Reddit mentions of Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti

1. Yes, light skinned people can serve their ancestors, the Lwa, and Bondye. I'm a light-skinned, Aryan-looking houngan. The Lwa call people to their service for their own reasons. There's nothing wrong with wanting to know more. Asking questions is how we learn.
   
   
2. Getting solid, trustworthy information on Vodou can be hard, especially with all the scams out there. I'm going to recommend three books for you, but I'm also going to note that real learning happens by attending ceremonies. Even if you have to travel to do so. I'll tell you a little about each book as well.
   
   Mama Lola, by Karen McCarthy Brown. The author was an academic who studied Vodou in Brooklyn and became very close with the titular mambo. The book is both academic and accessible, observational and multigenerational narrative.
   
   Haitian Vodou by Mambo Chita Tann. Written by a practicing mambo this is an excellent place to start. The book covers much of the history of Haiti rather than focusing strictly on the lwa and their immediate appeal (although it covers them too). It contextualizes both the culture and practice of Vodou within Haitian society and history.
   
   Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti, by Maya Deren. Deren travelled to Haiti in the mid 20th century to study and film Haitian dance. Which, of course, brought her to Vodou ceremonies. Deren later initiated. While it's an older book, Deren's perspective as an artist rather than an academic is original, and interesting.
   
   Everything else aside, remember that various correspondences and so on vary from house to house and lineage to lineage. Don't let what's in print interfere with any guidance you get if you choose to join a house. When it comes to books vs your house it's like Vegas. The house always wins!
   
   Good luck if you choose to pursue this. Learn what you can and take your time.

I would highly recommend a book by Maya Deren called Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti. Deren was, among other things, an experimental filmmaker, and she spent many years in Haiti living among the people there, observing and engaging in various voudoun rituals and dances.

It is by no means a comprehensive study of the religion, but Deren offers a unique perspective on the subject because she is an artist. Rather than the withdrawn aloofness that plagues so much academic and anthropological writing, Deren actually participates in the dances and rituals. So she is able to give a firsthand, experiential-based account of the religion, not just a vague interpretation.

She originally went to Haiti with the intent of studying the dance forms of the ritual. It is written in a more lyrical and poetic style, and some of the things she discusses intersect a lot with aesthetics, philosophy, and metaphysical issues. But for anyone interested in voudoun religion, this is considered a seminal work.

This is her unfinished film of the same name on YouTube, which documents her time spent in Haiti, and the dances they performed. It will be a nice addition should you decide to read the book. Enjoy! Deren was a fascinating woman. :)

Edit: grammar