Meet the 7 Rays: What Are They For, Signature, Work, and Pledge – Saints of Yoruba Santeria and Palo Monte

All About the 7 Rays: Learn the Correct Way to Greet, What Clothes to Wear, Characteristics of Children, and What They Are Used For.

In Santeria, there are many deities known for helping others, such as Elegguá, Oshún, Oggún, and many more. Thanks to their incredible strength and power, they grant people’s prayers and even provide protection.

But there is one that plays an important role in Santeria and Palo Mayombe: 7 Rays. If you’re not familiar with this name or just read about it today, be sure to read this article.

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Who is 7 Rayos in Santería?

In Santería, this is a deity from African history and is often directly associated with Shango, as both represent the lightning and thunder of humanity.

He is the guardian and protector of relationships between humans and is venerated when conflicts associated with love ties arise. He is a deity who greatly protects his children and prevents negative things from happening to them at all costs, and devotees pray to him.

According to belief, he possesses these qualities and powers because he perfectly symbolizes lightning. He enjoys receiving offerings such as liquor, fruits and vegetables, and animals such as goats.

Who is 7 Rayos in Palo Mayombe?

When using Palo Mayombe, the belief in the veneration of ancestors, spirits, and natural spirits is applied, as natural objects are considered to possess powers due to their connection to spirits. To perform this practice, the following is required:

Intervention of the oricha or deceased: This is also known as mpungo, eggun, or nfumbi. If the oricha’s approval is not obtained, no action may be taken. Doing so risks severe punishment.
Authorization: This is an ethical principle to avoid any inconvenience.
Harm-free petitions: It is not permitted to harm another person on a whim because the saint tires of such acts and there is no way to fix them.
Name: The person’s name is required to carry out the process, but not any clothing or body parts such as nails or hair. However, if the name is not available, those items must be used.

How do you greet it?

Saints and deities in the Palería must be greeted before the work to be done begins. In the case of the 7 Rays, it is as follows:

You must ask the deity for permission.
Once it is granted, you must ask the foundation for permission.
You must give the name of the tata, that is, the godfather, to begin the work.

What is the purpose of the 7-ray stone?

Many wonder why it would be necessary to call upon this deity or how it can help them. The truth is that the 7 Rays can provide support in different situations, such as those mentioned here:

Protection: It helps you stay safe at all times and against any enemy thanks to its power. For this, there are different chants and prayers.
Love: Since it is very loving, it can help you succeed in your current or future love relationship.
Work: Whether it’s a place where you currently work or in the future, it provides you with the best support.

How to work with 7 Rays?

If you wish for 7 Rays to perform any spiritual cleansing, financial advancement, or domination, you must have the following items to begin:

Clay or earthenware pot.
Twenty-one ray stones: this is for the purpose of increasing powers.
Six round or oblong stones from a mountaintop.
21 quartz crystals.
6 pieces of gold and silver.
36 foreign coins.
Soil from 7 soldiers’ graves.
Soil from 7 mountains.
Soil from the riverbank and ocean.
Soil from 7 banks, 7 churches, 7 crossings, 7 prisons, 7 police stations, 7 courts, 7 gates, and 1 forest.
6 poisonous snakes.
7 bats.
Wooden implements of the Orixa Chango.
21 heads, 21 wings, and 21 legs of flying birds.
1 gallon of ocean water.
1 gallon of river water.
1/4 gallon of May rainwater.
12 ounces of pomegranate juice.
6 coconuts.
6 grains of paradise.
Human bones from the right and left hands of a man.
Human bones from the right and left feet of a man.
Human bones from the right and left arms of a man.
Human bones from the right and left legs of a man.
Human skull of a man.
21 sticks, 21 inches each.
6 fresh sacred Orixa Chango herbs.
1 pound of powdered palm leaves.
1 pound of powdered ceiba leaves from a tree.

In addition to all the items mentioned above, the following live animals are required for the kit to be complete:

1 camero.
2 water turtles.
6 cats.
Red paint.
Rum.

How do I assemble it?

To assemble this, you must keep in mind that it’s being done on a mountain, otherwise it won’t work. The steps are:

In a large bucket, prepare an omiero using 6 sacred herbs of Orixa Chango, 6 grains of paradise, ocean water, river water, May rainwater, pomegranate juice, and the milk of 6 coconuts.
After preparing the omiero, place the 21 lightning stones, the 6 round mountain stones, quartz crystals, foreign coins, gold, and silver pieces in the omiero you made and let it sit for 24 hours.
Light a large red candle for 7 days next to the bucket.
Paint the 7-Ray symbol with red paint on the inside of the clay bowl and seal it with molten virgin wax.
When it’s dry, wash the inside and outside of the pot with a little omiero.
Take a little rum and sprinkle it into the bowl.
Light a cigar and blow the smoke directly into the bowl.
Add mercury to the bottom of the bowl.
Mix all the dirt, powdered sticks, powdered ceiba, powdered palm leaves, and the red precipitate, and mix everything well.
Add a little omiero to the soil mixture and mix until it forms a paste. Then, place it an inch above the pot.
On top of this, place the 6 stones in the center and the 21 lightning stones around them. Place the crystals around them as well, and place another layer of soil on top.
Place all the gold coins, then another layer of soil.
Add all the human bones inside and place another layer of soil.
Place the bats and another layer of soil.
Place each part of the bird of prey along with another layer of soil.
Add the poisonous snakes, and if they are flexible, coil them in different striking positions.
Place the remaining soil on top, with the skull in the center.
Hammer each of the sticks and the lungowa into a circle in the soil around the edges of the pot.
Place the empaka and the caña brava in the pot.
After this nganga is fully assembled, you must sing several mambos to the 7 Rays and the spirits.
You must bury this nganga in a large hole on a high mountaintop or at the base of a palm tree for 21 days.
As the days pass, you must unearth it and feed the spirit with the animals. The order should be: apisone, roosters, and turtles.
Place honey, red wine, and blow cigar and chamba smoke on top of the nganga.
If the offerings are accepted, you must sing a series of mambos and light a red candle.
Paint everything outside the nganga using white paint.
Sacrificed animals must be tied in a bag along with the pennies and thrown into the mountains.

7-Ray Signature

In the Mayombe religion, there is something known as signatures, a symbol used within this cult to better understand natural phenomena and also to resolve any problems a person may face.

The purpose of signatures is to open and close paths, resolve problems, and much more.

Sambranu Ensai Ceja Monte: used to try to gain control over the four (4) winds.
Sambranu Ensasi Sambranu Bolombo Siete Rayos Loma Musindi: represents the flag of the Buen Viaje of the Holy Christ.

What does a 7-ray garment wear?

Each deity of any religion has an object that represents them, and in Santeria, 7 rays do too. Necklaces and bracelets are worn to protect people from all evil and give them strength to face their difficulties. These necklaces are called elekes.

Being a deity of African origin, it has a particular design, resembling a scarf meant to simulate the rays.

This necklace has beads of various colors because it attempts to resemble the color of each of the rays.

The colors range from blue to purple, it has a signature number of seven (7), and is accompanied by various designs that vary depending on the path the deity takes.

What does it mean to be a child of the 7 Rays?

They possess qualities that are very similar to those of the Orisha Shango, as children of the 7 rays in Palo Mayombe typically acquire characteristics of the guiding deity. If you want to know what children of the 7 rays are like, here are some brief explanations:

They generate wealth easily.
They are cunning and courageous in solving problems.
They naturally stand out at any event or place.
They are frequently protected by the 7 Rays, as they are very pampered. They also prevent any misfortune from befalling them at all costs and protect them with their powers.
They are aggressive and quickly irritated.
They like to party and dance very well.

As you can see, many elements are required to be able to speak with them, and this is because this is found in their very history. Remember that if you ask for the help of this deity, it must be for good, not to do evil.