Black and Purple Candle
Line of the souls, Obaluaê and Nanã (Nana Buruku) in the passage, with the guard of the Exus of the calunga
Black and Purple Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
Those who research the black and purple candle have usually already moved past the single-color candle. It is a bicolor for ritual work, used in Umbanda and in houses that worship Quimbanda, and almost always appears linked to the souls: prayer for those who died, weight that comes from generations, an environment that holds too much sadness. It is not a candle for asking for money or love. It is a candle of passage.
Each half brings a foundation. Black is from Obaluaê, lord of the earth that receives the body, and of the Exus who guard the small calunga, the cemetery. Purple, a relative of the lilac that Umbanda gives to Nanã, comes from the oldest one, who cares for the portal through which we arrive and through which we leave. Nanã is celebrated on Saturday, but the candle of the souls usually goes on Monday, the day of Obaluaê. It is worth saying frankly: this combination has less record than the black and white, and each house uses it in its own way.
At home, it asks for more seriousness than the light candles. It serves for a prayer for the ancestors, to mark the end of a heavy mourning, or to clean a room where someone fell ill. Setting up Exu (Eshu) das Almas, work at the cruzeiro and anything inside the cemetery stay with the terreiro, which knows the line and knows how to close what it opened.
What is it for
What is the purpose of the Black and Purple Candle
Half black, half purple: the candle joins the earth of Obaluaê, who gathers, to the purple of Nanã, who directs. It is the candle of the line of souls, lit to pray for the dead, release old family weight, and honor the guardians of the calunga.
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Pray for the souls of the family
On Monday or on All Souls Day, light it with the names of the grandparents and those who have left. The black welcomes the longing and the purple asks that each one follows their path in peace.
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Release the weight that comes from generations
A disease that repeats, a fight that passes from father to son, the feeling of carrying a bad inheritance. The candle marks the prayer request for relief for the entire lineage.
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Clean the house after illness or death
A room where someone was bedridden, a house that went through a wake. Lit with water and coarse salt nearby, it helps to gather the sadness stuck in the environment.
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Close a mourning that does not settle
When months later the pain still locks the routine. The candle does not erase the loss, but helps to say goodbye with respect and to return the dead to their place.
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Ask for protection from the Exus of the calunga
Some houses light this candle at the gate of the guardians of souls. The prayer request is for protection against lost spirits and cemetery charge, never for harm to anyone.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Black and Purple Candle
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Obaluaê (Omulu)
Owner of the land that receives the dead
Black is one of the colors of Obaluaê, and Monday is his day. As lord of the land and of the small calunga, he is the one who collects what the dark part of the candle pulls and transforms what has already fulfilled its time.
Know Obaluaê (Omulu) -
Nanã Buruku
The oldest, guardian of the portal of death
Purple and lilac are the colors of Nanã in Umbanda. Mother of Obaluaê and lady of the primordial mud, she cares for the passage between life and death, and therefore the purple half directs the souls and helps those who stay to accept the departure.
Getting to know Nanã Buruku -
Exu Caveira
Guardian of the calunga and of the souls
He is one of the most remembered guardians of the small calunga. His most recorded colors are black, white, and red; the purple here belongs to Nanã, and some houses use this candle at the gate of the souls. Firmeza for him is up to the leader of your terreiro.
Also settled for
- Exus das Almas
- Pombagiras das Almas
- People of the crossroads
- Line of the souls
Prayer to light
Prayer of the black and purple candle to Obaluaê, Nanã and the souls
“My Pai Obaluaê, lord of the land, my Mãe Nanã, guardian of the passage, I light this candle for the souls of my family. I remember my grandparents, those who came before them and those who left without me being able to say goodbye. May none of them remain trapped in the pain, the illness or the longing they left here. Collect the weight that crossed generations and reached me, and return to the land what is no longer useful. Guardians of the calunga, stay at the gate and do not let any aimless spirit enter this house. I do not ask for anyone's evil. I ask for rest for my dead and lightness for the living. Atotô! Salubá Nanã! Laroyê!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to consecrate the Black and Purple Candle
- 1
Choose a low and secluded place
The candle of the souls stays near the ground, in a corner of the service area or the backyard, away from the bedroom. Never on top of the bed, the altar of the orixás (orishas), or the dining table.
- 2
Take a ritual bath before
A ritual bath of guiné from the neck down leaves you firmer to deal with the line of the souls. Wear light clothing and do not light it on a day of drinking or fighting.
- 3
Prepare the water and the names
Place the cup with water and coarse salt next to the alguidar and fold the paper with the names underneath it. The water receives what is being collected throughout the burning.
- 4
Ask for permission and light it
Before the match, ask for permission from Obaluaê, Nanã, and the guardians. Light it, say who the candle is for, and say the prayer slowly, without calling any spirit near you.
- 5
Cover the candle, do not blow it out
If you need to leave, smother the flame with a saucer. When it finishes, throw the water away far from the house and wrap the wax and the paper for the common trash, without keeping anything.
Precautions before lighting
- The 7-day candle burns for a long time: leave it in the alguidar on a firm floor, away from curtains, children, and animals, and check the flame before sleeping.
- The line of the souls has its own foundation. Setting up Exu das Almas, going to the cemetery or to the cruzeiro is done with the zelador of your terreiro, never on your own.
- Do not light it to call someone's spirit, ask for harm, or bind whoever it may be. This candle directs and protects, it does not bind.
- If mourning has turned into sadness that does not pass or the body has fallen ill, the candle accompanies the care, but it does not replace a doctor or a psychologist.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Black and Purple Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Low and constant flame
In a candle of the souls, a calm and low flame is a good sign. Many houses read it as an accepted prayer and an environment that will gradually quiet down.
- Good sign
Burns evenly, with no residue
When the black and purple descend together and the candle finishes clean, the common reading is of a request forwarded without resistance. Give thanks and wash the alguidar.
- Attention
A lot of dark smoke
Sign that a lot of weight is being collected. Change the water in the glass, air out the room and, if it repeats constantly, speak with a trusted terreiro.
- Attention
Wax dripping from only one side
It might just be a draft. If the place is protected, some houses read it as a request that still asks for prayer. Repeat on the following Monday.
- Observe
Candle that goes out by itself
First look at the wick and the wind. In a 7-day candle this is common. Relight with a match, redo the prayer calmly and continue until the end of the burning.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Black and Purple Candle
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guiné / Tipi
Petiveria alliacea
Ritual bath of guiné from the neck down before lighting. It is the leaf of protection that firms the body to deal with the weight of souls.
See the herb -
Castor Leaf (Mamona) / Castor Bean
Ricinus communis
Leaf of Obaluaê. One whole leaf lining the alguidar, under the candle, receives the collected weight and then goes to the earth.
See the herb -
Barba-de-Velho
Tillandsia usneoides
Connects Nanã and Obaluaê. A dry branch next to the glass or in the smoke cleansing of the room helps to quiet the environment after a mourning.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Black and Purple 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 Black and Purple Candle
What is the Black and Purple Candle for?
It serves for ritual work with the line of souls: praying for the family's deceased, relieving weight that repeats between generations and cleaning the house after illness or mourning. The black collects, with Obaluaê, and the purple sends, with Nanã. It is not a candle for love or prosperity.
What is the best day to light the black and purple candle?
Monday, which is the day of the souls, of Obaluaê and of the Exus. November 2, All Souls' Day, is also very chosen. Prefer to light it at dusk, in a quiet moment, and avoid the days when you are very shaken.
Can I light a black and purple candle inside the house?
You can, for prayers for the ancestors and light cleansing, in a low place away from the bedrooms. What should not be done at home on your own is a firmeza of Exu das Almas or a calunga ritual work. This requires a terreiro that knows the line.
What is the difference between the black and purple candle and the black and white one?
The black and white one is the most linked to the Pretos Velhos and to the crossroads, with the white bringing peace. The black and purple one replaces the white with the purple of Nanã and weighs more toward passage: mourning, souls that do not rest, and difficult family legacies.
Is this candle for black magic or does it cause harm?
No. The black collects and the purple transforms, and neither of the two colors carries evil. The bad reputation comes from those who look at the religion from the outside. What defines the ritual work is the intention of the one who lights it, and this candle is for protection and guidance.
Can I blow out the black and purple candle before it finishes?
Avoid it. If you need to leave, smother it with a saucer, without blowing, and relight it with a match when you return. This happens with a 7-day candle, and it does not spoil the prayer request. What you should not do is leave it lit without anyone nearby.
What to do with the leftover candle and the water afterwards?
Throw the water from the cup into an outside drain or on the ground, away from the entrance door. The wax, the paper with the names, and the leaf will go wrapped in the common trash. Wash the alguidar with water and salt before using it again.
