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THE ASHE

Of course the main purpose of a " Terreiro " is the Cult to Orixás, even so, a parallel activity and of the same importance it is developed, being, even, a consequence of the Cult to Orixás: the ashe manipulation. That " ashe " is the most precious content of the Terreiro. It is the force that assure the existence, that facilitates happening and the future. Everything is (or it should be) impregnated of ashe.

We can classify the ashe as a form of energy and, as all energy, it is cumulative and ransmissible. It is cumulative in certain materials, which will transmit to something or somebody that accumulated energy. All the "sacred" objects, beings and places have its ashe load, which it is increased by the manipulation of the " accumulators ", by the manipulation of the objects impregnated with ashe.

In a Terreiro, all its objects and participants should receive ashe and to accumulate it, to maintain and to increase it.

The ashe as form of energy that is, it can decrease or to increase. It decreases by the constant use of the vital energy of the being or by the transmission of the accumulative object to the individual. It increases in function of the manipulation of objects or carriers beings in favor of another. Let us compare the ashe manipulation with the manipulation of an automobile battery: when acquired, it is " full " with energy and, with the constant use, it should be taken to the recharge to accumulate energy to restore the one that it was worn-out.

The amount of ashe varies in agreement with the element that transmits it. Each element is carrier of a "charge", of an amount of energy, of a power that allows certain manipulations. The ashe is contained in elements of the three nature kingdoms: Animal, Vegetable and Mineral. It is contained in the essential substances of the each one of the beings, lively or not, that compose the world.

Those "ashe carriers" can be grouped in three categories:

- white blood "

- red blood "

- black blood "

NOTE: the term "blood" it is proceeding of the fact of we consider the blood as the main ashe carrier, in reason of its importance for the life, human or animal. All the essential substances are considered "blood".

1. each one of those " bloods " has representations in each kingdom of the Nature. Starting from now, we will refer to the " blood " as ASHE.

Before we enter in the description of those " ashe ", let us see as it is the system of colors inside of the cult of Orixás:

Originally the Yorubá people, that delegated us the Religion of Orixás, possessed a system of colors based on only three basic colors: WHITE, RED and BLACK.

· the WHITE, being an unique color, is only white;

· the RED, is derived in all shades of the red, the coral, the orange, the yellow (in all its shades) and the brown. Then, all material whose color reminds the red, it will be considered of red Axé.

· the BLACK, besides the black color in itself, is composed of all the shades of grey, of blue and of green.

Besides its characteristic colors, the ASHE is subdivided in another three groups:

· ANIMAL

· VEGETAL

· MINERAL

Now, let us see the ASHE, with all its components.

1. WHITE ASHE

1.1. Animal white ashe

The animal white ashe comprehend:

· The breath

· The bones (whole or reduced to powder), teeth, ivory

· The white plasm of certain mollusks (igbin)

· The milk and other secretions white animals (semen, salivates etc.)

· Pearl and other concretions that are formed in the organism of certain animals

· white Chorales

2. Vegetable white ashe

The vegetable white ashe comprehend:

· white powders of vegetable origin (sawdust, grinding of seeds, rice starch, corn starch etc.

· white juice of leaves, fruits and seeds

· white saps and white resins (rubber, latex etc.)

· " milk " of certain plants

· white grains of all species (rice, bean, corn etc.)

· tubercles and white fruits (turnip)

· alcohol and other white drinks

· the " vegetable butter "

1.3. Mineral white ashe

· All the white metals (silver, platinum, lead, aluminum etc.)

· All the white minerals, in stone or powdered (calcareous, talc, plaster, marble, white clay etc.)

· mineral salts

2. RED ASHE

2.1. Animal red ashe

· blood

· menses blood

2.2. Vegetable red ashe

· palm oil (epo pupa, in Yorubá)

· osun (vegetable red powder)

· honey (considered the flowers’ "blood")

· red saps and red resins

2.2. Mineral red ashe

· red and yellow Metals (copper, gold, brass etc.)

· all the red minerals, in stone or powdered (clay etc.)

3. BLACK ASHE

3.1. Animal black ashe

- animals ashes

3.2. Vegetable black ashe

- certain plants juice

· Powders of black peels and black wood

· black seeds

· black saps and black resins

· vegetable Coal

3.3. Mineral black ashe

· black metals (iron, tin etc.)

· mineral coal

· black mineral Powders

All the religious acts of a Terreiro have for objective the transmission or ashe revitalization,, of object for another object, of object to a being, of being to another. The correct combination among the elements should provide the quantity of ashe that the being or the object need for to be recharged.

We can use certain materials as " ashe accumulators ". Those " accumulators " will supply us when we need. Those materials include the "assentamentos" (establishments) or " ojubó ", the " guias " or " necklaces" of Orixás and Spiritual Entities, the sacred objects of the Terreiro (Adja, Obé, Obé Fari etc.). The " patuás ", talismen and amulets are also ashe accumulators.

The "assentamentos" (establishments) or " ojubó ", are composed of materials that accumulate the ashe of certain Orixá or Spiritual Entity. It is through the offering and of the manipulation of ashe carriers materials that we recharged the " establishment ", of times in times, covering like this the continuous waste. That is one of the reasons because we make the " osé ", the weekly cleaning of the ojubó. It is interesting to notice that the quality (type) of ashe it varies of material for material.

The " guias " or "necklaces", besides represent the subordination of the omorixás to their Orixás, it also serve as ashe carriers, needing to be recharged with larger frequency than the "assentamentos" (establishments). That is due to the fact of many omorixás constantly use their guias/necklaces, when actually they should stay close to the ojubó, only leaving that position for to be used in the ceremonies of the Terreiro. The patuás, talismen and amulets are tiny " assentamentos/establishments " that are destined to the individual use of the omorixá. They are objects of complicated production and anything similar to some of those that are sold in the stores of goods of Umbanda and Candomblé.

The sacred objects of the Terreiro are, as says above, the adja (the ritualistic bell), the obé (the sacrificial knife), the obé fari (the ritualistic razor). Besides those, we have the called "ferramentas" (tools) of Orixás, such as: Xaxará, Ibíri, Abebé, Iruquere, Ofá and others. The tools of Orixás are part of their ojubó.

To receive ashe means to acquire the symbolic elements that represent the vital and essential beginnings of everything that exists, that is to say, the energy contained in them. In a word, the ashe manipulation facilitates the reequilíbrio of the positive and negative energy. As everybody knows, all the things are composed of positive and negative energy. The accumulation of negative energy will provoke in the individual several symptoms and diseases, which will be healed with the ashe acquisition or, we can say, positive energy.

It is necessary to elucidate that it is not enough to join several materials that contain ashe. It is necessary that the group of materials be harmonic and that it combine to each other, because the quality of the ashe varies according to Orixá. In that way, if we go, for example, to manipulate the ashe of Ogun, we cannot include among the materials something that transmits the ashe of another Orixá. In case that happens, several effects can happen, from the inefficiency of the manipulation of the ashe (annulment) until the shock of energy (ashe), with negative effects for who is manipulating it.

Then, we should leave of the maxim: each thing with its similar. Even so, as every rule has exception, in case of an extreme need, we can use the characteristic ashe of Obatalá (Oxalá) for help somebody. We can also use it when we don't know who is the Eledá (personal Orixá) of the person for who we will manipulate ashe.

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