Ranks in Haitian Vodou
Ok,ok the ranks in Haitian Vodou you know there's are people that wouldn't understand why the ranks in Vodou are different. What the different responsibilities and sacrifices that one would make at each level, and there meanings.
So I'm going to tell you in this post. Each person in a house have a purpose just like the working members in your church does. Like helping others like the priest, or assisting, or collecting a offering (which is the money people give to the church) so let's begin with the Vodou ranks and there purpose.
Hounsi Lave Tet:
Outside of initiation, there is the lave tet ceremony, which is a ceremony that takes place outside of the djevo and is focused on balancing someone’s head. It is available to anyone who wants it, really, as it doesn’t confer rights/responsibilities that require ritual ties and approval of the spirits–it is really focused on balance. The ceremony can bring someone under the authority of a priest who is doing the ceremony for them and opens the door a little bit for learning, but plenty of folks make lave tet their only action with their personal spirits without any further contact with a sosyete.
The one who becomes a initiate and receives the Lave Tet ceremonies. This is to bless to your new found spirituality. It's gives a non-assonis lineages of Haiti to introduce a new candidate to cleansing, fortifying and finally baptism of one's head.
Anyone can have this ceremony done no matter what spiritual development you want to achieved. One of the many benefits of this ceremony is that it can be performed here in the United States, unlike the other ceremonies.
The Lave Tet also gives you your Lwa, (through a reading) which walk with you, recognition. It refreshes, strengthens, assisting and empowering the Lwa to help you more. A person who receives the Lave Tet gets a strong spiritual cleansing.
It baptizes the head, making you more receptive by enhancing psychic ability, and spiritually giving the person a clean slate. Similar to a Catholic baptism.
The Lave Tet is three days. During the ceremony, the person’s Met Tet, or Master of the Head, will be divined through a special ritual. This Lwa serves to protect and guide the individual. It too is also strengthened and empowered. Other Lwa that walk with the individual.
The Hounsi Lave Tet is then a member of that Vodou Society. However, the tie that binds the individual and the initiator is not the same as the one in the Kanzo.
A Hounsi Lave Tet has the following responsibilities:
To serve his or her Met Tet and the Spirits that walk with him/her. To set up an altar to them To take care of their Po Tet (Head Pot) To attend ceremonies etc.
Hounsi Kanzo:
The Hounsi Kanzo undergoes the Kanzo ceremony. This ceremony is for a person undergoes a trial by fire. This ceremony is also referred to as Simple Kanzo (Kanzo Senp) these are members of the family/congregation and who are responsible for assisting in ceremony with saluting spirits, organizing materials, Hounsi are the vast majority of a sosyete and are intrinsic the function and flow. It is considered the basic ‘level’ of initiation.
This initiation can only be done in Haiti.
Houngan/Mambo Sou Pwen: priest/ess
In addition to the previous ceremonies, a Houngan or Mambo Sou Pwen has also received additional ceremonies. He or she will have the same responsibilities as a Hounsi but is given an Asson to “borrow”. Being Sou Pwen is a huge responsibility! Very few really know that, but it is. A Sou Pwen initiate can serve in a House in a variety of positions. He or she might be the one who dresses the Lwa, or gives them the bottles and mushoirs.
Houngan/Mambo Asogwe: ( High priest/ess)
This is considered the high priest/ess in Vodou, some do not to like to use this term because it overlooks the most important knowledgeable person in the temple and that person might be a hounsi who has been serving the spirits for 50 years. In addition to all the ceremonies above, the person will need to undergo even more ceremonies.
They will be fully empowered. They must know how to do all of the above. In addition, they will need to know how to perform a Kanzo themselves and confer the asson. They will need to create new initiates within the tradition. They will also perform all ceremonies, cleansings,baths, protections, gads, wanga, kanzos, lave tets, etc.
They serve there community.