English Version

Sentinel Light - The English Version

Subject Index

1 - Introduction

2 - Umbanda - Learn about Brazilian Religion

3 - The Orishas

4 - Guides in Umbanda - Divine Messengers

1 - Introduction

Do you believe without see? It's called Faith!

"Faith is like the flame of a candle in the darkness to guide us through dark paths before, so Faith acts illuminating the darkness around us and it can not see its existence, we believe it is present in our lives." by Beto De Gaspari

I decided to make an English version of some posted in this blog, I apologize if some translations submit errors, accept any help message to correct the translations that are experiencing errors. 

You can read these messages in marker "In English". 

Thank you! 

The inspiration to begin writing "Blog Sentinel of Light" came from a person who was very important to me that my life has changed me and made me regain my faith 

Also in appreciation, this blog is dedicated to Cabocla Jurema, thank you for your help and protection, and to all entities and Orishas Umbanda I recognize for their protection. 

Save Umbanda! 

Save Oxala! 

Exê Uêpe Babá!

2 - Umbanda - Learn about Brazilian Religion

Umbanda is a religion formed within the Brazilian religious culture that syncretizes several elements, including other religions like the Catholic, spiritualist and african-brazilian religions.

The word derives from m'banda, which quimbundo means "priest" or "healer". The concepts reported here may differ on some topics because it is a generalist and encyclopedic vision. Because it is a religious complex with multiple branches, the information presented here seek to inform in the most comprehensive manner and without discrimination.

The Origin of Umbanda

The roots of Umbanda are diffuse. According to Umbanda, it was created in 1908 by Medium Zélio Fernandino de Moraes, under the influence of the Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas.

At this time, there was no religious freedom. All religions pointing similarities with afros rituals were persecuted, destroyed the "Terreiros" and prisoners practitioners.

In 1945, Jose Alvares Pessoa, head of one of seven houses originally founded by Umbanda Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas, obtained from the National Congress to legalize the practice of Umbanda.

The Funadamentals of Umbanda

The fundamentals of Umbanda vary according to the present practice . There are some basic concepts that are found in most homes and can thus , with some caveat and caution, be generalized to all forms of Umbanda . They are:

• The existence of a universal creative source , a supreme God called Olorun . Some of the entities , when incorporated , may name it differently, eg for Zambi for "Pretos-velho", Tupã for "Caboclos", among others , but they are all the same God ;

• Obeying basic teachings of human values , such as brotherhood , charity and respect for others . Being a top charity found in all existing events;

• The Orisha worship as divine manifestations (some call a cult of Umbanda white , this however does not worship the deities , being solely dedicated to the cult Caboclos, Pretos-velho and Erês ) , in which each Orisha controls and merges with an element of nature of the planet itself or the human personality , their needs and structures of life and survival;

• The manifestation of the Guides to exercise spiritual work embedded in their mediums or " apparatus " ;

• The mediumship as a means of contact between the physical and spiritual world, manifested in different forms ;

• A doctrine , a rule , a moral and spiritual conduct that is followed in each house varied and differentiated way , but exists to guide the work of each yard ;

• The belief in the immortality of the soul ;

• The belief in reincarnation and the karmic laws .

Religious Syncrentism

Umbanda is an amalgamation of African elements (deities and ancestor worship), Indian (ancestor worship and elements of nature), Catholicism (the European who brought Christianity and his saints who were syncretized by African), Spiritualism (pleas spiritualist, reincarnation, the law of karma, spiritual progress etc).

Umbanda preaches peaceful existence and respect for human beings, nature and God. Respecting all manifestations of faith, independent of religion. Because of its roots, Umbanda has a highly pluralistic character, understands the diversity and values differences. There is no dogma or liturgy universally adopted among practitioners, which allows a wide freedom of belief and expression of several valid forms of worship.

The maximum within Umbanda is "Give grace, which have received grace: with love, humility, charity and faith."

3 - The Orishas

God in Nature, The forces of the Supreme Existence.

Observe in nature in all its splendor, its various manifestations, men of all ages have felt the presence of a wonderful "Vital Energy and Powerful." 

Also always been aware of the existence of a Higher Intelligence Developer - God! Why not seek, honor, respect and even reverence, every one of your creations?

Umbanda is a monotheistic religion with one God and that is Almighty Hopefully, the Orishas are not considered gods, not being a polytheistic idea valid, Orisha is vibration, energy, magnetism and vibratory force, so for this reason , referring to the Orishas using the term "Vibration". 

Umbanda there syncretism, which is the correlation between the vibration of the Orisha and the Saints of Catholic Religion. This correspondence varies somewhat, there are some differences between practiced in Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Pernambuco; so that afimamos important is vibration, not its syncretism. More important, the correct way of drawing the various vibes.

There are totally 21 Vibrations, among which is the incluen Oxala, Ogun, Shango Pure, Shango of the East, Oxóssi, Omulu, Yemanja, Oshun, Iansã, Ossaim, Nana and Oxumarê, which are the vibrations of the Orishas. Orisha is not a saint. Orisha was not a person. never lived, never incarnated, never came to Earth. 

But, as every rule has an exception, Umbanda there is a special case, which is Oxalá. The main Orisha. God almighty, what appears syncretized with Our Lord Jesus Christ, given to his divine psychic potential.

4 - Guides in Umbanda - Divine Messengers

Fellows and Advisors Astral, they keep us, protect and intuim. Help us to better we go through our own evolutionary journey. How good it would be, if we can feel, hear and understand our online without negative interference of our worldly interests.

Entity is the name given to all the spirits who are in a band of astral vibration, good for work in Umbanda. As your level of spiritual evolution, these spirits are taken to be part of a Phalanx (grouping of spirits) in order to act, learn and evolve spiritually.

There they remain to be back for a reincarnation or progress towards a higher spiritual plane. Phalanx is a grouping of more than 400 thousand spirits, which act in a certain spiritual level, ie, in a certain range of vibration.

There are entities High, Regular, and Low, vibratory track, so they are divided into several groups: Mestizos, Blacks-Old, Exus, pombagiras, Ibeijadas and other entities that act in different ways. Each phalanx is called your boss and every spirit within this phalanx, goes by the same name.

When a medium works with a particular entity, it does not work with a single spirit. What happens is that all the spirits that constitute that particular phalanx, have a unique tonic vibration with which penetrate the vibratory rate of the medium at the rate of one per second, thus keeping the line during the entire period that lasts communication. In other words, the spirits do not work in isolation, but "phalanx", all in a single vibration.

Although it is not very common, it is possible to happen that same spirit, although one vibration, come in several phalanges, with different names, according to their spiritual mission. A spirit of degree of evolution can unfold in vibration, increasing or decreasing, obviously within a certain predetermined limit. Thus, this entity can present herein a track, sometimes in another. For example: If she normally acts in the line of the East, an offshoot of vibration can present himself as a hillbilly, also retaining its essential characteristics.

Is also necessary to understand is the difference between earthly hierarchy and spiritual evolution. Some people think that the hierarchical position of an entity corresponds to its position in the previous physical life. This is not true because the phalanges are not grouped according to races and customs of earthly life, but according to the degree of spiritual evolution and vibratory affinity. Thus, a spirit can be presented, for example, as an Indian, just to have a better access to a medium and its consultants.