Leopard warrior : a journey into the African teachings of ancestry, instinct, and dreams

pt. I. Dreamtime -- 1. Blood and Tears -- 2. The Calling Dream -- pt. II. Zen Training -- 3. African Zen -- 4. South Korea -- pt. III. Dreaming of Leopards and Dancing with Spirits -- The Sangoma Way -- 5. My Teacher Appears -- 6. Xhosa Culture : Historical Background -- 7. Xhosa Mysticism -- pt. IV. The Sangoma's Apprentice -- 8. Xhentsa : Dancing with the Spirits -- 9. Amayeza : Magic Plants -- 10. Vumisa : The Art of Divination -- pt. V. Initiation -- 11. Call to Ireland -- 12. Back to Africa : Umgoduso (Final Initiation), Dreams, and Signs -- 13. Entering the Shadowlands -- 14. Initiation as Transformation -- pt. VI. Out of Africa -- 15. A Seven-Year Pilgrimage : One Truth, Many Cultures -- 16. Ubuntu 101 Teachings. A Teaching Memoir That Crosses the Barriers Between Worlds A shaman is one who has learned to move between two worlds: our physical reality and the realm of spirits. For John Lockley, shamanic training also meant learning to cross the immense divide of race and culture in South Africa. As a medic drafted into the South African military in 1990, John Lockley had a powerful dream. "Even though I am a white man of Irish and English descent, I knew in my bones that I had received my calling to become a sangoma, a traditional South African shaman," John writes. "I felt blessed by the ancient spirit of Africa, and I knew that I had started on a journey filled with magic and danger." His path took him from the hills of South Korea, where he trained as a student under Zen Master Su Bong, to the rural African landscape of the Eastern Cape and the world of the sangoma mystic healers, where he found his teacher in the medicine woman called MaMngwevu. In Leopard Warrior, John shares a gripping account of his experiences and the wisdom he learned over years of training. Here he invites you to discover: Powerful insights into the spiritual tradition of the Xhosa lineage of South Africa—the tribe of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu Ubuntu—a core concept for recognizing and embracing our deep interconnection with all living things Ancestor medicine—how we can learn to honor the blood in our veins, the heritage of our soul, and our shared humanity Recovering our forgotten knowledge about the wisdom of our dreams, the spirits of plants and animals, and the power of the unseen world In traditional African healing circles, the leopard represents intuition, instinct, and harmony with nature and the spirit world. As John Lockley writes, "A leopard warrior is a spiritual soldier who mirrors the natural world and directs their gaze inward to answer the call of their spirit." With Leopard Warrior, he brings us an inspiring call to action—showing how we can bridge the barriers that divide us, embrace the gifts of our ancestors, and reclaim our rightful place as compassionate caretakers of our world. In 1990, during the beginning of the end of apartheid, a young white medic in the South African army named John Lockley had a powerful dream. This dream, which he describes as a "calling," began his extraordinary odyssey beyond the barriers of race, culture, and belief into the world of the shaman. Leopard Warrior shares the remarkable story of how John Lockley became one of the first modern white men in recent history to become a fully initiated sangoma—traditional priest and healer—in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa, the tribe of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. In this teaching memoir, John introduces readers to "the way of the leopard," a shamanic path for awakening our intuition and connection to the spirit world. As he explores Xhosa wisdom on dreams, ceremony, spirit guides, and ancestors, this remarkable teacher takes us on a joyous and life-affirming journey to the center of our power and purpose in this world, to our intrinsic humanity (ubuntu). "In 1990, as the era of apartheid was finally ending, a young white medic in the South African army named John Lockley had a powerful dream. This dream... began his extraordinary odyssey beyond the barriers of race, culture, and belief and into the world of the shaman... Leopard Warrior shares the remarkable story of how John Lockley became one of the first modern white men in recent history to become a fully initiated sangoma--traditional priest and healer--in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa, the tribe of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. In this teaching memoir, John introduces readers to The Way of the Leopard, a shamanic path for awakening our intuition and connection to the spirit world. As he explores Xhosa wisdom on dreams, ceremony, spirit guides, and ancestors, this inspirational teacher takes us on a... journey to the center of our power and purpose in this world."--From book jacket Leopard Warrior shares the remarkable story of how John Lockley became one of the first modern white men in recent history to become a fully initiated sangoma{u2014}traditional priest and healer{u2014}in the Xhosa lineage of South Africa, the tribe of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. In this teaching memoir, John explores Xhosa wisdom on dreams, ceremony, spirit guides, ancestors, and our intrinsic humanity (Ubuntu)