The banho de ervas is one of the oldest and most powerful practices of Afro-Brazilian religions. More than body hygiene, it is a spiritual cleansing, a way to connect with the energies of the Orixás, remove blockages, and attract blessings.
The banho de Oxum, Orixá of fresh waters, love, and prosperity, is especially indicated for:
- Attracting love and strengthening relationships
- Raising self-esteem and inner beauty
- Opening paths for prosperity and fertility
- Removing negative energies linked to emotions
Who is Oxum?
Oxum is the Orixá of waterfalls, fresh water rivers, gold, and love. She is seductive, maternal, generous, and very powerful. Her children tend to be sensitive, intuitive people connected to beauty. The history of the orixá and how each tradition worships her are in who is Oxum; what to bring to her besides the bath is in oferenda para Oxum.
Colors: Yellow and gold | Day: Saturday | Symbol: Golden abebê (mirror) | Offering: Honey, shrimp, okra, yam
Oxum's herbs
Each Orixá has a set of herbs associated with their energy. For Oxum, the main ones are:
- Sunflower beauty, joy and prosperity
- Basil love, protection and luck
- Melissa (lemon balm) emotional harmony and peace
- Cinnamon attraction, warmth and prosperity
- Yellow rose love and self-esteem
- Rosemary protection, clarity and purification
- Mint lightness and renewal
- Wormwood deep spiritual cleansing (use with moderation)
Important: whenever possible, use fresh herbs. Dried herbs also work, but freshness enhances the energy.
Oxum ritual bath recipe
What you will need
- 1 handful of basil leaves
- 1 handful of lemon balm leaves
- 5 yellow rose petals (or white rose)
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 liter of filtered or mineral water
- Honey (1 tablespoon)
- 1 yellow or gold candle (optional)
Preparation
- Boil the water and add all the herbs. Let it infuse for 15 minutes (do not boil together, just cook over low heat for 5 min after boiling).
- Strain the liquid and let it cool until it is lukewarm.
- Add the honey and mix with your hands, stating your intention out loud or mentally.
- If you wish, light the yellow candle nearby while preparing, with a prayer to Oxum.
How to take the ritual bath
- Take your normal hygiene bath first (with soap and shampoo).
- Turn off the shower and pour the herbal bath from the neck down, with calm and devotion.
- While pouring, pray or speak your intention: it can be something like “Oxum, queen of the sweet waters, I wash my body and my soul with your energy of love and prosperity. May your axé bathe and protect me.”
- Do not rinse let the bath dry naturally. Dry yourself with a clean towel, without rubbing.
- If any liquid remains, discard it in a garden, a plant pot, or near a water source.
When to take the bath
The sacred day of Oxum is Saturday. For greater potency, take the bath on this day, preferably in the morning or during the day (she is a solar Orixá, linked to the light of day).
You can also take it in moments of emotional need before an important conversation, after a difficult situation, or when you feel blocks in love or self-esteem.
A simple prayer to Oxum
Oxum, Queen of the Waterfalls, mother of the sweet waters, your shine is gold and your gaze is love. Bathe me with your energy of beauty and prosperity, open my heart to true love and joy. May your axé flow in my life as water flows in the river. Ora Yeye O!
Frequently asked questions
Which herbs go into Oxum's bath?
The most used are basil, lemon balm, yellow rose petals, rosemary and cinnamon, and some houses add sunflower and mint. Use them fresh whenever possible, because freshness responds better. Wormwood is also for strong cleansing, and in this bath, it is used in moderation.
Can the Oxum ritual bath be poured on the head?
The general rule is from the neck down. The head is the consecrated foundation (assentamento) of the orixá, and a head bath is done with the indication of whoever cares for you, after checking if there is a quizila with any of the herbs. If in doubt, from the neck down.
What is the best day to take the Oxum ritual bath?
Saturday, which is her day, preferably in the morning or throughout the day, because Oxum is a solar orixá. Other than that, it is valid in moments of need: before a difficult conversation, after a heavy situation, when self-esteem is at rock bottom.
Do you need to rinse after?
No. Pour the bath after normal hygiene, let it dry on the body, and dry with a clean towel without rubbing. Whatever remains goes to a garden, a pot, or near a water source, never in the drain with the rest.
When the bath is not indicated
An herb bath is preparation, not medicine, and some situations require caution before the ritual.
- Active skin allergy or dermatitis. Macerated fresh herbs can irritate already inflamed skin. Do the test on the forearm and wait one hour.
- Pregnancy. Some bath herbs stimulate contraction, and cinnamon is one of them in internal use. During pregnancy, talk to whoever cares for you before any ritual bath.
- Declared quizila. If your house has forbidden an herb for you, the prohibition stands, and no internet recipe overrides what your terreiro determined.
- Bath on the head. The head is the consecrated foundation (assentamento) of the orixá. Without the indication of whoever cares for you, the bath goes from the neck down.
The ritual use of plants is a subject of serious academic study, and this helps to separate what is tradition from what is recent invention. The UERGS survey on medicinal and mystical plants in Umbanda rituals, conducted in terreiros in São Borja, and the study published in the journal Ethnoscientia, from UFPA catalog the species that actually appear in baths, with both common and scientific names.
Where to buy herbs
At Joia Mística Laroyê, you can find fresh and dried herbs, as well as:
- Ready-made baths prepared by Gleyzane with intention and axé
- Candles in the colors of the orixás
- Incenses and fumigants to complement your rituals
- Guias and necklaces of Oxum
Visit our shop in Extrema, Minas Gerais or talk to us via WhatsApp and we ship all over Brazil.
