Saint Matthew

Jurema means, simultaneously, a variant of the Afro-Brazilian religions with a strong Indigenous influence, found mostly in the Brazilian North and Northeast regions, and a beverage whose main ingredients are barks of the stem, the roots, and the fruits of the tree or bush popularly known as Jurema (Mimosa hostilis). This beverage, which has hallucinogenic properties, is consumed in certain occasions, in a type of sacred communion of the group. In the Jurema, also referred to as Catimbó, there is a predominance of therapeutic rituals, where the juremeiro (the person who performs the rituals) holds consultations of state of possession, giving advice and prescribing baths, smokers, cleansings, herbs, medicine, etc. There is also a ritual use of tobacco to honor the entities or for therapeutic purposes, in order to resolve afflictions, that is, cure diseases and solve sufferings. Well-known entities participate in the Jurema, such as Masters, Caboclos, Gypsies, and Exus, who are worshipped through singing, dancing, and possession.