Sabela Uyabizwa

“Gogo, how could I be certain that badimo ba ya mpitsa ka nnete? How will I find my gobela? Am I not hallucinating.”

Please be assured that we have all wondered if we aren’t losing our minds, hallucinating and just have elaborate imaginations. It’s normal to wonder. Let’s try to clear up the fog on a few issues.

For many of us, whose family elders have lost touch le meetlo/amasiko, communicating with badimo/amadlozi is foreign. “Kushiswa impepho? What is even this impepho you speak of?” It gets even more complex when you’re the great great great great grandchild of an ancestor who was isangoma/ngaka/umthandazi during their time on earth. You will be afflicted with a number of strange illnesses and misfortunes. Strange in  that they cannot be explained or cured through the Western medical lens. There’s no amount of prayer without action, that will cure you. Prayer without action you ask? The prayer has to be accompanied by an effort to grow spiritually and to reconnect namadlozi. If your prayers exclude them, LOL.

Your affliction as a person ya nang le neo/ umuntu onabadala/ a ‘gifted’ person, is deeply spiritual. Your spirit experiences a sense of not belonging, uneasiness, strife, struggling against your conscious mind, your desires for your life jwalo, jwalo. When the path you’re walking clashes with that of moya/umoya wakho aka higher self, it will manifest in your experiences of strife, malady, unhappiness, depression, frustration, a deep melancholy that comes and goes, known as usizi. The overarching issue becomes lolubizo lakho.

Do you pay attention to your dreams? It is a space where badimo/amadlozi can communicate with you regarding the nature of pitso ena. I can feel you panicking, thinking, “How would I be able to tell significant dreams from not so significant ones?” You will not know until you start the practice of paying attention to your dreams. There may be some that come from your subconscious, because your conscious mind has repressed certain memories. They’re still significant in that, your subconscious is telling you about wounds in your psyche, that need healing. Anyway, asikho lapho. Right now we’re talking about spiritually  significant dreams. Pratcice makes perfect. Journal your dreams. In the age of smart phones, there is the option of voice recordings. Use it to your advantage. Sometimes you dream and your physical body, emotions and spirit are involved. You wake up with uvalo/letswalo, and not in the sense that you’re fearful. You wake up from this dream knowing that it is significant. Perk up those ears.

Another thing that needs to be paid attention to, is ukuphahla. Simply put,  ukuphahla is you setting the intention to open communication between yourself le badimo. Badimo ba hao are the ones bothering you and they can best tell you where it’s at. You set an intention, say your piece and pay attention. Simple. Don’t approach it with the angst of, “I want answers now.” Patience is key, bu also deliberate and direct communication. Don’t waffle on about your former friend having done you dirty blah blah blah. Deliberate, direct, is where it’s at. Bare in mind that there is no right or wrong thing to say. As long as you approach badimo with respect and speak from your heart. Wa nthola akere?

Badimo will not speak through dreams only. They may come in  day time visions,too. Yes, yes these things happen. They may come through any of your extra senses, too (refer back to this post ).

Lastly, ungatatazeli. I cannot stress this enough. Badimo don’t operate as we do. They will take their time communicating with you. Keep your eyes peeled, practice bedtime hygiene (wind down, avoid phone, tv and anything else that may disrupt sleep and dreaming). Set the intention, in your heart, to dream and connect le bona. Initially it is strange and you can’t hold the intention until you fall asleep. Eventually, you will hold this intention until you fall asleep and dream. It sounds difficult neh? It isn’t. Jimisa that intuitive muscle of yours and you will see. M’kay? Mkay.

If you can have conversations with other guided people, do this. You may need to honour their time and knowledge with a token of appreciation. It may be anything that will be of use to isangoma sakho. Money :D, fruit and vegetables, alcohol (gin, vodka, brandy,beer etc.), live animals (chickens, goats, cows) njalo, njalo. This is the summation of the concept ya ho kgantsha/ukukhanyisa. There is no value that can be placed on the work we do as conduits tsa badimo, but reciprocate with tangible gratitude. Still with me?

Be careful not to want ho etela badimo pele. Do not place too much importance on yourself as a guided person, to the point of thinking you will lead badimo. Oh no, can’t be them. They will lead the process, you act on their guidance and everyone lives happily ever after, not really,  but you get where I’m going with this.

Lastly, all the best. Phahla. Pay attention to your dreams. Be still and follow the guidance that is inside of you. You will find your own rhythm and that of your ancestors in due course. Don’t approach with the angst of being human and wanting instant gratification. Oh no. Above all else, ho tla loka. I know, I know. It’s rough and whatever else, but it won’t always be this way.

Lesedi bana ba bonkgono le bontatemoholo <3

Gogo Malepena

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