The environment we live in has a certain influence on how we feel on a daily basis. A well-kept home, with clean and organized environments, for example, can provide a feeling of comfort and tranquility. However, for some spiritual traditions, attention to the home is not limited to physical cleanliness. According to these beliefs, spaces can also accumulate energies capable of interfering with the atmosphere of the house and even the coexistence between people.

In Quimbanda, one of the best-known ways to renew this energy is through the leaf-batcher, a bundle prepared with herbs used in rituals of spiritual cleansing. For Quimbanda priest Ranier Gulusian, the strength of herbs is present in nature itself and can be an important ally to restore harmony in the home.

“Leaves are one of nature’s greatest gifts. They carry a great spiritual force and the most beautiful thing is that they are within reach of practically everyone. Many can be found in backyards, fairs or markets. This shows how generous and democratic nature is in offering resources for spiritual care”, he states.

Herbs used in leafbath

According to Ranier Gulusian, for this work he uses herbs such as purple peregum (purple dracaena), mango leaf, rue, mastic, guinea, no one can do it with me, lemon leaf, pepper leaf and the pepper itself. Each of them has a specific purpose within the foundations of Quimbanda and, when brought together, they are used to form the chat.

How to perform spiritual cleansing

Before starting the cleaning, the priest instructs the practitioner to firm Exu and Pomba Gira, consecrate the herbs and sing the points or songs of Exu, if he knows any. Otherwise, the guidance is to keep your thoughts focused on the good things you want to achieve with that spiritual cleansing.

Afterwards, the leaflet is passed around the house and, if desired, also on the body itself, always accompanied by requests for the negative energies are removed and spiritual balance is reestablished.

“When the energy in the house is heavy, it is common for people to report constant conflicts, a feeling of tiredness, discouragement or even the impression that nothing flows. The chatter is a way of asking Exu and Pomba Gira to use the strength of herbs to cleanse these energies, strengthen spiritual protection and return lightness to the environment”, explains Ranier Gulusian.

For the priest, the use of herbs also invites a greater connection with nature and with knowledge preserved over generations. “Leaves teach us that what we need is often already available in nature. When used with respect to the foundations of Quimbanda, they help restore balance to the home, strengthen the spiritual protection and renew energy. It is ancestral knowledge that remains current because it talks about care, respect and balance.”

By Rodrigo Almeida