Pedro de Oxum

The simple looking alleys announce these are deep Brazilian paths. In the Codó region, a Terecô lineage city in the Maranhão state, the homes’ façades are the same color as the earth, and the finishing is that of daily life. Children play in the streets, bells mark the beat of the ambient music: enchanted ones arrive to talk every now and then, to sing their litanies and advice for those who search for faith.

In one of those plainly simple homes, there lives a man who carries two women by his side. Pedro de Oxum was nine years old when he received the entities for the first time: he felt as though his feet weren’t touching the ground, in a place between yesterday and tomorrow that no map has ever traced. He shouted and cried during his first trances, but he was never afraid, neither had he ever had a choice: the real difficulty was explaining what only he could saw to all these people.

"The spell is like a gust of wind: you feel it.”

Pedro de Oxum

As the years went by, Pedro realized that Chica Baiana and Dona Maria Padilha’s companies were a sign of how blessed he was: it takes a lot of light for a man to be the voice of two strong women in his life. Time went by and he started preparing his home to receive its owners. He strengthened his faith, set up the rooms and altars to open the paths for when they come, he chose the clothes they liked to wear, took help from those around him. He turned his days into the scenography of Chica and Maria.

In each of their rooms, showing women with very different personalities and make-ups, Pedro prays, prepares his candles, and plays his maracas, instruments that connect him with the divine entities.

"Who can do more than God?

No-one”

Question-answer prayer at incorporation consultation

In order to get advice from Chica Baiana and Dona Maria Padilha, one must make an appointment in advance. It’s just that Pedro learned at a young age not to mix his schedule with theirs: everything needs to be organized so the energy flows. Humble and sweet, the man turns into a passage and in return, he accepts any contribution his visitors can make: his favorite currency is the spreading of joy.

Chica belongs to the Baia family and the Terecô Turk lineage, reason why she goes by the name baiana, and she comes from the enchanted jungle to wherever she’s called, dressed in golden yellow. Joyful, sincere, a woman who works hard until she gets what she needs. She asks for cachaça and tobacco, and brings laughter.

"Teresa drinks cachaça from the bottle

Teresa is cabocla, Teresa isn’t easy, no”

Worship song at incorporation ritual by Pedro de Oxum

Dona Maria Padilha is a queen from Spain, seductive woman who likes red, as enchanted as she is enchanting. Herr story is related to the conquering of desires and loves, cunning and resourceful like only she can be: she is Exu, she is Pomba-Gira. She’s everything she wants to be.

"Maria Padilha, I need you

To play hopscotch

If I lose, you get me

If I win, I get you.”

Worship song at incorporation ritual at Terecô de Codó

Burning candles, Pedro de Oxum is therefore a fabric at the service of those who will fill him with threads of Chica Baiana and Dona Maria Padilha. Once the candles are blown, Pedro de Oxum is as an amazing northeastern man as any other: one of so many in the backcountry of Brazil who knows a knock on his door is always an opportunity to donate love and hope.