The Seven Principles of Spiritualism

The Principles of Spiritualism were given to us through the Mediumship of Emma Hardinge Britten, who whilst entranced by the Spirit of Robert Owen, first spoke them. The Principles we have today were slightly altered but their intent is not. Each principle is open to personal interpretation but over the years many have philosophised as to their general understanding. What follows below is my personal understanding after considering the various guidelines and then assimilating their intent into my way of thinking.

The first principle is The Fatherhood of God :

I do not regard God in the sense that he is a man or even a male figure. God is omnipotent and the creator of everything. The ‘God’ energy is the universal creator, the source of all life and is pure. God is the energy which ‘sparked’ all life and as such we are all a part of God. In the huge universal scheme of things we are  each a tiny spark of an infinite divine creator. God cannot destroy and the universal spiritual laws of ‘cause and effect’ mean that only change can occur - every action has a reaction.

The ‘Fatherhood’ element refers to the fact that God is loving and nurturing. In a sense, we are the children and are here to learn and progress in the knowledge of unconditional love - an essential quality of parenting.

The second principle is The Brotherhood of Man:

This suggests to me our deep connection with the Divine Spirit/God. It reaffirms that we are all from the same source and should have no reason to believe our cultural, class or colour differences make any one of us more superior than the next. Each of us is born with a soul with the capacity to progress and to love and with an equal ‘spark‘ of the divine at the core of us. We also need to recognise our capacity to cause harm and to discriminate. In doing so we can accept that the absence of material conditions, leaves us with the sure knowledge that we are connected to each other. Understanding, accepting and assimilating this principle into our lives, should lead us to a more harmonious co-existence.

The third principle is The Communion of Spirits and the Ministry of Angels:

This principle tells me that communication with the spirit world is natural and that those of us sensitive enough to recognise the spiritual influences upon us, are capable of bringing communication between the two worlds.

Furthermore, the communion of spirits in Spiritualism, separates it from other religions, in that all spirits communicate and not just those of purported ‘saintly’ or divine status.

Some refer to the ‘ministry of angels’ as a healing force and that may be so. My understanding is that there are discarnate spirits who’s role is to guide and help us in our material lives. The more sensitive we are to spirit communication, the more evident will be the guidance that is being given to us from the spirit world.

Continuous Existence of the Human Soul:

This fourth principle is essential if we are to understand that our lives are eternal. It also expresses to me that as a part of the ‘divine’ source, our souls have existed before we enter the material world. In itself, this principle also infers the need to understand that our time in the material world is for a purpose - otherwise we would have bypassed this and simply kept evolving in the spirit world only. We are destined to progress in this life and the next and that can only happen because our soul cannot be extinguished.

The fifth principle of Spiritualism is Personal Responsibility:

This is a favourite principle of many Spiritualists because it is so easy to understand and so easy to assimilate into our daily lives. The universal spiritual laws of cause and effect show us that we can directly effect an outcome and that our progression is dependent upon how responsibly we act.

By understanding that we play the largest part in our destiny, we are able to behave and act in ways which are either positive or negative. We are able to learn and progress in accordance with our own willingness to take charge of our thoughts and actions. This principle is why so many Spiritualists object to capital punishment - as it takes away the opportunity for the offender to learn their lessons in this world.

Compared to other Religions, regular worship, obedience, poverty and chastity are inconsequential to Spiritualism. It is the responsibility of the individual to live a path of life in accordance with personal responsibility and not that of ‘blind faith.’ It matters not what rituals you observe or ignore, it matters how you take responsibility for yourself and this transcends all classes and creeds.

Compensation and Retribution hereafter for all good and evil deeds done on earth:

This sixth principle on first glance reads with a ‘fire and brimstone’ tone to it, yet it is not the case in my view. Firstly, the ‘compensation’ and ‘retribution’ elements are very akin to the principle of personal responsibility. Once again, the law of cause and effect. However, it relates more specifically to our material lives and shows us that the good progress we make in our earthly lives is reflected upon our transition to the spirit world. Conversely, lack of progress will be negatively affected. That isn’t to say that Spiritualism believes in a ‘Hell,’ it is more related to spending more time learning lessons we should have faced during our time in the material world. I view this more as a frustration.

The good and evil references are also a little daunting. What is the perception of good and evil? In Spiritualism I regard evil as more akin to ignoring unconditional love, the natural laws of Spirit, being selfish and not prepared to live by the beautiful and simple ways of service to others, truth and love - the naturally creative forces we inherit from our creator.

Thus, we will reap the rewards or frustrations in the next life according to how we have lived in this one.

The final principle is Eternal Progress Open to Every Human Soul:

We have infinite possibilities to grow and spiritually evolve. Our fourth principle tells us that our human soul is continuous. What the final principle suggests is that everyone has the same opportunities.

Whether we live a life of greed or a life of service to others, the opportunities to progress will never be taken away from us. It is just as personal responsibility is - but in this aspect we can always learn and change to progress ourselves.

For a more comprehensive interpretation, visit the SNU website www.snu.org.uk