War & Peace by John Lockley
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
There is chaos in the hearts of man. And our chaos spreads like a virus into the natural world resulting in species extinction and unimaginable environmental destruction. It’s hard to conceive of war on the level of World War One & Two with millions of deaths and untold destruction. As we witness the recent war in Gaza and Ukraine, we are all called to ponder the question of ‘Why’? And is it necessary to resort to violence in order to be seen and heard? How can we fulfil our role as custodians of this planet and rightful guardians of the plant and animal worlds? It is clear that we need to face our own darkness and explore our inner shadows meticulously and be aware of what we might project onto people we perceive as other or different. In South Africa we have had many lessons around this from the last few hundred years since the start of colonisation, then apartheid and now democratic South Africa.
For those of us who study nature and have learnt to befriend the changing seasons we know that chaos is part of change and transformation. A thunderstorm brings lightning and rain. The rain nourishes the land and makes new life possible. In order to bring peace to our world we need to befriend our inner weather, and ride the storms of shadow energies involving turbulent emotions like anger and resentment. What do we do when these energies seek to overwhelm us? Attack another, ourselves or transmute them into something more productive? Anger is a powerful emotion that can help us transform the living fabric of society. But to do it effectively requires discernment and respect. First, we need to respect ourselves and not give in to our inner critic and when we find ourselves in conflict with others, we need to also hold a space in our hearts for respecting them. In martial arts from the far east like Karate in Japan, opponents begin and end their match with bowing to each other.
I recall a story of Nelson Mandela years ago who was televised in his meeting with the heads of the Palestinian and Israeli youth leagues. They asked him how he managed to create peace in South Africa. He was very matter of fact and recounted his talks with FW De Klerk in the early years. He said they would start each day shaking one another’s hands and having a cup of coffee together. During the course of the day, they would argue with one another and sometimes it would get quite heated. The Youth league presidents asked him if he ever felt like giving up. He said, “no”, because he and Mr FW De Klerk were aware that millions of South Africans were counting on them to find a peaceful solution. It wasn’t personal. No matter how difficult their day was they would always say good bye in an amicable and courteous manner.
In order to understand Mandela’s diplomacy and humanitarianism we need to explore an important aspect of his journey. Many people might not be aware of Nelson Mandela’s personal journey around his struggle with anger and hatred over white rule and lengthy incarceration. He recounts his story in his autobiography ‘A long walk to freedom’. He said that one night before he went to sleep a voice said to him “Nelson your anger can kill you”. And when he woke the next morning he remembered this voice and the next thing he heard was “…you need to befriend the enemy”. These thoughts were going through his mind when the white jailer unlocked his jail cell. All he said to him was, “what made you decide to become a jailer and join the correctional services?” The guard was a young white man and told Mandela he didn’t have a choice because his father died when he was only 15 years old and he had to get a job to help support his mother and four younger siblings. This shocked Mandela because he thought all white people were privileged. He realised in their discussion that he grew up with more privilege because when his father died when he was seven years old, he was brought up in the royal household of the Prince of the Xhosa nation. This enabled him to go to university and become a lawyer. He only knew apartheid when he was twenty-one years old. He asked the young jailer where he grew up. The man replied that his family have a farm in the Eastern Cape. Mandela was surprised and told him that he too was from the Eastern Cape. He then asked him in IsiXhosa if he understood the Xhosa language, and the young jailer replied “ewe, ndiyasaze isiXhosa!” Yes, I know Xhosa. And they finished their conversation in Mandela’s home language, isiXhosa. When Mandela became president of South Africa his young jailer friend was sitting next to him as they had become close friends over many years.
Traditional Zen garden
I took part in a traditional Zen Buddhist retreat in the early 1990’s in a temple in South Korea. The Berlin Wall had just fallen a few years previously resulting in the end of the cold war. There were many ex-soldiers on my retreat from East Germany, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and myself from South Africa. We all meditated like soldiers with discipline and a hunger to find peace within amidst the trauma of our collective experiences. During the 100 days retreat we became like brothers as we sought to befriend our inner demons and the cold of a Korean winter. I had never seen so much snow before. Sometimes our Zen Master would usher us outside at ten o’clock at night to sweep the temple grounds before the old people visited the temple in the early hours. One particularly cold night as the Siberian winds ushered in fresh snow the Grand Master, Seung Sahn was giving a dharma talk. He finished his talk with asking us if we had any questions. Everyone was silent, and then a young Californian woman said, “what do we do when the devil comes knocking?” Seung Sahn replied in his jovial way, “Ahhh, the devil! Well, ask the devil if he would like a cup of tea.” In life we our constantly fighting and blaming the devil for all of mankind’s problems. His answer was a quintessential zen reply. Respect all of life, including the devil. It doesn’t mean we need to side with the devil, but rather take a pause, reflect, bow and listen. This brings to mind a traditional Zen Garden with stones and sand in harmony. Listening within brings about spaciousness. As we meditate on the stones and the sand, we start to befriend the opposites of light and dark within us. Nothing is wholly good or bad, light or dark. It is our reactions that make it so.
Many people are speaking about the war in Ukraine and Gaza while the hidden war against animals and nature continues unabated. As humanity fights with one another and with issues of power, powerlessness, wealth and poverty, the natural world is dying. What can individuals do? As a traditional South African healer or Sangoma the answer is simple; we need to connect to our own ‘Ubuntu’ (humanity). This involves befriending our ancestors and our inner demons or conflicts. Ubuntu is a circle and speaks about the importance of all of us to hold hands and embrace our collective humanity. In traditional Xhosa and Zulu culture every human being is seeing as being related when you go back far enough. Why? Because we all have red blood and this blood or life force is transferable from person to person regardless of creed, culture or skin colour. We are the natural guardian and custodians of planet earth. We have an unassailable duty and responsibility to all of life on earth. The animals and plants are counting on us to respect life. And when we look closely at the natural world, we see the teachings of mutual respect and understanding shining back at us. Plants are wonderful teachers and demonstrate unconditional love in their offerings to the world of medicinal plants that spread healing and harmony.
In order to heal our world, we need to look into the past and see how our ancestors dealt with chaos, whether environmental or man-made. We are lucky in Africa to still retain a connection to our distant past. Southern Africa is thought by many anthropologists to be the birthplace of mankind. Our ancient ancestors are thought to be a small band of hunter gatherers or San Bushmen that inhabited the coastal regions of South Africa. They left their mark with numerous rock art paintings highlighting their incredible spiritual and tracking talents. They are the spiritual ancestors of current sangoma or African shamanic lineages in Southern Africa and represent what is possible when we connect to our spirit through trance dancing, plant medicine and following the tracks of animals in the sand. We are part of nature and in order to heal our environment and prevent species extinction we need to learn the language of nature.
I was on a recent ‘Dreams and Tracking retreat in the Kalahari Desert’ and I was speaking to one of our Bushman trackers about healing and dreams. In my experience as a sangoma I have encountered many people who are not remembering or connecting to their dreams. As we walked through the bush together, hundreds of kilometres away from modernity, I asked him if he could recommend any plants that can help people to remember their dreams and connect to their ancestors. The reason being, as a sangoma we believe that as people connect to their dreams and ancestors then they connect to their ‘Ubuntu’ (humanity), and balance and harmony is returned to the circle of life. The Bushman tracker walked past a shrub, stopped, and broke a piece off and placed it in his mouth. He then smiled in a gentle way and told me about this plant. He said that this particular medicinal plant was very powerful because it can heal conflict in the community. If people are struggling with one another in the community, they bite a piece off and spit it on the ground between them. This will help reduce the conflict and spread harmony. At this time the Ukraine war had just started thousands of kilometres away. The bees were going about their business pollinating flowers, and an interesting flock of birds were gravitating around a nearby bush speaking in the language of nature that we were trying to understand.
One of the Bushman elders started to speak in an animated way with the young tracker and they were pointing at me. The elder then approached me and asked me if he could participate in my ‘shrine tent activities’. He had heard about this white sangoma and wanted to see what I do. I was overjoyed and said, “yes of course, join anytime”. Every year on my Kalahari retreats I create a shrine tent for 7 days in the bush. It is a place where I teach people ‘inner tracking skills’; in particular how to connect to ancestors, dreams and ‘ubuntu’, the circle of life. The next day the Bushman elder called Gqikau joined our shrine tent with about 10 or more of his family/ community members. I beat my sangoma drum and we danced and sang together. I explained how I teach people how to pray in the sangoma way and then we all prayed together. It was a beautiful blend of different languages and cultures. The birds took a flight closer to see what was going on. The bushman band said that people visit them from all over the world but never tell them about their lives only asking many questions about them and how they live. They said they were curious about modern people and how they experienced life. I thanked them for their comment and then we went around the room and each retreat participant gave their name and where they came from in the world. People listened to one another. We then spoke about what was happening in the world, and one of the bushman ladies said the biggest problem she has noticed is that people are becoming selfish, they don’t want to share. We compensated for this by listening deeper and bridging our ancient and modern worlds.
John and San Bushmen elder Gqikau on retreat in the Kalahari desert in 2023
At the end of our ceremony in the bush I offered Gqikau one of my sangoma fabrics which I draped over his shoulders. At the same time, I noticed a vulture flying towards us, low, almost touching the trees, and then flying over our heads. This was a wonderful sign, as vultures often represent transformation. Sangomas view them as powerful healers, with the ability to transform poison and negativity. This was a realisation of a vision I had for many years, of ancient and modern people sitting around a fire revisioning our humanity.
Excerpt from Odyssey magazine article, summer edition 2023-2024, Click here to view.
Plant Healing in Ireland
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
After receiving a plant medicine treatment from John a wonderful healing occurred for me. I slept soundly and peacefully for the first time since 2006 and the next morning I felt lighter and brighter and felt more like my old fun-loving, mischievous self. Having read an article in Spirit & Destiny Magazine about John Lockley last summer I knew had to meet him. But time went by and I totally forgot until I received an email from a friend saying John would be giving his Ubuntu 101 workshop in East Clare. At that time there were severe weather alerts due to the unprecedented frost and snow that Ireland was experiencing. People said "your crazy" but I knew I had to make this journey.
To be honest I didn’t know what to expect and it took me awhile to get used to John's rather direct form of teaching! But it really is the only way to get through to some of us! I really enjoyed listening to John speaking in Xhosa and in some strange way I instinctively knew what he was saying before he translated it into English (which proves that Ubuntu has no language barriers). The singing, dancing and drumming were so beautiful and you could literally feel your spirit come alive and soar.
From honouring my ancestors and doing my heart beat meditation (which is a really effective and beautiful experience) I now see people differently and feel much more connected to myself and to my sense of oneness with Mother Earth & to all living beings and things.
I left East Clare feeling happy & peaceful with the singing of the Xhosa tribe ringing in my ears.
Lelia
East Clare, Ireland
December 2010 Ubuntu Workshop
In Testimonials
Fireside Chat in Vermont
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
Here are some thoughts about the fire (and thanks for sharing about the coyotes!) What most impresses me about the messages John Lockley brings is the simplicity of them. He began with having us listen to our own hearts. Feeling them beat inside of us. Everything else came from that point. I have gotten instruction before in meditation that focuses primarily on the breath, and struggled to feel connection. Somehow focusing on the heartbeat was a very different experience. To feel the drumming inside of me, and feel the connection to the Earth through this rhythm, while remembering and honoring ancestors, placed me firmly in my body--balanced and stable and able to move from a place of calm. I felt a new understanding of meditation.
The knowledge he shares is ancient and timeless, and yet he communicates it in such a way that we in these confusing and hyper-fast times can comprehend them.
His personal stories help to illustrate essential truths of spiritual practice and seeking help from Divine, from Source.
John is very down to earth and sometimes uses a Puckish sense of humor to make ideas clear. Yet always there is an unwavering authenticity that he shows and invites us back to again and again. He brings us back to ourselves and our own work, all the while encouraging us to drop our false faces, our patterns of old habits that may not serve us, and connecting us to our ancestors and spirit guides.
Heather
Vermont, USA
In Testimonials
Dedication to Calling
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
John Lockley is an extraordinary being. His dedication to his calling ispalpable, and his infectious enthusiasm for finding and following your unique path touched my heart deeply.The timing of John's message is impeccable. I recognize the grace that was bestowed upon me by being in John's presence. He shook my bones, and moved my heart.
Carolyn Gregory
Vermont, USA
In Testimonials Tags Calling, Heart path, John Lockley, Message
Reconnecting to my Ancestors
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
Reconnecting to my ancestors through ceremony and dreams has truly been an empowering and life-changing event. I will be forever grateful to John for facilitating this experience.
Lorraine
Galway, Ireland.
In Testimonials
Intact Medicine Tradition
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
It is a very special and unique experience to be taught by someone trained in a living, breathing, intact medicine tradition. You bring the teachings to us with dignity and integrity and have inspired me to want to connect deeply with my own ancestral lines. You also show us your own humility and humanity and sense of fun to produce an experience which is strong, but gentle. I look forward to continuing working with such an inspirational teacher. Thank you!
Elizabeth Caldwell, PhD
University Lecturer, UK
In Testimonials
Love & Peace
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
From what I have experienced so far I would say that UBUNTU involves opening up to great power through learning to be humble and to open the heart. Whilst honouring and praising my ancestors outdoors with the group I have felt levels of love and peace that I rarely achieve elsewhere. And through the personal practice of honouring my ancestors in the UBUNTU way I feel I have been able to connect with my helpers and guides in a much more profound and deep way.
Caroline Evans
School Teacher
In Testimonials
oh my gosh can John dance...
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
John and all the people were amazing. So much more than I could have hoped for, and oh my gosh can John dance...
P.P. Chester
Retreat participant
In Testimonials
Heart Sings
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
In my job as a Chiropractor
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
When I saw an advertisement for a weekend course with John Lockley, a white South African member of the Xhosa tribe and a practising Ubuntu Sangoma i.e. shaman or ‘medicine-man’ or even ‘witch-doctor’ as we in the west might call him, my curiosity was aroused. I decided I had to find out more and approached the course with nervous but open-minded anticipation. I was not disappointed. I do not want to give too much away about the weekend except to say that it was a mixture of instruction and participation. Some of this I found emotionally very challenging, nothing we did was unacceptable to me, and the benefit was enormous. I felt elated for days afterwards.
There is one thing that surprised me. Although my knowledge of Romany Chovihano shamanism is limited (I am of mixed Anglo-Irish-Romany descent and Chovihanos have all but died out, at least in the west), what I do know tells me that Xhosa and Romany shamanism are so similar that it cannot be coincidence. Since the two peoples can hardly have met and exchanged ideas, they must have independently developed two systems whose closeness, in my opinion, tends to add credence to their value and utility.
In my job as a Chiropractor I am very aware that there are emotional and spiritual aspects of peoples’ lives which have negative influences on their general health contributing to their overall ‘dis-ease’, and which are left unresolved by modern health care (of any kind), psychology, and religion. I feel that Ubuntu may go a long way to filling that gap.
Dr. Peter Smith
Chiropractor, Llandudno, North Wales Member of the Scottish Chiropractic Association
Member of the College of Chiropractors
In Testimonials
Awakenings
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
This workshop woke up parts of me that had been sleeping maybe some generations, and the teaching was delivered with an integrity I trusted. - Dai Owen, Illustrator
In Testimonials
Exceptional
John Lockley writes about the current Wars plaguing humanity in Gaza and Ukraine, and he speaks about the importance of cultivating mutual respect and empathy.
There are only a few genuinely trained and apprenticed shamanic practitioners working in Europe and the U.S.A. Having been a witness at John Lockley’s final initiation ceremonies in South Africa, I can testify that John is one of the few exceptional people working in the U.K. who can claim to have a genuine Ancestral training and lineage. Working with John is a unique opportunity to experience a connection and harmony that will enrich your life and strengthen your heart.
Steve Taylor
UK Medical Herbalist
In Testimonials