Espiritismo: Puerto Rican Mediumship & Magic

But at that time, I just happened to have some money there on the table. And if that money
had been taken, that would have been a problem.
“Well, since the burglers couldn't steal from me, they just went on to my neighbors. There,
they broke in easily and took whatever they wanted.
“So what did I learn from this? When you follow the spirits, when you listen to them,
they'll protect you. They'll help you, because it's not just for them to do as you want. It is for
you to listen.” Then he invited anyone who wanted to share a testimony to come forward.
One woman got up and told of how her son had gotten work after listening to the spirits’
messages. She had been told at a previous reunion to work with the presidente on a trabajo
(spiritual work) with Santa Marta to help her son “get ahead.” She testified that, in the week
after the trabajo, her son got a call for a job interview. The week after that, he had the
interview and got the job on the spot.
Another young woman came forward to testify about how she had been constantly under
the influence of negative spirits. But thanks to a cleansing work prescribed by the spirits, she
had been cleared of them. Now she was progressing mentally and spiritually, and was feeling
peaceful. Another woman told of how her living situation had improved after she had heeded
a message from the spirits.
The presidente then came back up to speak: “A lot of people come to me and say: ‘Simon,
why don't you stop that Spiritism trash? Why do you keep on with it? We have this
opportunity or that, and you could be making some real money. You don't have to live like
that; you can have it easier.’ But my mother was an espiritista, and so was my father. It's in
my blood. I can't stop listening to the spirits, and I am not going to.
“People tell me to cut my hair. But I keep my hair long because of the spirits. They tell me
to keep it like this for my protection. Samson had long hair and that was his protection. When
his hair was cut off, he lost all his strength. Envidia (jealousy)—that's why they want me to
cut my hair. Sometimes people don't even know why they hate you for being the way you are.
But it is because that's what gives you luck and they want it for themselves.”
After these remarks, he pointed at a young woman and said: “Your mother-in-law can't
stand you.” When the woman nodded, he said: “Come to the front.” And this started the
message part of the service.
Eventually the presidente was overtaken by one of the spirits in his cuadro—a muerta, a
dead woman, with whom he worked extensively. This spirit had a message for a young
Mexican man, who came up to the table when he was called.
“You love drink more than anything,” said one of the mediums, “and you'll die for it.” The
young man nodded as he walked forward and was told that he had a spirit de causa.
The medium then pointed at me and said: “Why don't you come here? You had many
presidentes de mesa in your family. You were always in sessiones with them. You know your
family has always been welcome here and that we always worked mesas together. Tu atiende
lo tuyo muy bien (You attend your spirits really well), but why don't you work mesas with
people anymore?”
I had no answer for him.