Once upon a time, in a land not so far away...
...there was a young girl. She had been raised with a passion for nature and a desire to find and spread love in the world. This lovely maiden, armed with an open mind and heart, set out upon her journey to discover what life had to offer.
She had not gone very far when she heard the sounds of a strange music, one that was full of happiness and hope and resilience, and LOVE! The more she listened, the more she was convinced that her desire could be found in the origins of such a powerful sound...
As she explored the world of reggae, this young woman found much to learn beyond the music ~ an entire cultural explosion and spiritual belief system was just waiting there!!
Of course, that young woman was me, @freemotherearth. I was a teenager on the coast of SC and I had discovered the sounds of Bob Marley & the Wailers, but I couldn't get enough and I dove deeper ~ Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff ~ whatever I could find in my little carolina beach town record store. Conveniently for me, Sounds Familiar was close to me, owned by an incredible guy, and I got even got a job there around 16 for a while.
Even in my early years I was very intense in my seeking for something beyond myself, and thirsted for knowledge. I began to ask myself questions like:
What was this spiritual path that all of it was dedicated to?
What does it mean to be a Rasta?
What is the symbolism in Red, Gold, and Green?
Who is The Most High?
The questions went on and on, and the more I learned the more I questioned. And I dug deeper and deeper.
I found my answers, and more. I learned about Marcus Garvey and his followers, I learned about Haile Selassie, I learned a whole new perspective that went beyond the Christianity I had grown up with.
I fell in love with the first, second, and third Itations books when I found them one at a time over several years. They are full of poetry, lyrics, artwork, and absolute love for JAH in artistic expressions. There are also beautiful pictures of Rastas around the world, different shapes and sizes but all carrying the same bright fire in their eyes: The Lion of Judah.
I have traveled extensively in my adult life and very few posessions made it through the process to truly settling down, but this book has stayed with me through every mountain pass, across deserts, through rain and snow and sun, and I am grateful.
Ital cooking is quite delicious, though it takes a little time to learn the difference in words for some fruits and vegetables ~ until then it was pretty challenging to find the ingredients without an international store or being in the Caribbean! Of course, now with the internet, translation is never more than a click away...
As time went on, I would discover many things that wove in and out of being Ital, being Irie, being in love with my creator, being guided by something greater than myself. The feelings that I first found in Rasta were empowering, uplifting, and challenging me to be a better person. I learned to pay attention to what I ate, to how I spoke, to my very soul's purpose. I became focused on gratitude and being centered. I found my voice ~ the one that inspired me to use my words for creating positive change in the world, that gave me hope that I could actually make a difference.
There's so much more to just this part of my life's tapestry I could share ~ the Burning Spear show in a tiny packed bar in Boone NC; the time I saw JAH written in the clouds, literally; my time in Jamaica in my late 20s; when I grew my crown from the root; nyabinghi ~ but I will leave those for another time ...
Thirty years later, I still find that the sounds of reggae have a 100% success rate at helping me to be filled with positive vibrations ~ it seems like it must be impossible to listen to reggae and feel sad or angry or negative! It's better than any mood altering drug, better than anything I know for an instant fix.
My journey of seeking did not end at Rastafarianism, and I must state clearly that I am not claiming to be Rasta and what I am sharing here is just my own experience. Rather, I have spent my life learning about many different beliefs and ultimately my spiritually path is my own. Yet I can easily look at myself then, now, and many days between, and know with full confidence I have only made it to where I am because of what I found when I found JAH.
Thanks for reading! And thanks for having ReggaeJAHM community ~ spreading positive vibrations throughout the land of HIVE!
This is such a beautiful post. Thank you for sharing. Reading this makes me want to unplug and find myself in Jah, I feel the business of this world has made me lose touch with nature and the essence of being IRIE. But I realize it is an ongoing process that never ends. But a part of me feels I haven’t even scratched the surface. Some soul searching is in the works.
You sound like a highly in-tuned individual. It’s always a joy to hear how the power of reggae music can bring one on a journey to find them self by discovering different experiences and embracing them.
Now that sounds really awesome. I believe sometimes Jah talks to us in so many ways including the clouds. But only if we are open to the message and on that higher vibration.
Ps: that is the best definition of IRIE if I have ever seen. I need to manifest those books.
Blessings❤️ 💛 💚
Millard Faristzaddi/JUDAH ANBESA is the author/publisher for the Itations of Jamaica and I Volumes 1, 2, and 3. I believe there were connections between the Caribbean and Ethiopia to create them during that time period (1987-1997).
The Rasta Cookbook was published by Africa World Press, Inc. and authored by Laura Osborne.
Now with the internet finding things is so much easier. I know that I only came across the third Itations book once, and I have no idea if any of these books are still being published.
Thank you for the very encouraging words and feedback on my post. It was initially inspired by the perfect synchronicity of seeing the Natti Love Joys again on my birthday Sunday and a connection with @justinparke on Monday that led to the discovery of the reggaeJAHM community. I love how magic works in my life ~ and I am always grateful.
Very cool to see you posting in ReggaeJAHM, and it is really cool how Hive helped us discover each other, and how that led to ReggaeJAHM. I like your story and of your experience with Rastafari and the Rastafarians. I grew up in an isolated rural town, so I too had a strange path that led me into Ethiopia and His Majesty, mostly through World War 2 studies and the Tewahedo Church.
I am looking forward to more Irie content from you. Long story but I'm in Suriname with my Cambodian family, and I still talk with Jati & Marla from time to time. Bless up!
Ah yes, a Quick search of the net and it came up. So the Millard Faristzaddi/JUDAH ANBESA agitations original for a whopping $987, I’m guessing that’s the part one.
I’m glad that you are on the flow of the magic and glad we have crossed paths. Sprinkle some magic my way:)
Natti Lovejoys, they are knew to me. Just took a peak for the algorithms. Irie vibes on the birthday, cool nuh. Looking forward to actually see a live performance again.
Blessed weekend ahead 👏
JAHMin' Posts Of The Week [April 19th - April 25th, 2021] A Rasta Journey, Flashbacks, SpreadTheVibes, Favela Tunes, & Jamaicanese Friendship!!
⋆ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴏsᴛ ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ ᴀɴ ɪʀɪᴇ ᴜᴘᴠᴏᴛᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢ
⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇɢɢᴀᴇᴊᴀʜᴍ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇɢɢᴀᴇᴊᴀʜᴍ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ғᴏʀ ʀᴇɢɢᴀᴇ/ʜɪᴘ-ʜᴏᴘ ᴄᴜʟᴛᴜʀᴇ & ᴄᴀʀɪʙʙᴇᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ | 50 ʜᴘ | 100 ʜᴘ | 500 ʜᴘ | 1,000 ʜᴘ
You've beautifully written your life's journey into finding the most High and with that yourself. Really enjoyed reading your story.
Keep up those positive vibes 😊.