Crossed Spiritism: Origin, Beliefs and Practices in Cuba
Crossed Spiritism is a Cuban spiritual movement that arose from the convergence of Kardecian-based Spiritism, popular Catholicism, and various Afro-Cuban traditions. Its practices encompass prayer, mediumship, chanting, and acts of assistance to spirits, though these may vary depending on the region and spiritual house. While it maintains historical ties to the Regla de Osha and Palo Monte, it possesses its own distinct identity and is not a branch of these religions.
What is crossed spiritualism?
Crossed Spiritism, known in Cuban popular speech as crossed spiritismIt is a form of spiritualism focused on communication with the dead, attending to the spirit world, and developing mediumistic abilities. It retains principles originating from the Spiritist Doctrine of Allan Kardecbut expresses them through practices formed within Cuban religiosity.
It is part of the different currents of spiritualism developed in America. Its distinctive characteristic is the way in which it brought together and reinterpreted European, Catholic and African influences within the historical experience of Cuba.
Their practices may include spiritualist and Catholic prayers, glasses of water, flowers, candles, chants, cleansing rituals, mediumistic transmissions, and trance states. The presence of guides and protectors from diverse backgrounds, professions, or methods is also recognized, all gathered within the person's spiritual circle or cord.
It does not have a central authority that establishes an identical liturgy for all houses. The way of preparing a table, conducting a mass, attending to spirits, or developing a medium is passed down among practitioners and may present familial, regional, and religious differences. For this reason, cross-spiritism is better recognized by the unity of its fundamental principles than by a single, unchanging ceremony.
Why is it called "crossed" spiritualism?
The word crossed It refers to the convergence of various currents within a single practice. Kardecian teachings contributed concepts regarding the survival of the spirit, mediumistic communication, moral progress, and charity toward the disembodied. Popular Catholicism incorporated prayers, crosses, images, Marian devotions, and other expressions of devotion.
Afro-Cuban traditions reinforced the importance of the dead and ancestors, trance, cleansing rituals, and the close relationship between the spiritual world and daily life. These elements were complemented by family knowledge and popular healing and protection practices developed in different regions of Cuba.
This fusion should not be understood as a simple accumulation of objects or ceremonies borrowed from various religions. Over time, it produced its own way of interpreting spirits, organizing tasks, and understanding the relationship between the dead and those who receive their protection.
Origin and development in Cuba
Modern spiritualism began to spread during the second half of the 19th century, after the publication of The Spirits' Book by Allan Kardec in 1857. His works and the ideas related to mediumistic sessions soon reached different countries in America, including Cuba.
On the island, these teachings found a society where Catholicism, popular devotions, the religious traditions of Africans and their descendants, and various forms of veneration of the dead coexisted. Spiritism, practiced around tables, prayers, and mediumistic communications, began to transform within this environment.
Its development did not occur uniformly throughout the territory. Alongside Kardecian-oriented Spiritism, expressions such as table spiritism, cord spiritism, and cross-spiritism emerged. The boundaries between them were not always rigid: one house might maintain a more doctrinal interpretation, while another placed greater emphasis on singing, trance, ritual cleansing, or the presence of Afro-Cuban elements.
Cross-spiritism also became intertwined with the religious practices of santeros and paleros. Some people attended masses before or after receiving initiations in other traditions; others dedicated themselves exclusively to spiritual work. This coexistence fostered its expansion, but it did not make spiritism a ceremony necessarily belonging to the Regla de Osha or Palo Monte.
Beliefs of Crusader Spiritism
Beliefs may be expressed differently among spiritual houses, but they are generally based on several shared foundations.
The continuity of the spirit after death
Death ends physical existence, but it does not destroy the spirit. The disembodied retain their individuality, their memories, and certain traits related to the life they led. From this perspective, they can reach out to their families, protect others, offer guidance, or request assistance.
Communication through mediumship
Spirits can manifest themselves through people with mediumistic sensitivity. Communication can be received as intuition, vision, hearing, dreams, bodily sensations, verbal transmission, or trance. Not all mediums possess the same abilities or reach the same level of development.
Within a spiritual table, perceptions are usually shared with those participating in the work. Experience, the order of the meeting, and the guidance of the elders help the medium recognize their abilities and distinguish the communications received. The different manifestations are studied more extensively in Mediumship: Types of Mediums and Spiritual Development.
Spiritual elevation and charity
Spirits are not considered equal in knowledge or moral condition. Some are recognized as guides or protectors, while others may be confused, attached to material life, or in need of prayer. Charity consists of offering them light, prayers, and guidance to help them progress.
This work of assistance occupies a central place. Communication is not only sought to receive messages: it also allows for remembering the deceased, attending to spirits in need, and strengthening the bond between the material and spiritual worlds.
The spiritual influence on everyday life
Practitioners recognize that spirits can influence a person's mood, decisions, spiritual health, and development. Prayer, cleansing rituals, and masses are used to restore balance, offer clarity, and address the spiritual issues the house perceives to be present.
This interpretation belongs to the religious sphere and does not replace medical, psychological, or professional care when needed. Within traditional practice, prudence is also part of the spiritualist's responsibility.
The spiritual picture or cord
El spiritual paintingThe spiritual cord, also called the spirit cord, is the network of spirits that accompanies and protects a person. It can include deceased relatives, primary guides, and other entities that appear throughout their life. Not all of them fulfill the same function, nor do they manifest at the same time.
Within the crossed spiritualism, there is talk of spiritual commissions to recognize groups of spirits related by their origin, occupation, or way of working. Among the best-known names are the Congo or African, Indian, Gypsy, Medical, Arab, and Madama commissions. These categories may vary and do not constitute a mandatory catalog for all houses.
The chart is not determined by choosing images or attributing spirits to oneself based on personal affinity. Traditionally, it is recognized through transmissions, investigative masses, and confirmations received during the process. Even after an initial investigation, other beings may manifest, or new aspects of those already identified may be revealed.
How is crossed spiritualism practiced?
The practice combines individual acts with collective work. Among its most frequent expressions are prayer, tending to the altar, spiritual masses, chanting, cleansing rituals, and the development of mediumship. Its preparation depends on the purpose of the work and the customs passed down in each house.
The spiritual mass
La spiritual mass It is one of the main ceremonies of spiritualism. It brings together mediums and other participants to pray, assist the disembodied, receive transmissions, and attend to the spiritual needs of a person or a deceased person.
There are Masses for investigation, elevation, repose, coronation, and other variations. In investigations, the aim is to identify the spiritual makeup of the deceased; in services dedicated to the deceased, inquiries are made about their condition and prayers are offered; other gatherings are geared toward the development or confirmation of a spiritual guide. The specific names and ceremonial order may vary from house to house.
The spiritual vault
La spiritual vaultl It is a space for prayer and devotion dedicated to guides, protectors, and the deceased. It is usually prepared on a table covered in white and contains glasses of water, candles, flowers, and religious symbols, but its composition and arrangement are not identical in all traditions.
Before it, people pray, ask for clarity, offer assistance to the spirits, and maintain the necessary contemplation for mediumistic work. The altar does not originate from the Rule of Osha nor does it replace its religious foundations, although both practices coexist in many homes and houses of worship.
Prayers, songs and spoils
Prayers open and sustain the ritual. They may come from spiritualist collections, Catholic tradition, or family custom. Chants help to gather the participants, invoke certain energies, offer light, and structure different moments of the ceremony.
Cleansing rituals are performed using resources such as water, flowers, aromatic plants, cascarilla (egg shell powder), or cologne, depending on the instructions received. Their purpose is to remove negative energies, harmonize the person, and prepare them for the work. There is no single formula applicable to every situation.
The development of the medium
Spiritual development is the process by which a medium learns to recognize, organize, and use their abilities. It includes attending masses, study, prayer, self-discipline, and practice under the guidance of experienced spiritualists.
These abilities don't manifest in the same way in everyone. Some receive intuitive messages, others possess clairvoyance or hearing, and still others may experience trance. Their development is usually gradual and doesn't depend solely on setting up a shrine or occasionally attending a meeting.
Relationship with Santería and Palo Monte
The crossed spiritualism, the Santería or Regla de Osha-Ifá and the Palo Monte They can coexist within the same religious house, but they are not different names for a single religion.
| Thrilling Tradition That Captivates All | Main basis | Relationship with the dead |
|---|---|---|
| Crossed Spiritism | Mediumistic communication, charity, and spiritual development | He works with the painting, the guides, and other disembodied spirits through prayers and masses. |
| Rule of Osha-Ifá | Orisha worship, divination, and consecrations | Serves the eggun through its own foundations and ceremonies |
| Palo Monte | Ritual relationship with forces and foundations of Kongo origin | It has its own concepts, agreements, hierarchies, and procedures for working with the dead |
Many practitioners of Osha-Ifá participate in masses or tend to a shrine, and some spiritualists have also received initiations in Palo Monte. This historical relationship explains the presence of shared influences, but each tradition retains its own language, authorities, and foundations.
Therefore, a spiritual image is not equivalent to a person's guardian angel, a commission is not an orisha, and a shrine does not fulfill the function of a nganga. Confusing these categories eliminates important differences within Afro-Cuban religious practices.
Differences with Kardecian Spiritism
Kardecian Spiritism seeks to maintain as its primary reference points the works of Allan Kardec, doctrinal study, mediumistic training, and the practice of charity. Its meetings do not necessarily require altars, images, offerings, or elements from African religions.
Crossed Spiritism retains some of that foundation, especially the belief in the survival of the soul, communication with spirits, and their progress. However, it incorporated Catholic prayers, Cuban forms of singing and cleansing rituals, representations of religious commissions, and elements developed through its coexistence with Osha-Ifá, Palo Monte, and popular religiosity.
The difference does not imply that one current is more authentic than the other. They respond to different historical processes: one seeks greater continuity with doctrinal codification, and the other expresses the transformation that Spiritism underwent within Cuba and later in the diaspora.
Crossed Spiritism outside of Cuba
Cuban migrations carried these practices to other countries in the Americas and Europe. In places like the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and Spain, cross-spiritism became integrated into new communities and came into contact with other forms of popular religiosity.
This account explains how a Mass celebrated outside of Cuba can retain recognizable prayers and fundamental principles, but also feature songs, expressions, or procedures specific to the church hosting it. The tradition maintains its Cuban origin without remaining static: it is transmitted, adapted, and reorganized in each region.
The purpose of spiritual practice
The essence of spiritualism lies in the responsible relationship with the dead. Its practices aim to offer charity to spirits in need, maintain the memory of ancestors, receive guidance, and develop the faculties that allow one to serve within a spiritual community.
Prayer, Mass, the shrine, and the offering of remains are not isolated practices. They are part of a way of understanding that spiritual bonds continue after death and that both the living and the deceased can receive assistance through light, discipline, and charity.
FAQ
Is crossed spiritism the same as Santería?
No. They can coexist and share historical influences, but cross-spiritism is primarily concerned with communication and assistance to spirits, while the Rule of Osha-Ifá is based on the orishas, divination, and consecrations.
Is it necessary to be initiated to practice it?
Crossed Spiritism does not have a single initiation equivalent to becoming a saint or being initiated into Palo. However, mediumistic work requires preparation, discipline, and guidance. Experience and recognition within the house determine the responsibilities a person can assume.
Do "espiritismo cruzado" and "espiritismo cruzao" mean the same thing?
Yes. Cruzao It reproduces a popular Cuban way of pronouncing and writing crossedBoth names are used to identify this spiritual movement of Cuban origin.
Does the spiritual vault belong to Santería?
No. The vault belongs to spiritualist traditions and is not an original foundation of the Osha-Ifá Rule. Its presence in numerous houses of worship reflects the historical coexistence of both practices.
Sources and editorial criteria
Crossed Spiritism does not have a centralized liturgy. This content presents its most widespread foundations and distinguishes Spiritist beliefs from the ceremonies of Osha-Ifá and Palo Monte. The forms of worship and ritual procedures may vary according to the region, the house, and the experience of its elders.
- Luis Carlos Castro Ramírez, Spiritual cords, cords of identity: the research mass in Cruzao Spiritism in Cali (Colombia).
- Huberta von Wangenheim, The discourse on the phenomenon of the mediumistic unity in Afro-Cuban religions.
- Ana Celia Perera Pintado, Migration waves, religion and Cuban identity.
- Allan Kardec, The Spirits' Book y The Book of Mediums.
Fundamentals related to crossed spiritualism
Crossed Spiritism is best understood in conjunction with the foundations that underpin its practice. Spiritist doctrine explains the origin of many of its beliefs, while mediumship, the spiritual vault, and the spiritual mass reveal the methods of communication, attention, and assistance to spirits.
