Espiritismo: Puerto Rican Mediumship & Magic

Espiritistas also understand that every soul is working its way toward
God, and they make a conscious effort to further that journey. They
therefore explore every area of their own lives and accept responsibility for
themselves. They understand that we all make mistakes on the path, but
they try to minimize them and to give their best to their mission.
Those who work with the spirit world must be accountable for the
currents that work through them. They must take responsibility for dealing
with the fluids that are manifested and yet to manifest in their work. They
must care for their auras, their cuadros, and their spiritual bodies. They
must seek the guidance of the pure and good spirits and follow it.
Espiritistas keep their promises and fulfill their commitments, always
finishing what they have begun. And they always follow the divine will and
purpose.
ESPIRITISTA EXTRAORDINAIRE
I had flown to Florida to consult with an espiritista who had agreed to let me use her altar to
do my work. I was excited to meet her because it had been a long time since I had met
someone who was a practitioner of Mesa Blanca Espiritismo.
Doña Ana was a short Puerto Rican woman of about sixty with short salt-and-pepper hair.
When I arrived, she was wearing a pair of old blue jeans and a green blouse. We hit it off
right away.
Ana led me to her finished basement, where she kept her altar. Half of the space was set
up as a den and bar, with a large TV, a pool table, and a huge sectional sofa. The other half,
hidden behind the wall opposite the stairs, housed the altar.
The altar room was gigantic. Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined all four walls, and all the
shelves were crowded with statues of saints and guides, plaques, candles, and flowers. There
were at least 300 statues, and more than fifty lit seven-day glass-encased candles. I didn't
even bother to count how many dozens of flowers were lining the room. In the center was a
huge old cherry-wood desk with a leather office chair behind it. In front stood two cozy
armchairs for those who came for consultations.
I had arrived a day early to make sure that everything was in place for my work. Since I
would be around all day, Ana invited me to spend time with her while she worked. She was
kind enough to allow me to sit in her altar room and watch her interact with her clients. This
is one of the most beautiful gifts an espiritista can give you. It requires a huge amount of
trust, but allows you to learn a great deal.
Ana had three clients coming that day. The first to arrive was Carmelita, a tall woman of
about sixty who had been coming to Doña Ana for several years. Having grown up around
Espiritismo, she herself was an espiritista, but not a medium.
Ana pulled out a spiral-bound notebook and a pencil, and wrote Carmelita's name and the
date at the top of the page. Then her hand started moving rapidly and she began scribbling so
fast that she had to turn the page. As she wrote, she began to give the messages she received
to Carmelita.