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Dear Ubuntu friends
Welcome to my first newsletter of 2010. I had a wonderful trip to South Africa. I travelled about 8000kms in my little VW Golf, working with traditional Sangomas, doing ceremonies, and collecting medicinal plants. I was delighted with the opportunity of honing my traditional Sangoma skills with further trance dancing or Xentsa as we call it, and learning new Ingomas (Sangoma, ancestral songs). I was also called to help bring healing to a troubled farming community after a member was killed in a domestic dispute. The people there were from the Xhosa & Tswana tribes, and I was pleased to see how old, traditional forms of healing are just as effective today as they were generations ago. Please read the News section below for more information.
I held a thanksgiving ceremony on the 5-7March to honour my teacher, Mum Gwevu's ancestors and the ancestors of her husband, Tata Sukwini for keeping the old traditions alive. Many people attended the ceremony. Mum Gwevu & Tata were touched with my efforts to remember the old people and to honour them in this way. During the course of the ceremony I mentioned my clients & friends in the UK who contributed towards this ceremony. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of youfor contributing towards this worthy cause! By remembering the old people & the old ways we are feeding future generations, and allowing the seeds of our 'Ubuntu' (humanity) to spread into the future.
In February I had the good fortune of spending time with the legendary Credo Mutwa, Zulu Sage & senior Sangoma. He gave me the opportunity to 'throw my bones' in a divination session for his wife, Virginia. He was very happy with the divination and said 'your bones will always tell the truth!'
I am delighted to be returning to the UK again. I have a number of projects which I am working on. For instance, workshops in Oxford, Kent & London, not to forget Ireland in May and also America in September. Please keep your eyes peeled for the next Spirit & Destiny magazine coming out in May. It has a feature on some of my work.
I am now a member of 'facebook', you can see me under 'Sangoma Shamanism'. Feel free to send me a friend request. I have also embraced a new wonder of modern technology, 'paypal', so I can take credit card payments for workshops or private sessions.
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Sangoma Divination Sessions
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I will be available to give private sessions again from Friday 23rd April (next week). I will be working from Oxford and Abingdon's lovely new healing centre in Abingdon, 20mins from Oxford, called 'The Natural Healing Centre.
If you would like an individual divination session with me please email john@african-shaman.com, or phone me on 0782-614-4746. I charge £70 for a one hour session.
I give divinations as well as shamanic healing, counselling/ psychotherapy & medicinal herb foot baths. If someone wants to work through a particular issue that is longstanding I recommend at least 3-6 sessions. All healing takes time and commitment, there are no quick fixes! If money is an issue I am willing to negotiate a lesser amount if people book ahead for a number of sessions.
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| Upcoming workshops and events |
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April
30th - 2 May
Songs and Dream WorkCollingwood House, Hawkhurst, Kent - Friday 30th - Evening Blessing/ Talk & Sacred Sound Journey. £20, 7:30-9:30pm
- Saturday 1st - One day workshop Songs and Dream Work. £75, 10am to 5pm.
- Sunday 2nd - Private Appointments Healing or Divination. £70.
Bookings: Call Ann Pattihis on 01580 753993, or 078100 43937, email Mpattihis@aol.com
21st - 24th May
Ancestral re-connection Workshop in Ireland
Derrynagittah, Feakle, Co Clare (Non-Residential)
Exchange: 120 Euro
Times:Friday 21st 8pm - 10pm.
Saturday 22nd 10-5pm, Sunday 9.30am - 1pm.
Monday 24th May - Private Divination Sessions By Appointment.
This Workshop will focus on:
- Deep Honouring of our Ancestors
- Heart beat meditation & Stillness
- Songs & trance rhythms
- Dream work, how to recognise & manifest 'white' or ancestral/
prophetic dreams.
- Ancient Blessing purification ceremony using medicinal plants
For further information contact:
Phone Carole on 061-924268/ 924182 or email plantdreamer@hotmail.com. Places are
limited so early booking is recommended.
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June
18th - 20th June Introduction to 'Ubuntu', BedfordClophill Fruit farm, Befordshire, MK45 4BT 'Ubuntu' is central is Southern African spirituality. It means humanity, and is widely believed that we realise our humanity through the quality of our interaction with one another. 'Ubuntu Ubunzulu' means the depth of humanity, and these include the sacred Xhosa Sangoma teachings which I will be talking about over the weekend. - Friday 18th -Talk & Blessing ceremony,7:30-9:30pm, £15
- Saturday 19th - One day Workshop,10-5pm,£75 Involving a traditional 'Kraal' ceremony.The Kraal is an ancient structure or 'doorway' used to connect more deeply with our ancestors. It is the only one of its kind outside South Africa.
- Sunday 20th - Private Divination Sessions. £70
To Book the Talk, One day workshop and private Divination session please call Richard Diss on 01525-862278 or email him on richarddiss1950@tiscali.co.uk. |
UK Ubuntu weekly Gatherings in Oxford
| | Ubuntu is all about community. An individual can create rhythm but a group can create a 'symphony'! Stuart turner and I are working on starting a weekly 'Ubuntu' -South African Shamanic group in Oxford that will focus on rhythms, dancing, singing, dream interpretation & always honouring our Ancestors and uThixo (the Great Spirit).
If you are interested to take part then please contact Stuart at stuartlandart@googlemail.com
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| In the news | | In February I appeared in the Daily News in Natal (Zulu land), South Africa featuring my healing work on a farm outside Bloemfontein. There was a domestic dispute and someone was killed. I used traditional medicinal herbs, Ingomas (Sangoma ancestral songs) and an ancestral ceremony to bring the community to a place of healing. It was a difficult job, but I found the peoples' hearts open and very receptive to me and the medicine I carry. To read more about this story please click the following link. Sangoma Lockley is a healing connector.
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| Xhosa Sangoma songs on Myspace |
|  Sangoma music is hundreds of years old and form the bedrock of sangoma ancestral practice. The simple drum beats encourage a relaxing trance state which help to facilitate dreams, visions and connecting with the ancient ones.
In my time in South Korean as a zen student I found strong parallels
between Korean chanting monks and my Sangoma colleagues.
Sangomas are the monks & nuns of Southern African. Their songs are called Ingomas, and their repetitive rhythmic nature make them similar to chanting monks in the Far East like South Korea and Tibet. Some songs you can sing for hours. For instance 'umoya, wam, thulula moya, moya wam'. My spirit, pour forth my spirit. I will be teaching songs like these in my forthcoming workshops.
I made an album containing 3 cds, 'Ubuntu Ubunzulu', called depth of humanity, featuring Sangoma songs, Ingomas. I recorded them live whilst working as a Sangoma in the Eastern Cape.
Please see my new web page entitled 'Sangoma music', featuring some of these songs from the album. Let me know how you like the music.
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Heartbeat Meditation CDs ready for purchase
| |  New copies of my Heartbeat Meditation CD are ready, and cost £15.
I recommend using this as a way of helping to establish and deepen your daily practice of stillness. If you would like to buy one, contact Rebecca via email on:
rebeccaimber@gmail.com |
How to reconnect with your Ancestors?
| | It takes time, commitment, patience and above all 'respect' to connect with our Ancestors. In Sangoma culture, Ancestors or 'Izinyanya' refer not only to blood ancestors but also the 'silent, hidden ones', the subtle spiritual forces of nature.
To start the process, lets focus on our blood ancestors first. To connect with your ancestors create some sacred space in your home. A quiet space. I tend to do this as a meditation late at night after 12 when it is very still outside. Light a white candle or two. Sit quietly and listen to your own heartbeat. Then light some incense and say your name out loud and include your Father and Mother's maiden name. Say, "my name is ..... and I honour the blood in my veins, I honour the Great Spirit, I honour the Ancestors down my Father's line, then name them, I honour the Ancestors down my Mother's line, then name them..." . Then you can honour your plant and animal spirits, name them. At the end of your prayer, talk about what is preventing you from living with connection, and ask for help so that your road can open, so that you can realise your destiny in this world and the next.
Keep doing this with respect and gratitude towards your ancestors for all the struggles and sacrifices they went through in order for you to have life. Make a strong commitment to doing this, daily with strong intention to honour and to pay respect to the blood in your veins. Over time your life will start to change in a profound and mysterious way. I know mine has. And when this starts to happen to you, be patient, listen, watch, and keep honouring. I look forward to hearing your stories and how things unfold for you. Good luck!
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