Seven African Powers

The Seven African Powers, las Siete Potencias Africanas, are seven Orishas of Lucumí, often called Santería, who are honored together as one devotion. This collection holds the oils, incense, wash, and cologne made for that devotion. Read who the Seven African Powers are and how their devotion is kept.

9 products

Who Are the Seven African Powers?

The Seven African Powers are seven Orishas, Deities of Yoruba origin, honored together in Lucumí, the Afro-Cuban religion often called Santería, and in the botánica devotion that grew around it. One common list, given in the NYU Latinx Project's history of the 1985 Orisha/Santos exhibition, names Elegguá (Eshu or Elegba), Orula (Orunmila), Changó (Shango), Ogún (Ogun), Obatalá, Ochún (Oshun), and Yemayá (Yemoja), and calls them the most popular and enduring Orishas among practitioners in the Americas. The first name of each is the Lucumí spelling used in Cuba, and the name in parentheses is the Yoruba spelling. Which seven are named can differ from one house or print to another.

Each of the seven has a domain of their own, and the devotion calls on them together for broad help: protection, guidance, the removal of obstacles, and blessing across work, love, and home.

Why Are the Seven African Powers Shown as Catholic Saints?

At least as early as the mid-nineteenth century, enslaved and free Yoruba in Cuba were associating their Orishas with Catholic saints, according to Georgetown University Library's Sacred Arts of Orisha Traditions exhibition. The popular print of las Siete Potencias Africanas shows each Orisha as a saint. In the Mexican print in that exhibition, Obatalá appears as Our Lady of Mercy, Yemayá as Our Lady of Regla, Ochún as Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Changó as Saint Barbara, Orula as Saint Francis of Assisi, Elegguá as Saint Benedict the Moor, and Ogún as Saint John the Baptist. Other prints pair some of them with different saints, which is one more reason the devotion varies from house to house.

How Is the Seven African Powers Devotion Kept?

The Orishas are served within living, initiatory Lucumí houses, under the guidance of priests and elders, and that deeper work is best learned from practitioners within the tradition. The Seven African Powers devotion on the botánica shelf is the one many people keep at home: a candle dressed with Seven African Powers oil, incense burned at a small altar, the wash added to floor-wash water, or the cologne misted before asking for help. If this devotion is calling you, a botánica or a local Lucumí house is the place to ask how it is kept in that community.

What You'll Find Here

Seven African Powers oils. Espiritu's Orisha Seven African Powers Oil comes in 2 dram, 1 ounce, and 16 ounce bottles, and we also carry a 2 dram and a 4 dram Seven African Powers oil. Devotees use these oils to dress candles, anoint petitions, and mark altar objects.

Seven African Powers incense. Choose 7 Powers incense in a 20-stick pack or 7 African Powers Aura incense in a 21-stick pack, burned at an altar to the Powers.

Seven African Powers wash. The 8 ounce wash is made to be added to floor-wash water or a spiritual bath for cleansing and protecting a home.

Seven African Powers cologne. Ohli~Way's 7.5 ounce spray cologne is misted on the body, through a room, or over an altar.

How to Use These Products Safely

  • Every product here is for external use only. Don't drink or swallow any of them.
  • Dilute the oils in a carrier oil such as jojoba or grapeseed before they touch your skin, and patch test first.
  • Keep the wash off fine fabrics and finished surfaces that water could mark.
  • Burn incense on a heat-safe holder in a ventilated room, and never leave it or a candle burning unattended.
  • Keep all of these out of reach of children and pets.

Explore Related Collections

For reading on the Orishas from people within the tradition, browse our Santeria Books. The Seven African Powers share the botánica shelf with Santa Muerte and Rue (Ruda), and with 7-Day Jar Candles for long devotional burns. For cleansing and protecting a home, look through Spiritual Washes, Road Opener Supplies, and Protection & Warding Supplies.

Seven African Powers FAQ

Who are the Seven African Powers?
The Seven African Powers, las Siete Potencias Africanas, are seven Orishas of Yoruba origin honored together in Lucumí, often called Santería, and in botánica devotion. They are called on as a group for protection, guidance, the removal of obstacles, and blessing.

Which Orishas are the Seven African Powers?
One common list names Elegguá (Eshu or Elegba), Orula (Orunmila), Changó (Shango), Ogún (Ogun), Obatalá, Ochún (Oshun), and Yemayá (Yemoja), with the Lucumí spelling first and the Yoruba spelling in parentheses. The seven named can differ from one house or print to another.

Do I need to be initiated to use Seven African Powers products?
No. The Seven African Powers oils, incense, wash, and cologne are botánica devotional items that many people use at home. The Orishas themselves are served within initiatory Lucumí houses, and that deeper work is best learned from practitioners within the tradition.

How is Seven African Powers oil used?
Devotees use a few drops to dress a candle, anoint a petition, or mark an object on an altar to the Powers. Dilute it in a carrier oil and patch test before it touches your skin.

Why are the Seven African Powers shown as Catholic saints?
Yoruba in Cuba were associating their Orishas with Catholic saints at least as early as the mid-nineteenth century, so the popular Seven African Powers print shows each Orisha as a saint, such as Changó as Saint Barbara and Ochún as Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.