El Espiritismo

Both my parents arrived from Cuba in the ’60s after the Revolution. My father, Aurelio, is from La Víbora in Havana, and my mother, also named Sonia, is from a small town called Candelaria inside the province of Pinar del Río. Both my parents come from very spiritual backgrounds, and both of my grandmothers, Blanca and Mery, were devout Catholics. But underneath their religious veneer was a gift much more valuable than any material inheritance.

As I dove into my history I began to find out all sorts of things about my family. I found out that my mother could predict the future with her dreams. She says she dreamt the Revolution days before it happened. She was just a teenager then. She believed my grandfather was also psychic, meaning I am a third-generation psychic and that my gift—or la gracia as my mother calls it—is something that is passed down from generation to generation.

I really wanted to get acquainted with my abilities and my mother was also eager to see what I could achieve, so she sent me to her own psychic to learn about Spiritism. Spiritism, or El Espiritismo, is the practice of communicating with spirit guides, ghosts, energies, and so on via a psychic connection to the beyond. My teacher’s name was Margo. She would strike you as a typical Cuban abuelita—nightgown, silver coif, large glasses, slippers, under five-feet tall, and loads of unconditional love and insightful advice to give. She also loved making coffee and collecting tiny spoons from all over the world.

The first thing Margo taught me about Spiritism was that you don’t talk to anyone about having the grace. She and many other Cubans believe that if you ever reveal your guides’ identities, you give others permission to take your grace and guides away from you. Through her I learned meditation, tarot, and channeling. She taught me who my guides were and how I could channel through them. Margo also came in contact with orishas, the deities in Santería. Although she was not baptized in Santería (and neither am I), Margo would channel orishas in their saintly forms, and taught me to do the same.


Santería is a religion that the Africans—the Yoruba tribe, to be exact—brought over to Cuba during the “discovery” of the New World. They fused the Yoruba teachings with those of the Roman Catholic religion and in some cases Native American traditions. There are seven main orishas, or seven African Powers. Here is what has been taught to me about the orishas from my teacher, my family, and the Internet
(of course!):

Papa Legba, or Elegua: The keeper of the crossroads. He is represented by St. Anthony or El Niño Atocha. His colors are red and black. Call upon him first for every ritual.
Yemaya: The mother of all the orishas. She is the ocean goddess. Yemaya is represented by La Virgen de Regla (Mary, Star of the Sea). Her colors are blue and white. She is also depicted as a mermaid.

Oya: The goddess of the storm and the cemeteries. Oya is represented by St. Theresa of Avila or by Our Lady of the Presentation. She is associated with copper and the colors maroon or purple. Her full name is Oya Yansan, which means “Mother of Nine.” She can bring you fast change in desperate times of need. She is also the female aspect of the warrior.

Ogun: Ogun is the god of iron and war. He is associated with Saint Peter. His colors are green and black. Ogun is known to bring work to the unemployed and also to heal diseases of the blood.

Chango: Chango is also associated with war. He is the god of thunder, sensuality, and fire. Chango is represented by St. Barbara. His colors are white and red. It is believed he was once a Yoruban king. Chango represents masculinity in its full form. He is the ultimate warrior.

Obatala: The first orisha. He was given the task of creating mankind. He is associated with Our Lady of Mercy. His color is pure white. He represents peace and tranquility. Because he is the creator of mankind it is said he owns your head. This is important when you do a spiritual cleansing, or despojo, because you bathe yourself from the shoulders down.

Oshun: Oshun is the goddess of love, beauty, and wealth. She is depicted as a coquette. Her colors are yellow and gold. She is represented by Cuba’s patron, Our lady of Charity. Many shrines have been built in her honor. Oshun oversees lakes and rivers.

In Spiritism, you act like a free agent. You are guided to connect through many means. It just so happened the tarot chose me. I have had the tarot in my life now for 15 years. I was guided through my teacher who was also guided through a spirit. I’ve also been able to improve my channeling, like how Margo used to. She would usually sit there and describe something and tell me names and details and times and I would sit in amazement asking, “How the ‘F’ am I supposed to know to do this?!”

Spiritism is usually a side activity; it does not take over your life. Most Cuban families at least have respect for Santería, and some have one psychic in the family who answers questions for loved ones. It is also a very hidden thing because of the Catholic aspect. I mentioned in the beginning of this article that I had forgotten I was psychic. That’s because my mom placed me in Catholic school, which consumed my way of thought for a long time.

I have been honing my skills recently to read cards for many people. I still use the opening prayer my teacher taught me and even ask her spirit for guidance whenever I read for someone. Even though I keep a day job that is unrelated to my spirituality, I don’t want to forget my abilities or my history. I am proud to be able to help others and still keep my heritage alive through my craft. My hope is that in the future I will be able to pass it down to my own child.

www.soniaanaortiz.com