Introduction
What religion is this? It has been around a long time. What are the symbols, beliefs, rituals, and spirits? Mediumship is pretty cool. It has acquired significant changes ova time. What are the different types? It is practiced in Latin America. How is it doing in modern times?
Definition
Its a religion created in France by Allan Kardec in the 19th century. Espiritismo is the Spanish word for Spiritism. Spiritism means spirit doctrine. Allan studied mediumship like a science. Spiritists enjoy communicating with spirits of the deceased via medium.
Beliefs
They believe in a creator, reincarnation, karma, spiritual evolution, etc. There is one most high god that made the universe. People reincarnate as someone else after they die. Spirits have the ability to evolve in the astral realm. Spirits can influence humans and humans can influence spirits. Your spiritual court are the spirits that walk with you.
Rituals
They talk to spirits of the deceased. Their altar is called boveda. They work with spirits in their court on the boveda. Practitioners will put Florida Water on their hands and move it around the body to get rid of negative energy. Then they would flick their hands @ the boveda. The spirits feed of the alcohol and negative energy. After the aura cleansing they pray and burn incense. They knock 3 times to hello to the spirits. Once they get the spirits attention they talk to them and then meditate. The spirits will communicate to them in their mind. They close out with a prayer and 3 knocks.
Sum people in Brazil went to mediums 4 healing. They would get possessed by a spirit of a doctor. Then they would heal that person or do surgery. They did it 4 free and it was effective!!!! Later on a technique was developed to send the astral body of the patient to a hospital in the astral world. The patient's past lives were viewed to see when they harmed someone. The spirit of the harmed person was getting revenge by cursing them with the help of a dark magickian. The practitioners would tell the the offended spirit what they was doing was wrong. The offended spirit would then forgive that patient and the curse would be lifted.
Spirits
There are many groups of spirits in Espiritismo, maybe 21 of them. The groups are called commissions or courts. These commissions are in Puerto Rican Espiritismo, but other versions may have the same and/or different courts. It's important 4 practitioners to develop a relationship with their ancestral spirits.
Shamans: They help with magic, healing and precognition. I think most, if not all of these spirits are Taino.
Gypsies: They help with divination and romantic relationships.
La Madama: Motherly spirits that protect children.
Pirates: These are spirits that were captains and sailors. They have great strength and courage.
Indian: These are Taino spirits that give knowledge, help with legal matters and spiritual warfare.
Asian: These spirits help with money, luck, lottery, and bizzness.
Arab: They help you work with the Jinn.
Medical: They heal and teach herbalism.
Congo: These spirits were African royalty that got enslaved during the Transaltantic Slave Trade. They help with hexing and protection.
Saints: They have various attributes.
Hindu: They are the deities of Hinduism.
Angels: They have various attributes.
Slaves: These are spirits of people that were enslaved by the Spanish. They can help you overcome obstacles, patience and hard work.
Babies: They like to prank and protect people.
Anima Solas: They will aid you in any endeavor as long as you give them offerings and prayers.
Liberators: They help you become a betta student and legal maters.
Heroes: They help you fight anybody.
Africans: These spirits were worshipers of various African deities. They have similar energy to those deities.
Elements: Spirits of 4 directions, which is also 4 elements.
Juanes and Marias: They have many secrets to share to their descants. They were slaves that had their name changed.
Mediumship
A medium is someone who allows spirits to possess them. People go to mediums to get messages from spirits. This is very important in Espiritismo. Practitioners can speak to their ancestral spirits and deities through mediums. It is one of the many ways to get messages from the spirit world.
Umbanda was founded by Zelio Fernandino de Moraes in the 1920's. He was a Spiritist and @ a meeting a spirit came through and gave him instructions 4 a new religion. @ the time European Spiritists thought only European spirits were enlightened. But they were racist and wrong as hell!!!!!!!!
Differences with it's Mother
Spiritism in Latin America got mixed with the beliefs of (native) Americans, Africans and Roman Catholicism. That didn't happen in France and the U.S. Which means Espiritismo is much more colorful than it predecessor. Magic rituals are a big part of it. In it's more pristine form you won't find that. Regular Spiritism is 'based on Allan Kardec's and other medium books.'
Different Types
Scientific Spiritism: It's just regular Spiritism, its not mixed with (native) American and African beliefs. They follow Kardec to the t. Most people call this type of Spiritism Mesa Blanca.
Espiritismo de Cordon: This is about healing, guidance, and advice. People make a circle around the medium and walk and chant. That ritual helps the medium go into a trance. Then the practitioners ask the medium questions and get healing. It is a mixture of Spiritism, folk Catholicism and Taino rituals.
Espiritismo Cruzao: This is a mixture of Palo, folk Catholicism, Spiritism, and other beliefs. They give offerings to spirits and use tobacco to go into a trance. Once the medium is in a trance they will contact a spirit of a deceased slave. Mass of Dead is a ritual that help a spirit of a deceased relative move to the other side. They can communicate to them as well.
Puerto Rico Indigenous Espiritismo: It's a mixture of Spiritism, Taino, African, and Spanish beliefs and rituals. There is a shaman that uses tobacco, massage therapy, and energy healing. This form of Espiritismo became a part of Sanse.
Santerismo: It is Spiritism mixed with Santeria.
Venezuelan Spiritism: This is a mixture of (native) American, African, and Catholic beliefs. There is a queen in religion. She is the highest spirit. There is also a American man and African man. They make up a trinity. The queen was a princess in real life; the American man fought the Spanish colonizers; the African man fought the Spanish 4 freedom as well. Ancestral veneration is very important. There are many deified ancestors in this religion. Sum of them were people that fought 4 Venezuela's independence. There is a sacred mountain were the religion started. There are many other sacred places, which are "rivers & natural landscapes." There are many spiritual portals in forest. There are many courts too, I will list a few.
Celestial: Catholic saints in the heavenlies.
Indian: The queen is in this court and stellar chiefs and amazing women that fought 4 independence.
Black: Africans that fought 4 freedom.
Don Juanes: Various healers and magicians
Medical: Doctors make up this court.
Liberation: Freedom fighters
Viking: Norse warrior spirits make up this court.
African: Deities from the motherland.
Student: They help people study.
Corte Cale: Spirits that were like Robin Hood when they were alive.
Places of Worship
It is practiced in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Argentina, and Brazil. Cruzao and de Cordon are the prominent variant in Cuba. Scientific Spiritism and Indigenous Espiritismo in Puerto Rico. Venezuela got its version of it. Brazil also has Scientific Spiritism and a version mixed with various beliefs. It is practiced by sum Latin Americans in U.S. and maybe people of other ethnicities as well.
Modern Times
"It is the fastest growing religion in Brazil." Upper class Brazilians are more into Scientific Spiritism and lower class people are more likely to follow a folk version of it. The same is true in Puerto Rico. Upper class people tend to be more Spanish and lower class people tend to be more African and American. In the case of Brazil the upper class people are more Portuguese. Espiritismo as a big influence on Cuban culture.
Conclusion
Espiritismo is a Spanish word 4 Spiritism. They believe in a creator, reincarnation, mediumship, and spiritual evolution. They conduct ritual individually and socially @ the boveda. Spiritism got mixed with other religious beliefs when it got to Latin America. It got mixed with American, African, and Catholic beliefs. While more upper class people was less likely to mix it up. There are several different versions. They all share the same core beliefs, but there are significant differences as well. It is practiced in @ least 4 countries in Latin America. It is still growing in popularity in modern times.
References
https://hablemosdereligion.com/espiritismo/
https://www.amandalinettemeder.com/blog/different-kinds-of-psychic-mediums
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espiritismo
http://santeriachurch.org/working-with-ancestors-in-espiritismo/
https://en.oshaeifa.com/spiritualism/Venezuelan-spiritism/
https://library.brown.edu/create/brasiliana/espiritismo/
https://www.shamagika.com/blog/may-10th-2016
eter.org/el-espiritismo-en-la-argentina-cosme-marino-y-el-relato-de-los-origenes-del-espiritismo-criollo/