Ubulawu

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" background="04afd5a3.jpg"> <bR> <div> <B>The Botanical Source</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="04bd2063.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Botanical Source"><U><B><IMG SRC="107b8d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=21" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11958d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seed Catalogue :"><U><IMG SRC="11948d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=28&osCsid=5d55fa2bee3df7b388a151625a1e9916" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><IMG SRC="11938d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles about African indigenous healin"><U><IMG SRC="10828d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><IMG SRC="11928d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photo Gallery"><U><IMG SRC="11918d140.png" border=0 width="141" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://edge.quantserve.com/quant.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript">_qacct="p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ";quantserve();</script> <noscript> <a href="http://www.quantcast.com/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ" target="_blank"><img src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-41ZhKYiACxjoQ.gif" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="Quantcast"/></a> </noscript>   </div> <div>  <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-3741917-2"); pageTracker._initData(); pageTracker._trackPageview(); </script>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04c03043.jpg"> <div> <B>Ubulawu</B><B> :</B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> <A NAME="top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></FONT></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="b9412120.jpg" border=0 width="530" height="530" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>[ </B><I><B>Stirring the ubulawu medicine of entry into `the white'.</B></I><B> ]</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>What is Ubulawu</U></B><B>? :</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>One traditional diviner (sangoma) calls ubulawu, `The medicine which belongs to the ancestors. It opens your brain, it opens your brain to work. It is used to induce or clarify dreams of ancestral spirits and opens minds to receive the messages of the ancestors.'</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>A good cross-section of people claim that they never dream or, at least, never remember their dreams. Thus the practical significance of the use of oneirogenic ubulawu roots in the initiation of novice diviners. The use of ubulawu (from the verb ukulawula, to control) is considered not so much to cause dreams, but to throw a white light (ukukhanya okumhlophe) on dreaming, making dreams more vivid and memorable.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>In all traditional Xhosa rituals, isilawu or ubulawu is used. This is a medicinal preparation made from certain medicinal plants. This is mixed with cold water in a container, and using a prong-like stick, the mixture is twirled vigorously to form a white froth. This is then drunk by the diviners and sangomas performing that ritual. The isilawu plays an important role in all Xhosa rituals and ceremonies. All rituals are believed by the Xhosas to be therapeutic.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Specific plants (ubulawu) are used in various ways to facilitate communication with the ancestors, most often during rituals.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>To some extent like the ancestors, the various types of ubulawu are distinguished according to the spatial categories of river (umlambo), forest (ihlathi) or grassland (ithafa) where they grow (Hirst, 2000, p. 132). Each of the various types of ubulawu, as well as other important medicinal roots, is linked to a particular wild animal and by extension its pelt, and these connections have ritual significance in the doctoring and installation of hereditary clan leaders, councillors (amaphakathi), diviners and herbalists. Most Xhosa clans are associated with one or other of the types of ubulawu that grow in the river, forest or grassland. However, only clans associated with diviners of the river use `</B></I><A HREF="id233.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Undlela zimhlophe African Dream Root :"><U><I><B>undlela zimhlophe</B></I></U></A><I><B>'.</B></I></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="7fd2c150.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="277" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>[ An initiate preparing ubulawu. ]</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The foam generated from certain plants, the sacred ubulawu, is used by the Zulu and Xhosa in order to purify and connect an individual to the ancestors through dreams. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Many of these species come from trees, bushes, and vines that grow near water sources. Ubulawu is often administered to healers during rituals conducted in river pools. Significant cave sites, often with San paintings, are often found in close proximity to sacred pools, and many rituals for healing are performed at these sites.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Certain places are more favored by the river spirits (or ancestors) than others. They are believed to live in deep pools of certain rivers, often below waterfalls, fast moving “living” water, or in the sea. “Living” water is often associated with its ability to generate foam, and the foam appears to be symbolically important. Berglund (1976: 146) cites a diviner (isangoma) informant who said, `It is as I said water that is living, running in the river. That is the living water.'</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>It is believed the ancestors, or spirits of the water, live in a dry area at the bottom of these pools and have a lifestyle very similar to people living on earth. They are prosperous, peaceful, happy, and in fact, lead an idyllic life.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The term `ubulawu' refers to a specific category of plant that is </B></I><I><B>used in traditional divination practices in Southern Africa.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Its uses include - </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">a tool to aid with divination and prophecy, </B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">to facilitate communication with the ancestors and ancestral spirits, </B></I></div> <div> <I><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011800000000.png" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">to access conscious dream states.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Diviners and novices agreed that lucid, even prophetic, dreams were the main effects of ingesting ubulawu.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The ingestion of ubulawu plays a fundamental role in the relationship between the diviner and the ancestors and is made by twirling a mixture of ground plants with water. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Some types are psychoactive and their use, together with the ritual complex (song and dance), often results in altered states of consciousness with accompanying visionary phenomena such as visions or lucid dreams relating to the ancestors.</B></I></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/index.php?cPath=22" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.thebotanicalsource.com/shop/i"><U><B>Click here to buy Ubulawu African dreaming herbs</B></U></A><B>.</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="80f90b30.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="179" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <B>[A group of Xhosa diviners, dancing.]</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Our research clearly indicates over two dozen species of plants which are used either singularly to make ubulawu, or mixtures of these plants are made into ubulawu.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>We currently have several of these ubulawu plants on offer.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>See the botanicals `</B></I><A HREF="id392.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="iPhengula Rhus oblongifolia"><U><I><B>iphengula</B></I></U></A><I><B>', `</B></I><A HREF="id325.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ubulawu obuxutyiwe"><U><I><B>ubulawu obuxutyiwe</B></I></U></A><I><B>', </B></I><I><B>`</B></I><A HREF="id307.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Izaza omhlope Behnia reticulata"><U><I><B>izaza omhlope</B></I></U></A><I><B>', </B></I><I><B>`</B></I><A HREF="id338.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ntolwane Acacia elephantorrhiza"><U><I><B>ntolwane</B></I></U></A><I><B>', `</B></I><A HREF="id337.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mukanya kude Acacia xanthophloea"><U><I><B>mukanya kude</B></I></U></A><I><B>', </B></I><I><B>`</B></I><A HREF="id234.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Helinus integrifolius ubhubhubhu :"><U><I><B>ubhubhubhu</B></I></U></A><I><B>', `</B></I><A HREF="id233.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Undlela zimhlophe African Dream Root :"><U><I><B>undlela zimhlophe</B></I></U></A><I><B>', `</B></I><A HREF="id238.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Uvumaomhlope : Synaptolepis kirkii"><U><I><B>uvuma-omhlope</B></I></U></A><I><B>', and `</B></I><A HREF="id390.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rhus pauciflorus Utiyi"><U><I><B>utiyi</B></I></U></A><I><B>'.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Keep in touch as we will soon be offering more of the plants used as ubulawu.</B></I></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="7fc2ccf0.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="207" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>[ A photo of traditional South African healers. ]</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>In South African traditional healing, river and forest rituals constitute essential components for the training process of individual diviner-healers (igqirha -sing/amagqirha- pl ). There is a variety of rituals performed during the training process which are usually prompted through dream messages that the novice receives. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Ubulawu, a concoction of plants soaked in cold water that is beaten into a foam, is consumed by the initiate during these rituals. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>These rituals provide a neutral space whereby moral and social commentaries can be made. Inherent in this cognitive framework is an awareness of the integral balance between the social, natural and spiritual worlds.</B></I></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B><IMG SRC="8de96c60.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="198" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></I></div> <div> <B>[ Traditional sangoma diviner healer. ]</B></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Most amagqirha agree that the medicines and rituals which they prescribe are the gift of their ancestors, offered through dream or vision.</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Some traditional practitioners (and anthropologists) have suggested that medicines are the property of their lineage clan. Others insist that although this is certainly the case for ubulawu (ubulawu - medicines of the home), it does not apply to medicinal recipes for illness in general.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Ubulawu is the medicine associated with ukuthwasa, the process of initiation and training for amagqirha and izangoma. </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Xhosa novice diviners or initiates (abakhwetha) also ingest ubulawu to enhance dreaming (ukuphupha, to dream).</B></I></div> <div> <I><B>The recipes for these mixtures are the legacy of the teacher’s lineage clan and cannot be shared with anyone outside of that clan.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>It is said that, "The most sophisticated processed herbal products are special mixtures, known as 'ubulawu', consisting of mixtures of chopped bark and bulbs and other plant parts."</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Certain kinds of ubulawu may also be "used in cleansing the body of 'pollutants' encountered in the crowded, stressful and highly competitive urban environment ."</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Another type of traditional ubulawu herb used by the Nguni as an emetic - it is believed that using ubulawu to phalaza (used in cases of induced vomiting by human beings) removes all the isichitho (bad luck) and people of the opposite sex fall in love with you. Phalaza is always associated with the Nguni cultural cleansing ritual commonly performed by young adults in order to be sexually attractive.</B></I></div> <div> <B>____________________________________________________________</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U>Types of Ubulawu</U></B><B> :</B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="aa2fabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>[ </B><A HREF="id233.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Undlela zimhlophe African Dream Root :"><U><B>Undlela zimhlophe</B></U></A><B> ]</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B><IMG SRC="be8fab40.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="180" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></FONT></div> <div> <B>[`</B><A HREF="id338.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Ntolwane Acacia elephantorrhiza"><U><B>Ntolwane</B></U></A><B> ]</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1164fabc0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="188" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> 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