Dead is just a force of expression. The return to the spirit world makes one realize they are more alive than before, which can be a grand moment or a prolonging of suffering. The latter is true, among other reasons, for those who committed suicide, a case that needs to be discussed in more length later on. Some cultures have festivities for the dead because they are returning to their real homes, but the Western World weeps. Many judge that it is not necessary to pray because life ceases and nothing exists beyond the material world. The person is gone and lost forever, which is very stressful and unrealistic. If that were true, what would be the sense in living after all? Others have grown up with the idea of heaven and hell instilled in their minds. If one was good in life, they are in heaven and need no prayers. If they were bad, then they are in hell and damnation and will suffer the heat and pranks of the devil for all eternity. That picture is even more unrealistic than the idea of nothing. No one in this world (or very few, perhaps) would deserve heavenly bliss, and if we are all still imperfect in a world of atonement, that would mean we would go straight to hell. Neither option is fair, and God is Just.
So, should we pray for the departed?
665. Some people are against prayers for the dead because this practice is not prescribed by the gospels. What should we think of this view?
" Christ said 'Love one another'. This is a principle you should all strive to live by. In reality, natural law must follow its course; but your prayers on behalf of the suffering spirit are accepted by God as a display of love and affection that always brings relief and consolation to the sufferer. Moreover, the afflicted spirit will be ready to be helped once it makes a genuine commitment to change its character and starts assuming responsibility for its misdeeds. Then, the spirit will be comforted to know that a kind heart is interceding on its behalf. Further, your prayers will produce in it feelings of gratitude and affection. Both you and the suffering spirit will then have observed the law of love and union that pervades the universe. Love and oneness are the aim of a spirit's education."
666. Can we pray to spirits? (understand this as saints, good hearted people who have passed,etc)
"You can pray to them in their role of messengers and helpers of the Divine Being. But their ability to act on your request depends on their advancement and God's permission. As such, prayers you address to them will be attended to if granted by God."
(Spirits' Book)
As for prayers, it is recommended that your prayers come from the heart. Yet, The Gospel Explained By The Spiritist Doctrine brings a collection of prayers that need not be read or said verbatim, and certainly not memorized. But it is a beginning. As follows, there are two: one for those who are dying and another for those who have just died.
Purpose: To Be Said For One Who Is Dying
Preface: Agony is the prelude to the separation of the soul from the body... This phase can be quite painful for people who are deeply attached to worldly things - for those who live more the possessions of this world than the next one - and whose consciences are troubled by regret and guilt. By contrast, the seekers after the Infinite disengage themselves from matter more easily, breaking the links that tie them to the earth without pain in their last moments. Only a thin thread links the physical body to their souls, whereas, in the first case, thick roots hold the departing soul. In every case, prayer produces a powerful action in the work of separation.
Prayer: Merciful and all powerful God, here is a soul that is about to leave its earthly covering, and return to its real home in the spirit world. Let it have peace in this passing and extend Your mercy to it.
Good spirits that have accompanied this person on earth, do not desert him in this ultimate moment. Give him the strength to endure suffering he must umdergo, the sufferings that will allow him to pass out of this world for the sake of his future progress. Inspire him to use the last glimmerings of pjusial awareness to repent any wrongs he has done. Let my thoughts act to help him achieve tis separation with greater ease, and may hope bring comfort to his soul at the moment it leaves earth.
******
Prayers For Those No Longer On Earth
Purpose: To Be Said For Someone Who Has Just Died
Preface: We don't pray for souls that have just left earth only to show our sympathy. Our prayers also help release these souls from their earthly ties, shortening the period of agitation that always follows the separation and allowing for more peaceful awakening on the other side. In this, as in all other circumstances, the effectiveness of a prayer depends on how sincere our thoughts are, not on the number of grandiose words we say - very often such words don't come from the heart.
Prayers that are truly from the heart resonate with the spirits they're directed to. The ideas of the departing soul at this point are still in a state of confusion. Our prayers are like sweet voices that come to awaken them from sleep.
Prayer: All-Powerful God, let your mercy extend over those who have just left earth! Let your light shine on them! Don't leave them in darkness. Open their eyes and ears. Let the good spirits be near you, surround you, and help you shake off your earthly bonds. Now you understand and ssee the grandeur of God - so accept God's Justice without complaining, and never fail to trust God's Mercy. Dear brother/sister, may a sincere review of your past open the doors to a new future. Let it help you understand the wrongs you left behind, and the work that needs to be done to straighten them out! May God pardon your faults and may the good spirits sustain and encourage you! We, your loved ones on earth, will pray to God for you, and ask that you equally pray for us.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Act of Prayer
I have already mentioned about praying for those whom I had ill-feelings. This brings on an interesting view on what prayer actually is, and whether it is effective or not. You see, my father was a devout Catholic, he would go to mass, say all his prayers in his native language (Polish) and was among several enthusiastic Catholics to try to get a glimpse of Pope John II in Chicago in or around 1982. Yet, during the time of the mass he would criticize those who did not kneel, those who did not put any money in the basket, those who did not bless themselves when entering the Church. It seems to me he pretty much went to social events and followed formulas, rather than really feel the words he pronounced during "Our Father" or "Hail Mary". God sees not the length of your prayers, or what verbosity you come up with. A prayer is meaningful to God if you do it with your entire being, not only through your lips. No need to read a prayer out of a book, even a very good one. If you are shallow, your words are also shallow until the meaning hits you like a lightning bolt someday, and then that adds some humbleness to your attitude.
Praying for others with heartfelt devotion will attract compassionate spirits who share your inner intention. Together you can have a positive influence on the person(s) you are praying for. All of us have our free will, but many times these prayers and the influence of good spirits, permitted by God, may induce them to rethink their lives or decisions. Ultimately, free will wins over and it is the person's responsibility if consequences are not what they had aimed for. An example is a mother who did all there was in her power to raise her child as a good man. The child grows and associates himself with the wrong group. She prays daily with all her heart that he finds his way back to righteousness. In situations like this, the son is already psychologically and physically impaired due to addictions, vices and abuse, and very likely is now obsessed by vampires (lowly spirits, inhabitants of the Portal, who extract energy from the less enlightened). If this is the case, a lucid moment and repentance may be the beginning of recovery, along with the Earthly detox treatments allied with spirituality. The good spirits who are in the service of helping suggest to these people good thoughts and aid by granting them the strength they need. Other times it is almost or definitely too late, and physical death occurs prematurely, an act seen in the spiritual world as unintentional suicide. Suicide, nonetheless. The spiritual world will not interfere in your free will unless you are open for them (this goes both ways, for the good and the bad), and are open more to the light then lip-service.
Another thing I realized as I grew up in the Catholic Church (and this is only an example, many other denominations do the same), is the exchange rate some believe to exist between themselves and God. I will pray one hundred Our Fathers if I get that job, or I will pray the rosary while walking on my knees from my house to the Church if you cure my child's illness. God is not a merchant, so you will receive your lot as it is seen fit, and you will reach grace depending on your deserving it:
663. As we pray for ourselves, can we prevent our trials from taking place or change their nature?
"Your experiences are part of a general plan, and there are some trials you are better off going through. In all cases, the courage you display while undergoing your troubles does not go unnoticed. With prayer, you gather strength from the good spirits who come to you. You can also develop a more positive outlook towards your problems. Unaffected prayer is never useless; the very comfort it provides is a benefit itself. The saying 'Heaven helps those who help themselves' could not be truer. Technically, God has instruments to intervene in your favor. Consider, however, that what appears to be a tragedy from the perspective of physical realm may be a blessing in the context of general order of the universe. Besides, many of your sorrows are self-inflicted; they could be a result of your own shortsightedness. Nonetheless, your requests are granted more frequently than you suppose. When a solution is not produced right away, you are often too quick to discount the value of prayer, but help usually comes so naturally that it seems to be the result of the ordinary course of things. What is even more common is for Providence to suggest to your mind a better way to deal with your difficulties." (Spirits' Book)
So, many times that great idea you came up with, or the help from unexpected sources are not really because of your intelligent nature or lucky strike. It is the universe conspiring in your favor, the Divine giving to you the means of solving your problems.
Praying for others with heartfelt devotion will attract compassionate spirits who share your inner intention. Together you can have a positive influence on the person(s) you are praying for. All of us have our free will, but many times these prayers and the influence of good spirits, permitted by God, may induce them to rethink their lives or decisions. Ultimately, free will wins over and it is the person's responsibility if consequences are not what they had aimed for. An example is a mother who did all there was in her power to raise her child as a good man. The child grows and associates himself with the wrong group. She prays daily with all her heart that he finds his way back to righteousness. In situations like this, the son is already psychologically and physically impaired due to addictions, vices and abuse, and very likely is now obsessed by vampires (lowly spirits, inhabitants of the Portal, who extract energy from the less enlightened). If this is the case, a lucid moment and repentance may be the beginning of recovery, along with the Earthly detox treatments allied with spirituality. The good spirits who are in the service of helping suggest to these people good thoughts and aid by granting them the strength they need. Other times it is almost or definitely too late, and physical death occurs prematurely, an act seen in the spiritual world as unintentional suicide. Suicide, nonetheless. The spiritual world will not interfere in your free will unless you are open for them (this goes both ways, for the good and the bad), and are open more to the light then lip-service.
Another thing I realized as I grew up in the Catholic Church (and this is only an example, many other denominations do the same), is the exchange rate some believe to exist between themselves and God. I will pray one hundred Our Fathers if I get that job, or I will pray the rosary while walking on my knees from my house to the Church if you cure my child's illness. God is not a merchant, so you will receive your lot as it is seen fit, and you will reach grace depending on your deserving it:
663. As we pray for ourselves, can we prevent our trials from taking place or change their nature?
"Your experiences are part of a general plan, and there are some trials you are better off going through. In all cases, the courage you display while undergoing your troubles does not go unnoticed. With prayer, you gather strength from the good spirits who come to you. You can also develop a more positive outlook towards your problems. Unaffected prayer is never useless; the very comfort it provides is a benefit itself. The saying 'Heaven helps those who help themselves' could not be truer. Technically, God has instruments to intervene in your favor. Consider, however, that what appears to be a tragedy from the perspective of physical realm may be a blessing in the context of general order of the universe. Besides, many of your sorrows are self-inflicted; they could be a result of your own shortsightedness. Nonetheless, your requests are granted more frequently than you suppose. When a solution is not produced right away, you are often too quick to discount the value of prayer, but help usually comes so naturally that it seems to be the result of the ordinary course of things. What is even more common is for Providence to suggest to your mind a better way to deal with your difficulties." (Spirits' Book)
So, many times that great idea you came up with, or the help from unexpected sources are not really because of your intelligent nature or lucky strike. It is the universe conspiring in your favor, the Divine giving to you the means of solving your problems.
Santeria, Charms and Spells.
It's officially 2011. This reminds me of many New Year's Eve spent at the beach in another country, where devouts of Iemanja, some deity from the sea, would go in the water, men dressed in African style white pants and women dressed in long white skirts made of cheap fabric and tulle as a symbolic gesture. They would invariably make offers of white roses, champagne, cigarettes, and perfume to the deity. One notices that the majority of these credulous individuals come from a background of poverty. I understand and agree that scarcity is not shameful, but I could not help but think their hard earned money was being spent on an illusion. Traditions and people mixed and mingled on these occasions. While my group would just wait for the fireworks and toast with champagne at midnight, others had their own rituals. And I would always wonder...
Not too long ago someone asked me if what I believed in and spoke about involved santeria. It is sometimes difficult to convey that a world where the incarnate and discarnate coexist does not mean witchraft or magic of some sort is involved, and for the most part, I rather drop the subject. Time will tell. It is also difficult to explain that one knows both situations, and I that knowlege leads me to having no sympathy for anything that has to do with certain spiritualist groups. Many moons ago, as a project for College allied to my innate curiosity, I went to a Center of Umbanda - a cult of possession that mixes Afro religion with some Catholicism and Spiritism. I cannot stress enough that this is just a disguise for purely African religion that uses Catholic Saints' names and later some of the teachings of Kardec. Reason being of the Catholic part is that back in the days, slaves used Catholic Saints' names for their gods and goddesses as an aritifice to deiceive "Massas" and practice their trances and whatnots without being punished: Iemanja, for instance, is many times considered the Virgin Mary or St Barbara. Much later they began to use teachings from Kardec, partly to make theirs a more respectable doctrine. Allow me to reiterate: Santeria and alikes are NOT Spiritism, and real adepts of Kardec's teachings do not, at any rate, follow any of their rituals, charms, beliefs, etc.
Back to the subject. At this center, which I went all of three times, I saw simple and naive citizens, some were really simpletons, and others were wiseguys. I was received amicably, they requested I come dressed in white, and out of respect for them and their creed, I did. Picture a very poor house literally hanging in the middle of a slope, and quarters bigger than an efficiency built in the back. Once you come in those quarters, you can see in the background a picture of Jesus on the wall, a statue of Jesus in the middle shelf, among other statues representing deities of the waters, rivers, and so on called Orixas. This altar built for these Orixas is called a congar. The first two times I went to this 'temple', always accompanied by a male colleague, I found everything amusing. The beat of the drums is hypnotizing, and though I would stay in my seat and not move for a whole two hours, it still made me feel like moving to its rythm. I managed a straight face throughout both visits, pretended to believe those who said to be in trance and wanted to help me in my love life (funny... even who does not know me wants to fix me up with someone... must be karmic ;o ). These pseudo-psychics would speak in an old man's/woman's voice, the supposed spirit would say they were known as Grandmother this, and Grandfather that, all terms used during slavery in this particular country (remember 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' - Uncle was just a term, not kinship). They would also refer to the 'mediums' as their 'horses', not their channelers. I recall there was one who said he had been a sailor. They all had one thing in common: they could predict people's future, they could make the man of your dreams come crawling after you in seven, fourteen or twenty-one days (are these kabbalistic numbers??), give you recipes to make the arthritis pain go away. All they wanted was some cachaca (sugarcane brandy), farofa (yuca wheat toasted with bacon), flowers, etc. These were actually humble "spirits", compared to other horror stories that will be left for a next time.
I'll 'fess up and say there was no need to go a third time since I had all the material I needed. Nevertheless, I still wanted to go one last time. Not because I believed in what they did, but I just wanted to go - nothing happens by coincidence. It turns out that night, without my knowing, was the night of the "Gira-grande", loosely translated as "The Big Turn (of events?) performed every three months to appease the 'left-line', in other words, the entities of darkness. I found out this consists of drawing curtains to cover the congar, Jesus and all the other 'saints' who belong to the "white line" (not as in skin color, but in white magic), and worship the ones from the dark side, entities who protect the Center and their followers from other enemy centers, who are likely to conjure up spells to kill, hurt or take away "powers" from other sorcerers. These entities are known as Exus, devil-like entities; pombagiras, reportedly spirits of prostitutes who dwelled by ports and mingled with sailors and the likes of them; and little devil children that for the life of me, I cannot remember their names. Well, these people were no longer dressed in white - they were now in black and red. The flowers were red, tobacco galore, and the farofa was now garnished with red chili peppers and raw red meat. To the right of the quarters, terracota mud plates were placed with dead chickens swimming in their own blood. I wish PETA had been there.
My first instinct was to move, vamoose quick. I was stopped on my tracks by one of them saying I couldn't leave with the risk of being followed by one of those spirits and become unable of ridding myself from their influence. Until this day I swear I do not understand people who defend these practices as a religion. How can something that practices "good" (forcing someone, by spells and whatchamajiggas to be in a relationship with you is not what I call good, or even calling your channeler a horse, pero bueno...) and evil at the same time be actually compared to any Christian philosophy (okay, I'm not including the Inquisition here, but let's think straight). Anyway, when the people came to a trance, some would laugh hysterically, their eyes were half shut and their expressions smug - I can't help but think they were amused with me! They would crawl on the floor like beasts, stick their fingers in the chicken's blood and taste it. One grabbed a chunk of raw red meat and ate it without making a face; another ate a whole chili pepper without wincing. A Circus of Horrors. One man came up to me and tells me he knows what I want, and he will give it to me if I bring him a black cape and tall hat (the channeler was actually dressed that way, cheaply made but it seems to be a trademark for Exus). I know I did not pass out, but I have no memory of how I left and got home that night. I just know I swore I would never set foot in that place ever again.
Years have gone by, and mainly what I learned is that there is mystification in these cases, the "mediums" are flakes; there are also those who enter some twilight zonish hysteria induced trance and believe they are taken by spirits; others may actually be channelers of very lowly spirits who mock the believers. Though they cannot actually eat or smoke, they 'live' on their channeler's energy and what they consume. These are the so-called "vampires" who suck the life energy and will out of you. All in all, negative forces grow bold and stronger in this atmosphere. Thankfully, where there is a flick of Divine Light, it takes over the Darkness. I choose the light. Now, it's time for The Spirits' Book" - Occult Powers, Charms:
551. Can an ill-natured person, who can command the help of a wrong-doing spirit, cause harm to his or her neighbor?
"No, God would not permit it."
552. What should we think about the belief in the power of some persons to cast spell over other?
"Certain people possess a very strong suggestive power. If their own natures are bad, they may well use this power for injurious ends, in which case they may be seconded by other ill-meaning spirits. But let us caution you: do not believe in any pretended magical power. It exists only in the imagination of the superstitious, who are unaware of nature's true he laws. The 'facts' that have been produced to prove the existence of this pretended power actually derive from imperfectly observed and, above all, imperfectly understood natural causes."
533. Some people claim to be able to control the wills of spirits through formulas and ritual acts. What is the effect of these practices?
"Those who claim so in good faith lack real knowledge and expose themselves to ridicule. On the other hand, if they are knowlingly making a false claim, they are rogues and deserve to be held accountable for their misrepresentations. All such formulas are mere hokum. There is no 'sacramental word', no cabalistic sign, no talisman, that has any power over spirits. Spirits are are attracted by thoughts, not meaningless sounds or material objects."
-- Haven't spirits sometimes dictated cabalistic formulas?
"Yes. There are spirits who will give you strange signs and words and prescribe certain acts, and with these you may be able to perform what you call 'conjurations'. But you can be quite sure that these spirits are simply having fun at your expense. They amuse themselves with your credulity."
555. What meaning should we give to the term "sorcerer"?
"When they are honest, those whom people call sorcerers or shamans are persons gifted with exceptional abilities - for example, healing power or clairvoyance. When they use these powers to do things you do not understand, you conclude that they have supernatural powers. Many of your learned scholars have passed for sorcerers in the eyes of the unenlightened,"
So, let us not forget that Spiritism has NOTHING to do with Santeria. Please stay away from instruments such as Ouija Boards that, jointly with irresponsible craving for news on what the future might be, attract frivilous spirits to your side. This can be more harmful than you may expect, in more ways than one. Animal cruelty is not part of our equation, nor statues or talismans or rituals of any kind.
Not too long ago someone asked me if what I believed in and spoke about involved santeria. It is sometimes difficult to convey that a world where the incarnate and discarnate coexist does not mean witchraft or magic of some sort is involved, and for the most part, I rather drop the subject. Time will tell. It is also difficult to explain that one knows both situations, and I that knowlege leads me to having no sympathy for anything that has to do with certain spiritualist groups. Many moons ago, as a project for College allied to my innate curiosity, I went to a Center of Umbanda - a cult of possession that mixes Afro religion with some Catholicism and Spiritism. I cannot stress enough that this is just a disguise for purely African religion that uses Catholic Saints' names and later some of the teachings of Kardec. Reason being of the Catholic part is that back in the days, slaves used Catholic Saints' names for their gods and goddesses as an aritifice to deiceive "Massas" and practice their trances and whatnots without being punished: Iemanja, for instance, is many times considered the Virgin Mary or St Barbara. Much later they began to use teachings from Kardec, partly to make theirs a more respectable doctrine. Allow me to reiterate: Santeria and alikes are NOT Spiritism, and real adepts of Kardec's teachings do not, at any rate, follow any of their rituals, charms, beliefs, etc.
Back to the subject. At this center, which I went all of three times, I saw simple and naive citizens, some were really simpletons, and others were wiseguys. I was received amicably, they requested I come dressed in white, and out of respect for them and their creed, I did. Picture a very poor house literally hanging in the middle of a slope, and quarters bigger than an efficiency built in the back. Once you come in those quarters, you can see in the background a picture of Jesus on the wall, a statue of Jesus in the middle shelf, among other statues representing deities of the waters, rivers, and so on called Orixas. This altar built for these Orixas is called a congar. The first two times I went to this 'temple', always accompanied by a male colleague, I found everything amusing. The beat of the drums is hypnotizing, and though I would stay in my seat and not move for a whole two hours, it still made me feel like moving to its rythm. I managed a straight face throughout both visits, pretended to believe those who said to be in trance and wanted to help me in my love life (funny... even who does not know me wants to fix me up with someone... must be karmic ;o ). These pseudo-psychics would speak in an old man's/woman's voice, the supposed spirit would say they were known as Grandmother this, and Grandfather that, all terms used during slavery in this particular country (remember 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' - Uncle was just a term, not kinship). They would also refer to the 'mediums' as their 'horses', not their channelers. I recall there was one who said he had been a sailor. They all had one thing in common: they could predict people's future, they could make the man of your dreams come crawling after you in seven, fourteen or twenty-one days (are these kabbalistic numbers??), give you recipes to make the arthritis pain go away. All they wanted was some cachaca (sugarcane brandy), farofa (yuca wheat toasted with bacon), flowers, etc. These were actually humble "spirits", compared to other horror stories that will be left for a next time.
I'll 'fess up and say there was no need to go a third time since I had all the material I needed. Nevertheless, I still wanted to go one last time. Not because I believed in what they did, but I just wanted to go - nothing happens by coincidence. It turns out that night, without my knowing, was the night of the "Gira-grande", loosely translated as "The Big Turn (of events?) performed every three months to appease the 'left-line', in other words, the entities of darkness. I found out this consists of drawing curtains to cover the congar, Jesus and all the other 'saints' who belong to the "white line" (not as in skin color, but in white magic), and worship the ones from the dark side, entities who protect the Center and their followers from other enemy centers, who are likely to conjure up spells to kill, hurt or take away "powers" from other sorcerers. These entities are known as Exus, devil-like entities; pombagiras, reportedly spirits of prostitutes who dwelled by ports and mingled with sailors and the likes of them; and little devil children that for the life of me, I cannot remember their names. Well, these people were no longer dressed in white - they were now in black and red. The flowers were red, tobacco galore, and the farofa was now garnished with red chili peppers and raw red meat. To the right of the quarters, terracota mud plates were placed with dead chickens swimming in their own blood. I wish PETA had been there.
My first instinct was to move, vamoose quick. I was stopped on my tracks by one of them saying I couldn't leave with the risk of being followed by one of those spirits and become unable of ridding myself from their influence. Until this day I swear I do not understand people who defend these practices as a religion. How can something that practices "good" (forcing someone, by spells and whatchamajiggas to be in a relationship with you is not what I call good, or even calling your channeler a horse, pero bueno...) and evil at the same time be actually compared to any Christian philosophy (okay, I'm not including the Inquisition here, but let's think straight). Anyway, when the people came to a trance, some would laugh hysterically, their eyes were half shut and their expressions smug - I can't help but think they were amused with me! They would crawl on the floor like beasts, stick their fingers in the chicken's blood and taste it. One grabbed a chunk of raw red meat and ate it without making a face; another ate a whole chili pepper without wincing. A Circus of Horrors. One man came up to me and tells me he knows what I want, and he will give it to me if I bring him a black cape and tall hat (the channeler was actually dressed that way, cheaply made but it seems to be a trademark for Exus). I know I did not pass out, but I have no memory of how I left and got home that night. I just know I swore I would never set foot in that place ever again.
Years have gone by, and mainly what I learned is that there is mystification in these cases, the "mediums" are flakes; there are also those who enter some twilight zonish hysteria induced trance and believe they are taken by spirits; others may actually be channelers of very lowly spirits who mock the believers. Though they cannot actually eat or smoke, they 'live' on their channeler's energy and what they consume. These are the so-called "vampires" who suck the life energy and will out of you. All in all, negative forces grow bold and stronger in this atmosphere. Thankfully, where there is a flick of Divine Light, it takes over the Darkness. I choose the light. Now, it's time for The Spirits' Book" - Occult Powers, Charms:
551. Can an ill-natured person, who can command the help of a wrong-doing spirit, cause harm to his or her neighbor?
"No, God would not permit it."
552. What should we think about the belief in the power of some persons to cast spell over other?
"Certain people possess a very strong suggestive power. If their own natures are bad, they may well use this power for injurious ends, in which case they may be seconded by other ill-meaning spirits. But let us caution you: do not believe in any pretended magical power. It exists only in the imagination of the superstitious, who are unaware of nature's true he laws. The 'facts' that have been produced to prove the existence of this pretended power actually derive from imperfectly observed and, above all, imperfectly understood natural causes."
533. Some people claim to be able to control the wills of spirits through formulas and ritual acts. What is the effect of these practices?
"Those who claim so in good faith lack real knowledge and expose themselves to ridicule. On the other hand, if they are knowlingly making a false claim, they are rogues and deserve to be held accountable for their misrepresentations. All such formulas are mere hokum. There is no 'sacramental word', no cabalistic sign, no talisman, that has any power over spirits. Spirits are are attracted by thoughts, not meaningless sounds or material objects."
-- Haven't spirits sometimes dictated cabalistic formulas?
"Yes. There are spirits who will give you strange signs and words and prescribe certain acts, and with these you may be able to perform what you call 'conjurations'. But you can be quite sure that these spirits are simply having fun at your expense. They amuse themselves with your credulity."
555. What meaning should we give to the term "sorcerer"?
"When they are honest, those whom people call sorcerers or shamans are persons gifted with exceptional abilities - for example, healing power or clairvoyance. When they use these powers to do things you do not understand, you conclude that they have supernatural powers. Many of your learned scholars have passed for sorcerers in the eyes of the unenlightened,"
So, let us not forget that Spiritism has NOTHING to do with Santeria. Please stay away from instruments such as Ouija Boards that, jointly with irresponsible craving for news on what the future might be, attract frivilous spirits to your side. This can be more harmful than you may expect, in more ways than one. Animal cruelty is not part of our equation, nor statues or talismans or rituals of any kind.
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