White Table Tarot: A Deeper Look (3 of 6)
The Mesa Blanca serves as a direct physical and material portal between this plane of existence and the realm of the dearly departed. An espiritista uses this sacred altar for prayer, meditation, and communication with their ancestors. It is a tool for seeking answers, whether through premonitions, prophetic dreams, intercession or receiving guidance for daily life.
Above all, the Mesa Blanca exists to honor and revere those who came before us. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors, and for that alone, they deserve the highest respect and acknowledgment.
Offerings and Ritual Etiquette
It is widely believed in Puerto Rico that offerings should never be placed directly on the Mesa Blanca, as doing so may attract greedy and gluttonous spirits. Instead, offerings are placed on a separate table or the dining table, always elevated, never on the floor. Keeping offerings lifted symbolizes the spiritual elevation of our ancestors. As always, different families practice in their own ways, and personally, I place offerings on the table and around it.
Common ancestral offerings include:
Black coffee
Fruits
Cakes and candies
Liquor
Tobacco (only if the ancestor smoked in life)
Offerings are typically left out for an entire day and discarded at night except for liquids, tobacco, and fruits, which can remain longer. Fruits, when no longer fresh, can be repurposed into spiritual baths rather than thrown away.
Offerings for Greedy and Gluttonous Spirits
While ancestors are honored with reverence, the greedy and gluttonous spirits (who linger at the edges of the spiritual realm) are also acknowledged, but with caution. Small portions of coffee and tobacco are left for them on the floor, in a corner near the altar. To keep these spirits contained, a protective circle of salt or cascarilla (pressed powdered eggshell) is drawn around the offering. At the end of the night, these offerings are discarded.
As I just mentioned, practitioners do place coffee, liquor, or tobacco offerings directly on the altar but unlike food, these are left for an extended period, allowing spirits to drink from their energy. In some cases, you may even notice a liquid offering half-empty the next day!
Maintaining the Mesa Blanca
A Mesa Blanca must always remain clean, orderly, and pure. Good spirits and ancestors thrive in clarity and cleanliness. Here’s how to properly maintain it:
The fuentes must be cleaned and refilled with fresh water weekly.
Flowers and fruits should be discarded as soon as they begin to wither (or after seven days) and can be used for spiritual baths.
The table should remain white and spotless at all times.
Approaching the Mesa Blanca: Three Essential Steps
When stepping before the Mesa Blanca, tradition dictates three important actions:
Make the sign of the cross with your right hand.
Knock three times on the altar using the knuckles of your middle and index fingers.
Ring the bell and salute your ancestors.
A book of prayers is traditionally kept on the altar. You may recite from it, say an Our Father or Hail Mary; a nod to the syncretism deeply embedded in Caribbean spirituality.
Tarot and the Mesa Blanca
Tarot cards, or la baraja Española, are often kept on the Mesa Blanca, as they are sacred tools in Mesa Blanca. They serve as vessels for spirit communication, bridging the unseen world with the living.
One tool that is never used in Caribbean espiritismo? The Ouija board. It is widely believed to attract restless, troubled, and intrusive spirits, making it incompatible with the practice.
Luz y progreso
White Table Tarot
Painting by Samuel Lind.
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