Oxumaré (Oshumare) candle
New beginnings, the end of a difficult phase, and circulating wealth, under the rainbow of Oxumaré
Oxumaré candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
Whoever seeks the Oxumaré candle is almost always in the middle of a turning point: a job that ended, a move to a new city, a relationship that changed form, a period of hardship that seems not to end. Divided in green and yellow, with the orixá (orisha) label, it is used in Candomblé and Umbanda to honor the lord of the rainbow and ask that the bad cycle closes so another can begin.
Oxumaré is the snake that bites its own tail and the arch that connects the sky to the ground. He takes the water from the earth to the clouds and returns it as rain, which is why he rules everything that goes and returns: the seasons, fortune, the phases of life. In Ketu he is Oxumaré, in Jeje he is Bessém, linked to the vodun Dã, and in Angola he resembles Angorô. Tuesday is the most cited day, but there are houses, especially in Ketu, that keep Saturday, and August 24, of Saint Bartholomew, is the festival date.
At home, the Oxumaré candle does not perform a money miracle nor does it erase what passed. What it asks for is movement. It works best when you also do your part in the change, and accompanies the transition phase as a light that reminds you that nothing stays still forever.
What is it for
What is the purpose of the Oxumaré Candle
The Oxumaré candle combines the green and yellow of the rainbow orixá, the serpent that sheds its skin. It is lit to close a bad phase, unlock what has stopped, ask for money to start circulating again, and cross changes with more calm.
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Close a bad phase and start over
After a dismissal, separation, or forced change, the Oxumaré candle marks the end of that chapter. Light it asking that what ended stays behind and that the new finds space.
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Make money start circulating again
Oxumaré is the orixá of wealth that comes and goes. When the bills are stuck or the business stopped turning, the candle asks for movement in the entries, without the illusion of easy gain.
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Unlock what is stopped
For a project that does not leave the paper, a process that does not move, or a life that seems stagnant. The serpent does not stay still, and the candle is lit to take you out of the same place.
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Balance between two sides of life
The orixá that unites heaven and earth, Oxumaré is also called when a person lives divided between two choices, two cities, or two versions of themselves, and needs balance to decide.
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Rain after a time of drought
In tradition, the rainbow announces that the rain has reached the dry land. The candle is lit in long periods of scarcity, of affection, or of work, asking that abundance returns slowly.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Oxumaré Candle
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Oxumaré
Lord of the rainbow and the sacred snake
Green and yellow are the main colors of Oxumaré, who also accepts all those of the rainbow. Like the serpent that renews its skin, he rules the cycles and the circulating fortune, and Tuesday is the most remembered day for his candle.
Know Oxumaré
Also settled for
- Bessém, his name in the Jeje nation
- Angorô, his pair in the Angola nation
Prayer to light
Oxumaré candle prayer for a new beginning
“Pai Oxumaré, lord of the snake that never stops, watch over me in this phase of change. You who carry the water from the earth to the sky and return it as rain, also take away what weighs on me and return it in the form of strength. Calmly close the cycle that ended, without me carrying any resentment from it. Open the next one with your rainbow, so that I may see the colors that tiredness hid. Make my work turn and my livelihood arrive with honesty. Teach me to shed my skin without fear, as you do, and to trust that everything that leaves will find its path back. Arroboboi, Oxumaré!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to consecrate the Oxumaré Candle
- 1
Start on a Tuesday
Tuesday is the most used day for Oxumaré, and starting on it places the prayer request in the time of the orixá. If your house of axé keeps Saturday or another day, follow what the zelador instructs.
- 2
State the cycle clearly
Before lighting, think of a single phrase: what is ending and what you want to begin. Oxumaré works with passage, so the prayer request is better when it has both ends, like an arch.
- 3
Assemble the saucer with the water
Set the candle in the saucer and leave the glass of water beside it. The water reminds us of the rain that the orixá brings and takes away. If you have the leaves, scatter them around the saucer, without touching the flame.
- 4
Light and hail the orixá
Strike the match, light it, and say Arroboboi in a low voice. Then pray the prayer or speak with your own words, telling the change you are living and asking for movement.
- 5
Return to it in the following days
During the week, perform a spiritual pass over the candle, change the water if it lowers, and repeat the greeting. This daily return is the cycle itself, and keeps the prayer request alive while the flame works.
- 6
Finish without blowing
Let it burn until the end; do not blow. If necessary, smother it and light it again. The water goes into a vase or into the earth, the leaves into organic waste, and the leftover wax wrapped in common trash.
Precautions before lighting
- The 7-day candle burns night and day: leave it in a sturdy glass, away from curtains and wood, out of reach of children and animals, and never leave it in an insecure place.
- The candle asks for movement, not luck without effort. Join it with your part: look for a job, organize your bills, talk about what needs to be talked about.
- Setting up an assentamento (the orixá's consecrated altar), performing obligations, and making food offerings for Oxumaré are done according to tradition and under the guidance of your terreiro's leader. A candle at home does not replace this.
- If the change you are experiencing involves health, the candle accompanies the care and does not take its place. Follow the guidance of your doctor.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Oxumaré Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
A living flame that flickers without going out
For the orixá of movement, many houses read the flame that dances steadily as a sign that the prayer request has started to move and the phase is changing.
- Good sign
Wax that flows in a spiral
There are devotees who see the shape of the serpent in the tear of wax rolled on the glass. It is a popular reading, not a terreiro rule: take it as a reminder of Oxumaré in the change.
- Attention
Low flame for several days
It may indicate that the change meets resistance, sometimes within the person themselves. Review the prayer request, do your practical part, and repeat the candle on another Tuesday.
- Attention
Dark smoke on the glass
Many houses read it as old weight being burned before the restart. If it happens every time, a ritual bath for cleansing and a conversation at a trusted terreiro are recommended.
- Observe
Candle that goes out in the middle
First check the wick, wind, and quality of the candle. If everything is correct, light it again calmly, hail the orixá, and continue with the burning until the end.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that pair with the Oxumaré Candle
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Folha-de-Cobra
Dracontium asperum
The leaf that bears the name of the serpent and belongs to Oxumaré. Some leaves around the plate reinforce the passage. Handle with care and wash your hands.
See the herb -
Cipó-Cruz
Tynanthus fasciculatus
Vine of strength and of crossing (cruzamento). Many houses use it in the ritual bath before lighting the candle, for those who feel tied down and want to start moving again.
See the herb -
Erva-de-São-João / Mentrasto
Ageratum conyzoides
Mentrasto calms and removes the weight from the head. It goes into a warm ritual bath, from the neck down, for those who arrive at the candle tired from a difficult phase.
See the herb -
Jurubeba
Solanum paniculatum
Hot herb for spiritual cleansing (descarrego), linked to Oxumaré. Only with guidance from your house, in a ritual bath from the neck down before the candle week. Pregnant women should avoid it.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Oxumaré 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 Oxumaré Candle
What is the Oxumaré candle for?
It serves to ask for a new beginning, to close a difficult phase, and to make life and money start circulating again. Oxumaré is the orixá of cycles and of fortune that comes and goes, so the candle accompanies moments of change, always together with the effort of the one who asks.
What is the best day to light the Oxumaré candle?
Tuesday is the most used day, although some houses, especially in Ketu, mark Saturday. August 24, the day of Saint Bartholomew, is the great date of the orixá and many people light the candle on this day. The moment of an important turning point also calls for the candle.
Why is the Oxumaré candle green and yellow?
Because green and yellow are the main colors of the orixá, who also accepts all the colors of the rainbow. In the jeje nation, where he is Bessém, the beads appear striped in yellow and black. Therefore, the color of the candle may vary depending on the house.
What is the difference between the Oxumaré candle and the green and yellow one?
The Oxumaré candle bears the label of the orixá and is dedicated only to him. The plain green and yellow one can go to Oxumaré, but it is also used for Oxóssi (Oshosi) and Oxum (Oshun). When the prayer request is for a new beginning and the destination is Oxumaré, the votive candle makes this clear from the start.
Can I blow out the Oxumaré candle and light it again?
You can, as long as it is smothered with a saucer or spoon, never by blowing. The ideal is to let the 7-day candle burn completely. If you need to put it out for safety, light it again as soon as possible and repeat the greeting, so the prayer request can follow its course.
What to do with the leftover Oxumaré candle?
The leftover wax goes into the common trash, wrapped in paper. The water from the cup can go into a pot or into the ground, and the leaves into the organic waste. The glass from the 7-day candle can be washed and reused for another use in the house.
Can someone who is not from Candomblé light a candle for Oxumaré at home?
You can, with respect and for a prayer request of new beginnings, renewal, and prosperity. The candle at home is devotion, not an obrigação of the orixá. For a consecrated foundation (assentamento) or food offering to the orixá, seek a terreiro and follow the guidance of the zelador.
