David Cumes, M.D. was born in South Africa. He is a Western trained surgeon steeped in the conventional medicine paradigm. He was also initiated in Swaziland as a sangoma (Zulu for shaman) in 2002. One of his teachers, Moses Shado Dudlu, bestowed him with the title of “Mngoma,” which implies a nature bound sangoma, which he feels fits him particularly well. David is uniquely trained to access information from the spirit world by a process of divination through the “Bones.” Healing is then dispensed through rituals using plant medicines. He is the author of eight books; including; Inner Passages Outer Journeys, The Spirit of Healing, Africa in my Bones, Messages from the Ancestors, Healing Trees and Plants of the Lowveld, and The Source (about establishing an indigenous healing center in remote South Africa.) He has a surgical as well as an indigenous practice in Santa Barbara, CA where he serves as a bridge between modern medicine and primal original wisdom.

A vision came to him in a dream, which was to fine tune his sangoma skills after his initiation. It was then that he began to learn and use the ritual power of sacred plants. Later these principles were extrapolated to the plants of the Central California coast. The message in Dave’s dream could not have been clearer or more direct: Bring the healing wisdoms of Africa and introduce them to people who have only known Western traditions. An accomplished surgeon with a busy practice in Santa Barbara, his life path changed dramatically. Dave has an established practice of sangoma healing in his hometown of Santa Barbara. He has a yurt in his garden where divinations and healing rituals are rendered — including the combining of healing plants that are local to California plants with those from South Africa.

He looks forward to supporting you on your healing journey.