The ruling orixá of 2026 was Ogum for some houses and Oxóssi for others. Both answers appear in the press with the name of the priest and of the terreiro, and neither nullifies the other. In Candomblé, the ruling orixá comes from the cowrie-shell divination of each house and is valid for that community.
Below are the announcements we were able to verify and the Letra of the Year of Cuba. At the end, the explanation of why Ogum and Oxóssi competed for the same year.
Who announced which orixá for 2026
| Who announced | Tradition and place | Regent of 2026 | Where it appeared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexandre Meireles | umbanda, São Paulo | Oxóssi | CNN Brasil, 26/12/2025 |
| Pai Paulo de Oxalá (Obatala) | jeje, Rio de Janeiro | Oxóssi and Oxum | Tempo Real RJ, 27/12/2025 |
| Kássyo Macyel | batuque (RS) | Ogum and Iansã | Fatos 24h, 12/30/2025 |
| Iya Vera Soares, at Bate-Folhas | Batuque, Porto Alegre | Ogum and Iansã (Oiá) | Brasil de Fato, 12/31/2025 |
| Asociación Cultural Yoruba | Ifá, Cuba | Oggún, with Oshún | IPS Cuba, 01/02/2026 |
| Comissão Miguel Febles Padrón | Ifá, Cuba | Oggún, with Oyá | Cuballama, 01/02/2026 |
Alexandre Meireles has led the Umbanda terreiro Círculo de Irradiações Espirituais São Lázaro, in the south zone of São Paulo, for 30 years. He told CNN Brasil that 2026 would be ruled by Oxóssi. The same report notes that 2025 had been of Iansã, with Xangô (Shango).
In Rio, Pai Paulo de Oxalá, of the Jeje tradition, told Tempo Real RJ that "the predominant energies are from the orixás Oxóssi and Oxum." In the same piece, the ialorixá Mãe Margareth de Oxum says she feels the strong energy of Iansã.
In Rio Grande do Sul, the name was different. The babalorixá Kássyo Macyel disclosed to Fatos 24h, through cowrie-shell divination, a year ruled by Ogum and Iansã.
Ogum in Porto Alegre and in Havana
The most public announcement of 2026 took place at the Mercado Público de Porto Alegre. Between December 28 and 30, 2025, the Bate-Folhas ritual ended the year of Xapanã and Xangô and greeted Ogum and Iansã as regents of 2026. It was conducted by the ialorixá Iya Vera Soares, with the Batuque RS drum school, according to Brasil de Fato. The Gaúcho way of reaching the regent is in orixá regente no batuque.
In Cuba, two groups of babalawos draw the Letra do Ano. Both arrived at the same orixá, with different partners:
- Asociación Cultural Yoruba de Cuba: ruling sign Ogunda Otrupón, Oggún regent and Oshún companion, revealed on January 1, according to IPS Cuba. The flag of the year is green with a white border.
- Comissão Miguel Febles Padrón: ruling sign Ofun Nabe, Oggún regent and Oyá companion, according to Cuballama. The flag is green with wine borders.
The two letters have been separate since 2021. Oggún, in the Cuban spelling, is the same Ogum from Brazil. The Letter of the Year applies to those who follow those babalaôs, and not to Brazilian terreiros. Whoever is the orixá of iron is in who is Ogum.
Why Ogum and Oxóssi disputed 2026
The confusion has two engines, and neither of them is the jogo de búzios of a house.
The planet Mars. Popular astrology gives a ruling planet to each year. By this count, Mars rules from March 20, 2026, to March 20, 2027, as explained by SAPO. In Umbanda, Mars is usually associated with Ogum, and the blog Umbanda Eu Curto summarizes: "And 2026 arrived the turn of Mars (year of Ogum!)".
Thursday. January 1, 2026, fell on a Thursday. In the table of the Seven Lines of Umbanda, Thursday is the day of Oxóssi. In gaúcho batuque, the same day is of Ogum, as recorded in the entry for batuque on Wikipedia.
The same January 1 gave Oxóssi in Umbanda and Ogum in batuque. The day of the week did not change; the table changed.
There was also a third shortcut, less common: the sum 2 + 0 + 2 + 6, which gives 10 and leads to the odu Ofun, linked to Oxalá. Ifá priests contest this calculation, and the reason is in odu of the year. The table of Umbanda days is in weekdays of the orixás.
And the odu of Ilé-Ifẹ̀?
In Nigerian Ifá, the year does not start in January. The Yoruba year opens between the end of May and the beginning of June, with the Ifá festival. In June 2025, in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, the odu revealed for the year was Òtúrúpọ̀n Méjì, according to the temple Ilé Awo. In June 2026, Òsá Méjì came out, which is valid until mid-2027.
Odu is not an orixá. It is the sign of the oracle, with its verses and advice. The difference is in odu of the year.
What to do in what remains of 2026
If your house announced Ogum, Oxóssi, or another orixá, it is their orientation that counts. The year does not ask for anything that your zelador has not already requested.
It is also worth remembering that the ruling orixá of a house does not change names in the middle of the year because another house announced something different. Someone from Umbanda who heard Oxóssi in their gira does not need to switch to Ogum because they read that on the internet. And someone from batuque who greeted Ogum at the Mercado Público does not need to worry about the Umbanda table. Each method is valid within the tradition that uses it.
For those who want to get closer to the ruling orixá of your house, some paths:
- Get to know the orixá. The hunter's profile is in who is Oxóssi. The warrior's is in who is Ogum.
- Make an offering with orientation. The traditional items are in offering for Ogum and offering for Oxóssi. The delivery follows what the house commands.
- Look toward the next year. The ruling orixá of 2027 only leaves at the turn of the year. The calendar of each tradition is in ruling orixá of 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the ruling orixá of 2026?
It depends on the house. In the Umbanda of São Paulo heard by CNN Brasil, it was Oxóssi. In the batuque of Porto Alegre, it was Ogum and Iansã. The two Letters of the Year of Cuba gave Oggún as the ruling orixá. In Candomblé, the ruling orixá comes from the cowrie-shell divination of each terreiro and is valid for that community.
Is 2026 the year of Ogum or Oxóssi?
Both answers have defenders. Ogum appears in batuque, in the Cuban letters, and in the astrological reading of Mars. Oxóssi appears in Umbanda announcements and in a Jeje house, many for the Thursday of January 1st. The answer that counts for you is the one from your house.
Which orixá ruled 2025?
The CNN Brasil report records Iansã, with Xangô, at Alexandre Meireles' house. In the Porto Alegre batuque, Bate-Folhas ended the year of Xapanã and Xangô. As in 2026, the answer changes depending on the house and the tradition that performed the reading.
Who is of Ogum has a better year in 2026?
No consulted source says this. The announced ruling orixá is a guidance for the house community, not a promise for the children of an orixá. Those of Ogum continue to care for their head orixá as always, with the obligations that their house requires.
Want to set Ogum or Oxóssi the way your house taught? The shop in Extrema-MG has seven-day candles in the colors of the orixás, bead necklaces of Ogum and Oxóssi, statues of Saint George and Saint Sebastian and sword-of-saint-george. Message us on Joia Mística's WhatsApp, with delivery to all of Brazil.
References
- CARVALHO, Bárbara. CNN Brasil, 2025. Which orixá will rule the year 2026?
- Tempo Real RJ, 2025. In 2026, Oxóssi will rule focus and strategy
- Fatos 24h, 2025. Babalorixá Kássyo Macyel releases predictions for 2026
- REINHOLZ, Fabiana. Brasil de Fato RS, 2025. Bate-Folhas celebrates Ogum, Iansã and the renewal of axé for 2026
- IPS Cuba, 2026. Letra del año de 2026
- Cuballama Noticias, 2026. Comisión Miguel Febles Padrón divulga adelanto de la Letra del Año 2026
- FERRARI, Eunice. SAPO, 2025. Mars, the ruling planet of 2026
- Umbanda Eu Curto. Ruling orixá in 2026: the truth about the theme
- Wikipedia. Batuque (religion)
- Ilé Awo. Oke Itase 2025
