RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SPIRITUAL GUIDE

It is a precious mission in Mother Erth to be able to open the channel and receive instructions from the Axé frequencies of a Umbanda Spiritual Guide. They are real people who navigate deeply into the ocean of human suffering and have achieved a great clarification to shine the light as phalanx of Spiritual Guides vibrating the Axé energy of the great Orishas.

It is important to note that the Spiritual Guides don’t enter the physical body of the Umbanda medium practitioner. They are pure Axé vibration that connect with the energetic field of the practitioner like an immaterial vest. There are different levels of Umbanda mediumship. The deepest level is denominated incorporation. It happens when the Spiritual Guide takes completely the consciousness of the medium.

The Axé energy is what makes the body of the Umbanda mediums vibrate. If the body makes an involuntary movement, it doesn’t necessarily means that they are incorporating a Spiritual Guide. It means that one is vibrating the Axé energy coming from a specific Spiritual Guide or Orisha.

In the modern times, the most common type of mediumship that happens is called irradiation. It consists in a consciousness communication between the Umbanda medium practitioner and the Spiritual Guide. The practitioner ritualistically taps into the invisible layers of the astral realm to deliver the Spiritual Guide’s message to the participant of the attendance. The Spiritual Guide can irradiate their message in a quiet way. Most of the time, there is no need to perform intense movements.

The message is received through the meta-senses that could be accessed at the third eye Ajna chakra. The practitioner can concentrate in their own forehead to tap into the invisible layers of the astral realm and amplify the perception of hearing sounds and messages, smells, amplify feeling, have visions, tastes or a synesthesia blend of the meta-senses. It is basic like hearing messages through the third eye. The ability to focus in the meta-senses also increases extra sense perception such as dream's messages, premonition, telepathy, intuition and energetic protection.

CREATING A SACRED SPACE

The Umbanda Spiritual Guide requires a space anchored with Axé energy in order to offer a potent spiritual attendance. For this reason, it is recommended to always choose to offer an Axé Spiritual Attendance inside of the Terreiro or in a space magnetized by the Axé of a Gira ritual.

The Umbanda practitioner must be attentive to the Umbanda ritualistic elements  there are called Fundaments. The Axé Spiritual Attendance must be hold according the Fundaments in order to respect the divine presence of the Spiritual Guides as such:

1. Safe space: always guarantee that the participant has a safe space to be accommodated physically and emotionally during the attendance.

2. Dressing code: the practitioners should wear white clothes, showers covered, woman preferential long skirts, man paints, nothing transparent, tight or low-cut.

3. Smudging: it is absolutely important to smudge the place and the person in order to clean the energetic field before the attendance.

4. Firmeza with prayed candle and silent connection: the practitioner must spend some quiet time respectfully calling the presence of the Spiritual Guide. It is important to anchor Axé by making a Firmeza as lighting a candle and always praying over the flame to open and close. Firmeza* is the ritualistic practice of anchoring Axé

5. Herbs and sacred objects: it is necessary to use herbs and water to work with the energetic bodies of the receipt, as well as sacred objects like Guia necklace, special head cover, Alah attendance cloth, feathers, symbols or any sacred object chosen by the Spiritual Guide. Those elements help move energy and protect the practitioner.

6. Energy output: it is always important to establish a place to direct the dense energies that has been cleaned from the attendance. You can direct to the candle, fire or a Saint Michael 7 Star Portal.

7. Free donation: the Axé Spiritual Attendance is a free spiritual service to support our sisters and brothers. Any donation has to be spontaneous.

*The word Firmeza inside of an Umbanda context means a mix of: firmness, anchor, stability, and alignment. It can be use as a verb: anytime you firm (or anchor) a candle or an Altar you will make a prayer.

TERREIRO'S SET UP

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PARTICIPANT

The Umbanda medium practitioner always welcomes people for an Axé Spiritual Attendance from “all ethnicity, race, roots, genders, marital status, economic class, age, disability, authentic orientation and beliefs guided by the exclusive practice of love and compassion towards Life”. It is in accordance with the Somatree Unity Statement of Beliefs.

It is important to understand that the practitioners will be sharing the Axé energy vibrating from: (1) the Spiritual Guide and (2) the space, as well as the vibration of (3) the participant. The practitioner will tap into the person’s energetic field which can bring Axé energy from a specific Orisha relate to the person, also their own Spiritual Guides.

Anytime the medium practitioner access the energetic field of a person it is necessary to respectfully ask energetic permeation. It is also necessary for the medium practitioner to open the channel as an empty vessel bringing their own emotions and the mind to a positive state.

The attendance will be performed by magnetizing the energetic field with Axé energy all around the person, including front, back and both sides. The energetic field of a person embraces the whole body in a distance of 3 feet wide measured from the skin and has different layers of different energetic bodies that requires specific ways to approuch:

• Physical body: activated by touching;

• Emotional immaterial body: activated by breath work. It is related to the Mother Orisha;

• Mind immaterial body: activated by sound, chants, prayers and good affirmations. The conscious part is related to the Father Orisha and unconscious part to the Guardian Orisha;

• Spiritual immaterial body: activated by herbs and silence. It is related to the Ancestral Orisha.

AXÉ SPIRITUAL ATTENDANCE

It happens with the alignment between the Spiritual Guide and the Umbanda medium practitioner intuitions.

The medium practitioner will familiarize with the following attendance steps:

(1) ENERGETIC INTRODUCTION

It is important to receive all people with a kind smile and look at their eyes in order to establish a safe energetic connection, as well as read their mood and energy.

The practitioner can offer a brief smudging or using an herbal spray as an introduction as the participant's energy settles in.

(2) ENERGETIC CLEANSING

Next step is to tap into the person’s field to remove any disturbing elements out of the way in order to open the connection between the practitioner and the participant. The practitioner is welcome to use a sacred instrument, herbs, specific smudging, tobacco, chant, ask a specific Umbanda song for the musicians, or anything with a specific intention of cleansing.

(3) DIALOGUE

The practitioner can choose to ask if the person has either a specific question or any particular sector of their life they intend to work with in this attendance, as well as if they want just to share something. The practitioner does not necessarily need to open a dialogue, only if they intuitively feel it.

The practitioner can make a complementary use of a reading deck, pendulum, stones or whatever could be helpful to amplify the intuition to answer the participant's prayer.

The intuitive advice is a direction, not the final truth. The practitioner should never answer questions yes or no because the final decision always needs to be decided by the person. You can suggest some advice on both paths, but never tell people to make a decision. For instance, if the participant is in doubt about leaving the job or ending their marriage, the practitioner will not make a statement towards what decision needs to be made.

Also, the practitioner must be very careful to always bring genuine positive affirmations if the intuition brings a challenge message to the person. For instance, if you feel someone is sick, advise them to find a heath provider instead of pointing out that they might have a severe condition.

(4) ENERGETIC FORTIFICATION

The attendance continues with Axé vibrations towards good affirmations as healing, protection, open paths, abundance, love, etc.

The practitioner is welcome to use a sacred instrument, herbs, specific smudging, tobacco, chant, ask a specific Umbanda song for the musicians, or anything with a specific intention of align and fortify the energetic field of the person with lots of Axé.

The process can be closed with a recommendation for the participant such as an Axé shower with specific herbs according to Somatree herb’s list. Also, could be recommended a visit to an Orisha's power place as a waterfall, cemetery, temple, etc. Anything that the intuition leads in connection with the Spiritual Guide.

It is necessary to always fortify the participant energetic and be with them until they ground themselves.

You can give a Axé hug by touching the left to left chowder and the right to right chowder.

SELF-COMMUNION: PROTECTION, PREPARATION & INTEGRATION

The most important protection for an Umbanda medium practitioner is to be part of a trustful Terreiro with ethical mentors and a Mãe or Pai de Santo (Priest) anchored deeply into the Axé energy current.

The next fundamental protection for one who vibrates Axé energy is the balance between all physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies.

..The physical body requires exercise, good diet, and advice of a healthcare provider.

..The immaterial emotional body loves breath work, harmonious relationships, joy and quiet moments allowing the internal feelings to express themselves to us.

..The immaterial mental body responds to meditation, chants, sounds, prayers and daily good affirmations. The unconscious side is clarified by dreams, expanding practices, and deep mental cleansing.

..The immaterial spiritual body is orchestrated by rituals and spiritual wisdom such as the Umbanda Fundaments.

SELF-COMMUNION

All these elements together are combined into the practice of self-communion. The Umbanda medium practitioner will orchestrate ritualistic elements of self-communion around the time of an Axé Spiritual Attendance in the divine collaboration of the self, high level spirits and the Axé frequency of goodness.

The disturbing energies of obsessors beings or wrong doing spirits only affect one that leaves open doors and windows, as well as one who gives permission for those to enter, even in an unconscious way. They are attracted by frequency. For instance, the energy of sadness will enter the door of sad memories of the practitioner, sometimes hidden in shadowy parts of the energetic bodies. For this reason, self-communication is absolutely important.

A recap of the Fundaments ritualistic practices to anchor Axé you have learned at the beginning of the Axé Boat Mentorship is a powerful guidance for preparation and integration. The Spiritual Guides vibrates the Axé energy of your Mother, Father, Guardian, and Ancestor Orishas. It is important keeping a practice of making the specific offerings at least once a year and anchoring the Axé in Firmezas with candles and prayers at the Altars, specially Central Altar and Guardian Altar. Also, wear instruments magnetized by Axé as the Guia necklace and connect with the Axé of the plant kingdom making herbal showers and smudging according of the Axé herbal list.

DISCIPLINE

One more Fundament that complements the self-communion is called discipline. The one who works with energy sometimes needs to be isolated from places or activities that could increase vulnerability. The most traditional Umbanda discipline is to abstain from; red meat, alcohol and sexual activities 12-hours before an Axé Spiritual Attendance. For an energetic understanding, those activities put up smells in the sacred space that attracted disturbing energies when the practitioner opens up the channel . It is highly recommended to follow the discipline beforehand.

The practitioner can choose other elements to integrate into the discipline and make the practice be part of the daily life. For example, the practitioner can choose a period of time such as the 40-day Lent period to practice discipline and stay away from something that has been craved like sugar or caffeine.

ESHU PROTECTION

The next energetic powerful protection level is to be in alignment with the Guardian Orisha Eshu. The main strenght of the Left Line is the ability to (1) work deeper with dense energy and (2) vibrations coming from the lower chakras, as well as (3) the expertise of absorbing negative energy. This is why an Umbanda practitioner have to always connect with Guardian Eshu Altar in order to release dense energy to be drained to Earth. This is a powerful place that needs to be anchored at home. This is why the practitioner that works deeply with the Left Line must liberate energy constantly.

The other Umbanda Lines escort the energy by irradiating Axé and move the disturbing energies away, not absorbing like the Left Line. This is why it is important to have an energetic output in the space.

Remember: bad spells, psychic attacks, or energetic ties are NOT Umbanda practices and don't belong of any of the 7 Umbanda Lines. A healthy Umbanda practice is the ability to 100% be in service of goodness guided by a Terreiro with a graceful Axé practice.  Axé !!!!!!!