A descarrego smoke cleansing (defumação) is the resource that the Afro-Brazilian tradition reserves for when common cleaning is not enough: that weight that does not leave with a hygiene bath, the sequence of unexplained setbacks, the feeling of carrying something that is not yours. Unlike light maintenance smoke cleansing, the descarrego uses hot herbs, has its own protocol, and acts on the person not just on the house.
This guide teaches how to do the descarrego smoke cleansing the way it is learned in the terreiro: how to recognize the signs of heavy energy and which herbs to use, with what care. It also brings the step by step to smoke cleanse another person or yourself, and the honest limit of when the case calls for a gira.
Descarrego smoke cleansing or cleaning smoke cleansing: what is the difference
The descarrego smoke cleansing is the smoke ritual that expels dense charges accumulated in a person's energetic body, using hot herbs such as arruda, guiné, and aroeira. The cleaning smoke cleansing (or lustral) is lighter: it harmonizes and attracts good energies with alecrim, alfazema, and benzoin, after the field has already been cleaned.
Think about the order of care: the descarrego removes, the lustral replenishes. One does not replace the other and tradition always recommends closing the descarrego with a lustral pass, so as not to leave the field "empty".
If what you are looking for is to clean the environment (rooms, corners, house order), we have already published a complete guide on smoke cleansing for energetic house cleaning. Here, the focus is the descarrego of the person.
Signs that the charge calls for descarrego
In Umbanda, descarrego is indicated when persistent signs of accumulated dense energy appear:
- Fatigue that does not pass with sleep or rest
- Weight on the nape and shoulders, as if carrying something
- Irritability or sudden sadness without an identifiable reason
- A sequence of setbacks and "bad luck" outside the norm
- Sensation of a heavy environment that accompanies you, even outside the home
- Spiritual discouragement, a desire to distance oneself from faith, from the gira, from self-care
One or another isolated sign is common life. It is the persistence and combination of them that indicate the need for a descarrego and, if even after the ritual the weight continues, the path is to seek a serious terreiro, as we will see ahead.
Hot herbs for descarrego smoke cleansing (defumação)
The descarrego herbs are called hot herbs: they act with force, cut demands, and break down dense energy. For this very reason, they require judgment in use; they are not everyday herbs.
| Herb | Traditional function |
|---|---|
| Arruda | Breaks envy, evil eye, and spell (curse) |
| Guiné | Cuts demands and wrongdoings |
| Pepper tree (aroeira) | Heavy descarrego, use from the neck down |
| Garlic skin | Breaks down dense energies |
| Tobacco leaf | Spiritual cleansing (descarrego) of heavy loads |
| Levante | Spiritual cleansing (descarrego) and opening of paths |
| Pinhão roxo | Breaking of a strong demanda |
| Coffee leaf | Breaking of demandas (occasional use) |
It is not necessary to use all of them. A traditional combination sufficient for most cases is arruda + guiné + garlic skin. The heavier herbs aroeira, tobacco leaf, pinhão roxo are included when the load is strong, preferably with guidance from a Pai or Mãe-de-santo.
The ritual use of leaves in Afro-Brazilian religions is a subject of serious academic study: the ethnobotanical survey published in the Rodriguésia journal (SciELO) documents 51 species of ritual use in Rio de Janeiro. And the logic of the two stages, spiritual cleansing (descarrego) first, magnetization (imantação) second, is taught by traditional houses, as shown in the smoke cleansing (defumação) guide of the Templo do Vale do Sol e da Lua, an Umbanda terreiro in Rio de Janeiro. In a book, José Flávio Pessoa de Barros (O segredo das folhas, Pallas) describes the central place of plants in the rituals of the tradition. In the Candomblé of the ketu nation, the leaves belong to the domain of Ossain, and their preparation follows its own liturgy; what we describe here is Umbandist and domestic practice, not the liturgical practice of a Candomblé terreiro.
How to perform the spiritual cleansing (descarrego) smoke cleansing (defumação) on a person
The protocol below follows the logic of the gira: in the terreiro, the smoke cleansing (defumação) begins at the congá (altar), passes through the mediums of the chain, then through the assistants, and continues to the gate always from the inside out. At home, the same logic is adapted.
What you will need
- Chosen spiritual cleansing herbs (rue + guinea hen weed is the base)
- 1 small piece of charcoal
- 1 incense burner, thurible, or heat-resistant clay pot
- 1 white candle for the Guardian Angel
- 1 glass of water
- Match or lighter
Preparation
- Light the white candle for the Guardian Angel of the person who will be smoke cleansed, with a simple request for protection.
- Light the charcoal and wait for it to turn into embers with white ash on the outside; the herb needs to smoke, not catch fire.
- Open windows: the smoke and the charge need a path to leave.
- Sprinkle the spiritual cleansing herbs little by little over the embers.
Smoke cleansing another person
- The person stays standing up, arms slightly open, in silence or in prayer.
- Lead the censer (defumador) around the body, from top to bottom from the shoulders to the feet as if sweeping the charge to the ground.
- Ask that the person rotate slowly on themselves, starting from the left, so that the smoke envelops the entire body.
- With very hot herbs, such as pepper tree, perform the smoke cleansing from the neck down: in tradition, the head (ori) is sacred and is not treated with heavy herbs.
- Finish by directing the smoke out of the door or window, taking away what was removed.
Smoke cleansing yourself
When alone, the care doubles: place the censer (defumador) on a firm surface resistant to heat, rotate slowly over your own body in the smoke also starting from the left and let it rise from the floor surrounding you from the neck down. Do not pass the censer over your own head.
“Defuma com as ervas da Jurema, defuma com arruda e guiné, benjoim, alecrim e alfazema, vamos defumar filhos de fé.” traditional smoke cleansing sung chant of Umbanda, in the public domain.
Singing or just saying the intention in a low voice (“may everything that does not belong to me leave”) sustains the firmeza of the ritual. At the end, extinguish the ember with the water from the cup and discard the ashes outside the house they carry what was removed.
Closing with the lustral
A strong spiritual cleansing leaves the field clean, but open. Next (or the following day), perform a light smoke cleansing with rosemary, lavender, or benzoin, calling for peace and protection to fill the space. It is the same logic as the ritual bath: first you remove, then you replenish.
Smoke cleansing, cleansing bath, or terreiro: what each case requires
The spiritual cleansing smoke cleansing resolves most of the daily loads of envy, evil eye, heavy environments, difficult phases. The guinea hen weed bath and other cleansing baths fulfill a similar role through the path of water, and many practitioners combine the two: smoke cleansing one day, bath the next.
But there is an honest limit to the "do it yourself." If the load persists after the descarrego, if there is intense suffering or situations that repeat in a pattern, the recommendation is to seek a serious terreiro. In Umbanda, heavy descarrego is the work of the left line, the guardian Exus and Pombagiras, protective spirit guides that act exactly in the cutting of demands and in the redirection of what does not belong to the person. Contrary to the stigma that prejudice built, the left of Umbanda is a force of defense and balance, not of evil.
It is worth saying clearly: descarrego is a legitimate practice of Afro-Brazilian religions, with foundation and tradition. The term was appropriated by other religious contexts in a framework that demonizes Afro-Brazilian spirits, a form of religious racism that this blog does not reproduce. Here, descarrego is care, not combat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cleansing smoke cleansing and descarrego smoke cleansing?
Descarrego uses hot herbs (arruda, guiné, aroeira) to expel dense load from the person or the environment; lustral cleansing uses soft herbs (alecrim, alfazema, benzoin) to harmonize and attract good energies afterward. The traditional order is descarrego first, lustral next: one removes, the other replenishes.
Can you perform descarrego smoke cleansing on yourself?
You can, with adaptations: censer supported on a firm surface, a slow turn over your own body in the smoke, and extra attention with the ember. The head stays out: hot herbs are used from the neck down. Cases of persistent load or intense suffering require the guidance of a Pai or Mãe-de-santo.
What is felt after descarrego smoke cleansing?
The tradition reports a feeling of lightness, relief, and peaceful sleep in the following hours. Some people feel a passing tiredness right after the ritual, according to tradition, indicating that there was a movement of energy. For this reason, many recommend doing the descarrego at night and resting immediately after.
How many times can I do a descarrego smoke cleansing (defumação)?
A strong descarrego is a specific ritual: once a week is the limit, even in heavy phases. The constant use of hot herbs wears down the field instead of protecting it. For frequent maintenance, prefer the light lustral smoke cleansing (defumação), which can be done even daily.
Is there a specific day for descarrego?
There is no consensus among the houses: each terreiro has its own guidance, and no traditional source establishes a single rule. Many houses indicate Monday, the traditional day for cleanings in Umbanda, but the essential thing is a quiet moment, without haste and, in personal descarrego, preferring the end of the day to rest afterward.
Where to buy herbs for descarrego smoke cleansing (defumação)
At Joia Mística Laroyê, you will find what is necessary for your descarrego:
- Hot herbs for smoke cleansing (defumação) rue (arruda), guinea hen weed (guiné), garlic skin, and ready-made descarrego kits
- Ready-made powdered incense descarrego mixtures prepared by Gleyzane with intention and axé
- Lustral herbs for closing rosemary (alecrim), lavender (alfazema), benzoin, and natural incense
- Thuribles and incense burners made of clay and metal, to smoke safely
- Charcoal and accessories for the ember the right way
- White candles for the firmeza of the Guardian Angel
Visit our shop in Extrema, Minas Gerais or talk to us via WhatsApp and we ship all over Brazil. Also, check out our sacred herbs section.
References
- Revista Rodriguésia (SciELO): ethnobotanical survey on the ritual use of leaves in terreiros of Rio de Janeiro
- Templo do Vale do Sol e da Lua: guide on how to perform the smoke cleansing (defumação), Umbanda terreiro of Rio de Janeiro
