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VI AFRO-BRAZILIAN ART AND CULTURE EXHIBITION Documentary: Praying the herbs, singing the faith: the sacred in Umbanda A city of much axé, Jacarezinho is a land of black magic, with religious practices of Candomblé and Umbanda marking streets, crossroads, and waterfalls. The natural heritage is a living part of the existence of these religions that resist in the interior of Paraná; the intangible heritage of our city is produced by them. But what do we know about this? What did we hear from our grandparents about this faith? Sometimes, we trigger negative memories in our memory and, when transposed into discourse, we reinforce religious racism, making the city a place of exclusion, incapable of welcoming diversity. But they are still there, a space of welcome. A bath, a tea, a prayer, a counseling, are routine practices of the terreiro culture and that, through the whispers in the streets and windows, reach almost the entire city. But in silence, in a tone of disapproval, everything is done in secret. The fact is that everyone has had a tea to cure some pain, has had faith in the power of a prayer, has walked past a terreiro with some curiosity and trepidation thinking about asking for a bath to open the paths. Many misconceptions remain in the social imagination when we talk about religious practices in Umbanda. Neither spiritualism, nor Catholicism, nor African religion. Its Brazilian roots with different influences make it a religion of everyone and for everyone, insisting on prayer and the power of leaves. In an attempt to break the awkward silence, this proposal highlights the relationships between herbs, orixás and care in the routine practices at Terreiro de Umbanda São Jorge, maintained by Rosalina Duarte, known as Mãe Rosa. By starting from what is customary for the local population – the use of herbs for teas – the project reveals more sensitive issues that are important to our understanding of what can be understood as Jacarezinho culture. Project financed by the Emergency Notice for Art, Culture and Entertainment of the Municipal Government of Jacarezinho/PR.