EL ESPIRITISMO CRUZADO DE LA REGLA KIMBISA

 

Due to the great influence of French Spiritualism called Kardecism in the Caribbean Islands, a new form of Spirituality took form: El Espiritismo Cruzado.

Caribbean Spiritualism is actually very different from the European one and inherited a lot of influences from the african and amerindian cultures. Sometimes it’s called also Espiritismo Cruzado and it can be, in some cases, very african.

We can call “Espiritismo Cruzado” the Cuban Umbanda. Espiritismo Cruzado can be compared to Palo Monte Mayombe and Santeria in the same way that Umbanda is compared to Candomble’ in Brazil: a Cult of the Souls.

Kimbiseros of the Saint Christ of the Good Journey developed a lot Espiritismo and their practices are often very different from the other branches of Palo.

Kimbiseros believes in God’s omnipresence and in the elevation of the humankind through reincarnation and actions done in God’s name. The contact between the Spirits and the Medium is a process with a specifical aim: Evolution in God’s Consciousness.

There are various spirits in Espiritismo Cruzado and they work under a specifical Saint who were mostly their Patron Saint during their lives; for example we have“Tata Francisco Siete Rayos” who works under Shango/Siete Rayos/St. Barbara’s orders,“Masa Francisca Siete Sayas” who works under Madre de Agua/Yemaya/Virgen de Regla etc. among the various families of Spirits, we have the Natives of the Caribbeans: the Tainos and Arawak, called los “Indios”.

The practice of Espiritismo is centered on a special altar called “Boveda Espiritual”.

We may have a simple altar with glasses (from one up to nine), the crucifix, incense, flowers with some sweet basil, parfume, the book of  prayers (“La Coleccion”, Allan Kardec’s selected prayers) and in front of the glass filled with cool water, a candle.

Personal Bovedas often has Saint’s statues, cromolithographs of Saints, objects sacred to the Spirits called “atributos”, rhum bottles, cigars and offerings of coffee, food etc…

Kimbisa’s Bovedas ALWAYS keep an image of the Holy Sacrament, El Santisimo, called Kunanquisa in Kongo. Some Kimbiseros also keeps the Holy Species in a little reliquiary.

It’s a traditional Kongo practice done since the conversion of King Afonso I° of the Kongo Kingdom. It’s believed that the presence of the Holy Species will dive Spiritual Wisdom and Elevation to all the Spirits invoked in the altar.