The Crescent City Conjure Lecture Series is a collection of courses curated and produced by Sen Elias (@CrescentCityConjure) and Sangogbemi (@DjMixx305) for the Crescent City Conjure spiritual store in New Orleans, Louisiana. This collection dives into Afro-Diasporic spirituality exploring Hoodoo, Haitian Vodou, and Lukumi (Diasporic Ifa Orisa), addressing topics that advance past typical introductory content.
The classes are niche and the presenters represent a crossroads between academic professor and spiritual practitioner. While some of the courses discuss theory and mindset, others teach the viewer how to perform rituals geared towards enriching daily life from an Afro-Diasporic perspective.
Browse below to select those best suited and please remember to sign-up for the mailing list to remain updated regarding future offerings. Forward all inquiries via Instagram DM to Sangogbemi at @DjMixx305.
Available Courses
A Night with Gede: Exploring Spirits of the Dead in Haitian Vodou
Sun, Nov 20, 2022 7:00 PM
Presenter: Manbo Charlene Desir of Sosyete Nago (Jacmel, Haiti)
Course Description
Crescent City Conjure Lecture Series: Class One. "A Night with Gede: Exploring Spirits of the Dead in Haitian Vodou." Presenter: Manbo Charlene Désir of Sosyete Nago (Jacmel, Haiti). The term "Gede" refers to the family of lwa (elevated spirits/metaphysical forces) representing life and death in Haitian Vodou. During the month of November, these entities are celebrated throughout the island at festivals ("Fete Gede") designed to honor and invite Gede to incorporate physically once again and experience earthly existence. This class will address the role of Gede in traditional practice, their ritual function and fundamentals of their ceremonial celebration. Participants will learn conceptual attributes of Gede, the manner by which these spirits are honored by practitioners (music, altars, and social functions), and, misconceptions and misinformation will be addressed as a means to reconcile appearance with reality. About The Presenter 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.
Legacy of Bone: Mardi Gras and Afro-Diasporic Spirituality
Fri, Apr 7, 2023 8:00 PM
Presenter: Big Chief Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, North Side Skull & Bone Gang
Course Description
Crescent City Conjure Lecture Series: Class Two. "Legacy of Bone: Mardi Gras and Afro-Diasporic Spirituality" Presenter: Big Chief Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, North Side Skull & Bone Gang "Legacy of Bone" will analyze the traditions of New Orleans' famous, North Side Skull & Bone Gang, and the parallels to ancestral reverence in Afro-Diasporic practices such as Hoodoo, Rootwork and Conjure. Big Chief Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes will discuss initiation, rites of passage, and social responsibilities of a fraternity famous for spreading messages of morality and mortality throughout the Treme on Mardi Gras morning. Crescent City Conjure's own, Sen Elias, will then illuminate the way those practices echo and extend ancestral veneration/"work" found within the framework of African-American folk spirituality. About The Presenter Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, born in Gavel Hill, Arkansas, is a veteran educator, athlete (Kansas City Chiefs), and musician. After moving to New Orleans, he founded Sunpie and the Louisiana Sunspots and became an archivist for the New Orleans Jazz Historical Park. Remaining at the intersection of the community and its rhythms, Mr. Barnes has also been called to serve as the Second Chief of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang, one of the oldest existing carnival groups in New Orleans, and is a member of the Black Men of Labor Social Aid and Pleasure Club.
Ancestor Smoke: Honoring Our Dead with Sacred Tobacco
Fri, Aug 18, 2023 8:00 PM
Presenter: Anu-Seti Amen-Ra MBA, CMT
Course Description
Crescent City Conjure Lecture Series: Class Three. "Ancestor Smoke: Honoring Our Dead with Sacred Tobacco" Presenter: Anu-Seti Amen-Ra MBA, CMT. "Ancestor Smoke" will analyze the history and practical applications of tobacco within the context of Afro-Diasporic and Native American spirituality. The class will focus closely on the use of tobacco as a vehicle for ancestral reverence and mediumship, providing instruction for both offerings and communication. The class will also feature a workshop on how to roll custom cigars (from scratch) for use on one's own ancestor altar! About The Presenter Anu-Seti Amen-Ra, born in Jackson Mississippi, is a Master Torcedor (Level 9 Roller) certified in Havana, Cuba. He has worked as a master tobacconist in his State's premiere tobacco retailers, has consulted in the corporate offices of the British American Tobacco Group (Dunhill, RJ Reynolds) and comes from one of the State's most prominent Afro-Native American tobacco farming families whose farms serve premium cigar manufacturers, worldwide. Outside of the cigar industry, Anu is an MBA graduate and a 10-year US Army Officer with a background in infantry and logistical operations.
Mystic Visions: Lwa Iconography in Haitian Vodou
Sat, May 13, 2023 8:00 PM
Presenter: Hougan Alain of Sosyete Nap Rive (Tomazo, Haiti)
Course Description
Crescent City Conjure Lecture Series: Class Four. "Mystic Visions: Lwa Iconography in Haitian Vodou" Presenter: Hougan Alain of Sosyete Nap Rive (Tomazo, Haiti) "Mystic Visions" will analyze the relationships between the "lwa" (principle spiritual entities/intermediaries in Haitian Vodou) and their graphic (often, Catholic) representations in order to gain insight regarding their (the Spirits') attributes and deeper, esoteric mysteries. The class will approach this objective using three pillars of Haitian practice, Erzulie Dantor as represented by the Black Madonna, Kouzen Zaka as represented by St. Isidore, and Ogou as represented by St. Jacques. Finally, attendees will learn how to "charge" one such graphic depiction to create an active altar/talisman to bring forth success within the family, business, or protection. About The Presenter Alain Pierre-Louis, a Boston native, moved to Miami, Florida as an early teenager where he connected more intimately to his Haitian culture and ultimately, traditional religion. He initiated into Vodou in Haiti with Sosyete Nap Rive as a Hougan Sou Pwen, and now specializes in baths, divination and ritual. Outside of his practice, Alain has a Masters degree in Marine Biology and works as a scientist and environmental educator in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Essence of Ezili: Exploring the Divine Feminine in Haitian Vodou
Sat, May 27, 2023 8:00 PM
Presenter: Manbo Charlene Desir of Sosyete Nago (Jacmel, Haiti)
Course Description
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. About The Presenter 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.
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