iThwasa training

Traditional healer initiation or ithwasa training is a training program for one to become a traditional healer. A trainee traditional healer trains under another traditional healer for a number of years until they have learned all the basics of traditional healing. An initiate (ithwasa) being led towards the goat that will be sacrificed at her initiation into becoming a
sangoma.

Both men and women can become traditional healers. A sangoma is believed to be "called" to heal
through an initiation illness; symptoms involve psychosis, headache, intractable stomach pain, shoulder
or neck complaints or illness that cannot be cured by conventional methods.

These problems together must be seen by a sangoma as twasa or the calling of the ancestors. Sangomas believe that failure to respond to the calling will result in further illness until the person concedes and goes to be trained.

The word twasa is derived from thwasa which means 'the light of the new moon' or from
ku mu thwasisa meaning 'to lead to the light'.

A trainee sangoma (or ithwasa) trains formally under another sangoma for a period of anywhere between a number of months and many years.

The training involves learning humility to the ancestors, purification through steaming, washing in the blood of sacrificed animals, and the use of muti, medicines with spiritual significance.

An ithwasa after drinking the blood of a goat during her initiation The ithwasa may not see their families during training and must abstain from sexual contact and often live under harsh and strict conditions.

This is part of the cleansing process to prepare the healer for a life's work of dedication to healing and the intense experiences of training tend to earn a deeply entrenched place in the sangoma's memory.

During the training period the ithwasa will share their ailments in the form of song and dance, a process
that is nurtured by the analysis of dreams, anxieties, and with prayer. The story develops into a song
which becomes a large part of the graduation type ceremony that marks the end of the ithwasa's
training.

At times in the training, and for the graduation, a ritual sacrifice of an animal is performed
(usually chickens and a goat or a cow). The spilling and drinking of this blood is meant to seal
the bond between the ancestors and the sangoma.

At the end of thwasa and during initiation, a goat is sacrificed to call to the ancestors and appease them.
The local community, friends and family are all invited to the initiation to witness and celebrate the
completion of training.

The ithwasa is also tested by the local elder sangomas to determine whether they have the skills and insight necessary to heal. The climactic initiation test is to ensure the ithwasa has the ability to "see" things hidden from view.

This is signified and proved when other sangomas hide the ithwasa's sacred objects, including the gall bladder of the goat that was sacrificed and the ithwasa must, in front of the community, call upon their ancestors, find the hidden objects and return them back to the sangomas that hid them, thus proving they have the ability to "see" beyond the physical world.

Krugersdorp traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/krugersdorp-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Alexandra traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/alexandra-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Boksburg  traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/boksburg-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Kempton Park traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/kempton-park-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Centurion traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/centurion-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Benoni traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/benoni-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Soweto traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/soweto-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

East London traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/east-london-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Bhisho traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/bhisho-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Pietermaritzburg traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/pietermaritzburg-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Cape Town traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/cape-town-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Kimberley traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/kimberley-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Klerksdorp traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/klerksdorp-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Nelspruit traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/nelspruit-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Polokwane traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/polokwane-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Durban traditional healers www.traditional-healer.net/durban-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Johannesburg traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/johannesburg-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Mozambique traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/mozambique-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Sandton traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/sandton-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Roodepoort traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/roodepoort-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Mamelodi traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/mamelodi-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Khayelitsha traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/khayelitsha-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Soshanguve traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/soshanguve-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Umlazi traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/umlazi-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Katlehong traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/katlehong-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Tembisa traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/tembisa-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Stellenbosch traditional healers http://www.traditional-healer.net/stellenbosch-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Paarl traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/paarl-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Upington traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/upington-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Rustenburg traditional healers   http://www.traditional-healer.net/rustenburg-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Potchefstroom traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/potchefstroom-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Giyani traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/giyani-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Richards Bay traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/richards-bay-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Randburg traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/randburg-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Rosebank traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/rosebank-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Midrand traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/midrand-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Germiston traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/germiston-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Ibhayi traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/ibhayi-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Mitchells Plain traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/mitchells-plain-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Uk traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/uk-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Los Angeles traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/los-angeles-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

California traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/california-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
New York traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/new-york-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

USA traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/usa-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
New Zealand traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/new-zealand-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Oman traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/oman-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Malta traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/malta-traditional-herbalist-healers.html

Qatar traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/qatar-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Mynmar traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/myanmar-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Dubai traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/dubai-traditional-herbalist-healers.html
Canada traditional healers  http://www.traditional-healer.net/canada-traditional-herbalist-healers.html