Why Traditional Medicine Is Still A Sacred Practice Throughout Africa
She was moaning, gasping for breath as sweat poured down her brow. Her fever was raging, shivers pulsing up and down her spine. The healer chanted under his breath as he poured dried herbs into a potion. His traditional medicine was her only hope.
Anti-Blackness would have us believe that Western medicine is the best kind of healthcare there is, but that’s laughable.
Traditional African medicine has always been ahead of its time, with healers being seen as sacred within their communities.
Because there was an understanding that spiritual wellness is a part of health, many traditional African healers practiced a combination of divination, spiritualism, and herbalism.
Healers went through extensive training. They had to be initiated by their mentors, healers who were responsible for passing down secret medicinal knowledge that could be dangerous if placed in the wrong hands.
Unlike Western medicine many traditional healers believed that health was determined by upholding one’s morals and cultural practices, inclusive of being in good standing with ancestors and spirit guides.
If someone were to fall ill it was likely that they upset an ancestor, deity, or someone with immense spiritual powers.
At least 80% of non-Western centered societies rely on herbalism and traditional medicine as part of their health care. This percentage helps us dissolve the false pill anti-Blackness wants us to swallow.
Traditional African medicine isn’t “alternative medicine.” It’s a very real form of indigenous healthcare that survived both colonization and enslavement.
Traditional medicine can be dangerous if experimented with without training. Seek out authentic healers if you’re looking to partake.
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