Vovó Maria Redonda Candle
Support for mothers, pregnant women, and children with Preta Velha Vovó Maria Redonda
Vovó Maria Redonda Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The Vovó Maria Redonda candle is the candle of mothers. It bears the label of this Preta Velha and the colors of the line: white at the top, of peace and of the lap, and black at the bottom, of the earth that sustains. It is lit on the home congá, in the room of someone waiting for a baby and near the cradle, always in a high and safe place, when the family asks for protection for someone who just arrived or is about to be born.
Little has been written about Vovó Maria Redonda, and what exists comes from oral tradition. Popular accounts say she was a midwife in the senzala and cared for the children of the enslaved while the parents were at work. There is no document of this, and each terreiro knows its Maria Redonda in its own way. Like the other Pretos Velhos, she works under the Almas, has Monday as her day, and receives coffee, water, and prayer.
This candle does not take care of the pregnancy in place of prenatal care nor does it solve a child's tantrum by magic. It accompanies the mother in the months of waiting and in the sleepless nights, firms the protection of the little ones, and reminds those who care that they also need to be cared for. It is a prayer of the lap.
What is it for
What is the Vovó Maria Redonda Candle for
The Vovó Maria Redonda candle is white on top and black at the bottom, the colors of the Pretos Velhos. It is lit by mothers, pregnant women, and grandparents who ask for support in pregnancy, protection of small children, strength in the exhaustion of raising, and peace in the house.
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Support during pregnancy
Light it during months of waiting to ask for calm, a peaceful pregnancy, and a good time for birth, always along with prenatal care. Many mothers light a candle per month until the baby is born.
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Protection of small children
For the child who started school, who walks around crying, or who picks up everything bad from the environment. Say each child's name when lighting it and ask that Vovó take care of them.
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Strength for the mother who is exhausted
In the phases of sleepless nights, a sick child, and a house turned upside down. The candle asks for a firm arm and patience, and reminds that asking for help is also taking care of the family.
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Peace in the house with a child
When the arrival of a baby affects the couple, the grandparents, or the older sibling. Ask Vovó Maria Redonda that each one finds their place without jealousy and without fighting.
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To thank for a birth that went well
After the child arrived, the family returns with a candle and a coffee to thank Preta Velha. It is a beautiful and simple custom, that can be done even in the first week.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Vovó Maria Redonda candle
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Vovó Maria Redonda
Preta Velha midwife, of the lap, and of the children
The label is hers and the prayer request goes in her name. Oral tradition remembers her as a midwife and caregiver of the little ones, and that is why mothers, pregnant women, and grandparents light her candle when the subject is a child.
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Obaluaê
Lord of the land, of healing, and of the souls
In most houses, the Pretos Velhos work in the line of the Almas, of Obaluaê, the orixá (orisha) linked to healing. The black at the base of the candle is that earth that sustains the house and receives what weighs heavy.
Know Obaluaê -
Iemanjá (Yemoja)
Mother of heads and protector of the family
Some houses bring the Vovós de colo closer to the vibration of Iemanjá, the great mother who protects the family and the pregnancy. It is not a rule: the regency of the line changes from terreiro to terreiro.
Know Iemanjá
Also settled for
- Pretos Velhos
- Linha das Almas
- Vovós of Aruanda
- Erês
Prayer to light
Candle prayer of Vovó Maria Redonda for mothers and children
“Adorei as Almas! My Vovó Maria Redonda, who, as the elders tell, helped so many children be born and raised a child that was not hers, I light this light for you. Put your hand over my belly, over the cradle, and over the head of each little one in this house. When I am too tired to pray, pray for me. Give me patience for the crying in the early morning, calm for the fever, and wisdom for the choices of each day. Keep the evil eye and illness away from my family. May this house have a lap to rest on, food on the table, and the laughter of a child. Receive this fresh water and this coffee, with my many thanks. Adorei as Almas!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to set the Candle of Vovó Maria Redonda
- 1
Choose a place out of reach
A house with a child requires double care. Set the candle on a high shelf or on the congá, never on the floor or in the room where the baby sleeps alone. Safety comes before custom.
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Line the saucer with the white cloth
Spread the clean little cloth under the saucer, as if preparing a lap. Place the glass of water and the coffee cup beside it. The cloth can be stored with the little clothes later.
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Say the name of each child
With the candle in your hands, say the name of each son, grandson, or expected baby, and what you ask for each one. If you are pregnant, place your hand on your belly while you speak.
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Light and pray calmly
Light with a match and say the prayer. If the children are nearby, let them see the candle and learn respect. Then ask for your part as well: strength for the one who cares.
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Close with thanks
Do not blow. When the candle finishes, the water and coffee go into the soil of a pot with a live plant. The leftover wax goes into the trash wrapped up, and the white cloth is washed and stored.
Precautions before lighting
- At home with a child, a lit candle is only in a high and firm place, away from curtains, cribs, and toys, and never with the little ones alone in the room.
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and the child's health are with the doctor and prenatal care. The candle accompanies with prayer and never replaces a consultation, exam, or vaccine.
- Do not use tea, ritual bath, or smoke cleansing (defumação) on a baby without the pediatrician's guidance. Herbs also have an effect, and the child's skin and lungs are sensitive.
- Child blessing (benzimento), baptism, and work of foundation are up to the terreiro and its leader. The candle at home is a mother's prayer, it does not replace the gira.
Ceromancy
What the flame of Vovó Maria Redonda's Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Calm, round, and clear flame
Many houses read the serene flame as received support and a protected home. It is the most common sign in a Preta Velha candle lit in a place without wind.
- Good sign
Candle that ends evenly
When the wax descends straight and the glass ends clean, the reading is of a request welcomed. Return with another candle when the baby is born, to give thanks.
- Attention
Agitated flame without a draft
Sometimes it reflects the nervousness of the person who lit it. Breathe, pray again slowly and, if the agitation continues for days, speak with a trusted terreiro.
- Attention
Lots of popping in the wick
Some houses read it as an evil eye being cut. Keep the glass of water changed and do a light rosemary smoke cleansing (defumação) in the children's room, without them inside.
- Observe
Wax tear running down
Runny wax is almost always heat or the candle leaning. Adjust the position and do not be frightened: mother already has enough worry to read a sign in everything.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that pair with the Vovó Maria Redonda Candle
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Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
Herb of joy and protection. A branch next to the saucer or a light smoke cleansing (defumação) in the room, without the child inside, makes the house clearer.
See the herb -
chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Flower of calm for mother and child. Some dried flowers on the saucer, next to the candle, match the prayer request for calmer nights.
See the herb -
lemon balm / Capim-Cidreira
Melissa officinalis
Calms the caregiver. A lemon balm tea taken by the mother before praying helps her arrive more serene before the candle, without haste.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Vovó Maria Redonda 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 Vovó Maria Redonda Candle
What is the Vovó Maria Redonda candle for?
To request support during pregnancy, protection for small children, strength for the tired mother, and peace in the house with a child. It is also lit to give thanks after a birth that went well. It accompanies medical care, never replaces it.
Who was Vovó Maria Redonda in Umbanda?
She is a Preta Velha of whom little is known in writing. Popular accounts say she was a midwife in the senzala and cared for the children of the enslaved while the parents worked. It is oral tradition, without documents, and each terreiro knows its own Maria Redonda.
Can a pregnant woman light a Preta Velha candle?
She can, and many mothers do this during the months of waiting. The care is for safety: candle in a firm place, airy room, and no strong smoke near the pregnant woman. Ritual bath and herbal tea during pregnancy, only with the doctor's approval.
What is the best day to light the Vovó Maria Redonda candle?
Monday, the day of the Pretos Velhos in most houses. Many mothers also light it on the day of the month in which the baby completes another month of gestation or of life. In a time of need, any day serves.
What is the difference for the Cosme and Damião candle?
The Cosme and Damião candle calls the twin saints and the Erês, the children of Umbanda, and is more joyful, of sweets and celebration. The Vovó Maria Redonda candle calls a Preta Velha, more of a lap and protection, aimed at those who care for children.
Can I leave the candle lit in the baby's room?
It is not recommended. A baby cannot be left alone with a lit flame, and the smoke weighs on small lungs. Place the candle on the congá or on a high shelf in the living room and, if you wish, leave only the white cloth in the room.
