Eleggúa Orisha 7 Day Glass Candle

He Is the First. He Is the Last. He Is the One Without Whom Nothing Moves.

Every ceremony in the Lucumí tradition begins the same way: with Eleggúa. Before any other Orisha is greeted, before any working is begun, before any prayer is spoken to any other force in the tradition Eleggúa is called first. Not because he is the most powerful in the way that Changó is powerful or the most ancient in the way that Obatalá is ancient. Because he is the one who controls whether anything happens at all. He opens the roads. He closes the roads. He stands at every door, every crossroads, every beginning and every end, and nothing, no prayer, no working, no ceremony, no opportunity, no forward movement in any directioN passes without his permission.

He is the child and the ancient at the same time. He appears as a small boy with a hooked staff and a mischievous smile, and he appears as a wizened old man who has been standing at the crossroads since before the world was fully made. He is the trickster, unpredictable, playful, capable of extraordinary generosity and equally capable of closing every road in your life if you have neglected him or disrespected him or simply forgotten that he was there. He does not forget. He is always there. He is behind your front door right now, watching who comes in and who goes out, deciding which roads stay open and which ones quietly close.

His name has many forms across the diaspora: Eleggúa in Cuba, Exu in Brazil, Legba in Haiti and in the Vodou tradition, Eshu in the Yoruba homeland. Across all of these traditions, the essential truth is the same: he is the messenger, the opener, the one who stands between the human world and the divine world and decides what passes between them. He carries your prayers to the Orishas. He carries the Orishas’ responses back to you. Without him, the communication does not happen. Without him, the roads do not open. Without him, nothing begins.

His Catholic face varies by house — the Holy Child of Atocha, Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Martin of Tours. His number is three. His colors are red and black. His day is Monday. His sacred implement is the garabato — the hooked staff that opens the way. His offerings are rum, cigars, candy, and smoked fish. He loves sweets, he loves to be made to laugh, he loves the offerings of a child because he is, in part, always a child.

The Eleggúa Orisha 7 Day Glass Candle carries his road-opening, door-unlocking, crossroads-commanding energy through seven full days of burning.

Eleggúa’s Domains

• Opening roads and removing obstacles — his supreme function; petitioned to open the roads of opportunity, luck, and forward movement
• Crossroads and decisions — petitioned when a major decision must be made and the right road must be chosen
• Beginnings and new ventures — the Orisha of all beginnings; honored first before any new undertaking
• Communication and messages — the messenger between humans and Orishas; petitioned for the right words to reach the right person
• Luck and the unexpected opportunity — the trickster; petitioned for good luck and the fortunate turn of events
• Travelers and those in transition — guardian of the roads; petitioned for safe travel and protection through change
• Protection of the home — as one of Los Guerreros, placed behind the front door to guard all who enter and leave
• Children and the childlike spirit — petitioned for the protection of children and the restoration of joy and playfulness

How to Work This Candle

Honor Eleggúa first — always first. If you are working with other Orishas, light this candle before you light any other. Greet him before you ask for anything. He notices who remembers him and who does not, and he responds accordingly. Write your petition naming what road you need opened, what obstacle you need removed, what crossroads you are standing at and which direction you need to move. Be specific, but also be playful — Eleggúa responds to humor and lightness as much as to sincerity. Place the petition beneath the candle. Dress the top of the glass with Eleggúa oil or Road Opener oil — one of the most essential condition oils in the tradition, specifically formulated to clear the path and open what has been closed. Place candy beside the candle — he loves sweets, and a small offering of candy honors the child in him. Pour a splash of rum and light a cigar beside him if you work that way. His colors are red and black; dress his space in those colors. His number is three. Light the candle on a Monday, his day. Greet him: Laroyé Eleggúa! Ago ile! Make way. The road opener is here. Ask him to open yours.

Each candle is approximately 8 inches tall and burns for up to 7 days.