NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER 2022 40 TH ANNIVERSARY of the SS of FL (1982-2022) OUR 40 TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY Written by Yvonne Crespo Limoges Established in 1982, it’s been 40 years now and if it wasn’t for my father, Edgar Crespo, and my mother Yolanda being supportive, we may not exist. He taught his children about Spiritism and as time went on, included in our meetings were other interested family members and close friends, and later we expanded by word of mouth. Originally, our meetings were held in my parents’ home. During this time, we had visitors such as internationally famous medium Franco Divaldo and President of Allan Kardec Educational Society Dr. John Zerio. In addition, Janet Duncan from London, Spiritist pioneer in the dissemination of Spiritism in England and Europe. Later, we visited and spoke with her group there. A true spiritual brother Antonio Leite, and his wife Marcia from NYC, visited us here and we visited their group. Also, we worked as editors for the online Advanced Study Group of Spiritism. For many years now we rent space to meet at a similarly spiritual-minded church (the original reverend attended our group). At times, my father and I taught about Spiritism there, most recently this year. Our group has been very blessed to have a place to meet and have a good relationship. Through the years, many people have come and gone, taking what they need and making their own contributions to our group. Our mediums have practiced with dedication, seriousness of purpose and consider their service a sacred trust. Members have enhanced our group in many ways, helping us to continue forward as a harmonious whole. As director, I am extremely proud of and grateful to all who have attended and currently attend! Besides spirit counsel, members participate, share, discuss and enlighten one another in fraternal cooperation. Also, we work in partnership with the spirit world (especially the mediums) in our ongoing moral and spiritual education. 2 Spiritist Society of Florida, November Newsletter 2022 We continue to meet in sincere good faith, always sitting in God’s name: - To show our love for the Creator - To educate ourselves regarding morality, especially as taught by Jesus - To learn, understand and discuss about psychic/spiritual realities and the Divine laws - To understand our true purpose on earth - To receive spiritual blessings - To understand our moral responsibilities in order to fulfill all our duties on earth - To learn to put into practice what we learn - To help and educate troubled spirits that are brought to us from the spirit world - To receive spiritual nourishment, solace and moral courage to sustain our selves during the trials and tests of our lives; and much, much more. My father Edgar Crespo, many members and I, during all these years have written a myriad of articles published in our own newsletter, and, in many other Spiritist, Spiritualist, metaphysical, and paranormal publications. The advent of email facilitated ours being sent around the world to various countries. We have also lectured in the US and many other countries and have fraternally corresponded with many like-minded individuals around the world. Finally, no matter our imperfections and shortcomings (especially my own, as director), our spirit guides continue to be loving, patient and have continued to guide us. We are ever so grateful and thankful for their support and assistance, and, especially to God above all else. May we always strive hard to be worthy of their protection and good counsel! May God bless us going forward! CRESPO FAMILY - SPIRITIST HERITAGE: The 1930s: The Crespo family has a long Spiritist heritage. My father’s parents attended the Center for the Liberty of Spiritism [Centro Libertad del Espiritismo] established in 1933 in NYC. My grandmother Angelica served as an unconscious medium, my grandfather Augusto Crespo was Treasurer and my father attended as a child. Mrs. Pilar Perez was the longtime Director and a medium. The Center owned a building, held several different mediums classes and a class for children, as well numerous types of Spiritist meetings. When my father was older and started his mediumship, he attended the mediums’ classes. Members are pictured below, and on the lower front right - my grandparents and their daughter (my aunt) Angelica Myrna Masiar (with the little girl). My father is in upper left in Children’s Class: 3 Spiritist Society of Florida, November Newsletter 2022 RELATIVES IN PUERTO RICO JUAN RAMON CRESPO (1854-1918) Early 1900s: The Crespo family were immigrants from Spain and Italy, on maternal side French. Above a hand sketch drawing of my great-great grandfather Juan Ramon Crespo who was a poet, writer, medium and Spiritist pioneer born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. He worked for the government as a secretary of the Court. While Puerto Rico was still under Spain’s rule, my grandfather Augusto told me that he was jailed a few times for practicing Spiritism because it was illegal as Spain’s state religion was Catholicism. In the Jan. 27th, 1979 local newspaper, The Lighthouse (El Faro) it states he was the “Illustrious Poet of Cabo Rojo.” Dr. Ibern Fleytas wrote in his 1960 book History of Cabo Rojo that, “The courage and strength of character as well as the philanthropy of this man can hardly be described…” Juan Ramon Crespo “was a man of privileged intelligence…handling the pen in prose or verse, he demonstrated his knowledge and feelings.” In Feb.7 th ,1903 in The Iris of Peace, magazine of Psychological Studies (Iris de Paz, Revista de Estudios Psicologicos), it stated he was elected Committee President for the Union of Puerto Rican Spiritists; its purpose to disseminate Spiritism throughout the island. He was co-founder and President of the Love of Goodness (Amor al Buen) Spiritist Center established in 1903 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. In 2008, below I am in front of that Spiritist Center (closed that day); founding date shown. My mother Yolanda, my son Michael, my father’s sister Myrna Crespo Masiar and her daughter Joan Shaw and I were attending a Spiritist Congress that year in San Juan. We met the current Center President Dr. Acaron and some current members at the Congress dinner. They seemed very pleased to meet their founder’s relatives and we felt a wonderful connection to our past Spiritist heritage! My siblings and I have passed on the teachings of Spiritism to our children and grandchildren. Many are very active. It will be up to them if they continue to carry the torch of practicing and working in the field of Spiritism, especially its dissemination, into the future. 4 Spiritist Society of Florida, November Newsletter 2022 FAMILY LEGACY OF TRANSLATIONS Spiritist books in English were hard to come by or non-existent when I was growing up. In my early teens, I read them mostly in Spanish. So, my father and I translating articles, but also decided to translate important Spiritist classic books from Spain (listed below) into English for the benefit of English speakers towards the spreading of spirit teachings and the Spiritist Doctrine. In 2006, my father Edgar Crespo published, Amalia Domingo Soler’s - Memoirs of Father Germain – A Spirit Tells the True-Life Story of His Last Existence. In 2007, he published Spiritist medium Miguel Vives’ – A Practical Guide for the Spiritist. I lead a group translation project for Latin American clinical psychologist and Spiritist Jon Aizpurua’s- Fundamentals of Spiritism – The Soul, the Afterlife, Psychic Abilities, Mediumship, and Reincarnation and how these influence our lives - published in 2013. Finally, I translated and published this year in 2022, Amalia Domingo Soler’s – Acts that Prove - Causes of Human Suffering from the Perspective of Reincarnation (originally entitled Hechos que Prueban), a series of spirit communications with true stories of reincarnation, and commentary by Ms. Soler. **** In conclusion, all our members have worked in the field of Spiritism in their own way and we have humbly done our best in its practice and in its dissemination. We hope are our efforts have provided at least some solace, resignation and hope. SPIRITIST GROUPS: LIKE ATTRACTS LIKE Inspirationally received by Yvonne Crespo Limoges If we attend a Spiritist group, especially one we feel comfortable in, it is not by accident. It is time in this lifetime for us to learn certain spiritual realities, moral laws and how to put them into practice as much as we can. We asked for this privilege while in the spirit world prior to incarnating. So, what should we do with this opportunity? We should seriously be earnest (because not everyone has access to what we have) and sincerely listen, read, investigate, question, analyze, ponder and use our reason to come to some conclusions about what we are being exposed to, and how it relates to us personally and what use we can make of it to better ourselves. These teachings are to understand life as it truly is, and to learn how we should behave in order to progress, so we suffer less. We should try to be participative as this helps us and others in the group. God and the superior spirits know our true capabilities and our intentions. What efforts a group makes is proportionate to what they receive, especially from the spirit world. It is the law of attraction at work. A Spiritist group works in conjunction with spirits and this is known; it is a material-spiritual partnership. What types of spirits should the group attract and partner with? Well, hopefully good, loving and intelligent ones that deal with serious matters and which will teach important moral and spiritual lessons. How are they attracted? By the sincerity, seriousness and focus of a group’s sincere intentions. If lacking, if members just attend casually or out-of-habit without feeling or inner purpose, what quality and moral level of spirits do they actually deserve? Also, members should always have an awareness that there exist spirits of ill intent that try to dissolve Spiritist groups. Let every member of a Spiritist group contemplate on the above (more so teachers, directors, leaders, etc.). Everyone receives what they attract and deserve. ****** Until next year, Happy Holidays and God bless all in the New Year! *************************************** Edited by Yvonne Crespo Limoges, Director E-mail: ylimoges@aol.com Spiritist Society of Florida (est. 1982) 5042 22 Avenue North St. Petersburg, FL 33710 Website: www.spiritistsocietyfl.com