Guardian angels

by FEPC (Spiritist Philosophy for Children in Portuguese) Group

When talking about this spiritist subject, we observe children who know about it and others who are confused. This comes, in part, from their education at home and from other religions, but it also comes from spiritist publications that sometimes use angels with wings and other images that don't correspond to the spiritist point of view. What can we do about this? How can we talk about guardian angels without confusing children about this way of showing angels used in some books and Radio and TV programs?

We have a purpose, shown in the plans below, which is to not start by talking about an icon like a guardian angel but asking some questions about us being reincarnated spirits and our condition here on earth.

Plan 1

Purpose: To think about what the guardian angel is, how he acts and when and how we can count on him.

Age: 3 to 6 years of age

Part 1 (a week before):

Plant a bean in cotton inside a plastic cup.

Each child takes a plastic cup home in which she or he places cotton, a bean and some water. Later, with mother's participation, each child waters the seed during the week until next class. Ask the children also bring in a toy.

Part 2: Dialogue

As children arrive, we can talk about how it is to take care of a little seed. Is it a lot of work? Was it nice?

So while the bean sprouts we can talk to the children about creation, beginning of life and the protection necessary for life to be established. Then we can talk about our protection making analogies and using concrete examples for the children to understand: what is protection? How do you protect a little plant? How do you protect a little child? Does the little child protect anyone? If not, why not? What are the qualities that the protector must have? Does God protect us? In what ways? If our parents protect us, then who is protecting them? Can we count on some kind of protection and help for our progress while we are on earth? Who are these beings who help and protect us?

(The children usually bring up the angel theory and then we can talk about what is reasonable or not in the traditional idea about guardian angels.)

Part 3: Toys exchange

Put all the toys in the center of a circle, mix them and redistribute them making sure that nobody gets her or his own toy.

Let's pretend we are the guardian angels o four friend's toys! What do we have to do to be good guardian angels? Let's give it a try? Then observe children's reactions and try this experiment for a few minutes, making up tasks for the angel like introducing the protected toy to a tree, being tender with it, teach it how to be nice and friendly etc. In the end each angel gives back the toy to its owner.

Part 4: Looking inward

Now that we already have some ideas about a guardian angel let's close our eyes and, with background music, try to feel our angle near us. Is there something that we'd like to tell or ask him? This can be done mentally.

Plan 2

Purpose: To think about what the guardian angel is, how he acts and when and how we can count on him.

Age: 7 to 11 years of age

Part 1: Dynamics

Form pairs. One person of each pair is blindfolded. The other one is the guide, the protector. Everybody has to walk around the room (there should be enough space for that). The protector takes care of the protected one so she or he doesn't bump into anyone and is able to get to a specific place determined by the teacher.

Part 2: Dialogue

Ask questions about the dynamic: How is it to think-feel (1) when you are protecting someone? How is it to think-feel being protected by someone? Is it difficult to accept the orders of our protector? How quickly does the protector save us from bumping into someone? Can the protector make a mistake? Can we do everything the protector asks us to do? Is this communication fluent? Can we understand it or is it difficult?

And so it goes. We can talk about protectors who are ahead of us but who are still evolving, and we also can be protectors in the future.

After that, talk about the subject, trying to adapt questions to your class reality: What does it mean to protect? How can someone protect a newly planted tree? How can someone protect a work of art in a museum? How can someone protect a little child? Can a little child protect someone? If not, why not? What are the qualities that the protector must have? Does God protect us? In what ways? If our parents protect us, then who is protecting them? Does protecting mean substituting? Can we count on some kind of protection and help for our progress while we are on earth? Who are these beings who help and protect us?

(The children usually bring up the angel theory and then we can talk about what is reasonable or not in the traditional idea about guardian angels)

Part 3: Shared object

With a big sheet of paper and painting materials, ask children to draw a representation of this spirit whose attributes come from a dialogue among them. Some questions can come up: can a guardian angel be Japanese, black or a woman? Is the guardian angel young or old? Can the spirit be a musician or a writer?

These can be interesting points to analyze that could open up a wide range of possibilities and replace the popular conception of the guardian angel.

Part 4: Looking inward

Same as Plan 1

Footnote:

1. Think-feeling is a word created by the Spiritist Philosophy for Children Group referring to a state of observation of a subject through both reasoning and feeling. Know more about it by clicking here (still in Portuguese). Back

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