Ukuphahla emanzini

Phtography by Lerato Molale: Gogo Zondi kneeling eMphophomeni in the ritual yokuphahla

February 8 2024

The journey to give offerings and appease one's ancestors

Ukuphahla is the practice of connecting with your ancestors through ritual and practice and is done to appease or give thanks to those who guide and protect one. Different customs are followed to prepare for and undergo this ceremony. This photo essay will follow the journey Gogo Onkabetse a sangoma/traditional healer who brought me on her journey to connect with her ancestors. 

During the path of training to become a sangoma, ukuphahla is one of the many customs and rights of passages Gogo Onkabetse journeyed on to be able to learn how to connect with her ancestors who have manifested as water spirits and reside in bodies of water. 

There are many stages in preparing to connect with abantu abadala (ancestors) in their homes eNdumbeni (ancestral hut), emfuleni (at the river) or eNtabeni (on the mountain). Doing so in a respectful manner requires one to wear the correct ceremonial attire. 

Photograph by Lerato Molale: Gogo Onkabetse’s ancestral cloths used to phahla emfuleni and entabeni

There are two main bhayi’s or ancestral cloths that are worn for the ceremony yokuphahla, iNjeti eMaroon and iNjeti emhlophe. They are both powerful cloths used to connect with the ndawe spirit, water spirits and the flowers on the cloth are a plant called ifembo. The white cloth represents purity and respect and is worn over one’s shoulders with the maroon njeti worn around the chest or waist.  

Photograph by Lerato Molale: Gogo Onkabetse is pictured clothed in her ceremonial attire to phahla emfuleni

When performing a ritual a healer who is a women also wears a white or ancestral cloth as a doek or headwrap meant to cover their crown as a way of  respecting their ancestors both entabeni and emfuleni. 

When dressed appropriately there are a few things which need to be collected to be used to phahla. All of these serve as an offering to abantu abadala, these will be eaten and accepted by them as a part of the ceremony.

Photograph by Lerato Molale: Gogo Onkabetse holds silver money in her hand that will be used as an offering

When conducting the ceremony yokuphahla entabeni or emfuleni, imali emhlophe (silver money) is used as an offering to be able to connect, gain entrance and ask for blessings from ones ancestors.

In the same way we pay money to enter a zoo or a park, money or imali emhlophe is also used to ask to enter intaba (mountain), imfula (river), ulwande (the ocean) or any natural landscape that ancestors occupy. 

Once an offering has been made to connect with abantu abadala, the practice of actively connecting with them emfuleni or entabeni needs to be made. Candles are one of the many mediums that Gogo Onkabetse uses to connect with her ancestors. Multicoloured candles are used because each one fulfils a different purpose and communicates a specific message. Whenever a candle is lit it is referred to as ukukhanyisa (to light) and serves as a light to guide your ancestors to you wherever you choose to phahla. 

Photograph by Lerato Molale: Coloured candles and imphepho are used to connect with ancestors ngokuphahla

Imphepho (traditional medicinal plant) is the second medium used by Gogo Onkabetse to connect with her ancestors. She favours imphepho yamawele, yesizulu ne yabasotho. All of the imphepho’s fulfil a specific purpose in being able to call forward and communicate with abantu abadala

Photograph by Lerato Molale: Gogo Zondi follows on the path to phahla

Once one is dressed correctly and the correct offerings have been gathered one can begin their journey yokuphahla. When the path is being taken to phahla, shoes are not worn and praise songs are sung to khuphukela idlozi (raise your vibration and ancestors). 

Photograph by Lerato Molale: Gogo Onkabetse kneeling emphophomeni (waterfall) as a part of the ceremony yokuphahla

The ceremony yokuphahla begins with the candles being lit and intentions spoken over them in prayer. Once the candles are lit the imphepho is also lit and abantu abadala are called upon. 

When conducting these rituals one is always kneeling, one humbles themself and bows before God and their ancestors in order to communicate. eDlozini (in ancestry) there is a hierarchy, which further explains why amathwasa (sangoma in training) are always kneeling or bowing especially in company of amagobela (sangoma graduates).

When speaking to ancestors emfuleni kneeling is essential as a sign of respect. 

Photography by Lerato Molale: Gogo Onkabetse kneeling with imphophoma (waterfall) flowing

In the last stage of the ceremony yokuphahla, Gogo Onkabetse connects to the messages she receives from her ancestors. In this ceremony it is important to have mental clarity and listen to one’s intuition to hear and understand the meaningful messages being communicated. 

Gogo Onkabetse shares that throughout the ceremony, “they are always there with me, from the moment I bless the candles I am going to pray with to the moment I hear their messages in the water. Ukuphahla is a sacred ritual and I am grateful to have it as a practice to connect with those who came before me.