On March 29, 2025, renowned Johannesburg-based isangoma, writer, and cultural worker Gogo Mahlodi (Vuyiswa Xekatwane) invites participants to a powerful two-hour virtual workshop titled Uhlanya: Madness, Memory, and Medicine.
This immersive session unpacks the intersections of mental health crises, spiritual dis-ease, and ancestral callings, offering a space where psychology and indigenous wisdom meet.
Mental Health Through a Decolonial Lens
In a world still grappling with historical traumas, societal inequality, and the cultural stigma surrounding mental illness, Uhlanya offers a fresh, holistic approach to mental and spiritual well-being.
The workshop interrogates how both modern psychiatry and traditional African healing practices can coexist, providing tools for healing that honor mind, body, and spirit.
The Three Pillars: Madness, Memory, and Medicine
- Madness: An exploration of the complexities of mental health and neurodivergence.
- Memory: A deep dive into epigenetics, ancestral wisdom, and intergenerational healing.
- Medicine: A celebration of healing practices from both clinical therapy and indigenous traditions like ritual, storytelling, and communal support.
What You’ll Gain
Attendees of Uhlanya can expect:
- Practical tools for navigating personal mental health and spiritual journeys
- Insight into ancestral knowledge and inherited wisdom
- A renewed lens on psychological challenges as potential spiritual awakenings
- Exposure to indigenous practices such as art therapy, rituals, and collective healing
- A critical approach to breaking stigma around madness and spiritual transformation
Event Details
đź’° Offering: R500
đź“… Date: Saturday, March 29, 2025
đź’» Location: Virtual (Online Workshop)
📧 To register: Email ugogomahlodi@gmail.com
Meet Gogo Mahlodi
Gogo Mahlodi (Vuyiswa Xekatwane) is a powerful voice in the reclamation of African spirituality and mental health discourse. With years of experience as a traditional healer and cultural critic, she facilitates transformative conversations that challenge dominant narratives and center indigenous knowledge systems. Her work continues to bridge the sacred with the scholarly, the ancestral with the contemporary.
Spaces are limited – this is a sacred circle you won’t want to miss.