Our Lady of Aparecida in Umbanda: syncretism in Candomblé and more!

The representation of Our Lady of Aparecida in umbanda is a common question. One of Umbanda’s bases is Catholicism, so it’s not difficult to find Umbanda practitioners who are also devoted to Catholic saints.

Our Lady of Aparecida is considered by many to be a Brazilian “Orixá”, in its black image, it represents the Brazilian miscegenation, therefore the devotion of not only practicing Catholics, but also of many citizens of our country.

But what does this saint represent to Umbanda? What is her relationship with Orisha Oxum, lady of waterfalls? And how can you umbanda worship Our Lady and Oxum? Read on for these answers and more.

Our Lady of Aparecida is not just a Catholic Saint, she is a Brazilian Saint. And that’s why practitioners of different religions have it as a symbol of hope, love and motherhood. The Patroness that crosses the walls of the church and reaches the center of Umbanda, the Candomblé garden and Shamanic rituals. This Saint represents not only the mother of Jesus, but also the mother of Brazil and of each one of us Brazilians.

During the time of slavery, syncretism was necessary, Nossa Senhora de Aparecida was chosen to carry the cornerstone of Oxum, mainly due to the story of the saint and the energies attributed to her.

Oxum is the orixá of waterfalls, and Our Lady being found in a river also helped in this identification. The truth is that even the slaves looking at the image of Nossa Senhora de Aparecida and praying to Oxum, still had an enormous affection and respect for the patron saint of Brazil.

In the middle of the 16th century, the first slaves arrived in Brazil, these people were torn from their families, their homes, their country in a brutal and irreversible way. However, in addition to losing their home, they also lost their culture and the right to profess their religion, being constantly punished when caught praying to their deities.

At that time, all slaves who arrived in Brazil were “converted” to Catholicism, being able to pray to Christ and the Catholic saints, so the slaves, in order to “disguise” their religion, placed stones that represented their Orixás inside the images of Catholic saints, thus creating the syncretisms.

São Jorge was a knight, warrior and protector of the law, just as Ogun also had all these qualities. São Lazaro was old, wise and healer, just like Obaluaiê. And then for each Orisha they found a Catholic saint with the same energy and placed a stone of strength inside, so that when the master of the farm observed the kneeling slaves praying in front of an image, they did not see any problem.

Oxum is the lady of the love of gold and beauty, her natural power point is the waterfalls, so if you want to connect with Oxum you can go to his power point and bathe in its waters, removing all evil and bringing Good energies.

Color of Oxum: Pink, Yellow and Gold.
Oxum Herbs: Mauve, Dracema, yellow flowers and milk branch.
Oshun Element: Mineral
Salute from Oxum: Ora-Aiê ieu!
Offering to Oxum: Towel or golden cloth, pink or yellow candle, pink or yellow ribbon, pink, white, yellow and red flowers, fruits such as cherry, apple, pear and watermelon and drinks are apple champagne, grape or liqueur of cherry.

Umbanda is a Brazilian religion founded in 1908 by the medium Zélio de Moraes, a religion that, being founded in Brazil, drinks from the source of several religions. One of these religions is the cult of the nation from which the Orixás are imported, but with a different way of explaining and worshiping them.

Oxum in Umbanda is the female Orisha of the throne of love and helps anyone who asks her within that factor. In Umbanda we manifest the energy of the Orixá, but the work of assistance is done with the incorporation of entities that report to the Orixá.

Umbanda is based on the mediumistic development of the medium, on assistance through entities and on sustaining forces through the factors of God, which are the Orixás.

Candomblé, different from umbanda, is an Afro-Brazilian religion whose foundation is to recreate and maintain the traditions of worshiping the Orixá, as was done in Africa.

Oxum is one of those orixás that were imported to Brazil, and in Africa each village worshiped 1 or 2 Orixás, with the joining of slaves from several tribes they ended up being worshiped together and thus Candomblé was born in Brazil.

Each santo de santo can incorporate only his orixá in the head and in the preparation of that child, several works are done until he can incorporate his orixá. The orixás do not speak or give consultations, they emanate their energies to the sons of saints and guests of the terreiro. The consultation service in Candomblé is done by oracles where through the Priests the orixá communicates with his son.

Oxum is a deity that emerged in Africa, more specifically it began to be worshiped by black people in Nigeria in the region of Ijexá and Ijebu. Named after the river that runs through Yorubaland.

Each religion that worships it has a principle and foundation on how its true origin was formed, and in respect of its beliefs, each one has its meaning and understanding. An annual festival takes place in the city of Oxobô in Nigeria, and the temple of Oxum has been a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site since 2005.

For some people, the greatest and purest love in the world can provide for animals and pets, but most believe that it is a mother’s love, because of that intense and pure feeling, women can kill and die. It’s a love so strong that it makes mothers do anything for a person.

Oxum, being the Orisha of love, carries with it this essence of the purest love of a mother and helps all the women who are going through this moment. Together with Iemanjá, they are the Mothers of life. Iemanjá helps you with conception, so if you want to get pregnant or are having problems with this, turn to Iemanjá.

However, if you are already pregnant and your pregnancy is at risk or you want more strength to get through this moment, you can look for Oxum.

Sympathy for prosperity in pregnancy: Heat 500 ml of water in a pan, after boiling turn off the heat and place 2 yellow roses and 1 white rose, let it cool and after your normal bath throw the mixture from the neck down, slowly mentalizing and vibrating in our dear and beloved mother Oxum, asking her for strength and protection during pregnancy.

This sympathy can be done whenever you feel fragile or low energy. Another tip is to always have a yellow flower indoors.

Oxum is constantly associated with love, but she doesn’t just act in that field. Oxum is also the lady of gold and prosperity, and can therefore be worshiped for these purposes. In addition to being the beauty lady, she can help with self-esteem and depression issues.

Oxum does not accept deviations from love, and can also punish those people who use other people’s feelings and those who use love as an excuse to commit atrocities. Oxum’s love is pure and true, and cannot be distorted or used for personal gains, if it is used for these purposes, according to the religions that worship it, it will end up attracting something negative.

Oxum lady of gold and love. She is the orixá of waterfalls and beauty, a strong woman responsible for divine maternity. Giving all mothers their sacred and divine mantle of protection.
Just as Our Lady of Aparecida is known for answering the pleas of distressed mothers, for feeling the pain of seeing their child in pain.

She delivers the lullaby, protection and resilience for mothers to be able to fight and help their children. Both are not the same divinity, but represent the same essence, divine love. Both are guardians of the greatest love known to humanity, which is mother’s love.

Love that makes a woman do anything for her children, be it working 18 hours, lifting a car with her hands or even going through the greatest pain of her life at the time of childbirth and still in the end, with her son in her arms, say it was all worth it.

Our Lady of Aparecida and Oxum established their black images. According to studies carried out, the image found of Nossa Senhora de Aparecida was Black due to the years she spent lost in the river before being rescued and the Oxum that emerged in Africa brings in its essence the local culture and race.

Both represent the Brazilian population, which according to the IBGE – Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics 56.10% of the Brazilian population declared themselves black in the last year.

The search for protection and divine connection with Nossa Senhora de Aparecida and Oxum show their popularity as sacred entities. Both are sought after in different religions for spiritual purposes, which is why they became true Queens of Brazil.

The Orisha Oxum comes from the crystalline waters of waterfalls, and Santa Nossa Senhora de Aparecida was rescued and found in a river in Brazil. This fact generates a huge connection between the two and promotes a magnificent similarity.

All who worship both the saint and the orixá are faithful followers, who are always carrying something that represents them to themselves. Both are divine and sacred to all who follow them as a spiritual and faith symbol.

The divine and sacred mantle is an attribute shared by Nossa Senhora de Aparecida and Oxum. The Mantle represents protection, humility, the projection of affection and mother’s love. It is made to cover its faithful with blessings and positive energy.

Nossa Senhora de Aparecida is so important to Brazil that in the place where she was found, today there is the second largest Catholic temple in the world and the largest in Brazil. There have already been received 3 popes and more than 12 million faithful.

Our Lady of Aparecida is the Saint of Brazil and more than that, she is the mother of all of us, it is not for nothing that we dedicate to her the supplication to watch over us in life and also at the moment of our death.

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