Spirit Work: Saints and Folk Saints
Spirit work involves working with the saints and angels, as well as the Holy Spirit, etc.
For reasons of convenience, I am going to provide a quick definition here of the these two terms: saint and folk saint.
A saint can be defined as:
- an individual recognized as being entitled to public veneration and believed to be capable of interceding for
people on earth;
- a person acknowledged as holy or virtuous, particularly if officially recognized by canonization by the Catholic
Church;
- a person of great spiritual power, virtue, or benevolence;
- a spiritual or religious patron, founder, or sponsor, capable of interceding for people under her/his patronage;
- a person of exceptional holiness, a sanctified person;
- the blessed departed, a virtuous person who has died and is existing in heaven, or one of the blessed in heaven;
also one of God's chosen;
- one of the virtuous spirits in heaven; an angel or archangel;
- one who is "holy."
A folk saint incorporates concepts from the definition above, but specifically is a deceased
individual or other spiritually powerful entity (such as indigenous spirits), who are
venerated as saints, even though not formally recognized by a religious hierarchy.
December 2012, Myth Woodling
Spirit Work
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