Papa Candelo - San Carlos Borromeo

Papa Candelo is one of the most powerful and popular of the Loa of the 21 Division pantheon. He is associated with Catholic Saint Charles Borromeo (San Carlos). He is powerful yet humble and is known to be very strict with his initiates. His color is red and he loves his tafia (rum) and tobacco. Papa Candelo is associated with the element of fire. When he possesses an initiate, he will sometimes be given three red candles that he will light up himself and then afterwards turning the flame out in his mouth. He has seven paths, but few are actually seen in possession. The most common path of Candelo that mounts initiates is called, "Candelo Cedife". In the Creole language, "Ce Dife" literally means "Fire", therefore the Loa, Papa Candelo is "Fire". To serve Papa Candelo, one would light a rede candle for him. He is served with the image of Saint Charles Borromeo (San Carlos), a glass of yellow rum and the smoke from a cigar. Many initiates choose to blow the smoke from a cigar over a statute of the spirit when they are petitioning him for special spiritual request. The cigar is then placed in a horizontal position directly over the rim of the glass and left there for the spirit to continue smoking it.