Oxum (Oshun) Apará Candle
The young Oxum of the sword, sweet in the river and fierce in the waterfall, for self-love and defense
Oxum Apará Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The Oxum Apará candle is for those who know the sweetness of Oxum but need, now, her side that does not bow its head. Apará, also called Opará, is remembered as the youngest and most warrior Oxum, the Lady of the Sword. She is sought by those who lost their own shine in a bad relationship, by those who are surrounded by envy, or by those who need to defend what they have achieved.
In the terreiro, quality is a path of the same orixá (orisha). Oxum is one, mistress of sweet waters, gold, and love, but she appears in different faces. The older ones live in deep waters and are calm. Apará lives in the running water that falls on the rock: she walks alongside Ogum (Ogun), carries a sword and abebé, and has the quick spirit of Iansã (Oya). Saturday remains the day. Colors and the list of qualities change between nations and houses, and there are traditions that treat Opará as a divinity of her own for the rivers.
At home, the Apará candle asks for care and courage. She cuts, but she is not for hurting anyone. What she returns is respect for oneself, and whoever learns this chooses better who stays by their side. Therefore, the most beautiful prayer request to make before her is not against someone, it is in favor of yourself.
What is it for
What is the purpose of the Oxum Apará Candle
The Oxum Apará candle is dedicated to the youngest and most warrior quality of Oxum, the one who carries a sword beyond the mirror. Golden and pink, she receives prayer requests for self-love, for cutting envy, and for courage to leave what hurts without hardening the heart.
-
Learning to like myself again
After a time of being diminished, the candle asks that Apará returns the shine and healthy vanity. Light it in front of the mirror and look at yourself with the calm of someone who deserves care.
-
Cut envy and the evil eye
When everything you show seems to attract the evil eye. Apará's sword cuts what comes from outside, and the candle helps guard your achievements without needing to hide your joy.
-
Courage to leave what hurts
For those who know they need to leave a relationship, a job, or a friendship and cannot find the strength. Apará is sweet, but she does not stay where she is not respected.
-
Defend what is mine
Own business, name, space at work. The warrior Oxum protects what was conquered with effort and gives strength to say no to those who want to take it away.
-
A love that respects me
Oxum brings closer, but Apará demands respect. The prayer request is for a love that cares and does not diminish. She does not tie anyone down, she only helps you recognize the love that is worth it.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Oxum Apará Candle
-
Oxum Apará
The young and warrior quality of Oxum
Apará is Oxum on the path of the sword: young, fast, linked to the water that runs and falls on the stone. Therefore, the candle is golden, of Oxum, with the pink that many houses give to Apará, and it is lit on Saturday.
Know Oxum Apará -
Iansã
Lady of the winds, with a similar spirit
Many houses say that Apará walks near Iansã and Ogum, and that her temperament resembles that of Iansã: fast, brave, and without patience for lies. Hence the prayer request for courage in this candle.
Know Iansã
Also settled for
- Caboclas of the waterfalls
- People of the Waters
- Erês
Prayer to light
Prayer of the Oxum Apará candle for my shine
“Mother Apará, Oxum of the sword and the mirror, I light this golden light with your name. You who are sweet in the river and fierce in the waterfall, teach me both things. Cut with your iron the envy that arrives at my door and the contempt that I learned to accept. Put your mirror in front of me and let me see again what I am worth. Give courage to my feet to leave where I am not respected and sweetness to my heart so it does not harden on the path. May I love without extinguishing myself and fight without losing grace. Ora Yeyê Ô, my warrior mother!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to consecrate the Oxum Apará Candle
- 1
Prepare the little corner with care
Cover the table or the shelf with the yellow or pink cloth. Apará is Oxum: everything clean, whole and beautiful. Away from the kitchen and the bathroom, in a place where light hits.
- 2
Take a cologne ritual bath
Before lighting, a bath with cologne leaves from the neck down. It perfumes the body and prepares the one who will ask to regain their own brilliance.
- 3
Set up the plate with the mirror
Candle in the center of the plate, a bowl of water in front and roses around. The mirror stands upright, facing the flame, reminding of the abebé that Apará holds along with the sword.
- 4
Call Oxum by the name of Apará
Light with a match, say Ora Yeyê Ô and call Oxum Apará. Speak of what you want to cut and what you want to recover. Ask for courage, not punishment for anyone.
- 5
Finish without blowing
During the week, change the cloudy water and remove the withered flower. Never blow: smother with a saucer if you are going out. At the end, the water goes to a vase or a river, the flowers to the garden and the glass to recycling.
Precautions before lighting
- The votive burns for days: leave it on a firm plate, away from the cloth covering the table, curtains, children and animals.
- Apará cuts, but does not wound. Do not light her candle to wish ill on someone who left nor to bind anyone's will.
- In some houses, honey is a quizila of Oxum or of certain qualities of hers. If you belong to a terreiro, ask the leader of your house before using honey.
- The quality of your head orixá is only revealed by the terreiro leader's divination. The candle at home is devotion and does not replace obligations or an assentamento.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Oxum Apará Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Living flame that dances quickly
Many houses read this as the young and lively Oxum being present. It is a good moment to repeat the prayer request out loud and give thanks.
- Good sign
Brightness that reflects strongly in the mirror
The popular reading sees the brightness returning to the one who lit it. Follow the week taking care of yourself with the same affection as the first day.
- Observe
Crackles and small sparks
It could be moisture in the wick. There are those who read it as envy being cut by the sword of Apará. Keep calm and continue the prayer.
- Attention
Low and sad flame
It usually accompanies the one who lit it when feeling very down. Rest, have a sweet tea and, if the flame does not steady, light another candle on the following Saturday.
- Attention
Dark soot on the glass
Trim the wick first. If the sign repeats, there may be emotional weight in the house: take a sweet herbal bath and seek guidance in a terreiro.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Oxum Apará Candle
-
Colônia
Alpinia zerumbet
The scent leaf of Oxum. The cologne bath before lighting prepares you to ask for self-love and leaves the body perfumed as the orixá likes.
See the herb -
Yellow Rose
Rosa foetida
The flower of Oxum. Yellow roses around the plate, or petals in the water of the bowl, accompany the candle throughout the week.
See the herb -
Iansã's Sword / Saint Barbara
Sansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii
The sword-leaf with yellow edges, linked to Iansã. A vase near the door recalls the warrior side of Apará and helps to cut the evil eye.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Oxum Apará 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 Oxum Apará Candle
Is Oxum Apará a different orixá from Oxum?
In most houses, no: Apará, or Opará, is a quality of Oxum, the youngest and most warrior. Some traditions treat her as a deity of her own of the rivers and waterfalls. The list of qualities varies between nations and houses, and yours has the final word.
What is the difference between the Oxum Apará candle and the Oxum candle?
The Oxum candle speaks with the loving mother of the calm waters, for comfort, children, and abundance. The Apará one calls the same orixá on the path of the sword, for self-love, cutting envy, and courage. If the prayer request is for comfort, Oxum. If it is for reaction, Apará.
Why is the Oxum Apará candle gold and pink?
Gold is the color of Oxum in almost all houses, and pink is one of the most cited colors for Apará. It is not a closed rule: there are houses that dress Apará in brownish-red, light blue, or gold with white.
What is the best day to light the Oxum Apará candle?
Saturday, the day of Oxum in most houses, in the morning. If the prayer request is urgent, it can be lit on another day with the same respect. Those who are from a terreiro follow the calendar of their own house.
Can I light the Apará candle if I do not know my quality of Oxum?
You can. The house candle is an open devotion, and Oxum receives whoever arrives with respect. Just do not use the candle to discover which quality of Oxum rules your head: that is a matter for the terreiro, confirmed by the zelador.
Can I blow out the Oxum Apará candle and light it later?
You can, without blowing. Smother the flame with a saucer or a spoon and relight it when you return, repeating Ora Yeyê Ô. Ideally, the 7 day candle should burn completely, but the safety of the house comes first.
