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 How do you experience Vodou, when there are no venues for it’s performance? Vodou has become ubiquitous and yet, it is still misunderstood. Although scholarship is catching up, there is still a large knowledge gap when it comes to the experience of Vodou. You can stop in a church anytime, but getting into a Vodou ritual is much harder. Here at Sosyete du Marche, we are working to close that gap, with real life experience, honest information and a chance to learn hands-on with us.
Each year, Mambo Vye Zo and the Sosyete regularly go out into the public arena to present lectures, seminars and engagements, in an effort to dispel the myths and misunderstandings of Vodou. Due to Hollywood’s overwrought imagination and the general misinformation available, Vodou is still treated like a third-class religion. The fact is - over 4 million people worldwide practice Vodou. It is the religion of record for the entire nation of Haiti. And it is fast becoming a major player in the lives of countless people all over the globe. If the Mambo’s e-mail is any example, folks as far away as Japan, Norway, Italy and the Philippines contact her for explanations, information and help relating to their personal experiences of Vodou.
Sosyete du Marche regularly presents at colleges and universities throughout the Southeastern region of the USA. We have done Ancestral services, Fet Gede ceremonies and Action de Gras for St. Rose in Albany, NY; Swarthmore College here in Pennsylvania and at SUNY in New York. We’ve presented lectures to the Mensa Society of Philadelphia, as well as given seminars at Schenectady College in Schenectady, NY.
We also offer colleges and universities the opportunity to participate in one of our services, here at our peristyle. Although we operate as a private organization, in an effort to continue to show the beauty of the  faith, we do give students and professors the chance to work side by side with servitors. To step down into our temple and see the altars lit, the flags sparkle and the hear the drums can be an eye-opening experience.
If you are interested in having us come to your event, venue or school or you would like to bring your classroom to us, please contact Mambo Vye Zo and she will be happy to forward information to you relating to the services, ceremonies and lectures that she and the Sosyete can present.
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