Session II – Traditional Healer as Medium for Addressing Afflictions and Restoration of Wholistic Order within Botho/Ubuntu Cosmology

My presentation develops an understanding of the art of traditional healing as one pillar of the lived community experience of Botho/Ubuntu cosmology. Such healing holistically addresses afflictions at multiple levels — self, community, 11 nature and spirit. It signifies the co-agencies of God (creator/life-giver), ancestors (guiding/protecting), spirit-mediums (messengers between spirit/ material worlds), chiefs (custodian of people and nature), people/community, and land (primal-mother/provider) as the basis for a fulfilling life in the material world. I will describe my practice as a spirit-medium, medicine-man, community-builder and custodian/conveyor of indigenous knowledge/wisdom. I will tell of how I came to understand my calling to become a healer through the experience of near-death illness and day/night visions which opened to me the visitations with spirits/ancestors after my surrender and letting go. Through this process I was thus spirit-inducted into a life of healing, in line with the established wisdom of this role. I work closely with ancestors (immaterial realm) to impart well-being to the material realm. This is achieved through healing rituals, especially for afflictions arising from Africa’s colonization and its aftermath. My complementary role and service to humanity is being a custodian/conveyor of indigenous wisdom and cultural practices informed by the spirits/ancestors. My primary role as father/grandfather and sharing within my extended community also complements my international service in sharing of the Botho/Ubuntu wisdom with diverse constituencies engaged in modern and indigenous modes of knowing for enhancing human flourishing.