The Universe has 7 basic principles, known as The 7 Divine Thrones.
Each Divine Throne emanates a quality, and these virtuous energies appear in all areas of life.
In Umbanda, the Orixás (Orishas) are Divine beings that reign over the 7 Thrones of Creation, expressing themselves in the purest form through the forces of Nature.
The Orixás have many attributes connected to them, including natural domains, or points of power where their energy is strongest. They each have an energetic element they use and certain crystals, plants and colours hold their divine imprint.
Throne of Faith
The Throne of Faith is the first Divine Throne. Its essence is crystalline, meaning it is all about structure and definition. There is a unifying factor in the Throne of Faith that gathers, structures and emanates everything in one direction.
One cannot teach faith, it is cultivated over time and exists outside the realms of doubt. You either believe or you don’t.
It is not a feeling or a thought but a consciousness. A cosmic awareness, in fact. It’s synergistic with service to others and by cultivating faith, you generate a magnetic field of protection, inner strength, peace and balance.
They say that faith can move mountains… Well, gigantic obstacles such as pride and ego are most definitely humbled in its presence.
Faith and Religion
There’s no doubt that faith is connected to religion and for good reason. The word “Religion” comes from Latin - Religare - which means to unite, rebind or reconnect.
Reconnect with what?
With yourself.
To remember who you are in authenticity and to embrace the power of your co-creatorship.
Cultivating Faith
Belief, trust and truth are the foundations of Faith.
However, the only way to cultivate faith is through the use of will. Knowing the truth of who you are, believing in your capability to achieve and actually having the willpower to do.
I am, I can and I do.
You may think you want something, and it's down to you to act on that will. By staying in alignment with your highest and most virtuous aspects, that which is not needed falls away, faith remains and what you truly want transpires.
The Orixás that reign over the Throne of Faith are Oxalá and Logunan.
Oxalá
Oxalá is the Divine Masculine side of the Throne of Faith. His energy is outgoing and direct.
Each Orixá has their own type of magnetism that they work with. Oxalá is seen as magnetism itself, that which holds everything together in Divine light.
He’s associated with the Sun, bringing the light of the divine to Earth.
His colour is white, the unification of all vibrations. His places of power in Nature are anywhere that is considered a clean or pure place. Mountains, fields, hillsides, scenic viewpoints.
Clear quartz crystals, white flowers such as roses or lilies and also sunflowers all resonate with the essence of Oxalá.
Logunan
Logunan is the feminine counterpart that reigns over the Throne of Faith.
Her energy is feminine and works in a spiralling fashion. She is the Lady of Time and Space - where all creation takes place. As time goes on in our physical reality, we experience, learn and grow. Her power emanates in a way that picks you up if you stray from the straight and narrow path, dissolving any unwanted energies accumulated along the way.
Time is the key to evolution and Logunan reigns over that space.
Colour: Dark Blue, Black or White
Domain: Open fields, open spaces
Crystals: Rutilated Smoky Quartz, Sodalite
Nature: Open fields
Throne of Love
This is the Throne of Universal Love that governs the design of life.
It is through Love that we learn to develop powerful virtues. Understanding, patience and service. Learning to love yourself, others and everything in between. The truth is that love is all around us and more importantly within us.
The Orixás that reign over the Throne of Love are Oxum and Oxumaré.
Oxum
Oxum is the Mother of Love.
Affection, kindness and prosperity are her divine qualities. Along with comfort, cosiness, fertility and tenderness.
The more we learn to honestly manifest love for ourselves and others, the more we benefit from the frequencies emanated by Mother Oxum.
Being in sync with her brings about internal peace, harmony and balance. In addition, the will to love others increases along with the ability to let yourself be loved by others.
Oxum is the Queen of Fresh Waters, therefore her energetic essence is Mineral and plays an important role in fertility.
Her Love is an instigating force and responsible for gestation and the beginnings of creation in all parts of life.
Waterfalls are her points of force in Nature and Rose Quartz.
Colour: Pink, Gold
Domain: Waterfalls and streams
Crystals: Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Gold and Pyrite
Herbs: Lemongrass, Lavender, Lemon balm, Jasmine
Flowers: Lilies and Roses
Oxumaré
The Divine Masculine counterpart reigning over the Throne of Love is Oxumaré.
He is all about renovation. A constant fine-tuning of our inner selves and personal development.
Discipline and inner work leads to transformation and that’s why Oxumaré is linked to the Kundalini energy of enlightenment.
He's often depicted holding two snakes which illustrate this upwards spiralling line of energetic renovation. His energy is slow and subtle, re-calibrating negative traits like jealousy and anger and directing us towards growth in the realm of love. There’s also a diluting quality to his energy that helps with the renovation.
Colour: Sky Blue and Turquoise
Domain: Rainbows
Elements: Water and Mineral
Throne of Knowledge
Learning is key in life, a part of our purpose and one of the motives for being here.
The more you know, the more you can grow.
Reason and learning lead to knowledge, which is foundational on our evolutionary paths.
Of course, there are hardships and difficulties all the time. Sometimes we suffer, some more than others, but we learn.
When that lesson comes around again we have the chance to implement our knowledge, and if imbued with love, we call this wisdom.
Through reasoning, we discern our experiences so that we may acquire knowledge for our next lessons and evolve… and so on and so forth.
The Orixás who reign over the Throne of Knowledge are Oxóssi and Obá.
Oxóssi
Oxóssi is the manifestation of knowledge in the purest form. He is the force that teaches us about ourselves and the world we live in. Constantly radiating the omniscient energy of the One Infinite Creator.
Oxóssi is symbolised by a hunter wielding a bow and arrow. His symbolic arrow is shot in truth and never misses. He hunts, seeks and retrieves knowledge that is brought to us in a sacred way.
He is the Father of Reason and his energies radiate in two ways: one force is what instigates us to go out and hunt for knowledge, and the other force is to share what we know with others.
Oxóssi is also the Guardian of Nature and holds the mysteries of healing and the plant kingdom. His essence is that of vegetation or plants. The energy he radiates is a healing one, affecting and balancing our emotions and minds that leads to healing the body.
Colour: Dark Green
Domain: Woods and Forests
Crystals: Green Quartz, Jade, Emerald
Herbs: Most herbs, Lemon grass, Rue, Basil to name a few
Flowers: Wildflowers
Obá
Mother Obá is the Queen of Truth.
Whereas Oxóssi has expansive energy and works with reason, Obá reigns quietly over Truth. Divine Truth does not depend on your mental capabilities or intelligence, it is much more simple and pure: Those with good intentions, that are pure of heart and maintain strong faith are given knowledge of Truth which leads to peace. Her element is Earth. With her earthy emanations, she nurtures and germinates the seeds of knowledge.
She is seen as a strict and inflexible force, because Truth either is or isn't. There is no middle term and she is the revered force, guarding Truth.
Part of her role is to absorb the unwanted energies sent out by our rational minds that are not in alignment with proper truth.
Colour: Red, Magenta, Gold
Domain: Rivers, troubled and raging waters
Crystals: Hematite, emerald, petrified wood
Herbs: Basil, Rosemary, Mint
Flowers: Jasmine, wildflowers, Red roses
Throne of Justice
Justice is the virtue of merit, entitlement and worthiness.
Everyone gets what they deserve, in one way or another. We all have free will and the consequences of our actions are balanced through Justice.
The best way to begin tuning in with Divine Justice is to serve. Service to others, to family, friends and those in need around you. This brings about a sense of well-being and you become wise and sensible in your actions.
Those who are not in alignment with Justice end up becoming instinctive and reactive. They let their emotions get the better of them and usually tread a selfish path, a constant pursuit of personal gratification and satisfaction, quite often at the cost of others. Funnily enough, these people are the ones who feel wronged or treated unfairly. They become intolerant and spoiled.
By aligning with the frequency of Divine Justice, we learn to transmute our primitive emotions with sense, reason and balance.
The Orixás who reign over the Throne of Justice are Xangô and Egunitá.
Xangô
Xangô reigns over Justice and Balance.
He appears in Nature as balance itself. He’s symbolised with two double-sided axes representing impartiality, fairness and the search for balance. His element is fire and is known as the Flame of Divine Justice.
Those who disregard Justice end up selfish, victimised, persecuted, betrayed, possessive, insecure, immature, and unsatisfied. The truth about justice is that we are all equal and Xangô is the energy which represents that.
Good judgement, transmuting primitive emotions and responding rather than reacting aligns you to Xangô.
Colour: Red, Brown
Domain: Mountains, Quarries
Crystals: Red Jasper, Brown Jasper, Sun Stone
Herbs: Horsetail, St. John’s Wort
Flowers: Red wildflowers, Red roses, Red Carnations
Egunitá
Also known as Mother Oroiná, Egunitá is Purification. Just like Xangô, her element is fire.
Fire is purification, and her energy takes excessive negative emotions and cleanses them in Divine Fire. Emotional addictions and biases prevent us from empathising with others and in turn from serving others. In fact, those who are unbalanced emotionally torment the ones around them.
Egunitá and her crimson flame consume and purify these energies in all areas of life.
Colour: Red, Orange, Gold
Domain: Quarries and paths
Crystals: Fire Agate, Topaz, Orange Calcite
Herbs: Saffron, Cinnamon, Rue, Rosemary
Flowers: Orange/ Red Wildflowers, Begonias, Orange Lilies
Throne of Law
There is Divine Law, order and harmony in the higher realms.
The Higher Law is responsible for direction and order within creation and life in all aspects.
All laws fall into this Higher Law. To be guided on our path of evolution, there needs to be guidelines and they need to be protected and enforced.
The Orixás responsible for this are Ogum and Iansã.
Being virtuous involves being in balance with the Laws and Thrones of creation.
Ogum
Ogum is the Orixá that enforces Divine Law.
If Xangô is the judge, Ogum is the executioner.
He is present in-between duality, holding the line between good and evil, positive and negative, and light and dark.
He goes by many names: Lord of the Paths/ Roads, Lord of Karma, Lord of Demands, Lord of Movement.
His element is wind and is symbolised by having 7 lances, 7 swords and 7 shields.
A divine guardian of right and wrong.
If you’re on a righteous path, he has your back and acts as a protector, breaking any chains or demands that may repress you. If you act outside of what’s right, though, he will be there and let you know you’re off balance.
Ogum, like all Orixás, is omnipresent. He’s always there on the dividing line of light and darkness. Either guarding your back or blocking your path.
Colour: Red, Silver, Dark Blue
Domain: Roads and Paths
Crystals: Garnet, Hematite, Sodalite
Herbs: Snake Plant/ Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, Water Willow
Flowers: Red Carnations, Red Gerbera Daisies
Iansã
The feminine aspect of the Throne of Law, Mother Iansã is the divine quality of Direction.
Her element is Wind and she’s known as The Lady of Wind and Storms. She governs everything related to storms - lightning, hurricanes, torrential rain.
When we lose ourselves on our paths, Iansã is there and operates quickly. Her winds of change have the power to mix things up, clear your path and send you in the right direction.
The effectiveness of her energy can also be subtle. She’s present in the air we breathe. The expression “A breath of fresh air” is fitting, and synonymous with a mental or emotional change in direction. Her element, Wind, is such a powerful force even though we can’t see it, we feel it and can see its effects.
Colour: Yellow, Red
Domain: Storms and Bamboo Groves
Crystals: Citrine
Herbs: Bamboo leaves, Snake plant, Bay
Flowers: Yellow Lilies, Yellow daisies, Yellow Chrysanthemums
Throne Of Evolution
To live is to evolve. There’s no escaping it, some say it's the only reason we’re here.
To grow, to learn, to pass from one stage of life to another, to transform.
As we learn our way through life, we leave behind aspects of our old selves that don't serve us anymore.
Old habits, relationships, ways of thinking… you name it.
To truly move on to the next stage, to evolve, forgiveness is essential. It’s how you show the Universe you’re done with that cycle and don’t need that lesson anymore.
Orixá Obaluaiê and Nanã are the Orixás of Evolution.
Obaluaiê
The Orixá of forgiveness, healing, passage and transformation.
Known as the Lord of Souls, his elements are both Water and Earth. His energy is grounded yet fluid/ mobile, hence Water and Earth.
Obaluaiê is the force responsible for the energetic cord that connects our spirits to our bodies. Also called the Lord of Passage, he takes us from one plane of existence to another. From one dimension to the next. His energy carries a blissful state of well-being and so is related with healing too.
Colour: Lilac, Black and White
Domain: Sacred locations, cemeteries
Crystals: Black Tourmaline, Obsidian, Amethyst
Herbs: Sage, Spanish Moss
Flowers: All white flowers, Sage flowers
Nanã
Nanã is the feminine Orixá of Evolution. Her essence is maturity. She holds wisdom and just like Obaluaiê, her energy is the epitome of calmness. She moves slowly, with grace and serenity.
Being mature doesn’t really have anything to do with age - it’s about wisdom. Expressing yourself calmly, simply, with love, balance and harmony.
Mother Nanã is the loving, wise, old grandmother that has a radiance about her and a brilliance shining through her.
Her energy is known to be “decanting”.
She’s there before we’re born, decanting and diluting our spirit of unnecessary feelings, pains and traumas and wrapping us in a protective blanket of forgetting.
She works with our memory and puts our past experiences to sleep so that they don’t interfere with our current incarnation. She’s also there at the end of life, and that’s why the elderly become quite forgetful.
Colour: Lilac, Violet, Purple
Domain: Lakes, swamps, mangroves, clean bodies of water, cemeteries
Crystals: Amethyst, Ametrine, Rubellite
Herbs: Arnica, Sage, Purple Basil,
Flowers: Orchids, Lilies, Violets, White and Lilac Chrysanthemums
Throne of Generation
The throne of Creation and life itself. To create is to live and to manifest life. All creatures are imbued with this energy, which takes the form of Iemanjá, the Divine Mother of Life and Queen of the Seas.
Iemanjá
Both our planet and our bodies consist mainly of water and Iemanjá is the Orixá who reigns over the life-force of creation. Iemanjá’s point of power in Nature is the Sea. It is vast, full of opportunity and home to the majority of creatures on Earth. Water is life and Iemanjá is the Mother of Life.
She is the embodiment of motherly love, eternally giving and supportive. She nurtures all creatures, just as a mother does, until they reach a certain level of self-awareness and are ready to fly the nest, so to speak. From that point, beings are forever guided by her creative energy.
Colour: Light Blue
Domain: Seas and oceans
Crystals: Pearl, Blue quartz, Blue topaz
Herbs: Seaweed, Lemongrass, star anise
Flowers: White Roses, Orchids, White Chrysanthemums, White Lotus
Omolu
Omolu is the Orixá of Death.
Death is not the end. In fact, it is a part of life.
The truth is, we are eternal.
We move through the illusion of materiality, singing and dancing along the way.
When our time comes to an end in this reality, and our spirit leaves the body, Omolu is there guarding and guiding the process. He’s the keeper of our bodies once we leave them, returning them to the earth.
He then sends our spirit on its way in whichever direction it needs to go.
Omolu is the Guardian of the Umbral, the lower astral planes.
His element is Earth and is known as the Lord of Death or The Angel of Death.
Iemanjá is the giver and provider for creation, the polar opposite of the same Throne is Omolu, wielding the power to stop the generating and creation energies.
Colour: Purple, White, Black and White
Domain: Cemeteries
Crystals: Smoky Quartz, Snowflake Obsidian, Onyx
Herbs: Elder’s shin, Spanish moss, Oregano, Artichoke
Flowers: White roses, White and purple chrysanthemums, Red carnations