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Welcome to the April edition of The Spiritist Radar!
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This month, we celebrate 168 years since the publication of The Spirits’ Book, the foundational text of Spiritism released by Allan Kardec on April 18, 1857. As we honor this milestone, we also look ahead—with exciting new podcasts, youth study initiatives, scholarly recognition of Kardec’s work, and beautiful examples of Spiritism in action.
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From the streets of Houston to university journals and family WhatsApp groups, Spiritism continues to inspire, inform, and uplift. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
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Let us know what’s on your radar—and happy anniversary to The Spirits’ Book!
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ON THE RADAR
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Quick News From Around the World
- Introducing Spirit, Mind & Meaning – a new podcast exploring the intersection of psychology and spirituality through a Spiritist lens. Produced in collaboration with international Spiritist organizations, the podcast launches with a special series on Kardec, Joanna de Angelis, and transpersonal psychology. Learn more and access the full series below!
- “Good News” Wins Silver Medal for Spirituality: The book Good News has just won a silver medal in the Spirituality category of the 2025 Illumination Book Awards! A wonderful recognition for this Spiritist classic written by the spirit Humberto de Campos through the mediumship of FC Xavier.
- SPIRITISMx 2024 Talks Now Online: The videos from SPIRITISMx 2024: All We Need is Love are now available to watch online. This inspiring event, featuring short, TED-style talks about Spiritism, was produced by our friends at the Kardec Group in the UK. Thoughtful, engaging, and easy to share.
- Kardec in Academia: A newly published article in History of Psychiatry takes a groundbreaking look at Allan Kardec’s life and scientific approach to spiritual experiences. It’s the first time, as far as we know, that a peer-reviewed international journal features both a biographical and methodological study of Kardec—a major milestone in bringing Spiritism into academic conversation. The article by Gulão Pimentel, Chaves Alberto, and Moreira-Almeida is entitled "Allan Kardec’s theories and methods to investigate the nature of psychical experiences."
- New Youth Spiritist Studies in the UK: The Solidarity Spiritist Society, in partnership with BUSS (the British Union of Spiritist Societies), is inviting families without access to a local Spiritist center to enroll their children in online Spiritist study sessions in English, led by young Spiritists. These weekly meetings, held via Google Meet, offer a welcoming space for youth to connect, reflect, and grow through Spiritism. If you know someone who might be interested, they can sign up here; participants will be added to a WhatsApp group with full details.
- You Can Now Listen to The Spiritist Radar: Do you prefer to listen to your news? Click here to listen to this edition in audio commentary, or subscribe to it at your favorite podcast platform.
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Do you also have news to share? Send it our way!
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SPIRITISTS IN ACTION
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Fraternity On the Streets - Houston
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One of the central teachings of Spiritism is that spiritual growth must lead to practical action, especially in service of others. As we deepen our understanding of immortality, fraternity, and the law of love, we are naturally called to turn our compassion outward—into our homes, communities, and streets. Fraternity on the Streets – Houston is an effort that captures this spirit.
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Launched in October 2023, this grassroots initiative began with a simple yet powerful idea: to distribute breakfast once a month to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Houston, TX. Fueled by humanistic values and the desire to serve, what started as a small monthly outreach has quickly grown into a dynamic community effort.
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Today, the project operates twice a month, supported by a WhatsApp group with nearly 60 volunteers, including participants from all three Spiritist centers in Houston, as well as Catholic and Evangelical friends. The collaboration across different faiths reflects the unifying message of Spiritism—that charity is love in action, and love knows no boundaries.
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More than just handing out food, the volunteers of Fraternity on the Streets seek to create moments of dignity, conversation, and human connection, bringing warmth not only through breakfast, but also through a spirit of solidarity.
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And the momentum continues to grow. Organizers are already considering ways to expand the effort further, responding to the needs of the community and the inner call to serve.
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As Spiritists, we often study profound ideas about life, the soul, and our purpose. Fraternity on the Streets – Houston reminds us that these ideas must find their expression in simple, consistent acts of kindness.
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For more information or to get involved, contact Rafael at +1 (936) 442-0197 or FOTSHOUSTON@gmail.com.
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NEW RESOURCES
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Spirit, Mind & Meaning Podcast
We’re excited to introduce Spirit, Mind & Meaning, a new podcast exploring the intersection of psychology and spirituality through a Spiritist lens.
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Produced in collaboration with the Spiritist Society of Bournemouth (UK), the Brazilian Spiritist Medical Association (AME-Brasil), and The Spiritist Institute (USA), the podcast brings together respected psychologists and Spiritist scholars to reflect on the inner world, personal transformation, and the deeper meaning of life.
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To launch the podcast, we’re featuring a special video and audio series titled “Kardec & de Angelis: Spiritism and Transpersonal Psychology.” This collection explores the teachings of Allan Kardec and Joanna de Angelis through the lens of transpersonal psychology. Originally delivered in Portuguese with simultaneous interpretation, the episodes you’ll find here are re-enacted English versions—created for clarity and accessibility, while preserving the original content.
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Whether you’re a student of Spiritism, psychology, or simply someone on a path of self-discovery, this series offers a rich and inspiring entry point into the connection between soul, psyche, and spiritual purpose.
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Listen
- NEW: Spirit, Mind & Meaning Podcast:
Watch
Let's Watch It Again:
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Spiritist Conversation #22 - How Did I End Up In This Family?
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EVENTS
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Coming Up in May:
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18th Spiritist Conference of Georgia
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Taking place May 17–18, 2025, in Mableton, GA, this annual event brings together guest speakers from around the U.S. and abroad to explore Spiritism’s message of love, charity, and forgiveness. Saturday’s sessions will be in English only, and Sunday’s will be held in Portuguese with simultaneous English translation. Proceeds will support local Spiritist initiatives, including Spiritist Radio and Fraternity on the Streets – Atlanta. Register here.
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Do you know of an event in which our readers would be interested? Let us know!
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THE SPIRITIST TIME MACHINE
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Tidbits of #SpiritualHistory for April
- April 1, 1858: The Parisian Society for Spiritist Studies, the first official Spiritist Society in the world, is founded by Allan Kardec in Paris on April 1, 1858. Its first location was at the Valois gallery at the centrally located Palais Royale. #OnThisDay #spiritualhistory #Spiritism
- April 2, 1910: The medium Francisco Cândido Xavier, who psychographed over 400 books during his lifetime, was born in Minas Gerais, Brazil. For a list of his books in English, please visit https://spiritistbooks.org/fcx #OnThisDay #spiritualhistory #Spiritism
- April 4, 1919: Famous scientist and psychic researcher Sir William Crookes discarnates #onthisday in 1919. He started as a skeptic but became a prominent advocate for the scientific investigation of spiritual and psychic phenomena. #spiritualhistory
- April 5, 1935: Ernest W. Oaten, British Spiritualist and a former president of the International Federation of Spiritualists, discarnates in Mumbles, UK. He was companion of Conan Doyle and played a significant role in the spiritualist movement during the early 20th century. #Spiritism
- April 10, 1885: Louis Alphonse Cahagnet, French magnetizer and pioneer of spirit communication investigations, he helped scientifically frame and shape the young spiritualist movement through works like "The Celestial Telegraph.",discarnates #OnThisDay. #SpiritualHistory #spiritualism
- April 10, 1901: Pierre-Gaëtan Leymarie, a French Spiritist who took over the leadership of the spiritist movement after Kardec's death and became the editor of the La Revue Spirite magazine, discarnates #OnThisDay in 1901.
- April 11, 1900: Adolfo Bezerra de Menezes Cavalcanti discarnates #OnThisDay in 1900. A beloved figure known as the Doctor of the Poor, he was president of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation on two occasions, and continues to work tirelessly in the Spirit world. #spiritualhistory
- April 15, 1908: Rufina Noeggerath, Belgian Spiritist philosopher and author, discarnates in Paris, France. Her book summarizes 25 years of experiences and observations on mediumship and boasts an introduction by Camille Flammarion. #OnThisDay #SpiritualHistory #Spiritism
- 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 copy at https://spiritistbooks.org/book-series/the-spiritist-codification/ #SpiritualHistory #Spiritism #OnThisDay
- April 15, 1865: Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the USA, discarnates in Washington, D.C. He held mediumship sessions at the White House and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln was deeply involved in spiritualism, especially after the death of their son Willie. #Spiritism #Spiritualism #OnThisDay
- 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 psychological insights. #OnThisDay #spiritualhistory #spiritism
- April 18, 1857: Allan Kardec publishes "The Spirits' Book" in Paris, which now marks the official launch of Spiritism -- a movement that has changed million of lives since its inception. Read The Spirits' Book here: https://spiritistbooks.org/book-author/allan-kardec/ #OnThisDay #Spiritism #spiritualhistory
- April 22, 1904: British physical effects medium Florence Cook discarnates in London #OnThisDay in 1904. Cook was known for the materialization of the spirit Katie King, studied and endorsed by scientist William Crookes. #spiritualhistory #mediumship
- 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. #OnThisDay #spiritualhistory
- 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". #OnThisDay #SpiritualHistory #Spiritism
- April 30, 1856: #OnThisDay in 1856, Allan Kardec receives the first spirit message that outlines the role he was to play in the creation of a new body of knowledge, Spiritism. #SpiritualHistory #Spiritism #mediumship
- April 30, 1854: Psychical researcher and Italy's director general of Public Health Dr. Rocco Santoliquiido is born in Florence in April 30, 1854. Santoliquido became the first president of the Institut Métapsychique International, founded in 1919 in Paris by Jean Meyer. #spiritualhistory #spiritualism #OnThisDay.
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We hope you enjoyed what's on our radar for this month.
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Do you have suggestions about what we should feature? Email us!
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The Spiritist Radar is a publication of The Spiritist Institute.
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