Umbanda - Basic Beliefs and Practices

Basic Beliefs and Practices

The Umbanda creeds and practices are an eclectic mixture from three main sources:

1. from Catholicism, Umbanda adopted the ideas of Supreme and Only One Creator God, The Gospel scriptures, the cult of saints (associated with the Orixás and their icons, some feasts and the practice of charity;
2. Umbanda adopted the creeds in spiritism as a medium to contact the spirits of deceased people, reincarnation and spiritual evolution through many physical existences, the practice of charity;
3. from the African-Brazilian religions, specially the Umbanda rituals practiced mostly in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Bahia, the Umbanda adopted the worship of Orixás, the incantations practices and most of its rituals (songs, dances, foods, beverages, cigar smoking, divination using cowrie shells – "jogo de búzios"). But Umbanda rejected the witchcraft, the colorful costumes and the animal sacrifices allowed in the Candomblé and Quimbanda rituals.

Another important source of creeds and practices are those using the wisdom of the Oriental, esoteric and occultism philosophies (e.g., Tarot cards, David's Star, Johrei – healing using the hands).

The opposite side of the Umbanda, i.e., the practices that intended to cause evil doings, became known as Quimbanda, although most Umbandists consider Candomblé, a religion closer to the African roots, a kind of black witchcraft. Umbanda is juxtaposed with Quimbanda which now reclaims its identity as a separate, more African religion and distinct from both Umbanda and Candomblé.

One hundred years after its establishment, Umbanda is divided itself into several branches with different beliefs, creeds and practices. Some of these newer streams, such as Umbanda d'Angola and Umbanda Jejê, have a body of rituals, ceremonies and philosophies that makes them closer to other African-Brazilian religion Candomblé. The Umbanda Esotérica is heavily influenced by Oriental, esoteric and occultism philosophies.