In this
article I will try to answer some questions concerning Quimbanda that surfaces with
frequency. Questions concerning how to work this cult solitary and somehow
dislocated from the cultural climate of understanding here in Brazil are
frequently asked as are questions concerning the magical tools, such as guias,
patuás and statues, available to the general public.
I want to be
initiated in Quimbanda, how do I proceed with that? When we speak
of initiation in the perspective of Quimbanda we are speaking of a true and
intense merging with spirit that involves a pact/agreement, a spirit vessel
(assentamento), ordeal and oath. There are elements used in this process that
are common to every house/terreiro/cabula/lineage of Quimbanda that reveals a
common origin. There are different varieties of Quimbanda in Brazil, and the
expression of the common root, will always depend of the constellation of
spirits we find in the tronco. In other words, a ‘Casa de Exu’ that is
dominated by Exu Mor…