Wishing Time: Brazilian Candomble Ritual

            

The Brazilian Candomble religion is now intertwined with Yoruban spirituality introduced to the New World via the slave trade. Yoruban spirituality offers many answers to personal problems and is a popular system of aid for people in trouble. The Yoruban entities are ready to lend a hand with broken hearts, illnesses, divorce, work woes, insomnia, betrayal, infertility, politics, luck—anything that concerns the human heart.

In Brazil, Candomble has adherents in every walk of life, not just the poor and downtrodden. Candomble is a “fiery” faith: candles and beach bonfires are very much a part of it. You will find shrines with brightly burning candles in the finest homes in Rio. Street shrines are a delightful aspect of the Brazilian culture. An extremely popular and powerful image is that of Xango, the storm god of lightning and thunder. Rich and poor alike have problems, and the spirits are there to help all. The beautiful beaches that run along the entire coast of Brazil are popular places for rituals and offerings. It is not uncommon to find candles glowing by the sea. This must be very pleasing indeed to their beloved mermaid goddess, Yemoja.

These accommodating spirits are called orixas. Whether public, as in the middle of a street, or privately in one’s home, these offerings are all designed to attract and please the orixas when you need a favor. These offerings to the spirits are called despachos.

We all have times in our lives when we need help. Are you having difficulty with a coworker or your boss? Do you keep getting the flu all the time? Are you trying to quit smoking and can’t seem to kick the habit? Do you need more money? Are you looking for love? Ask the orixas!

The following is a list of orixas and their correspondences:

• Esu’s color is black. Esu has the power to bring messages, likes offerings of candy and toys, and is associated with the number three
• Ogum’s color is green, and helps with getting jobs. Ogum’s number is seven and he has a preference for cigars
• and rum. 
• Oia-Iansa favors white, the number five, and is a protector. Eggplant is her preferred offering.
• Orunmila is in charge of all divination, prefers yellow and sweets, and favors the number sixteen. Offer yams and coca nuts.
• Oxala like white, the number eight, and brings peace. White cotton and white coconuts are the gifts to offer.
• Oxum favors yellow and is the divinity for love and marriage. Present Oxum with sweet honey and sweet cakes.
• Sonponno is the ruler of health and is connected with the color tan and the number seventeen. Corn and beans should be at Sonponno’s shrine.
• Yemoja is the divinity who aids with fertility issues. Lucky number seven and bright blue are Yemoja’s domain, and offerings should be sugar cane and the syrup made from it.
• Xando is the power and passion divinity and his color is bright red. With both four and six as totem numbers, he should be gifted with fruit. Bananas and red apples are best. 

Charm Boxes

Charm boxes, also known as spell boxes, are simple tools of magic you can easily make for yourself. Ancient cultures, particularly the Native Americans, Greeks, Celts, and Egyptians, used boxes for ceremonial magic and for the storage of sacred objects. Is not the famed biblical ark of the covenant a magical box? During medieval times, much spell work revolved around boxes. Even a young woman’s hope chest is a type of magical box, filled with the wishes, intentions, and materials for a happy marriage.

Gem-magic boxes can either contain crystals of special importance to you or be adorned with gems you affix to the outside of the box. You can create a job-spell box with peridot or aventurine stones, green candles, patchouli incense, and dried ferns placed inside.

Make a love-spell box with two pieces of rose quartz, a pink candle, rose petals, and two copper pennies. Fashion a psychic-spell box using amethyst and quartz crystals, cloves, and rosemary.

Lucky Charm

Another lucky charm for solvency is to take seven tiny turquoise stones and put them on your windowsill during a full moon for seven hours. Then pick up the stones, and while holding them in the palm of your hand, speak this wish-spell:

Luck be quick, luck be kind.
And by lucky seven, good luck will be mine.

Carry these lucky stones with you in a bright blue bag and be on the lookout for blessings to shower down upon you. You might receive a gift, win free services, or literally find money in your path.

Time Is On Your Side Spell

A gift of a clock is lucky. Luckier still is to hear two clocks chiming together at a happy moment. If you are kissing, happy in company, meeting someone you like, concluding a business deal or launching a project, or indeed, in the midst of any other hopeful occasion, and you hear two clocks striking together, link fingers with the other person, or kiss them on the cheek.

Say aloud:

Two clocks have struck,
‘Tis set for luck.

Take careful note of the hour.

For the next two days, observe the hour again and think of the event that has just taken place; wish hard for luck on that matter once again. Good luck will surely attend you—whatever the matter on hand concerns.