Umbanda and the Orishas: Where Spirits and Forces Meet

Umbanda has always been a meeting ground. Born in Brazil, it carries the deep roots of Bantu spirituality, but it does not stand still in the soil of one tradition. Instead, it moves like a river, drawing into itself the currents of Yoruba religion and European spiritualism. This blending is not random, nor is it careless. It is how people make sense of the unseen world. Religion, after all, is not only about gods and spirits. It is also about how communities learn to navigate mystery together.

At the centre of Umbanda stands God, the great creative source. But God is distant, beyond our reach, so the divine power flows into the world through emissaries. These emissaries are the Orishas, who embody the forces of nature and human life. In Umbanda, the Orishas are not worshipped as ends in themselves, but they shape the great linhas — the lines or currents along which the spirits work. The Preto Velhos, the Caboclos, the Baianos, the Gypsies, the Exus — all of them belong to these lines, and through them the divine energy moves.

There are different ways of seeing this relationship. Some say it is the Orishas who give life to the spirits, animating them and lending their power. Others believe the spirits, once they have become entities, choose to walk in harmony with the vibration of a particular Orisha. Either way, the result is a pattern of resonance. The spirits express themselves through qualities that echo their guiding Orisha. A Caboclo who works under Oxóssi may bring healing and clarity, just as the hunter brings food and knowledge from the forest. A Gypsy spirit who moves with Yansã carries the restless wind of travel, always searching for new horizons.

This way of seeing is not unique to Brazil. In Cuba, for example, it is said that Negra Francisca carries the fire of Shango or Sete Rayos. The idea is not that she becomes the Orisha, but that her own spirit path resonates with his lightning and his power. Such connections are part of a wider sensemaking, where humans look for patterns that explain how divine energy moves through the spirits who guide us.

To some, this mixture of influences — Bantu, Yoruba, European — feels unorthodox. They prefer clean boundaries, pure categories, clear lines. But Umbanda has never been about purity. It has always been about crossing roads. Its wisdom lies in showing that different traditions can meet, not in conflict, but in harmony. The Orishas remain vast archetypal forces. The spirits remain individuals who lived, struggled, and learned. And in the space between them, Umbanda finds its voice.

When we step into an Umbanda gira, we are not asked to choose between traditions. We are asked to listen. To hear the rhythm of the drums, to feel the currents of the lines, to welcome the spirits who come in humility, and to honour the Orishas who shine behind them. In that moment, it does not matter whether the Orisha animates the spirit, or the spirit aligns with the Orisha. What matters is that the divine is present, and that we are part of its unfolding.

For those who wish to bring this vibration into everyday life, I wrote Everyday Axé - Daily Rituals, Spirit Work, and the Power of the Orixás. It is a book of small practices and simple rituals to recognise the Orishas and the spirits not only in the terreiro, but in our kitchens, in our streets, and in our dreams. Umbanda does not live only in the temple. It breathes in the way we live each day.