Wilderness Connection, Heart Wisdom, Soul Teachings & Devotional Practices | Sangoma John Lockley (2020)

John Keith Kelley Lockley joins us for Season 1 (2020) of Birdsong.

John is a fully initiated shaman, or sangoma, in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa - the same tribe that gave us Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

Traditional healers or shamans (sangomas) of the Xhosa People of South Africa use sacred ceremonies involving herbs, songs and trance rhythms to connect with the ancestors and the natural world to encourage a profound remembering and honoring of the human spirit.

John is unique in being initiated in three timeless traditions: African Shamanism as a Xhosa Sangoma, Yoga and Zen Buddhism, and he also holds a degree in Clinical Psychology. He’s the author of the book, Leopard Warrior, and the audiobook, The Way of the Leopard, which you can find over at Amazon, through his publisher, Sounds True, or you can head directly to his website to find out more about him and his work.

Connect with John: www.johnlockley.com

 

TIMESTAMPS: [2:42] John opens our conversation with a beautiful traditional chant

[6:22] “As sangomas, we dream…” [7:23] Don’t think the sacred; feel it

[9:53] “What good is your own enlightenment when the birds are dying…?” - John’s passion for the wilderness

[10:22] Spirituality and apprenticeship are about giving; being in service

[13:10] What does it mean to be connected to your soul and the sacred inside of you?

[15:10] The importance of clarifying intention, connecting to heartbeat, devotional practices of giving thanks and choosing our humanity

[18:14] The alchemy and rise of the umbilini (similiar to kundalini)

[21:15] Has your yoga studio watered their plants recently?

[22:24] Tending the gardens of our own hearts

[25:06] Swimming with great white sharks off the coast of South Africa

[29:14] As the Zen Masters would say: “Why do you eat everyday???”

[29:45] Becoming a shaman or a traditional sangoma is painful

[31:28] Every animal is a reflection of us in some way… and has something to teach us

[32:16] The archetypal symbolism, alchemy and medicine of the salmon

[34:23] Falling in love with the rhythm of our heart pulse

[37:48] How is the land speaking to you? [38:40] The electric nature of the body; the spine as a lightning rod

[41:46] The heartbeat as a magical spring; a spiritual gateway into another world [46:10] What is divination? Divination is to read the soul…

[49:45] What is John’s prayer for self, family and the world?

[51:09] Fatherhood and motherhood from the perspective and life experience of a sangoma

[53:25] The medicine of lightheartedness and silliness and playing music with your children

[56:55] John’s 1:1 mentoring, private sessions and monthly ceremonies