Exu (Eshu) candle
The messenger who opens the paths, takes the prayer request to the orixás (orishas) and begins every gira
Exu candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The Exu candle is the votive candle of the orixá of the paths, in red and black colors and with his statue on the label. Whoever looks for it is almost always facing a closed door: a job that does not come, a conversation that does not happen, a project that does not leave the paper. It is lit in Umbanda, in Candomblé, in Batuque, where Exu goes by the name of Bará, and also by those who just want to greet the owner of the crossroads before asking for anything else.
The foundation lies in the function of Exu. In the Yoruba itans he is the messenger between Orum and Aiyê, and no offering reaches the other orixás without passing through him. Therefore, in the xirê, Exu eats first, receives the padê of farofa with dendê and is dispatched before the party begins. Monday is his day, and in the yearly calendar the people of santo remember Exu on June 13, due to the popular syncretism with Saint Anthony.
Exu is not the devil. This reading was pasted onto him by the missionaries of the colonial time, and the tradition never accepted it. He is movement, word and passage: he gives to those who treat him with respect and demands from those who promise and do not fulfill. At home, his candle asks for a clear prayer request and clean hands, and it is not used to hit anyone.
What is it for
What is the Exu Candle for
Red and black, with the orixá label. The Exu candle is lit for the messenger who takes the requests to Orum: it serves to open paths, unlock communication, start something new, and thank the one who guards the passages.
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Open a path that does not move
An interview that never arrives, a move that is always postponed, a process stuck on a table. Exu is the one who unlocks the passage; walking through it afterwards is your work.
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Unlock conversation and negotiation
Exu is the owner of the word. Light it before a difficult meeting, before collecting what is owed to you, or before asking for a raise, so that the speech comes out right and is heard.
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Start something new with permission
Open business, new house, first day of work. Since Exu is greeted before everything in the terreiro, his candle asks for permission for the beginning you are going to make.
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Give movement to stagnant money
When the store is empty or the sale does not turn, the request to Exu is for circulation: people passing by, contact arriving. He moves it, but the counter continues to be yours.
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Greet Exu before another candle
Many people light a candle for Exu before consecrating another orixá, in the same way the terreiro does in the xirê. It is the request so that the message reaches who it must reach.
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Give thanks on Exu's day
On Monday or on June 13, the Exu candle returns as a thank you for what was opened. For the messenger, returning to thank is just as important as asking.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Exu Candle
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Exu (Bará, Elegbara)
Messenger between Orum and Aiyê
It is the candle with his label. Exu wears red and black, has Monday as his day, and is the first orixá to receive offering, because only he takes the prayer request to Orum and brings the answer back.
Knowing Exu (Bará, Elegbara) -
Exu Tranca-Ruas
Guardian of Umbanda who watches the streets
In Umbanda, the name Exu is also a line of guardians, spirits who work on the left. Tranca-Ruas, one of the most called, accepts this candle when the prayer request to Exu is for protection on the path.
Also settled for
- Exus guardians
- Exu Sete Encruzilhadas
- Exu Marabô
- Exu Tiriri
- Exus Mirins
Prayer to light
Prayer of the Exu candle to open paths
“Exu, lord of the crossroads, you who are greeted before all, receive this light as the first of my day. Take my prayer request where it needs to go and bring the answer without delay. You know the road of each person: show me mine, which today I cannot see. Unlock the door that is mine by right and leave closed the one that does not serve me. Put the right word in my mouth when I need to speak and an attentive ear when I need to listen. I do not ask for what belongs to another nor the evil of anyone. I ask for passage, movement, and the judgment to follow the open path. What I promise, I fulfill. Laroyê Exu! Exu is Mojubá!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to consecrate the Exu Candle
- 1
Firm on the outside of the altar
Exu stays at the entrance, never in the middle of the orixás or in the bedroom. Backyard, garage, a low corner near the door or the tronqueira, if the house has one. Firm ground and no cloth nearby.
- 2
Tell Exu what you are going to do
Before striking the match, call Exu by name and tell him in a low voice that this candle is his. For the messenger, informing what will be requested is part of the request itself.
- 3
Set up the saucer with the offering
The candle in the center of the saucer, the glass beside it, a palm's length away, because cachaça catches fire. If you wish, a little farofa with dendê in a corner, without touching the flame.
- 4
Light it and say only one thing
Give your Laroyê, say the prayer and state the prayer request in one sentence. Exu understands better those who know what they want: one path at a time, without a wish list and without empty bargaining.
- 5
Finish and return to the street
Do not blow: to pause, cover with another saucer. At the end, the drink and the farofa go to the earth outside the house, the cup is washed and the candle glass goes to the trash wrapped in paper.
Precautions before lighting
- The 7-day candle burns for consecutive days: leave it on a non-flammable surface, away from curtains, children and animals, with the drink cup away from the flame.
- To consecrate Exu, give food with a cut or do crossroads ritual work is terreiro foundation and requires initiation. At home, one makes a firmeza; the rest is with the zelador.
- Exu is not a weapon. Asking to harm someone, separate a couple or imprison another person's will is not the use of this candle, and tradition teaches that this returns to the one who asks.
- Do not offer to Exu what you cannot give. A promise to Exu is a debt of word, and the relationship with him is made with respect, not fear or mockery.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Exu Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Fast and dancing flame, without wind
Exu is movement, and many houses read the light flame as the messenger in ritual work, carrying the prayer request. It is a good sign for those who asked for a path.
- Good sign
Clean burn, wax melting evenly
Handled as an open passage without obstacles. When the candle ends this way, it is time to fulfill what was offered and return to give thanks.
- Observe
Wick that forms a dark mushroom
Most of the time it is a long wick. Trim it carefully after smothering and relight. If it repeats with a good candle, redo the request in a simpler way.
- Attention
Flame that divides into two
Some houses read it as a path with two exits, asking for a decision. Think if the request is also divided and choose a direction before lighting another.
- Attention
Glass all black before the halfway point
It is usually read as many things blocking the path. Take a cleansing ritual bath (banho de descarrego) and light it again on the following Monday. If it persists, seek a trusted house.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Vela de Exu
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Malagueta pepper
Capsicum frutescens
The heat of Exu in plant form. A chili pepper plant in a pot near the door accompanies the firmeza; the pepper does not enter the saucer nor get near the fire.
See the herb -
Pinhão-Roxo / Pinhão-Paraguaio
Jatropha gossypiifolia
Guard plant of the terreiros, planted at the entrance. A branch next to the candle reinforces the request for free passage; the plant is toxic, keep away from children.
See the herb -
Abre-Caminho / Lacre
Justicia gendarussa
The name already says the use. Banho de abre-caminho (path-opening bath) from the neck down on Monday morning, before lighting the Exu candle, to leave the house feeling light.
See the herb -
Rue
Ruta graveolens
Remove what stayed stuck before requesting. Pass a branch of arruda over the body and leave it behind the door during the seven days of the candle.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Vela de Exu 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 Vela de Exu
What is the Exu candle for?
To ask for opening of paths, movement, and good communication. Exu is the messenger of the orixás, and his candle accompanies requests for jobs, business, difficult conversations, and the start of a project. It is also lit to greet Exu before another orixá and to give thanks for what has already opened.
What is the best day to light the Exu candle?
Monday, which is the day of Exu in Candomblé and in most Umbanda houses. During the year, many people light it on June 13, the day of Saint Anthony, because of popular syncretism. Some houses firm the left on another day; if you attend a terreiro, follow the custom of that place.
Are Exu orixá and Exu of Umbanda the same thing?
No. The Exu orixá, also called Bará or Elegbara, is a Yoruba deity, a messenger between the Orum and the Aiyê. The exus of Umbanda, such as Tranca-Ruas and Marabô, are guardians, spirits who work on the left line and give consultations in the gira. They share the name, the colors, and the Laroyê greeting.
Can I light an Exu candle inside the house?
It is possible, in the right place. Exu is of the threshold, so the candle goes near the door, in the backyard or in the tronqueira, and not in the bedroom or next to the orixás. In an apartment, a corner of the floor near the entrance works, with a firm saucer and away from fabric and children.
What is the difference between the Exu candle and the red and black candle?
The color is the same; the destiny changes. The Exu candle bears the label of the orixá and is for him, the messenger of the paths. The red and black one without a label is more open: it grounds the left side as a whole, a pombagira or the guardian you name at the moment of lighting.
Can I blow out the Exu candle and light it again?
You can, without blowing it out. Smother it with a saucer or a spoon and relight it when you return, saying again that the candle is for Exu. Blowing is seen as undoing the request. Since the 7-day candle was made to burn without stopping, choose from the start a spot where it can stay lit safely.
What to do with the cachaça and the rest of the Exu candle?
When the candle finishes, pour the cachaça and the farofa on the ground, outside the house, in a garden or at the foot of a tree. Wash the cup; many people reserve it only for Exu's things. The candle glass, with the leftover wax, will be wrapped in paper for the trash. Do not leave the offering souring near the door.
