Feng shui for beginners (feng shui para principiantes [Portuguese])

By Richard Webster:

Source: Fnac.com. (2017). Feng Shui para Principiantes - Richard Webster, Richard Webster em Fnac.pt. [online] Available at: http://www.fnac.pt/Feng-Shui-para-Principiantes-Richard-Webster/a306282 [Accessed 23 Apr. 2017].

Book translated from English to Portuguese by Joaquim António Nogueira Gil.
This book is not for beginners because it tries to condense very complex subjects that are difficult to learn by anyone who knows nothing about feng shui. It took me a long time to finish this book because its difficulty made it annoying. However, I underlined some ideas:

• «(...) my desk was placed in an attractive position beside a window overlooking our garden. I would sit at my desk and think about writing, but I never seriously got around to writing (...). (...) I changed the layout of my office and placed my desk against another wall at a ninety-degree angle to where it had been before. I immediately started writing seriously again. (...).»
• «(...) a tinkling sound coming from outside. (...) wind chimes (...)./"(...) bad feng shui to have them inside my house./(...) Everything seems to have improved! (...)."»

Source: eBay. (2017). Outdoor Wind Chimes Buying Guide. [online] Available at: http://www.ebay.co.uk/gds/Outdoor-Wind-Chimes-Buying-Guide-/10000000178631852/g.html [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017].

• «(...) five chimneys (...) four is considered un unlucky number.»
• «(...) the word eight means wealth in Cantonese, (...).»
• «(...) building (...) is good feng shui (...) excellent location surrounded by curving roads and flyovers (...). The peaceful Chater Gardens are directly in front of the building, multiplying the availability of ch'i energy.»
• «(...) a willow tree was planted in the grounds (...) to ward off the negative flow of energy (...).»
• «(...) Bank of China (...) its sharp, angled sides create poison arrows of negative energy.»

Source: Thousandwonders.net. (2017). Bank of China Tower - Skyscraper in Hong Kong - Thousand Wonders. [online] Available at: http://www.thousandwonders.net/Bank+of+China+Tower [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017].

• «(...) many buildings have rounded corners to eliminate any potential lines of negative energy.»

Source: Megson, K. (2016). Architecture and design news from CLAD - Schmidt Hammer Lassen aim to reinvigorate central Stockholm with a green-topped mixed-use complex. [online] Cladglobal.com. Available at: http://www.cladglobal.com/CLADnews/architecture-design/Schmidt-Hammer-Lassen-Stockholm-Hasten-21-architecture-design-Sweden-masterplan/322505?source=news [Accessed 30 Apr. 2017].

• «(...) valleys are believed to have bad feng shui. (...).»
• «(...) "feng shui woods". There are the oldest areas of woodland (...) and form a barrier to protect many of the villages (...). They are (...) crescent-shaped and consist largely of native forest trees. (...), many trees are planted in these woods to benefit the village. (...).»
• «(...). When you live in harmony with the universe, good thinks to flow your way naturally. You will experience happiness, contentment, and abundance. This is what feng shui is all about.»
• «(...) "wind and water". (...) living in harmony with the environment. (...). If we live in harmony with the winds and the waters of the earth, we attract good luck and prosperity. (...).»
• «(...) the south has always been considered an auspicious direction in feng shui, (...).»
• «(...) to have water in front of your home, rather than behind it. (...).»
• «(...) an ornament of a dragon can constantly motivate its owner to work hard and become wealthy and successful.»
• «(...) people's individual energy should be harmonized with the celestial energy from the land. (...).»
• «(...) the five basic principles of successful living: "First comes destiny, and then comes luck. Third comes feng shui, which is followed by philanthropy and education."/Destiny is determined by our horoscope, (...).»
• «(...). If we look the future with anticipation, rather than fear, and expect good things to happen to us, events will usually happen the way we want.»
• «(...) education. We should all try to improve ourselves as much as we can. (...).»
• «(...). Hard work is essential for any degree of success in life.»
• «(...) ch'i brings happiness, prosperity, and longevity, (...). (...) and can be found in its perfection whenever something is done perfectly. (...).»
• «(...). Ch'i can be increased by meditation, good relationships with others, a healthy lifestyle, and good feng shui.»
• «(...). Ch'i is easily scattered by strong winds. (...) windy sites are not good from a feng shui point of view. (...), when ch'i is bounded by water, beneficial ch'i usually accumulates. (...).»
• «(...), not all water is beneficial. If it flows too fast it will take the health away. If it flows in a straight line it will also carry away the ch'i energy. The water ideally needs to be slow-moving and meandering.»
• «(...). A site surrounded by slow-moving water and rolling hills to dissipate the winds is ideal.»
• «(...). Tai means the greatest, and chi means the utmost.»
• «Yang is active, masculine, dominating, and positive. It is full of power and energy. Yin is receptive, feminine, yielding, and negative. (...).»
• «(...) hills, mountains, and other raised areas represent Yang energy. Valleys, rivers, and streams represent Yin. An earth that is completely flat (...) contain too much Yin. An extremely hilly landscape with no water or plants (...) too Yang. Gently rolling countryside represents a good balance of Yin and Yang.»
• «(...) a house perched on top of a hill is not (...) to be a fortunate one (...). It would be exposed to all the winds and any water would flow away. (...).»
• «(...) spirits are believed to travel in straight lines (...). Power lines, railway tracks, walls, rivers, and roads are all poisonous arrows when they travel in straight lines. (...).»
• «(...). Ponds and waterfalls add to the ch'i, as do musical wind chimes. (...)»
• «Desks and beds need to be placed against a wall. (...).»
• «(...). Exposed beams create negative ch'i. They impede financial progress and create stress and tension. (...).»
• «(...). Spiral staircases are very bad, (...). (...).»
• «(...). The doors to toilets and bathrooms should be kept closed.»
• «(...) flower arrangements and potted plants can improve family relationships and marriage, (...). A large statue placed in the Career sector will ensure a more successful, stable future career. (...).»
• «(...). (...) to eliminate having three doors in a row (...).»
• «(...). Bright lights are very beneficial. They eliminate any dark spots in the house, (...). (...).»
• «(...). Small fountains that recycle the water (...). (...) fortunes increase./Your career can be enhanced by placing an aquarium, or something else containing water, (...). (...).»
• «Large objects can bring strength and confidence into the home, (...). Large rocks, sculptures, and statues (...).»
• «(...). Statues of Buddha should be displayed so that the statue looks down on the occupants of the house, rather than the other way around.»
• «(...), you should avoid sitting with your back towards the window as you lack the support of a solid wall behind you. You must not sit with your back to the door, (...). (...).»
• «The feng shui of your home is more important than that of your workplace. (...).»
• The rounded shape is considered lucky because it resembles money.
• «(...). The foot of the bed should not point directly at the door, (...).»
• «(...). The rooms nearest the front door should be the living room and study. (...).»

Source: Houzz.com. (2017). Transitional Living Room Design Ideas, Remodels & Photos | Houzz. [online] Available at https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional/living-room [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017].

• «(...). The windows should open outward, (...).»

Source: Replacement Windows from Window Depot USA. (2017). Casement Windows | Replacement Windows | Window Depot USA. [online] Available at http://windowdepotusa.com/our_products/casement_windows/ [Accessed 4 Jun. 2017].

• «(...). A windowless toilet is called a “dead” toilet, and it is essential (...) a large mirror (...).»

Source: House Inspiration. (2013). glass-window-clean-white-toilet-rectangular-bathtub-geometric-stone-wall-large-mirror - House Inspiration. [online] Available at: https://deyhouse.com/world-map-wall-decal-beautify-standard-powder-room-layout/glass-window-clean-white-toilet-rectangular-bathtub-geometric-stone-wall-large-mirror/ [Accessed 10 Jun. 2017].

• Colorful exterior flower gardens symbolize progress, happiness, and longevity.

Source: Plinth, et al. (2013). Dear Eric. [online] Plinthetal.com. Available at: https://plinthetal.com/tag/dear-eric/ [Accessed 15 Jun. 2017].

• «(...) dandelions (...). They (...) protect family members from accidents and keep them in good health. They also symbolize money. (...).»

Source: Old Farmer's Almanac. (2017). Eating Dandelions: Harvesting, Cleaning, and Cooking. [online] Available at http://www.almanac.com/blog/natural-health-home-tips/it%E2%80%99s-dandelion-season [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

Source: Bob Vila. (2017). How to Get Rid of Dandelions - Bob Vila. [online] Available at https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-dandelions/#.WUQ1e2jyvIU [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

• «Geraniums (...). Red ones are believed to attract prosperity. (...). White geraniums are believed to grant peace of mind and encourage pleasant dreams.»

Source: Tried-and-true.com. (2017). GERANIUM, Calliope™ Dark Red. [online] Available at http://tried-and-true.com/annuals_variety/geranium-calliope-dark-red/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

Source: Pinterest. (n.d.). AMERICANA® White Pelargonium. [online] Available at https://www.pinterest.pt/pin/528750812473236990/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

• «Holly attracts money, (...).»

Source: Howtogrowstuff.com. (2012). How to Grow Holly | How To Grow Stuff. [online] Available at http://www.howtogrowstuff.com/how-to-grow-holly/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

• «Jasmine symbolizes friendship and affection. (...).»

Source: Ideias e Dicas. (2017). Jasmim. [online] Available at http://www.ideiasedicas.com/jasmins-as-flores-orientais/jasmim/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

• «Hollyhock is a symbol of fertility (...). Pomegranates also symbolize fertility.»

Source: Garden Lovers Club. (2017). Growing Hollyhock: Complete Guide On Care and Maintenance. [online] Available at http://www.gardenloversclub.com/ornamental/flowers/hollyhock/growing-hollyhock/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

Source: Mvfruit.com. (2017). Pomegranates – Mountain View Fruit Sales. [online] Available at: http://www.mvfruit.com/fruit/pomegranates/ [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

• «Daffodils (...) encourage open-mindedness, generosity, and communication. (...).»

Source: The Garden Glove. (2017). Brighten Your Garden with Daffodils – The Garden Glove. [online] Available at http://www.thegardenglove.com/brighten-your-garden-with-daffodils/ [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

• «Cornflowers enable you to establish and maintain balance in your relationships. (...).»

Source: the Guardian. (2010). Gardens: Cornflowers. [online] Available at https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/11/cornflowers-hardy-annual-seeds-gardens [Accessed 16 Jun. 2017].

• «(...) roses (...). Yellow ones encourage intellectual discussions and learning. (...).»

Source: Crowley, D. (n.d.). Rosas Amarelas. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.pt/explore/rosas-amarelas/?lp=true [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

• «(...). Apples, apricots, pomegranates, and persimmons symbolize fertility.»

Source: Quagliato, M. (n.d.). 3D-HD Wallpaper. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.pt/pin/290060032226061230/ [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

Source: Uspenskaya, M. (2017). Alley of apricot trees in blossom. [online] Shutterstock.com. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/pt/image-photo/alley-apricot-trees-blossom-48750043 [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

Source: Clearwater, J. (2015). Ajo to host first Pomegranate Festival on October 31, celebrating the biological and cultural diversity of the region. [online] Rocky Point Times Newspaper. Available at: http://rptimes.com/nina-sajovec/2015/10/ajo-to-host-first-pomegranate-festival-on-october-31-celebrating-the-biological-and-cultural-diversity-of-the-region/ [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

Source: Tcpermaculture.blogspot.pt. (n.d.). Permaculture Plants: Persimmons. [online] Available at: http://tcpermaculture.blogspot.pt/2011/08/permaculture-plants-persimmons.html [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

• «Peach trees symbolize friendship, love, and immortality. Pear trees symbolize longevity and prosperity.»

Source: Barreto, M. (2014). Fruit, Seasons and Other Reasons My Peach Tree Grew Me As A Leader. [online] Relationshipsmatternow.blogspot.pt. Available at: http://relationshipsmatternow.blogspot.pt/2014/07/fruit-seasons-and-other-reasons-my.html [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

Source: Marcantel, L. (n.d.). Pear Tree: Pictures, Images, Phtos, Info about Pear Trees. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.pt/pin/445856431833755948/ [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

• Plum - a symbol of youth and vitality.

Source: Mayer, L. (n.d.). ~ VISUALS ~. [online] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest.pt/pin/93801604709753345/ [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

• Orange trees are also symbolic of good luck, wealth, happiness.

Source: Homeguides.sfgate.com. (n.d.). When Does an Orange Tree Bear Fruit?. [online] Available at http://homeguides.sfgate.com/orange-tree-bear-fruit-59482.html [Accessed 17 Jun. 2017].

• «A small office building between two larger buildings is not a good location.»
• «Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.», by Lao Tzé.
• «Emperor Wu of Hsia (sometimes referred to as Fu Hsi) was the first ruler of China and is believed to have lived some 4,800 years ago. (...) he is regarded as being the father of feng shui, the I Ching, Chinese astrology, and numerology, and the other systems that have derived from these.»

The trial (o processo [Portuguese])

By Franz Kafka:

Fnac.com. (2016). O Processo - Franz Kafka em Fnac.pt. [online] Available at: http://www.fnac.pt/O-Processo-Franz-Kafka/a84874 [Accessed 5 Nov. 2016].

A novel of anxiety, persecution, paranoia, where death is the freedom. Some quotes:

• «(...) it was in everyone's interest to bring proceedings quickly to their conclusion, but on the other hand every aspect of the examinations had to be carried out thoroughly without lasting too long because of the associated stress. For these reasons, it had been decided to hold a series of brief examinations following on one after another. Sunday had been chosen as the day for the hearings so that K. would not be disturbed in his professional work. (...) if he wished for another date then, as far as possible, he would be accommodated. (...) could even be held in the night, for instance, but K. would probably not be fresh enough at that time.»
• «(...) this invitation from the deputy director, with whom he had never got on very well, meant that he was trying to improve his relations with him. It showed how important K. had become (...) and how its second most important official seemed to value his friendship, or at least his impartiality.»
• «(...) advisable to prepare a written defense (...). In it he would offer a brief overview of his life, and for each event of any particular importance, explain why he had acted as he did, whether in his present judgment this course of action deserved approval or censure, and what reasons he could advance for the one or the other.»
• «Now and then he [Leni] gave K. a few empty admonitions, as if talking to a child. Speeches as useless as they were boring, (...).»
• «(...) the first impression made by the defense often influenced the whole course of the proceedings.»
• «For the lawyers — and even the least important of them has at least a partial overview of the circumstances — are far from wishing to introduce or carry out any sort of improvement in the court system; (...). Just don't attract attention! Keep calm, no matter how much it seems counter to good sense. (...) this vast judicial organism remains (...) in a state of eternal equilibrium, (...) if you change something on your own where you are, you can cut the ground out from under your own feet and fall, while the vast organism easily compensates for the minor disturbance at some other spot — after all, everything is interconnected — and remains unchanged; (...).»
• «Reproaches are of little value, particularly when it seems the full import of what has caused them cannot be conveyed, (...).»
• «“Is that an officially recognized position?” “No,” said the painter (...): “Well, such unofficial positions often carry more influence than ones that are recognized.”»
• «(...) sitting in front of him and taken by surprise by his dismissal, K. would be able easily to infer everything he wanted from the lawyer's face and behaviour, (...).»
• «Merely by being in possession of a thick overcoat he felt his advantage over this thin little man.»
• «"(...) I dislike your anxiety and fear and see that you don't have the trust in me you should have. (...)."»
• «It would not have been difficult for him to turn down most of these jobs, but he did not dare to do so because, if his fears had the slightest foundation, turning the jobs down would have been an acknowledgement of them.»
• «"(...) Above all, the free man is superior to the man who has to serve another. (...)."»
• «(...) "the only thing I can do now is keep my common sense and do what's needed right till the end. (...) Should I go out like someone stupid? (...)."»
• «"(...) the slightest uncertainty in the least significant of matters will always remain a cause of suffering and if, as in this case, it can be removed without substantial effort, then it is better if that is done without delay."»
• "Gradually (...) they met so often together that all differences of culture, profession and age have become blurred.»
• «(...), he was very courteous and very modest before everyone and, most important thing even than the courtesy and modesty, he could distinguish between the different hierarchical levels of gentlemen and deal with each man according to his condition.»
• «He should not make believe to the interim director he was over (...); he should disturb his calm, he should realize as often as possible that K. was alive and, like everything that lives, he was capable of surprise him one day with new features, even if now he seemed very harmless.»
• «(...) he avoided neglect or jump over the minimum difficulty; (...).»
• «They are lower-level employees, and the last of the nulls; (...) So it is virtually impossible to raise them obstacles; no strange hand knew to raise on their way an obstacle equal to their stupidity (...).»

The amazing power of deliberate intent (o fantástico poder da intenção deliberada [Portuguese])

By Esther & Jerry Hicks:

I took two years to read this book. Why? Because I stopped several times in the exhausting, repetitive and excessive examples that the authors were giving chapter after chapter. It's a great book of good messages, but I delete from it their examples.

Some quotes that I found interesting:

• «When students are ready, the teacher appears! (...) liberate the inner struggle over the 'art of allowing'», by Louise L. Hay.
• «(...) by quieting our minds (by meditating) for 15 minutes a day, we could get the answers to what we were looking for.»
• «But you're going to be amazed to discover that when you find and deliberately keep your vibrational equilibrium in your intended path to happiness, you will also be able to attract whatever you want to be, do or have - and you can also have happiness.»
• «Life should be fun.»
• «But we never look to the past in search of better days, because we understand that what is happening now and what is to come will always give us the best that life has to offer.»
• «Life is, then, the renovation of continuous and endless focus from every vantage point.»
• «And it's only when you understand yourself how a vibrational being who is able to recognize the vibrational energy continuum that, at bottom, you are.»
• «At all times, your emotions give you an indicator of the vibrational relationship between your physical and nonphysical selves.»
• «(...) there is no substitute for the vibrational alignment with yourself.»
• «As you focus your perspective on the subject, you offer a vibrational frequency that either matches or does not correspond to the frequency that reflects how your inner self sees you.»
• «Find deliberately thoughts that cause the vibrational alignment of these two points is the only real significance of energy balance.»
• «From an energy balance state you experience the clarity, vitality, eagerness, physical well-being, abundance in all the things that you think are good and even a lush state of happiness, pleasure and joy. This is the natural state of who-you-really-are.»
• «The key to the pleasant deliberate creation is to choose the objects or subjects of your thoughts intentionally, giving careful attention to how each feeling makes you feel or how you feel it, because if you are not aware as to what a feeling makes you feel, you will not be aware of where you are positioned in the subtle vibrational range of possibilities.»
• «(...) your personal preferences (...) make you offers an emanation of vibrations (a request) and the powerful Law of Attraction responds to your emanation of vibrations with other vibrational offers that correspond to them.»
• «(...) you (...) are a vibrational being and that creates, in fact, their own reality (...) by focusing on their thoughts.»
• «The more you focus on a subject, the vibration becomes more active and this attracts what corresponds it vibrationally.»
• «Everyone and everything in the universe is consciousness, all consciousness is vibration or energy.»
• «And here comes your emotional guidance system, because your emotions are indicators of the vibrational alignment or the lack of it.»
• «Emotions (...) help you recognize the relationship between the vibration of your desire and the vibration that you are offering or emanating.»
• «(...) (remember this: a belief is no more than a recurring thought)».
• «You are (...) sending (...) signals to your future experience.»
• «The better you feel, the more you will be allowing your connection to your source.»
• «(...) deliberate choice of thoughts that cause an increasing sense of well-being (...)... All the things you want will flow quickly and easily to your life experience.»
• «(...) They are just your vibrational emanations that affect your personal life experience.»
• «You are a creator who creates from the power of your focus.»
• «(...) the release of resistance (...) will help you to shorten the time that separates the 'where you are now, at this moment' and the position of 'where you want to be.'»
• «(...) whenever you continue to blame something or someone for something, you lose power. Because this will mean that this person or thing has power over you. And nothing and no one should have this power, because no one can vibrate for you.»
• «(...) when people die (...). Usually what they say is: "My God, how I was wrong!" (...) "So much concern for anything. So much that I kept myself to live my happy life, with so much useless worry (...)".»
• «We want you climb on the scale of emotional orientation (...). That's why you're here. You are here to live, here and now.»

Histórias de um Portugal assombrado (Portuguese) (stories of a haunted Portugal)

By Vanessa Fidalgo:

A book that travels around Portugal and its history. I think it is worth reading the book, at least, by the historical and geographical information that it makes available. The author has compiled stories of haunted houses, the appearance of spirits and, in the end, tales told from north to south and islands. We get to know some mysteries that took place in Portugal.
Some quotes to think about:

• «"A call to pay attention and learn from everything that surrounds us materially and can be observed by the sensuousness." (...) "Ghosts, visions and the whole series of fantastic figures explored in literature, film and the arts in general, are attempts to materialize something that is in our minds and emotional experiences." (...) "extrasensorial stimuli (...) include integration of sensory data with not consciously or automatic perception dimensions, and that are also in the enlargement of sensory perception zones, ie the perception of sound or light frequencies below or above the normal sensory perception area." (...) "The nervous system has a normal operating state or excitement and differentiated states. These altered states (internal or external excitation of the person) can create conditions for changing states of consciousness." (...) our mind is prepared to work in cooperation or interaction with other minds (...). "(...) it is not acceptable for those who are not the same psychological 'wave'." (...) "A person only dies truly when the last who met them in life, died." (...) ghostly buildings (...) a role in the evolution of society: "they stimulate the minds and society for paths that are not known yet or are poorly explained and they lack of exploitation. (...) we can overcome us in building scenarios and unlimited spectra where we can give vent to emotions and desires that are close to the territories of our alter egos." (...) a mysterious and unknown world, which (...) attracts and seduces the man», by José Carlos Garrucho.
• «"(...) supernatural entities do not have a defined silhouette, often not even a form. They are almost always shadows of a translucent white, or black" (...)», by Joaquim Coelho.
• «(...) breaking barriers was never an easy task, and it is easy to guess that through the halls of the Faculdade de Belas-Artes [Fine Arts School] have spent many rebellious, avant-garde, revolutionary minds and not always understood by the rest of society.»
• «Even António de Oliveira Salazar has suffered from tuberculosis, having been isolated in a sanatorium at all equal to the Mon'Alto sanatorium, in the neighboring Caramulo mountains. (...) Winston Churchill, ranked Portugal with an unpleasant but illustrative epithet: "a country of tuberculosis, governed by a tuberculous".»
• «The hostel from Valongo (...). On April 25, 1974, it was plundered, occupied and vandalized and little else was remained to tell his story than its skeleton.»
• «"The memory effect is to take us to the missing people, so that we are with them, and bring them to us, to be with us."», by Father Antonio Vieira.
• «The places where we lived and grew up, where we loved and lost, (...). By way of memories, the mind easily gives them emotions, depending on the nature, positive or negative, of the experiences that experienced.»
• «(...) such myths arise from a 'creeping' of the susceptible human memory. "The crimes, especially the passion crimes, stir with our fundamental fears." (...) "we are fundamentally social beings, (...). When the supernatural intervenes, in particular, these reports become unusual, exciting, arouse our curiosity to learn more and awaken our imagination, reasons why are spread more widely in space and time".», by Maria Francisca Rebocho.
• «Errancy appears as a form of penitentiary for those who were not conspicuous by their virtue in life.»
• «"(...) only people who believe or who wish to have paranormal experiences to have them in fact because their energies attract certain types of sensory perception".», by João Pedro F.
• «(...): love is really blind and sometimes can lead to committing the worst atrocities...»
• «(...) man can not control himself when passion dominates him!»
• «"The study of world folklore - which reflects the activity, the thought of a time and of a people - is as the study of humanity. (...) the evocation of local values, private and human conceptions." (...) "the historical legend is based on real facts, but the narrator changes the truth in order to prove it.», by Jean-Pierre Bayard.
• «"The legends (...) are true mirrors of the mentality that created them." (...). "(...) myths that may possibly respond or explain their anxieties, their worries..."», by Manuela Mendonça.
• «The legends (...) are stories about (...) nobility of character (...).»
• «(...) the enchanted Moorish women (...), only in Portugal do not have the baleful feature attributed to them in other cultures. (...), some argue that they are the riches that the Arabs left behind in their flight.»
• «In general, the apparitions happen more often at 'midnight', at 'midday' or at the 'St. John evenings' - Solstice - which have a very old meaning and linked to pagan cults of ancestors. (...) St. John evening, that in which conventional wisdom said to be the evening that 'all spirits are let loose on earth' (...).»
• «In medieval times, as well as functioning as barracks, lookout post and residence of the lords of the nobility, castles were also true centers of promotion of village life, and so it was not by chance that most cities grew from these points (...). (...) cultural exchange circuit (...).»
• «In the old Quinta da Lagoa [farm of the pond], in Faia (...), (...) king Chiquito (...) loved sow discord and intrigue and had fun with the hassles of others, (...) he kept causing disparate disorders among friends, neighbors and even families with no guilty conscience.», by Fernanda Frazão.

The book on mediums (o livros dos médiuns [Portuguese])

By Allan Kardec:

It is a descriptive book that does not teach to be a medium. This book is more boring than «the spirits' book», a book from the same author. Allan Kardec, before anything else, was a scientist and he respected the observational method and the rigor. However, the author was also a great writer in that he describes and explains impartially all the facts. I advise you to read «the spirits' book» first, and thus you already get a good perspective of what is Spiritualism, a branch of Christianity.