Who is Nossa Senhora da Conceição in umbanda? Syncretism with Oxum!

Nossa Senhora da Conceição is the patron saint of several cities in Brazil and around the world. She is the representation of the holy mother who carried Jesus Christ in her womb. Nossa Senhora da Conceição was syncretized in Brazil during the colonization period as the orixá Oxum, thus having great importance in Umbanda.

In this article you will understand what are the common characteristics between Oxum, the orixá of fresh waters, and Nossa Senhora de Conceição. Follow and understand!

To understand why some relate the orixá Oxum to Nossa Senhora da Conceição, it is necessary to understand what religious syncretism is and how it influenced Brazilian cults. Read and find out!

Religious syncretism is basically the fusion of elements from different religions. In this case, one religion can be absorbed by another, uniting the meanings. Some consider that syncretism exists in all religions, after all, customs and beliefs suffer external interference that end up modifying, over the years, the original elements.

Thus, this diverse and complex reinterpretation takes place all over the world, including Brazil. Here, the most striking example of religious syncretism is that of religions of African origin with Catholicism.

African peoples, as well as indigenous peoples, have established religions for many centuries, which were practiced before the colonization of the territory we know today as Brazil.

During the Portuguese colonization, the indigenous people present here and the people brought from Africa were enslaved and catechized. Forced to abandon their faith, these people organized and looked for ways to protect their cults and beliefs.

At that time, syncretism was one of the strategies to adapt their rituals and disguise them from the eyes of the colonizers. In this way, elements of religions of African origin were mixed with Catholicism.

The Catholic Church itself used religious syncretism to absorb concepts and practices from pagan religions during the Middle Ages. This strategy was used to facilitate the adoption of Christianity by pagan peoples.

In Brazil we also have syncretism between indigenous cults and Catholicism, which originated the so-called mestizo healerism. This practice is seen mainly in rural areas, which plays an important role in applying the traditional medicine of indigenous peoples.

In addition, syncretism can occur in the cultural aspect, through the fusion of customs and ethical concepts. Once again, Brazil is a concrete example of this syncretism due to the arrival of immigrants of different nationalities.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição is the patron saint of Portugal, as well as of all Portuguese-speaking peoples. She was preserved from original sin by God, since she had the illustrious mission of carrying Jesus Christ in her womb, the one who for Christians is the savior of humanity.

Discover now more details about this face of Mary, her story and why so many are devoted to her.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição, also known as the Immaculate Conception, is one of the conceptions of the Virgin Mary. According to the dogma established in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, Mary was born without sin, but filled with grace.

Catholic belief holds that Mary was preserved from every stain of sin because of her mission to conceive Jesus Christ. The holiness of Mary is, according to Catholics, affirmed by the Bible in the passage of Luke 1:28. At that moment, the Angel Gabriel, upon meeting the Virgin Mary, uttered “Hail, graced one; the Lord is with you; blessed art thou among women.”

Another thesis that supports the fact that Mary was spared from the sins of men is that to receive Jesus in her womb she would need to be completely free of sin, according to Genesis 3:15, where God said: “I will put enmity between you and the woman , between his offspring and hers”.

The images of Nossa Senhora da Conceição portray Mary with a jovial appearance, usually with her face slightly tilted downwards or upwards, looking at the heavens.

Her head is covered by a short blue veil with lacy edges, and at her feet are placed angels, usually four in number. The Virgin Mother wears a white tunic with golden details and, in some images, appears crowned or with a golden halo.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição, or Immaculate Conception, represents above all the purity of Mary and her deliverance from sins. Furthermore, this conception of Mary brings up the model of mother and example of motherhood given by the Virgin Mary.

The party in honor of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is celebrated on December 8th. The date is a national holiday in Portugal, where Nossa Senhora da Conceição is the patron saint, as well as a municipal holiday in several cities in Brazil, such as Recife.

Nossa Senhora da Conceição is the patron saint of Aracaju, capital of the state of Sergipe. Patroness also of the state of Bahia, Salvador has the imposing Basilica Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia, built between 1739 and 1849.

Several prayers are made to Our Lady of Conception, always highlighting her illustrious role as a mother and her holiness. If you seek the protection and compassion of the Immaculate Conception, chant the following prayer:

The beautiful orixá Oxum is the queen of fresh waters, mother and protector of pregnant women. This powerful Iabá is also a symbol of prosperity and beauty. In addition to being syncretized with Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Oxum is also associated with other goddesses of prosperity, fertility and love, such as Aphrodite, Venus and Freya. Learn more information about Oxum now!

The Orisha Oxum has its origins in religions of African origin, commonly worshiped by Candomblé and Umbanda. She represents the queen of fresh water, owner of rivers and waterfalls. Being Xangô’s second wife, she is also a symbol of wisdom and feminine power.

Oxum is the goddess of the river Oxum (or Osun) which is located on the African continent, near southwest Nigeria. She is also seen as the goddess of gold and the game of whelks, one of the divinatory arts practiced by several African religions.

Oxum is commonly represented by a sensual and extremely emotional woman. She is delicate and usually very pretty with a soft, sweet voice and bright eyes. These characteristics refer to the innocence that enchants all men.

Being extremely vain, she finds satisfaction in luxury and wealth. Creating a strong relationship with gold and its yellow color. This color is manifested in her clothing, in addition to pearl jewelry to enhance her shine and beauty.

Oxum’s day is celebrated on December 8th. This day represents love, union, fertility, wealth and luxury. In addition to being a favorable date for divination through the Búzios. The goddess of love and fraternity appreciates flowers, fruits and essences in her offerings, the color and aroma awaken her strength and are usually offered near waterfalls.

Other characteristics of Oxum are in its passivity, intensity and charisma. However, despite everything, self-love is what will prevail in the Goddess. Despite being passive and avoiding fights, she will always seek the best for herself in her path.

Oxum is the daughter of Iemanjá and Oxalá and the second wife of Xangô. Her relationship with her husband’s first wife, Obá, is full of controversy. It is said that Oxum deceived Obá by encouraging her to cut off her ear to place it in Xangô’s amalah, which would lead to a great disagreement between them.

However, the true belief says that Obá cuts his ear to prove his love for Xangô. Therefore, she offers this gift not as a deceitful act on the part of Oxum. This myth is widespread, as it is thought that Oxum, being the orixá of beauty and youth, is jealous of Obá, which in fact did not happen.

In general, prayers made to Oxum ask for abundance and prosperity, as well as protection for mothers and children. All of this is due to the fact that she is always concerned about the people around her, wanting to meet their needs and making them as comfortable as possible.

Your prayer is done as follows: