Obatalá Orisha 7 Day Glass Candle

The Father of the Orishas. The Sculptor of the Human Form. The King of the White Cloth.

In the beginning, before the world was fully made, Olodumare gave Obatalá the task of shaping human bodies from clay. He worked carefully, deliberately, with the patience of the eldest and the precision of the divine craftsman. Every human body that has ever existed was shaped by his hands. He is not just the father of the Orishas. He is, in the most literal sense the tradition knows, the father of humanity itself.

He is the oldest. He is the most elevated. He is the Orisha whose energy is closest to the divine source, whose white cloth represents not the absence of color but the presence of all colors at once the totality of light, the fullness of purity, the peace that exists before and after everything else. When the other Orishas are in conflict, Obatalá speaks and they are still. His authority is not the thunder of Changó or the iron of Ogún it is the absolute, unquestionable authority of the elder who has been here longer than anyone else and who has seen everything that has ever happened.

He owns the head. In the Lucumí tradition, the orí  the personal head, the seat of individual destiny and consciousness belongs to Obatalá. Every human being, regardless of which Orisha rules their head, has Obatalá as the owner of the physical head itself. He is petitioned for the mind, for clarity, for the restoration of mental peace, for the healing of conditions that affect the head and the brain. He is the special patron of those born with physical disabilities and differences because it is said that when Obatalá was drinking palm wine while he worked, the bodies he shaped were imperfect, and he claimed those children as his own, as his most beloved devotees, as the ones who carry his mark.

His Catholic face in the Lucumí tradition is Our Lady of Mercy — Las Mercedes — whose feast day is September 24th. His number is eight. His color is white, only white, always white, nothing else on his altar. His day is Sunday. He does not accept alcohol of any kind, ever.

The Obatalá Orisha 7 Day Glass Candle carries his ancient, pure, peaceable, and profoundly elevated energy through seven full days of burning.

Obatalá’s Domains

• Purity and spiritual cleansing — white light, white cloth; petitioned for the removal of spiritual impurity and the restoration of clarity
• Creation and the human form — the sculptor of bodies; petitioned for those with physical disabilities, birth conditions, and matters of the body
• Peace and calm — the Orisha of stillness; petitioned when conflict needs to end and peace needs to be restored
• Wisdom and clarity of mind — the eldest Orisha; petitioned for clear thinking, wise counsel, and the resolution of confusion
• The head and mental health — owner of the orí; petitioned for mental clarity, peace of mind, and the healing of conditions affecting the head
• Justice and moral authority — the judge of the Orishas; his justice is slow, certain, and absolute
• Disabilities and those who are differently abled — his most beloved devotees; their special patron and protector
• Elders and the wisdom of age — petitioned for the blessing of elders and for the grace of wisdom

How to Work This Candle

Approach Obatalá with the purity and stillness his presence requires. Before lighting this candle, bathe or wash your hands. Dress in white if you are able even a white cloth laid over your shoulders honors him. His altar must be white: white cloth, white flowers, white offerings. His offerings are white foods; coconut, white rice, meringue, cascarilla, cotton and he accepts no alcohol of any kind, ever. This is not optional. If you have been drinking, do not approach him that day. If you work with other Orishas who accept rum, keep those offerings separate and away from his space. Dress the top of the glass with Obatalá oil or a pure, clean oil — white copal, sandalwood, or a cool, clear blend that carries his stillness. His number is eight; eight of anything placed on his altar honors him. Write your petition with clarity and without anger. Obatalá does not respond well to heated, aggressive energy. Come to him with the calm of someone who trusts the elder completely. Light the candle on a Sunday, his day, if possible. Greet him: Maferefun Obatalá! Oba fun fun! Praise to Obatalá, the white king. He has been here since the beginning. He will hear you.

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