Espiritismo

Within espiritismo, espiritistas believe in God, spirit guides, ancestors, and all the other various realms of spirits. Ancestors and spirit guides are all spirits who are accessible. Espiritistas serve these spirits but do not worship them. Some of the ways they recognize the spirits is by giving them food, drink, flowers, and gifts, wearing their colors, and recognizing their days of the week or feast days for guides.

Ancestors are deceased loved ones who are, both related by blood and not related to us by blood. Some examples of ancestors include family by adoption, miscarried, stillborn, and aborted children, spouses, partners, close friends, and spiritual family (i.e., related through initiation). Ancestors love their descendants and help guide them along their paths. It is important for espiritistas to gain the favor of their ancestors because they help them heal relationships, remove blockages, provide direction, find lost objects, and teach them lessons. Espiritistas also work with ancestors because they can be the cause of blockages.