Spiritism is the doctrine that includes the study of the faculty of mediumship, of mediumistic practices, but it is also all the philosophy and all the knowledge that has been obtained through mediumistic practices. There are spiritists who are not mediums or who do not participate in mediumistic practices, but who study and follow the spiritist philosophy of the works of Allan Kardec and his followers. Let us know a little more about the symbols of Spiritism.
What is Spiritism?
It is also the spirits, or Egguns as many of us call them, that guide us, protect us and help us in various ways, always for the good of humanity, although there are only good spirits, which I will also explain later.
Spiritism is a doctrine that was codified in France in the middle of the 19th century by the French writer Allan Kardec (1804 – 1869); this doctrine is based on the fact that beings that are outside of a material body (the spirits) can get in contact with beings of the material or physical world (living people) through the communication or presence of a medium, as it could also be called spiritist (see article Chakras).
Spiritism is known as a science, since it studies, investigates, its origin, its destiny and the nature of the spirits, as well as their relations with the physical world, it also claims to be a philosophy, since it studies the moral consequences that flow from the firmness in the law of action and reaction.
Concepts of Spiritualism
The beginnings of Spiritualism, contained in its fundamental works, are
1) The existence and uniqueness of God as the First Intelligent Cause: God is eternal and therefore perfect to infinity.
2) The existence of spirits: individual beings created by God, eternal, with a predisposition to intelligence, an aptitude which they develop as they evolve; to incarnate in a material world, the spirit is united to a physical body by means of its perispirit (a quasi-material envelope surrounding the spirit).
3) Spiritual communicability (mediumship): a human being, also called an incarnated soul or spirit, can communicate with disincarnated spirits (including the spirits of the earthly deceased) through a medium; mediumship requires a material body, so only the incarnated can be mediums.
4) Law of cause and effect: the mechanism of ethical retribution universal to all spirits, according to which our present condition is the result of our past actions and choices. The purification of a fault is achieved through repentance and the atonement necessary for its correction.
5) Reincarnation: is the natural process that allows the spirit to reincarnate as a human being in order to evolve (either to perfect itself in virtues, to atone for past mistakes, to help its fellow human beings to progress, etc.). Through spiritual transformation, man can reincarnate only as a man, but both as a man and as a woman.
6) Dynamics of spiritual life: The relative joys or sorrows after disincarnation are determined by the state of consciousness of the individual, who conceives his future in any world according to his vibratory state, but the being tends towards eternal happiness, by the same eternal evolution that he develops (see: article Hand of Orula).
7) Plurality of inhabited worlds: The Earth is not the only planet with life in the Universe, the Spirit can incarnate on different planets and progress in all aspects.
8) Individual responsibility: The state of the “present life of the being” is due only to itself; it is the Spirit that, before incarnating, chooses the trials and circumstances through which it will pass, thus consolidating the Law of Free Will; God does not establish individual rewards or punishments, but Universal Laws from Eternity.
9) Spiritual equality: God does not privilege any spirit, creating them all simple and ignorant, but invariably destined to perfection, with identical capacities for GOOD or EVIL, according to their free will.
10) Conscience as the Book of Life: GOOD decisions only come from the common sense dictated by conscience together with intelligence, i.e. the true intentions of the common good.
11) Universality of philosophy: The human-spiritual relationship does not need institutional mediation. A natural spirituality is sufficient and even more appropriate for the realisation of Being.
Exploration of the unknown.
Man possesses a spiritual dimension that distinguishes him from and makes him superior to lower creatures; he is born with the impulse to explore the unknown.
He constantly wrestles with questions such as What is the meaning of life? What happens after death? What is man’s position in relation to the material world and even the universe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTs2tdqeifs
He is also driven by the desire to communicate with something higher and more powerful than himself, in order to gain some mastery over his environment and his life.
Man, God and magic.
Throughout his history man has reached beyond himself, his energies have never been directed solely towards satisfying the necessities of life, he has always been searching, groping beyond, striving for the unattainable.
This unusual impulse inherent in man is his spirituality; of course, those who do not believe in God do not see things in this way, and usually attribute this human tendency to man’s psychological or other needs.
Certain common features can be seen in these religious practices, including the reverence and fear of sacred spirits and supernatural powers, the use of magic, the prediction of the future through signs and omens, astrology and various methods of divination.
Some symbols of spiritualism used by different religions and beliefs.
The Holy Grail: the chalice used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, said to have miraculous powers.
According to legend, Joseph of Arimathea used the cup to collect the blood of Christ and then established a dynasty of guardians in Britain to keep it safe and hidden; it has long been sought in vain and is the source of many medieval legends (see: Voodoo Doll article).
Ichthys. The Ichtus or Ichthys is a figure resembling the profile of a fish and was used by the early Christians as a secret figure; until the Edict of Milan in 313, Christians were not allowed to reveal their faith or risk being persecuted or executed.
The Greek word ICHTHYS is an acronym whose letters stand for Jesus, Christ, of God, Son and Saviour.
The Star of David: also known as the Shield of David or the Seal of Solomon, is one of the symbols of Judaism, the religion, culture and tradition of the Jewish people, the ancient inhabitants of what is now Israel. Christianity and Islam split off from Judaism.
The Menorah: A figure and one of the ritual origins of Judaism, it is a seven-branched oil lamp, symbolising the burning bush that Moses saw on Mount Sinai (Book of Exodus, 25). It is one of the official symbols of the State of Israel and appears on its coat of arms.
Crescent and Star: A crescent shape with a star on the sunken side; these two symbols together are widely used on the flags and insignia of Islamic countries, generally representing Islam, but are typical of the Turkish nation.
Rub the Hizb: A common Muslim symbol seen on many flags and emblems; it is used in the Qur’an (Arabic holy book) to indicate the end of a chapter.
It is similar to the Star of Lakshmi, a figure of the Hindu religion, and the Tartessian Star, a figure used by the Tartessians (ancient culture of the Iberian Peninsula) to symbolise the sun.
Bahá’ís. “The Nine-Pointed Star and The Greatest Name are figures used to establish the Bahá’í Faith, also known as Baha’ism, a sect whose adherents follow the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, its founder and prophet, whom they believe to be the manifestation of God for the present age.
Wheel of Dharma: In Hinduism, Dharma is the universal law of nature manifested in regular and cyclical movements. For this reason, Dharma is symbolised as a wheel that turns or revolves around itself, symbolising for each individual the ethical and religious duty assigned to each according to his or her birth.
Jainism is an Indian doctrine; they are vegetarians and believe in the concepts of jiva daya (compassion for living beings) and a-himsa (non-violence). The habit of vegetarianism is seen as an instrument for the practice of non-violence and peaceful and cooperative co-existence, the figure of Jainism is a hand with a wheel.
The unicyclic hexagram: A six-pointed star, a figure from the Thelema religion, Greek: “Do Thy Will”.
Yin and Yang: According to Eastern philosophy (China, Korea, Japan), Yin and Yang is the idea of the duality of everything in the universe. They are seemingly opposite and complementary energies that are all around us. The Yin Symbol
Yin is the beginning of feminism, earth, darkness and passivity. Yang is the beginning of masculinity, the sky, light and activity.
The Khanda. The Khanda: is one of the figures of Sikhism (Indian religion that grows in the middle of the doctrines of Hinduism and Islam), they are made up of three weapons, each one with a different meaning:
Khanda: straight sword symbolising the knowledge of God.
Kirpans: curved swords symbolising sovereignty.
Chakkar: a disc-shaped weapon symbolising the unity of God.
Some cult symbols
The pentagram: Since ancient times it has been associated with mystery and magic. It is the figure most recognised by followers of paganism and was widely used as a protective talisman.
In a pentagram, the top element represents support and spirit, the following elements clockwise represent water, fire, earth and air respectively.
Pentagram: A pentagram rolled into a circle.
Inverted Pentacle: The pentagram or inverted pentacle is one of the figures of Satanism; it points like an arrow downwards to where the kingdom of “Satan” is.
Baphomet: The figure of the “Church of Satan” consists of three elements: the inverted pentagram, the figures placed at each of the points, and the face of a goat. The three lower points represent the denial of the Christian “Holy Trinity” and the two upper points the affirmation of the opposites that actually balance and direct the universe and life.
