Simple Monthly Ceremony to Honor Babalú-Ayé Lucumí

The COVID pandemic rages on. While the indicators suggest that we are all doing better at the basics of masking, hand washing, and physical distancing, people are still falling ill. Many people have asked me about ceremonies and offerings to honor Babalú-Ayé and request protection and healing.

This simple ceremony is what I would call old-school. It is not flashy. It does not require a lot of people or animals. Rather, it is uses simple ingredients that please the oricha, and it focuses on the most important ingredient of all—devotion.

Please note that this offering is primarily for those people who Babalú-Ayé Lucumí and whose pots are not sealed. Arará vessels and those in some Lucumí lineages are sealed at the time of initiation. You can learn more about the different forms of Babalú here.

Go before your Babalú-Ayé and greet him. Say your moyuba to invoke the ancestors and the orichas, and tell him why you have come.

In a basin, mix coconut water, white wine, and a little gin. Sit on a mat or a stool and with the basin, a white plate and your Babalú-Ayé in front of you.

Uncover the oricha and one at a time, carefully pour some of the mixture over each object inside. Then place each object on the white place. Take a bit of cotton and wipe down the inside and outside of the vessel with some of the liquid.

In the bottom of the vessel, place a good deal of toasted corn. Now return each object to the vessel, so it is resting on top of the toasted corn. Once all the objects are back inside, add more toasted corn.

Some people even cover the objects completely! Some people use uncooked black beans instead of toasted corn.

Cover the vessel and return Babalú to his usual resting place. Again, explain why you have done the ceremony. Ask for health and whatever else you may need. Cast obí (coconuts) to ensure that the oricha is pleased with the offering. Light two candles on either side of the oricha.

Traditionally, people do this ceremony every three or four months, but at this precarious time, I would suggest doing every month.

The corn that comes out of the vessel can be used to clean yourself, and then it should go to the cemetery or the hospital.

People with a sealed vessel often place a gourd with roasted corn or black beans and a red onion before the oricha. At the end of a month's time, they replace offering with fresh supplies and clean themselves with the previous offering.

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