The Erês in Umbanda: The Joyful and Magical Presence of the Children
Who Are the Erês in Umbanda? While they appear as children, many Erês are ancient spirits. They adopt this innocent form to reach us more gently, using purity as their language. Their gestures—crying, laughing, sulking—are never random; they mirror what needs healing in the emotional or spiritual body. Also known as Ibejis, Dois-Dois, Doum, or simply Crianças, these spirits carry powerful […]
What Is Umbanda? Origins, Beliefs, and Spiritual Practices
Discovering Umbanda: Where Spirit, Ritual, and Culture Converge In the heart of Brazil, where the rhythmic beat of the atabaque drum echoes through sacred terreiros and the scent of herbs and white flowers fills the air, Umbanda thrives — a living, evolving Afro-Brazilian religion deeply rooted in the land and its people. More than a […]
Orisha Ajagunna: Origins, History, and Roles in Africa and the Diaspora
Origins in Yoruba Cosmology Ajagunna originates from the religion of the Yoruba people of West Africa, particularly in southwestern Nigeria and parts of today’s Benin (List of Yoruba deities – Wikipedia). In Yoruba belief, Ajagunna is not an independent deity but a manifestation or epithet of the high orisha Obatala, who is often called the […]