Leve Kanzo - The joyful moment when new initiates are reborn from the djevo. Batem - New initiates are baptized and presented to the community. The initiation cycle in Haitian Vodou is a magnificent, profound, and deeply moving event. Often referred to as the kanzo , it takes nearly two weeks to complete. It is divided into several parts, each of which with it's own function, character, and objectives.
People become initiates for a wide variety of reasons.
Some become initiates in order to improve their health or finances, others may wish to protect themselves from malevolent magical attacks. Some are called to initiation by family tradition, by dreams, or by other life experiences. Candidates sometimes have already undergone possession by a lwa , or spiritual entity, which spoke through the person and required them to become an initiate. Others may find that their families are extremely supportive, because they hope to reap the material and spiritual benefits of having an initiate in the house. Vodou is organized into concentric levels of knowledge and power.