#inyangas

"In South Africa, traditional healers (sangomas or inyangas) can be either women or men. There is no practical difference between a sangoma and an inyanga - both are possessed and derive their power from the ancestors. They can divine the future, diagnose illness, find lost objects or lost people, and establish direct contact with the ancestors and the supernatural. To become a sangoma requires arduous and difficult training. The calling is regarded as a gift and a great honor. Most traditional healers practice with great humility and acknowledge that the source of their information is the ancestors." - Dave Cumes, "Africa In My Bones"