Green and Red Candle
Ogum (Ogun) Rompe-Mato, the sword that opens a path in the forest, with the bow of Oxóssi (Oshosi) by its side
Green and Red Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The green and red candle is a bicolor of Umbanda: half of each color, divided horizontally, in a single piece. Whoever asks what it is for is usually facing a concrete blockage, such as a job that does not come, a stalled project, or a life path taken over by the brush. It is sought in terreiros and in religious items shops precisely for this: it is a candle to open a path.
The foundation lies in the meeting of two brothers. In Umbanda, Ogum receives the red because of Saint George, and Oxóssi, the hunter, is the owner of the green of the leaves. Ogum Rompe-Mato is the warrior line that works inside the forest, alongside Oxóssi, and therefore the houses that worship this line usually request both colors together. The Caboclos of the warrior front also accept this candle. In Candomblé Ketu the colors of Ogum are others, dark blue and green, and it is worth following the custom of your house.
In practice, it is a candle of effort, not of miracle. It accompanies those who are already moving: sending resumes, negotiating, reorganizing their routine. It was not made to harm anyone or to take what belongs to others. The cut it makes is in what blocks your own path.
What is it for
What is the Green and Red Candle for
Red is the fire of Ogum and green is the forest of Oxóssi. Together, the two colors form the candle of Ogum Rompe-Mato and of the warrior Caboclos, lit to open a path where everything seems closed, to ask for protection at work and to cut what hinders.
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Open a path that closed
For the phase where nothing moves: a proposal that does not go through, a stuck document, a postponed move. Light it on Tuesday and continue doing your part during the seven days.
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Getting a job and securing it
Ogum is the orixá (orisha) of those who work with their hands and with tools. The candle accompanies the job search and asks for steadiness for those who are already at work and want to stay.
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Cut a spiritual attack (demanda) that is getting in your way
When you feel the weight of envy or contrary energy, the sword of Ogum is called upon to cut. If the weight continues, a consultation at the terreiro guides the next step.
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Protection for those who live in the forest and on the road
Farmer, truck driver, security guard, those who hike. The forest of Oxóssi and the iron of Ogum are asked for together to guard those who spend the day away from home.
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Courage to take the first step
For those who know what they need to do, but fear holds them back. The red gives the push and the green reminds that the forest also teaches patience to aim before acting.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Green and Red Candle
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Ogum Rompe-Mato
The warrior who opens a path in the forest
The red of the candle is from Ogum, who in Umbanda wears this color because of Saint George and has Tuesday. In the Rompe-Mato line, he takes the sword into the woods, and for that reason, he shares the candle with green.
Knowing Ogum Rompe-Mato -
Oxóssi
King of the forests, lord of the hunt
Green is the color of the leaves and the territory of Oxóssi, the hunter of a single arrow, who has Thursday. He enters the candle as the owner of the forest where Ogum works, bringing abundance and aim.
Know Oxóssi
Also settled for
- Caboclo Rompe-Mato
- Caboclo Ubirajara
- Caboclos of the Ogum line
- Caboclos de Oxóssi
Prayer to light
Prayer of the green and red candle to Ogum Rompe-Mato
“Ogum Rompe-Mato, who enters the forest with the sword in hand, I come to ask permission for your light. Look at the road of my life and see where the brush has grown. Cut what binds me, push away what is not mine, and leave the path open for me to pass with my feet. Pai Oxóssi, owner of the leaves, teach my aim, so I do not waste strength in vain nor shoot at what I should not. May work reach my hands and may I have the courage to do my part. Guard my house and those I love while this candle burns. Ogunhê! Okê Arô!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to consecrate the Green and Red Candle
- 1
Take a ritual bath of leaves before
A ritual bath of guinea hen weed or sword-of-saint-george, from the neck down, prepares the body for the prayer request. If you do not have the leaves, a common bath done with calm and intention also serves.
- 2
Set up the firmeza near the entrance
Ogum guards doors and passages. A table or shelf near the main door is a good place, always firm, away from curtains and out of the path of children and pets.
- 3
Place the leaf next to the saucer
The sword-of-saint-george leaf or the guinea hen weed branch stays next to the candle, like the blade and the forest of the firmeza. The glass of water completes the set and helps collect what the flame cleans.
- 4
Speak the prayer request with a clear objective
Light with a match, say that the candle is for Ogum Rompe-Mato and Oxóssi and speak what needs to be opened. A vague request gives vague strength: name the job opening, the project, the matter.
- 5
Extinguish without blowing out the flame
Let the candle burn for seven days. If necessary, smother it with a saucer and relight it later. At the end, the water goes to the earth, the dry leaf goes back to a pot, and the wax goes wrapped in the trash.
Precautions before lighting
- 7-day candle stays lit for a long time: use a firm support, away from fabric and wood, and never leave it in a room where someone sleeps with the door closed.
- This candle is to open your path. Do not light it to harm another person, take someone's job, or bind another's will.
- Lines of Ogum and of Caboclo have their own foundation in each house. Assentamento, obrigação, and ponto riscado are matters for the zelador of your terreiro.
- If the candle comes leaking or with a crooked wick, replace it before lighting. A candle that does not burn correctly generates more doubt than answers.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Green and Red Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
Strong and straight flame for days
Many houses read a steady burn as a sign that the request was accepted and the path is being worked. Continue doing your part.
- Good sign
Flame that crackles and releases sparks
In the reading of the terreiro, the crackle usually indicates that something is being cut. It is not a reason for fear: keep the candle safe and the prayer up to date.
- Observe
One color burns faster than the other
In a two-color candle this is common and depends on the wax. Some people observe which side was faster, but the main thing is for the candle to go until the end.
- Attention
Black smoke and stained glass
Many read it as heavy load being burned. Repeat the ritual bath of leaves and, if the sign returns in several candles, seek guidance in a trusted terreiro.
- Attention
Low flame that almost disappears
Check the wick and the accumulated wax first. If everything is correct, it may be that the request needs more time or another path: redo it calmly.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Green and Red Candle
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guiné / Tipi
Petiveria alliacea
Leaf of Ogum and of Oxóssi much used for spiritual cleansing (descarrego). It goes in the ritual bath before lighting or in a branch next to the saucer during the week.
See the herb -
Saint George's Sword / Ogum's Sword
Sansevieria trifasciata
The green blade of Ogum. A leaf lying next to the candle marks the steadiness of the cut, and its pot near the door continues to guard the entrance.
See the herb -
Peregum / Dracena
Dracaena fragrans
Herb of Ogum that many houses plant at the entrance of the terreiro. A branch next to the candle reinforces the request for protection of the house and the path.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Green and Red 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 Green and Red Candle
Which orixá is the green and red candle for?
It is for Ogum in the Rompe-Mato line, with Oxóssi by his side. Red is the color of Ogum in Umbanda and green is the forest of Oxóssi. Some houses also dedicate this candle to the warrior Caboclos. In Candomblé the custom of colors is different, so ask at your house.
What is the best day to light the green and red candle?
Tuesday, which is the day of Ogum. If the prayer request is more linked to Oxóssi, such as abundance and knowledge, Thursday is also used. Early morning is the preferred time, because it is when the day's ritual work begins.
What is the difference between the green and red candle and the red candle?
The pure red speaks of fire and courage, linked to Iansã (Oya), Xangô (Shango), and the Ogum of Umbanda. The green and red takes that fire into the forest: it is the candle of the Rompe-Mato line, which joins the strength of Ogum with the territory of Oxóssi to open a path.
Can I blow out the green and red candle before it finishes?
The correct way is to let it burn until the end. If you need to leave or sleep with concern, smother the flame with a saucer, without blowing, and relight it later with a new prayer. Many houses understand blowing as undoing the prayer request.
Can I light the green and red candle at home without being from a terreiro?
You can. Lighting a candle asking for protection and an open path is devotion, and Ogum is an orixá very close to the people. What remains for the terreiro is the deeper foundation, such as consecrated foundation (assentamento) and obrigação, which requires guidance from a zelador.
What to do with the remains of the 7-day candle?
The water from the cup goes to the soil of a pot or a garden. The leaf used in the firmeza can be left in a flowerbed. The rest of the wax and the glass go into the common trash, wrapped, or the clean glass can be recycled.
