Ayizan

Ayizan, also Ayizan-Vodun, is a loa (lwa) in Haitian Vodou and related Afro-Caribbean traditions. She is widely regarded as the patroness of the marketplace and commerce, and as a guardian of initiation rites and sacred knowledge within the Vodou priesthood. In many rites, Ayizan is invoked at the start of ceremonies to bless the space and to initiate new participants; she is often described as the first loa to be invited and to enter the ritual space.

Ayizan is commonly portrayed as a dignified, mature woman—often dressed in white—and is associated with weaving, palm wine, and medicinal herbs. She is linked to the transmission of tradition, secrecy, and the learning of ritual knowledge among the initiates, sometimes described as the mother figure of the Lwa. Her divine family or consorts vary across lineages, but she is frequently connected to the world of herbal lore and the market’s commercial life.

In practice, offerings to Ayizan may include foods and items associated with the marketplace and with initiation, such as palm nuts, cornmeal, coffee, rum, tobacco, and white flowers. Her presence is said to provide protection, clarity, and discipline to communities preparing for rites of passage or community gatherings.

Across regions, the identity and associations of Ayizan can vary; she is one of several important Lwa in Haitian Vodou and related traditions, reflecting the syncretic and localized nature of the religion.