Master of Metaphysical Healing
Rev. Kelly Lefcourt
LESSON 11
REVISION
Fill in the missing words
Neither Traditional nor Spiritual Healers choose their profession, but enter it as a result of a "Call of Priesthood" or "Twasa". While some may be born with "one ounce more of spirituality", in many cases it is precipitated by mental or physical trauma that does not respond to any form of treatment. When all conventional forms of treatment have failed, the person will then be drawn to seek help from a qualified Traditional Doctor or experienced Spiritual Healer whom his/her ancestors/guides deem most suitable. The Healer enters into the profession with humility rather than vanity, and a sense of duty to the public, and becomes apprenticed to his/her mentor. In the African culture, however, the initiate traditional healer's duties can include cooking, cleaning and house duties for their mentor, to reinforce the importance of humility.
The training of the initiate involves self-healing, under the guidance of their Mentor, who encourages him/her to find the answers to questions from within. Strong emphasis is placed on the interpretation of dreams and their healing properties. The initiate traditional healer will also be encouraged to remain celibate, cleanse the physical body, abstain from harmful practices and to undergo several years of training. Fasting and periods of solitude are common to both forms of initiation.
Both Traditional Healers and Spiritual Healers believe in a Supreme Being and Spirit Helpers. Traditional Healers direct their prayers and worship in the form of sacrifices, to God via the spirits of their ancestors. Both Traditional and Spiritual Healers work under the guidance of Ancestors although Spiritual Healers more commonly refer to them as "Healing and teaching guides, ascended masters and archangels" etc.
Both recognize that God is omnipotent and dwells in all things. Therefore all things have spirit and can be communicated with through intent and by becoming one with the elements of nature. To this end it is accepted by both groups that the unconscious/subconscious communicates through dreams/symbols/metaphors. These dreams are believed to be messages from ancestral spirits or guides and the traditional healer initiate must relate his/her dreams to their mentor daily for interpretation. It is believed that these dreams can give insight to the character of the initiate.
Both recognize that physical illness originates from the emotional or mental state of dis-stress, and treat the patient holistically i.e. "when part of me is ill, the whole of me is ill" and the patient is thus treated physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This applies not only to the individual but to community as well.
Both groups place great importance with dreams and interpretations thereof. To afflicted persons dreams serve as pointers indicating how they should seek help. They may also have a diagnostic value, direct the timing of events, and are therapeutic in nature. Both groups accept the importance of dreams. [6]Traditional Healer Initiates sometimes place bark from a dream tree under their sleeping mats, while others sleep with a piece in their cheeks.
Whilst Traditional Healers communicate with their ancestors and use bones, Spiritual Healers will use a pendulum, dowsing rod or cards for the same purpose. Some spiritual healers are clairaudant and can clearly hear the voices of their healing guides talking to them whilst they are in consultation with a patient. Both parties also do healing over great distances, often with a picture or piece of hair being used to create "a connection" between themselves and their patient.
It is acknowledged that the speed at which the trainee learns is dictated by the ancestors/guides and that everything happens at the right time and in the correct sequence. Some Traditional Healers can take up to six years and more to qualify and with Spiritual Healing, in South Africa the training can last from six months to a year.
Sound and movement – music, chanting and rhythmic movement play an important role in the ceremonies and rituals of both groups and from the first day the initiate traditional healer will be taught how to regain his/her health through singing and dancing. His/her mentor will also teach the student traditional steps and music.
The therapeutic and ritualistic use of color is common to both. Ceremonies performed by both groups most frequently take place in the form of a circle, with either a fire or candles at the center, prayers and meditation or singing and dancing. The aim is to generate sufficient power for the ancestors or guides to be able to communicate. Water is also often used as an integral part of the ceremony, with great emphasis being placed on the importance of spiritual and personal cleanliness. The purpose of such rituals and gatherings is to increase the outer and inner energy to enable the student to achieve an altered state of consciousness.
Both groups have an understanding of "a seat of energy" Traditional and Spiritual Healers both recognize the importance of shifting through each of the Chakras, to open and clear the mind for greater understanding and wisdom, as well for interpreting messages from the ancestors/Spirit Guides. (Spiritual Healers refer to kundalini while Traditional Healers refer umbelini) Both groups also learn how to utilise this energy for healing.
The sacrifice and blood letting of animals forms an integral part of rituals performed by Traditional Healers. Animals are however, humanely slaughtered by first giving them a mixture of herbs to sedate and calm them before their lives are taken. Whilst not all Spiritual Healers subscribe to the Christian Faith, the Old Testament cites cases where people were called upon to make animal sacrifices to God.
As with Traditional Healers, most Spiritual Healers accumulate objects from nature (feathers, shells, wood, crystals etc) that they carry with them or have nearby whilst performing healings. It is believed that these objects have positive energy and which also help to enhance their healing abilities.
Bridging the Communication Gap between Traditional Healers and Western Medicine
There are currently more than 350,000 traditional and spiritual healers operating in South Africa as opposed to +-93,000 Western Allopathic Doctors. The Traditional Healer System, in which 75% to 80% of South Africans consult traditional and spiritual healers, is a rich and well-established Indigenous Knowledge System and while supplementary training in primary health care subjects is important, the primary objective must to preserve cultural knowledge for the benefit of future generations and the present society.
80% of South African Traditional Healers are illiterate and while supplementary training in primary health care is essential, if they are forced to conform to bio-medical models of instruction they will no longer be able practice the ancient sciences recognise the spiritual elements contained in natural healing methods. Traditional Healers work with the four elements, converse with their ancestors, learn through taste, smell, intuition and where language tends to distort, move into poetry, chant, rhythm and ritual to speed up the learning process. Unable to read or write they rely on memory and visual aid enhance their ability to remember. In addition, the Western view of time is diametrically opposed to the African view. The difference in the two views of this concept alone illustrates completely different approaches and attitudes to life, humanity, and to work and business. It affects the way we interact with one another and the difficulty Africans and Westerners sometimes have in understanding the other's motivation and behaviour.
Teaching methods, therefore, need to be designed to accommodate Indigenous Knowledge Systems when it comes to the development of a curriculum and methodology of training traditional healers on primary health care subjects. In addition to ancestral training, [8]they need to be well informed on health and disease conditions, which information their clients would also be exposed to through ongoing health education so that as practitioners they gradually achieve a broader orientation to problems they are likely to see daily. This would also provide a common frame of reference between the practitioners. Ideally, Traditional Healers should be allowed to accompany their clients to the hospital. This would also help to speed up history taking. In addition, they should be allowed to visit their patients in the hospital and continue with certain treatments so that after discharge from hospital, the traditional healer can continue with follow up care.
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