Voici la version originale de l’interview réalisée par Absentia pour le compte de RatHoles :
Absentia : Could you introduce The Temple de Quimbanda Maioral Beelzebuth e Exu Pantera Negra to our readers?
R.: The Quimbanda Temple Maioral Beelzebuth and Exu Pantera Negra began it’s esoteric work in November of 2012 in the city of Sao Bernardo do Campo (SP).
We had no plans of expanding or making ourselves known, primarily due to the fact that our comprehension of the cult differs from common understandings of Quimbanda. These differences occur due to the fact that some of our “core members” have had experiences and initiations within other sinister traditions aside from Quimbanda. These practices ended up influencing how the group viewed and reacted to certain taboos within The Cult.
By March of 2013, we had decided to make our views public. In a bold endeavor, we created a website containing a collection of our writings, we knew we would receive some negative reactions but we were interested in observing the impact of our personal conclusions. Within a short time we were amazed by how many approved of our conceptions despite the barriers of the traditionalists.
Not unlike many other esoteric groups, we faced many trial in the process of creating a solid core but this process facilitated the spiritual growth which allowed us to begin to think in an expansive manner.
Absentia : Quimbanda is a Brazilian religion relatively unknown in Western Countries, aside from a few books dealing with the subject which have appeared in recent years. What is your vision of Quimbanda and how is Quimbanda perceived in your country?
R.: For decades the expansion of Quimbanda has been suppressed and marginalized in Brazil. Most of this pressure came from old Umbandist publications that referred to Quimbanda as the “Left Hand Side” of Quimbanda.” This made people fearful and caused them to dismiss Quimbanda as “spiritual trash.” These things were taking place in a point in time when information was being dictated by the dominant class while the poor had no other way of perpetuating their beliefs outside of oral teachings.
All that has reached other countries up to this point are twisted fragments of the cult, this has caused The Quimbanda to be viewed as a childish and chaotic cult centered around dominating obscure spirits by scholars and practitioners of extreme sinister traditions in other countries. The advent of recent technology has opened doors for Quimbanda to be reborn in it’s full power and splendor. When adepts started to publish texts separating Quimbanda from Umbanda, explaining the differences between the cults and associating expressions to other magical systems, foreigners started to be interested and participate. Today we receive emails from all over the world searching for information about our practices.
Our understanding of Quimbanda:
Quimbanda is a word used in the Portuguese language that originated from the Quimbundo word “Kimbanda”. Quimbundo is one of the Banta languages, (of African origin). It is possibly the junction of the words “Ki-Mban-Da,” (healing shaman). However, although disputed by countless people, we understand Quimbanda as “The Cult of the Powerful Dead”.
It is a necromantic search which has the goal of an individual and collective spiritual climb among the dark and sinister currents. We understand that continued practice and study will reward us with a liberating comprehension that will prepare us for the struggle after-life. The Quimbanda also offers us concise answers about life and death, few other religions posses spirits equipped for these clarifications. We understand the lengthy forming process of Brazilian Quimbanda was the necessary alchemy that allowed the cult to flourish and mature. In no way do we condemn the other religious currents who also use the term “Quimbanda” as it is actually a word linked to Exu and Pomba Gira expressing faith, cult, and many rites both inside and outside of Brazilian territory. The Quimbanda inside our egregore is constantly evolving. We do not allow for stagnation since the energies we experience in our practices cannot be the habitat for the “diseases” found amongst the prominent religions. Although we spread the word “Quimbanda”, understand that the name it just a way to give thanks, glorify, and give continuity to the legacy of the Indian, African, and European sorcerers for their struggles and contributions made to a religion where their adversaries were the true slaves. All that we believe has been made by the blood of our ancestors and based on a mixture of their beliefs, fears, and loves. We give continuity to the tradition of the macabre totems, statues with horns and tails, and the spells that corrupt the structure of faith. We do not seek a return to purity, we live in a state of daily combat and we need the strength of the ancestor spirits so we can instill fear and panic in the descendants of the settlers. Quimbanda is the religion of Freedom!
*
*
Absentia : It appears as though some consider Quimbanda as a dark branch of Umbanda, do yo agree?
R.: I believe I’ve already partially answered this question, but to be even clearer: No! The Quimbanda is not, and never will be, a practice of Umbanda since we do not accept the ideals of “purification” it dictates. We do not care how they view our practices and we promote the esoteric ideal that Quimbanda is an expression of “Evil” because we believe that “Evil” destroys illusions and acts as adversary to moral and ethical ideals which can sicken the free thinking and the free living. If Christianity is the religion of “the good and the pure,” then Quimbanda is the religion of evolution and release. The weak of spirit will never comprehend the dimensions of their servitude from inside the oppressive regime. (Coppini, Danilo. Quimbanda- O Culto da Chama Vermelha e Preta. Ed. Cape lobo. Sao Paulo-2015)
We do not share the idea that Exus are submitted to the Orixas or even to the spiritual guides of the “right path ». In truth, the TRUE Exus are constantly fighting against these forces of slavery. Exus who’ve submitted themselves to “Christ” are not Exus but only slave spirits seeking “forgiveness” and “remission” and they use the sacred names not to allow the expansion of the Kingdoms of Quimbanda, but to continue to bind mankind within the webs of remorse and fear.
Absentia : The Temple is mainly active in Brazil but henceforth it seems that you open your doors to foreign practitioners, what is your motivation for this?
R.: Exu is motion, motion is expansion, therefore Quimbanda is growth! Quimbanda is not only Brazilian since V.S. Maioral has no Nationality! He is the first crossroads of fire…
We do not see the differences between foreigners and Brazilians and we think we can gain much with sharing information about cultures and religions. we’d like to see temples of Exu and Pomba Gira where people could feel the real presence of ancestral “Devils” in their lives spread around the world.
Absentia : In Quimbanda male spirits and Gods are called Exus and the females are called Pomba Gira, why is this?
R.: First we must make clear the fact that male and female spirits exists is related to the energetic duality, positive and negative. The dynamic nature is also related to such division by sex.
A series of historical events that took place during our countries colonial period brought about our current religious and cultural syncretism. I will not so in to detail about the context of this transformation and those details which involve the cult of Exu. We know that the word “Exu” comes from the Yoruba “Esu” and that His Holiness Maioral has elected it for the development of Quimbanda. For us, the word Exu is used to refer to a spirit that, after being conducted to dense planes, indoctrinated, received domain about their material learnings and dominated it’s human aspects, are guided to a “People Legion”. There they will exert their roles in the struggle against slavery imposed by the regent cosmic system and, primarily, work to awaken the “seeds of fire” inside some people. They pass from being “obscure spirits” to “Mighty Spirits”. The etymology of the term “Pomba Gira” is quite confusing. The definition most similar to the name Pomba Gira comes from the corruption of the Nikisi name “Pambu Njila”, worshipped in Candomble as “Lord of the ways and of Crossroads, protector of the villages and guardian of the beginnings”. The Kikongo word “Mpauimbandambu” means “crossroads”, while “Njila” means “paths”. This same names was then used to denote the spirits of negative polarity within the kingdoms of Exu. Exu-woman is then called Pomba Gira.
Many consider these spirits of Quimbanda as the expression of evil and perversity itself. However, we share the idea that the word “Evil” has a strong connection with the break of the ethical and moral values imposed to human beings as a way to guide their conscious and unconscious acts, (through remorse and guilt). The Exus and Pomba Giras, through their actions in the five planes of existence, fight for transformation, freedom, and awakening. They work towards the evolution of the adepts and the sinister currents that fight against the false light and blindness.
Absentia : Now here’s a two-part question regarding the name of the temple: It seems that in your tradition Exu Maioral is connected with Chavajoth, (HVHY), that is to say a supreme being who begot the Regents of the Four Thrones. (Lucifer, Leviathan- the Chaosifier, Belial- the Mortifer, snd Beelzebuth- the Nihilifer). Could you explain who is Exu Maioral? In other traditions only Exu Maioral Lucifer is mentioned, what is the feature of Exu Maioral Beelzebuth?
R.: “Maioral” is a very broad concept and quite esoteric. Firstly, we understand that every magic system needs a feeding source. As a dynamo that constantly generates a continuos current and is fed by external and natural forces. Maioral is an elemental synthesis created to fill and direct the energies that compose the Seven Kingdoms of Quimbanda. It’s primal current, in our understanding, is located in the “Beyond Cosmos”.
Therefore, His Holiness Maioral is a composition of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth. Observing through correspondences, analogies, and syncretism, we are certain that this Source possesses all of the attributes of the Four Great Towers of Chaos that regulate several external and internal aspects of awakening and liberation. Although regulating an astral and cosmic plane, His Holiness Maioral emanates the primordial energies to the noxious that seek to empower the true divine power, (that is beyond creation).
There is a passage in our book that explains this situation in detail:
The “Brazilian Quimbanda” is a different form of cult. Firstly, this demonic classification based on medieval grimories is not an adequate doctrinaire basis for our Exu Cult. According to our understanding, Maioral is a great Gate composed of forces beyond profane comprehension. Maioral is the ultimate expression of the unification of all cultures and all Kingdoms, Legions and People of Quimbanda. Maioral, the Great Black Dragon, is the antithesis of all religions that shackle and submit humanity to behavioral dogma – in other words, everything that deems things as taboo or sin. Maioral is the black hole that sucks the tears of fear and transforms them into energy and vitality. Maioral is the great throne that is on the dark of our subconscious minds, inhabiting our “wounds” and traumas.
Maioral binds and frees according to our strengths in searching beyond our senses. Maioral is the King of the old demonized gods, forgotten by humanities blindness, whose main role is to light the way for those who dare to seek His light. Maioral is the Force that rebelled when humankind was bound in matter, (the body), the one that gave men the ability to learn and enjoy art, literature, science, dance, but also war and destruction. Maioral is the quintessence of many unified beings that fight to control the feelings that can shackle the human psyche, (such as hatred, passion, illusion, material pride, reckless greed, and lust), however he feeds the qliphotic furnaces that burn away the souls of the blind and limited. As such, we can’t limit Maioral only to Lucifer, Beelzebuth, and Astaroth as the profaners do. Maioral is composed of all of the old gods fused in the flame of Lucifer!
(Quimbanda- O Culto da Chama Vermelha e Preta, Editora Capelobo, SP, 2015)
V.S. Maioral x “Exu Maioral”
Another highly relevant point is demystifying the idea that it is possible for a human body to bear this dynamo. It is evident that V.S. Maioral possesses no “elected” in the material, (or cosmic,) plane capable of bearing it’s pressure. In the traditional Quimbanda we see many people who claim to incorporate Maioral or Exu Sombra, (a result of Umbanda Syncretism). These people are examples of a lack of study and comprehension that developed within Quimbanda for many years.
We understand that Quimbanda is an eclectic system that has absorbed many concepts. Therefore, we notice some words are “masks” or a kind of “title” that some spirits bear. In some point in the formation process of this complex system some spirits manifested through incorporation called themselves “Maiorais”. These spirits were inder the service of a stronger power that wished to be known and worshipped and, for that reason, used Exus “Chiefs of Land or Governors of a certain temple” as exponents of this. They were not “Maiorais”, but spiritual guides of a place they were “greatest” (applicator of laws and doctrines) of their temples. The egos of some chiefs would have one believe they actually manifested Maioral itself, and so myths, legends, and lies became widespread worldwide. Exu Maioral does not exist! What does exist are Exus who name themselves Maiorais so that they can show their strength as gestors/principals of spiritual works.
Absentia : The Panther is a mythological figure possessing a deep and rich history dating back several millennia and is often associated with power and war. In Brazilian Quimbanda, Exu Pantera Negra is linked to the Kingdom of Forests and the Caboclos, (Caboclos: those who come from the forest), and is the symbol of strength and of hunters. What led you to choose Exu Pantera Negra as “patron saint” of your temple?
R.: Exu Pantera Negra, (Black Panther), is the maxim expression of the People of the Forest. My great grandmother was a Tupinamba Native and the ancestry of Quimbanda has manifested through the relation between the spirit Pantera and us. It was St. Pantera that developed me spiritually and brought us near other Exus of his Kingdom. We honor the Temple with His name to show the difference of ways, action, and liturgy that we have compared to other temples/houses of Quimbanda.
Absentia : Among the pictures on your Facebook page there is a blazon bearing the inscriptions: LTJ 49. Number 49 represents the 7 Quimbanda Kingdoms and the 7 Kings who govern them. LTJ means Love, Truth, and Justice, are these values important to the Temple?
In truth, the number 49 also symbolizes 7×7 and it means expansion! The order came through spirits to begin our expansion. This message must be explicit to all members that should act with Truth that fights illusion and the demiurgic lie with the justice that ordains our works, balancing our acts and enabling comprehension of cosmos and chaos. Love, love is harder to explain but it is something that we have discovered in our years of working with Exus and Pomba Giras.
Absentia : The anti-cosmic current has a central role in your work, what is the influence of The Temple of the Black Light on your tradition? What are your other influences?
R.: In truth, there are many points where the Cult of Exu has connections with anti-cosmic energy, but in other points there is divergence. The fact that some adepts of the Temple practice anti-cosmic Satanism bolstered these connections and that became clear in our texts. We’ve also had some contact with anti-cosmic orders for a period of time and the results were quite good but after a period of time we noticed the differences between the cults became explicit and so we sought more balanced answers through the creation religions of Brazilian Quimbanda. Therefore we have Xamanism and traditional European witchcraft as our main influences.
Absentia : Your first book was published early in 2015, Quimbanda – O Culto da Chama Vermelha e Preta, what topics are covered in this book? I’ve heard an English version is in the works, do you have a release date yet?
R.: The first book of our Temple has addressed a number of subjects. All of the structure of Quimbanda as we know it is there. There are more than 500 pages dedicated to the Cult of Exu. We have good news for foreigners, the book is in the last phases of editing and should come out in about 3 months. We’re counting on you to help us divulge this information.
Absentia : How do you see the future of the Temple?
R.:) To talk about the future is to look at a raw stone that still needs carving, we don’t always end up carving according to our first vision. Today we fight arduously so that this stone can become an altar for all of these that seek real, true contact. The cult of Exus will never be stagnant, since Exu is motion, it is cause and chaos, it walks in two worlds with a single nature. We will not try to describe the future, we will leave it to Exu to carve, He who throws the stone tomorrow to hit our heads yesterday!
*
http://www.quimbandabrasileira.net
*
