Italian American Folk Religion

Italian-American folk religion is the practical everyday spiritual reality of Italian-American immigrants. It is a unique cultural practice, with traditions and practices that are a blend of old world Italian religion and American cultural influences. 

Italian-American folk religion is somewhat distinct from Italian Folk Religion. Italy is regionally extremely diverse, with different cultural practices, and even languages being spoken in different areas. These different traditions and practices that may have never actually contacted another in Italy, became mixed in America through the intermixing of different immigrants from different areas of Italy. This was also further mixed with American spiritual customs and practices. So although I do look to Italy for an understanding of history, culture, and practice, the practice that I'm discussing tends to be more what people of Italian descent practice in America. 

This practice doesn't have a specific name, and most Italians will simply identify themselves as being Catholic; a common answer of many people about what these folk religious practices are is simply “the things we do" 

There are some names given to people that are practioners of this folk system of healing and prayer: some are called praticos, “a practioner” implying a kind of medical like skill; guaritori healer”, fattucchiere, fixers, donne che aiutano “women who help” and mago or maga, “magician” mago/a does imply that there is a magical knowledge present, but the title has connections to the “Magi” of the bible implying a level of goodness. 

In the past a title rarely, if ever, used to denote someone that practiced folk religion was Strega, or Witch. The title not only implied maliciousness and evil, but also denoted an almost inhuman nature. Today though the title Strega, has been reclaimed to denote someone who practices a healing and positive form of folk religion and magic, and many Italian-Americans will proudly refer to themselves as such. 

The practice of Stregheria (an older dialect term for Witchcraft) is a revival practice that while emphasizing the practices of folk herbalism, healing, and magical practices, deemphasizes Catholic practices in favor of Neopagan traditions. So although this is a perfectly acceptable modern practice, it is not the tradition most of our ancestors actually ever would have recognized. 

The worldview of Italian folk religion is rooted in a firmly folk Catholic view, but that world is not the Catholicism that most Modern American Catholics would understand. It's a world that is populated with spiritual forces and beings, that constantly influence and guide the destinies of human life. 

With the source of Creation and power coming from the remote and unknowable Mystery that is God the Father, this chain of power and magic is extended through the mediating influences of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Saints, Angels, and the Ancestral Dead. 

Also included in this worldview are the earthly powers of nature spirits and plant spirits, and finally the infernal powers of demons and restless ghosts. 

Through a combination of folk wisdom of herbal medicine and the sacramentals of the church, prayer, and spiritual gifts such as healing, prophecy, and mediumship, practitioners bring balance, healing, and blessings to the lives of those who seek their assistance. 

This practice isn't dead by any means, but it's very much at risk. Most elders that are familiar with these practices, or even knowledge of prayers and rituals are dying out without passing them on to their descendants. Thankfully there is a revived interest in preserving these traditions.

Mother Cabrini: Patron Saint of Immigrants

I wrote this as a post for Facebook a few years ago and have reposted it a bunch of times. I think it's about time I post it on my blog so it doesn't get lost, and today seemed a very fitting day. 

November 13th is the feast day of St. Francesca Saverio Cabrini, usually just called Mother Cabrini. Mother Cabrini is the patron Saint of immigrants. I’m not going to go super in depth into her life, but she felt called by God to become a nun, and felt that it was her purpose to go to America to help the poor and oppressed. 

One of the most remarkable aspects of her story is that she came to America as a mission. There’s a fairly strong bias among Americans to see America as the greatest country in the world. She did not. She knew fully well the horrors of poverty and discrimination that most Italians that had immigrated to America were facing, and was moved to leave her country to help those most in need. 

When she came to this country, there was a feeling of disgust for most immigrants (Italians in particular), and most people did not even want to let them in the country, let alone help them. She took it upon herself to leave a fairly comfortable life in Italy, to come to America with six other women, to help these people. She named her order the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in honor of the Love that called her to serve.

Although she came to help Italian immigrants, her love and kindness quickly extended to the multitudes of individuals living in abject poverty. She managed to open orphanages, schools to teach literacy and English as a second language, as well as simple skills people could use to find work; she founded hospitals and medical centers, and offered medicine and care for free to those who could not afford it. She took it upon herself to do these things, against popular opinion, because she knew that it was the right thing to do. 

I think we need to look to the life of Mother Cabrini for our own times. These stories are not isolated events removed from our modern times. On a personal level, her story brings to mind my own family who immigrated to America from Italy. 

On one side of my family, I’m descended from what today would be called “undocumented workers” or "illegal immigrants" who were hired and moved here by a private company, to work in the coal mines in Pennsylvania due partly to their skills of having worked in the sulfur mines in Sicily, but mostly because they were cheap labor, and they could be paid far less than American workers, these individuals, my family members, did not become citizens, yet lived the rest of their lives here and had children who were born Americans. 

On the other side, my great grandfather was sent to America for asylum by his parents when he was 15 years old, so he wouldn’t be drafted into the increasingly nationalist army, while he did communicate with his family throughout his life, he never saw them in person again. If he came here today, aged 15, and without a parent, he would be in a cage.

I think of these things, and I see so many similar stories today: immigrants coming to work here for a better life, refugees fleeing war torn countries, sending their children away knowing very well they might never see them again, just in the hopes that they might survive. 

These are the people that Mother Cabrini came to help; the time and people may have changed, but Mother Cabrini's mission remains the same. We need to consider being more like Mother Cabrini who opened her heart to be transformed by love; it allowed her to see all people as her brothers and sisters, in need of kindness and help. 

 "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

Espiritismo in Rochester, NY

“By the year 1848, several strange phenomena were gaining notoriety in the United States, consisting in noises, raps and movement of objects with no apparent cause…” 

Spiritism Easily Explained, Allan Kardec 

The advent of the Spiritualist Movement began on March 31, 1848 when the sisters, Kate and Maggie Fox demonstrated communication with a spirit in their farmhouse in Hydesville, New York through a series of knocking noises, or "raps." 

News of the spirit rappings spread rapidly around the area, and the girls were sent to Rochester to live with their eldest sister, Leah. Per the instruction of the Spirits, on November 14th 1849 the sisters demonstrated their Mediumship publically in Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. This was the first public demonstration of the Spiritualist movement.

As Spiritualism spread thinkers, philosophers, and teachers tried to make sense of Spiritualist Phenomena and create systematized ways to understand this so-called “New Revelation”. 

In the United States arguably the most influential of those thinkers was Andrew Jackson Davis with his Harmonial Philosophy. This system of philosophy would be absorbed completely into what is called Modern Spiritualism, and promoted by most Spiritualist Churches and organizations. 

However in France that thinker would be Allan Kardec, who systematized his own research into a set of principles he termed “Spiritism” 

Every Spiritist is necessarily a spiritualist, but not all spiritualists are Spiritists. 

Allan Kardec, What is Spiritism 

Kardec felt that many people were wrongly treating spiritual phenomena as entertainment instead of correctly studying spiritual phenomena as a way to both learn the natural laws of the universe and develop morally as persons; he coined the term ‘Spiritism’ to mark a difference between those who he felt, were not involved with Spiritualism for right reasons. 

This is extremely similar to Andrew Jackson Davis, who, while very enthusiastic about Spiritualism as a philosophy, distanced himself from many Spiritualist circles which he felt were only involved for the sake of amusement or other “lower” purposes. 

“‘Spiritualism’ and ‘spiritualist’ are English words used in the United States ever since spirit manifestations first appeared; at first, and for some time thereafter, they were also used in France. However, as soon as the terms ‘Spiritist’ and ‘Spiritism’ appeared, their usefulness was understood and they were immediately accepted by the public.” 

What is Spiritism, Allan Kardec 

Kardec codified the Spirits' teachings that he received through years of investigative seances in several books, articles, and publications which became extremely popular throughout Europe. These texts were brought by intellectuals studying abroad in European countries to the Caribbean. 

“Pour les choses nouvelles il faut des mots nouveaux” 

“Para las cosas nuevas se necesitan nuevas palabras.” 

“New words are needed to convey new ideas” 

Allan Kardec, The Spirits Book 

Spiritism, or Espiritismo in Spanish, rapidly became a popular alternative to the Catholic Church in the island nations (and many other Latin-American countries, but for now, I’m focusing on the Caribbean). 

What was once a very European tradition, began to adapt itself to the local traditions, culture, and beliefs of the peoples who practiced it. 

 In Cuba, while many in the upper and middle classes continued to practice Espiritismo along the lines and structure codified by Kardec, followers of African diasporic religions such as Ocha (Santeria) and Palo began to also practice Espiritismo. 

These ancient systems of healing, divination, worship, song, dance, and ancestral practices were blended with Espiritismo, creating a tradition (actually, several traditions) that is both completely Spiritualist and completely Caribbean.

Over time, as islanders migrated to the United States, they brought with them their traditions of Espiritismo. Here in Rochester, the birthplace of Spiritualism, Espiritismo has essentially come full circle. 

While Rochester doesn’t have Espiritismo Centers like those that exist in Puerto Rico, there is a thriving community here of people that practice this tradition, brought back to where the Spiritualist Movement began. 

One of the major centers of Espiritismo here in Rochester, is Botanica Obatala Shango. There are at least two smaller Botanicas here in the city as well, but Obatala Shango is by far the largest. It’s actually probably the largest in the state outside of New York City. 

Named after two spirits (Orishas) from the Lukumi religion (Obatala and Shango) the Botanica supplies everything needed for the healing traditions of Lukumi, as well as Espiritismo. 

There Espiritistas can buy supplies for their altars: bells, spiritual colognes, and statues. Herbs and ingredients for healing baths, as instructed by guides and ancestors to bring healing and cleansing to whoever needs them. Candles for altars to give light and elevation to spirits; and prayer books, some written by Kardec, are available in English, and in Spanish. 

As someone that exists in both realms of American Spiritualism, and Caribbean Espiritismo, I find the fact that this store is in Rochester to be absolutely amazing. 

The Spiritualist Movement went from a small farming town on the outskirts of Rochester, to Corinthian Hall in Rochester, to be codified as Spiritism by an educator in France, to come to the aid of individuals in the Caribbean, many of whom were suffering the pains and oppression of slavery, to preserve their traditions and honor their spiritual identity through the teachings and methods of Spiritualism. 

One of my favorite prayer books can be found at this Botanica (or any Botanica). I’ve had it for several years and carry it around with me wherever I go. 

It’s a small blue book called Helping Yourself With Selected Prayers, vol 2 It contains prayers to Catholic Saints, folk prayers from the Espiritismo tradition, the prayers of Allan Kardec, and a few others. 

In a preface to a prayer in this book there is a short line saying: 

the Fox Sisters ignited the Spiritualist revolution that was to sweep the North American continent and Allan Kardec began a similar movement called ‘Spiritism’ in Europe… 

It’s barely a sentence, and would mostly be passed over quickly to get to the prayer, but I always sort of pause for a moment when I see it because the magnitude of the small line contains so much history, that to me it’s worth just a pause to think about.

Coffee Talk: Chats with the Dead

Growing up in a family that freely blended folk Catholicism and Spiritualism, the concept of talking to the dead was something that was completely normal; that you could literally just talk to relatives that passed away, that they could actively hear you, and in some cases actually respond back was relatively normal.

You simply sat somewhere quiet and private, and you have a conversation. In my own case today, this is done over a cup of coffee. 

I can honestly say that after years of studying Spiritualism and Mediumship... nothing has ever worked better for me than this.

Mind you, I think it's extremely useful for Mediums to actually study the philosophy and theory behind mediumship and Spiritualism while you work on developing and practicing throughout your life. The more you know how and why something works, the better you get at it. However, when it comes to direct experience, these simple and heartfelt practices have always been profoundly more helpful than any kind of structured meditation or spiritual exercise, at least for me. 

If you have an altar, you can pour a small cup of tea or coffee for your spirits or ancestors there, or just set an extra cup on the table. Then just talk to them. Talk out loud, talk in your head. You can switch back and forth between talking with yourself, and to your spirits. Eventually, slowly, you will start being able to discern between your thoughts and words, and reactions given to you by your spirits.

How communication happens is completely up to how you experience mediumship and could range from anything to a simple feeling of peace from having talked things out, to experiences of clairvoyance. You just have to pay attention. 

It seems to be the simple fact, that then we’re alone, at least physically, we’ll usually be able to just be ourselves. We "open up" very easily, and naturally. Especially if we're relaxed, like having a cup of coffee. 

Spiritualism & the Ministry of Angels

One of the central teachings of Spiritualism is the belief in the Ministry of Angels. Spiritualists believe that angels, elevated spirits, are sent as messengers and teachers from God to aid us in our spiritual unfoldment. The Book of Psalms says, “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.” 

One of Rochester, New York's early Spiritualist leaders, Rev. Benjamin Austin wrote, “angels help us in a vast variety of ways – but chiefly as unseen, loving guides they seek to impress us with such thoughts and sentiments as will lead us safely and securely through the tangled mazes of our earth life and develop the spiritual in our characters.” 

These simple suggestions are based on the teachings of Rev. Austin: 

By purifying our own thoughts, purposes, and desires so that the best and strongest guides and helpers may come near us. 

When we look within us, we find that we have an inner light that connects us to the Divine Mind, the more in touch we are to this light, the more clear and more open we are to the angels who seek to guide us. 

Every morning and evening send out thoughts and desires strongly to your angel friends and say in the depth of your being, with a realizing sense of truth: “We are partners, Oh Blessed Angels, in the work of Life.” 

The Psalms say, “declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night” If we start and end each day with our hearts and minds uplifted to the highest and best we will start to see a very strong connection, and develop a strong communication with our angel guides in our daily lives. 

Wait regularly in silence of the soul, in reverence, in faith and hope, upon the angel world. 

When we find a quiet spot, where all the world around us is slowed down, and we simply abide in awareness and spirit, we are better able to hear the “still small voice” within us, through which the Angels speak to us. Take some time every day, even just a few minutes, to sit and breathe and commune with the Divine Presence and the angels who guide you.

Mother Leafy Anderson: I Will Guide Thee With Mine Eye

Leafy Anderson experienced a life changing vision of her spirit guide, Black Hawk, while she was living in Chicago; she dedicated the rest of her life to spirituality and uplifting her community. According to accounts from her students, her life motto became "Helping One Another." 

She became known as Mother Leafy Anderson, and acted as a Spiritualist minister, teacher, and medium. She named her Church the Eternal Life Christian Spiritualist Church, and founded several congregations through out the country from Chicago, to Texas, Florida, and finally New Orleans where she spent the rest of her life. 

In an era of legal segregation and extreme prejudice, her Church services were fully interracial; she broke with tradition of either using only acapella singing, or traditional Church instruments such as the piano, to included full jazz bands. Her services included the reading of the scriptures, prayer, and would end with spiritual phenomena, such as trance mediumship and healing. 

 She believed in a direct access to God through ministering angels and spirit guides, and according to a disciple of Anderson, "She wanted to make the world know what God was doing for her.” She had numerous Spirit Guides, including the biblical Queen Esther and the Virgin Mary, but she put her faith particularly in Black Hawk, the famous Sauk Leader of American history. She encouraged her followers to put their trust in him, as he was sent to them by God. A disciple of hers recalled her saying, "Go to him for anything you want. He’ll never disappoint you"

We live in uncertain times, just like Mother Anderson, but I believe that makes her teachings more relevant than ever. We should always keep in mind the duty of "Helping One Another," the ministry of angels and spirit guides are still with us, Black Hawk will always be "Our Watchman on the Wall" and we can call to these good spirits for strength and fortitude at all times. 

According to tradition, Mother Leafy Anderson's favorite hymn that she would sing was I Will Guide Thee

Precious promise God hath given 

To the weary passer-by, 

All the way from earth to Heaven; 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

I will guide thee, I will guide thee, 

I will guide thee with mine eye; 

All the way from earth to Heaven, 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When temptations almost win thee, 

And thy trusted watchers fly, 

Let this promise ring within thee: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When thy secret hopes have perished 

In the grave of years gone by, 

Let this promise still be cherished: 

I will guide thee with mine eye. 

When the shades of life are falling, 

And the hour has come to die, 

Hear thy trusted leader calling: 

I will guide thee with mine eye.

Anna Blackwell: The English Spiritist

Anna Blackwell was born in 1816 Bristol, England and was the eldest of eight children, five girls and three boys. Her family moved to the United States when Anna was 16, first to New York state, and then moving Ohio shortly before her father's death in 1839.

 Anna claimed that from an early age she experienced psychic experiences: seeing spirits of the departed, and receiving visions and premonitions. While she was young she was largely uncomfortable with these experiences, and mostly tried to ignore them. These experiences however lead her to have a life long interest in the subjects of metaphysics and spirituality.

 Anna and her sisters were incredibly educated. Anna was fluent in both French and German, and often worked as a translator for several books in to English. Her two sisters Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell were two of the first women to earn Medical Degrees in the United States (Elizabeth being the first, and Emily being the third).

 In the 1840s Anna returned to England, and established herself in popular social circles of the time; a few years later with the emergence of the Spiritualist Movement she became involved with some of the earliest Spiritualist circles in London. During this time, Anna regularly traveled back and forth between London and Paris, continuing to regularly attend Spiritualist circles.

While living in Paris she became introduced to the Spiritist Society of Paris, lead by Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, popularly known by his pen name of Allan Kardec. Anna immediately became drawn to this style of Spiritualism, known as Spiritism.

Spiritualism in the English speaking world at the time was largely unorganized, with most Spiritualist Societies mainly focused on scientific research of psychic phenomena, and demonstrations of physical mediumship. Spiritism, by contrast, attempted to organize and develop a philosophy of Spiritualism based on moral principles, charity, and self cultivation, with the research of Allan Kardec as it's standard set of writings, known as the Spiritist Codification.

 As the Spiritualist Movement continued to spread, Spiritualism practiced in English speaking countries generally became known as Modern Spiritualism. Modern Spiritualism made some inroads into continental Europe, but Spiritism quickly became the dominant representation of the Spiritualist Movement in Continental Europe, and eventually spread to South America, the Carribean, and Asia. 

This success of the Spiritist movement was largely due to the high level of organization promoted by Spiritists, and the publication and translation of Spiritist texts into several different languages.

Anna Blackwell's rose to the task of translating the works of Kardec into English, and trying to convince English speaking Spiritualists of the merits of Spiritist philosophy. Her translations of The Spirits Book and The Mediums Book into English became the standard editions of Kardec's works into English until fairly recently. (Although her English is an older style, they are in the public domain and may be reprinted freely, so they are very widely available)

English speaking Spiritualists as a whole did not embrace the teachings of Spiritism largely due to Spiritism's doctrine of reincarnation. Anna Blackwell argued that most Spiritualists were far to quick to dismiss reincarnation without actually studying the phenomena. She also argued that the prime reason that most Americans and British Spiritualists were quick to dismiss reincarnation was that it contradicted their ignorant understanding of race.

In her work, The Law of Reincarnation, Anna explained that according to the teachings of Kardec there is an absolute natural equality of all persons and races; that all were equal brothers and sisters, and children of the same God, differing only in their personal level of Spiritual development and progress. Anna believed that this simple teaching promoted by Spiritism could help reform and enlighten society.

Anna Blackwell continued to publicly lecture and write on Spiritism up to her passing in 1900. Her translations are still widely available and remain as the standard English translations of The Spirits Book and The Mediums' Book.

Today Spiritism, both due to the work and influence of Brazilian and Caribbean Spiritists, is becoming widely popular in the United States. Times have also changed from the early days of the Spiritualist movement, where the majority of Spiritualists very much embrace the concept of reincarnation, and many are beginning to study the works of Kardec.

Felicie O. Crossley: Hollywood Spiritualist

I came across Felicie O. Crossley  in researching the history of Spiritualism in Rochester. I found a short article discussing her visit to Rochester to lecture and give messages. I did some research into her life and found out some really interesting things I thought I'd share.

Felicie was a celebrity Medium of her time. She was also an award winning Journalist, and a member of the Southern California Women's Press Club. She ran a Psychic Center in Los Angeles, California, called the Institute of Metaphysical and Psychic Sciences located on Hollywood Boulevard.

She traveled extensively around the United States visiting almost every Spiritualist Camp and speaking in several Spiritualist Churches; she served as a missionary with the California State Spiritualist Association. She was also close friends with Arthur Ford, a fellow celebrity Medium and Spiritualist Minister, and would regularly work platform together in giving messages and lectures.

From her writing it is very clear that Felicie was a highly educated woman; she wrote and lectured on subjects such as Metaphysics, Philosophy, Spiritualism, World Religions, English literature, and contemporary European and American politics of the day.

Felicie O. Crossly published a work called Guide to Mediumship; Or the Master Key to Psychic Unfoldment which was printed under the name Delta Samadhi. The work is a text book instructing Psychics and Mediums in lessons on self development and Spiritualist Philosophy.

In this time period Hinduism was was popularly understood by Americans to be a kind of Eastern version of New Thought and Spiritualist Philosophy. Hindu philosophical vocabulary was often used interchangeably with New Thought and Spiritualist terminology, and philosophical concepts such as karma and dharma were introduced into the popular western spiritual vocabulary.

Felicie was extremely concerned with the state of Spiritualist Churches in her time, although she was a member of the NSA through the California State Spiritualist Association, she was highly critical of the National organization's policies and leadership.

She published several articles critiquing what she felt was a deep lack of foresight on the behalf of National leadership in training younger Spiritualists, and a poor policy of diplomacy in dealing with other Spiritualist Associations. She also, along with Arthur Ford, strongly condemned the organization's then segregationist policies which had recently been adopted, which she felt was a a move away from the progressive heritage of Spiritualism.

You can read several of the articles she wrote and edited on here: http://iapsop.com/archive/materials/forum_of_psychic_and_scientific_research/

Our Watcher On The Wall

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.



Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me; For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

For thou wilt save the afflicted people; thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

Oh Black Hawk, be our watchman on the wall 

The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, and sing praises unto thy name.

Amen

Thoughts for Lent

One of my favorite devotional books is Keep a True Lent by Charles Fillmore, it's a text from the Unity School of New Thought, which I really enjoy drawing inspiration from. In this particular book it gives a guided plan for study and prayer for the season of Lent, which teaches "that we can keep Lent best by denying ourselves not "things" but negative thoughts and feelings," and that through study and affirmative prayer individuals can participate in the divine through the imitation of Christ.

Their daily reading in this book for Ash Wednesday states, "I keep a true Lent by denying limiting beliefs of the past and by laying hold of positive ideas that are life-giving. Thus I spiritualize my thinking and transform my life."

This affirmation really sets out the entire series of spiritual exercises of the Lenten period, and I tend to agree with this and follow it in my own way.

First, the idea of "denial" is more metaphysical than how we generally understand it, and is more with the understanding that you actively work to not let negative thoughts and emotions to control you, you 'deny their power and being' which is a bit different from denying they exist. However, it's particularly the second aspect that I love the most, to actively take up positive ideas that are life-giving that will assist in spiritualizing one's life.

So rather than give up something material for Lent, I prefer the alternative to take up something positive and spiritual. In this case, I'm going to commit to reading from The Spirits Book by Kardec every day for this period of Lent. I've read the book before, but never really with a purpose of meditating and studying the messages and wisdom it offers. I've been slowly working my way through the book, bit by bit, but it hasn't been as consistent as I'd like it to be. So for Lent, I'm going to follow this plan of prayerfully reading The Spirits Book.

I found a reading from today pretty nice to start off the season, "the sympathy which attracts one spirit to another is the result of the perfect concordance of their tendencies and instincts" If we follow Spiritism, if we cultivate lovingkindness and abide in Faith, Hope and Charity, we draw closer to the divine, become more balanced, and allow the actions of the Good Spirits to better flow through us and manifest our gifts to assist others.

The Madonna of Montevergine: Mamma Schiavona

For the past few years I've been pretty deep in exploring Italian and Italian American Spirituality. It's been pretty great because I've recovered a few devotions that were near the brink of becoming nonexistent in my own family, and I've also learned about some ancient traditions from Italy that are incredibly spiritually fulfilling, particularly devotion to the Madonna di Montevergine, or Mamma Schiavona.

Mamma Schiavona is Italian for "Slave Mother" and this is a term of endearment given by the mostly Neapolitan devotees to the Madonna di Montevergine, a Byzantine icon of the Virgin Mary in the style of a Black Madonna. The name comes the understanding that the Madonna in her compassion associated herself as one the of slaves, the poor, outcasts, and those on the lowest levels and fringes of society; and as we shall see, with the LGBT community.

The main feast day for her is celebrated on the feast of Candlemas on February 2nd, marking the beginning of the season of pilgrimage. Devotees will make a pilgrimage up the mountain, carrying images of her, singing hymns, playing the tambourine, dancing, and praying.  Other important days are September 12, the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, and May 22 the day specifically set aside for the Madonna of Montevirgine

She is considered the protector of LGBT people, going back to a legend where in the middle ages two men who were in love were caught kissing on the way to worship at her shrine. the local population driven hate, tied the two men to a tree in the forest near the shrine and left them to die of exposure in the cold and snow. The Madonna, however, was moved by how much the two men cared for each other, and caused the weather to suddenly warn, and the snow to melt, and freed them. The local population accepted this as divine intervention, and left the men alone from then on.

The devotion to the Madonna has its roots in the culture of the local countryside, where in ancient times different Pagan traditions were practiced for thousands of years before the coming of Christianity. The Mountain was said to have been sacred to the goddess Cybele, the Magna Mater or Great Mother, an ancient Earth Goddess believed to be the Mother of the Gods, that would inspire her devotees into ecstatic trances with music and dance; the church where the icon of the Madonna is housed is said to have been built on the ruins of a temple to Cybele.

In one legend, in ancient Italy, in the last years of the Second Punic War, many negative omens appeared, including a meteor shower, failed crops, and famine. After consultations with the Roman Augurs, Etruscan Seers, and Greek Oracles, it was understood that the Roman people were to ritually invite the Mother of the Gods, the Goddess Cybele, from her Mountain home in Asia Minor to come reside in Rome in order bring balance and ward off the negative omens.

When the ship arrived with the Sacred Stone of Cybele, it was declared that only the 'best men and women' of Rome were to ritually greet the Goddess at the harbor. As the the boat carrying the statue approached the harbor it became stuck on a sandbar in the River Tiber. Many people tried to pull the ship free, but it would not move, as if the Goddess herself had stopped the ship. It was then that Claudia Quinta, a woman had been accused of unchastity and was a target of gossip among the 'best men and women' of Rome knelt down in prayer to the Great Mother, beseeching her to come with her to Rome,  according to legend she then was miraculously granted the strength, with one hand, to free the boat from the sandbar and guide it herself into the harbor. When the sacred stone was brought to Rome, the negative omens stopped, the crops regained health, and the famine ended. Cybele it seems, like the Madonna, had a deep sense of compassion and respect for those who were shamed and ridiculed by society.

The Priests of Cybele in Italy were known as Galli. These priests, in order to serve the Goddess, would self castrate themselves in an ecstatic celebration as an act of permanent consecration to her service. They were from then on to live as women, wearing women's clothes, makeup, and jewelry. They celebrated and worshiped the Goddess through dance and song, performing public penances to achieve a state of ritual purity; they would walk through the streets singing praises to the Goddess while begging for charity, which they would in return offer oracles and blessings to those who gave to them. Although Roman citizens technically were forbidden from self castration, this was not limited to the bulk of the Italian population who were resident foreigners, slaves, or freed persons, as such many of the priests of the Great Mother tended to be from the lower classes of Italian society.

Today, among the peoples of Naples there is a traditional class of people known as femminelli: these individuals are culturally accepted as a third gender, those who were born male but who are called to live as women. They are considered to be under the special protection of the Madonna, and play a regular part in the pilgrimage to Montevergine. On the feast of Candlemas the femminelli of Naples will make their ascent up the Mountain with all of the other pilgrims to sing and offer praise to Mamma Schiavona. They are seen as a cultural precursor to those who today identify as transwomen. They are viewed in traditional Neapolitan society, like the ancient Galli, to have an air of sacred otherness, where they may offer blessings to infants and interpret dreams.

With Italy as the seat of the Vatican, the shrine of the Madonna of Montevergine is an alternative queer positive sacred sight. A combination of deep Folk Catholic devotion among the people of Naples, and an ancient spirituality as old as the Mountain itself. The Magna Mater, the Madonna, the Mother of God, and the Mother of Gods become one in Mamma Schiavona's unlimited and boundless love and compassion for those who live their life as they are called to do so. Her infinite love acting as a living embodiment of the Gospel words, "the last shall be first."

Antonette Matteson: Clairvoyant Herbalist

Researching Antonette Matteson has been a very fun experience for me, because I can relate to her system of healing. For the most part, when one identifies as a 'Healer' in American Spiritualism, the understanding is that of someone that practices a form of Spiritual Healing involving a system of energy passes over the body (reiki, magnetic healing, etc). Mrs. Matteson's gift of healing was a bit different, she relied on the wisdom of her guides to impart their knowledge of herbal medicine to Heal.
Antonette Matteson (sometimes spelled Antoinette) was born July 12th, 1847 in Baden, Germany. Her obituary in the Evening Star Newspaper of North Tonowanda states:

Antoinette Wealthy was born in Baden, Germany, in 1847. Her parents came to the United States when Antoinette was five years old, and they located in Water Valley, where they lived for five years, removing to Buffalo in 1857. The daughter in 1867 married Judah H. R. Matteson, a musician, and lived in Dunkirk for two years. They then went to Buffalo to live.

Matteson was a member of the First Spiritualist Temple of East Aurora, as well as the New York State Association of Spiritualists (now known as the General Assembly of Spiritualists).

Matteson became quickly known for her gifts of Mediumship, specifically as a Trance Medium. She became known as a "Clairvoyant Doctor," in that she would go into a trance state and allow her guides to speak through her to prescribe herbal remedies and recipes to those who sought her advice.

Her obituary in the Buffalo Express states: For 40 years Mrs. Matteson was a clairvoyant doctor. Thousands and tens of thousands of people gladly bore witness to her healing and curing powers, which she exercised unselfishly and effectively until her last sickness.

A passage in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography by James Terry White further comments: Her control called itself a chief of the Mohican Indians, and its ability to discover diseased conditions of the system and to instruct in regard to normal and abnormal physiological states excited the astonishment of all who had an opportunity to note the phenomena. A large medical practice was built up as a result of these revelations and Mrs. Matteson employed the remedies particular to the Indian Tribe of which her controlling influence was chief, securing the various roots, herbs, and barks from the Seneca Indians of Western, New York.

The same text continues to comment: Several attempts were made to prosecute her for illegal practice, without avail. No greater eulogy upon her work can be pronounced than the statement of a leading jurist of Buffalo, who declared that it would be impossible to get a jury in Erie county to indict her, since nearly every family in the county had one or more members who had been successfully treated by her.

In 1894 Matteson published her only book known as The Occult Family Physician and Botanic Guide to Health. The work is still in print today, and can also be found online. The book starts off with a brief introduction to Matteson's spiritual unfoldment as a Medium, and touches upon the importance of Herbal Medicine.

The book then shifts to describe lists of various herbs and roots, and gives their medical and healing properties. In the last sections the work is divided into different sections organized by ailment which lists various herbal remedies she received from her guides that individuals could prepare themselves.

I picked out a few selections of her book to share. I'd like to comment though, that while the ones I chose are completely harmless, it's pretty important to be aware of what kinds of herbs you are taking and the dosage level, some of her remedies include herbs, roots, and minerals that could do some serious damage if taken incorrectly, so if you try anything from her book, do some research first.

Mint. Peppermint: It is a garden plant, much like wild mint. The whole plant is used fresh or dried. It is good for flatulency, allays, nausea, and vomiting, and will often cure colic almost instantaneously, and drank freely is good against gravel.

Chamomile: they are very useful in weak stomachs, and if taken freely will remove a slight cold.

Mrs. Mattesons Composition Powder: Pleurisy Root, powdered 2 ounces. Bayberry powder, 2 ounces. Cinnamon Powder, .5 ounce. Ginger Powder, 1.5 ounces. Cayenne Pepper, .5 ounce. Cloves, powdered, .5 ounce. 

"This composition is intended for cold, chills, cramps, and in the less violent attacks of disease. It is a remedy of much value, and may be safely used in all complaints of male or female, as well as for children." This particular remedy goes on to explain how it should be taken after a foot soak in warm water, and prepared as a tea with one teaspoon of the mix, and one teaspoon of added sugar.

Matteson was also the President of the Women's Progressive Union of Buffalo. In an article published by the Buffalo Times some of the achievements of the society are mentioned:

The association, during the hard times of 1894, started a soup kitchen on North Division Street, where hundreds of people were fed daily, and distributed clothing among the poor, besides assisting and caring for the sick and exercising a general supervision over a large territory at that time when there was so much suffering through destitution in the lower city. For its noble work at that critical time, the Women's Progressive Union received the thanks, publicly expressed, of the Common Council and the Mayor of Buffalo. Mrs. J.H.R. Matteson is the president and leader of the Union. 

After a lifetime dedicated to healing others and public service, Antonette Matteson passed away in her family home at the age of 66 after a long battle with mental and physical health issues on October 11th, 1913.

In my own practice, healing is virtually always linked with herbalism, to quote Antonette Matteson "for such is our confidence in the benevolence of the Creator, that within the vegetable kingdom may be found remedies for all the maladies of mankind."

Paschal Beverly Randolph: The Timely Aid to Spiritualists

Paschal Beverly Randolph is a figure in Spiritualism that most people have heard of, but whose teachings very few people have actually taken the time to study. Mark Twain's quote, "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." comes to mind."

Paschal Beverly Randolph was a free person of color* born in New York City in 1825. He was a famous Spiritualist Medium & Occultist; he was founder of the earliest known Rosicrucian Order in the United States. He was extremely well versed in Eastern Mystical Traditions, was a world traveler in an era where most people rarely left the town they were born in, and was well versed in traditions of folk magic, including African-American Rootwork.

[*Randolph's own perception of his racial identity seems to have been very fluid and complex at various times identifying as Creole, White, Mixed Race (claiming English, French, German, Native American and Malagasy ancestry), and later on, as African-American.]

While I'm not going to go too deeply into his life as this isn't the purpose of this particular post, he was a bit of an eccentric, and his life was filled with paradoxes.

A clearly brilliant thinker with a massive scope of knowledge, it's somewhat difficult to pin down any a clear opinion of his on anything, because he would often change opinions, or present different views depending on the audience or situation. He seemed to very much enjoy flustering social norms, and forcing others to confront their beliefs head on as brilliant minds often do. A Socrates or Diogenes comes to mind, a bit mad, but brilliant, and possibly inspired.

In his 1861 book Dealings with the Dead, Randolph presents what is essentially an alternative to the Harmonial Philosophy developed by Andrew Jackson Davis. Andrew Jackson Davis is considered the Father of Spiritualist Philosophy among American Spiritualists, and his works such as The Principles of Nature published in 1845, and his Great Harmonia published between 1850 and 1861, were almost immediately accepted as near divine revelation by most American Spiritualists, and quickly became the standard theological, and philosophical banner of Spiritualism; even if many did not credit Davis with their reliance on his texts, Spiritualists would generally still teach within the framework of his teachings. Although Spiritualism was still in it's early years, and open to Free Thought and open discussion, to critique these teachings put one outside the established status quo; to do so was a very bold claim at the time, if not slightly almost heretical.

Randolph wrote, "Not a human being, whom I ever saw, was fully satisfied with either Modern Spiritualism, or what is called Harmonial Philosophy; for the more a man bases his hopes of a life hereafter upon either of them, the more he stands on slippery ground."

He goes on to critique that the arguments presented by popular Spiritualists, and those more versed in Harmonial Philosophy. He claims that most Spiritualists are misguided by the current teachings of the day, and that they often lead to feelings of doubt, and cause many to either return to a Christian Church, or lead to atheism.

Paschal instead presents his own philosophy of Spiritualism: a deeply mystical path where one focuses on inner cultivation of the soul, where Mediumship and Psychic Phenomena are secondary, the true Clairvoyant is nearer to an individual that has worked towards enlightenment or a beatific vision. He did not dismiss Spiritualist phenomena, but felt they were only stages along the way of development, and that one would move beyond communing with the dead, to communing to higher orders of spirits, and eventually achieving a kind of mystical union with the the Spirit of God.

Both men, Davis and Randolph clearly drew from the same shared tradition that included the teachings of Swedenborg, Mesmerism, Christianity, and American Transcendentalism. They both were also trained doctors, and had several things to say on scientific theories of health, wellness, and human biology that are fairly antiquated and honestly come off today as being extremely bizarre, if not boarding on offensive.

Their doctrines aside, both men are remembered today for their brilliance, writing, and immense spiritual creativity that helped build early Spiritualism into a movement that accepted Free Thought and exploration of the Spiritual Worlds.

Although Randolph is not largely studied today, there was a period of time for the Spiritualists in Rochester, New York where Randolph's book Dealings with the Dead made an fairly large impact in the Spiritualist community. Randolph's work became considered a weapon for Spiritualist teachers and writers to use against their biggest competitor of the day, the Church of Christian Science.

In the early 1900s Christian Science was one of the fastest growing religions in the country. Founded by Mary Baker Eddy in the late 1800s, Christian Science offered a metaphysical Christianity, that promoted the concept that all illness was an illusion centered in incorrect thoughts, and offered spiritual healing through prayer, and the reading of scriptures along with their text book Science and Health.

Many of the outward practices such as spiritual healing, affirmative prayer, the conceptions of God as Spirit, and Jesus as a wise Teacher and Healer are incredibly similar to Spiritualist teachings, as such both religions tended to resent another as misguiding followers with incorrect teachings.

Educated Spiritualists who had studied both Eddy's work, Science and Health, and had been familiar with Randolph's book, Dealings with the Dead. Quickly discovered that many of the passages in Dealings with the Dead were incredibly similar to Eddy's work, to the point that many believed that she may have plagiarized parts of his work, as his book predated hers by several years. Dealings with the Dead  quickly became the defense of Spiritualists in Rochester against the arguments of Christian Science.

 The work was mentioned by Rev. Benjamin Austin, of Rochester, NY in an essay discussing Christian Science,

"Science and Health is a compilation from Berkeley and Swedenborg, from Dealings with the Dead, and from Dr. Quimby, and Evan's Mind Cure. There are original features, it is true, but they are not numerous or important."

The work is also sited immensely in the novel, Timely Aid by Mrs. Delia Horn. Delia Horn was a Rochester Spiritualist who according to a reference by Rev. Austin, was at one point a pubil of Mrs. Eddy. Timely Aid is a work of Spiritualist teachings and apologetics written in the format of a popular  novel. In the book Spiritualism, Protestantism, and Christian Science are weighed, with Spiritualism coming out as the victor. In this novel almost every argument given in favor of Christian Science is contrasted with a quote, or in some cases entire passages from Dealings with the Dead.

As happens, the fighting between the two denominations passed into history. But the memory of Paschal Beverly Randolph as a brilliant Spiritualist thinker persists.

To end with a passage from Timely Aid, which quotes from Paschal Beverly Randolph's Dealings with the Dead:

"Turning to my old book Dealings with the Dead, penned by Paschal Randolph, we find: "God who made us well knows that there is more of good than evil in our hearts, by virtue of our ancestry - Nature and Himself"

Espiritismo: the Good Spirits Watch Over Us

I received a few questions about my previous post explaining myself as a Spiritist, so I wanted to write a part two. First, the simple summary of Spiritism that I give to people, is that all Spiritists are Spiritualists, but not all Spiritualists are Spiritists.

Spiritism, is a branch of Spiritualism, that follows (to varying degrees) the teachings codified by Allan Kardec, a French Educator and Writer who lived in the 1800s. These teachings are found in a series of books known as the Spirits Codification. These include works such as the Spirits Book, the Mediums Book, and the Gospel According to Spiritism.

If you want to see a great movie about the beginnings of Spiritism, I highly recommend watching the movie Kardec on Netflix.

Spiritism, like other forms of Spiritualism, spread rapidly around the world, and as it did, developed in different ways as it interacted and blended with local populations. As the teachings and publications of Spiritism became extremely popular throughout Europe, they were brought by intellectuals and students studying abroad in European countries to the Caribbean, South America, and Central America.

Spiritism, or Espiritismo in Spanish, rapidly became a popular alternative to the Catholic Church in the island nations, and in the particular instance that I'll be focusing on, in Cuba. In Cuba, the upper and middle classes continued to practice Espiritismo along the lines and structure codified by Kardec, while followers of African diaspora religions such as Lukumi (Santeria, or Ocha), Vodu, and Palo Mayombe began to also practice Espiritismo. 

These ancient systems of healing, divination, worship, song, dance, and ancestral practices were blended with Espiritismo, creating a tradition (actually, several traditions) that is both completely Spiritualist, and completely Caribbean. 

To add one more layer of complexity, these spiritual traditions have over the years become particularly popular in Mexico. In Mexico, these Cuban religious practices such as Espiritismo Cruzado, Lukumi, and Palo are very freely blended and mixed with traditional Mexican spiritual practices of Folk-Catholicism, Curanderismo, and Mexican Spiritualist and Spiritist practices. This highly mixed spiritual system, has then been brought by immigrants to the United States, especially in Southern California.  

It was this highly mixed Folk Spiritism that I first encountered.

One of the Botanicas that I would visit had a row of small spaces set up to some of their Spirits that they would work with: two very popular Saints in Cuban traditions, St. Lazarus and St. Barbara, were next to two very popular Saints in Mexican traditions, St. Martin Caballero, and St. Jude. Each had a little glass of water, and a lit piece of incense near them; there was a little stoop in the corner with a curiously watchful stone head of the Orisha Ellegua, surrounded by candy, and all of these were under the deep, hollow, watchful eyes of a huge statue of Santa Muerte on a high up shelf.

It took me awhile to sort out the individual parts of these different traditions I was presented with, and it has been a pleasure to respectfully learn about each one on it's own terms. I'm still continuing to learn about different aspects of them, but I'm much more self aware of how I relate to them as an individual. Being introduced to this eclectic mix of Folk Spiritism and other Spiritual traditions not only gave me a great appreciation for my own ancestral practices, but also helped me develop a framework that I could use to better understand how to relate to the world in a spiritual way.

I am a Spiritist: I draw on the wisdom and teachings of Kardec, a life of Faith, Hope, and Charity is absolutely something we should strive for. I am not, however, a Kardecist, or Scientific Spiritist. I am a folk Spiritist through and through. 

This approach to Spiritism allows me in my own way to follow those teachings that Kardec codified. The Good Spirits, as Kardec says, guide us to progress, by helping others. I've been guided to learn the properties of herbs, to make spiritual baths, to read cards, to give messages from the dead, to set candles, and to offer prayers to the Saints and Good Spirits for elevation and light. All of this, as part of a calling to help others. 

We're all called by God to help in some way, and this is the way that I have been called and feel the most at home with. 

A Mere Disciple of Kardec

For those of you that may not know me personally, this past December I made the very difficult choice to leave the Spiritualist Church I had been attending for about three years. I was very active in this church, in several different capacities: Historian, Secretary, Lyceum Director (basically a Sunday School teacher), the occasional volunteer Medium, and friend. It was an incredibly difficult choice, but something that I felt very deeply was for the best, and was something that my own Guides wanted me to do.

Late this past summer, I started to read through the works of Spiritism, this was originally part of small outreach I was doing on my Instagram with sharing different Spiritualist texts, but more and more the focus seemed to be on Kardec and the Spiritist books. The wisdom in the books helped me through several stressful events during the late summer, and I carried on in studying them more.

I'm not a stranger to Kardec and the Spiritist Codification. I had read selections from the Spirits Book and Gospel, and the Mediums Book was the first textbook on mediumship I studied when I was about 16. It was a huge help in understanding my own mediumship, and the importance of assisting others; it helped me, and I did understand the major points, but I certainly didn't give it the kind of study it deserved. I largely set aside Kardec's books afterwards.

When I was attending my church, I wanted to assist with education as much as possible, so I spent the bulk of my time in studying Spiritualist texts and books and coming up with different things to share that might be interesting to the congregation. I had largely avoided Kardec because of this, but by late Fall this past year I was reading small portions of Kardec almost daily.

Coming back to Spiritism, and the works of Kardec, was like reading a letter from an old friend. As I worked through the books my sense of purpose felt much more like myself than it had been, and I felt a great relief to some of the anxiety that I had been having from so many different aspects of life.

In early December I cam across a very old, out of print book called Two Appeals to The Leaders of Spiritualism in England and America by Giorlamo Parisi, a Disciple of Allan Kardec. I'm sure it's not a coincidence that this book came to me then. Giolamo Parisi was an Italian Spiritist from Florence in 1873. The small book lays out specific reasons why he feels that American Spiritualism at the time, while good, was lacking in the depth and spiritual fulfillment provided by the teachings of Spiritism, and that American Spiritualism would flourish if they took a few points from Spiritism. Although things have certainly changed since the writing of his book, I found that many of the points Parisi made, were the same as some of my own issues with the state of Spiritualist Churches today.

Reading this little book helped me reaffirm to myself that I am very much a Spiritist; to be clear, I am far from a strict Scientific Spiritist, or Kardecist. But in terms of principles, I am very much a Spiritist. I absolutely agree that we should live in Faith, Hope, and Charity; help one another, offer healing, prayer, and kindness to everyone in the Spirit of Charity. These are things I can stand for.

To quote Giorlamo Parisi, I am "under the banner of Love and Charity, unfurled by Allan Kardec" As a fellow 'mere disciple of Allan Kardec' I absolutely agree, to progress, to develop as our true selves, we must live our lives with "charity in thought, in words, and in acts."