Pai Tomé Candle
Firmness in faith, protection of the house and prudence on the path with Preto Velho Pai Tomé
Pai Tomé Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The Pai Tomé candle is for the days when faith wavers. It brings the label of this Preto Velho and the colors of the line: black on top, which collects what comes from outside with bad intentions, and white at the bottom, which sets peace at the base of the house. Many people light it near the entrance, in a safe place, when they feel the house is targeted or when they are about to make a big decision and do not trust their own impulse.
Pai Tomé is the name of a spiritual legion (falange) of Preto Velho, and the name follows the custom of the line: a Christian name, of a saint, given by the people who lived through captivity. There are terreiros that have him as a main guide, such as Cabana Pai Tomé e Mãe Rosária de Aruanda, in Curitiba since 1986. Like the other old ones, he works under the souls, linked to Obaluaê in most houses and to Oxalá (Obatala) in others, and is consecrated on Monday.
The Pai Tomé candle does not block anyone's life nor does it return evil to those who sent it. It guards. It closes the door to what is not good, helps you distrust what is too good to be true, and returns faith little by little, without noise, in the time of someone who has seen many things pass.
What is it for
What the Pai Tomé Candle Is For
The Pai Tomé candle is black on top and white at the bottom, the colors of the Pretos Velhos line. It is lit to strengthen faith in a phase of doubt, to guard the house against envy and bad tongues, and to ask for prudence before a step that cannot be undone.
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Regaining faith after a disappointment
When a prayer request was not answered, someone betrayed your trust, or you moved away from the religion. The candle of Pai Tomé helps to reconnect slowly, without demands and without guilt.
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Protect the house against envy
For a new house, finished renovation, a purchased car, or any achievement that attracted the evil eye. Lit near the door, it firms the protection of the home while it burns.
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Prudence before deciding
Before signing a contract, moving cities, or quitting a job. Ask Pai Tomé that you see the hidden risk and only take the step when you are sure.
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Gentle spiritual cleansing (descarrego) of the home
When the house feels heavy, with pointless fighting and bad sleep. With arruda behind the door and water next to the candle, the cleansing comes without fright, in the rhythm of the Pretos Velhos.
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Distrusting easy promises
For those facing a miraculous business, a friendship that appeared out of nowhere, or a proposal that is too good. The candle does not decide for you, but asks for an attentive eye and a cool head.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the candle of Pai Tomé
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Pai Tomé
Preto Velho of the house's protection and of faith
The candle carries his label and the prayer request goes in his name. Pai Tomé is remembered in the terreiros for the calm of someone who thinks before speaking. His flame asks for the same: to protect the house and not act on impulse.
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Obaluaê
Owner of the land and of the blessed souls
In most houses, the Pretos Velhos work under the Almas, of Obaluaê. The black at the top of the candle is the earth that receives and transforms what arrives of bad through the door.
Know Obaluaê -
Oxalá
Father of peace, of faith, and of the white cloth
Some houses set the Pretos Velhos in the vibration of Oxalá, father of faith and peace. The white that supports the base of the candle is his part. Houses diverge on this regency.
Know Oxalá
Also settled for
- Pretos Velhos
- Linha das Almas
- Fathers of Aruanda
- Mãe Rosária de Aruanda
Prayer to light
Candle prayer of Pai Tomé to strengthen faith and guard the house
“Adorei as Almas! My Pai Tomé, I light this candle near my door and ask that you sit here as a guard. You who saw so much injustice and did not lose faith, lend a little of yours to me. On the days in which I doubt everything, remind me of what has already been overcome. Close this house to the evil eye, to gossip, and to those who arrive smiling with crooked intentions. Before I take a hasty step, hold my arm and make me think. May I know how to wait, may I know how to choose, and may I not exchange the firm for what only shines. Receive this bitter coffee and this fresh water. Hail the blessed Almas. Adorei as Almas!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to set the Candle of Pai Tomé
- 1
Choose a safe point near the entrance
A small table or shelf near the door, away from curtains, doormats, and pet paths. If there is no safe place there, the congá will do: the intention of protection goes with it.
- 2
Put rue behind the door
Before lighting, pin a sprig of arruda behind the front door. It stays there all week, doing its part of the guard while the candle burns.
- 3
Ask for one thing at a time
Hold the candle and say what weighs on you: the faith that wavered, the envy you feel, or the decision you need to make. Pai Tomé serves best those who do not mix everything into a single prayer request.
- 4
Light, serve and silence
Light it with a match, place the coffee and the water nearby and say the prayer. Then stay in silence for a few minutes. Prudence begins by learning to listen before acting.
- 5
Collect everything at the end of the week
Do not blow out the flame. Once the candle is finished, the coffee and water go to the earth, the dry arruda is removed from behind the door and goes to the trash or to the earth, and the wax is wrapped in paper.
Precautions before lighting
- A candle near the door requires extra attention: away from the doormat, curtain, and strong drafts, placed on a deep saucer, and never left with the house empty for many hours.
- Pai Tomé guards, he does not attack. Do not ask for envy to return to whoever sent it nor for harm to a neighbor; Preto Velho works in charity.
- Dumb cane is toxic if chewed. Keep the pot away from children and animals, and wash your hands after handling the plant.
- Foundation work for the house, such as the gatekeeper's firmeza, is up to the terreiro and its leader. The candle at home is a prayer, not an assentamento.
Ceromancy
What the flame of Pai Tomé's Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Straight and calm flame
Many houses read the quiet flame as a guarded house and a request being followed. It is the sign that the environment is at peace while the candle burns.
- Good sign
Flame that gets stronger at night
Some read it as the old man of guard being more present during the hours when the house sleeps. Keep the glass of water changed and give thanks before going to bed.
- Attention
Successive pops in the wick
Some houses understand it as envy or gossip being cut. Reinforce the arruda behind the door and, if the feeling of weight continues, seek a terreiro.
- Attention
Cracked glass during the burning
It could be too much heat or weak glass. Extinguish by smothering, change the saucer and light another candle. If it happens again, take the question to the zelador of a house.
- Observe
Smoke going toward the door
It is almost always the natural draft from the entrance. It does not need a special reading: just check if the flame is protected and secure.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that pair with the Pai Tomé Candle
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Rue
Ruta graveolens
The protection branch behind the door and the blessing branch of the Preto Velho. Replace with a fresh one if it dries before the candle finishes.
See the herb -
dumb cane / Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia seguine
Guard plant for the entrance. A pot near the door, out of reach of children and pets, pairs with the Pai Tomé candle, since the plant is toxic.
See the herb -
Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
Brings back the spirit and joy of the house after the descarrego. A rosemary smoke cleansing (defumação) on the last day of the candle closes the week with lightness.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Pai Tomé 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 Pai Tomé Candle
What is the Pai Tomé candle for?
It strengthens faith in a phase of doubt, guards the house against envy, and asks for prudence before an important decision. It also performs a gentle descarrego in the home. It does not return evil to anyone: Pai Tomé's work is one of protection and counsel.
Who is Pai Tomé in Umbanda?
He is a Preto Velho, a name of a spiritual legion (falange) that manifests in many terreiros, each with its own Pai Tomé. Tomé is a Christian name, as is customary among the Pretos Velhos. There are houses that have him as a main guide, for example, Cabana Pai Tomé and Mãe Rosária de Aruanda, in Curitiba.
Can I light the Pai Tomé candle near the door?
You can, if the place is safe. Many people light a protection candle at the entrance, but the door has wind, people passing by, and a doormat. If there is no firm point there, light it on the congá and put only the rue behind the door: the protection works the same way.
What is the best day to light a candle for Pai Tomé?
Monday, the day of the Pretos Velhos and the souls. For house protection, many people light it at the beginning of the night, at the time of closing doors and windows. May 13 is the annual festival of the line in many terreiros.
What is the difference between a Preto Velho candle and an Exu (Eshu) candle to protect the house?
Exu guards the gate and works in the cut, faster and more direct. Preto Velho guards with prayer and counsel, slower and from the inside out. Both lines work together in many houses, but each candle has its way and its day.
What to do if Pai Tomé's candle goes out on its own?
Before any reading, check the wind, wick, and wax. If everything is correct, relight it with a match, repeat the prayer, and redo the prayer request with more calm. If it goes out several times in a row, speak with the zelador of a trusted terreiro.
