John Lockley talks with Celine Roche about his upcoming 4-day retreat in French Alps near Geneva.
Leopard Medicine retreat in geneva - Nov ’2025
Take part in a special 4-day initiation and healing ceremony with elder sangoma (African Shaman) John Lockley from the Xhosa nation in South Africa. Connect to your Ancestors, Dreams and Life purpose.
John will guide people in a 3-day intensive sangoma ceremony/ masterclass. In South Africa it is called ‘umsebenze’ , literally meaning ‘spiritual work’. It is performed to help people connect to their ancestors. In traditional South African shamanism a Human Being only comes into the fullness of their personal power once they nourish their roots.
John will lead participants in a traditional sangoma ceremony with drumming, chanting, dancing and dreamwork. A core part of the ceremony is a plant cleanse which is used to facilitate deeper dreaming and ancestral connection. Non-hallucinogenic plants are used.
What participants will learn:
How to connect to their ancestors and sprit guides
The use of plant medicine (non-hallucinogenic) to protect and cleanse the spirit
Dreamwork - the importance of listening to the unseen realms and being guided by the dreamtime. John will speak about the 3 levels of dreaming and how to navigate the ancestral/ shamanic level.
Trance Dancing - shaking medicine for the heart and soul. The traditional sangoma trance dance to connect to the astral realms and bring clarity to ones life path.
Ubuntu (meaning Humanity) - The South African traditional philosophy linking Humans
The Leopard is one of the main totem animals revered by traditional healers in Southern Africa because they represent intuitive intelligence, embodied spirituality and harmony with the natural world.
John will discuss the core principles or foundations of Leopard Medicine, namely Breath (spirit), Bone (ancestors) and Dream (Great Spirit). These teachings are connected to the traditional teachings of ‘Ubuntu’ (humanity) in South Africa, popularised by Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, Xhosa men. As an adopted medicine man from the Xhosa nation, John will expand on these teachings. A key focus of John’s work is “what is your Dream or Life purpose?” If you don’t know then these teachings will help you.
These teachings are found in John’s book ‘Leopard Warrior’ and audio course ‘Way of the Leopard’, both produced by Sounds True.
John has been teaching Leopard Medicine and running Ubuntu workshops internationally for over 16. years.
Venue: Geneva - 30 mins from Geneva airport
Monday 24th - Special Pilgrimage to Mont Blanc - one of the highest mountains in Europe.
Bookings & info: Contact Celine via contact@voyageceleste.com.