Do Your Work, And Other Truth Bombs (Nokulinda Mkhize Horwood)

The Halfway Point

This is episode 5 of Season 2 of Shades and Layers, and I like where we are with the conversations today. We've talked mental and physical well-being.

It is not possible to speak Wellness, Well-being and Black women and not talk about African spirituality. Today, my guest and sangoma Nokulinda Mkhize Horwood discusses her profession, her own practice, her observations of changing attitudes towards sangomas over the past 13 year's since her initiation and some of the challenges she still faces in her work.

Nokulinda is known as @noksangoma on social media and she's also well-known for her often sold-out talks, Gogo Speaks. Judging by the popularity of these talks, not only is she providing a much needed service, but she is part of the zeitgeist of the de-colonial movement of young South Africans. Her presence and visibility are both  liberating and deeply necessary for her peers.

Our discussion covers everything, from the role of family in spiritual well-being, alienation and anxiety in the city, capitalism-induced spiritual crises in South African urbanites,  Covid-19, Nokulinda's own well-being and how it's changed her approach to life in general and her practice as a sangoma.

It might all sound serious, but it's a fun conversation and we do get super silly at the end of the conversation. You will love it!


GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Indumba - A sangoma’s healing room, traditionally a hut. It is nonetheless a sacred space.

Amatwasa - Initiates training to become sangomas

Ukufemba - a healing process designed to trap and remove negative energies and/or evil spirits

uMgidi - celebratory ceremony

Amasiko - cultural ustoms

Ubuntu - I am because we are

Ubungoma - a spiritual calling