In African myth, when the great All Father, Olórun, finished creating the world and everything in it, He retired to His lofty realm for a well-deserved rest. In His place He left certain lieutenants who exercised His will on the material plane. These divine intermediaries between God and man are called the Orixás. This is why in the Yoruba language the name means “minor god,” that is, a potency second only to the will of the All Father.
Actually, the Orixás represent the powerful vibratory forces of nature like wind, thunder, lightning, rain, and earthquakes. Their force is not crude, primitive, and aimless; they do not expend their energies by performing mechanical actions like the elementals in Western Magick. The Orixás are spiritual entities of a superior evolutionary plane. Their powers can be cultivated, and, by virtue of their consciousness and intelligence, they can attend the calls of the faithful.
Their dynamic power, which is called axé,1 can be captured and focused into certain objects by natural means, as in the cases of plants or natural formations in the landscape, like waterfalls and rivers.The faithful can also, in special rituals that rely on sacrifice, invocation, and prayer, direct the vibratory energy into certain stones and metals. These charged objects, known as assentamentos, are buried under the center post that supports the terreiro so that the vital force of the Orixás will continue to protect and energize the temple.
Most followers believe that the Orixás evolved without needing to pass through incarnations in order to achieve perfection. Nonetheless, many of these deities have been syncretized with the Roman Catholic saints who have led terrestrial lives. Syncretism occurs when two religions mutually influence each other to the extent that the characteristics of their gods intermingle and are confused, and eventually assimilate to form one entity. Before the Orixás were syncretized with Catholic saints, they suffered changes among themselves as the different African groups they represented found themselves thrown together as slaves in Brazil. Many Orixás from Yoruba and other Sudanese cultures, and the Bantu cultures, shared enough common attributes that the 400 to 600 original African Orixás were reduced to a couple of handfuls in Brazil. The assimilations are not always complete, which gives rise to the different, often contradictory myths surrounding the gods and shows why their characteristics vary from temple to temple.
The Orixás, as supreme lords of the elements of nature, exercise direct influence on humans, whom they are capable of protecting or punishing. Their powers can be manipulated through obedience, offerings, and incorporation (possession through the vehicle of a medium). Although the delegates’ powers are limited to exercising the will of the Supreme Creator through His son Oxalá, the Orixás are extremely influential because they govern the course of human life at their discretion. Each possesses a positive and negative side, as do human beings, and like humans, they can behave well or badly. They kill and cure, protect and punish, love and hate. The Orixás are cultivated through their symbols, colors, modes of dress, representative beaded necklaces, dancing styles, drum rhythms, sacred songs, stones, and salutations. They are feared and respected, but also loved by their followers.
The explosive music and dancing that occur during a medium session help invoke both the Orixás and spirit guides to enter into the bodies of mediums for the transmission of healing and higher knowledge. Devotees do not believe that the Orixá itself incorporates into a medium, but that some part of the deity’s powers is transmitted through a lesser evolved spirit that works for the Orixá. This is why a thousand Iansãs, for example, can descend into as many terreiros every night. (This concept is explained more thoroughly in chapter 5.)
The first time an initiate is possessed, he or she receives a spirit guide, and later, an entity of whom the medium becomes a filho-de-santo2 (a devotee). In some sects, only temple chiefs can be possessed by all entities. Most mediums communicate with one to three entities in Macumba and Umbanda. In Candomblé they are allowed to work with only one. Although an entity’s behavioral patterns vary according to the individual medium’s personality, the changes are slight, and the same entity is easily recognizable regardless of the individual medium or tradition.
You don’t have to be an initiate to “belong” to an Orixá, that is, receive the deity’s protection. Many Brazilians believe that every human being from birth is taken under the wing of one or more Orixás. You can discover who protects you by consulting a priest or priestess who will cast the cowrie shells for you, as I describe in chapter 5. It may be more useful than you know to find out about your guardian, as the following story proves.
When I learned of my protectors, Xangô and Iemanjá, I bought necklaces displaying their symbols to wear whenever I left home in Rio. One night, I donned my Xangô necklace before leaving for the movies with a couple of friends. This deity happens to be the highly respected thunder god of cosmic justice. It was such a pleasant evening that we decided to walk home after the show. We were strolling down a street a few blocks from my apartment when three men with guns jumped out from behind a parked car. The assailants who attacked me saw my necklace and started.
“You are under the protection of Xangô?” he asked.
Unable to speak, I nodded vigorously.
He muttered something to his companion that I did not understand, and the robbers took off into the night. We escaped, only forfeiting the loose change that they had pocketed at the beginning of the assault. Such is the power of the god in Brazil.
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to the Orixás. I begin with descriptions of each of the major Orixás who are cultivated in most terreiros, then follow with a legend that shows the deity’s personality, origin, or philosophical significance.
In appendix B, you will find a list of attributes that contribute to the building of each Orixá’s persona, such as his or her characteristic dress, salutation for when he or she descends into the terreiro, and symbols. Elaborate rituals surround each deity, and the details of their expression must be followed to the letter. Nonetheless, inconsistencies plague these lists. For example, the colors, symbols, food, and modes of dress that are linked to each entity can vary slightly, depending on the sect or even the individual temple. This is because in the assimilation of the myriads of original Orixás, distinct traits have evolved for different denominations, and even within a sect, small variations can occur. Appendix B lists the attributes that surface most often.
Iansã
When the wind rustles through the temple, agitating the raffia that decorates the walls, the drums pause, and everyone looks around for Iansã to burst upon the scene. Renowned as the Goddess of the Fire Sword, Iansã ranks as the most temperamental, passionate, and vivacious of all the Orixás. Her pure energy dominates the winds and lightning, and she manipulates this power to provide cooling breezes, control electrical devices, and also to conjure up cyclones and tornados. She personifies the element Air, and in this sense is similar to the elemental King Paralda of Western Occultism. Her scintillating sexual energy sparks unbridled passion, orgasm, jealousy, impetuosity, and free love. This haughty, demanding, irascible lady is the only Orixá formidable enough to handle the Eguns, the spirits of the dead, whom she cows with her flaming sword and iruexim, a whip fashioned from the hair of a horse’s tail. In Africa, she is so ferocious that she brandishes a short beard, which she conceals behind a small veil. This characteristic has not translated to her Brazilian persona.
Legend
The story goes that Iansã was a bright, intelligent, impetuous girl eager to know everything about the world. Because of her fervently sexual nature she chose to serve an apprenticeship (so to speak) by seducing all the male Orixás, and convincing them that in return for her favors, they should teach her their secrets. From Oxóssi she learned to hunt, and from his son, Logun-Odê, to fish. Ogum taught her to wield a sword, and Oxaguiã showed her how to use a shield for protection. Obaluaiê initiated her into the mysteries of the spirits of the dead. Even Exu let her in on the enigmas of fire and enchantment. When she set her cap for Xangô, however, she got more than she bargained for. Although he revealed to her the magic of thunder and lightning, she fell for him madly and irrevocably, and felt the burning passion and heartache of love. From their union were born the Ibêji twins.
The Ibêji
I remember my astonishment when I first saw a medium incorporate one of the Ibêji, the twins of the Afro-Brazilian pantheon. I could not fathom why this middle-aged woman was squatting on the floor like a child playing a game with a little ball, occasionally squealing in delight. She approached and raised her innocent eyes to me, calling me tia (aunt), and in baby talk begged me to bless her and give her a piece of candy. I was shocked. It took me a long time to understand that the true purpose of these cosmic mischief makers is to remind us of the power of laughter. With their jokes, infantile behavior, and giggling exuberance, they are able to undo the most powerful binding spells. Through the Ibêji, we learn to value the innocence and purity of our childhoods, thoughts of which can still bring us happiness and contentment.
The twins watch over children from the time they are babies and guide them until adolesc...
