Our guest this week is Ilza Castilho Esteves Godinho (photo), who was born in the Brazilian town of Quatiguá, in the state of Paraná, and now lives in Florianópolis, capital of the state of Santa Catarina. She has a degree in Sciences and Biology and post-graduation degree in Anatomy, Physiology and Education. She is a volunteer worker at the Luz e Caridade (Light and Charity) Spiritist Centre in Florianópolis, where she helps coordinate study groups, mediumship groups, the public talks programme and workshops for pregnant women.

What memories do you have from your childhood and your education, having been born into a Spiritist Family?

The memories of that phase are still very vivid. My parents showed amazing courage and abnegation in the small town of Quatiguá, where they were one of the few Spiritists. They were always ready to welcome and help anyone who knocked on their door. Some people who came to them were very aggressive. Others had even to be physically restrained, as they were under the powerful influence of lower Spirits.

We, their five children, learned from a very early age how to deal with such situations, how to address these people and how to pray. My mother used to talk to them to help break that chain of animosity that linked them to disturbed Spirits. My parents used to teach us that the holy power of love along with the assistance from the Spiritual World would eventually restore things to normal.

We were also taught precious lessons on how to have a harmonious day so that we would be in the company of good Spirits at night, during our sleep, which is a precious time to rest and learn. After all, they told us many times, life on Earth is like being at school and we are here by choice, not by chance. An important book for our education at the time was “João Vermelho no Mundo dos Espíritos,” by Rodolfo Américo Ranieri.

What aspect of the Teachings did your parents put a stronger emphasis on?

Love one another as we love ourselves. The Gospel in the Home is our fortress. They used to tell us that we should love our siblings a lot, as we had agreed to come together as a family in this incarnation. They also said that in the eyes of God, we were transparent. All our most intimate actions are recorded inside us. They also stressed that we should never stop studying and that we would find great enlightenment in Spiritist books and the stories they tell.

We used to get in the post Revista Internacional do Espiritismo (International Spiritist Magazine) and the Spiritist newspaper, “O Clarim”, as well as Kardec’s Spiritist Review and books. I remember in particular the series of books written by the Spirit, André Luiz, which I know quite well. My parents always advised us to reflect on our actions and do good deeds.

You have a passion for poems. Where does that come from?

I was encouraged, as a child, by Pedro Esquiba, who was the president of Amantes do Bem Spiritist Centre, in the neighbouring city of Joaquim Távora. I met him on Sundays, during a Spiritist Youth group I attended. He taught us, children, to recite poems, which he copied for us. I still remember some of them by heart.  

What is your method for being able to write such beautiful poems about so many issues?

It is important to read about poetry, so you are truly able to understand it. You will need to develop a poetic language that different audiences will be able to access and understand. It is a true pleasure for me to get involved in poetry, as it helps establish an affinity with similar energies… Those who believe they do anything on their own are under an illusion! Any job that needs to be done is carried out in this world thanks to an exchange of similar vibrations between the Spirits and us, who are incarnated.

Which aspect of Spiritism do you admire the most?

It is the certainty it gives us that we are immortal, that we are all equal and that we are children of the same Father. Also, it helps us understand that we build our own destiny and we are able to change it through our actions. The physical and biological aspects are equally changeable. That is called Epigenetics.

When you look back at your life, being a Spiritist for decades, what conclusions do you come to?

I am nearly seventy and after all these years it has become clear to me that, most of the time, the Spirits are truly in charge. They use our tendencies as seeds that will germinate. They show us two possible roads to follow: the first one, marked by outbursts of anger and its chain developments, will take us through a thorny journey that we will eventually regret; the alternative is to pray and to be vigilant in our thoughts, seeking changes that will lead us towards kindness, patience and tolerance. If we follow this path, we will be moving towards true lightness of spirit, happiness, harmony and peace, as that is the destination Christ expects us to reach.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes. The importance of the Spiritist principles in my work in education. Thanks to my understanding of Spiritism, I didn’t see my students simply with the age they appeared to have. I could see that they were ancient Spirits, going through a continues process of development.