Arriving for the first time at a centro espírita usually comes with a silly and legitimate doubt: will I get something wrong? There is no secret protocol, no one will call you to the microphone, and you do not need to declare yourself a Spiritist to enter.
This guide describes the entire night, from the reception to the exit. It also answers what to wear, what to bring, why nothing is charged, and what separates a Spiritist house from a terreiro de Umbanda.
What is a centro espírita
Centro espírita is the entity that studies and practices the Spiritist Doctrine, codified in the works of Allan Kardec. You will also hear Spiritist house, Spiritist group, Spiritist society, and Spiritist fraternity, which all mean the same thing.
Notice what does not exist there. There is no clergy, no priestly hierarchy, no sacrament, and no baptism. The activities are coordinated by volunteer workers, and no one receives payment, including speakers and mediums.
Most houses maintain some fixed fronts: public lecture, spiritual care, systematized study of the doctrine, children's evangelization, and social assistance. Large houses add a bookstore, library, and mediumship education courses.
Not every house has all these fronts. A small house usually maintains the lecture, the passe, children's evangelization, and a study group, and that is enough to function.
The night, from beginning to end
The public meeting is the entry point and the only activity you can simply attend, without registration or invitation. The sequence varies little from house to house.
- Reception. Arrive ten to fifteen minutes early. A worker receives you, explains the dynamics and, if it is your first time, offers the fraternal service.
- Opening prayer. A worker opens the meeting with a short and spontaneous prayer. No one is forced to pray out loud.
- Reading of the Gospel. A passage from The Gospel according to Spiritism is read, with a brief commentary. It is the same practice that many people repeat at home in the gospel at home.
- Lecture. A doctrinal exposition of forty to sixty minutes, with a theme announced beforehand.
- Preparatory prayer. Precedes the spiritual pass, often with soft music in the background.
- Spiritual pass. Imposition of hands that lasts from one to three minutes per person, in silence. Details in spiritist spiritual pass.
- Fluidified water. Distributed in a cup at the end. You can bring an empty bottle from home if you want to take some. The theme has its own article in fluidified water.
- Closing prayer. The meeting closes and people leave. No money basket is passed between the rows.
The entire night lasts from one hour to one hour and a half.
There is also the mediumistic meeting, which is closed. It takes place behind closed doors, with a reduced number of previously indicated participants, and serves the assistance of suffering spirits. This is not elitism, it is method: the ritual work requires silence and harmony, and an audience interferes. The subject is detailed in disobsession.
How much it costs: nothing
Here is the point that generates the most doubt. Spiritual pass, lecture, fraternal service, fluidified water, children's evangelization, study and obsession removal meeting are free.
This is not a policy of one house or another. It is a doctrinal principle, supported by the evangelical maxim that Kardec treated as a norm of mediumship practice.
Give freely what you received freely. The rule applies to the passe, to mediumship, and also to the dissemination of the doctrine, to the point that the spiritist movement considers the figure of the spiritist professional inadmissible.
Some things can exist without violating the principle:
- Fixed box for voluntary and anonymous donations, without a suggested value
- Optional monthly fee for those who choose to become members
- Bookstore selling books at cover price
- Bazaar or charity lunch for house fundraising
What triggers the alert is something else: a set price for a passe or consultation, a contribution charged at the entrance, a package of sessions, or any sale of spiritual ritual work.
What to wear and what to bring
There is no uniform, and white is not required. Common, discreet, and comfortable clothing works. Some houses suggest light colors due to symbolic custom, without forcing anyone.
The recommendation circulating in the spiritist press is one of sobriety. An article signed by Jorge Hessen in the magazine O Consolador advocates avoiding shorts, bermudas, low-cut tops, and short skirts, reminding that the spiritist house is not a place for display.
Regarding what to bring, the answer is simple: nothing is necessary. An empty bottle serves if you want to bring water from home. A notebook helps if the visit is for a study group.
It is also worth knowing what is not taken. Spiritist liturgy does not use offering, candle, flower, ritual food, statue, or bead necklace. None of these have a function there.
In the hall, the agreement is silence, cell phones on silent mode, and no photography or filming. No one needs to introduce themselves and no one is forced to receive a spiritual pass.
What the spiritist center does not do
A large part of the frustration of those visiting for the first time comes from misplaced expectations. It is worth stating clearly what does not happen in a spiritist house.
- No future predictions are made. There is no cowrie-shell divination, card reading, or consultation with an oracle.
- No ritual work is done for third parties. No one orders anything in the name of another person.
- No healing is promised. Spiritual pass and fluidified water are complements, not treatment.
- Never replace a doctor. Illness requires medical follow-up, medication requires a prescription, and psychic suffering requires a mental health professional.
The fraternal service also deserves a clarification. It is a private and confidential conversation with a guiding worker, in the light of the doctrine. It is not a consultation, it is not psychotherapy, and it is not professional counseling.
Spiritist center and Umbanda terreiro: the differences
The confusion between the two things has historical roots. The term Kardecism was born precisely from the need to distinguish Kardecist Spiritism from Afro-Brazilian cults. Umbanda, persecuted for decades, even presented itself as spiritist to obtain some legal protection.
| Aspect | Spiritist Center | Umbanda terreiro |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Allan Kardec Codification | Brazilian oral tradition |
| Ritual | Prayer, reading, lecture and spiritual pass | Gira with curimba, atabaque and smoke cleansing |
| Symbols | Hall without images | Congá, statues, bead necklaces |
| Mediumship | Psychophony for collective message | Spirit incorporation for consultation |
| Clothing | Common and discreet | Ritual white, in many houses |
| Offering | Does not exist | Exists, with its own foundation |
They are two legitimate religions, with their own paths. Whoever wants to understand how the other side works finds the complete guide in what is umbanda gira.
Frequently asked questions
Does the spiritist center charge anything?
No. Spiritual pass, lecture, fraternal service, fluidified water, study and children's evangelization are free by doctrinal principle. The house sustains itself with voluntary donations, optional monthly fees from members and voluntary work. Charging for a spiritual pass or consultation is not a spiritist practice.
Do I need to be a spiritist to attend?
No. The public meeting is open to anyone, of any religion or none. You can watch the lecture, receive a spiritual pass and leave without declaring anything. You also do not need to register, give notice beforehand or talk to anyone if you do not want to.
What clothes should I wear to the spiritist center?
Common, discreet and comfortable clothes. There is no uniform and white is not required, contrary to what happens in many terreiros. Some houses suggest a light color by custom, without forcing. The general guidance that circulates in the spiritist press is one of sobriety.
Can I bring my child?
Yes. Most houses maintain youth evangelization at the same time as the adults' lecture, divided by age group, generally starting from four years old. The classes work on moral values and stories from the Gospel in child-friendly language, and are free like everything else.
Can anyone attend the mediumship meeting?
No. The mediumship meeting is closed, weekly, with a reduced number of previously indicated participants. The ritual work requires silence and concentration, so it does not receive visitors or an audience. Those who attend the house and develop mediumship enter by indication, after study.
Where to find Spiritist literature
The Spiritist center does not sell anything, but studying at home requires books. At Joia Mística Laroyê, you find:
- Basic works by Allan Kardec: the complete codification, including The Spirits' Book
- Books psychographed by Chico Xavier: including the novels of André Luiz
- The Gospel according to Spiritism: in pocket and desk editions, for home worship
- Children's evangelization books: stories from the Gospel in language for children
Visit our shop in Extrema, Minas Gerais or call on WhatsApp with delivery to all of Brazil. To find a Spiritist house near you, the Spiritist federation of your state maintains the list of affiliated centers.
References
- Wikipedia: entry Spiritist center, with the definition and the list of the house's activities
- Wikipedia: Spiritism entry, with the principle of free service and the origin of the term Kardecism
- União Espírita Mineira: page about fluidifying waters, which describes water as a complement to the spiritual pass
- Hessen, Jorge, in the magazine O Consolador: signed article about the appropriate clothing for going to the Spiritist center
