Visit Lakou | Lakou Dantes

Visit Lakou a

Permanent Living + Part Time Living

***Living opportunity for Blakk Folk only***

This is not only a place for refuge but also serves as a place of regeneration and reclamation, invoking the spirit of self agency and communal healing. We are anchored in sharing land, resources, skills, labor, and healing modalities, to explore new approaches to healing the whole spectrum of the human condition.

Where the Watas Meet

Retreat

****FOR BLAK WOMEN ONLY***

Bringing y’all the kindred spirits of two sacred systems hoodoo + Vodou magik of Ginen “from Ginen/Guinea,” the land of of our ancestors , across the sea in Afrika.

From the tribes of the Fon, Yoruba, and Oyo including its own Aja people—came to Ayiti with only their bodies and spirits intact. In the creolizing cauldron of the enslaved experience, our ancestors merged their religious and cultural practices so that all might survive. We both have experienced a deep invitation from our ancestors to journey as gatekeepers of these ancient traditions. We are Calling in the ancestors that walk with us , the ancestors of our ancestral lands to come and join with us

From the tribes of the Fon, Yoruba, and Oyo including its own Aja people—came to Ayiti with only their bodies and spirits intact. In the creolizing cauldron of the enslaved experience, our ancestors merged their religious and cultural practices so that all might survive. This is a coming home program that invokes the spirit of self and generational healing. This program will take you through a journey of Re- membering, breaking through mental enslavement, and inviting the spirit of ancient wisdom, storytelling, and the truest knowledge of these traditions.

VIRTUAL COURSE +HAITI EXPERIENCE

HAITI EXPERIENCE

In Person Wanga & Root Work
Kouzen Zaka Festival/ Ceremony
Benyen Maji
Vodou + Hoodoo Ceremony
Basin Bleu + Baths at Waterfalls
Spirit Food Cooking

It includes the following:

Bi-Weekly zoom session that offer sacred community,and group sharing where Lanise & Miala can answer the more intentional and direct questions you may have.
Live group rituals, and more in depth discussions on the course topics
The course includes ingredients and step by step rituals
Ongoing Access to modalities for Spiritual guidance and support

Work Exchange

The Work Exchange Program is an opportunity to experience Lakou Dantes and become an integral part of the community through service. It allows our distant kin an opportunity to cover a substantial part of their expenses through work while still keeping transformation as their main focus.

Lakou (plural lakous) In Ayiti, is a small village or other compound built around a shared yard, or the family structure of those living in such a settlement. But in Vodou, in Haitian (Ayisyen) culture a Lakou is a sacred dwelling space for sovereignty , to dance , to worship, to fellowship, to plant, to heal. A Lakou embraces the soul of freedom and communal healing.

The minimum stay required for participation in this program is two months and can be extended to six months or a full year. Work Exchangers in Lakou Dantes enjoy a good work/life balance, allowing them to devote time to meditation and personal growth as well as participate in workshops and community events.

Depending on the different branches of work, opportunities may be available to learn ways of the land such as farming, herbalism, and cooking.

The Work Exchange program affords one the chance to meet and connect with like-minded travelers from around the world, melt into the ways of Lakou Dantes and become a part of the tribe. Each person's contribution is honored and their commitment to the community and expanding our offerings through exchanging work and afro indigenous healing modalities.

Commitment

The minimum commitment is two months (this includes time spent in workshops)

• Workweek consisting of 25 working hours a week on the land or at the botanika

• Work Exchangers are expected to attend community rituals per week

• Enroll in one of our programs to extend gift offerings

• Offer some form of program or workshop or natural / ritual / product that can expand our gifts and offerings on the lakou or in the botanika

If you are considering long time residence, please email us to start your transition process

Contact

Ayizan Visit

Ayizan : A Sacred elder Divinity of the Dahomeans, Her name comes from the Fon people of Dahomey for whom 'Ayi' means the earth, or the land.

"In that same language, 'zan' means sacred, Ayizan meaning then 'The sacred Earth or the sacred Land, Mother Earth or the Generous Provider.' She is Dahomean of origin and one of the oldest Vodou Spirits

We offer interventions to return back to our indigenous roots, that include a strong element of self-determined agency, as we all have the ability to heal ourselves and each other". Through Ayizan Visits folks will connect to the lands of the lwa and radical ancestors of Ayiti , explore the land of the seas our ancestors traveled through, and the lands Afrikan people have have planted roots. Folks will engage in learning ritual of the people, receive nourishment from traditional dishes, Ayisyen culture & art experiences, and explore the essence of the Dahomey diaspora.

This give folks the option of receiving and create your personal itinerary that will take you on a journey of healing, restoring the mind, body, spirit. Ayizan visits will connect folks with the ancestral lands of the Ayiti, giving us the power to release ancestral trauma and gain ancestor strength & wisdom.