Exu (Eshu) Mirim Candle
Red and black candle of the mirim line, to untie knots, cut out intrigue and unlock paths
Exu Mirim Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The Exu Mirim candle is the votive candle of an entire left line, not of a single spirit. In the shop, it comes in two colors, red on the top half and black on the bottom, the same as the Povo da Rua, with the Mirim label painted. Whoever reaches for it wants to resolve something that got stuck: a paper that is not moving, a conversation that turned into gossip, a confusion that no one knows where it came from.
Mirim is a Tupi word and means small. Small refers to the way of working, fast and direct, and not to age: Exu Mirim is not a child spirit nor an erê of the left, and serious houses ask that he not be treated as such. The line has many falanges, always with names in the diminutive, such as Caveirinha, Toquinho and Pimentinha. Monday is the most cited day, but several houses set the Mirim together with the adult Exus.
At home, the candle asks for a short and honest prayer request. It stays outside the congá of the orixás (orishas), near the door or in the backyard, and it is not for hindering anyone's life. The mirim line asks for seriousness: nothing of testing the guardian nor of promising what you will not fulfill.
What is it for
What is the Exu Mirim Candle for
Red on top, black on the bottom and the Mirim label in the front. It is the candle of the Exu Mirim and Pombagira Mirim line, swift guardians of the left, lit to undo entanglement, cut gossip and move what is stuck without reason.
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Untie what is stuck without explanation
Stalled process, sale that does not close, move that never happens. The Mirim works in the immediate, and the candle asks that the knot loosens and you see where to pull.
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Show what was hidden
When there is a lie in the air or someone acting behind your back, the candle is lit asking that the truth appears. What you do with it afterwards remains your choice.
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Cut gossip and intrigue
At work, in the family or in the neighborhood, so that the conversation set up against you loses strength. The prayer request is for cutting and distance, never to return the evil to who spoke.
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Clear the confused head
For those who walk with jumbled ideas, deciding and undeciding and not moving from the spot. The firmeza helps to separate what is yours from what was thrown on you.
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Guard against a trap in the path
Exu Mirim is the guardian of the left. The candle accompanies those who feel that something is set up ahead and asks for eyes open before signing, traveling or trusting.
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Thank the mirim line
A granted request must be repaid. The custom is to return with another candle and a hard sweet, such as rapadura or pé de moleque, as your house teaches.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Exu Mirim Candle
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Exu Mirim
Light guardian of the left
The candle carries his name and label. It is from the Povo da Rua line, with the black and red colors of the adult Exus, and works quickly in the undoing of what was set up. It receives the Laroyê greeting and, in many houses, an offering at the crossroads.
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Pombagira Mirim
The female pole of the same line
Pombagira Mirim, whom many terreiros call Pombagira Menina, walks with Exu Mirim in the same vibration. Where the house works the two together, the red and black candle serves for both.
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Exu
Orixá of movement and communication
Every Exu of ritual work, mirim or adult, responds to the principle of the orixá Exu, owner of the crossroads and the word. Therefore, the mirim line is also greeted on Monday and begins at the entrance door.
Know Exu
Also settled for
- Exu Mirim Caveirinha
- Exu Mirim Toquinho
- Exu Mirim Pimentinha
- Exu Mirim Brasinha
- Pombagira Maria Mulambinho
- Mirim lineages of the house
Prayer to light
Prayer of the Exu Mirim candle to untie the knots
“Exu Mirim, small in name but great in work, I light this red and black candle with respect and no joking. Look at what is tied in my life and show me where the end of the knot is. What was set against me, undo it. What is a lie, let it appear. What is mine and is stuck, put it in motion. I ask for no harm from anyone: I ask for passage and clarity. Pombagira Mirim, who walks with you, guard my door while this flame burns. What I promise here, I fulfill. Laroyê Exu Mirim!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to set the Exu Mirim Candle
- 1
Set on the outside of the congá
The left side does not share the altar with the orixás. Prefer the backyard, the area near the gate, or a corner near the entrance door, on the floor or on a low and firm base.
- 2
Ask for permission first
Greet the house and your guardian angel, then ask Exu for permission to call the mirim line. With the candle in your hands, say in a low voice what needs to be untied.
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Make only one request
Mirim responds to an objective request. Speak of one situation at a time, with a name and context, and avoid mixing ten subjects in the same candle.
- 4
Light and say the prayer
Light with a match, put the sweet on the saucer if your house uses one, and pray in your own words. Finish with the greeting and walk away without watching the flame.
- 5
Fulfill what you promised
Do not blow: if needed, cover with a saucer and relight later. When the candle ends, the water goes to the earth, the wax goes wrapped in the trash, and the made promise is paid.
Precautions before lighting
- A 7-day candle on the floor needs a firm base and free space. Away from curtains, dry grass, children and animals, and never lit inside a closet.
- Exu Mirim is not a child: do not offer toys or treat the line as erê. Respect on the left is the same respect that one has for any guardian.
- Do not set the candle to harm, bind, or confuse the head of another person. A request for evil is not the work of a guardian, and a serious house does not set this type of request.
- Offering at the crossroads, assentamento, or ritual work of the left with foundation is a matter for the zelador of your terreiro. The house candle does not replace this.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Exu Mirim Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Living, fast, and high flame
It is the Mirim's way of burning. Many houses read the agitated and strong flame, without soot, as a sign that the line took the request and began to work.
- Good sign
Wick that crackles and releases sparks
It is usually read as a cut in progress: something that was tied is coming loose. Stay close enough so the spark does not fall off the saucer.
- Attention
Wax that drips and forms a knot
Some read it as an entanglement older than it seemed. It is not a reason for fear: repeat the candle another day and, if the knot persists, ask for guidance in your house.
- Attention
Black smoke and a lot of soot on the glass
Shows heavy load being burned. If it happens in several candles in a row, seek a trusted terreiro instead of insisting alone on the left.
- Observe
Candle that goes out right at the beginning
Check the wind, the wick, and the quality of the candle before any reading. If everything is fine, think about whether the request was clear and light it again calmly.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Vela de Exu Mirim
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Rue
Ruta graveolens
Herb of Exu and of cutting. A ritual bath of arruda from the neck down before lighting the candle removes the weight from above you and makes the request cleaner.
See the herb -
Malagueta pepper
Capsicum frutescens
Pepper is one of the things the mirim line accepts most. Some whole peppers on the saucer, next to the candle, reinforce the request for cutting and movement.
See the herb -
guiné / Tipi
Petiveria alliacea
Strong defense leaf, used in the smoke cleansing of the door and the backyard before lighting, to ward off what is roaming the house entrance.
See the herb -
Sete Pimentas
Mixture of Capsicum and Piper species
Herb to break a demanda. A dry branch next to the candle or a light smoke cleansing (defumação) at the gate accompanies well the prayer request to undo what was set up.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Exu Mirim Candle now
Choose the type, write your request, and pay by PIX. The flame stays on the altar and you follow along through the link.
Place on the altarFrequently asked questions
Questions about the Exu Mirim Candle
Is Exu Mirim a child spirit?
No. Mirim comes from Tupi and means small, and it refers to the quick way of working, not to age. The child nickname of the left circulates in some terreiros, but the most accepted reading is that the line is of guardians, and they do not like to be treated as children.
What is the difference between Exu Mirim and erê?
The erê is from the right: in Candomblé it bridges the person and the orixá, and in Umbanda it is in the Children line. Exu Mirim is from the left, works with cutting and undoing, and receives another liturgy. The Children candle is usually pink and blue; the Mirim one is red and black.
What is the best day to light the Exu Mirim candle?
Monday, at night, is the most cited day, the same as the Exus and the souls. Many houses, however, do not give a specific day to the mirim line and settle it together with the adult Exus. Some keep different votive dates, so it is worth asking at your house.
Can I light the Exu Mirim candle inside the house?
You can, as long as it is outside the altar of the orixás and the saints. The most used place is near the entrance door, on the floor or on a low base. Those who have a backyard prefer the outside, by the gate, always being careful with the fire.
Can I blow out the Exu Mirim candle and light it later?
The correct way is to let it burn until the end. If you need to leave, smother the flame with a saucer, without blowing, and relight it when you return, repeating the greeting. Blowing is understood as undoing with your own breath the prayer request you just delivered.
What to do with the leftover wax and the sweet?
The leftover wax will be wrapped in paper for the common trash, and the water from the cup goes to the earth. The sweet, after the candle ends, can be left at the foot of a tree or discarded with respect. Do not eat what was offered to the left.
What offering does Exu Mirim accept along with the candle?
The most cited are hard and sour sweets, such as rapadura, pé de moleque, and quebra-queixo, in addition to pepper, guaraná, and sour fruits. Drink, tobacco leaf, and offering at the crossroads depend on the foundation of each house and must be guided by the leader.
