The Revue Spirite of 1860
Parte 3

We continue in this issue the study of the Revue Spirite of 1860, a monthly newspaper focused on the divulgation of Spiritism, founded and directed by Allan Kardec. This study is based on the translation into the Portuguese language made by Julio Abreu Filho and published by EDICEL. The answers to the questions are at the end of the text for reading.

Questions for discussion

A. Are there geniuses of flowers?
B. Is it possible for a Lower Spirit to pretend to be a Higher Spirit?
C. How did the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies begin?
D. How to proceed before the scientific theories proposed by the Spirits?

Text for reading

54. Seeing the Spirit of Dr. Vignal by his side, Cauviere differentiated him among the living by his wrap, less transparent than his. (P. 91)

55. Kardec evoked Miss Indermuhle, a born deaf-mute, of German origin and living in Berne (Switzerland), who replied in French. Her explanation: "Thought has no language: I communicate it to the guide of the psychic, who translates it into the language that is familiar to him". (P. 94)

56. Kardec informs that serious spirits do not like to repeat, because our language to them is so slow that they avoid everything that seems useless. Already the lighthearted, the obsessors and the mockers are prolix. (P. 95)

57. The Revue copies a message from Hettani, who called itself a genius of flowers. St. Louis rectifies it in several points: the Spirit does not preside, particularly, to the formation of flowers. The elemental Spirit, before moving on to the animal series, directs its fluidic action to the creation of the plant; however, since it has not yet incarnated, it acts under the direction of other intelligences. (P. 99)

58. The Spirit that gives life to plants and flowers has no thought, no instinct - this is what St. Louis told Kardec. (P. 99)

59. The Spirit of Staël says: "If God has placed such a great need for happiness in our hearts, it must exist elsewhere". Yes, have faith in Him, but know that everything God promises must be divine like Him, and that the happiness you seek cannot be material". (P. 100)

60. Kardec announces the launching of the second edition of The Book of Spirits, which took place in March 1860, and was fully consolidated and considerably increased. (P. 100)

61. How can a Lower Spirit pretend to be a Higher Spirit and use its name? Kardec replies that God can allow this to occur to test our patience, our faith, our firmness in resisting temptation and to exercise our insight in distinguishing them. (P. 105)

62. We do not form a sect, nor a corporation, says Kardec. The roots of Spiritism are not in our society, but in the whole world. There is something more powerful than all societies: it is the Doctrine that goes to the heart and reason of those who understand it and, above all, those who practice it. (P. 107)

63. Kardec tells how the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies was formed: "I received in my house a small number of people; they thought the group grew and a larger place was needed. To be able to do this, each one of us would have to pay a contribution. They said more: we need order in the sessions; it is not acceptable that we take in the first one that arrives; we need rules. This is the story of how the Society was formed". (P. 107)

64. The more or less imposing form of language is not important, because impostors can adopt it. We proceed, says Kardec, from the principle that good Spirits advise only good, unity and harmony, and that their language is always simple, modest, full of benevolence, free from bitterness, arrogance and vanity, in a word, everything in them breathes the purest charity. This is the real criterion for judging them. (P. 109)

65. Jobard discusses the Theory of Planetary Incrustation, which explains why there are yellow, black, white, and red people on Earth. (P. 111)

66. Kardec says that such a theory has already been given by several Spirits, but he confesses that he is not a follower. (Editor’s Note: Emmanuel refers to the formation of the Earth in a very different way from the one proposed by the Incrustation Theory). (P. 112)

67. The Encoder says that God wants us to acquire knowledge through our work, and that He did not tell the Spirits to bring it ready. (P. 112)

68. The Spirits have two ways of teaching men: by communicating directly or incarnating for the performance of certain missions. (P. 113)

69. As long as the time has not yet come to spread certain ideas, it will be in vain that we will question the Spirits on the subject. (P. 113)

70. To separate the true from the false, to discover the trickery in the spiritual messages, is one of the greatest difficulties of the Spiritist Science. (P. 114)

71. Kardec says that the theory of the formation of the Earth by incrustation is not the only one given by the Spirits. Which one to believe? This proves that, outside of morals, the scientific theories of the Spirits should not be accepted. (P. 114)

72. It is necessary to examine them rationally. This was how the incarnation doctrine was adopted, not because it came from the Spirits, but because it was the only one that could solve all doubts. (P. 115)

73. According to the Theory of Incrustation, the Earth would be very ancient due to its parts and very new due to its agglomeration. (P. 116)

74. The Revue publishes a letter from Dr. Morhery about Miss Desiree Godu, a healing medium, who happened to live in his house and worked with him with his patients. (Pages 117 and 118)

75. Dr. Morhery promised to report his observations on the cures obtained by the medium and one can see in his letter that he was a follower of a medical practice different from that of the then-organic medicine, slave of the mineral pharmacology, which was so much abused. (P. 119)

76. "How much health is ruined by the use of mineral substances which, in case of shock, increase the disease and, in case of health improvement, often leave traces in our organism!" regretted Dr. Morhery. (Pages 119 and 120)

77. Dr. Morhery reports several cures obtained by Ms. Godu, among them that of Pierre Le Boudec, deaf for almost 18 years, who, after three days of treatment, could hear, in wonder, the birds singing. (P. 120)

78. When he wrote this, the psychic was taking care of Mr. Bigot for two and a half years. He had a cancer on his the lower lip, which had reached the last stage. His pains were atrocious; Bigot had not slept for six months; but from the first dressing of the wound he experienced relief, slept well, and ate, and his confidence was back, while the wound changed its appearance. (Articles 120 and 121) (Continued on next issue). 

Answers to the questions

A. Are there geniuses of flowers?
No. Saint Louis says that the Spirit does not preside, particularly, to the formation of flowers. The elemental Spirit, before moving on to the animal series, directs its fluidic action to plant creation, but since it has not yet incarnated, it acts under the direction of other intelligences. (Revue Spirite, p.99).

B. Is it possible for a Lower Spirit to pretend to be a Higher Spirit?
Yes. God can allow this to happen to test our patience, faith, and strength in resisting temptation and exercising our insight in distinguishing them. That is why the careful examination of all Spiritist communications is so important. (Ibid, p. 105).

C. How did the Parisian Society of Spiritist Studies begin?
It came about in an unplanned way. Kardec received in his house a small number of people. They thought the group grew and that a larger place was needed and that in order to have it, it would be necessary to pay a contribution. They said more: that it was necessary to have rules in the sessions, and that it was not possible to accept the first one that arrived and a regulation was necessary. This is the history of the Society, in the words of the Encoder himself. (Ibid, p. 107).

D. How to proceed before the scientific theories proposed by the Spirits?

The Encoder was quite clear on this point: outside of morals, the scientific theories of Spirits should not be accepted. We need to examine them rationally. This was how the Doctrine of Reincarnation was adopted, not because it came from the Spirits, but because it was the only one that could solve all doubts. (Ibid, pages 114 and 115).

Translation:
Eleni Frangatos - eleni.moreira@uol.com.br