Nucleo Azul do Mar and the Expansion of the União do Vegetal

| September 12, 2025

Adriana Borges*

At the end of the 1960’s, Mestre Gabriel affirmed that, from Manaus-AM, the União do Vegetal would circulate the world. These words come revealing themselves over the years and today we contemplate one more chapter of this luminous path: the União do Vegetal arrives at distant lands, bringing with it the teachings of Light, Peace and Love. Núcleo Azul do Mar, on the island of Maui, Hawaii, is a living part of this expansion.

Maui finds itself in the heart of the Pacific Ocean, a meeting place between the west coast of North America and the cultures of Asia and Oceania. There, where the mountains touch the sky and the sea is dressed in deep blue, Núcleo Azul do Mar has risen, in the 18th region, as a testament to the growth of the work of Mestre Gabriel, reuniting people from different origins around peace and fraternity. It’s worth noting that Hawaii is the farthest populated territory from any of the continents.

Much love in the planting and cultivating of the União do Vegetal in Hawaii

Throughout the years, many people have dedicated themselves to the flourishing of the União do Vegetal in the United States and in Hawaii. Two of them merit special mention: Mestre Florêncio Siqueira de Carvalho and Jeffrey Bronfman.

Mestre Florêncio, who received the star from the hands of Mestre Gabriel, awakened in the first North American caianinhos the love for the teachings and for the cultivation of the Mariri and Chacrona. Over many years he provided the Vegetal and organized Preparos for the irmandade of the United States. He didn’t get to know the work in Hawaii, but it was to him that we dedicated the plantio of the 18th Region, where N. Azul do Mar is located. 

In 2013, Jeffrey Bronfman, who was responsible for the UDV in the United States for fourteen years, inspired by the necessity to develop new areas of the plantio for the sustainability of the União do Vegetal in the United States, donated the Awalau property, where plantio “Mestre Florêncio Siqueira de Carvalho – Amor de Nós” flourishes. A nook of lush nature, with fields, forests and a crystalline river.

The task of growing the Work of the Mestre continues 

On May 25, 2013, the Central Mestre of the 1st Region of the United States at that time, Mestre Pedro Dias, presented to CONAGE the request to create an Authorized Distribution of the Vegetal (DAV), which was approved by the Council and signed by the General Representative Mestre at that time, Mestre Francisco Herculano de Oliveira. Jeffrey was designated as the Responsible Mestre of DAV Hawaii, where he fulfilled this work for seven years. 

In the beginning of 2021, then General Representative Mestre, Jose Carlos Garcia, designated Mestre Tai Bixby, Central Mestre of the 18th Region as the Mestre Responsible for the DAV. With only 15 members and without yet a formed Direction, it was time to strengthen the trust in Mestre Gabriel and put into live practice the saying that “Union is Strength”. With the support of the Central Administration, the irmandade was assisted with Sessions, and a more refined process of organization of the local Directorate was initiated. 

On July 22, 2022, M. Jose Carlos designated M. Beto Borges as Mestre Responsible for DAV Hawaii.  

Collaborating with the consolidation of the UDV in Maui since 2011, M. Beto and I moved to the island in February 2023 with the objective of working for the growth and strengthening of the irmandade. Shortly after, M. Pedro Dias and C. Vera Moraes, his wife, returned to Maui, coming to further strengthen the work of the União. 

In November 2024, Assistant General Mestre Clovis Cavalieri visited the DAV and recognized the growth of the Direction – three Mestres, five counselors – and of the irmandade. He also recognized the good maintenance of the physical structure of the place: a Temple for our sessions, a House of Preparo and the area of the plantio. Seeing this, he recommended to Mestre Jair Gabriel da Costa, the current General Representative Mestre, to elevate DAV Hawaii to a Núcleo. At the moment of the elevation, we totaled 46 members: four Mestres, six Counselors and 36 disciples.

Harvesting flowers of friendship and joy

With joy and honor, we received the General Representation in Maui on August 1st and 2nd, 2025. General Representative Mestre, Jair Gabriel, accompanied by General Assistant Mestre, Ivan Luiz Evangelista and the brothers and sisters from Bahia who accompanied them, directed a Preparo of the Vegetal, assisted by the Representative Mestre of Núcleo Santa Fé, David Bronfman. On August 3rd, M. Jair directed a session of the elevation of DAV Hawaii to Núcleo Azul do Mar, giving the Representation of the Núcleo to M. Beto Borges.

The session included the presence of the Central Mestre of the 18th region, Tadeo Feijão; the Central Assistante Mestres, Pedro Dias, Tai Bixby and Fernando Barreto; as well as the Direction and disciples from Núcleos San Francisco, Santa Fé, San Miguel, Sagrada União, DAV Salt Lake City and other Brazilian brothers and sisters visiting from the General Headquarters (Brasília, DF) and Núcleos: Amor Filial (Piauí), Sultão das Matas (Bahia), Estrela de Belém (Acre), Fortaleza do Mestre (Ceará) and Mestre Mário Piacentini (São Paulo).

Our recognition and gratitude to all who contributed in order for us to arrive at the day of the elevation of Núcleo Azul do Mar, especially to Mestre Gabriel, who guides and orients us in the edification of a world of Peace.

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*Adriana Borges is a member of the Body of Counsel of Núcleo Azul do Mar in Maui, Hawaii, USA (18th Region).