Lately, I’ve been on somewhat of a spiritual journey. I felt a call to research different spiritual and religious practices around the world. I suppose that in my search, I hope to find a universal truth of sorts woven into all of them. On my quest, I’ve been doing a lot of reading and researching. When I hear someone mention something I haven’t heard, I do try to educate myself. That’s what inspired me to write this article, or a potential series of articles. Esoteric Earth will be exploring these practices. Maybe you’ll find something your soul resonates with along the way.
Pictured here are two of the gods in the Umbanda religion. This practice is most known as a Brazilian one, though its origins come from Africa, making Umbanda share a heritage with Hoodoo, Vodoo, and Santeria, to name a few. Like a few of these on the list, it came to be through the slave trade, which is, to say the least, an unfortunate origin story. In the case of Umbanda, it can also be seen as a tale of triumph in the face of complete annihilation.
Slave owners at the time were Catholic and Christian. Oftentimes, they would try to forcefully convert the slaves to the Christian or Catholic faith. Some of this was successful, and many did convert. However, some were able to find a way to preserve their own culture and beliefs. This is why a lot of the goddesses and gods in Umbanda are 1 to 1 with Catholic saints. Iemanjá, the woman statue pictured above, is associated with the sea and motherhood. Because of the intertwining with the Catholic faith, she also became associated with Mary, Jesus’s mother. This sort of “cloaking,” whether it was done on purpose by practitioners of Umbanda to help preserve the beliefs and gods they held so dear or a simple intertwining that happened with time, helped the practices survive and become what they are today.
The Beliefs of Umbanda:
People who practice Umbanda believe in one supreme deity that created everything, named Olorun, and a robust spiritual world that interacts with our physical world every day. They also have their own pantheon of gods and goddesses, though in this corner of the world they are called Orishas. Iemanjá is one of the most popular, but there is also Oya, who is known as the goddess of the storms, lightning, and wind. We also have the Orisha Osain. He is known as the god of herbs and is associated with herbalists and nature. All the Orishas have their own stories, myths, and personalities of some sort. The ones I have mentioned are three of the most known and powerful ones in Umbanda.
The system is detailed, with a lot of important things to remember. Each Orisha has its own colors, numbers, days, and preferred offerings. Beyond the Orishas, the world of Umbanda is rich in spirits, especially the honoring of passed-on ancestors. One very honored and popular group of spirits is called the Old Black Men and Old Black Women. They represent the spirits of passed-on slaves. They are known as benevolent, help guide those who reach out to them, and are one of the most important. As far as spirits go, there are 7 “lines” in the spirit world that also have colors associated with them. There are also many types of spirits, each with a different purpose and role to play.
Umbanda rituals are also certainly something to behold. They are oftentimes held in casual settings and can have many participants. To the non-observant, gatherings may even look like parties. The priest or priestess plays drums and sings as part of the ritual. This is to keep negative spirits at bay. Symbols are used to represent certain kinds of spirits, so everyone knows what sorts of spirits are entering the space, which is important in a ritual like this. Mediumship, divination, and psychic ability are highly revered in the practice and important at these events. Using their ability, they contact the spirits, sometimes to help others at the gathering. To remove a spirit, smoke is blown into the ear of the medium on both ends. Oftentimes, this needs to be done with the new mediums, who aren’t used to their abilities yet and may accidentally take in more than they’re prepared to handle. This can also be necessary if a more negative spirit enters the space as well. In Umbanda, the difference between positive and negative seems to be connected to how close the spirit is to “the world,” as it were. More negative spirits will have vices and obsessions like humans do. The more positive ones, like the old blacks, are wise and beyond these wordly desires. They help those who call upon them elevate their lives in positive ways.
Everyone participating in the ritual also wears all white clothing and is barefoot. This is because bare feet are meant to connect you with the earth more deeply. Everyone wearing the same color also contributes to a more uniform environment, making it easier to focus. I believe the spirit mediumship is what may unsettle some, especially the eye rolling and the convulsions that have been pictured on tape at some of these rituals. This can especially be unsettling as far as negative spirits are concerned, but Umbanda, for the most part, is more like what we would call white magic. It’s believers who ultimately want to get closer to nature; honor is passed on to loved ones and other ancestors. Most importantly, they use their abilities to uplift and help others. Because of this, it doesn’t deserve an intimidating reputation and is an ancient practice worthy of respect and dignity, especially for all the good it’s done for people in their time of need.
Where Can I Learn More About Umbanda?
Resources are a bit hard to parse out online, even for this article. This is because Umbanda is more of a closed practice, which means one has to be born into them to truly know them intimately. It is typically frowned upon to simply scoop them up and make them part of a hodgepodge of New Age practices and being “spiritual.” In my research, I also found other Brazilian magic practices that are sometimes practiced alongside Umbanda or in parallel to it. Some I would recommend against watching, as some contain elements of black magic and, if you go too deep, animal sacrifices.
There are some good resources that were used in this article, mostly from history or travel documentaries, and they get it straight from the source. If this practice is something that you truly feel drawn towards, however, there are means of getting this direct connection. Looking up Umbanda near me may be a good place to start. Some Spiritist centers may also know the practice more intimately. These can be found by looking up Spiritist centers in your region. I must stress again that practitioners who do this accurately will be harder to find. Perhaps slightly less so if you are a Spanish speaker. I would not recommend local covens or new witches find other people to practice this with, however. Because of the deep and complicated nature of Umbanda, the wrong person could potentially bring in more bad than invited. They may also be cult-like and guide you poorly. If you must practice alone, sometimes it’s better that way. It will just be you and the spirits, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all.
For those a bit disappointed, no worries! The next practice I discuss will be a bit more universal and accessible. So stay tuned for the next edition of Esoteric Earth. So definitely keep your eyes peeled for my next article under Esoteric Earth. If you know more on the subject than I, or there were any errors please let me know. I will revisit Umbanda or edit any inaccuracies. For those who need guidance through a rough time, I am also available to book life coaching if you don’t feel the Orisha’s can help your particular situation. Check that out on our booking page at Seer Sensitives. I guarantee the care and love I give to representing these spiritual practices in a fair and loving way will be given to you and your personal problems, perhaps even more so.