Sosyete Ginen de Philomise
A Southern Vodou House
 Diviniation- readings |  Witchcraft, occult and magick |  weddings and Handfastings |
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 Saints, Ancestors and the Lwa |  Classes and Ceremonies |  Rituals and spellwork |
 Prayer requests |  Hoodoo, Voodoo workshops |  Dantor |
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Years ago I started learning about spiritiuality, religions and cultures. My curiosity as a young woman was to find my path, faith or chosen belief sysem, to enlighten myself towards what I felt as ' The Divine' within all of us.
I started learning everything I could about religion, science and occult knowledge. Anything that was available to me online, in books and everywere I could meet people who wanted to talk about magick. I was like a sponge soaking up anything that I could to find out and any new knowledge that I culd accept as fact.
In ths long journey I came to realize a lot of things about myself and what I believed. I found faith in many different areas of belief and religion and started to question what was true and just for me.
That lead me to a circle of pagan practitioner's who would drastically change my life forever! After my Initiation into Eclectic Ceremonial Magick, I felt a calling to persue teacing. I felt a completeness as a mentor, teaching students and learning more and more over time.
I started having lucid dreams, so much in fact that I could remember entire dreams upon waking! I went to see a friend who did dream interpretation and she said that I was being called by the spirits towards Haitian Vodoun. I didn't really know a lot about it, so I started out, just as everyone does...looking for answers.
I was suprised that my guides would lead me here. It took me 3 years before I found a house (sociyete) and my spiritual father, Yasaisi Bon Houngan and mother Samanto Bon Manbo working under Sociyete Les Mains Forts a sister house from our home paristyle in Haiti. I was fortunate to have a wonderful and patient father who has taught me the ways of the regleman he is a Haitian Vodou High Prist.
I have been an avid student and learned as much as possible. After my Lave Tet ceremoney in Haiti, I begain to read up on every book available and everything on the internet related to Vodou and the misteries- even offshoots like santeria and other oral traditions such as hoodoo, conjure and Rootwork and magick. I poured myself completely into it as much as possible, I practiced and started out at a non-initiate level in order to start serving my ancestors and the spirits according to the regleman.
I learned quick that Vodou, like many other Ancient faiths, are of a verbal nature and you cannot learn things properly from a book. So, I waited and prayed to God that he would send me a guide and teacher, and it soon happened.
In the meantime while meditating with my Spirits guides, I learned how to sing and honor my ancestors in spirit and dance. I learned how to focus on their needs and they helped me along the way to develop my relationship with other spirits that I've made contact with to better serve our community and Socieyte. My spiritual father has been my gratest asset in fulfilling my obligations as a Manbo. I thank God everyday that I have a loving, spiritual family who look out for each other and teach the ways of the spirits and reglaman.
Vodou for me has been a wonderful journey! Filled with meaning, honor and respect for the power behind the prayer. I was raised to believe that things like this were of the devil, when in fact in Vodou there is One God- and no real 'devil'. In fact, 80% of the work the is performed through ceremony and ritual is for healing and spiritual help. That is what I have always believed should be the focus of Religion. For me, it seems the only natural path the I should follow. I have been chosen by name to be a healer, my name means; "Herb that grows beneath the soil" I have rooted myself and I can grow in any cllimate, situation and capacity. It is a wonderful feeling to know your divine calling in the world through the Spirits blessings!
I owe everything to Bondye (God) the Lwa (Spirits) my Spiritual Father Yasaisi Bon Houngan and Spiritual Mother Simanto Bon Manbo and my Ancstors, for the privilege to be a part of the beautiful Religion. I am here to lead others on their path, be it Vodou or another and work with the Spirits in heart and mind.
I believe that everyone of us has the power to perform miracles through Divine contact and God in all things. I hope to spread the good things that Vodou has done in my life and the magic it has allowed me to manifest change in my heart, soul and mind to give to others who are willing to learn.
Ayibobo-
Zebate Bon Manbo
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How our Journey begain...
About
Zebate Bon Manbo
(Root that grows beneath the soil)
 Lave TetThe Lave tet Ceremony is the fortifying and cleansing of the head or, 'Seat of the soul' It cleanses ones self of a lifetime of negativity and opens the initiates sub-conscious mind to a higher level of learning. It also allows that spirit or, "met tet" that has been with you since birth to be reveled through the process of washing. The ceremony usually lasts for 3 consecutive nights, during which time you will have dreams, readings and personal time with the spirits. |
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 candlesGreat time and effort is made during these ceremonies. Our Ancestors are the reason that we're here today. Veneration is always a must at ceremony. Sacred songs and dances are performed as well as the lighting of candles to welcome our sacred spirit's to join us and bless us in our work. |
 Tap-tapsWhen you travel to Haiti, one of the most abundant ways to travel is by a vehicle called a 'Tap-tap'. These beautifully painted and colorful vehicles provide many Haitians transport from one side of the city to the other. Roads can be dangerous and the heat is very high, so the more fortunate get to ride in one of these. Our house provides our own transportation while in Haiti and you may choose to ride in a tap tap is you would like the experience. The culture is very rich and should be enjoyed |
 posessionIn Ceremony there will be times of 'Cheval' or what we call, Possession of the spirit. It is a mystery and magical experience that everyone should see in vodou. When a person is 'mounted' by a spirit they are not themselves, nor will they remember it at all. The spirits mount others to relay messages, bring healing and meet new members of a house or potential initiates. A good manbo and houngan will take you to formally be introduced to each spirit that arrives and you will be blessed. |
 VeverVeve's are sacred symbols, to some they would be considered a sigil for calling a spirit. Veve's offer up a supernatural lighthouse if you would for the spirits to see that we're calling them and respond to the image. Drawing them takes lots of practice and some skill. They can be made of corn meal, flour and sometimes coffee or gunpowder. These sacred lines and designs are learned after one does kanzo so that he/she can evoke the spirits to work for them and their clients. |
 Le Priye GinenThe Prayer of Ginea is the Prayer of Aftica. In ancient times our ancestors prayed to God and the sprits to help them....now days we continue this prayer for the spirits to aid us in all manners of life. To learn the priye ginen one must dedicate many hours of practice and learning because it can last from 30 minutes to over an hour long in some houses. There are over 300 songs that a vodouissant can learn to sing for the spirits. It is in the drums, singing and dancing that draws them near. |
What is a Lave Tet ceremony?
A lave tet (from the French laver tete, to wash the head), is just exactly
that, it is a ceremonial washing of the head.
The purpose of a lave tet is to spiritually cleanse the head. This may be
done in order to make possessions easier and less violent for an uninitiated person who has lwa, it may be done during a kanzo ceremony at the end of the cycle to cleanse the head after all the sacrifices that have been made and all the ceremonial activity directed at the initiates' heads, it may be done for a person, initiated or not, who has in some way offended their lwa, or it may be done for any person who merely wishes to "refresh" their head. Only initiation can do that.
A lave tet in and of itself is not an initiation and it does not make a
person a member of a peristyle or a Vodou society. The person's head may be washed once, three times, or seven times, depending on the house and the degree of cleansing considered to be required. After the washing, if the person is not dressed in white already they are then so dressed, and their head is wrapped in a white kerchief. They are made to lie down and rest on a mat covered with a white sheet, and should remain in the peristyle for 3 nights.
What is a Kanzo?
Our House has a traditional method of finding out where you belong. Not everyone is called to become an initiate, but those who are find that our house is the superior place to be. Our Lwa will instruct us if Kanzo is the path for you. Along with giving us this knowledge, the Lwa will tell us at which rank you are to initiate, and whether our House is the House for you. All candidates are required to undergo this divination/screening.
Once this information is obtained, you are free to do as you wish with it. If you are allowed to, and desire to, become Kanzo in our House, you are free to initiate at the rank which the Lwa communicated to us, or any lower rank you may feel is right for you.
Kanzo is the name for the initiation ceremony within the Vodou tradition. It is a sacrament, and considered to be one of the most sacred events within a Vodouisant's life. Quite naturally, the ceremonies are empowering, exhilarating, and life-altering. They will change your life, making it better, easier, and revolutionary.
You are welcome to come and participate with our Sosyete in our yearly Kanzo.
Classes and courses
Pre Kanzo classes, introduction into Haitian Vodoun is available through Zebate Bon Manbo at House Ginen found on Facebook. The courses last for 6 months (8) classes. They are a Non-intiate course with introduction to haitian culture, history, revolution, how to serve your spirits, ancestors altar making the different nations of Rada, Nago, Petro and Ghede as well as the basics of magick, herbalism and other information that the initiate will learn before entering the Djevo. The course also educates the student on ritual protocal and some common creole vocabulary as well as dance and correspondences of the spirits. It is recommended, but not required that every student attend at least one ritual or fet before choosing to kanzo and be a dedicated member of the house.
Each student is responsible for turning in any homework assignments and or visiting the house for one on one training before they kanzo. Our house does offer initiates to kanzo in Haiti. Out mother house is there, all other information about travel and things to be done for kanzo will be discussed between the student and teather before arrangements are made to go.
Kanzo is a very spiritual and life changing ceremony that should not be taken lightly. Vodou is a Religion and a lifestyle, a community- not a weekend bible camp, this is serious and vows to the Spirits cannot be broken!! The rituals are sacred and the traditional information that is passed down by the word is not to be misused in any way, be sure that you are ready for the journey that is ahead of you and your spirits will guide the way.
Our liniage goes back 500 years and is very important for the student to be trusted as well as his/her manbo and houngan who is trianing them, the house and all the responsibilities that come with the title. The Lwa choose what our potential or 'calling' is to be NOT the person or a
person!
Should you decided that this house is for you and you are a serious student, a downpayment will be made to secure your place within our house and then training can begin that will lead you to on your path, be it serving the spirits, healing, helping within the congregation or kanzo.
Our Liniage:
A moi Zebate Bon Manbo pitit Yasaisi Bon Houngan Pitit Simanto Bon manbo pitit pitit Taille Fer Bon Houngan (Nickel Jasmin) Pitit pitit Satela Bon Manbo ( Yvrose Nelson Cantave) Pitit pitit pitit Kousipran Bon Houngan (Paul Saint Ville) Pitit Pitit Pitit Dlo Kouche Bon Manbo ( Madanm Paul) Ki di ( Liliane Moise. De Sosyete L'Afrik Ginen Sans Rancune.