Gogo uMkhanyakude yase Manzini

Traditional Healer • Master Intuitive • Feminine Arts Instructor • Oracle • Author 

Gogo uMkhanyakude (formerly Dionne S. Wood) is the visionary behind the Institute of Feminine Arts, an online certification program for women who are dedicated to honoring the Sacred Feminine. Gogo uMkhanya is a Sangoma, a traditional healer in the Zulu tradition. Her deep devotion to help heal the hearts of broken women led her to create the Institute. 

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Through her teaching ministry, Miss Buttafly Speaks, Gogo uMkhanyakude speaks truth to power. This multi-faceted woman has traveled across the world, bringing her unique and relatable style of storytelling to a variety of audiences. Her energetic and humorous delivery will both captivate the imagination and challenge the mind to expand. Her impact on her audience is always unmistakable. Her authenticity and availability to her ancestors is evidenced by the testimonies of those who have received from her.

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She is the author of "Behold, The Dreamer Cometh" and "Buttafly Kisses", both available in paperback and Kindle format. As an author, the topic that inspires her most is that of personal transformation and the ability of the human spirit to transcend seemingly insurmountable odds. Her writing reflects this. She often infuses intimate details of her life into her writing, always coming from a very emotionally honest place.

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Gogo uMkhanyakude is an educated woman. She has completed studies in psychology and human relations Trinity University in Washington, DC. In 2008, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in Biblical Studies in recognition of her lifelong devotion to spiritual scholarship by Anointed by God Ministries Alliance and Seminary. Her experience as a mentor to women and pastor has equipped her for the unique task of shifting paradigms concerning women and femininity. In April of 2019, she completed a year-long process of initiation known as ukuthwasa to become  a Sangoma. This journey took her from the U.S. to South Africa, where she received her traditional name, Gogo uMkhanyakude Yasemanzini.

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Her spiritual community, family, and friends keep her grounded. As a Sangoma, teacher, the mother of 3 young adult children, and the "Grammy" of a rambunctious toddler, Gogo uMkhanyakude is constantly challenged to grow in ways she never imagined. In sharing her work with the world, she hopes to inspire that same growth in others.

 

​"My calling is more than a notion. It is more than an idea or a concept. It's more than a trend. This is my life. It is why I was born when I was born. My ancestors have chosen me to be the torch bearer for those who will come after me. This is why I am uMkhanyakude, the one who shines from afar. They will see my light and know that there is a way out and a way in. And so I will shine. This is my work, my path, my ministry, my service. This is how I love. Thokozani. Makhosi amakhulu.”

- Gogo uMkhanyakude Yase Manzini aka Miss Buttafly -