Developing Your Gifts
We will now set out on a program to help you discover and refine your spiritual gifts. You are a medium in training and your results are completely dependent on the amount of time and effort you put into your development. You do not become an athlete by sitting on your behind watching Netflix. You do not become a doctor without studying, going to school, and graduating with passing grades. Spiritual work is not a joke! Picking up a pack of Tarot cards and learning how to read them is not a qualification for being a spiritual worker. Would you walk into a hospital, pick up a scapple, and try to perform brain surgery? To be a Catholic priest you have to go to seminary school and obtain a doctorate in Divinity. Why would anyone think doing spiritual work would be any easier?
To become a Druid an initiate had to study for 21 years or more to obtain the title. This lack of education, experience, discipline, and humility is why the world of witches, pagans, ceremonial magicians, and practitioners of traditional religion is so chaotic, trivial, petty, and filled with foolishness in America. Spend no less than a month focusing on each of the gifts listed, journal about your experience, and sit in front of your Boveda and meditate on them. Talk to your guides! When you ask for something, what kind of response are you getting back? If you do not get a response you are asking the wrong questions.
It does not matter how naturally gifted you are. You must train those gifts if you are going to maximize your potential. If you do not discipline yourself you are completely vulnerable to anything that flys your way astrally. You will pick up nothing but lower level entities and develop a variety of personality disorders. The spiritual world will eat you alive. Why? Because it is as wild, raw, and dangerous as taking a stroll in the jungle with no protection and no clue how to survive if something went wrong. You can get sick, and you can die doing this work. So pay attention.
Praying for God's Gifts
There are only a few rules of thumb my grandmother taught me when approaching God with a request. For one thing you should be praying regularly for protection as well as giving thanks for your blessings every day. But when asking to receive something from God, or asking to use your gift, there are three components to put in the prayer. If you understand these components you can take my prayers as examples and rewrite them to suit you. They are:
Address God with reverence, humility, and sincerity acknowledging that your gifts are given to you by him.
Acknowledge that the use of your gift must be in harmony with the Divine Will and if the answer is no you will accept it.
Lastly, your intent for using the gift must be for the good of your fellow brothers and sisters on earth.
Remember that to be an Espiritista means to be in service to your fellows, for elevating your spirit, and the elevation of all other spirits incarnate or not. If you are not helping your community or working for the spiritual elevation of all those around you, you can not call yourself an Espiritista. Did I mention Espiritistas do their spiritual work for free? You received free you must give free. Of Course there are a variety of services you would have to charge for like making medicine or doing investigations into a person’s court. Anything that takes a significant amount of time, money, and effort should be compensated. But going to someone's house to bless it or to remove a cause is something you are required to do in this tradition. So if you don’t like work being initiated as an Espiritista is not for you.
Now we will list the gifts of the spirit with a protocol of prayer and meditation to help you grow in faith, hope, and charity.
The Gift: Lucid Dreaming
Everyone at some point or another has experienced very vivid dreams. Most of the time when we dream we do so from the standpoint of an observer and most of us forget our dreams after we wake up. A lucid dream however is when you feel fully awake within the dream state having the ability to manipulate and control the dream. Some people are frequent lucid dreamers and others can actually induce themselves into lucid dreams almost by command! From an Espiritista's point of view why would Lucid Dreaming be considered a gift? Just like Shamanism in every native culture, dreams have always been considered to be a portal to the other worlds especially when interacting with spiritual beings. If you come into contact with a higher level being in one of your dreams you will remember it, because it is absolutely unforgettable if not life changing.
Remember Your Dreams!
Dream recall has been proven to increase the odds of having lucid dreams. The biggest tip I can recommend is keep your journal beside your bed at night. When you wake up from a dream no matter what time it is quickly add the dream to your log. Pray for dreams! Pray to your ancestors that they come to you in your dreams. Ask your spirit guides for signs, symbols, and messages through dreams. Ask your patron saint to come to you and guide you. How can you increase your chances of Lucid dreaming? Very simply put by most experts on the subject is self persuasion. If you set an intention at night before going to sleep that you will remember your dreams in the morning or say to yourself ”I will lucid dream tonight” you dramatically increase your odds. Focus on Lucid Dreaming for a month. Everynight before you go to sleep tell yourself, "tonight I will remember my dreams". If you dream and wake up in the middle of the night jot down in your journal what happened. Every morning when you wake up, make a note in your journal if you did not dream. If you did try to write the dreams down to the best of your memory. Sit in front of your boveda and say this prayer before going to bed.
Prayer to Obtain Lucid Dreams
Heavenly Father God, I ask you in union with the Holy Spirit and our Lord Jesus Christ to reveal to me your secrets through my dreams. As I lay my head down to sleep may you find my heart is pure and my intentions are good. I long for nothing more than to catch a glimpse of your glory as Moses did when he went to the top of the mountain and entered the cloud to receive the law. If it pleases you, and is good for my salvation, send me your angel to guide and direct me in my dreams so that I may be of better service to my fellow man and my Lady St. Mary. Amen.
The Gift: Synchronicity
Even though experiencing synchronicity might not officially be classified as a spiritual gift to some people, I count it as one. I count it as one for the people who are perceptive enough to recognize them happening. And if you are paying attention there are a lot of them. Most people get clues dropped on them all the time but fail to see the "writing on the walls''. If you are open enough to the powers of suggestion then you will get clues dropped into your life from your spirits. If it feels right then it's a good thing. If the clue feels like an omen, or a warning sign, it's time to take an offensive move. Take as much time as you need to with this gift. Spend a month trying to be aware of oddities in your daily life. That means keep track of interesting coincidences, recurring numbers or themes, and journal about them. Funny thing is the more you pick up on the more absurd and more amazing they become! Say this prayer or one like it everyday in front of your Boveda.
Prayer for Synchronicity
Dear Heavenly Father God I come before you in harmony with the helper, the Holy Spirit, and my Lord Jesus Christ asking that you illuminate my mind so that I can see the signs you send me daily. I remember the words of the Lord when he commanded us to be vigilant and stay alert until the day comes. Please send me synchronistic signs through my Holy Guardian Angel whom you assigned to me to minister to me from birth. May my request, with the sincerest humility, be pleasing to you. I ask that you empower me to help my fellow brothers and sisters for your glory and glory of Christ and his beloved Holy Mother. Amen.
The Gift: Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance is the ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. People who have such an ability are considered to be a clairvoyant. Spend a month considering your past experiences with this gift. Have you perceived someone's aura? Have you seen something in the corner of your eye that disappeared when you tried to focus on it? What can you see in your line of vision? What can you perceive in your mind's eye? We are receiving visions all the time, are you paying enough attention to see them?
Prayer for Clairvoyance
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit may my prayer be perpetual and find favor with the Lord and my intercessor St. Mary. Father God I ask you to open my eyes so I may see clearly, with wisdom, and discernment that which I am called to do. I ask you for Clairvoyance that I might assist and help my fellows to grow in wisdom and love for you and the promise you have gifted to those who are faithful to the Word. If my request is just I pray you send me my Holy Guardian Angel as my guide. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Gift: Clairaudience
This gift is the faculty of perceiving what is inaudible. That means being able to hear your guides or other entities. This is a tricky gift! It can be frightening if you hear an audio coming in from out of nowhere. This has only happened to me a few times in my life. Discerning the "intent" of the voice speaking is very important. Also being able to perceive audio can also be an inner awareness. Like suddenly hearing a song playing in the back of your mind, or that little voice that talks back to you. Don't be dismissive! Trust yourself. Spend a month allowing yourself to be more receptive to your listening faculties. Listening means what you can perceive in an audio way externally and what you hear inside your mental and emotional center. Journal about it!
Prayer for Clairaudience
Heavenly Father God I come before you asking you for the power of the Holy Spirit through the redemption of our Lord Jesus to give me the ability of Clairaudience that I might hear the voice of my Holy Guardian Angel assigned to lead me to be with you in heaven. As the crowd heard your voice say, "this is my Son, the beloved whom I have approved." when your Son was baptized in Jordan, let my ears be opened to follow your voice. If it is in harmony with You, my Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for my own good and my fellows please grant this request. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end Amen.
The Gift: Clairtangency
Clairtangency, or clear touching, is the ability to sense information by touch. Have you ever touched something then got a chill go up your spine? Or the feeling like your hair stood up? I think everybody at some point has felt that way. Maybe it's a combination of factors. Anyway, for mediums who have this gift being able to "read" an object is their gift. Not surprisingly mediums who are known to read objects have been used by the FBI and police in the past in order to try and solve crimes. Spend a month thinking about times that through the act of touching something or coming into contact with something you had a psychic response. Don't get crazy and start picking up everything you see trying to "read" it. Just pay attention and see if you experience the phenomenon at all.
Prayer for Clairtangency
Dear Heavenly Father I come before you asking that your help me develop my spiritual gifts through the power of the Holy Spirit and in harmony with the teachings of your Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. I ask you Father to give me the gift of Clairtangency if it is for the benefit of my spiritual growth and will help my fellows grow in faith and love. As I lay my hands upon my brothers and sisters may I perceive their spiritual needs so I may be of service to them and to you. I ask this in the name of Jesus who came to wash away the sins of the world. Amen.
The Gift: Clairgustance
Clairgustance is the ability to taste a flavor or texture without putting anything in one's mouth. Have you heard the expression "that left a bad taste in my mouth"? Well... not really the same gift but close. The idea here is that mediums with this gift can get a taste in their mouth as a sign or psychic response to a person or situation. This ability might be both a blessing and a curse to those who possess it. Spend a month being more aware of this gift. Have you experienced this sensation before? If yes under what circumstances? What was the trigger? Remember that all psychic phenomena exist in the subjective consciousness. Only you can gauge your abilities and learn how to control them.
Prayer for Clairgustance
Heavenly Father God I come before you with a special request if it be in harmony with your will, with the Holy Spirit, and the evangelical mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. I ask you Father for the gift of Clairgustance that I might taste your goodness and be of service to my fellow brothers and sisters on earth. Please send me your holy messengers to guide me in wisdom and love as I develop my gifts for your glory and the glory of my Lady St Mary. Amen.
The Gift: Clairolfaction
Clairolfaction is a form of extra-sensory perception that enables a medium to receive psychic information by means of smelling. I have this gift. It's a weird one! The experience is basically getting a whiff of a scent, either subtle or profound, that will give you a sign. To be honest I have not gotten it under control. I did become an aromatherapist though and now in retrospect I wonder if my gift unconsciously steered me towards doing that! As far as my experience goes I will catch a sniff of a familiar smell that seemingly will come from nowhere without any visible detection of where it came from. If you walk into a bathroom you expect to smell poop, but if you are standing in a line at Dairy Queen, or taking a walk down the street, you would not. Get what I am saying? Spend a month paying closer attention to your sense of smell. What do you smell on a regular basis? What does your home smell like when you first wake up or when you come home? Take note of how things smell and journal about it. Stay alert to smells that seem to magically come out of nowhere.
Prayer for Clairolfaction
Heavenly Father God I come to you with peace of mind and gratitude in my heart for all the abundance of gifts you have given me in this life. I seek only to use these gifts for the purpose of ministering to my fellows. If it be in harmony with the Divine Will and for the benefit of my spiritual growth I ask you for the gift of Clairolfaction. The sharper my senses are the sharper the sword of truth is in my mind. As I set out into the world please guide me by means of your ministering spirit, my Holy Guardian Angel, to lead me to the illumination and the land of the living. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The Gift: Clairsentient
Clairsentient mediums are those who have the gift or clear sensing. This psychic ability allows you to feel things about people and places. This gift also gives you the ability to intuitively follow your guides. Good vibes only! You know exactly what I am talking about. It is hard to pin down this gift since it could manifest itself differently in everyone. It's a deeply personal and emotional gift. Take a month to spend more time in meditation and prayer. The only way to really make this gift shine is by spiritual practice. In one way it is a natural gift but on the other hand it is also a cultivated gift. Knowing right from wrong, following your gut, and staying true to your beliefs only magnifies its power.
Prayer for Clairsentience
Heavenly Father God, in harmony with your beloved Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and my Lady St. Mary please hear my request. I ask oh Lord that you help me to perceive intuitively your Will. Grant me the gift of Clairsentience so I may help myself and my fellow as we travel along on the spiritual path. I know that you love and listen to the prayers of your children without discrimination. If my request is pleasing to you, and is for the benefit of my salvation, guide me by means of my Holy Guardian Angel by the power of the Holy Spirit. I ask in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Gift: Clairempathy
Clairempathy is the ability to understand people's energies and identify with what they are feeling/experiencing either in the present moment or in the past. People who experience this are often referred to as empaths. Empaths are like psychic sponges that will absorb everything around them incarnate and not. Regular empathy is not the same as clairempathy, and there is a significant difference between an empathetic person and a psychic empath. It is the awareness or perception of emotional energy. Empaths need self-care and psychic protection techniques to successfully manage their empathic nature and shield themselves from energetic overload.
A skilled empath knows how to maintain spiritual boundaries, replenish their energy, and clear unwanted negative energy from their auric field. This is a dual assignment. First take time to reflect on times when you felt empathy for another on a higher level. Not just feeling bad for them, but so insightful that you had a glimpse into their past, present, or future. The second part of the exercise is to take note of where your personal feelings might cloud your judgement. Empaths run the risk of becoming codependent. Take inventory of times that you allowed yourself to give more than you should have and how not to allow it to happen in the future.
Prayer for Clairempathy
Heavenly Father God, I ask you to create in me a pure heart. A heart that is loving, compassionate, and empathetic to the needs of my neighbor. Your most beloved Son Jesus showed pity on the crowds of people who were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd. His empathy brought him to tears many times, may you instill in me the same feelings of tenderness and bless me with the gift of Clairempathy so I can assist my brothers and sisters in their trials and tribulations. If this is in harmony with your divine will I ask you to empower me by means of the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
The Gift: Claircognizant
A claircognizant is a person who simply knows things about the future. Claircognizant means knowledge or awareness and so claircognizance has the psychic intuition of clear thinking. Take a month to journal about times when you "just knew" something would happen this way or that. You might have been the only friend in a group to perceive it. You might have felt the need to warn that friend about the personality flaw you saw in their new partner. Take time to reflect on this gift, it's a tough one. It's why I did put it close to the end of the gifts.
Prayer for Claircognizant
Dear Heavenly Father God, with humility I approach your Divine throne, drawn by the Holy Spirit, and inspired by the wonderful works of your most beloved Son, my Lord Jesus Christ. As in times past you blessed your servants with the power of foresight, Claircognizance, such as Joseph, Daniel, Isaiah, and Elijah. I ask that you guide my thoughts through my Holy Guardian Angel, the loving minister you have sent to help me on my earthly journey. If this request is in harmony with your Divine Will, and for the good of my fellows, please grant my request to glorify you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The Gift: Mediumship
A medium is a person who has fine-tuned their extrasensory perception and can interface with spirits and can physically embody them for a temporary period of time. They are able to feel, see, and hear impressions from the spirit world. The best way to develop this gift is first being able to silence the internal chattering of the mind. Pray and meditate. A lot of the gifts we have been practicing help stimulate this gift. It is something that blossoms when the time is right. And in the Afro Caribbean tradition it is recognized that not everyone is chosen to have this gift. We are not all born to be mounted by spirits. Some say it's a gift you are born with and that's that.
Prayer for Mediumship
Heavenly Father God I come before you in the name of your most beloved Son Jesus, my Savior, asking you for help by means of the Holy Spirit and my Holy Guardian Angel. As you blessed the Apostles with the beatific vision of the Transfiguration, that fateful day when they followed Christ Jesus to the top of the mountain and bared witness to his Glory, please bless me also to see a glimmer of the Holy light. I have faith in you, your Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit that if you have a message to give my fellows you will use me as your instrument to the praise and honor of your name. I place myself under your Divine care. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.