Omulu herbs: Know their ritualistic meanings and uses!

Knowing the leaves and herbs of Omulu – Obaluaê is walking on the sacred trail of healing. Each Orisha has its specific herbs, which vibrate in tune with its energy. In this way, they are the most suitable to use in healing work, obligations, thanks or requests.

In order to use herbs correctly, it is important to know a little more about this powerful Orisha of pandemics, healing and death. In addition, the classification of leaves and herbs is fundamental to avoid indiscriminate use. Discover then all the leaves and herbs of Omulu, their characteristics and their respective uses.

Tells the Itã (African legend) that the leaves and herbs of the Orishas were cultivated and protected by Ossain, who has control of all plants. Xangô, the Orixá of justice, decided that everyone should have access to healing from plants, asking his wife, the astute and warrior Iansã, to solve the problem.

It was then that Iansã, who controls the winds with his eruexim (instrument made from horsehair, associated with a fan), entered the kingdom of Ossain and spread some herbs for each corresponding Orixá. Therefore, some sheets are specific to some Saints, others are from a group of Orishas and others belong only to Ossain.

For those who don’t think that itãs are the best explanations for why each herb belongs to each Orisha, one can also observe the energy correlation between them. For example, Obaluaê herbs have a lot to do with healing, cleaning and protection, among other characteristics attributed to the Orisha.

Known as the Doctor of the poor, Obaluaê is also called Omulu or Xapanã, the latter name being not pronounced, at the risk of attracting diseases, according to the creed. Each name is related to a stage in the life or vibration of the Orisha, explaining their various roles within the African pantheon.

He is the most feared in Afro cults because of several itãs that relate him to the plague, pandemics and an unparalleled fury. On the other hand, he is also the respected and beloved doctor who heals the wounds of the body, mind and soul with his simplicity and strength.

Son of the wise Nanã, who provided the clay for creation, and Oxalá, who gave life to human beings, Obaluaê is merciful like his father and strict like his mother. Connected to the earth, he controls the eguns (lost spirits) and does not forgive those who act in a bad way. He knows the secrets of death, cleansing the body at the end.

He is represented having his body covered with a straw garment, which covers him from head to toe, as no mortal can look directly at his golden light, of unparalleled beauty. He carries with him his xaxará, made with palm leaves, whelks and beads, which he uses to sweep away illnesses, spells and any kind of evil that afflicts his children.

The leaves and herbs of Omulu – or any other Orixá – are essential to establish a bond with the Saint, after all, they have a similar energy field, thus facilitating the process. So much so that when someone starts, he uses the herbs of his corresponding Orisha in the process.

In addition, they are also used for specific purposes such as:

• Smoking: many herbs are perfect for smoking, either in their fresh or dried version. They can have different purposes, depending on each energy field reached. In other words, there are specific herbs for cleaning or disobsession, others for prosperity, calming and the like;

• Baths: baths are powerful and should always be done with supervision, especially if they use hot herbs. In this case, herbs and leaves are essential for the bath to work properly, and other ingredients can be added, such as stones, food, perfumes and others;

• Medicines: it is not news to anyone that herbs are recognized for their medicinal properties, whether for making syrups, teas or poultices. It is essential to understand what each herb is for and, if it is related to the right Orisha, it may even have better healing results;

• Jobs: very common in Umbanda, Candomblé and other non-Christian religious lines, jobs are a useful and delicate tool to achieve specific goals. There are also ebós, which are works with the aim of cleaning and rebalancing, all using herbs and leaves from specific Orixás;

• Amaci: this is a process in which knowing the herb of each Orixá is essential, as it is an initiatory ritual done with mediums, to increase the energetic connection between their guides and them, in order to initiate incorporation. For it to happen, specific herbs are used in initiation and preparation for it, days before, for cleaning and opening.

• Offerings: another use of herbs by Omulu and other Orixás is the preparation of offerings. So that it makes sense and does not displease the Saint, it is essential to choose the correct leaves and herbs, avoiding quizilas (things that displease the Orisha), thus making the right choices for each one.

Certainly, guinea is one of the most used leaves in Umbanda, mainly because of its cleaning potential, but there are several other herbs and Orishas leaves that are used in the most diverse ways, whether in traditional uses or even decoration.

A good example of the use of Orixá leaves for decoration is the number of people who use the swords of Ogum/Saint George at the entrance to their homes for protection. One can also mention the swords of Iansã for prosperity, rue for protection, with me-nobody-may for evil eye or even pepper trees indoors.

Although many herbs are constantly used in Umbanda, such as lavender, sage, aloe, mastic and others, there is a special group affectionately called the 7 herbs. They are the combo that should be in every house for different uses, being composed of rue, guinea, rosemary, with me-no-one-can, Saint George’s sword, basil and pepper.

The classification of herbs is simple, helping in their management and careful use. That’s because it’s divided into three main groups: hot, lukewarm and cold herbs. They are related to the field of action and power of each plant, as well as the main point of action.

Hot herbs are very aggressive and must be used with caution and guidance. The mornas have a balancing role, balancing the forces of other plants used and acting in a strong way, but not so intense. The cold ones are used for specific purposes, being more delicate in the treatment, but powerful in the intention.

The main use of hot herbs is the removal of astral larvae, miasms and any other denser type of energy that is impregnated in the astral field or in the environment. In the same way that they manage to clean even the heaviest energies, they can also cause failures in the magnetic field, so it is essential to use them carefully.

Warm herbs also have this cleaning capacity, however, they are more delicate in dealing with their energy. In this way, they are used together with hot herbs and end up helping to balance their action, reconstituting the aura, if necessary. They also help maintain the fluidity of energy during baths and smokes and even after them.

Cold herbs are gentle on your energy field, yet powerful for specific purposes. That’s because they act on unique vibration patterns, being perfect for spells and requests. Normally, they are classified into attractors – which help to attract something specific, like luck, for example; energy, with the aim of energizing; and calming, which help to bring calm and tranquility to the body, mind and place used.

According to Jêje-Nagô traditions, herbs are classified based on some attributes to decide which orixá they belong to. Among them are color, appearance, location where they are most easily seen, texture of their foliage and flowers, smell, size and several other attributes.

Another detail used in the classification of herbs is their relationship with the four elements, earth, fire, water and air, thus associating them with the equivalent Orisha. In the case of Omulu leaves and herbs, they are usually more rustic, resistant and generally linked to healing and protection. See which are the main ones and their uses.

Also known as the African lily or flower of the Nile, the Agapanto is a beautiful and resistant plant, with purple and white flowers, thus being associated with Omulu and his parents, Nanã and Oxalá.

It is used to decorate pejis (orixá’s house or saint’s room, where the altar or conga is located). In addition, it is also common to use it to perform baths for Omulu, without having its use recognized in medicine.

Agoniada is a medicinal herb, also called agonia, arapuê or jasmine-mango. It is perfect for purifying the children of Santo, in addition to helping to prepare the accounts through washing for the initiation process of the children of Omulu/Obaluaê.

All the obligations of this Orisha rely on the presence of the agonized plant, also being used as a remedy against colic, improving menstrual flow and also treating respiratory tract problems, such as asthma and bronchitis.

Also with resistant foliage and more rustic flowers, Alamanda is a decorative plant, but it is commonly used in natural medicine to treat skin diseases by applying tea to the affected area.

As an Omulu herb, it is mainly used in unloading baths to ward off bad energy, doing the job more leniently than some hot herbs.

Much more than a seasoning, purple basil is an herb from Omulu and is easy to grow, despite not being so common. In natural medicine, it is mainly used as a support for healthy weight loss.

In addition, purple basil is used in Omulu’s obligations, and is also indicated for cleaning baths and for unloading work, helping to balance energy.

Darling of Umbanda and Candomblé for cleaning in general, lavender is an easy-to-grow plant, forming a bush that can reach up to 1 meter.

It is also used in all head obligations of the children of Obaluaê / Omulu, as well as in smoke that focus on removing negative energies and harmonizing energy, giving more cheer and tranquility.

The sand araticum or malolo is a small tree that originates in Africa, presenting small edible and very aromatic fruits. Its use in folk medicine is aimed at combating intestinal problems and rheumatism.

As one of the herbs of Omulu,…