. They represent courage, patience, and the ability to overcome obstacles and sacrifice.They can come across aggressive, at least at first. They can be any race.

14) Children or infants
May have died at a young age. May have adult intelligence. They may like parent figures and can be mischievous but also protective. Work with higher misteries like nino de atocha, Legba, Marassa, nino divino, the promised sun child. When people have children spirits they seem to have more than one or can attract other playmates.

15) Anima Solas
Lonely earthbound or purgatorial souls, can be good, neutral or evil. Need to be assisted and elevated. Useful or necessary. Juan minero, trapped miners, tommy knockers. Desperate and willing to do anything. Usually given nothing more than water and candles to help them with light and quench their suffering and thirst, while purifying and cleansing. They may have to be dealt with separately than your white table in the beginning. They can be cooled with glasses of ice, and holy water.

16) Liberators and Freedom fighters
Military, Militia, Academics, people who took a stand. Founding fathers, justice, fight for rights and against false imprisonment such as good judges, pro bono lawyers or liberate from disease.

17) Vagabonds and Bohemians
Writers,scribes, musicians, artists, librarians, teachers, poets, free spirits, hippies. Can help with inspiration.

18) Heroes and Leaders
Cultural heroes, folk lore legendary myths and heroes. Military figures, may be famous or historical figures or tied to past events. Aid in battle, courage, justice, liberation. Lead movements or spiritual groups.

19) Africanas
West africans, voudouisants, houngans, mambos, papa boko and mama mambos. Yorubans who work with Orisha and Ifa or lucumi, santero/as and babalwo. A general category which does not include congo for the most part. They may show characteristic or use the same colors of their misterios they worked with still as in life.

20) Elementals
We view them as earth and land spirits, indigenous, under Baron Samedi, ceremonial magic, the fae, can be either gender, genderless or have different vast forms. They are associated with the 4 winds, 4 directions or corners or coasts of a place or a map and the cross.

21) Juans and Marias, a varied commision. Tobacco workers such as Juan del Tobacco, and can work for court cases. A very general list as slaves were given christian names. Juan Indio, Juan Negro cross many commissions. They are teachers who kept secret their lineages and cultural ways. I have not had much contact with them but some may be creole part spaniards and like crossroads spirits.

Another common commission are the priests, monks and nuns monejas
They help with mystic christianity, revelation, prophecy, prayer, protection, cleansing and working with the bible. They are usually though not always more european based or spanish.They are stern, spartan, watchful, and do not work "pagan ways", but can be more open minded than you would think.They may be difficult to placate or try to block your other spirits, and usually must give them rosaries and/or a bible, holy water.

Spanish spirits such as the Hispanola line are seen sometimes as flamenco dancers. Many confuse these with gypsies.

Each commission and individual has their own color combination such as the candle or bandana used, or may wear the color of a higher spirit they serve as emmisaries or messangers and priest/esses.
Each commission has general offerings they like in common, but as they are individual dead humans they will direct you to the items they want that they like or need to work for you.

A water glass on the boveda is dedicated to them, or one is placed nearby for them. Some may sit on the white table, other on either side, usually the congos to the left, and indios to the right are kept seperate. Some such as the madamas and africanas may desire a wicker or branch chair to sit on beside the table. Food is usually placed on the floor or on these chairs. As discussed in setting up the ancestral altar, the Cubans keep a seperate tableau espiritual for the guides than the ancestors.

We do not venerate to pray to the guides. There are prayers and songs but these are used for evocation and for asking for protection and guidance. They are respected and given honor but not worshipped. We can ask them to pray for us and pray to higher spirits or god for their elevation and assistance. Other people can give thanks to your spirits such as in your household but not on a continued basis as they have their own guides to pay attention to that will better benefit them.

Their dolls or statues are prepared as the spirit desires. For example La madama may want a cloth doll or a particular ceramic statue prepared. An indian may want a ceramic statue or carved from wood. They are packed with secret recipe mysteries or small pot beside them. Their desires are made known through spiritualism and sessions. A connection is forged by in the relationship working with them and in the crowning ceremony in espiritismo.

Most of this information comes from my godparents teachings and personal experiences. However the public list of commission builds on the list from Sancista Brujo Luis blog, even though our Sance has slighty different rama which you will find house to house.