7 RAYS: history, prayer, offerings, stones, and much more

In this article we will talk about the 7 rays, he is a God from African mythology, he is the protective God, we will talk about his history, his prayers, his songs and many other things.

Who is 7 rays?

7 Rays is a God that appears within African mythology who tries to reconcile (syncretize) with Shangó and Saint Barbara, he is a warrior figure who was previously a king known as: Cetewayu.

This deity is in charge of protecting and helping with everything that has to do with love relationships, using it in wars and work, being the ultimate protector of his daughters, presenting prayers and songs for their worship. Below we will detail everything that has to do with this deity.

His story

Some think that 7 rays was actually a king who lived in South Africa, called: Cetewayo, who is believed to have lived at the end of the 19th century, is considered the personification of the god of thunder, other people think that he is the king who He was captured and subsequently made a slave; and he is also recognized as a great witch. (see voodoo doll article)

One of their garments is used by paleros as protection, it is like a shield that is not visible that provides protection against all kinds of evils that it gives to the owner of the garment; It can be used both as a defense and as an element for war, this applies when the paleros are in periods of war.

To be able to conceive the 7 rays, soil from the cemetery, bones of the dead and remains of the brain of a person who has been murdered or who has committed suicide is required.

The 7 rays are represented by a nail that measures about 50 cm and can even measure 1 meter. At the tip it has an iron cylinder that looks like the head of a human, which has eyes and mouths made of snails and inside which there are remains of bones and human brain.

Illustrative images

There are different ways in which 7 rays are represented, the God of thunder, lightning, justice, virility, dance and fire.

Shango is the king of the Yoruba religion, and in his story you can discover why he is one of the most popular Orishas in his pantheon.

On December 4, Saint Barbara’s Day is celebrated, which within the Yoruba religion is known as Changó.

On the day of Santa Bárbara or Changó, a large number of offerings are made, the most common are those made with corn flour, milk and okra, with green bananas, with red wine, with toasted corn, barley, canary seed and Rams, roosters, quails, guinea fowls and pigeons are also sacrificed.

Prayer

Although this deity is so well known and famous, there is a single prayer that distinguishes it, and for its followers to use it, it is of utmost respect and care. Below is the prayer used to profess devotion to 7 rays.

In the name of God.
Ancestral father of fire
Seven Rays Father of the flame,
With the fire of life, illuminate my path.
With your lightning, free me from all evil.
Sitting on the mountain like the absolute king,
I humbly shout your name.
To win give me strength
when I’m weaker.
Give me courage when I’m scared
and grant me your scepter that is your lightning
to defeat evil.

Offerings that are given

In their offerings are herbs such as: red pigweed, guanaco mucus, planillo, cambur or banana, sarsaparilla, palm leaves, elm, jobo, baria, plantain and Chinese berry. The preferred colors are red and white, the favorite animals are: quails, roosters and goats. You should never offer the ceiba, because if you do, this deity will not visit or protect, you should offer the palm, because it is its main stick.

His favorite drinks are: brandy, red wine and rum; Its fruits are banana and red apples, its seasoning is palm oil. It should be taken into account that the daughters of 7 rays are excessively protected by him, but if they are mistreated he will know it. (see unalome article)

The largest garment is also built, known as the foundation, which is called: nganga or nkise, this is generally made of clay or iron. In order to prepare this cauldron (container) it is necessary to know each deity, for example: what he asks for and what he needs, even certain paleros put holy water in it.

This container should be placed in a private place in the house or outside it, but it should always have soil on the floor, it should receive attention so that 7 rays can answer its questions and it should also be fed when requested and celebrate their holidays, perform ceremonies and work.

Firms

The signatures are the different graphic representations that are used in the Palo Mayombe to recognize some natural phenomena, which are used to: open paths, close paths, solve problems of any kind, as well as to identify the nganga (it is similar to an urn that is used to place the remains of relatives who have died, or of the spirits who are the voice of God on Earth) and the ganguleros (those who know the mystical arts of nature).

The first is the so-called Sambranú Ensasi Sun Sun Vira Vira: this is used to eliminate a religious person who is in the cemetery at midnight.

The second is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Ceja Monte: this is used to try to control the four (4) winds.

The third is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Ensila Kongo: this signature has two (2) uses, the first is to hold the four corners, and the second is used to give food to the Lucero Pitilanga.

The fourth is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Patikongo: this is used to remove evil spirits from the home (malo nfumbe).

The fifth is called Sambranu Ensasi Vence Guerra: this is used when a gangulero has problems with another gangulero, he must be placed behind the door practically on the ground, and a rooster is offered to him, then he is placed in the enemy’s house or adversary.

The sixth is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Disrupts and composes: this is used for two purposes, the first is to destroy and the second is to create a nganga at the foot of a tree. It is extremely important to know that to carry out this signature The trouser strap must be loose.

The seventh is the so-called Dambranu Ensasi Siete Rayos Guinda Vela Samalongo Munamanza Tengue: this is done in order to offer food to Sambranú Nsasi who is placed at the foot of the trunk of the Nganga, that is, in the palm.

The eighth is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Sambranu Bolombo Siete Rayos Siete Loma Musindi: this is the flag of the Good Voyage of the Holy Christ.

The ninth is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Munalongo: this signature is used to control the four (4) trash mountain winds, there are only two (2) moments, the first is in the afternoon and the second is at dawn (at six o’clock). the morning).

The tenth is the so-called Sambranu Ensani Nunga Nunga Munanfilo: this has a large number of uses, first: with this signature it is possible to make a detachment to an enyayi nkisi, to the guardian of the nganga, to a father, to offer food to the 7 Good heavens; This can be in the mountains or in the savanna and in order to control it, fourteen (14) loads of fula are used.

Second, it serves to cause a rupture and extract the dark dead from the home. It is used when the deceased has not returned or the trace has been lost, also when the person tied a dead person to his clothes, then a rooster with black plumage is offered to 7 rays, to solve the situation.

The eleventh is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Munuanco Suerto: this is done in order to be able to control the 7 rays with 7 charges of fula, it is done in the mountains.

The twelfth is called Ensasi Laguna Negra Briyumba with Mayombe: It has several purposes, one is when the nganga is asleep and does not respond, if it is the deity Zarabanda, two (2) chickens with black plumage are offered.

Then they are covered with a black cloth, adding liquor or chamba (sacred liquid from Palo Mayombe); then with a pica pica it is placed above the signature, and then it is controlled with the twenty-one (21) charges of gunpowder, and then proceed to cover it and you must wait about seven (7) days.

And to finish, three (3) roosters with white plumage, a white guinea and a white dove are offered to him, to then invoke the enfumbe seven (7) times of the garment; and later he controls himself again with twenty-one (21) shots to ask the enfumbe (spirit) if he is asleep.

The thirteenth is Sambranu Ensasi Corta Lima Briyumba with Mayombe: this signature arose from the old treaty of Corta Lima Makiribono Bacheche, also when they offered the caiman in the Sagua La Grande to Corta Lima (this was a fisherman who was able to cut off its head to Lima, who was another fisherman).

The fourteenth is the so-called Sambranu Ensasi Engo La Finda Briyumba Kongo: this is used for a birth or a consecration, and also to carry out the loading of a drum for the dead, which does not have a loaded drum; To achieve it, seven tatas are required, but this treaty only has three tatas, which are Lazaro Alfaro, Juan Carlos Rojas and Entuala Kongo. (see article prayer to Oshun)

To do this, it is necessary to play the clothes with the Jewish drums, the drums can only be played by those that are not scratched, and then the drum or the synsigoma (which is the guide of the garment dogs, so it is extremely sacred) is carried by a nganga, for this there are a large number of pawn dogs that are dislocated and that are located on the ground, but when they come they ignore the older tatas.

The fifteenth is called Sambranu Ensasi Munianko Suerto: it is used in women who are menstruating at that time; It begins by placing the signature on the ground and then placing two candles to complete the consecration.

Another of its uses is to test its strength using another gangulero, on Good Friday at 12 at night and at 12 noon a black cat, a Sambrani Ensasi, is offered to him; It is also used to control the nganga after the godson disrespects the father or causes offenses.

In order to perform this ritual, a jicotea (a type of turtle), four (4) griffon roosters and two (2) quails are required; Then the nganga is placed in the garden on the full moon, at twelve (12) at night, to do so the person has to be naked and control seventeen (17) charges of fula or also called gunpowder.

The sixteenth called Sambranu Ensasi Premañongo: this signature begins for the first time when 7 rays devoured a calf on the Adekaida hill, it is used to collect a dark deceased who is in an Osain manufacturing (which is highly respected and deity of Palo Mayombe); and in a house that has a call or prayer seeking good vibes from the identities that are being called.

The seventeenth is called Sambranu Ensasi Tengue Yaya: this begins when the goat mounts the alligator; and also when the tribes, Kongo Kasimbo wanted to reach an agreement with the Kongo Korama, exchanging food for wisdom, but the Kongo Kasimbos…