Florida - October 3, 2012

In attendance: Astrid, Gloria, Jackie Jeff, Nelson and Santiago

Spirit #1 (via Jackie):  Jackie started the session by asking Gloria if she had recently seen the spirit of her deceased neighbor anywhere near her condo complex. Gloria stated that she had not seen him lately.  Jackie had a vision of him in his apartment with another spirit staring down at his dead body. The neighbor's spirit was glancing down towards Gloria's apartment, as if he needed confirmation from her that the body he was being shown was actually his body.

Spirit #2 (via Astrid): A spirit sat through Astrid, and she spoke in Spanish. Our group has come to realize that this departed great aunt of Astrid's was a spiritual director for our table. She is the one who encouraged Astrid to hold the sessions at her house, and she often visited our table to bless a session whenever there was difficult, delicate or sensitive work to be done. She always arrived as a bold, confident presence.  She had messages this time for both Santiago and Jeff. She told Santiago that he was often impressionable (Nelson nodded his head in agreement) and easily influenced by other spirits. The spirit wanted to see Astrid and Santiago strengthen their commitment to one another. They have made much progress, but there still needed to be more. This spirit of the table encouraged them to continue to move together towards each other - and not apart.

The spiritual message for Jeff was to offer advice on how to proceed with the ongoing tension and issues regarding his mother. The spirit cautioned Jeff that this was a delicate balance. Jeff was fighting the battle, but there was still much more work to be done and more trials for Jeff to endure before the end results would ever be realized.  Although this spirit would initially present herself to the group as an authority figure, after she gave blessings and her specific messages to the table, she always faded away in a loving way before the work began. The group discussed this spirit and how she seemed to refresh us and prepare us for the sessions and the spirits that she would usher into the room. Nelson said that this task is her spiritual assignment. If we are on the ground looking up at a ladder, her spirit would be a step or two above us - but just like us, she still has many more rungs of the ladder left to climb.

Note: From Kardec's The Book of Spirits'

Spirits pertain to various orders, according to the degree of perfection they have attained, in three major categories (with fluid limits and an unknown number of subcategories):

- Pure Spirits, who have attained maximum perfection

- Good Spirits, whose desire towards goodness predominates

- Imperfect Spirits, who are characterized by ignorance and evil impulses.

The relationship of Spirits with man is constant and has always existed. The Good Spirits do their best to lead us towards goodness and uphold us during our trials, helping us to support them with courage and resignation. By contrast, the Imperfect Spirits try to incite us toward evil. (Read more: The Spirits' Book by Allan Kardec (PDF file)

Everyone has their own spirit-protector (spirit guide or guardian angel), who is entrusted with keeping watch over us as a mission or trial for them.  We all have more than one spirit guide.  The spirit guide for a particular table, or the guardian guides of a temple are not the same as these individual spirit guides.  They are more like gatekeepers for the spirits to enter (or not enter) a session.  Similar to our incarnation on the earth, this mission for them can be a way of advancing and purifying themselves. 

Nelson asked Astrid how her mother was doing. He saw her in the process of dying, and Astrid explained that at 103 years old, the gradual process of passing has been happening slowly to her for quite a while now. Nelson understood that her time would not be much longer.  The spirit world indicated to Nelson that they were not pleased with him sharing this information. Nelson asked Astrid how the relationship with her mother was progressing, and Astrid explained that she has always had an instinct to move away when she doesn't feel wanted, and her mom was the same way. Nelson recommended that Astrid should forgive her mother for the injustices of the past and he stressed that this message should be communicated out loud to her hospitalized mother as soon as possible.  Nelson knew that Astrid would feel many emotions once she verbalized her feelings. He told her that some crying might occur, and Gloria heard the spirit world say that tears were expected and that they were okay in this situation.

Spirit #3 (via Nelson): The group discussed a possibility that Astrid's mother may not be her biological mother. Astrid described herself as "my father's daughter", and wondered how anyone could say that the mother she has always known was not her real mother. The conversation changed to Spanish.  As if it were a movie or TV show, Nelson was shown Astrid's father bringing home Astrid as a tiny baby to her mother. "We have to raise this baby, you have to do this for me", Nelson heard the father say. The father promised to do whatever the mother wanted as long as she raised this baby. He kept saying that the two of them "have a pact". Astrid explained some of the confusing past incidents she has experienced with her mother and she often wondered how someone who professed love could treat a child in a manner that occasionally did not seem to be very loving. Gloria suggested that Astrid ask her mother if this "pact" in the past was true or not. Like Nelson, Gloria saw Astrid's mom passing peacefully at some point, once this conversation occurred. Nelson believed that Astrid's hospitalized mother was not her biological mother, as he was shown a different spirit who appeared to be Astrid's biological mother. Jackie also saw this spirit, and the mediums suspected that when Astrid was born, her biological mother died. The spirit guide of Astrid's biological mother explained that everything must happen in a specific sequence, and once it does, this spirit would return to sit at the table. Astrid said that she will speak to her mother this Friday, if it was the next step that needed to occur. Nelson spoke softly in Spanish to Astrid regarding her hospitalized mother for a few minutes.

Spirit #4 (via Nelson): The vision for Nelson changed, and he was shown a crowd of black people situated all around the room. There were different groups by each person seated at our table, and they were very dark and very difficult to understand - as they are speaking with different dialects and accents from all over the world. They were observing our session. They were drawn to our table by the idea that we were all suffering (Astrid and Jeff with their mothers, Santiago with his past, etc.). One of them sat through Nelson;

Spirit:  None of you know anything about suffering.  (looking at Jeff)  The itch you are suffering from is nothing compared to us being burned.

Spirit (speaking in Spanish):  We do not want to talk like you white people.  Each person at this table has done "cosas malas" (bad things) in past lives.  You need to learn from your past by living better lives in this existence. (looking at Jeff again and switching back to English)  He is very white, and he was not good to us.

The spirit began to giggle with laughter as he explained that there were spirits surrounding Jeff in this existence, filling him with sweat from their heat as they try to make him feel what he once did to them. Many of them were scalded and burned. Jackie and Nelson described these spirits as slaves who were once "branded" like cattle so that the owners could identify them as property. The spirit knew he was speaking through Nelson, but he did not mind - as he saw Nelson as, "black like us".  The spirit abruptly said goodbye and departed without warning.  He left Nelson extremely overheated and hot. Although our group could not notice any visible signs of perspiration, Nelson felt as if he was on fire. After drinking ice water and cooling his wrists, the session continued. There appeared to be no spiritual progression or removal of the black observers.

Spirit #5 (via Nelson): Nelson asked Jackie about her friend and former roommate. Jackie said his separation from his wife was  extremely difficult. "He doesn't talk to me, and I don't bring it up", she stated. Nelson said it should remain that way, and he was not certain what additional message (if any) was intended for Jackie. He thought that the group of black spirits may have had something to do with the former roommate (as he was also black and suffering), and Jackie explained that her friend was finding it very difficult to reintegrate back into his old life with his past family and friends here.

Spirit #6 (via Nelson): Jackie saw a spirit looking over Santiago's shoulder with approval. His shoulder was healing nicely, and Nelson agreed that Santiago looks great - refreshed and content. Jackie said that this spirit was present to advise Santiago, "Not to do things that you are not supposed to do," (in regards to straining his shoulder).

Spirit #7 (via Astrid & Nelson): Nelson and Astrid saw several people standing behind Gloria. They were all in about the same age range (in their 40's) and they were acting in an aggressive towards Gloria. Nelson determined that this group was very angry with Marian because she was attempting to work on a issue for her daughter. Astrid said these spirits were very upset as there were, "too many people interfering."  Nelson understood that the spirits wanted us "to let things cool off before anyone interfered again," and he compared the issue to a stove. If Gloria continued to intercede, she will the one to touch the stove and get burned, not her daughter. Astrid saw a woman standing behind Gloria.  She wanted to grab her by the neck and cause harm, and Jackie said that this female spirit had a very nasty mouth. She was saying spiteful things to Gloria. Astrid says the spirit saw Gloria "as a big spoon that thinks she use to can stir the pot."

Gloria explained the situation. In the middle of the previous night, her daughter saw a red light approaching, and she physically felt as if she was having some sort of attack. She knew the cause was spiritual, so when her husband offered to take her to the emergency room, she declined. Astrid confirmed she was correct, "the incident was not physical, it was spiritual."  Nelson described the incident as an attempt to make the daughter appear insane. If she had gone to the emergency room without any physical illness, she would have been diagnosed and medicated as "crazy". Nelson added that if the daughter refused to accept the spiritual responsibly she agreed take on to before her current existence, the spirits will eventually destroy her ability to reason.  In our current society, she would look as if she was crazy, which is what these spirits wanted. Nelson also knew that the daughter constantly tried to keep busy-busy-busy, so busy that she had no time to think about spiritual matters, and Gloria nodded in agreement. Gloria said softly, "She has got to accept her responsibility."  Astrid added, "She tries not believe in anything - and yet she knows that she does."  Nelson said that she might not think that she was equipped to handle spirits, but she was always surrounded by dead soldiers who are walking along with her anytime she provides functions or acts in shows at places frequented by veterans.

Nelson understood that Gloria had the love of a mother who wanted to help her daughter and it was difficult for her to stop - but she cannot continue to hold her daughter's hand anymore. Gloria understood, saying that she could not remove the spirits who were "always by her," and Nelson explained that even if our group could remove them, it will not matter - because there was a very, very long line of additional spirits behind them, waiting to move into their place. Nelson encouraged Gloria to tell her daughter that if she wanted to stay busy, she should pick up a book on spiritualism to read, as a sign that she was trying to understand the spirits who surrounded her. Nelson said, "She must stop her nonsense of nothing."  

Gloria said that she often wondered why she was in her daughter's house, asking herself, "What am I doing here?"  Nelson explained the feeling came from her daughter wanting to be alone, but she knew that she should not be - as that might be when these spirits try to "take her". Having her mother around was a form of protection. Nelson heard the daughter telling her husband, "to take a trip or vacation," enabling her to have some time alone to unwind.  Nelson advised that this was not a wise idea. "He's a buffer", Jackie said, as she envisioned a new spirit moving forward. This spirit looked fatherly, but he was very stern. "She made a promise and now we are calling to collect", the spirit said. Nelson was shown Gloria's daughter nude and incoherent, running down the street to her mother's condo.

(Note: Nelson was uncharacteristically quiet, and he later explained that he and his spirit guide went to the daughter's house to bring the spirit to our table)

Spirit #8 (via Nelson): "Pregunta" (Question), Nelson said in Spanish, as he was taken over by a spirit who was visibly angry and determined to cause harm. Astrid tried to calm this presence down in Spanish:

Spirit (agitated): She made promises that we are waiting for her to fulfill.  Wait-wait-wait, she tell us. She knows better. This not the first time that she has promised to give us a hand and she has not.  I go under her bed and try to move it, to disturb her sleep.  I have to return to her house and finish this task.

Astrid: No, you cannot.

Spirit: Ahh...look at this.  I am being approached - and so is she! - and they are offering some kind of soup.

The soup was symbol for hope between the two of them. Gloria was shown that the man offering the soup was one of 14 spiritual generals.  Nelson was still with the spirit, and he envisioned cockroaches crawling on the table. Gloria explained that her daughter once saw a dried leaf and thought it was a cockroach, and the group agreed that this might be another tactic from the spirit world to make the daughter appear insane to others. 

As the angry spirit began to fade away, Nelson's spirit guide spoke from a position behind Nelson: "Your daughter cannot hide from this. The spirit world has given her an opportunity before, and now it is time for her to do the work that she agreed to do." Nelson said that her mission  involved working with the departed souls of military men. She already attracted these spirits with the work she enjoyed, and the spirits of these military men often return home with her. "Her dad was in the military?" Nelson asked.  "Yes, for 35 years," Gloria replied. Nelson stated that the spirit of the father will be the ultimate beneficiary of his daughter's involvement with these military spirits. Nelson was shown all sorts of departed soldiers around her - Asians, Vikings, Romans - and he stressed that she should not be afraid. He described it as driving a car filled with soldiers, and the final destination would be her father's spirit.

Spirit #9 (via Nelson): Nelson heard a spirit say: "Wars are forever, and some are still fighting battles (on the spirit) side that ended years ago. If you people only knew how much help we need."  These soldiers were looking for their wives, and for the body parts they had lost in battle.  The spirits seemed to exist in a dream state of uncertainty and gloom. 

Nelson was shown the spirit of a dignified, formal general, fully formed, and without any body parts missing.  This general showed Nelson some of his "comrades". They were all missing something - an arm, a leg - and one soldier had a large hole in his left side. As Nelson watched, the hole was filled in.  The general said this spirit was able to realize that his pain was mental - and it was now gone.  He had become "whole" like the general. The general continued to show Nelson scenes of pain and he contrasted them with scenic vistas of beauty. He said that his men were "looking for beautiful places like this to go."  The other soldier spirits were now curious, having learned from watching the interaction with the previous damaged spirit. "The other places ask for payment," the general continued, "and like us, you ask for nothing". Gloria told him, "We feel your love" and the general gently faded away, still very stiff and formal, as he promised, "We will see you soon."

Spirit #10 (via Jackie): Gloria wanted to reaffirm that the work we do at our table should stay at our table. If there is a specific message for someone (like her daughter at this session), it is fine to share that communication, but those who are not involved should not be entertained. Jeff wondered if the written communication needed to be modified or expanded. Jackie heard a spirit say that this was not the first time Jeff had this particular responsibility. Jackie was shown an image of Jeff in a castle, surrounded by books. He was some sort of apprentice or researcher for a teacher - almost like a scribe or secretary.

Jackie was also shown Gloria's mother, and she was trying to influence or help Gloria's daughter.  Nelson saw her as very "nice-nice-nice" spirit who appeared as a bright white light. She cautioned the table not to make little things too big and then she was gone.

Jackie also saw the spirit of a man standing near Nelson, possibly a relative that has been gone for quite a while. This spirit was watching Nelson running around when he was six or seven years old. He said that Nelson ran all over the place in a random way, and this spirit wondered what he was doing. The longer the spirit watched him, the more the spirit realized that there was a pattern to Nelson's wandering. The spirit said Nelson always made him laugh, as he was "amusing and baffling". Jeff wondered if the spirit wasn't still watching Nelson, as he wandered from Florida to Chicago to Puerto Rico to Argentina and back, and Marian added that Nelson was "Still in search of something..."

Jackie also saw the recently departed best friend of Jeff's mother rubbing balm on his arms in an attempt to soothe the itching from the rash he recently experienced. She did not seem to be interested in staying near her former best friend (Jeff's mother), but she wanted Jeff to know, "I'll be around."

Jackie closed the session with a prayer.