Babalu Aye oil

Every December, pilgrims make their way to the sanctuary of El Rincón outside Havana, some crawling for miles on their knees, to honour Saint Lazarus and Babalú Ayé.

Origin & Traditional Use

Babalú Ayé is an orisha of smallpox and epidemic illness, who came to Cuba from the Arará and Yoruba peoples of West Africa. He is both the one who brings disease and the one who takes it away, a father to the sick, the poor and the outcast. In Cuba he is closely tied to Saint Lazarus, the beggar with sores and dogs of the parable in Luke 16. The oil is a modern devotional blend.

Uses by Tradition

Santería & Lucumí

• Candle offerings: anoint a purple or white candle and set it before his image with grains and bread.
• Prayers for the sick: dress a candle when asking Babalú Ayé to protect a sick person or to lift illness from a household.
• Initiates and their godparents keep his consecrated objects; lay devotees use the oil for candles and prayer.

Folk Catholicism & Spiritism

• Saint Lazarus: dress a candle before his statue, with crutches and dogs, on his feast of 17 December.
• Promises: anoint the candle when making a promesa, a vow to the saint in return for help.

A Simple Working

• Set an image of Saint Lazarus or Babalú Ayé on a purple cloth.
• Anoint a purple candle with Babalu Aye oil.
• Place a small dish of dry grains beside it.
• Light the candle and say the name of the person you are praying for.
• Ask plainly for protection from illness and for strength.
• Let it burn out and leave the grains outdoors for birds.

Pairs Well With

• A purple candle: his colour in Cuban devotion.
• A Saint Lazarus statue: the image through which he is approached.
• Cascarilla: for protective marking.
• Florida water: for spiritual cleansing.

Lore & History

Babalú Ayé’s roots are in the Dahomean earth deity Sakpata and the Yoruba Ṣọ̀pọ̀nná, so feared that people avoided speaking his name. In Cuba he is dressed in sackcloth and accompanied by dogs. The national sanctuary of El Rincón hosts its great pilgrimage on the night of 16 to 17 December.

What You Receive

Babalu Aye oil, available in 2 dram, 1 oz and 16 oz sizes.