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April is a busy month: Easter is upon us, and we have much to celebrate in the Spiritist Community!
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This is the perfect time to reflect on the incredible personal example of Jesus Christ, the greatest spirit ever to grace the Earth, and his enduring legacy of spirituality. While many take the opportunity to reflect on the resurrection of His physical body, we invite everyone to go deeper and consider how we will also resurrect the incredible code of ethics He lived by and the beauty of the teachings He left us: that we are spiritual beings created by a just and good God; that we will continue to live after the death of our physical body; and that what we are and who we love will never cease to be.
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Much the same way we reincarnate as many times as it is necessary for us to evolve, these ideas come back to us through Spiritism to remind us to return to the essence of His teachings -- and set aside everything that divides us, created by men over the times.
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So, with Easter, let our hopes and optimism also rise as we take to our hearts and minds the true principles of tolerance, fraternity, and collaboration that will set us free from these difficult times and pave the way for better days to come.
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To that end, we have created an edition filled with Spiritist history and resources as the resurrection of Christ and the creation of Spiritism align in this month of March. We hope you enjoy it!
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In this edition of The Spiritist Radar:
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- Spotlight On: The Spirits' Book!
- Featured Resources:
- 21 great videos by the Spiritist Academy
- 15 years of The Spiritist Magazine
- Books and More Books:
- Book of the Month: Our Daily Bread, by Emmanuel
- Free books by BUSS
- NEW: Spiritist Trivia!
- The Spiritist Time Machine: April
- Events:
- Save the date: US Spiritist Symposium on September 30
- Spiritist Groups: we celebrate Spiritist groups everywhere
- The Parisian Society for Spiritist Studies: founded in 1858
- Love & Light Spiritist Group of New Jersey celebrates 30 years!
- Quick Blurbs
- Giving Back: Volunteer with us!
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Read it in order, or jump ahead to the section you want.
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SPOTLIGHT ON: THE SPIRITS' BOOK
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One hundred and sixty-six years ago, “The Spirits’ Book” was presented to the public for the first time on April 18th, 1857.
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The date has become forever entrenched in the minds and hearts of Spiritists everywhere and has also served as the official start of Spiritism -- this incredible body of knowledge that has revolutionized our thinking about life and spirituality.
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We do not know if all who gathered at the Dentu bookstore at the Palais Royale that day to celebrate the new book had any idea how impactful it would become in the decades and centuries to come. What we do know is that its first edition contained only 501 items, substantially less than the 1019 questions we find in the second edition brought forward by Allan Kardec in March of 1860 -- and which we now hold as final. Like everything else, it too was to evolve with time...
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More importantly, The Spirits' Book remains the cornerstone of Spiritism -- and all of Kardec's future works. Its four parts (Primary Causes, The Spiritual World, Moral Laws, Hopes and Solaces) foreshadowed the first four books of the Spiritist Codification (The Spirits' Book, The Medium's Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism, and Heaven and Hell) and continue to serve as a reminder of the practical wisdom of starting with facts (Science) before proceeding to interpretation (Philosophy) ahead of application (Ethics/Religion) into everyday life.
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No matter how deep you dive into the beautiful spiritual wisdom contained in the book that started Spiritism, you are sure to find answers to timeless questions we all ask ourselves: what are we, where did we come from and where will we go after we die, why are we on earth, and when will find lasting happiness.
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FEATURED RESOURCES
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Resources and tools worth a look at this month:
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Spiritist Academy
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Have you watched the Spiritist Academy videos our friends at iSpirit.us have created?
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These beautifully made, short, explanatory videos are aimed at communicating key Spiritist concepts to diverse audiences.
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So far, there are 21 of them. They range from foundational concepts such as "What is God?" and "Spirit and Matter" to more complex ideas such as "The Vital Principle" and "The Origin and Nature of Spirits." More will come in the future. With texts taken straight out of The Spirits' Book, these short videos are sure to captivate you!
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The Spiritist Magazine Celebrates 15 Years
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Inspired by Allan Kardec's Revue Spirite, The Spiritist Magazine has been publishing articles that bring the Spiritist perspective to the world's current challenges for the past 15 years. Now in its 61st edition, you can download a free PDF copy or purchase a print edition today. Congratulations to The Spiritist Magazine team!
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Our Daily Bread
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Our Daily Bread is an inspiring book with short spirit messages and explanations of biblical passages that are sure to brighten your day.
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Winner of the Bronze medal at the Illumination Book Awards, this gem of light by the spirit Emmanuel through the mediumship of FC Xavier is a great companion for times of angst, suffering, gratitude, or prayer. Open it at random for an uplifting message whenever you need it!
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Available titles include:
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- Christian Agenda, Thought and Life, and Astral City ("Nosso Lar") by Francisco Xavier
- Suicide - All You Need to Know by Richard Simonetti
- Spiritual Help Through Healing by Marta Antunes, Elsa Rossi, et al
- Chico Xavier, Medium of the Century by Guy Lyon Playfair
- Science and Spirit by Hernani Guimarães
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To qualify for this incentive, you must be in the UK. Email treasury@buss.org.uk for more information -- and do it quickly, as quantities are limited!
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SPIRITIST TRIVIA!
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Win a copy of our book of the month, Our Daily Bread, by being the first to reply with the correct answer to this month's Spiritist Trivia:
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What is the only book of the Spiritist Codification not mentioned in this email?
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THE SPIRITIST TIME MACHINE
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This month we are ordering events by day of the month instead of years. Let us know what you like best!
- April 1, 1858: The Parisian Society for Spiritist Studies, the first official Spiritist Society in the world, is founded by Allan Kardec in Paris.
- April 2, 1910: The Spiritist medium Francisco Cândido Xavier, who psychographed over 400 books during his lifetime, was born in Minas Gerais, Brazil. (Click here for a list of his books in English)
- April 10, 1885: Louis Alphonse Cahagnet, French magnetizer and pioneer of spirit communication investigations, discarnates #OnThisDay.
- April 10, 1885: Pierre-Gaëtan Leymarie, who became the editor of the La Revue Spirite magazine after Kardec's passing, discarnates.
- April 11, 1900: Adolfo Bezerra de Menezes Cavalcanti discarnates in Brazil. A beloved figure known as the Doctor of the Poor, he was president of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation in two different occasions. (Find his books here)
- April 12, 1927: French Spiritist author and philosopher Léon Denis discarnates. (Find his books here)
- April 15, 1821: Rufina Noeggerath, Belgian Spiritist philosopher and author, is born. Her book summarizes 25 years of experiences and observations on mediumship and boasts an introduction by Camille Flammarion.
- April 15, 1864: Allan Kardec publishes "The Imitation of the Gospel" in Paris, which becomes "The Gospel According to Spiritism" in its improved 2nd edition in 1865. Download a free copy here.
- April 15, 1865: Abraham Lincoln, American president and Spiritualist who held séances at the White House, discarnates in Washington, DC.
- April 17, 1695: Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz, Mexican poet, scholar, and nun, discarnates in Mexico City while nursing fellow nuns during an epidemic. She is the previous incarnation of Joanna de Angelis, the spirit author known for her great psychological insights.
- April 18, 1857: Allan Kardec publishes "The Spirits' Book" in Paris, which now marks the official launch of Spiritism -- a movement that has changed millions of lives since its inception.
- April 22, 1904: British physical effects medium Florence Cook discarnates in London. Cook was known for the materialization of the spirit Katie King, studied and endorsed by scientist and Nobel prize winner William Crookes.
- April 25, 1882: German astrophysicist and psychical researcher Johann Carl Friedrich Zöllner discarnates in Leipzig, Germany. Zöllner first became interested in Spiritualism in 1875 when he visited the scientist William Crookes in England.
- April 29, 1909: Spanish medium and author Amália Domingo Soler discarnates in Barcelona, Spain. She is remembered for her book "Memories of Father Germano," and also founded and edited a spiritist weekly, "La Luz del Porvenir."
- April 30, 1854: Psychical researcher and Italy's director general of Public Health, Dr. Rocco Santoliquido, is born in Florence on April 30, 1854. Santoliquido became the first president of the Institut Métapsychique International, founded in 1919 in Paris by Jean Meyer.
- April 30, 1865: Allan Kardec receives the first spirit message that outlines the role he was to play in the creation of Spiritism.
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17th Spiritist Symposium
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The 17th US Spiritist Symposium will be held in Portland, Oregon. This year's theme: The Spiritual Path to Mental Balance. Save the date!
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SPIRITIST GROUPS
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News and celebrations by Spiritist groups everywhere:
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The Parisian Society for Spiritist Studies: Founded in 1858
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The Parisian Society for Spiritist Studies (Société Parisienne des Études Spirites) was founded by Allan Kardec and others in Paris on April 1, 1858. At a time when public gatherings were strictly regulated in France, the society was officially authorized 12 days later, on April 13, by the Mayor of the Police of Paris, as required then.
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Photo of the Galerie de Valois at the Palais Royale taken in 2012.
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In honor of the Société Parisienne des Études Spirites, we are starting a new section of The Spiritist Radar highlighting news and celebrations from Spiritist groups throughout the globe. Send us yours!
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Love & Light Spiritist Group in New Jersey Celebrates 30 Years!
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The Love & Light Spiritist Group in Newark, NJ (USA) celebrated over 30 years of fraternity, peace, and charity. The weekend celebration included a workshop called "Let's Serve the Good" plus a talk by Sonia Doi and a festive lunch with live music!
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Quick updates worth keeping in mind:
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GIVING BACK
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Volunteers Needed!
We are working hard at The Spiritist Institute to bring you great content and helpful resources. And we can always use your help!
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We are looking for helpers to join our team of volunteers and assist us with some of our projects:
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- SpiritistBooks.Org - we are looking for one volunteer to help us update and maintain our list of Spiritist books available in English. Are you a good digital Sherlock Holmes? Are you able to search the web and good information? Then this opportunity may be for you! (Expected workload: 2-3 hours a month)
- Spiritist Day of Service - we need volunteers to help us coordinate the second edition of the Spiritist Day of Service (our movement to promote community service) to happen in early December. (Shhhhh! We haven't told anyone yet! 😉) Do you like connecting with others and communicating clearly via email, social media, or over the phone? Then we could use your help! (Expected workload: 20-40 hours from August to December)
- Books For All - we are searching for volunteers who can help us find and contact public libraries in the US and the UK that are willing to add Spiritist books to their collections. If books are your passion, you could be the one to help us reach our goal of donating a set of books to 100 libraries by 2025! (Expected workload: 2-5 hours a month)
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Are you willing and able to lend a hand?
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We would love to have you join our team of volunteers!
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Reply to this email to contact us.
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We hope you enjoyed what's on our radar for this month.
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Email us with suggestions about what we should feature and
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The Spiritist Radar is a publication of The Spiritist Institute.
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