Spiritism and carnival
Carnival is a
festival of
pagan origin,
which was
officially
recognized
by the Catholic
Church for
political
reasons, and it
remains strong
today in our
country,
enjoying the
acceptance of a
large portion of
the population
Every year in
February or
March its
carnival time
comes to us, so
let’s talk a
little bit about
it.
Historians are
not sure as to
when carnival
celebrations
started, the
scholars say
that the
beginning was
around 4000 BC,
when agrarian
cults were
created in
Egypt. At that
time, people
danced with
masks and props
around bonfires.
Some time later
came the pagan
carnival, which
begins in the
VII century BC
in Greece. In
the reign of
Peisistratos
was the official
cult of
Dionysus, where
peasants and
farmers attended
processions
taking the image
of the god
Dionysus on
boats with
wheels, called
carrum navalis.
At that time the
society is
already divided,
slave to one
side, nobility
to another, the
heavy hierarchy
shows the
discriminatory
aspect of the
human being.
Beverages,
orgies, sex and
permissiveness
gain more and
more space in
that primitive
carnival.
And so goes
humanity. A few
more centuries
go by and the
Catholic Church
decided to
officialise
carnival, in 590
AD, tired of
seeing their
intentions to
ban the pagan
cults fail
because they
were already
established by
the custom of
the people. The
cradle of this
carnival are in
the cities of
Venice and Nice,
then the
carnival starts
to make a design
more similar to
the present
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day when
floats,
fancy
dress
and
masked
people
begin to
participate
in the
now
traditional
parade. |
The church found
libertine and
hedonism of the
pagan carnival
rooted in the
culture of the
people. Even
after the church
officialised
carnival, many
Christians
fought it,
including Pope
Innocent II
(1130-1140),
which was
against the
ideas carnival.
The Church and
the State tried
to fight the
feudal character
of the libertine
carnival and put
some solemnity
in parades,
however, the
attempt was
frustrating
because the
people responded
in a ironic way,
worrying too
little about the
prohibitions of
moral character.
There is a
paradigm that
insists on
saying that the
carnival and the
tiny costumes
are somewhat
necessary to our
culture
And we got to
today, where
carnival,
especially in
our country, has
earned status of
major industry,
one of the
largest
spreaders of our
culture, thus
promoting the
country to the
level of "The
Country of the
carnival."
Yes, dear
reader, the
carnival is an
industry that
provides
thousands of
direct and
indirect jobs,
our economy
moves, improves
tourism,
increase the
sales in the
beverage
industries...
It is a festival
of pagan origin
and that for
political
reasons has been
brought to
Christianity.
And yet, for
political
reasons, it
remains today
strong in our
country,
enjoying the
acceptance of a
large portion of
the population.
Some say it is a
necessity of the
Brazilian
people, a
suffered and
hard working
people, which
therefore should
enjoy with no
limits so they
forget their
problems and
celebrate ...
and the carnival
is the so
expected gift.
For some days
the people
forget their
difficulties,
their obstacles
of
relationships,
the financial
crunch. These
are moments of
freedom for all
citizens. After
all in the
avenue, rich and
poor are in
perfect sync.
Blacks, whites,
mulattoes feel
they are part of
the same family.
It is the dream
of equality.
Equality so
desired by
discriminated
black people in
our country,
equality that
the poor people
want, equality
that women dream
about...
However, in my
opinion,
carnival only
sells illusion!
There is a
paradigm that
insists on
saying that the
carnival, the
avenue and the
tiny costumes
are somewhat
necessary to our
culture. As if
in Brazil, that
immeasurable
multitude of
values, people,
skills, regions,
customs,
remained hostage
to carnival
celebrations to
be better,
happier and
stronger.
It’s an illusion
to judge that we
will be more or
less happy as a
result of
carnival
celebrations
Unfortunately,
some Brazilians
do not
understand the
greatness of our
country and
limited it to
carnival and
football.
We need to break
this idea that
Brazil is only a
country of
carnival and
football. Brazil
may be the
country with
honesty,
culture,
education,
health and
technology. It
only depends on
us, a mass
awareness of the
need to break
the sameness.
Brazil is the
country where
there is the
largest and most
advanced network
human milk
uptake.
Brazil is a
leading example
in combating
AIDS.
We are the only
country in the
southern
hemisphere to
participate in
the genome
project.
Our electoral
process is all
computerized,
making record
time in the
outcome of
elections in a
country of
continental
dimensions.
Our Internet
accounts for 40%
of the Latin
American market.
We are the
second largest
market for
executive jets
and helicopters.
All these
statistics and
many more not
listed here are
other reasons of
pride for our
country, because
they show that
we are actually
much more than
just the country
of carnival and
football.
Also I would not
blame those who
are pleased with
carnival
celebrations of
King Momo*, each
one knows how to
enjoy life,
however, I just
want to present
another point of
the matter.
It is an
illusion to
judge that we
will be more or
less happy as a
result of
carnival
celebrations. It
is illusory to
consider that a
few days of
revelry will
compensate the
Brazilian people
for lacking
education,
health, leisure
and quality of
access to
culture.
The carnival
sells the
illusion that
those days will
never end, that
they are
timeless, so now
carnival starts
before the
official date
and extend it
after its
official end.
It sells the
illusion that
life is to take
drugs with
exaggerations,
spending
sleepless nights
drinking, where
often sex
without
commitment to
the heart is the
norm.
Many people get
inspiration for
their grotesque
expressions
during visits to
lower regions of
the spiritual
world
Few are the
spiritual works
that focus in
depth the issue
of the carnival
and its ills.
One of them is
the book The
Frontiers of
Folly, written
in 1982 by
Manoel de
Miranda
Philomena
(Spirit), by the
mediumship of
Divaldo P.
Franco.
The excerpt
below, (from the
cap. 6, pp. 51
to 53), in the
book mentioned,
shows a facet of
the carnival in
Rio de Janeiro,
a party talked
extensively
through the
media,
especially the
Globo Television
Network.
In the days of
carnival -
Philomena
reports - the,
regurgitating
city, was a
pandemonium.
Crowd of
spirits, which
are mixed with
the sluggish
humans’
excitation of
their senses,
dominating the
landscape of
dark avenues,
streets and
squares, the
lighting,
although fairy,
I could not win
the psycho
sphere loaded
with low
vibration.
Groups of masked
people were lead
by frenetic mass
of voluptuous
spirits, as they
performed sexual
malpractices and
regrettable
orgies,
inconceivable
from an earthly
point of view.
Some entities
attacked the
burlesque
passers-by
trying to hurt
them with their
harmful
inductions.
Other sought
potential
victims to
incline them out
of balance,
initiating
wicked processes
of long lasting
obsessions.
Many people in
costumes had
received
inspiration for
their grotesque
expressions
during visits to
lower regions of
the spiritual
world.
Indeed, the
incursion to
places of
despair and
madness is very
common to people
who link up, by
invisible
threads of
thought, to
spirits living
there, on
account of their
preferences they
receive and
pleasure they
provide in the
intimate world.
The succession
of scenes, some
depressing,
others wild,
were
embarrassing,
which Dr.
Bezerra de
Menezes gave the
following
comment: "Great,
expressive range
of humanity on
earth moves
between the
limits of
instinct and the
prodromal of
reason, more
eager to
feelings of
anxiety than to
the higher
emotions. Its
natural to
allow, in these
days the
repressed
excesses
throughout the
year, tuned with
entities in the
same frequency
as them. It is
unfortunate,
however, that
many were
present
themselves in
normal days, as
disciples of
Jesus,
preferring now
Bacchus and his
advisers of the
orgy over the
Loving Friend
... "
Charity is all
about enjoying
life, getting
rid of the
influence of
less happy
spirits
Freedom gets
confused with
libertine vices,
when you can do
anything,
everything is
fine and the
vibe is high. We
promote in
ourselves mental
and physical
disorders, which
over the years
have been
undermining our
physical
strength and
committing us
spiritually,
because in-tune
with spirits
that keep
affinity with
those ideals of
profligacy. The
result is not
difficult to
predict, these
spirits exert
harmful
influence on us
and ultimately
maximize
increasingly our
less happy
tendencies.
If you do not
fight to free
yourself from
these chains of
madness, we are
easily
manipulated by
those discarnate
spirits, which I
emphasize dear
reader, can
influence only
because we leave
the door open
when we delight
with the
decadence and
vice.
In particular,
to avoid the
influence of
unhappy spirits,
is mister to
observe the
sublime phrase
coined by Allan
Kardec:
"Out of charity
and love there
is no
salvation."
The friend
reader may ask:
- But what
charity has to
do with
carnival, the
influence of
less adjusted
spirits and
enjoying life?
The charity,
dear reader, is
all about
enjoying life
getting rid of
the influence of
less happy
spirits that
stimulate our
fall in excesses
of all natures.
The charity that
we do to
ourselves frees
us of the vices,
of excesses, of
the useless
nights out, when
we bash our
physical body to
the pretext of
pleasure.
Where many
misjudge the
best way to
enjoy life,
which should be
to enjoy your
moments with the
best of
pleasures: the
conscience in
peace with the
certainty that
we did the best
for ourselves
and for our
next.
Charity also
allows us to see
the virtues and
abilities of our
people, and not
reducing our
potential to
only the country
of carnival and
football.
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