Crescent City Conjure Lecture Series: Class Five. 

"Essence of Ezili: Exploring the Divine Feminine in Haitian Vodou"

Presenter: Manbo Charlene Desir of Sosyete Nago  (Jacmel, Haiti)

“Essence of Ezili” will analyze the psycho-emotional trajectory of womanhood utilizing aspects of the Ezili “family” of Lwa (principle spiritual entities/intermediaries in Haitian Vodou) as focal points for the discussion. Freda, Danto, and Gran Ezili become markers against which to observe the youthful, matriarchal and elder archetypes supporting the woman’s relationship to self and society throughout her life. These aspects are then synthesized to highlight the nature of the Divine Feminine as made manifest within traditional Haitian spirituality.

Manbo Charlene Désir is a Vodou priestess initiated in the Sosyete Nago Lakou in Jacmel, Haiti. She is also a research professor in South Florida who received her doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on the spiritual and psycho-social acculturation of disenfranchised children in the US and Haitian school systems. A celebrated academic, counselor and activist, Dr. Désir has also co-founded T.E.N. Global, an empowerment network focused on upliftment and spiritual liberation.