African Spiritual practices in times of isolation

Today we might feel helpless in the face of a nameless invisible virus that is wreaking havoc with our lives. How can we reclaim our power? In South Africa we often see illness as a spiritual calling, a call from the spirit world, from mother nature herself to encourage us to reconnect with what is important in our lives.

This Webinar will focus on ancient South African practices:

• to calm the spirit in the form of ‘Heart-Beat Meditation’ (inner drum beat)

• to connect to spirit - how to pray effectively to nature including your blood and bones i.e. your Ancestors

• to energise the spirit, in the form of chanting and trance dancing i.e. shaking medicine

• Finally, to listen in the form of working with our Dreams

John will be speaking live from South Africa in the Eastern Cape. He will lead the webinar like a ceremony with drumming and singing in isiXhosa. People will be encouraged to connect to their spirit, Ancestors and nature. What participants will receive will depend on how they pray, humble themselves and open their hearts to nature and the world around them.

As an added Bonus John will teach people an important chant from Africa, i.e. ‘Sondela Mama’, meaning ‘come closer’ great Mother. This is very nurturing and comforting, a soothing balm in our turbulent days.

Awaken to the Ancient Teachings of Africa!

Note: The webinar will start at 5pm London time (noon New York; 6pm South Africa)

About John

John is one of the first white men, in recent history, to become a fully initiated sangoma in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa. He was born, in 1971, into a divided Apartheid South Africa, with the mark of the sangoma on his face – a band of white birth skin around the eyes. At 18, John was serving in the South African army as a medic (after the war with Angola in the 1980s) when he had a strong, prophetic dream calling him to train as a Xhosa sangoma. He immediately began to suffer from the thwasa, a severe period of ill-health that is inherent in all ancient shamanic cultures which can only be cured through apprenticeship to a shamanic teacher. Because of the restrictions of Apartheid (which ended in 1994) it would take John seven years to find a Xhosa teacher

Eventually, post-Apartheid, John met MaMngwevu, a well-known Xhosa Sangoma medicine woman, in one of the poorest townships in South Africa. She had foreseen his arrival in a dream and began his 10-year apprenticeship, giving him the initiated name Ucingolwendaba, meaning messenger or connector between people and cultures.

John now divides his time between South Africa, Europe and the U.S

John and his sangoma colleague Gogo Mandlovu at a ceremony in Zululand, South Africa.