THE ORIXAS

The Seven Lines - and at the same time the seven major Orixas of Umbanda are:

The line of OXALA - who is hidden under the mask of Jesus Christ

Oxala's colour is white - referring to spiritual purity, and pure light, both physically, and symbolically as in the 'light' of consciousness. His domain is the sky and the mountain tops, his sacred day is Sunday. Oxala is King of the Orisha because of his great age. He helps and teaches us to remain calm in the midst of chaos and uncertainty.

The line of YEMANJA - who is hidden under the mask of Saint Mary

This line is also know as The line of the Waters. Yemanja is the Great Mother of the Ocean. She is the Queen of all the other female orixas of Umbanda. In her line we also find Oxum, the orixa of love and sweetness, Obba, the orixa of stability in the home, Iansa, the orixa of the winds, and Nana Buruku, the ancient orisha of death and regeneration. Yemaja's colour in Umbanda is crystal clear.

The line of XANGO - who is hidden under the mask of Saint Jerome

Xango's colours in Umbanda are white and brown. His symbol is the oshe (double-headed axe), which represents swift and balanced justice. Xango is seen as a great sorcerer who not only fights with his axe but also has deep knowledge of the supernatural. He is often approached to break spells and curses. Some worshippers in Brazil follow the idea that Xango, the great King, committed suicide. This idea however is slander and deceit created by Christian Missionaries to undermine the worship of this great Orisha. Kawó Xango! The King did not hang!

The line of OGUM - who is hidden under the mask of Saint George

He is the orixa of iron, war and labour. He is the owner of all technology and because this technology shares in his nature, it is almost always used first for war. It is Ogúm who clears the roads for evolution and progress with his machete. His colour in Umbanda is either dark blue or sometimes red and white. This depends on the degree of syncretism in each center.

The line of OXOSSI - who is hidden under the mask of Saint Sebastian

Oxossi is the divine hunter, tracker and the executer of Oxala's justice. He provides men with food and medicine from the forest but does not live with them. Oxossi helps us to keep our attention focused on our desired goals and results. His magic and mysteries are deeply associated to ancient shamanism and sorcery. Oxossi's mysteries are deeply associated with the division of spirits known as Caboclos. His colours in Umbanda are either light blue or sometimes green.

The line of OMULU - who is hidden under the mask of St Lazarus

This line is also often referred to as The line of Souls of the Line of Yorima. Omolu is called the Plague Doctor because he is best known for curing (or causing) highly infectious diseases such as smallpox. His mysteries are deeply associated with the cemetery and with the divisions of spirits known as Preto Velho and Exu & Pomba Gira. Omulu's colours in Umbanda are white and black.

The line of IBEJI - who are hidden under the masks of St Cosmas & St Damian

This line is also often called The line of Yori. The Sacred Twins, the Ibeji are directly concerned with healing, but like all the Orishas, they do help in preserving health and well-being and above all, wealth! Their colours in Umbanda are all pastels.

NEW AGE UMBANDA

Besides these seven lines, Umbanda also knows the Line of the East - a division of Oriental and European spirits. Angels, Arch-Angels and a multitude of Saints and Ascendent Masters are also part of the cosmology of Umbanda.

Umbanda originally started as a 'simpler and less expensive' variety of African based religion and spirituality in Brazil, as an alternative to the much more complex and pricey system of Candomble. Over the last few years, some Umbanda houses have started to incorporate more and more elements of Candomble into their practice. The Orishas OXUMARE, LOGUM EDE, and YEWA for example, are traditionally NOT found in Umbanda but have made their way into various Umbanda centres.

Authors and writers such as Ruben Saraceni, a widely known Umbanda priest in Brazil, have also started to incorporate completely unknown orixas - some say invented orixas - such as Egunita, a manifestation of Oya-Iansa.