THE CUADRO ESPIRITUAL
EL CENTINELA: At the forefront of one's Cuadro is the Centinela which is that Spirit that is closest to you in terms of Spiritual protection. The Centinela’s function is to protect you from psychic warefare, psychic attacks, black magic, crossed conditions, hexes, curses, the evil eye and to make sure you develop within this life. The Centinela is your spiritual shield, safeguard and life guard. The Centinela has no physical representation, although we in Sanse use a photo or an image of Saint Sebastian, Saint Pancracio or Faith, Hope and Charity to represent our Centinela. The Centinela is with you from the first moment an evil eye is placed on you, and is with you until you reach old age or death. The Centinela rarely if ever mounts a medium’s body in a crowded room, its function is to safeguard your physical and spiritual body. But if they do, it is for observance, of the physical mediums body. A Centinela identity as with many spirits of your Cuadro Espiritual should never be revealed to the public and the name of one’s Centinela can only be given through an Investigation. When the Centinela mounts, it mounts as a wise and benevolent Spirit, and although it rarely mounts in public it does posses the body with messages of hope, wisdom, prudence and with divine intervention. The Centinela is that Spirit that is the ground keeper, the overseer. They rarely mount in Sesiones or Misas, they come speaking through times of quiet meditation, contemplation and prayer, they are the voice of ones Higher Self. The only people who know your Centinela’s identity is yourself and the Espiritista or Sancista who preformed the investigation and whispers quietly into your ear, the Centinela's name. Many people say the name or identity comes to them through dreams, which is rare, often impossible and is often confused with one’s Guardian Angel, Patron Saint or Principle Guide. The Centinela does not, and if so rarely represent an earthly culture or religion, the Centinela is not a part of a group of Spirits such as are the Madamas, the Gitanas, the Congos the Piratas or Indios although in life it could have been one but they are a part of Division of Spirits known as Los Centinelas. The Centinela is beyond earthly physical representations, and are above the Comiciones and Sanses but a bit below the Misterios.
GUIA PRINCIPAL: Of all your Spirits in the Cuadro Espiritual, your Guia Principal is the one that is with you from the moment of birth until the moment of death. While many spirits from one’s Cuadro Espiritual have a certain mission to complete and once completed they move on or become attached to another incarnate spirit, your Guia Principal is always with you. Your Guia Principal is the Jefe of your Cuadro, asigning missions and over seeing other spirits within your Cuadro.
ANGEL DE LA GUARDA: The Guardian Angel is that Celestial Being that protects you through out your lifespan. They are primordial beings of pure light, and have never lived in human form. They guard and protect you from evil forces, demonic forces and inner demons. Unlike a Misterio that's aspect can change as one grows or does not grow in life, the Angel de la Guarda is the same during life. The Angel de la Guarda is like a Spiritual parental figure, and has never walked or lived in human form. They are the most ancient of beings and although there are many levels of Angels some being further from human affairs than others, the Angel de la Guarda is the closest of the Pure Energy Spirits of Light that watch over human affairs. Although they can be seen through human eyes as male or female, and can be seen to represent catecoristics of human qualities, it is we as humans that give them earthly representations, for they are far beyond human comprehension.
PATRONALES: The Patron Saint, can be male or female. It can be a Saint from any religion, Catholic, Hinduism, or Buddism to name a few. Traditionally the Patron Saint was determined through the day an individual was born. In Sanse we have a male and or a female. Male "Patron" Female "Matrona". Like the Angel de la Guarda they are parental figures who guard and protect us, the names of these Patronales are determined through an oracle or through the investigacion or alinacion de cuadro. Also an individual can inherit a loved ones Patron Saints. When my grandfather passed I inherited his Patron Saint, Martin De Porres, a beautiful chalk ware plaster statue that has been in the family since the mid 1960s, while a client of mine inherited her mothers Santa Barbara when her mother passed. This is not uncommon in Puerto Rican beliefs and practices as the Atributos of Saints and Spirits can be left to a trusted family member at time of death.
SANSES: The Sanse also known in Espiritismo as Los Emisarios, Embajadores, En Corrientes, or los Sanses, are the Spirits of people who in life where Servidores "Servitors" of the Loases, Orishas, Zemi, or Nsambis. They where paleros, espiritistas, brujos, santiguadores, curanderos, yerberos or santeros, who often mimick the Misterio they represent with their own unique earthly qualities. Often time they will come baring the name of the Misterio they represent and are viewed as the Messengers of the Misterios.
ANTEPASADOS: The Antepasados are the spirits of ones ancestors. One never truly knows where ones blood lineage is from and the Ancestors can come from various cultures. They are very protective and carry us upon their shoulders and we walk the paths they once walked and breath the air they once breathed.
DIFUNTOS: The Difuntos or ones Muertos are those spirits of loved ones that a person knew in life, such as grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, close friends and other relatives. If the Spirit died a natural death they are often prayed to on ancestral shrines. The Spirits of those who committed suicide, where murderers or rapists are never venerated on the shrine but prayed to so that they may receive forgiveness and light.
MISTERIOS: The Misterios are the highly elevated Spirits that within the Sanse tradition can be Loases, Orishas, Angels, Archangels Zemi, Saints, deities.and other Spirits. They often represent or govern an element here on earth, such as Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wood, and Air. While the Angeles are guardians and the keepers of the Cosmic Heavens. Often times one is born protected and governed by a certain Misterio and latter in life another Misterio can take over the head or infuse with the Misterio that governs the head becoming as one. This may sound confusing, hence why they are Misterios. Unlike the Angel de la Guarda that has never walked in human form, most Misterios have lived in human form and are the ancient ancestors that are on their way to becoming Puro Misterios, Beings of Pure Light. Many Demonic Forces com
COMISIONES: The Comisiones are those spirits that share a spiritual bond and link to the person they protect. They come from all walk of life and spiritual or religious beliefs. They can have a spiritual link through blood lineage or past life incarnations. They are healers, doctors, messengers, counselors, to name a few of their functions. They represent a cultural group of people or race, and often enjoy the foods, music and traditions they enjoyed in life.
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