Around the Web, Around the World
"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt
Ubuntu Means Humanity
John Lockley, a senior shaman in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa is our guest this week. John is one of the first white men in recent history to become a fully initiated Xhosa Sangoma, meaning seers, dreamers or prophets - they are the traditional healers of South Africa. John explains, "My journey is about reconciliation and part of my job is to help heal the past. When people are more connected with their own spirits, there is less of a desire to destroy or put down another. I don't intend to bring Xhosa or South African shamanic culture to the West as such, but rather to use its essence - the techniques of prayer, dream work and connection to nature - to help people connect with their own ancestors and spiritual traditions." John joins host, Christina Pratt, for the first of our series of Society of Shamanic Practitioners sponsored shows. Through these monthly shows we explore how contemporary shamans are meeting the challenge of their world where the relations of things-the living and the dead, the humans and nature, and Western Way and the spirit world-are profoundly out of balance. It is the ancient role of the shaman in all cultures to tend the balance of things. How are these shaman meeting this extraordinary need today?
This week's guest:
John Lockley
John Lockley is a senior shaman in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa. South African shamans are known as Sangomas, meaning seers, dreamers or prophets - they are the traditional healers of Africa.
Following a prophetic dream calling, John suffered from the thwasa, a severe period of ill-health that is inherent in all ancient shamanic cultures. Through many difficulties, he served a 10-year apprenticeship with Mum Gwevu, a well-known Sangoma medicine woman in one of the poorest townships in South Africa. John is one of the first white men in recent history to become a fully initiated Xhosa Sangoma.
John's initiated name, Ucingolwendaba, means messenger or connector between people and cultures, reflecting the bridge his work creates between the cultures and teachings of his African, English and Irish ancestral lineages. John is based in South Africa, although his work takes him around Europe and the US.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific
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Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
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