“Exu killed a bird yesterday with a stone thrown only today.”

Exu—being of the crossroads, of exchange, of movement, of transformation, of resistance, of reinvention—is fundamental to understanding the Afro-diasporic experience in Brazil and the Americas. Exu opens paths; inhabits all paths. Their attributes belong also to beings who dwell at the margins, who cross boundaries, who redefine new forms of sociability—especially (though not exclusively) in terreiros (sacred spaces).

The prime target of neo-Pentecostal denominations in their racist crusade against African-rooted traditions and religions, Exu resists demonization and continues their work of mediation between beings and worlds—here and beyond.

Their wisdom and cunning manifest in countless ways; one of the most evident is when they become present in the bodies of terreiro peoples. This essay seeks not answers, but a complement to Spinoza’s famous question:
“What can a body do… with Exu?”

The images comprising this essay were created at Casa de Quimbanda 7 Marias in Abaeté (Minas Gerais) in 2022, with the consent and participation of the house’s mediums and entities.

Laroyê Exu!
Exu é Mojubá!
(Praise Exu! / Honor to Exu!)

Translated with Deepseek AI