A SACRED JOURNEY INTO THE NEW YEAR
- Celuxolo Stewart
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
September arrived like a sacred drumbeat; intense, beautiful, and deeply instructive. It called us to remember the rhythm of our ancestors and the wisdom of the land beneath our feet. Across the southern hemisphere, this is more than a change of season; it is the beginning of the year, when the Earth renews her covenant with the sun. Trees return to leaf, flowers bloom, bees and birds resume their harmony, and the sun stretches our days with hope and promise.
Our ancestors read time through the soil, rain, and sky. Spring was the marker of renewal, fertility, and creation, and to this day it remains a powerful reminder that healing is cyclical. The Earth teaches us to shed what is old and to begin again.
River Cleaning Campaign: Restoring the Altars of Life
This September we also launched our River Cleaning Campaign, grounded in the belief that rivers are living altars; sacred spaces that carry prayer, memory, and life force. Cleansing them is both an ecological responsibility and a spiritual duty, ensuring that the waters which sustain our rituals and communities remain potent in their giving.
We are proud to share that our teams have successfully cleaned the banks of five rivers; the Crocodile, Jukskei, and Mzimnene, among others. Each one plays an essential role in our healing work, and keeping them clean is a collective act of gratitude.
Our brothers and sisters in Eswatini have since joined this campaign, and even across oceans, a team in Australia has embraced this calling through beach-cleaning initiatives to remove marine algae. These efforts remind us that environmental care is a shared global prayer, uniting all who understand that water is life and healing begins where purity flows.
Heritage in Motion: Ceremony, Culture & Renewal
In alignment with the season, we travelled with maidens, healers, and cultural practitioners to the Kingdom of Eswatini for the Umhlanga Reed Dance, a sacred ceremony and national prayer for the fertility of land and rain. The reeds carried by maidens symbolize purity, continuity, and the community’s collective vow to nurture life.
We also hosted workshops on the meaning of cultural regalia, teaching that traditional attire is not mere fashion but language, identity, and covenant. Every bead, fabric, and seed carries memory and prayer. In understanding the symbolism of our dress, we restore the dignity of culture and resist the dilution, without understanding, of heritage into aesthetic trends.
Spring Celebrations at Afrosavvy
We welcomed the new year in a celebration of dance, song, food, and testimony; a prayer of gratitude and a declaration of purpose. During the event, we unveiled Sizwe SikaNtu, an Afrosavvy initiative dedicated to culture-led development that fuses heritage education with ecological stewardship, artisan livelihoods, and community wellness.
We also proudly launched Joshua Maponga III’s book, A Contested Ground Through Women — a profound exploration of power, faith, and the feminine as the foundation of civilization. The book is now available through our website, with proceeds supporting our cultural education work.
Our Room 8 Exhibition continues until the end of October, curated by Celuxolo Stewart, Sizakele Phohleli, and Nthabiseng Kekana. It showcases South Africa’s living and extinct cultures, inviting reflection on how traditions evolve without losing their soul. Visitors are encouraged to book guided walk-throughs for a more immersive learning experience.
Initiation and Alignment
September also brought forth several ntwaso ceremonies, marking the journeys of initiates stepping deeper into ancestral service. These moments of rebirth and alignment reminded us that calling is not about status but about stewardship, discipline, and humility.
Initiation teaches that healing begins within; through boundaries, prayer, and sacred living and radiates outward to bless family, community, and land.
Field Notes from the Season
The land speaks in many languages; through blossoms, pollen, warmth, and the hum of renewal. We are reminded daily that heritage is not something we possess; it is something we practice. Every act of service, dance, or river cleansing is a prayer in motion.
Looking Ahead to October
As we step into October, we invite you to:
• Visit Room 8 before the exhibition closes.
• Purchase A Contested Ground Through Women through our website.
• Join our River Cleaning Campaign or start one in your region.
• Sponsor an initiate’s toolkit or community project.
• Invite our team to facilitate teachings and cultural dialogues in your space.
May this new year of the land find you aligned with creation’s rhythm, sowing with intention, nurturing with love, and harvesting with gratitude.
With respect and reverence,
Dr. Celuxolo Stewart
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