BIO John Lockley

John Lockley is one of the first white men in modern history to be fully initiated as a Xhosa sangoma (African shaman) in post-Apartheid South Africa. Born with a shamanic birthmark and called through dreams during military service as a medic, his journey was marked by spiritual illness, known as thwasa, which led him to seek traditional healing apprenticeship.

After initial Zen training in South Korea under Master Su Bong and Grand Master Seung Sahn, John returned to South Africa. In one of the country’s poorest townships, he met MaMngwevu, a Xhosa medicine woman who had dreamt of his arrival. She became his teacher, guiding him through a 10-year apprenticeship and giving him the name Ucingolwendaba, meaning “messenger” or “connector between people and cultures.”

Today, John teaches internationally—across South Africa, the U.S., and Europe—offering Way of the Leopard shamanic retreats. His work bridges African ancestral wisdom, dreams, and instinct with a call for spiritual connection across cultures.

He is the author of Leopard Warrior: A Journey Into the African Teachings of Ancestry, Instinct, and Dreams and the Way of the Leopard audio course (Sounds True). His mission is to help people reconnect with their roots, nature, and ancestral guidance.