Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers
Accepting the ancestral calling to healing and undergoing the training to become a traditional healer in southern Africa is seen as a process of identity formation which is constructed by the knowledge acquired throughout the process. The researcher embarked on a journey with traditional health pr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Africajournals
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Pharos Journal of Theology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/artcle_11_vol_104_1__2023.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797960504669372416 |
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| author | Dr. Salome Thilivhali Sigida (PhD) Prof Tholene Sodi |
| author_facet | Dr. Salome Thilivhali Sigida (PhD) Prof Tholene Sodi |
| author_sort | Dr. Salome Thilivhali Sigida (PhD) |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Accepting the ancestral calling to healing and undergoing the training to become a traditional healer in southern Africa is seen as a process of identity formation which is constructed by the knowledge acquired throughout the process. The researcher embarked on a journey with
traditional health practitioners to understand their lived experiences and explored the psychological meanings of Vhavenḓa ancestral calling with a view to identifying and documenting the psychological meanings embedded in this culturally entrenched practice. A qualitative
research method located within the interpretative paradigm was used. A descriptive phenomenological research design was adopted to explore the lived experiences of traditional health practitioners who have gone through the process of ancestral calling. Both snowball and purposive sampling methods were used to recruit 17 participants until saturation was researched in the findings. The findings of the study revealed that there are several symptoms that are indicative that one has an ancestral calling. These symptoms are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed when interpreted from the Western and Eurocentric perspectives. However, accepting the ancestral calling and going through training is linked with identity formation. The findings also revealed that ancestral calling is a life-transforming and therapeutic experience and a journey of self-realisation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:47:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e68c48545c94261b4ada44318f98508 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2414-3324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:47:29Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Africajournals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharos Journal of Theology |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e68c48545c94261b4ada44318f985082023-01-05T13:22:38ZengAfricajournalsPharos Journal of Theology2414-33242023-01-011041https://doi.org/10.46222/pharosjot.10411Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healersDr. Salome Thilivhali Sigida (PhD)0Prof Tholene Sodi 1University of LimpopoUniversity of LimpopoAccepting the ancestral calling to healing and undergoing the training to become a traditional healer in southern Africa is seen as a process of identity formation which is constructed by the knowledge acquired throughout the process. The researcher embarked on a journey with traditional health practitioners to understand their lived experiences and explored the psychological meanings of Vhavenḓa ancestral calling with a view to identifying and documenting the psychological meanings embedded in this culturally entrenched practice. A qualitative research method located within the interpretative paradigm was used. A descriptive phenomenological research design was adopted to explore the lived experiences of traditional health practitioners who have gone through the process of ancestral calling. Both snowball and purposive sampling methods were used to recruit 17 participants until saturation was researched in the findings. The findings of the study revealed that there are several symptoms that are indicative that one has an ancestral calling. These symptoms are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed when interpreted from the Western and Eurocentric perspectives. However, accepting the ancestral calling and going through training is linked with identity formation. The findings also revealed that ancestral calling is a life-transforming and therapeutic experience and a journey of self-realisation.https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/artcle_11_vol_104_1__2023.pdfancestral callingvhavenḓatraditional health practitionerafrocentricindigenous knowledgeindigenous knowledge systems |
| spellingShingle | Dr. Salome Thilivhali Sigida (PhD) Prof Tholene Sodi Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers Pharos Journal of Theology ancestral calling vhavenḓa traditional health practitioner afrocentric indigenous knowledge indigenous knowledge systems |
| title | Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers |
| title_full | Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers |
| title_fullStr | Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers |
| title_short | Ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage: The case of Vhavenḓa indigenous healers |
| title_sort | ancestral calling as identity and the rite of passage the case of vhavenda indigenous healers |
| topic | ancestral calling vhavenḓa traditional health practitioner afrocentric indigenous knowledge indigenous knowledge systems |
| url | https://www.pharosjot.com/uploads/7/1/6/3/7163688/artcle_11_vol_104_1__2023.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT drsalomethilivhalisigidaphd ancestralcallingasidentityandtheriteofpassagethecaseofvhavendaindigenoushealers AT proftholenesodi ancestralcallingasidentityandtheriteofpassagethecaseofvhavendaindigenoushealers |