Red and Black Candle
The candle of Exu (Eshu) and Pombagira to guard the house, open paths, and cut negative energy
Red and Black Candle
7-day candle · stays lit for 7 days7 dias
The red and black candle is the candle of the left side. Just seeing the two colors together reminds the people of the faith of Exu and Pombagira, the guardians who work at the door, in the street, and at the crossroads. Whoever arrives looking for it usually wants one of three things: to protect the house, to unlock a path that is stuck, or to cut a negative energy that someone sent. It appears in Umbanda, in Quimbanda, and in the houses of Candomblé that worship Exu, each with its own way to set it.
The foundation is in the colors themselves. Black is the earth, the night, and that which absorbs; red is the fire, the blood, and that which moves. Exu, orixá (orisha) of communication and owner of the passages, wears both, and Monday is his day in most houses. The pombagiras, which tradition itself calls the female Exu, receive fabric, an open red rose, and a candle in these same colors, and their giras usually fall late at night, on a Friday.
At home, this candle has a specific place. The consecrated spot of Exu stays near the entrance, in the outdoor area, or at the tronqueira, and not next to the altar of the orixás or inside the bedroom. It is also not a candle of anger or revenge: the left side works with those who ask with clarity and fulfill what they offered. Treating Exu with respect, without fear and without mockery, is already half of the foundation.
What is it for
What is the Red and Black Candle for
Black of the earth and night, red of fire and movement. The red and black candle is of the colors of Exu and the pombagiras, the guardians of the left, and is lit to protect the front door, unlock paths, and send back far away any spiritual load sent against you.
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Place a guardian at the front door
Lit near the entrance, the candle establishes Exu as the sentinel of the home. It is the prayer request of someone who feels the house is vulnerable, receives many people, or lives in a place of passage.
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Unlock a path that is stuck
A job that does not come, a business that does not move forward, a document stuck. Exu is the owner of the passages, and the candle asks that the right door opens. The next step continues to be yours.
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Cut a demanda and envy sent against you
When everything suddenly goes wrong and the feeling is of a charge coming from outside, the candle asks that the guardian cut what was sent and return it far away, without wishing harm to anyone.
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Protect commerce and work
In the shop, at the counter, or at the office door, the red and black asks for protection against the evil eye and people with bad intentions, and movement for what needs to circulate.
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Greet Pombagira and ask for self-esteem
The pombagiras receive these colors when the prayer request is for self-love, courage to leave a bad relationship, or strength to assert oneself. Never to dominate the will of another person.
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Give thanks to the left
Exu demands a kept word. When a path opened, returning with a red and black candle on Monday is the way to give thanks and maintain the relationship of respect.
Who rules this candle
Orixás and spirits of the Red and Black Candle
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Exu
Lord of the paths and the crossroads
Black and red are the colors of Exu, and Monday is his day. As messenger and guardian of the threshold, he is greeted before any ritual work, and this candle is the most direct way to establish his guard.
Know Exu -
Exu Tranca-Ruas
The guardian who opens and closes the streets
In Umbanda, Tranca-Ruas is one of the most called exus to protect the house and the path. He locks the passage of what is bad and opens the one for what is yours, and the red and black is the candle he receives the most.
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Maria Padilha
Queen among the pombagiras
Maria Padilha is the most well-known pombagira spiritual legion (falange), and every pombagira accepts the red and black. It is the candle for requests of self-love and feminine strength, with a red rose open by its side.
Also settled for
- Exus of the crossroads
- Exus of the Calunga
- Pombagiras
- Exus Mirins
- Exu Marabô
- Exu Veludo
Prayer to light
Red and black candle prayer to Exu and Pombagira
“Lord Exu, guardian of my door, I light this candle in your name and in the name of the pombagiras who walk with you. Take care of the entrance of this house and of those who pass through it. What comes for good, let it enter; what comes for evil, hold it in the street and send it back away. Open the path that is mine and close what does not belong to me. I do not ask for anyone's evil, I ask for guard, passage, and a firm word. Pombagira, mistress of the night and of laughter, teach me to have the courage to choose myself. Receive this light as a sign of my respect, and I will return to thank you when the path opens. Laroyê, Exu! Laroyê, Pombagira!”Light the candle and pray
Step by step
How to set the Red and Black Candle
- 1
Choose the place near the entrance
The ponto de Exu is the door: outdoor area, backyard, garage, or the tronqueira, if the house has one. In an apartment, a corner on the floor near the door works, away from the altar of the orixás.
- 2
Ask for permission before starting
Say in a low voice that you will dedicate the candle to Exu, or to the pombagira who accompanies you. On the left, asking for permission and saying who it is for is just as important as the candle itself.
- 3
Arrange the saucer and the glass
The candle goes on the clay saucer and the glass stays beside it. If using cachaça, leave the glass a palm's length from the flame: alcoholic drinks catch fire. For pombagira, the open rose goes in as well.
- 4
Light it and make the request clearly
Light it with a match, give your Laroyê, and make the request without beating around the bush. Exu likes direct words: say what you need, what you offer in exchange, and fulfill what you say.
- 5
Let it burn and perform the despacho with the remains
Do not blow. If you need to smother it, use another saucer and light it again later. At the end, the drink goes to the earth outside the house, the withered rose returns to nature, and the wax goes wrapped in the trash.
Precautions before lighting
- Cachaça and perfume catch fire. Keep the glass away from the flame, use a firm saucer, and never leave the candle lit without anyone nearby or within reach of children and animals.
- The assentamento of Exu and Pombagira requires initiation and a house. At home you do a firmeza; what goes beyond that is up to the leader of your terreiro.
- Do not light this candle to harm someone or to bind the will of another person. The left is not a weapon of revenge, and a serious house does not set up this type of request.
- If you promised something to Exu, keep it. If you cannot give what you offered, do not offer it: on the left-hand path, the word weighs more than the gift.
Ceromancy
What the flame of the Red and Black Candle shows
Traditional terreiro reading. Before interpreting, check if there is no wind, crooked wick, or poor quality candle.
- Good sign
High, lively, and quick flame
Many houses read the quick and firm flame as a sign that the guardian accepted the firmeza and is in motion in favor of the request.
- Observe
Crackling flame that releases sparks
On the left, the crackle is usually read as a cut happening. Before that, check if there is water on the wick or dirt in the wax.
- Good sign
Candle that melts evenly until the end
Clean and complete burning is read as ritual work closed without resistance. It is the moment to give thanks and to fulfill what was offered.
- Attention
Strong soot on the glass or on the saucer
May indicate a heavy load being burned. Take a cleansing ritual bath (banho de descarrego) and repeat the candle on the following Monday. If it always returns the same, seek a trusted house.
- Attention
Low flame that almost disappears
It could be a bad wick or a confusing request. Reread what you asked, make the request simpler, and relight it calmly, without insisting in a heated state.
Ritual bath and smoke cleansing (defumação)
Herbs that combine with the Red and Black Candle
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Rue
Ruta graveolens
Herb of Exu and of Ogum. A branch behind the door or a rue bath before lighting helps to cleanse whoever will light the candle.
See the herb -
guiné / Tipi
Petiveria alliacea
Guiné cuts what is stuck. Use it in the cleansing bath (banho de descarrego) on the eve or leave a branch next to the saucer during the week of firmeza.
See the herb -
Malagueta pepper
Capsicum frutescens
Exu's fire in the plant. A chili pepper pot at the entrance accompanies the candle; do not put chili inside the saucer or near the flame.
See the herb -
Rosa Vermelha
Rosa gallica
Flower of the pombagiras, always open. Red rose petals in the bath before lighting combine with requests for self-love.
See the herb
Virtual Candle
Light the Red and Black 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 Red and Black Candle
Is the red and black candle something of evil?
No. It is of the colors of Exu and of Pombagira, who in Umbanda and in Candomblé are guardians, not demons. The connection with the devil came from Christian missionaries, who used the name of Exu to translate the devil of the Bible. What defines the use of the candle is the intention of whoever lights it, and to do harm, it does not serve.
What is the best day to light a red and black candle?
Monday, which is the day of Exu in most houses, preferably at night. For Pombagira, many people prefer Friday. Some houses set the left on other days according to custom; if you attend a terreiro, follow what the house teaches.
Can I light an Exu candle inside the house or in an apartment?
You can, as long as it is in the right place. The custom is to light it near the entrance door, on the floor or in a low corner, and not in the bedroom or next to the orixás. In an apartment, the area by the door or the laundry room works, always with a firm saucer and away from curtains.
What is the difference between the red and black candle and the black candle?
The black one alone absorbs and cleanses, and is used for heavy cleaning. The red and black together join this cut to the fire of the red, which moves and opens. Therefore, it is the chosen one to set Exu and Pombagira, and the pure black stays for spiritual cleansing (descarrego) and souls.
Can I blow out the red and black candle and light it later?
You can, but without blowing. Smother the flame with a saucer or a spoon and relight it when you are home, repeating for whom the candle is. Blowing is seen as cutting the prayer request with your own breath. For the 7-day candle, the ideal is to choose a place where it can burn without pause.
What to do with the cachaça and the leftover wax?
The drink goes to the earth, preferably outside the house, in a garden or flowerbed. The withered rose returns to nature. The leftover wax and the cup of the 7-day candle go to the trash, wrapped in paper. Do not reuse the drink or leave it forgotten near the door.
Is the red and black candle also for Pombagira?
It serves. Pombagira is the female Exu, and both colors belong to her as much as to him. Say the name of the pombagira at the time of lighting and, if possible, place an open red rose next to it. Many houses also set Pombagira with a pure red candle; follow the custom of your own.
