Every erva de axé has a temperature, and it is not the one from a thermometer. In Candomblé and Umbanda, the leaves are divided into hot, lukewarm, and cold herbs. This classification decides what each ritual bath is for, how it is taken, and what should never be poured on the head. Making a mistake here is not a detail: a hot herb on the ori can do the opposite of what the person was seeking.
This guide explains why herbs have temperature and which are hot, lukewarm, and cold. It also shows the rule of the ori that protects the head and how to assemble a ritual bath without confusing the types.
Why herbs have temperature
The temperature of the herb does not speak of the heat of the plant. It speaks of the energetic action that the leaf carries. A hot herb acts in a firm and cutting way. A cold herb acts in a gentle and balancing way. The lukewarm one stays in the middle, like a bridge.
This reading of the leaves comes from a long time ago. In Candomblé, the one who guards the secret of the herbs is Ossain, the orixá (orisha) of the leaves. The fundamento says that each orixá has their leaf, but only Ossain knows the secret of all of them, as recorded in the Ossaim entry on Wikipedia. From there comes the maxim kosi ewe, kosi orisa: without leaf there is no orixá.
Therefore, the division between hot and cold is not a guess. It is part of an ancient knowledge about what each leaf does. Knowing the temperature of the herb is the first step to not using the right plant in the wrong way.
The temperature of the herb is its function. Hot cuts and performs spiritual cleansing (descarrego), cold aligns and calms. Swapping the two is swapping the effect of the ritual bath.
Hot herbs: spiritual cleansing (descarrego) and cutting
The hot herbs serve for heavy work: to cleanse dense energy, overcome demanda, cut the evil eye, and lift those who are carrying the weight of the world on their backs. They are the leaves of strong spiritual cleansing (descarrego).
Some of the best known in the Afro-Brazilian tradition:
- Arruda: the queen of descarrego, cuts dense accumulation. See the profile of arruda, herb of Ogum and Exu.
- Guiné: partner of arruda against spells and evil eye. Details in the article of guiné, herb of Ogum and Exu.
- Comigo-ninguém-pode: barrier and protection plant, treated in comigo-ninguém-pode.
- Espada de São Jorge: cuts and protects, the plant of Ogum.
- Aroeira: bark of firm action for heavy descarrego, in the guide of the banho de aroeira.
There is a care that applies to all of them. The hot herb acts like an astral acid: where it touches, it reacts. This cleanses dense energy, but also consumes part of the vital energy of the one who takes it. Therefore, it is never used without reason, and never repeated every day.
Cold and lukewarm herbs: balance and the head
The cold herbs do the opposite of descarrego. They neutralize, align the ori, attract good fluids and help in prosperity, in love and in the development of mediumship. They are herbs of peace, without quizila with the orixá.
Among the most used:
- Alecrim: protection and renewal, the herb of Oxalá.
- Manjericão: attraction and sweetness, the manjericão of Oxum.
- Colônia: calm and gentle cleansing, the colônia of Iemanjá and Oxalá.
- Chamomile: peace and serenity, the chamomile of Ibeji and Oxalá.
- Lavender: harmony and fine cleansing, the lavender of Oxalá.
- Lemon balm: calms the field, the lemon balm of Oxum.
The warm herbs stay in the middle of the path. They balance and maintain the field, serving as a transition between the heat of the hot one and the sweetness of the cold one. Many houses use them to restore energy after a descarrego.
The great advantage of the cold and warm ones is that they can go on the head. It is with them that the amaci is done, the ritual bath that firms the ori.
The rule of the ori: why the hot herb does not go on the head
There is a precept that crosses all the practice of the ritual bath: the head has a separate treatment. The ori, the spiritual head, is the seat of each person's orixá, and one does not throw just anything over it.
The practical rule is direct:
- Hot herb: only from the neck down, never on the ori. It is too strong for the head and can unbalance instead of helping.
- Cold herb or of the ruling orixá: this one can go on the head, with emphasis on the herbs of Oxalá, the father of all heads.
As summarized in the material about ritual baths in Umbanda from the Diário de Umbanda, no ritual bath is thrown over the head, except those of herbs of the ruling orixá or of Oxalá. The descarrego flows from the neck down, taking away what is not good.
This care is not superstition. The head is the most sensitive point of the spiritual body. Treating the ori with the wrong leaf is like using a product that is too strong on delicate skin.
How to prepare a ritual bath without making mistakes
Knowing the temperature of the herb solves most of the doubts when preparing the ritual bath. The reasoning is simple.
- To perform a spiritual cleansing (descarrego) (weight, evil eye, dense energy): use hot herbs, from the neck down. The classic is the coarse salt ritual bath for spiritual cleansing, often with arruda and guiné.
- To elevate, attract, or calm: use cold and lukewarm herbs, which can include the head. The seven herbs ritual bath usually balances different types for this purpose.
- To set the ori: amaci, made with cold herbs from your orixá, always at the house and with the leader.
One thing should not be done in the dark: mixing hot and cold without criteria. Both have opposite functions, and joining them on your own can nullify the ritual bath or create an effect you did not want. When the mixture is necessary, it follows the fundamento of the house.
Golden tip: if in doubt about the temperature of an herb, do not improvise on the ori. Ask your Pai or Mãe de santo. The fundamento ritual bath is always guided by the house.
Frequently asked questions
What are the hot herbs?
The best known are arruda, guiné, comigo-ninguém-pode, espada de São Jorge, aroeira, and vence-demanda. They serve for strong spiritual cleansing (descarrego), cutting dense energy, and to win demands. Since they act firmly, they are used from the neck down and never every day, so as not to exhaust vital energy.
Can a hot herb be poured on the head?
No. The hot herb is too strong for the ori and can unbalance the head instead of helping. The descarrego is always applied from the neck down. Only cold herbs or those of the ruling orixá go on the head, with emphasis on the leaves of Oxalá, the father of all heads.
Can I mix hot and cold herbs in the ritual bath?
No, not on your own. The two have opposite functions: one cuts, the other calms. Mixing without criteria can nullify the effect or create an unwanted result. When a mixture is necessary, it follows the foundation of the house and the guidance of the pai or mãe de santo.
What is the difference between hot and cold herbs?
The difference is in the energetic action, not in the heat. The hot herb discharges, cuts, and raises energy, acting in a firm way. The cold herb neutralizes, aligns the ori, and attracts good fluids, acting in a gentle way. The lukewarm herb balances and serves as a bridge between the two.
Is arruda hot or cold?
Arruda is a hot herb, one of the most used in descarrego. Therefore, it goes from the neck down and never on the head. It is a leaf of firm action, linked to Ogum (Ogun) and Exu (Eshu), indicated for cleaning dense energy and cutting the evil eye, always with punctual use, not daily.
Where to buy herbs for ritual baths
At Joia Mística Laroyê, you find fresh and dry herbs, separated by function:
- Hot herbs: arruda, guiné, comigo-ninguém-pode, and aroeira for descarrego
- Cold and lukewarm herbs: alecrim, manjericão, colônia, camomila, and alfazema
- Ready-made ritual baths: for descarrego and for elevation, prepared with axé
- Coarse salt and incense: to complete the cleansing of the body and the house
- Candles and bead necklaces (guias): to consecrate the ritual bath for your orixá
Visit our shop in Extrema, Minas Gerais or buy via WhatsApp with delivery to all of Brazil.
To deepen your knowledge of the sacred value of the leaves, it is worth reading about Ossaim, the orixá of the leaves, guardian of the secret of all herbs.
References
- Wikipedia: entry on Ossaim, orixá of the leaves
- Diário de Umbanda: article on ritual baths in Umbanda
