Espiritismo: Puerto Rican Mediumship & Magic

express racist sentiments, or to harm, abuse, ridicule, or discriminate
against certain groups of people. For example, the term Gypsy is sometimes
used as a pejorative rather than in its correct sense to indicate the Romani, a
nomadic people that came out of the northern Indian subcontinent in the
second century. This is not the case in Espiritismo, however. As used here,
these terms carry no negative meaning or implications.
Following are some of the courts of spirit guides with which espiritistas
work.
Arabes (Arabs)
The Arabic spirits hold the keys to the magic of Arabia. They know the
magical and spiritual secrets of the realms of the djinn—spirits similar to
angels but of a lower ranking who are able to appear in various forms and
possess humans. They relate to the magic power of the names of Allah and
of pre-Islamic magic and culture. Arabia, like all parts of the world, had
ancient Pagan and magical traditions long before the arrival of Islam.
The Arabic spirits are less commonly seen these days. They can reveal
the secrets of magical writing. In the past, espiritistas often invoked El
Gran Arabe whenever using magical writing to break a magical spell.
These spirits are often represented on altars by the bust of a man wearing a
large white turban. Other items frequently found on these altars include
images of camels, decorative cloths, and ceramic plates, all of which are
used in the magic of the Arabic spirits.
Chamanes (Shamans)
Los chamanes are the spirits of shamans, spiritual teachers, priests, gurus,
and wise men. In their hands, they hold the secrets to tribal magic, wisdom,
and healing. They come from many different backgrounds and from many
different cultures. They teach “how to walk in both worlds,” meaning how
to live in balance in both the physical and spiritual worlds. Various types of
shamans exist in this court, the most widely known being the behique, the
shaman of the native Taino people. However, this court also includes
African shamans, who are sometimes called witch doctors.
Many of the shamanic spirits heal physical and spiritual ailments. They
also work on soul retrievals and deal with soul loss. When we experience a