.::Re-Genesis::.

"Moon Time"

2011-06-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

As women raised up in religious, patriarchal and misogynistic societies, we are taught our bodies are shameful, we are the center of sin, we are “unclean.” Our “moon time” or menstrual period are to be hidden. We are ashamed, embarrassed… Such a potentially spiritual time is degraded.
There was a time when a woman’s moon time was celebrated. The blood isn’t brought about through violence - peaceful blood - so it is holy. It is different.
Female blood has a remarkable potency in the ritual imagination of Africans. For example, among many people, the menstrual blood of a woman is considered sacred and has the power to ward off evil spirits. Some view the ability to shed blood as an example of the unique fertility of a woman. There are others who see the divinity in the special powers of women. In African religion, each sex can operate as the vessel of the spirits and there are both priests and priestesses who serve at their shires or temples. However, the sex of the minister is not an indication of the sex of the divinity (Kwabena Faheem Ashanti in the Encyclopedia of African Religion, Volume I).

In the Asante tribe of Ghana when a girl/young woman gets her first period, she is treated like royalty; A big celebration is thrown in her honor. The !Gwi of southern Africa celebrate menarche by decorating the body of the young woman with intricate patterns.
In the past, the Yurok people of California believed that a menstruating woman should be separated from the other members of the community since she had such incredible powers. It was thought that the bleeding time should not be used for daily living, but for prayers and worship. At menarche a girl was taken to a menstrual shelter where she performed secret rites and took a special bath. She was given special clothes and ate only certain foods. Though this practice is no longer common, some Yurok women are careful to keep their tradition alive.
The Oglala Sioux people of the North American prairies have a long history of revering the menstruating woman as a powerful being. The newly menstruating girl would traditionally undergo a purification ritual and undertake instruction from a holy woman. She would be compared to the sacred Mother Earth, yet her power was also considered to be dangerous if the proper rituals and instructions were not given. But once these conditions were met, her holiness was considered to extend to the entire tribe, not just to herself.
After these rituals, the young woman was told: “You are the tree of life. You will now be pure and holy, and may your generations to come be fruitful! Wherever your feet touch will be a sacred place, for now you will always carry with you a very great influence.”
(Serenity Young, An Anthology of Sacred Texts By and About Women. New York: Crossroad, 1993, p. 231).
Some cultures, like North American whites (and anyone linked to Christianity), call menstruation a “curse.” Other people, like the Ebrié of the Ivory Coast in Africa, think it’s a curse if a young woman should lose her periods. Some agricultural communities, however, use menstrual blood to bless their crops. Some scholars believe that all religious celebrations and rituals first began with the celebration of menstruation. Menstrual blood was considered by ancient cultures to be one of the most sacred substances since it, like the blood of childbirth, is the only kind of blood that’s not linked with death and dying – but with the potential for new life.The root word for “ritual” comes from a Sanskrit word that means “menses.” This links menstruation with the very origins of religious rituals (1997 by Kathleen O’Grady and Paula Wansbrough).
“Menstrual blood is the only source of blood that is not traumatically induced. Yet in modern society, this is the most hidden blood, the one so rarely spoken of and almost never seen, except privately by women, who shut themselves in a little room to quickly and in many cases disgustedly change their pads and tampons, wrapping the bloodied cotton so it won’t be seen by others, wrinkling their faces at the odor, flushing or hiding the evidence away. Blood is everywhere, and yet the one, the only, the single name it has not publicly had, for many centuries, is menstrual blood. ” (Blood, Bread & Roses, How Menstruation created the world, Judy Grahn).

“Several Native American cultures consider women in menses to be at the HEIGHT of her powers. For instance, the Lakota tribe would not permit a menstrual woman anywhere near warriors or healers. They believed that menstrual blood was so powerful that just the presence of such power would weaken the strength of warriors and interfere with a healer’s ability to heal. The menstrual blood serves to purify, to cleanse, renew, and it prepares the woman for higher spiritual accomplishments. The Yurok, and Lakota tribes practiced monthly rituals by retreating into MOON lodges with other menstrual women. There they celebrated the power of their menstrual blood.
We all come from the same mother (the Great Mother). She is the wise woman. We all return to her embrace, her bloody-rich womb place, when we die. Every woman is a whole/holy form of her, able to be whole/holy mother of all life, able to be whole/holy destroyer of life. Her power is her blood that flows and flows, her blood which is life and gives life. Every woman’s menstrual blood and birth-time blood is a holy mystery.

What are the blood mysteries? Why are they central to the understanding of the Wise Woman tradition.

Blood mysteries teach that menstrual blood and birthing blood are holy blood, power blood, healing blood. The blood mysteries teach us to remember that life and healing come from and return to woman, to the wise woman, to the woman who bleeds and bleeds. And does not die.

Blood mysteries reveal that menstrual (moontime) blood and birth blood are so holy, so full of potential, so full of the void, that they are to be used only to heal, to heal by nourishing. Holy woman-blood is nourishing blood, blood of love, blood of abundance, blood that heals the earth.

Blood mysteries recall the immense power of the bleeding woman. Power enough to share in great nourishing give-away from mother to matrix, give-away of nourisher to nourisher. When we bleed into the ground (in reality or fantasy) our power regrounds as our blood flows through the personal root chakra and into the earth (http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Blood_Mysteries.htm).
Hera’s first Temple - the Heraion of Samos - was a sanctuary on the Southern region of Samos. Research has revealed many of construction phases, the first dating to the 8th century BCE. The religion of Hera included menstrual rituals to follow the cycles of the moon and every four years the Goddess Hera was celebrated at the games & feast of the Heraia, where only women ran races. Runners were selected from three age groups representing the phases of the moon. These special games, Carl Kerényi believes, originated what became the Olympic Games.
Pre-Olympian Myth: On the day of the new moon, women of the city walked together to the river Eleutherion (ελευθεριον - freedom) - the Water of Freedom. They bathed and then gathered branches from the lygos bushes, which they laid in a circle. With the blessing of Hera, the lygos encouraged the flow of their menstrual blood that would complete the cleansing. As evening approached, they called upon the Goddess in Her appearance as the Moon. Or as Carl Kerényi has called Her “the spellbinding moonlight of Greece”, the “origin of all things”. Gradually Hera drew forth the blood of purification and renewed fertility (http://www.goddess-pages.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=400#ixzz1OqNl4gMN).
An examination of the Hebrew reveal that words for earth - adamah - and human/man – adam - can be traced to the actual root word: dam meaning blood. It is also important to note that unlike English, in the Hebrew language nouns are divided into feminine and masculine gender and interestingly both words (mother) earth (adamah) and soul(nefesh) are in the feminine gender (http://www.goddess-pages.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=400#ixzz1OqO13B1n).
This is a small collection/throwing together of information on the sacredness of our menstrual/moon time. More to come.
The purpose of this post is to shed light on our power, our beauty, and our divinity. We are not vessels of sin. We are not unclean. We are not lesser. We are not cursed. We are not weak. We are the direct opposite of all of these things. Embrace YOU. Love YOU. Appreciate the divinity and uniqueness of divine womanhood.

Facebook Convo on "God" and Christianity

2011-05-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

The original post said: no human has the power ,knowledge or insight to predict the end of the world... ppl let weak minded ppl around them influence there faith in believing foolish things...they said the world was going to end on new years 2000 but it didn't happen.. soooo do your own research read the bible and believe the word of god and not man made myths and prediction
My first response: But... If man wrote the Bible, you're still depending on the words, myths, and predictions of man to tell you when the world is going to end...

And people ALWAYS think the world is going to end. They've been saying that for thousands of years, yet...

Someone responded to the original post (her name is Shannon): ^The bible was written by men who were given words to write straight from the holy spirit the bible is our guide to direct us and let us know of things to come but there is no where in the bible that says when jesus is coming back no man knows the day or the hour it also warns the people of earth about false christ that would reveal themselves in the last days and it warns you not to believe or follow them pray to god that he gives you direction and understanding of his word so that you may not be lost
My response: Shannon, what I would like to know is, what proof is there that these words were given by a "holy spirit?" What proof is there that there is a holy spirit? And if it's given by a "perfect" being, why is the word so flawed?

Shannon's response: @makeda read 2 timothy chapter 3:verses 16- 17 thats your proof also Galatians 5 18-25 And also Romans chapter 8 verses 6 and 7

My response: @Shannon Um... The Bible doesn't prove the Bible exists... You need actual evidence and support. If your only proof of the Bible is the Bible, then you have no proof at all :-/

Shannon's response: ‎@makeda Well im sorry but if you believe that the world will end May 21 and that the bible doesnt exist then you need to get your self together but it sad that satan has people brainwashed and God provides clear answers to all your questions in his word (1 timothy chapter 6 verses 17 -21) i pray that we all get ourselves together so when the day of judgement comes we will be ready to meet our saviour and i also pray that anyone who reads these comments get a clear understanding of biblical truth
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Original poster's response: @Fmajor @makenda yall are truly lost... i guess y'all are really ment for each other and its sad to stay that makenda really brain washed fmajor..smh.. so i guessing y'all believe that man was mad from air particles or we evolved from apes.. its higher power out there which is god..

My response: ‎... What proof is there that Satan exists, Shannon? I mean, what tangible evidence do you have? I don't believe the world is ending May 21st, lol. People believe that?

I think religion is what has people brainwashed.

And still, no one has given any proof of anything they are asserting as fact/truth. Personal belief is fine. The problem is when you assert this as FACT without giving any proof of it.

My response: @Original poster I also think it's sad that you think so little of Fmajor that you think I brainwashed him... Rather than thinking he has a mind of his own and came to his own conclusion about Christianity.

Also, I'm curious to know what the hell you're talking about? Air particles? Really, Drew? Lol. But this isn't about what I believe. This is about people calling something true with no proof of it.

What proof do you have of a higher power? Now, I'm not actually saying there isn't a higher power. What I AM saying is that Christianity is a man made religion--as are all religions--and there is no proof that Christianity is the true way, that Jesus existed, etc.

Shannon's response: @ MAKEDA AND FMAJOR IF YOU DO NOT BELEIIVE THERE IS A God look at yourself in the mirror your are a God given miracle you were created for a purpose to be pleasing in God eyes i do not know you guys but i love you enough to say that God is real i am a living testimony and i am also not perfect or proclaim to be holier than thou God is still working on me and its a minute by minute process i just pray that you guys just have a little faith and curiousity to try God atleast just once and see what he does for you believing in man will get you nowhere and believing in this evil world will def get you no where now im not tryna make a alter call or anything like that it just bothers me that satan has influenced man to believe that he isnt real and that God isnt real its a spiritual warfare out here guys and if we do not pay attention we will be lost.

Someone responded (His name is Damany): Ok, for all the non believers of the bibles devine truth consider this. Even something as simplistic as a garment (Dress, shirt, pants, etc.) had to be designed by someone superior. So when you consider that, how could you think that something as complex as the UNIVERSE has NO original designer? You'd be a fool to believe that "Stephen Hawking" bs.

My response: Shannon, I love you enough to respect that, that is your personal view. I don't have a problem with you being Christian. I have a problem with people saying that Christianity is the true way or that their god is THE god. You existing is not proof of that. If that is your argument, anyone from any religion could use that as proof of their god.

And I have a problem with you assuming I've never "tried god." I did "try god" for most of my life... And I decided to get off the pipe, lol.

And you say you're becoming better? Becoming better is YOU making a conscious effort to be better. It has nothing to do with any "god."

I'm far from lost. I understand where you're coming from, but your whole message is condescending... And you still don't give any real proof of anything you're asserting as truth! Just because there is "evil" in the world, doesn't mean "satan" is a real being. Just because you can't explain the world, life, your existence, etc. doesn't mean "god" is a real being.

And many people are Christian, but they suffer, they die, they starve, they are homeless, etc. Since when does believing in Christianity or the god of it mean anything? Job was god's most faithful servant. He was the most righteous man of his time... Yet GOD made a bet with the devil and allowed him to be tortured by the devil.

‎

@Damany Lol. You know, people come up with all these "deep" analogies, yet still offer no proof. As I said previously, you not UNDERSTANDING THE UNIVERSE does not by default mean that your mystery god exists. Wtf does fashion even have to do with this? What evidence--aside from "look at the universe!"--can you give me that "god" exists?

What evidence can you give me that YOUR god is real? What evidence can you give that Christianity is true?

And you call what Stephen Hawking said is "b.s." I could easily say that the bullshit the bible says is b.s... Wait, I just did.

The bible is a book of myths... And many of those myths are found in stories older than the bible. Anyone who believes a man was born of a virgin, a man was swallowed by a big fish and lived, the world was flooded in 40 days and 40 nights, woman was made from a rib... Anyone who believes that is out their damn mind.

And any god who is like the god of the bible--cruel, jealous, immoral, murderous--even IF "he" was real, I would have no desire to worship THAT nigga.

Again, I'm not DENYING there is a "higher power." I am saying that no one can actually PROVE that there is one.

And I am saying that religion is bullshit.

Shannon's response: God is real ,Satan is real, pull the wool from over your eyes and see what is happening all around you there is only onew ay to get to Heaven(and yes it does exist)and that is through Jesus Christ (john 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled you that believe in God believe also in me (jesus)in my father's(God) house there are many mansion,if they were not i would'nt have told you i go to prepare a place for you, and if go to prepare A PLACE FOR YOU(THE WORLD) i will come again and receive you unto myself that where I live you may also live. You have to believe @makeda satan was an holy angel named lucifer who was kicked out of heaven with a third of the angels because he wanted to be God. See the beauty of God is that he gives all beings angels included the right to choose he doesnt demand that you worship him or obey his principles ,but if you love him then you would live how he wants you to, see lucifer a.k.a satan knows that God is real and uses his power to redirect your attention off of (get of the pipe) of the love of Christ .Satan is the biggest hater out there and wants you to believe that salvation isnt real and figment of someone's imagination. I read this status and i had to comment i started to think well maybe people are ignorant, but then i was reading the comments and people generally do not know what is going on and bound to happen in this world, and i couldnt hold the truth in any longer im putting uo a link please register im not in a occult or anything I'm a seventh day adventist and we beleive in biblical truth not science or man's interpetation of the bible( www.beyondmay21.com)

My response: Saying evil exists is not a valid argument for saying "god and satan are real." And telling someone to "pull the wool from over there eyes" isn't helping get your point across when YOU are the one who is a SHEEP and Jesus is your shepherd. Flocks follow. They don't think. Saying "yes, heaven exists" is not valid, either. Where is heaven located? Have you been there? Do you know someone who has been there? Have they told you about it? Do they have proof they went there?

Again, Shannon, I stress that the Bible is NOT evidence that the Bible is truth. You need evidence OUTSIDE of the Bible--credible evidence--that validates it as truth.

Also, where in the Bible does it say that about the devil/satan and "a third of the angels?"

And god does demand that you worship him, actually. He demands it by threatening you with hell. It's like god is saying, "You can do what you want, but I'll still allow you to suffer for eternity if you don't do what I want you to do."

You make a lot of assumptions and prove your own ignorance when you say others are ignorant, when clearly my ability to think critically and for myself is far greater than yours. You don't believe science, but you believe the bible.

Also, you say "I don't believe in man's interpretation of the bible." MAN WROTE THE BIBLE! And your interpretation or your pastor's interpretation, that is STILL relying on MAN'S INTERPRETATION.

And I know you're not in OCCULT. You're in A CULT.

Quick question: Do you believe EVERYTHING that's in the bible? Do you agree with everything that's in the bible? And this question is for all of the christians reading this and/or commenting.

The only reason people don't want to believe in the word is because its an inconvenience to how they want to live their life. I am nowhere near "Good" I just refuse to be an idiot and pretend its not there.

Damany's response: The only reason people don't want to believe in the word is because its an inconvenience to how they want to live their life. I am nowhere near "Good" I just refuse to be an idiot and pretend its not there.

My response: God's way of "free will" is like me holding a gun to your head and saying, "You can make whichever choice you want... If you choose choice A (which is following me and doing what I say for the rest of your life), I'll reward you with a billion dollars. If you choose choice B (which is you get to choose what you want to do with your life), I'll shoot you in each arm, each leg, your stomach, and then I'll shoot you in the head." Who in the hell would choose choice B?

Lol. You just refuse to be intelligent and think for yourself, Damany. You offer proof of nothing and resort to indirectly insulting people who don't believe in superstitions.

Biblical god rules by fear, not love, not mercy, not morality. FEAR and cruelty.

Also, I live my life how I want, and it's STILL a moral life. Morality and goodness is not dependent on religion or "god." I'm pretty sure that--aside from worshiping "god"--I live a more Christ-like life than many people who are Christians.

Also, it is CHRISTIANS who pick and choose parts of the Bible that they want to follow and don't. They choose the parts that give them warm fuzzy feelings, but they when something they don't like comes up, they have excuses: "Oh, that's not the right context." "You don't take that literally." "God didn't mean that, he meant this."

Anyone who thinks the bible is the origin of morality or that being Christian makes you moral is a total fuck-tard and a waste of my time... Clearly, they are not my intellectual equal.

My Hair Care Regimen

2011-05-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

"When you go through all your life processing and abusing your hair so it will look like the hair of another race of people, then you are making a statement and the statement is clear."--Assata Shakur
A lot of people ask me what I do to care for my hair, and I've been promising to do a blog on it for a long time... So, I'm finally getting around to it, lol. So, let's get started.

My haircare products:

Suave naturals daily clarifying shampoo
Suave naturals conditioners (any scent I like)
Alberto VO5 conditioner (any scent I like)
Giovanni 50:50 balanced hydrating-calming conditioner
Jamaican Black castor oil
Coconut oil
Black Soap
Oyin Handmade Burnt Sugar pomade
Carol's Daughter Mimosa hair honey
Carol's Daughter hair balm
Carol's Daughter loc butter
Denman D7 brush
wide-tooth comb
three prong hair clips, hair chopsticks, bobby pins
ACV (apple cider vinegar)
Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner
TreSemme Smooth and Silky Conditioner
Any conditioner that says for dry/damaged/permed/color-treated hair

Before we go into my haircare method, I'd like to share how I started my natural hair journey...
I went natural about a year ago. Before that I would press and flat-iron my hair almost everyday. Because of my super-curly hair texture, I had to in order to keep the curls and waves at bay. It would take me a minimum of 2 hours--without stopping--to achieve that, and as soon as I stepped outside, the roots would start waving up and my ends would get rough. If I even looked at water my hair would become this half straight, half fluffy mess. I finally found this flat iron that helped put an end to that. For about six months I could flat-iron my hair and it would stay. It would even hold pretty well in humidity.

One day I wanted to wear my hair curly--just to change it up--and my curls wouldn't quite curl right. In the shower I had noticed that when washing my hair, the straightness hadn't gone away completely.

I was killing my hair, destroying my natural curl pattern. When I realized that, I stopped. I let my sister and mom pick through the things they wanted and tossed out the rest.
I started wearing my hair curly again, but I didn't know how to maintain it, so I mainly wore it up, or just in a fluffy type of style, because my curls had zero definition. I would wash my hair, let it dry, then brush out it out into a bush. This was the only style I could do that looked good and wasn't heat-styled.

One of the only pics of my puffy hair style that I have.

I love this style and still do it occasionally (sorry for the blurriness!), but doing it daily was causing too much breakage. I needed something for my curls! I began researching natural hair and found a lot of great information, but a lot of it consisted of expensive hair regimens. Most natural hair products--though wonderful products--are a tad on the expensive side. They have to be. The ingredients are more expensive, the businesses are usually small, so the cost of making the products is higher. That means higher prices for the buyer. I'm not knocking that. I understand, but as a single mom, I needed something more affordable. So I kept looking, but I'd buy those products when I had extra money (and I still do, because I support Black-owned businesses). I finally found information on "co-washing," which means you stop using shampoo and only use conditioner. I started doing this and it was great for awhile, but the products I was using started building up. I started using ACV and Suave naturals daily clarifying shampoo. This eliminated the build up in my hair.

Shortly after that, I found a new curly hair method, and that is the one I currently use and am going to tell you all about! Doing this method has stopped breakage, made my hair healthier, given my curls beautiful definition, and promoted growth. The products I listed are the only products that I ever use. Honestly, the only ones I need are the conditioner, shampoo, brush & comb. The others (like the pomades, balms, etc.) are just to switch it up now and then. They are not required.
What is required are your washing conditioners, ACV or Suave Naturals daily clarifying shampoo, and your combing conditioners, your wide-tooth comb or your denman brush.

The process, when reading it, seems like a lot, but my hair regimen went from 2+ hours a day to less than an hour per day, one or two days a week. You just have to get the process down for yourself :) If I could, I'd do it for you the first time, so you could have a good demonstration!
You need to find the conditioners you like best. Suave naturals, white rain, Alberto VO5 are all great, light washing conditioners. These replace your shampoos. Giovanni 50:50 (silicone free), Organix nourishing coconut milk, Herbal Essences totally twisted, TreSemme anti-Breakage Vitamin b-12 & gelatin, TreSemme Smooth and Silky Conditioner, these are great combing conditioners. These replace your hair products. You do not wash these out.

Washing my hair: I wash my hair once or twice a week. The longest I go without washing is two weeks. Curly hair does not require washing everyday or even every other day (unless you have more of a caucasian hair type, then everyday, every other day, or every third day may be best for you)! Frequent washing strips hair of the moisture is so desperately needs, and shampooing (with harsh shampoos) strips out too much of the natural hair oils. It takes days to get those back... To wash my hair, I shampoo first. I do not scrub my hair and I don't use my nails on my scalp. This damages the scalp, so don't. I put shampoo at my ends and rub it in gently, then I put shampoo at the roots and rub my scalp firmly with my fingertips. I work the shampoo from scalp and roots to the rest of my hair. After rinsing out the shampoo, I take my rinsing conditioners and work them through my hair the same way. I let that sit while I do the rest of my shower. After that, I rinse it. If I need to, I do it again. If I want to wash my hair while I'm not showering I do the same method, except when it's time for the conditioner I put a heat cap on for about 10-15 minutes. Then I rinse it. I do a deep conditioning treatment once a month, by the way.

I do not comb or brush my hair in the shower unless I absolutely have to. Combing in the shower causes a lot of breakage. If you're going to do it, do so gently and with PLENTY of conditioner in your hair. I do not towel dry my hair. If you want to towel dry your hair, I recommend you buy a devatowel. I may gently squeeze bit of the water out, but towels rub hair, damage ends, cause frizziness, and hurts the definition of the curls. Once I'm done washing my hair, I put in my combing conditioner. I put in A LOT of it, too. You need to play around and see how much works for you. I usually use the Herbal Essence or Giovanni conditioner. My hair is semi-coarse, very fine strands, spiral curly, and thick. If your hair is like mine, these conditioners work well. Heavier conditioners, like the recommended TreSemme conditioners, weigh my curls down. Which is fine, but sometimes I want my curls to have more body. If you have a less coarse hair texture than mine, a lighter conditioner should work for you without weighing your hair down. These conditioners may be better for you: Nexxus Hydra Sleek Silken Smoothing Conditioner, Nature's Gate Organics Fruit Blend Fortifying Conditioner (Grapefruit & Wild Ginger), L'Occitane Verbena Daily Use Conditioner. If you have a very coarse hair texture, super thick hair, and kinkier curls, I would suggest TreSemme's conditioners. They were a bit heavier and weighed my medium-coarse hair down. Try it and see :)

Now it's time to comb/brush: I section my hair in half and pin one side up and out of the way. I take a small section from the loose hair and pin the rest up. I comb/brush the tips and work my way up to my roots, gently combing/brushing the tangles out. This makes the hair easier to comb/brush with less struggle and damage done to the hair. I am not saying to back comb your hair. I am saying instead of combing the roots first, you comb the tips, then the middle, then the roots. It's much easier and gentler on the hair. I do this process to both sides of my hair. After combing, brushing, I may add a little more water and conditioner. Now it's time to define my curls. You need to find which method is best for you.

I have found three methods that work great on my hair:

Method 1: After combing my hair out, I "scrunch" my hair by running my hands through it and gently bunching sections of hair in my hands (cup your hair in the palms of your hands and scrunch in an upward motion).

I use this method when I'm in a hurry. This method usually produces good definition, but not as good as method two. This method is good for people with less coarse hair textures and looser curls. This method is also good for people who have really long hair, because it takes less time.

Method 2: After combing my hair out, I part my hair down the middle again and pin one section up and away from the rest of my hair. I take one curl and "pinch" it from the root to the tip. I place the curl between my index finger and thumb, and run my fingers down the length of the curl. I do this with each curl. This produces great curl definition. This is great for any curly hair type, I think. It takes a little longer than method one, but it's still pretty quick. I do it in about 30 minutes. It produces this:

VERY defined curls, body with no frizziness.

Method three: Method three takes a little more time than method 2, which means it takes the longest of the three methods. If you have short hair, this method won't take too long, and it will give you beautiful, perfectly defined curls.

This method takes me maybe roughly an hour to do. With method three, I take each curl, "pinch" it (as in method 2). After pinching a curl, I twist it around my finger. I'm not saying to wrap it around your finger. I start at the roots and twist my finger down the curl. This produces a lot of body and the best curl definition. The only problem I have with this method is that due to my hair length (longer than waist-length), this method makes my hair tangle more quickly, so I have to wash my hair sooner than usual. I don't have a picture for this. Sorry. I've been told that the curls look more like locs when I do this method. I leave the excess water in my hair, but there is a method if you're concerned about that. I haven't tried it, but here it is: Gently scrunch your hair with a t-shirt, paper towels, or a micro-fiber towel to remove excess moisture, as a generic terrycloth towel will make your hair frizzy.

That's it! That's my hair regimen. I got it from Teri Laflesh's book "Curly Like Me." Another book I've heard good things about is "Curly Girl" by Lorraine Massey.

Be patient with your hair. It takes 2-6 weeks for your hair to adjust to the no shampoo and it may even look worse at first. Hair is a long-term project and it may take a couple weeks for it to regain its health after being stripped of moisture for years by shampoo.

Peace, Love, and Natural Hair!

Captain Cudjoe

2011-03-11T20:54:00.000-08:00

Dauntless Maroon Chief of Jamaica

     Nothing is further from the truth than the popular belief that the African in the New World was in love with slavery and submitted calmly to it. The fact is that he rebelled against it from the United States to Argentina times without number.
    This is especially true of Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Surinam, the Virgin Islands, Brazil, and Venezuela. Among the most valiant of these Negro rebels were the Maroon Negroes of Jamaica, West Indies. For 140 years they defied the white slave holders and finally forced them to seek a treaty of peace.
     The greatest of the Maroon leaders of this island was Cudjoe, an illiterate, ragged, barefooted, undersized, and unshapely Coromantee. Of seemingly inexhaustible energies, Cudjoe possessed all the qualities of a born commander. He defeated the British in every encounter, and had he been able to get arms and ammunition, he would doubtless have done to them what Dessalines did to the French in Haiti, that is, drive them form the island.
     The slaveholders seemed powerless against his attacks. Before planing a raid on their plantations, he had his spies mingle freely with the slaves in the markets and on the plantations, learning when to strike and where, then sallying out by night and even by day, he attacked with such deadly thoroughness that he left in his wake burnt mansions and cane fields and the bodies of the whites and their faithful slaves. With the arms and ammunition thus obtained, he staged other raids.
     By 1730 he had grown so strong that some of teh old English settlers thought it best to abandon their plantations and return hom. It was commonly said, "General Williamson [the British Commander] rules Jamaica by day and Captain Cudjoe by night."
     At last the government decide to make a supreme effort to capture him. It built forts and outposts near the Maroon settlements and brought in hundreds of Central American Indians to track down teh rebels. At the same time a force of 1000 soldiers white and black, under Captain Lemelia, was sent against Cudjoe.
     But Cudjoe was equal to the occasion. Sending one of his spies to tell the British that he would be found at a certain distant spot, he marched stealthily down the mountains to meet the enemy and took up a position overlooking a deep pass thorough which the foe had to come.
     Dividing his force into four parts, he stationed one of each high up on the extremities of both sides of the pass.
     Captain Lemelia, believing Cudjoe to be many miles away, came on with relaxed vigilance. Tired from dragging the cannon uphill, his soldiers straggled into the pass. Cudjoe, waiting until the narrow pass was filled with men, signaled to his own men at the entrance to fire. A hundred British fell, struck in the back. When the others turned int he direction of the fire, Cudjoe's men at the other end again struck the enemy in the rear until the shooting from all sides of the rocks became general. This crisscross fire coming from everywhere so demoralized the foe that abandoning guns and supplies, they fled down the mountains.
     Cudjoe during the next four years continued his victories but the superior arms of the slaveholders began to tell at last. They attacked on of his camps on a high mountain and killed nearly everyone.
     This made him decide to move to another part of the island and take his women and children with him. To screen this bold move, he left men around the old camp to blow horns and discharge guns to make the enemy think he was still there. So successful was he that it was not until months later when he had staged another raid on the part of the island to which he had gone that the truth was known.
     For another four years the tornado that was Cudjoe raged, leaving slaughter and destruction in his wake. Once more the government, in desperation, planned an expedition against him. Every able-bodied man on the island was pressed into service, but when the expedition was about to start, someone asked who would protect the women and children if all the men went off. What would happen if the slaves seized the occasion to revold? The Jamaican slave could not be trusted. As for the faithful slaves, the Maroons hated them even more than they did the whites, and they were likely to be struck down by some unseen hand at any time.
     Faced with this dilemma, the governor, Sir Edward Trelawney, decided there was but one course: to seek a treaty of peace with Cudjoe. He sent Colonel Guthrie with a mission to offer Cudjoe independence and a tract of land...

     And so peace was made. Cudjoe and his men were given a large grant of land free from all taxation in perpetuity, and permission to hunt anywhere on the island, except within three miles of a white settlement.
References
Dallas, who also fought against the Maroons of Surinam, describes the Jamaica Maroons, thus:
    "In their person and carriage, the Maroons were erect and lofty indicating a consciousness of superiority. Vigor appeared upon their muscles and their emotions displayed agility. Their eyes were quick, wiled and fiery, the whites of them appeared a little red, owing, perhaps, to the greeness of the wood they burned. They possessed most, if not all, of the senses in a superior degree. They were accustomed to discover from habit in the woods objects which white people of the best sight could not distinguish, and their hearing was so wonderfully quick that it enabled them to elude their most active pursuers.
     In character, language and manners, they resembled those Negroes on the estates of the planters that were descended from the same race of Africans, but on closer inspection displayed a striking distinction in their personal appearance, being blacker, taller, and in ever respect, handsomer.
    "They were seldom surprised. They communicated with one another by means of horns, and when these could scarcely be heard by other people, they distinguished the order the sounds conveyed. It is very remarkable that the Negroes had a particular call upon the horn for each individual by which he was summoned from a distance as easily as he would have been spoke to had he been near."
     The descendants of the Maroons still live in their towns on the island, all except the Trelawney Maroons, who revolded in 1796 and were transported, 500 of them, men women, and children, to the cold climate of Nova Scotia, Canada. Later most of them were shipped to Sierra Leone, Africa. But descendants of these Maroons are still to be found in Nova Scotia, mixed with the American Negroes who aided England in the Revolutionary War.

Dallas, R.C., History of the Maroons, 2 vols. Longman and Rees, 1803
Proceedings of the Governor and Assembly of Jamaica in Regard to the Maroon Negroes, 1796
Brymer, D., Royal Society of Canada, Proceedings, 2 series, Vol. I, Sec. 2. Ottawa, 1893

I read this story to my son tonight out of "The World's Great Men of Color, Vol. 2," by J.A. Rogers. I decided that I am going to routinely post one of these stories.

.::Sacrifice::.

2011-03-07T15:24:00.001-08:00

I’m currently reading this excellent book on tarot and voodoo. In it, the author speaks of “sacrifice.” Sacrifice is taken from the Latin sacer (sacred) and facere (to make), so the literal meaning is to make sacred. In (Euro) Western culture sacrifice takes on a different and, as usual, corrupted meaning. The western understanding of sacrifice is about giving up, relinquishing, etc. Sacrifice is often looked at as a burden, a punishment… Sacrifice is also associated with death, rather than the sacrality of sacrifice.

When we are in relationships, we consider ourselves to be sacrificing or giving up something(s) for the person we’re with. In reality, we aren’t giving up something, we are offering up something in order to make sacred our relationship, and to strengthen and deepen our bond to the other person. We offer up that thing in order to receive the blessings that will surely come from our sacrifice. Westernization has us thinking only of what we can take, what we can add on to our “wealth,” what we can appropriate for ourselves… And never what we can give, what we can sacrifice. When we sacrifice, we feel as if we are losing something. It is this spirit that also blocks the Universal blessings that come through sacrifice.
Our greatest gifts and blessings often come after we have sacrificed. Sacrifice makes room for the blessing.
Peace and Love.
The title of the book is The New Orleans Voodoo Tarot by Louis Martinie and Sallie Ann Glassman

.::Tarot::.

2011-03-07T15:23:00.001-08:00

I bought two tarot decks recently, and I love them. I have been doing personal reading for myself with them since around 2 or 3 this morning off and on. It astounds me how precise and accurate they have been on life situations. I do not think tarot is for everyone, but for me they are proving extremely useful. My readings have yielded amazing insight and more.
People commonly misunderstand things such as tarot because people water down and abuse ancient practices. They make them commercialized and cheap, then wonder why it doesn’t work or isn’t accurate. If you approach the practice with an open mind, sincerity and respect you will be amazed at the accuracy. Again, it isn’t for everyone. Each of us has a different tool that speaks to our intuitive power. You just have to find yours. I’ve also found cowrie shells to be useful for myself. Soon I will start using my I-ching sticks.

.:;Racism::.

2011-03-07T15:20:00.001-08:00

I do not acknowledge racism as coming from all people. I define racism as white supremacy, and my idea of racism is borrown heavily from such people as Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary, Dr. Amos Wilson, and others. People may say, “Well, you’re just using their definitions,” but I would ask those people who taught them their definition? My definition is inspired by them, yes, but I’ve thought over it logically, rationally, and come to my own conclusion. Most people just accept the definition they’re given.

To me, racism isn’t me not liking a person based on their skin color. That’s prejudice. I am pre-judging them based on their skin color. But then again, Caucasian people have a history of doing horrible things like oppressing and enslaving other races, stripping other races and cultures of their heritage, establishing a system of global white supremacy, convincing the world that black people are bad people, etc., etc. And this blog is not saying that all Caucasians are bad people and do horrible things.

Racism is the combination of hating another race and enslaving them: Mentally, physically, spiritually, economically, culturally, nutritionally, and in any other way they can. That is racism. It’s when my hatred adversely affects the lives of others. The only racism with the power to do that, currently, is white supremacy.

There is a reason Blacks, and other “minorities,” being “racist” is called “reverse racism.” The reason is that their “racism” is a reaction to the racism they were already dealing with. No one calls self-defense “reverse violence.” Why? The person defending themselves was the victim. So a Black person, or other minorities (but mainly Black), is actually them reacting to the racism they face GLOBALLY.

.::MLK Day::.

2011-01-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

The Martin Luther King, Jr. that is never quoted.

Rest In Power, warrior.

.::Grow::.

2010-11-09T13:20:00.001-08:00

You make me want to vibrate higher... Your light intensifies my own, and forces me to grow... Growing can be painful, you know? But I welcome it... And I thank you...

.::Ancient Practices: Trepanning::.

2010-10-28T00:56:00.000-07:00

What is trepanation? Trepanation is one of the world's oldest, surgical procedures. It is possibly the oldest. Trepanation is the practice of drilling a hole in the skull as a physical, mental, and/or spiritual treatment. It was practiced by many of the most ancient cultures, ranging from ancient Egypt to Meso-American cultures. Some of the information gathered from ancient cultures indicates they believed that trepanning could cure a number of things, including mental disorders. Trepanning was also performed on infants*. When we are born, we are born with two, soft spots: One at the crown or top of the head and one a little farther back. These soft spots are called fontanels. It is true that the soft spots make it easier for them to pass through the birth canal, but there is other information on the soft spots, or at least some very interesting things to consider.

"...Consider the infant's outlook—the unselfconscious wonder, the joyful spontaneity. This, claims Hughes (who performed self-trepanation), was the natural result of a brain at optimal pulsation, the conditions for which could be pinpointed at the crown of the skull—the fontanel, to be precise, the so-called soft spot enabling the head to squeeze through the birth canal unharmed.

The key to Huges's theory was that when the child aged, the soft spot sealed over, partially suffocating the membranes surrounding the brain and inhibiting what Huges lavishly termed "brainbloodvolume. " Hence the heightened perceptions, the unfettered imagination, the pure joy—all of it duly faded into adolescent oblivion as the egoistic, neurosis-ridden mind of adulthood set in." Now, when trepanation is performed, the bone does grow back. It is just measurably thinner than the bone that was removed, allowing more flow.
Here is some more interesting information for you. Hopefully, you see the correlations. Chi and prana are the same thing, just different names by different cultures. Prana or Chi is the Life force. This unseen energy exists everywhere in the universe in great quantities.
Prana (प्राण ) is the Sanskrit for "vital life" (from the root "to fill", cognate to Latin plenus "full"). Prana enters the body through the top of our head (this is the reason there is a hole in the skull of unborn embryos).The major Prana flow runs through the center of our body looking like a tube. From there it flows into eight main centers known as Chakras. This is an Indian Sanskrit word meaning "turning wheel", due to the look of these complex energy flows. According to the early Egyptians/Kemites, there are thirteen chakras as they relate to different energy centers. Another definition of prana is the life force that operates the sensory, motor, and physiological mechanisms of the body. When this current is completely withdrawn, the body dies. Partial withdrawal of the life force from the muscles results in relaxation; greater withdrawal, numbness and anesthesia; profound withdrawal, paralysis and immobility; full withdrawal, death.
Chi or qi is the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health. Another definition is that chi or qi is the primordial energy which is the basis for the universe and everything in it. It is the matrix out of which matter and energy are formed, and is expressed as the life force in all living things. Different from Spirit (Shen), it is an energy field that permeates and nourishes all living things.
When we are children, we have an abundance of prana or chi, and as we age, that diminishes. Could this be, in part, a result of the sealing of our soft spots?
The following quote from Peter Halvorson, who is the founder and director of the International Trepanation Advocacy Group. He has lived with the procedure for over thirty years. He is responsible for initiating the ITAG pilot study at a private Mexican clinic.

"...it's known as 'opening the third eye. With trepanation you can willfully and deliberately accelerate your brain metabolism. You have a higher level of consciousness."

*There is no evidence of any neurological impairment among indigenous groups who practiced cranial deformations in newborns.
*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15711831
I just wanted to share some information with you that I found quite interesting. More to come.
Peace, Love, and Elevation. http://www.itsmyurls.com/MentalOrgasm

.::Kanye West's Power::.

2010-08-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

Kanye West's Power video. Enjoy.

[chanting]
I'm livin' in that 21st century. Doin' suhm mean to it. Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it. Screams from the haters. Gotta nice ring to it. I guess every super hero need his theme music. No one man should have all that power. The clock's tickin', I just count the hours. Stoppin' trippin. I'm trippin' off the power. [man's voice: 21st Century Schizoid Man] The system broke and the schools close, the prisons open. We ain't got nothin' to lose... Everybody, we rollin'. Huh? Everybody we rollin'... With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands. In this white man world, we the ones chosen. So good-night, cruel world. I'll see you in the mornin'. Huh? I see you in the mornin'. This is way too much, I need a moment. No one man should have all that power. The clock's tickin', I just count the hours. Stop trippin', I'm tippin' off the power. 'Til then, fuck that... The world's ours. We livin'
[chanting]
[man's voice: 21st Century Schizoid Man]

Ok, bear with me. Lol. I'm just putting some ideas out there... So I see Heru and what looks like more Roman or Greek columns, but we know where they got everything from... So no surprise there. Is that Aset and Nebhet? I see the cow horns ...of Hathor. I see water bearers... Perhaps reference to the age of Aquarius? The water is flowing upwards. In fact, anything that falls is falling upward... Symbolizing ascension, perhaps? The shifting, growing consciousness...?
The woman in front of Kanye is on his left with her left leg crossed over the right. The feminine principle. She has wings like Aset, Ma'at and Nebhet. They're the only winged goddesses. It was pointed out to me that she has four wings, like a cherubim. A guardian angel.
When they banged their staffs, the one at the top dropped her white cloth or her veil maybe. Her eyes never open... The albinos guardians' robes/cloths slowly slide off of their bodies (this is the only item that doesn't fall upward). Isis Unveiled... A saying of Isis is that no man has ever seen her unveiled. Also, the two albinos guarding the entrance have no female or male genitalia. They're sexless, though obviously female. Androgyny?
Everything in the picture (nearly everything) had two... Showing balance... Maybe... If you watch closely, Kanye is slowly moving forward and there is something in his right hand. There's a halo above his head. Then a sword goes into the halo. This is the sword of Damocles, which comes from the legend of Damocles and Dionysius. The story goes that the powerful and authoritative Dionysius II offers to switch places for the day, so that Damocles could witness what it was like to have fortune and power. At a banquet, Damocles is waited on like a king, only to notice a sharpened sword hanging by a single horse-hair, directly above his head. At that moment he realized the gamble of having wealth and power was not worth it to him.
There is a woman to the right who appears from the top of the image. She pulls a curved dagger out on Kanye (it appears). Two figures that appear to be male are jumping through the air with their swords aimed at Kanye. The one on the right of Kanye is obviously male. The one to the left may be female. Perhaps showing the masculine and feminine principles within himself being at war... If it's two men, they're made to look very different... Which would still be an illustration of the two opposites within him being in struggle.
Suddenly, everything but Kanye and the two figures that appear to be attacking him disappear.
At 1:26, it looks like the masonic compass or a pyramid has formed in the sparks right at the bottom of his feet.
There's lights/firecrackers/puffs of golden smoke sparking on certain points of the picture. The clouds in the background very much resemble wings or robes...
I don't know what to make of it, but it is full of symbolism and very interesting... I couldn't even begin to list all the symbols found here.

The lyrics are just as important as the imagery...
Peace and Love. More to come.

.::Late Night Musing::.

2010-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

My sudden urge to take you by your face and kiss you passionately until your mouth professes it's love for me and your knees buckle beneath you... As your heart rate quickens, your body gets hot and certain parts engorge... Until you ache for me to explore you... How surprising this urge is to the both of us...

And even though I'm feeling shy... The thought of your tongue entering my mouth and my tongue succumbing to yours is making me want to throw caution to the wind... As I stare at your lips, your jaw, your neck... I'm tempted to dial your number and whisper and moan into the phone and arouse you to the point that your hands become my hands and explore you... Slowly... Boldly...
Your hands become my hands and my thoughts become your thoughts... But I'll also let my hands become yours... It's better if we both participate.

.::We Want Lasers::.

2010-07-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

http://www.petitiononline.com/Beaming/petition.html

I think I'm Malcolm X... Martin Luther... Add a King... Add a Junior...
Couple'a bible verse, couple sunnahs...
An AK-47, that's a revolution.
They gon' think I'm Tupac, Bob Marley... Fela Kuti, Marcus Garvey.
Them the real ones, light a lighter for 'em.
Let 'em know, that I'm ridin' for 'em.

Gon' give me some... A lil' mo' beat.
Call ya friends around, then call the police.
I'm ridin' with my flo, take up fo' seats.
So, I'm gon' ghost-ride, but with no sheets!
One man by myself, even then I'm fo' deep.
Like hotel pools, that's fo' feet.
These niggas like them rooms... So suite.
Price line... So cheap!
I'm a cell phone, they some room keys... I'm some shell toes, they the shoe strings.
I turn 'em off, I take 'em out... I'm Reverend Run, with the laces out.
My Adi-das... So adios... All day I dream, like I'm comatose.
That your ship's sinkin', and I'm so afloat. I'm T-pain, I'm on a boat!
Not the slave one, Di caprio's either. Here the waves come, they started in the bleachers.
Some swag surfin', the pools gettin' deeper. You still suite, though, Here come the room keepers.
Ok, I'll be the strings, you be the shoes. But guess what? (What?) Now they Jimmy Choos!
I wear the pants, you wear the (?). Your shit meows... My shit ahhhhhhhhhhhhh-ooooooos!
I gotta 5th flo', call me brotha man. Africa the set, yeah that's the Motherland.
For that BP, I shed 50 tears... In Nigeria that oil been spillin' for like 50 years.
50 years?! Hell nah! Hell yeah! I'm tryin'a tell y'all.
At this rate, niggas gon' lose. Can't search for water or grow ya own food.
Tell me what's gon' happen, when them stores close... And they ain't gon' open up, no mo'?
That's the realest shit... Yeah, you gon' feel that... Hunger's your enemy, but you can't kill that.
Nigga, wake up! Don't join the army. Kill ya own peoples, but fear Illuminatis.
And they ain't even real... Or are they? But you wouldn't even know, because you partay...
Too fuckin' much.
If you start to doubt me, they already in yo mind and comin' out yo mouth.
It's not a trick... Nigga, it's a trap! Survival of the fit, is what they aimin' at.
And niggas ain't fit, fat as hell. Fat in mind, body fat as well.
Who use most the drugs? Americans. What's in Afghanistan? HEROIN!
You think that's by mistake? They can stop that. Don't think you safe, though, because you not black.
Greed is color blind, so I'm color blind. They gon' fuck with yours, soon as they done with mine.
They say I try to hard, verses overwhelm. I learned most of this, from niggas in the jail!
Where you think I'm from? I'm from the streets, nigga. Triple OGs told me to teach, nigga!
And that ain't made up. Nope! That's a fact. They say that gangsta shit, is the shit I rap.
Look who I attract, look at my inner circle. Bunch'a street niggas, and a couple Urkels.
Look at my fanbase, oh yes! Fuck what "Pro" say... Look at this protest!
Where they do that at?! Who they do that fo'?!
My (?) is movin' bad and things is movin' slow?! NO!!
You talkin' revolution on public radio. Catch me down in Houston, sittin' on them 84's.
Tre, what's up? ABN, got ya back nigga, sink or swim!
Free Chilly-Chill!
Shake off yo' masters...
Pray to God...
Build yo Mind Faster...

I think I'm Malcolm X... Martin Luther... Add a King... Add a Junior...
Couple'a bible verse, and some sunnahs... An AK-47, that's a revolution.
I'm Tupac, Bob Marley... Fela Kuti, Marcus Garvey.
Them the real ones, light a lighter for 'em.
If you ain't know, I'm ridin' for 'em.

FNF UP! LASERS!!!!!!!

.::The Sacrality of the Phallus::.

2010-07-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

During yoga today, a thought that I've always had was articulated more eloquently in my mind. I'd like to share it with you all. It's about the sacrality of the phallus. I hate the word "penis" and "vagina," so I say phallus and yoni.
During my session, I started to think about how we treat the phallus as less sacred and less worthy of protection than the yoni. Alot of brothas treat their phallus' like Cosco samples. Not all, but most... So HUSH.

Men and women feel the woman's body is something sacred and she shouldn't be as sexually open as men are, due to her body being "holy." Even some conscious people place more importance on the womb and act as if the phallus is not sacred or even all that important...

I cannot agree. For one, man and woman are two halves of a whole. Yin and yang. Sun and moon. Seed and soil. Isis and Osiris. Shiva and Shakti... Etc, etc. They are halves of the whole. Now, how can my reflection or that which I reflect, how can the completions of one another be any less sacred than the other half of the completion?

The argument is that the women hold life in themselves. True indeed! We are the life bearers and sustainers. We nurture life. But... Men bring new life. Men give life to the womb and the womb brings that life into physical existence. Our womb is the sacred portal from one realm to another. But if the phallus is less sacred, how could I ever let it enter into my sacred place?

That's just like how the hebrew israelite men (that I've met) treat black women as lowly, worthless beings... Yet they still want 2 have sex with us and need us to bear their children. I ask them, "Why would you lay with something that is beneath you? Why would you waste self on something lowly and disgusting?" There's never a real answer for that. *smirks*

Now, the same goes for those who think the male body is less sacred than the female's. How could you allow a lesser being to enter into a sacred place? Contradiction.

We constantly say and are constantly told how we must be careful who we allow to enter our temple... But how often is the man told to be careful whose temple he enters?

Our ancestors certainly never disputed the sacrality of the phallus... So all of you "Kemetic" people/followers who deny it, again... Contradiction.

Peace, Love and Elevation. More to come.

.::Glass People::. (First Draft)

2010-07-09T16:52:00.001-07:00

Would it be cliche to say how I see right through you?
You're a clean window with no shutter nor blinds... And I can see the workings of your mind and the shallowness of who you are...

I see these fragile glass walls, you've build up in defense... The easily smashed crystal fence.

Yeah, I see right through you...
Honestly, you're damn near invisible...
Real recognize real... And you look like a stranger or something like that...
You and all this glass, I'd hate to be on the inside of you when it all gets smashed...
Broken glass and bloody tears... What took years to make takes only a second to break...
One solid rock of truth... And there's nothing left of you...
You glass person.

.::Teach Them in the Way They Should Go::.

2010-07-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

As I watch my son grow, I see how our relationship changes. I allow our relationship to grow and change with his growth. I understand that as he grows, our relationship cannot stay the same or it will impede his progress/growth.
A lot of parents--particularly single mothers--try to keep the relationship the same. Whether it be consciously or subconsciously, it happens. This type of relationship is bad for both parent and child. It's dysfunctional and it affects the child's growth and future relationships for the worse.

As your child grows, the relationship must evolve. When they are a child, you are the authoritarian, disciplinarian, guardian... You are in control.

But once the child becomes an adult, you transition from authoritarian to adviser, confidante, etc. This is a necessary change. The being who was your child, is no longer a child and no longer dependent upon you. They will make decisions for themselves and while they may consult you, they may or may not heed your advice.

They will make mistakes. They will slip and fall... When they hurt, you will hurt... But all of this is necessary for their growth. It is their path and you cannot travel it for them. You must allow them to be who they are and do what they're supposed to do.

A lot of times, we think we know what they're supposed to do. No one can decide their path, but them... Just as you chose your path. Trust that you raised and trained your child well.

"Teach them in the way they should go and they will not depart from it."

Such a beautiful scripture, and so much truth in it. All we can do is equip our children with the proper tools to navigate their path.

Mother birds will fiercely protect their babies. Even giving their own life so the baby can escape. When baby birds are ready to go off on their own, mother birds teach their babies to fly and let them venture out on their own. They don't try to keep the baby bird from testing their wings. If need be, they'll push the baby bird from the nest and make them fly on their own.

We cannot enable our children. We must encourage their growth and their independence. I see so many single mothers hindering their sons. They make their sons dependent on them and make them their man (not in an incestual way). This is all so unfair to the son. They become each other's crutch... Neither has built the muscles to walk on their own... Many never do.

As our children grow, so must the relationship. Don't be sad for the change. Welcome and embrace it. It doesn't mean your child loves you any less. It means they have taken the teachings you taught them and applied them. Give thanks.

More to come. Peace, Love and Elevation.

.::Random Thoughts On Detachment::.

2010-06-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

I'm striving for detachment. That doesn't mean I disconnect myself from the world and those in it. As a Mother of Civilization, how could I possibly? What it does mean, is that I do not let the things of the world effect me to the point I am burdened and I lower my vibration. It means that I focus on freeing my being. Detachment frees the self.

I let go of ego and am not ruled by emotions. I am not ruled by "wants." I realize that I own nothing and no one. Not even this body. I have to return it to the earth one day. Realizing this, I "cling" to nothing. That doesn't mean I don't love, care or feel. It means I do not "cling." Cling, to me, means an OVER-attachment to a thing or person. I am miserable without that thing or person. I can love you and care for you without it affecting my ability to function normally and be happy. That's detachment. Make sense? Pardon self if I was rambling... This just came to me. Peace and Love.

We're taught (in this "western culture") that detachment is something bad. We hate the word and it's negative connotation... But in other cultures (such as Buddhism), detachment is not a bad thing. It is good and healthy. It is what "frees your spirit."

*sighs*We're all so lost. No wonder our people are all in a state of confusion. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically confused and malnourished.

That's all for now. More to come. Peace, Love and Elevation.

.::Creation::.

2010-06-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

"How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself." —Anais Nin

.::Post-Racial America::.

2010-06-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

I constantly hear and read people referring to this as "post-racial America." People try to tell me how the issue of race is over, blacks should "get over it," and how we should all embrace and love one another. People act as if we should stop talking about race. I say, we'll stop talking about it when it stops being an issue. As white supremacist hate groups grow and crimes against "minorites" by police officers rise (and they get away with murdering us!), how can anyone who is in their RIGHT MIND, call this post-racial America?

These are just a TINY FEW people who have suffered from police terrorism. As you can see, the brutality--the terrorism and racism against melanated people knows not gender nor age. What happened to these people and others like them--and what is continuously happening--are not isolated incidents but rather examples of a long line of black people--especially black males--who face the prospect of police terrorism on an everyday basis.

As I said previously, with white supremacist hate groups growing and crimes against "minorites" by police officers are on the rise, how can ANYONE who is in their RIGHT MIND, call this post-racial America?

Not to mention the "blame the black man" crimes... Like the one that happened last year. That caucasian woman (Bonnie Sweeten of Pennsylvania) said her and her daughter were abducted by two, black men.

Caucasian people can afford to "just forget." We "minorities," unfortunately, cannot. How can we forget when we're being killed at this alarming rate? With cases like Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, Aiyana Jones and COUNTLESS OTHERS, how can we just forget about it?

We'll stop talking about race when it stops being an issue... An issue that we are being killed over.

.::Self Hatred and Natural Hair::.

2010-05-29T17:09:00.001-07:00

Natural hair is a big issue for sistahs (Actually, the whole issue of self-hate is a big issue). I use to keep far away from the topic of natural hair, because sistahs would damn near take my head off about this one.

I was always told things like, "You have good hair, so you don't understand" or "Your hair is already long, so you don't get it." The general consensus is that I shouldn't have a damn thing to say on the topic of perming, pressing, coloring and weaving. So, when the issue of hair came up, I would keep silent.

Little did they know, I have struggled with my hair. I had self hate issues and still struggle with it at times. It wasn't until last year that I went totally natural. I never got into the perming, but I would always flat iron or press my hair. If my hair wasn't straight, I didn't feel pretty.

The issue of hair and all things related to self hate, is an issue that I feel very strongly about. Recently one of my beloved sisters told me that I shouldn't be quiet about it. So, I started speaking out. I got quite a few angry tweets & comments and lost quite a few permed, gelled, weaved followers. I won't lie, I was happy to see the blonde wigs go.

.::My Personal Struggles With Self-Hate::.

I have struggled with my hair since I was very young. I've been through hell because of my hair. My mother didn't know how to do my hair, so I had to learn how to do it for myself. I was in my early teens when I started learning... So until then, my hair looked CRAZY. I remember in 2nd grade, I had a caucasian woman for a teacher that hated me. She would constantly make little remarks about me. She always made it a point to single me out. I remember one time this artist came to the school to do our portraits. He traced our silhouettes. When the day came that they were laminated and ready to be passed out, she held them in her hands. Before she came to mine she said to the class, "We'll know which one Rachel's is by her hair" and she gestured to her head, making motions that my hair was big and crazy. She laughed as she said this. This wasn't the first nor last time she singled me out in an attempt to ridicule my blackness.

Growing up, I didn't really see the beauty in myself. I hated my nose, my hair, my skin, my hips... The first few years of my school life, I lived in a small, predominantly caucasian town. In that town, hips and butt automatically meant fat. I remember hiding my body with baggy clothes and wanting desperately to have straight hair. I did everything I could to keep my hair flat-ironed. I would flat-iron and press my hair to the root, often burning my scalp. I would hold the flat-iron there as long as I could, even withstanding the burn of the flat-iron. It hurt, but nothing hurt more than going out of the house without my hair straight.

In high school, it was the same story.

.::Dating and Natural Hair::.

I didn't wear my hair natural too often. And when I did, I had found a way to make my curls appear less tight and to weigh my hair down so it wasn't so big. I remember this one guy I was dating didn't like my natural hair. This is how I found out:

I was talking about not pressing my hair for awhile, because I thought my hair needed a rest. His reaction was a bit unexpected. He flat out told me that he doesn't like my hair curly and that I look better with straight hair. He told me that he likes me with straight hair and since I'm his girl, I should do what he likes. Everything in me rebelled against what he said, but because of my self-hate, I gave in. I didn't feel pretty without my straight hair, so I didn't have the strength to refute what he said.

The second time this happened, it wasn't with a guy I was in a relationship with, but it was a guy I cared for very much and had been talking to for a minute. His words were, "I like the straight hair better. You look good with straight hair, but I can deal with the poofy. I can deal with it." Wow. Deal with it? That was my thoughts. It hurt my feelings, but I never said anything.

The third time was with my ex-husband. He indirectly said that I was only sexy when my hair was straight.

All these things, as well as others, fed my self-hatred. I NEVER wanted to wear natural hair. When I look back, I've spent thousands of dollars over the years. I bought this one flat iron that was close to $200 dollars. It worked like magic. Not a single wave could be seen once I used it. I think this is the flat-iron that actually changed my curl pattern to a looser curl pattern. It could heat up to 400°.

Not only have I spent thousands, but I've done so much damage to my hair. I've actually had parts of my hair burnt out before. Burnt hair is one of the worst smells I have ever smelled.

.::The Excuses::.

I've had many excuses as to why I won't wear my hair natural. None of them are valid. I don't care what any permed out, weaved out sistah says. My favorite excuses were, "It's easier to manage", "It takes less time", "My natural hair doesn't look good", and a whole mess of others. Easier to manage and takes less time? False. It takes more work to make it straight and maintain it than it does to work with what I have naturally. It doesn't look as good? False. Why wouldn't the hair I grow naturally look as good? It isn't that it doesn't look as good. It's that it doesn't look as white.

No matter how you try to flip it, we equate straight, more caucasian looking hair with good hair. And we equate kinky, curly, more "black" looking hair with bad hair.

In the Dominican Republic, the words for curly/kinky hair is "bad hair". Pelo malo. Most Dominicans deny their blackness and deny that it's self-hatred. Perms, hair straighteners and skin whiteners are very popular items in the Dominican republic.

"Nearly all Dominican women straighten their hair, which experts say is a direct result of a historical learned rejection of all things black."

Quote from a Dominican woman: "If you're working in a bank, you don't want some barrio-looking hair. Straight hair looks elegant," the bank teller said. "It's not that as a person of color I want to look white. I want to look pretty."

Pretty, for them (and for so many of us across the globe), means LESS BLACK.

*side note* Barrio, in this context, would mean "ghetto". See how universal that "ghetto" nonsense is? Ghetto (to most people)=black. Nevermind that it originally was meant to be used towards Jewish people.

.::Dissociation::.

Our people all across the globe are taught to dissociate themselves with anything and every thing black. Our people are taught that black=bad. If you're born outside of Africa and the US, you're given an "out". This is especially true for blacks born in "latin countries". Or rather, places where the Spaniards and the Portuguese came in, took control, oppressed and enslaved indigenous peoples.

"I always associated black with ugly. I was too dark and didn't have nice hair," said Catherine, a dark-skinned Dominican-American college student spending a semester here. "With time passing, I see I'm not black. I'm Latina.

You call yourself latino/latina, dominican, spanish, indian, burnt indian, singed, toasted... Anything BUT black. Black=bad.

And the same way "black=bad", "white=good."

Eurocentric Ideals of Beauty

The hours spent on hair extensions and painful chemical straightening treatments are actually an expression of nationalism, said Ginetta Candelario, who studies the complexities of Dominican race and beauty at Smith College in Massachusetts. And to some of the women who relax their hair, it's simply a way to have soft manageable hair in the Dominican Republic's stifling humidity.

"It's not self-hate," Candelario said. "Going through that is to love yourself a lot. That's someone saying, ‘I am going to take care of me.' It's nationalist, it's affirmative and celebrating self."

If you cannot see the madness in this statement, I don't know what to tell you. To put yourself through physical pain to alter your appearance in order to achieve less black looking hair is indeed self-hate. To destroy your hair in an attempt to meet the Eurocentric beauty standard is not celebrating self. You're celebrating Eurocentric ideals of beauty. You are--through your actions--saying that black is ugly, crude, not good enough. You're saying that YOU are not good enough.

We are a people in a state of insanity. We are so entrenched in self-hate, in denial of self-hate and in denial of self.

"You wake up in the morning and comb your oppression, you attach and wear your oppression on your head."--Al Sharpton

When you're straightening, coloring and weaving your hair, my beautiful, black sistah, what are you really saying to the world and to yourself? When you get that straight, silky, blonde fur--I mean hair--what are you really telling the world about black beauty? Think about it.

Peace, Love and Elevation.

*notes from the Author* I started writing this blog yesterday, when I was going back and forth with the idea of flat-ironing my hair again. I have been totally natural (no more flat-ironing and pressing) since toward the end of last year.*

*quotes from Dominican women were taken from the miamiherald.com*

http://www.formspring.me/Truizms

Next Blog on Hair: "Since I've Been Natural"

.::Dr. Ivan Van Sertima::.

2010-05-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ivan Gladstone Van Sertima (26 January 1935 - 25 May 2009) was a historian, linguist and anthropologist.

This man was brilliant. Sertima made tremendous strides in showing and proving our global history. This man is to be honoured.

.::The (Mis)Educational System::. Part I

2010-05-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today I read an article about how Texas is going to do some reforms and corrections with the state's curriculum. Initially, I thought this was going to be good news. Oh, how wrong I was. The proposal comes from the state board's conservative members. As we all know (or should know), is that Texas is a state that is conservative, caucasian male dominated. Changes in Texas public school's curriculum often influences and changes the U.S. public school's curriculum as a whole, due to the great number of students Texas has. In this and many other ways, Texas is very powerful.
What the Texas school board is proposing to do is rewrite history... Again. The conservative members claim that there has long been a liberal bias, and that they are correcting this long-standing bias in education. This time, they want to re-write history in a way that would trivialize slavery, even more than they have already done. With the new "corrections", slavery would now be called the Atlantic Triangular Trade (I'm surprised they don't try and take it out altogether. Surely, that will be next on their agenda). We'll come back to this in a moment.

Other corrections include diminishing the role of Thomas Jefferson principal author of the Declaration of Independence - in history courses because of his belief in the separation of church and state. Most people think that the U.S. was founded upon Christianity, when in fact, a lot of the "founders" were against the merging of state and church. The new curriculum would emphasize and exaggerate the role of religion in America's founding, as well as promoting the superiority of the capitalist system. Texas is attempting to re-write history to make the "founding" of the U.S. more in line with their Christian beliefs. Is this not an extremists way of thinking?

Another correction the Texas school board is pushing is to drop references to a landmark court case that barred schools from segregating Mexican American students. Texas would like to maintain it's racism and intolerance, but not its reputation for racism and intolerance. I'd like to take this moment to mention Arizona's ban on "ethnic studies." It is well-known that anytime people say "ethnic", it refers to non-white people. Let me tell you of this ban:

Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law a ban on ethnic studies in the state's schools. The legislation was specifically targeted at high schools in the Tucson Unified School District with courses in Mexican American studies. Critics of those courses said they were used by activists in Tuscon to incite hatred, particularly of whites.

A fact sheet for House Bill 2281 gives the purpose of the bill (House Bill 2281):

Prohibits public schools from including courses or classes, which promote the overthrow of the U.S. government or resentment towards a race or class of people, and specifies rules pertaining to pupil disciplinary proceedings are not to be based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry.

The law has certain exceptions, such as for native Americans, for instance.

That info was from an article. Exceptions for Native Americans, yet they fail to realize that "Mexicans" ARE natives. But that is a whole other blog. The bill is clearly targeting any history that is not "white history". I will come back to this, as well.

The amendments also cast the United Nations in a critical light, with students asked to evaluate whether the UN and its committees undermine US sovereignty - a common refrain for conservative Americans. Ironic that they are so opposed to the undermining of their own sovereignty, while simultaneously, undermining the sovereignty of the people. This is not unexpected, though. The same people who were writing the declaration of independence and speaking of "liberty and justice for all", are the same people who owned slaves and denied liberty and justice to our enslaved people.

In regards to their promoting this corrupt, capitalist system, the Board insists that capitalism will only be referred to as "free enterprise system", largely because of the negative connotations of the word capitalism. They are concerned with connotation. Not reformation.

You see, the concern isn't with making actual corrections. The concern isn't with truth and true historical fact. The concern is with "prettying" and "dressing" up the truth... Or omitting it and manipulating it completely. Terms like "free enterprise" and "Atlantic Triangular Trade" don't properly convey what they truly are. It dresses up horrors and atrocities in pretty pink ribbons and bows. It makes these caucasian conservatives more comfortable.

What is miseducation? Miseducation: 1. to be educated improperly. 2. to be given false knowledge and force fed it as fact. 3. To be stripped of all self knowledge and taught you're other than your own self.

The public school system is meant to indoctrinate, assimilate and mentally enslave non-white children. Non-white children are taught that they have no significant contributions to history. They are not taught nor encouraged to be self-sufficient, self-sustaining and self-defending. When black children go to school, the curriculum is not relevant to them. Therefore, they become disinterested in education. They may even act out. That is when they are labeled retarded and put in the special needs or remedial learning classes. This is mental enslavement!

Malcolm X said, "If you think you've never done anything, you can never do anything." Caucasian children go to school and learn that they are great, their ancestors were wonderful pioneers and bringers of civilization. They learn nothing of the true horrors their ancestors have done. They learn nothing of the legacies their ancestors have stolen. They don't learn that their ancestors are CONQUERORS. They learn they are explorers, discoverers, etc. Thus, caucasian children are taught to be great... Meanwhile, non-caucasian children are taught nothing of the greatness of their ancestors and their history.

We have integrated schools, yet we have no integrated curriculum. We have a country that wants to be racist and oppressive, but it doesn't want to be looked at as racist and oppressive. They wish to shield their filthy ways. This is why we're kept apart from their social equality.

School systems are set up to protect the interests of white America. As is the police force, but again, that is a whole other blog. Our children are still being taught that Columbus DISCOVERED a land that was ALREADY inhabited! Our children are taught this was the first contact with these native people, when in reality, our people are the ones who showed Columbus this land. We had already established trade routes and colonies here. We were natives to this and every land.

Yet history (HIS-story) would have us believe that our history starts with slavery. And many of us do think this. A lot of us on a subconscious level. Through their school system, our self hate is strengthened. Our confidence in ourselves and our people is shattered. Those in power understand that Knowledge is Power. Knowledge of Self is supreme power. They cannot allow that. It would be VERY bad for business... Oh and you best believe the U.S. is a business. And you're property (but again, this is a whole other blog). I digress...

Now, even limiting our history to slavery isn't enough. They now want to make us forget any of us ever were enslaved. That would completely erase their responsibility for the state of non-whites in America and the world over.

The public school curriculum needs reform. It needs to be completely torn down and rebuilt. As does many things in this country. But as I stated earlier, it is NOT in their best interest to teach us to be fuctional, productive, self-sufficient, self defining people.

"... The creation of a slave mentality was an integral part of the development of this nation."--Dhoruba Bin-Wahad

This is precisely why we need our own schools, or some way to combat the (mis)education our children will receive in the public school system. We cannot keep begging those who want to oppress and kill us for justice, freedom, liberty and fair treatment. We must take it. We must do for self. We're more concerned with integrating than we are with elevating. We are more concerned with "white-black" relations, than we are "black-black" relations. Or ever "black-brown" relations. All non-whites are suffering from lack of a Knowledge of Self and all are being indoctrinated, misinformed, assimilated, desensitized and (mis)educated.

This is all for now. More to come when I write part II.

Peace, Love and Elevation.

.::Late Night Musings and a Streetlight::.

2010-05-13T07:42:00.001-07:00

Isn't it funny how something so seemingly trivial can spark deep thoughts...? Across the street, diagonal to my bedroom window, there's an orange streetlight. I love the the glow of it and the way sneaks and peaks in through my blinds...

A pale orange glow is cast on whatever it touches... The light's pattern is striped, because it reaches within and around the blinds, but some of the light is blocked by the blinds...

Tonight, I lay on my back looking at that light... Watching the light dance across my blinds, my bed myself and the floor... The wind blows the trees, causing them to sway... The leaves cause the light to dance, as the leaves sway around and in front of the light...

I reach my hand out to touch the light, but instead, my hand meets with the cool, smooth window... I run my hand along the window... Deep in thought (Strange how distance is perception...)... I place my middle finger over the light, covering it... The light glowing around my fingers...

He's a lot like this light... So close, yet so far... So intimate, yet so distant... He is with me, yet not...

His mind travels to meet me... My mind travels to meet him... And we meet somewhere in between... Elevating above this realm and connecting somewhere in the Cosmos... Possibly somewhere among Pleiades...

Hmm... Funny how distance is perception... You see, we're only as close as our spiritual connection...

But still... I wish you were here next to me... Physically...

Funny how something like a street light could spark such thoughts...

.::To be continued::.

.::Dark Skin::...::Light Skin::..

2010-04-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sick of darker skin being considered less attractive. I'm sick of darker skin being the punch line of jokes. I'm sick of dark skinned girls feeling they have to do more, just to "compete" with their lighter complected sistahs. I'm sick of back handed compliments like "she's cute for a dark skinned girl". I'm sick of light complected feeling a false sense of superiority to their dark skinned sistahs. I' sick of brothas acting as if light skin is to be coveted over the beautiful, pure darkness of the darker skinned sistahs. I'm sick of being treated as if I don't know what being black feels like, because I am a lighter complexion. I'm sick of the looks I receive from self-hating, dark skinned sistahs. I'm sick of sistahs' worth being summed up to their body parts. Ass size, hip size, breast and thighs... I'm sick of our bodies being exploited and our minds, our self respect and pride being torn down and trampled under the feet of our brothas who are supposed to be our protectors. I'm sick of feeling like an outcast or a misfit with my sistahs. I'm sick of the favoritism that comes with being light-skinned... Though I assure you, as soon as I make it clear that I am PRO-BLACK, any favoritism is quickly taken. And I GLADLY give it back. I'm sick of sistahs feeling unworthy, not good enough...

Sistahs, do you know why they keep you down? Do you know why you're the lowest? It is because we are actually the HIGHEST... And they don't want us to reclaim our throne. Sistahs, we are the beginning of life. We are the carriers of life and the portal through which life is brought into the physical existence. We are the sustainers... The first teachers. That is why it is so imperative to keep the black woman down. That is why it is so imperative to assure that we hate ourselves, so that we can teach it to our children. They feel it while in our very womb...

Sistahs, dark, light, medium... You are BEAUTIFUL. You are the Mother of All things. You are beautiful. I want you to tell yourself that everyday. Remind yourself how beautiful you are. If no one else has told you how beautiful you are, sistah, I'm telling you. You are beautiful. You are the reflection of the universe. You are the crown, the throne and the sceptre. You are the Queen of Heaven. You are the Isis. The Auset. The Ishtar. You are Supreme and Divine. My sistah, I love you. Even when my brothers and sisters don't love themselves, I LOVE YOU ALL!

Peace and Love.

.::My Fasting Journey::.

2010-04-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Peace, loves. The title of this blog is My Fasting Journey and Some Helpful Info: Part I. I'm writing this blog to start discussing my journey with fasting. What is fasting? Fasting is a form of abstinence. You're abstaining from food.

And just as there are many different ways of fasting, there are many different reasons to fast. Spiritual reasons, health reasons including weight loss, detox... Everyone's reason is different. And there are as many benefits (more, actually) as there are reasons. I started my fast on a whim, which is the same way I became a vegan. I woke up on day and decided I wanted to do it (this summer will mark one year of me being a vegan and I LOVE it).

I am doing a juice and water fast. I drink filtered/distilled water (plain & with fresh squeezed lemon), vegetable and fruit juice from my juicer, and store bought when I have to . Today is day nine of my fasting. My goal is two weeks, but upon the completion of two weeks, I may extend it to three. It is important to know that there are many different ways of fasting and you can do it as long or as short a time as you choose. If you're new to fasting, you may want to start with a 3 day fast and work your way up. Start with even ONE day, if you have to. Do what is best for you and make a realistic goal. As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that keeping a journal of your fasting journey is a great idea, as well.

The first day of my fast was the hardest. I was SO hungry, my stomach kept growling like I had a damn dog in there or something. But, I had my mind made up. I hadn't ate since 12 pm the day before, so I was very hungry, lol. The second day was hard, but I noticed the actual hunger pangs weren't as bad. The third day, I experienced a bit of light-headedness and nausea, but it went away. I also noticed my body was ridding itself of waste. By the third day, I noticed I had more energy. Each day of my fast, I get a little calmer and I have increased energy. As I go on, the hunger pangs grow weaker and weaker. My want to eat is more mental. I won't even be thinking of eating, until I smell someone's cooking or I am cooking for my son. What do I do for hunger? I meditate and/or do yoga in place of hunger. If it gets too bad, I will drink fruit or vegetable juice. I strive to not use juice after 7p.m. (since I don't eat after 7, I figure what I am using in place of meals, I should use the same rule. This is my personal choice. I have no reason other than I think it's best for me. What greater reason is there than that? Lol).

While fresh juice is best, the reality is that not everyone can afford to do fresh juice. Do what is within your budget. Do the next best thing. Get store bought juices that have the least amount of additives. I do a combination of fresh and store bought, because I have to work with my budget. I look for the juices that have no added sugar, color, etc. Absolutely NO lemon juice from concentrate! Lemons aren't too expensive and what you pay for lemon concentrate, you can spend on a bag of lemons. You can squeeze the lemons yourself.

Lemon water is cleansing for your body. Lemon is an antiseptic, making it great for detox. What is detox? Detoxification and it is a natural and continuous process your body uses to purify itself of harmful substances. I drink room temperature water with lemon. It's good to warm the water a bit or drink it at room temp, because the temperature of the water makes it easier to break down and flush the toxins out of your body. The reason it is easier on the body, is that your body doesn't have to do the work of warming the water up. And the warmth opens the cell structure. Make sense? Lemon water can help to clear mucous out of your system and get your digestive tract activated for the day. So, at the very least, drink a glass in the morning. As you can see, lemon water is very beneficial. Even if you're not fasting, it would be good for you to start including this in your diet. Lemon water is also good for the liver and kidneys. It cleanses toxins and improves function.

Back to my fasting journey. Now, by the fifth day, my body was adjusted to not eating. I still was getting urges, but I recognize them as mental and not physical. Which is what most hunger is. We only think we're hungry. We eat more out of habit than out of hunger. In truth, (most) people love food. If we weren't meant to enjoy food, we wouldn't have taste buds. The problem isn't that we enjoy food. The problem is that we live to eat, rather than eat to live (By the way, you should definitely read How to Eat to Live, by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad). We eat food that has little to no nutritional value, so our bodies react by needing more and more of it. When we eat the right foods, our hunger and our body is satisfied.

Now, throughout the fast, I was still doing regular exercise (cardio, etc). It didn't have any adverse effects, until the 6th day. I was stressed, which gave me a headache, then I worked out. That made my headache even worse, I became fatigued, light-headed, and nauseous. If you're going to fast, strive to maintain calm and steer clear of stress. Stress, fasting and exercise do not mix.

Also, I've been striving to get to bed at a "decent hour". When fasting (and really you should always do this, but especially during fasting) you should be very careful to get your rest. You cannot fast and miss out on sleep/rest. On days when I don't sleep as well, symptoms like hunger pangs, nausea, etc are more likely to happen.

Now, by day nine, I noticed increased energy, improved mood, better emotional balance, skin improvements, mental clarity, increased concentration. I feel more in tune with myself and my surroundings. Also, my libido is growing stronger (that is in part because of the exercise/working out), but because of the balance and harmony I'm experiencing within myself, that is remaining in check. Lol. Now, these benefits are what helps to keep me motivated. That and the knowledge of what I'm doing for myself.

If you're vegan or vegetarian (a no lacto no ovo vegetarian) and you're fasting, you're giving your body time to concentrate all of it's energy on healing, cleaning, purging, purifying itself. If you eat meat and dairy, you're giving your body time to digest all of the rotting meat and waste that has built up within you. Once it's done that, it can start healing and cleansing. Fasting allows the colon or intestinal tract to release much of the stored waste that sits in it and rot and decay which plays a pivotal role in colon and rectal cancers. When we fast, it allows for the colon to shrink back into shape. When the colon shrinks back into shape, one of the results is less of an appetite.

As I said, the benefits of fasting are MANY. It cleanses your blood, your lymphatic fluids, your colon, liver, kidney... Most importantly, it cleanses your mind. When your bodily functioning is optimal, so is your mental functioning.

So, this was my first blog on fasting. Hope you enjoyed it and I hope you learned a little (or a lot) from it, as well. My next blog on fasting will be at the two week mark... So look out for that!

Peace, Love, and Elevation.

"Fasting will bring spiritual rebirth to those of you who cleanse and purify your bodies. The light of the world will illuminate within you when you fast and purify yourself. What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts are for the inner."--Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948

The Ankh

2010-04-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Peace, brothers and sisters. This blog is about the meaning of the Ankh.

A lot of us wear it, never really knowing what it means, or perhaps we know a lil' bit about it, but nothing really in depth. We like it because it's pretty, it looks cool, it's "Afrikan", it's powerful, perhaps it resonates with you... Yet you never really thought to delve into it and see exactly what it means. The ankh is more than just a "feel good" symbol or something to appeal to a certain type of people (conscious folk). I am by no means an authority on the subject, but I have looked into the meaning. I am merely writing this to share what I know. To share what I have found. Some of this I advocate, some of it is just info I'm relaying (as with all my blogs). Enjoy.
The ankh is one of the best-known Kemetic symbols – it is found everywhere in sacred Kemetic artifacts and texts.

The ankh can be found in some form or another throughout many other ancient cultures (we'll talk about that later). The explanations and interpretations of the Ankh are many... Some less known than others. The meanings range from life, to sexual union, to fertility to regeneration...

I found this info, but I'm unsure of the source:

The Egyptian symbol of life, the universe and immortality is the tau or looped cross called the ankh.

The first meaning of the Ankh I ever learned was that it means "eternal life". Some say the ankh represents the life-giving elements of air and water. Some say it is the key to the Nile.

The Ankh is strongly associated with Imhotep, who is the true Father of medicine. This is how it came to be used as the symbol for a multinational       pharmaceutical manufacturer (TCG Lifesciences, I believe).

The NTRW of KMT are often depicted as carrying the ankh. They are often shown holding the ankh to someone's lips. This is them "offering the breath of life", or giving them immortality. We find Anqet, Ptah,   Satet, Sobek, Tefnut, Ausar/Asaru/Wesir/Osiris, Ra, Aset, Hathor,   Anpu/Inipu/Anubis and many other gods often holding the ankh sign, along with a sceptre, and in various tomb and temple reliefs, placing it in front of the king's or queen's face to symbolize the breath of eternal life. This is Nefertari receiving life from Auset and Amenhotep II receiving life from Anpu.

And other times, they would be pouring water, only the water would be ankhs. It symbolized the water in rituals of purification. Here, the king would stand between two gods, one of whom was usually Thoth, as they poured over him a stream of libations represented by ankhs. This could, also, be symbolize the regenerating power of water.          Libation vessels which held the water used in religious ceremonies were, themselves, sometimes produced in the shape of the ankh hieroglyph.

Aset/Isis/Auset/Aset/Usat (the Goddess of 10,000 names) is often shown with the Ankh, as I mentioned before. In fact, there is a theory that connects the "knot of Isis" or the "tyet" to the Ankh. Can you see the similarity?

Then we have the interpretation that the ankh represents the male and female principle. It's taught that the circle at the top represents the female sexual organ, while the stump at the bottom the male organ and the crossed line, the children of the union. So, in this way, it represents sexual union, or fertility.

In Kemet, the word for mirror was the same as ankh. Perhaps showing the way death and life are the mirror one another.

One of the most powerful meanings that I have found--among ALL of these powerful meanings--is that the Ankh represents the womb, the fallopian tubes and the birth canal. Sistahs, this shows that you are divine and that your body is sacred. Cherish your womb, for it is the bringer of life. It is the gateway into this realm. The ankh is, indeed, the key of life... And we hold it.

There are many depictions and many meanings. Another meaning of the ankh is that it represents the Sun. It symbolic of the sunrise, with the loop representing the Sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar. The vertical section below the crossbar would then be the path of the sun.

I hope you have enjoyed this and been enlightened. I end my blog with this:

This magic knot or cross, known as Nem Ankh, the key of life, was often used in the iconography of opposites.       The loop over the tau-cross could stand for the Sun, for Heaven and Eath as the macrocsm and for man as the microcosm.       It is generally interpreted as a symbol which expresses the reconciliation of opposites of the integration of active and passive qualities.       This is amply confirmed by the fact that, when recumbent, the ankh symbolizes both male and female sexual attributes in precisely the same way as the very realistic Hindo depiction of a Hermaphrodite standing on a Lotus flower.       Champdor gives a more traditional interpretation as:

the symbol of the millions of years of the life to come. The loop is the perfect symbol of what has neither beginning nor end and stands for the soul which is eternal because it has sprung from the spiritual essence of the gods. The cross erpresents the state of trance in which te neophyte struggled, or, more precisely, the state of death, the crucifixion of the chosen victim, and in some temples the priests used to lay the neophyte on a bed shaped like the cross... The possessor of the geometric key to the hidden mysteries, of which the symbol was this very looped cross, was able to open the gates of the Kingdom of the Dead and penetrate the hidden meaning of eternal life. Cham, p.22

Gods, kinks and Isis (almost invariably) are depicted holding the ankh to       show that they command the powers of life and death and that they are       immortal. The dead also carry it at the time their souls are weighed       or when they are aboard the Boat of the Sun God, as a sign that       they seek this same immortality from the gods. Furthermore the ankh symbolized       the spring from which flowed divine virtues and the elixir of immortality.       Therefore to hold the ankh was to drink from that well. It was       sometimes held upside down by the loop - especially in funeral rites when       it suggested the shape of a key and in reality was the key which opened the       gateway of the tomb into the Fields of Aalu, the realm of eternity.       Sometimes the ankh is placed on the forehead, between the eyes, and then it       symbolizes the duty of the adept to keep secret the mystery into which he       has been initiated - it is the key which locks these secrets away from the       uninitiated. Blessed by the supreme vision, endowed with clairvoyance to       pierce the veil of the beyond, he cannot attemot to reveal the mystery       without losing it for ever.

The ankh is often set in the same category as the Girdle of Isis,       as a symbol of eternity.       This is not because its straight lines may be lengthened       in the imagination to infinity, but because they converge upon and meet in       a closed loop.       This loop symbolizes the inexhaustible essence of the life       force identified with isis, from whom life flows in all its forms.       it is therefore carried by all those who wish to share her life.       Hence the ankh may be       identified with the Tree of Life, with its trunk and foliage.

The significance of the Girdle of Isis is far more complex.       Like ropework       or plaited hair round the arms and the loop of the cross, it infuses the       concept of life and of immortality with the concept of the knots which tie       down mortal life on Earth and which must be unravelled to enjoy immortality.       `Free your bonds,' says The Egyptian Book of the Dead, `untie the       knots of Nephthys.'       And again: `Shining are those who carry the girdle. Oh!       Bearers of the Girdle.'       The same meaning is conveyed by the Tibetan       Buddhist book called The Book of the Untying of the Knots.       While the plain       looped cross symbolizes divine immortality, sought orattained, the Girdle       of Isis makes clear the conditions under which that immortality is obtained       - by the untying of knots - dénouement in the true sense of the word.

A Dictionary of Symbols, Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant,     translated from the French by John Buchan-Brown, Blackwell, 1994 (the French     edition was originally published by Éditions Robert Laffront S.A. in 1969, 2nd ed. 1982).

Peace, Love and Ascension.

http://www.formspring.me/truizms or ancients.reborn@gmail.com

Gnothi Seauton (Know Thyself Part I)

2010-04-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

"Know thyself."

These words were inscribed in the vestibule of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. These words, taken from Kemet...

For centuries, petitioners seeking advice from the oracle at Delphi (who got their knowledge from our ancestors) would view the inscription. Philosophers throughout the ages offered this same advice to their students. These words are as valuable today as they were almost three thousand years earlier.

Part of knowing yourself is understanding your beliefs. The difficulty is that most beliefs are subconscious. They have been accepted without ever having been critically examined.

The Law of Attraction states that you will attract to yourself those experiences that match your beliefs. These beliefs create your experience of reality. What if these beliefs are in opposition to what you’re actually trying to accomplish? What if they no longer serve you? Wouldn’t it be useful to eliminate these limiting beliefs?

There are a number of techniques to identify unconscious beliefs: taking a battery of psychological tests or tapping into your inner wisdom via meditation are two of them.

There is a shortcut that can predict with 99% accuracy what your beliefs are. It is so simple that people usually overlook it. Even when it is clearly stated, they frequently ignore it.

After all, most people have accepted these beliefs as true and don’t want to hear anything that might contradict what they believe is true. Remember, you are not your beliefs. You are a divine spiritual being, so why hold onto anything that is preventing you from realizing this truth?

So here’s the secret.

Look around. Whenever you have a repeating problem in some area of your life, then that is where you have a false or limiting belief. This doesn’t mean that just because you’re in between relationships or jobs, you necessarily have a false belief. But if the problem constantly reappears, then you can be 99% certain a false belief is involved. Avoid the temptation to blame someone for inserting this false belief into your belief system. After all, you could easily point fingers at your parents, teachers, friends, TV, etc., as well as yourself. It’s not important where it came from, you just want to be rid of it, so you can experience your ideal life.

You have two choices here. You can 1) identify your unconscious beliefs and release them, or 2) learn to recognize the symptoms of accepting this limiting belief and change your thoughts. You can also do a combination of the two.

Choice 1) Use your attitudes to identify your false beliefs. Let’s say you want more money. What is your impression of wealthy people? Are you happy for them or resentful? If you’re resentful, then what signal do you think you’re sending out to the universe? You don’t want anything to do with those “rich people!” Consequently, the Law of Attraction states that you won’t attract wealth into your life.

One way to free yourself of a negative belief is to write it on a piece of paper and burn it while telling yourself it is forever banished from your being. Write a positive affirmation on another piece of paper such as “Good people can have money.” You can add other affirmations, such as “I am worthy of prosperity” and “Money flows easily to me.” Repeat these affirmations aloud 9 times a day for 21 days. This is the length of time it takes to reprogram your instinctive mind, where these beliefs are stored.

Choice 2) Make sure you are always sending out the proper vibration. Remember that your goal is make sure that you are sending the right vibration to attract to yourself the experience you desire. The best barometer of whether you are sending out the proper signals is to MONITOR YOUR EMOTIONS. If you’re not feeling good, then you need to change your thoughts, because the emotions that are being felt, indicate your thoughts are sending the wrong message.

Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. The book, “Ask and It is Given” identifies and ranks 22 emotions. Understanding that most people can’t go from hatred to joy in one step, they advise you to simply keep moving up the ladder. Eventually, you’ll get to feel joy more and more frequently and for longer periods of time. In both cases, you have substituted positive thoughts and feelings for negative ones. You may recognize this involves a degree of self-observation. As was inscribed on the Temple at Delphi, “Know Thyself.”

Incidentally, this process of substituting thoughts will work for any thought, including a memory. If you have any unpleasant memories, you can substitute positive experiences for them. Mystics call this Mental Alchemy, after the old alchemists that transformed lead into gold. I’ll cover this subject in my next article.

Until then, manifest your ideal life, the mystic’s way.

(I don't remember where this article came from, but I've had it for some time).

Peace, Love and Elevation.

What is the Consciousness?

2010-04-06T20:31:00.000-07:00

A lot of people use the term, with no real idea of what it means. A lot of people ask me what it means... I can only give my view of it, and that's what this blog is about.

Consciousness is the state of having knowledge/awareness. As with all things, there are many different levels of consciousness and different things to be conscious of (different types of consciousness). For example, you could deal with black consciousness--to some degree--yet not deal with spiritual consciousness (Steven Biko's short definition of black consciousness is that "Black Consciousness is in essence the realization by the black man of the need to rally together with his brothers around the cause of their oppression - the blackness of their skin - and to operate as a group in order to rid themselves of the shackles that bind them to perpetual servitude").
There are many different types of consciousness and many different stages of it. The type of consciousness I'm describing is supreme consciousness.

Supreme awareness. To be supremely conscious means to have Knowledge of Self or awareness of who you truly are. Knowledge of Self for our people is knowing that we are the Original (origin-of-all), divine people. We are the highest expression of the creator. We are the Supreme Beings, from whence all others came.

God/God-dess. Neter/Netert. Mother/Father of Civilization.

Supreme Consciousness is true awakening and enlightenment...
But to be conscious isn't enough... There is awareness, then there is understanding--"cognizance".
Cognizance is not only being aware, but understanding that which you're aware of.
-to be continued-
Peace, Love and Ascension.
Questions/Comments/Suggestions: ancients.reborn@gmail.com

.::The Gift of Consciousness... The Beauty of Karma::.

2010-04-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

I titled the blog this way, because I want to tell you of a very recent experience. Enjoy.
I got a call the other day from this brother I used to build with on a regular. We've known each other about 2 years now, I believe (maybe a lil less). We were once "feelin' each other". We had so much in common (SOOO MUCH)... Except the religion thing. He was Muslim. I adhere to no religion. I submit to no "god".

He used to pepper his speech with "alhamdulillah" (All praises due to Allah), "a'udzubillahi minasy syaithonnirrojim" (I seek refuge in Allah), "inshallah" (If Allah wills) and "mashallah" (As Allah wills). He was very dogmatic/religious... Yet so conscious... Quite the contradiction. When he would say the "I seek refuge in Allah" thing, I would tease him by telling him "Quit trying to bless me away", lol. We often laughed, joked... I never really thought my words were reaching him, though...
Eventually, we fell off from each other. Yet, we still care about each other (as friends). We stopped calling... Just completely fell off...
Then about a week ago or so, I get a call from him. He's thanking me for bringing him into consciousness... He is telling me how much I helped him and how much he appreciates me and that I never gave up on him. He told me the greatest gift that you can give someone is truth/consciousness...
I was blown away... Humbled, encouraged, inspired... I felt my energy grow brighter, stronger, more radiant... I needed to hear that. I needed to be reminded that this is not in vain. I needed to know that no matter how bleak or impossible it seems, it can happen.
He told me to never give up on people... That no matter how hopeless it seems, something in them hears you. Just keep doing what you're doing...
I could have cried... To know that I've sparked someone fills my heart with joy... So much, that it spills over...
So you see? We can't give up on our people... No matter how deeply religious, dogmatic, hard-headed. We must plant the seeds we want to grow. It is up to the individual to nurture it. We must also shine the light on the seeds we plant. Watch how they grow...

He thanked me... A sincere, beautiful thank you... Out of sincere, pure love and appreciation.
No, Nasir... Thank you.
Peace, Love and Elevation.
My seed grew (poem coming soon).

2010-04-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ancient cultures around the world shared standard ideas and principles. They understood who they were and their place in the universe. As time went on, man created religion and took creation stories literally. So, came the mystery gods, their powers, religious practices, dogma, rituals, etc. Christianity simply adopted those ideas and applied them to Jesus (see the council of Nicea). This blog is about the pagan origins of Easter.

The core of Christianity—the worship of a miracle working, walking, talking godman who brings salvation—was also the core of other ancient religions that began at least a thousand years before Jesus.
Heaven, hell, prophecy, daemon possession, sacrifice, initiation by baptism, communion with God through a holy meal, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, immortality of the soul, and many other "Christian" ideas all belonged to earlier, older Pagan faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture. Along with miracle working sons of God, born of a mortal woman, they were common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religion. Ausar/Ausaru/Osiris, Mithras, Dionysus, Attis, and Orpheus all had them. And many more did, as well.
And they had them generations, centuries... Thousands of years before Jesus. There is nothing original about the story of Jesus. He is simply an amalgamation of many deities that came long before him... Some weren't even deities. But this isn't simply about Jesus. This is about Easter having nothing to do with Jesus. Christians should do their research and stop partaking in all of these pagan "holy-days" (holidays).

Explanation of Easter: The name “Easter” has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions (paganism). On this, all scholars agree. This name is never used in the original Scriptures, nor is it ever associated biblically with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most reference books say that the name “Easter” derived from the Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring. Although this relationship exists, in reality, the origin of the name and the goddess are far more ancient - going all the way back to the Tower of Babel.

To ancient peoples (and many people today), Earth was thought of as our “Mother Earth” or “Mother Nature.” The ancients could see that rain falling from heaven impregnated and brought life to Mother Earth. So, it seemed logical that the Father was in Heaven, and the Earth was our Mother. In the ancient Canaan (which is now the state of Israel) the fertility (and sexual) rites of spring were celebrated each year in what was called “The Marriage Feast of Canaan,” where the intercourse between God the Father and the Mother Earth was acknowledged as the rains of spring would bring forth their crops. Long before Christianity was invented, Eastre (earlier, Eostre, derived from the Saxons' Germanic heritage) was the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic (goddess of dawn, spring and fertility. (Other spellings are Ostara, Ostare, Ostern, Eostre, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos, Ishtar, and Ashtur.) The Teutonic tribes lived to the north of Rome. Bringing in the end of winter, with the days brighter and growing longer after the vernal equinox, Eastre had a passion for new life. One of Eastre's symbols was the hare, which represents fertility and rebirth. Since rabbits are more common in most lands than hares, over time the rabbit was substituted. Since rabbits are notorious for their fertility, it was a perfect fit. And this is where the Easter Bunny comes from. The other symbols are the egg (an obvious symbol of fertility) and newborn chicks. We know that the egg has been the symbol of rebirth since ancient times: The Egyptians and Greeks would bury eggs in the tombs of the dead as a sign of resurrection; the egg was especially important in the Pagan Eastre festival as a symbol of nature being reborn over again. Therefore, real eggs would be decorated and given as gifts on this day. In fact, dyed eggs were already being used as part of pagan rituals at the dawn of history in the Near Eastern civilizations. These were the first "Easter eggs." As the traditions of the Easter Rabbit and Easter eggs evolved, they were lumped together -- somewhat incongruously. Brightly colored eggs, chicks, and bunnies were all used at festival time to express appreciation for Eastre's gift of abundance.

In the year 325 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine convened a council and decreed that the new Christian festival of Easter to celebrate the death of Jesus for our sins would be celebrated each year on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Easter is therefore always celebrated somewhere between the period of March 22 and April 25.

The problem with this is that, Eastre was an extremely well-beloved Goddess. The pagan commoners were just not ready to give up her rites in place of honoring the resurrection of some unknown god-man that had no relation to the traditional celebration of being reborn after a winter of hardship. So, while the Church was trying to hard to eradicate this festival, the best they could do is pretend it was about their idol. Why, they couldn’t even change the name or the traditions. So, they merely adopted them. This is because the female powers in pagan cultures were much more powerful and immediate to them than the male. The female goddesses were about new life, while the monotheistic religions were centered upon submission and centralized control.

As the great religions were becoming institutionalized, it was difficult to attract the regular folks, who lived simple agricultural lives in the countryside, to become followers of the new systems of belief. (Some state that the word “pagan” actually means “country dwellers.”) So the Church set about a massive effort to demonize their beliefs. In fact, the word “villain” meaning wicked soul, is derived from the word “village.” The church in a vast smear campaign against pagan religions demonized many symbols of the female goddesses. The Wise Crone’s pointed hat became the symbol of a witch. Women who healed and did good deeds to help people were murdered by the Christian Church as they were accused of using black magic. Women needed to be controlled, and the Church burned 5 million women at the stake. This turn in events led to the male hierarchy in new religions that placed men in all positions of power.

Explanation of Easter: Ishtar/Istar is where "Easter" comes from. "Ishtar" was a day that commemorated the resurrection of one the god "Tammuz", who was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon-goddess and the sun-god.

*side-note* Ishtar/Istar is Auset/Isis. She is Innana, Astarte, Yemoja/Yemeya, Eastre, Eostre... Each culture had different names for the same forces.("eos" of "eostre", winged goddess of dawn in Greek mythology)

Ishtar was a moon goddess. It is said the moon goes through a 28 day cycle and ovulates when full--Just as the woman does. Some stories say she came down in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River.
This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the spring equinox. Ishtar's moon egg became known as "Ishtar's egg." Ishtar soon became pregnant and it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive. The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz. Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient religion, because Tammuz was the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz became a hunter. The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig. Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit. Ishtar came to be worshipped as the "Mother of God and Queen of Heaven".. The queen told the worshippers that when Tammuz was killed by the wild pig, some of his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and the stump grew into a full new tree overnight. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz. She also proclaimed a forty day period of time of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz. During this time, no meat was to be eaten. Worshippers were to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign of the "T" in front of their hearts as they worshipped. They also ate sacred cakes with the marking of a "T" or cross on the top. Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, a celebration was made. It was Ishtar's Sunday and was celebrated with rabbits and eggs. Ishtar also proclaimed that because Tammuz was killed by a pig, that a pig must be eaten on that Sunday (Easter ham).

As you can see (with research & study), Easter has nothing whatsoever to do with the resurrection of Jesus. We also know that Easter can be as much as three weeks away from the Passover, because the pagan holiday is always set as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. The true Passover and pagan Easter sometimes coincide, but in some years, they are a great distance apart. The truth is that the forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits, hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Babylon. These customs of Easter honor Baal, who is still worshipped as the "Rising Sun" and his house is the "House of the Rising Sun."

*sidenote* There are a few scriptures that refer to Jesus as "sun", and not "son". Example: “But to you who fear My name, the SUN of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts."--Malachi 4). There is also a theory that states that the "El" of the bible is actually "Sol", which is SUN.

I'll leave on this note: Our ancestors (the Ancients) knew that the resurrection story wasn't literal. It is about the resurrection of the God that is within YOU. Resurrect yourselves, Gods and Goddesses. It is time to awaken. Rise.

Peace, Love and Elevation.

"Seasonal People"

2010-03-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

What are seasons?
Seasons: 1. a. One of the four natural divisions of the year, spring, summer, fall, and winter, in the North and South Temperate zones. Each season, beginning astronomically at an equinox or solstice, is characterized by specific meteorological or climatic conditions.b. The two divisions of the year, rainy and dry, in some tropical regions.2. A recurrent period characterized by certain occurrences, occupations, festivities, or crops: the holiday season; tomato season.3. A suitable, natural, or convenient time: a season for merriment.4. A period of time

Etymology of "Season": Pronunciation: \ˈsē-z^ən\Function: noun Etymology: Middle English sesoun, from Anglo-French seison natural season, appropriate time, from Latin sation-, satio action of sowing, from serere to sowDate: 14th century
What are "seasonal people"? Seasonal people are those people that come into your life for a time, but never stay around. They come in seasons. These "seasons" are your different stages of development/life/understanding.
Each person comes into our life for a reason... And when they leave, it means it was the end of their season... Not everyone is supposed be in our lives forever--No matter how much we love them or want them to be. They came to give us a lesson... It's up to you to figure out what that lesson was. If this is the end of your and their time together, thank him/her for the journey and the lesson. Let go and be at peace...

A lot of times, we fall in love with people that we aren't necessarily "right" for and that aren't necessarily "right" for us. Sadly, love is NOT enough. It takes more than that. I'm not saying that love is not important. I'm saying that we have a distorted view of love and relationships. Compatibility is more important to than "in love" feelings. There is a major difference between being in love and being compatible. Those "in love" feelings feel so good... But not everything that feels good is good. Often times, in relationships, we let emotions cloud our perception and judgment. Which is why it is (sometimes) easier for those around us (outside looking in) to see that the relationship/partner isn't right for us.

Love has reduced even the wisest men and women to the level of a fool.

Most of us--women especially--are lost in this illusion of "fairytale love" and romance. I say "women especially", but when I think on it, men have their own idea of "fairytale love". I won't go too deep into that. That isn't the point of this blog...
The point is, don't be upset, bitter and/or angry when these "seasonal people" come in and out of your life. Look over the time you had together and get the lesson from it. Take the best part.
You see, each person comes into our life for a reason and we come into each person's life for a reason. And when we part ways, it means it was the end of our season... Not everyone is supposed be in our lives forever--No matter how much we love them or want them to be. We came to give each other a lesson... It's up to us to figure out what that lesson was. If this is the end of our time together, thank each other for the journey and the lesson. Let go and be at peace.

Peace, Love and Elevation. More to come.

Questions/Comments/Suggestions: ancients.reborn@gmail.com

Happy New Year... The Vernal Equinox

2010-03-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

Finally, the new year has arrived and I plan on celebrating it! Today is the first day of spring!

Now, a lot of people are probably looking like "The new year? What the hell is she talking about?"
Well, let me ask you a few questions. Why would the "new year" start when the earth is still at rest? Why would it start during her barren times? During the times that she is purging herself of the old/shedding the past?

That's because it is not the true new year. The calendar we are going by (without questioning it) is the Gregorian calendar, which is very faulty, what with its leap years, varying month lengths... Et cetera. Also, I'm not a Roman Catholic... So why would I follow his faulty calendar, when there are much better, less complicated, more accurate calendars (that are from MY ancestors)?

Before I move on, I'd like to point out a few points that may or may not mean anything to you... But there are no coincidences nor accidents. First, let's look at October. Some say it is named such because it was named after the Roman, Octavius. That isn't true. That is a lie to cover up what research could give you the truth to... If you cared to look...

October--> October Menesis--> Eighth Month
Oct is a prefix that means "eight". Oct/Octo=eight

Still don't believe me? Okay. Let's dig just a little bit more.
Two months later, you have December. Dec is a prefix for what?

December--> December Menesis--> Tenth month
Dec is a prefix that means "ten". Dec/Deca/Deka=ten

If October was the 8th month and December was the 10th month, it would make February the 12th month... And that would put us back to having New Years at the proper time... Spring.

The Vernal Equinox is the true new year (today is the Vernal equinox). Many of our ancestors (if not all) and our ancient cultures used the Vernal Equinox to signify the start of the new year. Why? Because it is when the Earth is renewing, rebirthing... It is when their is new life... Hence, a NEW YEAR.

Everything in Western un-civilization is backwards. It is meant to throw us off, distract us and keep us from the truth. Right down to the smallest, most (seemingly) unimportant thing. There is no coincidence. No accidents.

Peace, Love and Elevation.

P(roper) E(ducation) A(lways) C(orrects) E(rrors)

Filling the Void: Part I

2010-03-09T23:28:00.000-08:00

"Worship God. It's easier than thinking"--Chapman Cohen

I see many of my people fall victim to religion... And I understand why. See, religion fills a void. It fills that "thing" that is missing in your life... Whatever that "thing" may be... It could be direction in life, it could be your man, it could fill the void of a multitude of things... But I think that the main reason is that it fills the void of that missing father figure. The harsh reality is that most black children are being raised in fatherless households. The recent trend is becoming fatherless AND motherless households... But that is a different blog.

There's a reason the bible refers to us as "children of god" and tells us to be "like a child". Religion is meant to impede all personal growth. It stops all independent thought. A child can be controlled more easily than an adult. How do you control a child? Through reward and punishment (i.e. heaven and hell).

Religion--Christianity/Catholicism in particular--fills that missing void. He is the perfect father, husband, lover... In theory. And this is what is so attractive about religion. God becomes whatever you are missing in your life. "He", the "Father" is constantly called upon. He is called upon when in need, when in doubt... He is there to love, comfort, chastise, help, guide, direct, protect... God gives us what we need, and if we don't need it, he tells us "no." The only problem with that is, there are children starving to death all across the world. Did they not need food? There are homeless people across the world. Did they not need shelter? There are people who cannot pay their bills. Did they not need their lights/water/etc? God protects us from harm... the only problem with that is that countless children are abducted, molested and/or killed every single day. Did they not need protection? Women are being raped every minute. Did they not need protection?

People who cannot control themselves, look to some mystery to control them and keep them "walking upright". People who are stressed, they let god "carry their burden". People don't trust their own intelligence and will power/self control. They rely on some unseen, unheard mystery to do for them what they are capable of doing for themselves.

In all honesty, God is no different than a dead beat dad or unreliable spouse. You never see, hear nor feel him... You just keep hoping and "having faith".

"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything"--Friedrich Nietzche

I understand. I empathize. Religion has become our father, our man, our void filler... "God" has become for us whatever is missing in our lives... He is a crutch. A crutch is a means of support, while the physically injured person is healing. We're not disabled, so it's time to let go of the crutch. The healing won't begin until you let go of this dogma, this religion... This falsehood... See, your leg isn't broken... You only think it is. Let that crutch go and discover the joy of walking on your own two feet. More to come...

Peace, Love and Elevation.

The Most Honorable Malcolm X

2010-02-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

He was known as Malcolm Little... Detroit Red... El Hajj Malik El Hajj Shabazz...
...Whatever you remember him as, Malcolm X was one of the most prolific, charismatic, dynamic and amazing men to of his time, our time... And any time you could have placed him in. His words, thought provoking. His mind, profound. His wit, unmatched. His energy, magnetic...

Malcolm X was a strong, fearless voice, in a time when we had none. He was unyielding, militant, vigilant... Yet, he was loving, funny, compassionate... There was a familiarity, a comfortability... He was that friend, that brother, that father figure... That quintessential, black God.

His dedication was to the advancement, upliftment and liberation of our people. Malcolm X continues to be an inspiration to me and to countless others. His words resonate within us, an stir us the same way they did in people of the past. I watch his videos, I hear his words, and I feel his strength, his incredible energy.

Some choose to remember "passive Malcolm". I choose to remember him as the fearless, courageous, intense, intelligent, powerful and wonderful man he was. He inspires me and it is often he (h who causes me to write, to speak, to act...

I have the utmost love, respect and admiration for this beautiful brother. That is why I call him the Most Honorable Malcolm X. Some may not like that, but that is how I view him. That is how I remember him.

I show my son his videos and play him his audios. I build with my son about the great man who fought so vigilantly, tirelessly and fearlessly for our people. I see in my brother, Malcolm X, a great many of the ways/traits/characteristics that I would love to see in my son, and any one of my beautiful, black brothers.

Regardless of who you are, what walk of life, or your racism/bias/prejudice, you have to admire the genius of this man. You have to admire his power, his mind, his spirit...

He is not physically with us, but his spirit is alive within each and every one of us who strive for the upliftment and liberation of our people.

The wit and mental agility of Malcolm X was unmatched. He was as humorous, as he was serious and militant:

He was powerful, intelligent, and uncompromising. He never faltered nor backed down:

Interview on Malcolm X and unearthed clips/interview of Malcolm X:

Brief Bio on Malcolm X:
Malcolm X was born Malcolm Little on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother, Louis Norton Little, was a homemaker occupied with the family's eight children. His father, Earl Little, was an outspoken Baptist minister and avid supporter of Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Earl's civil rights activism prompted death threats from the white supremacist organization Black Legion, forcing the family to relocate twice before Malcolm's fourth birthday. Regardless of the Little's efforts to elude the Legion, in 1929 their Lansing, Michigan home was burned to the ground, and two years later Earl's mutilated body was found lying across the town's trolley tracks. Police ruled both accidents, but the Little's were certain that members of the Black Legion were responsible. Louise had an emotional breakdown several years after the death of her husband and was committed to a mental institution. Her children were split up amongst various foster homes and orphanages.

Malcolm was a smart, focused student and graduated from junior high at the top of his class. However, when a favorite teacher told Malcolm his dream of becoming a lawyer was "no realistic goal for a nigger," Malcolm lost interest in school. He dropped out, spent some time in Boston, Massachusetts working various odd jobs, and then traveled to Harlem, New York where he committed petty crimes. By 1942 Malcolm was coordinating various narcotic, prostitution and gambling rings.

Eventually Malcolm and his buddy, Malcolm "Shorty" Jarvis, moved back to Boston, where they were arrested and convicted on burglary charges in 1946. Malcolm placated himself by using the seven-year prison sentence to further his education. It was during this period of self-enlightenment that Malcolm's brother Reginald visited and discussed his recent conversion to the Muslim religious organization the Nation of Islam. Intrigued, Malcolm studied the teachings of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad taught that white society actively worked to keep African-Americans from empowering themselves and achieving political, economic and social success. Among other goals, the Nation of Islam fought for a state of their own, separate from one inhabited by white people. By the time he was paroled in 1952, Malcolm was a devoted follower with the new surname "X." He considered "Little" a slave name and chose the "X" to signify his lost tribal name.
Intelligent and articulate, Malcolm was appointed a minister and national spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Elijah Muhammad also charged him with establishing new mosques in cities such as Detroit, Michigan and Harlem, New York. Malcolm utilized newspaper columns, radio and television to communicate the Nation of Islam's message across the United States. His charisma, drive and conviction attracted an astounding number of new members. Malcolm was largely credited with increasing membership in the Nation of Islam from 500 in 1952 to 30,000 in 1963.
The crowds and controversy surrounding Malcolm made him a media magnet. He was featured in a week-long television special with Mike Wallace in 1959, The Hate That Hate Produced, that explored fundamentals of the Nation of Islam and Malcolm's emergence as one of its most important leaders. After the special, Malcolm was faced with the uncomfortable reality that his fame had eclipsed that of his mentor Elijah Muhammad.
Racial tensions ran increasingly high during the early 1960s. In addition to the media, Malcolm's vivid personality had captured the government's attention. As membership in the Nation of Islam continued to grow, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) agents infiltrated the organization (one even acted at Malcolm's bodyguard) and secretly placed bugs, wiretaps and cameras surveillance equipment to monitor the group's activities.
Malcolm's faith was dealt a crushing blow at the height of the civil rights movement in 1963. He learned that Elijah Muhammad was secretly having relations with as many as six women in the Nation of Islam, some of which had resulted in children. Since his conversion Malcolm had strictly adhered to the teachings of Muhammad, including remaining celibate until his marriage to Betty Shabazz in 1958. Malcolm refused Muhammad's request to keep the matter quiet. He was deeply hurt by the deception of Muhammad, whom he had considered a prophet, and felt guilty about the masses he had lead into what he now felt was a fraudulent organization.
When Malcolm received criticism after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy for saying, "[Kennedy] never foresaw that the chickens would come home to roost so soon," Muhammad "silenced" him for 90 days. Malcolm suspected he was silenced for another reason. In March 1964 he terminated his relationship with the Nation of Islam and founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc.
That same year, Malcolm went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The trip proved life altering, as Malcolm met "blonde-haired, blued-eyed men I could call my brothers." He returned to the United States with a new outlook on integration. This time, instead of just preaching to African-Americans, he had a message for all races.
Relations between Malcolm and the Nation of Islam had become volatile after he renounced Elijah Muhammad. Informants working in the Nation of Islam warned that Malcolm had been marked for assassination (one man had even been ordered to help plant a bomb in his car). After repeated attempts on his life, Malcolm rarely traveled anywhere without bodyguards. On February 14, 1965 the home where Malcolm, Betty and their four daughters lived in East Elmhurst, New York was firebombed (the family escaped physical injury).
At a speaking engagement in the Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom on February 21, 1965 three gunmen rushed Malcolm onstage and shot him 15 times at close range. The 39-year-old was pronounced dead on arrival at New York's Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Fifteen hundred people attended Malcolm's funeral in Harlem at the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ on February 27, 1965. After the ceremony, friends took the shovels from the gravediggers and buried Malcolm themselves. Later that year, Betty gave birth to their twin daughters.
Malcolm's assassins, Talmadge Hayer, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson were convicted of first-degree murder in March 1966. The three men were all members of the Nation of Islam.
The legacy of Malcolm X has moved through generations as the subject of numerous documentaries, books and movies. A tremendous resurgence of interest occurred in 1992 when director Spike Lee released the acclaimed Malcolm X movie. The film received Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Denzel Washington) and Best Costume Design.
Malcolm X is buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
(bio from http://www.africawithin.com/malcolmx/malcolm_bio.htm)

You're a Web

2010-02-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

You're a web...

Your delicate strands, intricately weaving in, out, around and through...
Such beautiful designs you've managed to create...
So I think,
How could such beauty be harmful?
I reach out...
Not realizing my captivation has lead to my capture..
Because you,
You are a web...
And I,
Your unsuspecting prey...
Mesmerized by the intricacy...
So completely enamoured with our intimacy...
You and me...
...Entwined...
I've found myself entangled in you...
Entrapped by you...
A web...
And the more I struggle to break free, the more entangled I become...
In this magnificent web that you've spun...
So exquisitely done...
You're a web and you've wrapped yourself around my thoughts...
... Secured yourself to the walls of my mind...
You a web that I so innocently happened by...
By you...
A web,
Caught unaware and ensnared...
To be forever trapped within you...
Your delicate strands, more like iron chains...
Binding both heart and brain...
And no matter how I struggle and strain,
I'm hopelessly entangled in you...
A web...

Real Men Don't Cry... Or Do They?

2010-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

"Emotions make good servants, but poor masters"

From an early age, young, black men are taught not to show--or to even have--emotions. They're taught that any sign of emotion is weak. Tears are weak, affection is weak, feeling pain is weak...

I've even heard this madness come out of some conscious brothers mouths. "God doesn't have emotions". This is not true. We're living, breathing, thinking, feeling beings. What a sad existence to feel nothing. What purpose could your life serve? You feel nothing, so you can't truly experience life.

I've heard many mothers tell their sons "Quit crying. Be a man", "Stop acting like a girl", "toughen up", etc, etc... The male children are, often, no older than 3 and being told this! This is both unfair and very damaging to the child's mental and emotional well-being. Now, he is teaching himself to bottle up all his feelings and never deal with or acknowledge this major part of himself.

What goes in, must come out, what goes up, must come down. Eventually, this will lead to an explosion or an implosion. With brothers being taught not to feel, can we really wonder about the mental state of our black men? Detached emotion, violence... Suicide among black males is on the rise... And its rising very quickly.

But can we blame them? Think about it. Being young and black in America, already makes you a target. Then you're never taught how to cope with emotions--never taught how to deal with them. Black men are like walking gun-range targets (and I mean that literally and figuratively). Profiling, incarceration, drugs, etc, etc... It seems this society is set up for their destruction. Its no wonder that drug abuse, suicide, sex, alcohol abuse, anger problems, and various other things are so prevalent among our young men. They are looking for releases and escapes... Releases for the pent up emotions and escapes from them.

Too many young men think that being strong is synonymous with being unfeeling, cold, etc... They think they should never be hurt, never be sad, never truly love. They become hardened. Then we wonder why they seem so unreachable. Due to this mentality they've developed, they can never rise to their potential. They never ascend to be the God, the NTR they were born to be.

Every time I build with a young brother about emotions, I tell him "Its ok to have emotions. It is not okay to be ruled by them." I am teaching my son this same thing. Emotions are energy (emotion=energy in motion). They are energy that can be channeled however we choose. They only become a problem when we allow them to override our logic.

"The task of man is to feel and be responsible for all his emotions, not to repress them, but to change and transmute them into higher feelings. Repression chains man to the very objects of repression, but purification will transmute them positive elements bringing him closer to his true essence. As long as we do not take up the Great Work, pain and misery will disturb our lives. We have to face the mythical monsters in the depths of our unconscious and shed light on them. As they are part of being human, we cannot discard them, but we can control them, master them, learn from them, and transform them into servants of the Divine. The monsters are not monsters by themselves. They are just characteristics of human nature that have become distorted. We can rectify them and make them shine in their original beauty" [excerpt]

This is the opposite of what we're teaching our young men. We're teaching our young men not to have emotion at all, to ignore that part of themselves... To repress any and all emotion, lest they be viewed as weak. Now, while we're teaching the men this, we're teaching young women to be OVER emotional, and to allow e-motions to rule their logic and better judgment.

Being responsible for your emotions and changing them, that means FEEL them. Allow them, then channel them. Harness their energy. In order to have true ascension, we must first face all the devils that exist within self. We must purge, cleanse, and purify ourselves.

Neither our men nor our women know how to deal with emotions, properly. This causes misunderstandings and division among us. Men and women are at each others throats. Men are done with women; Women are done with men. Black men are done with black women; Black women are done with black men. This is madness. We have angry, bitter, black men and angry, bitter, black women (I'll be delving deeper into this topic in another blog).

If men are ignoring the emotional part of themselves and women are only dealing with that part of themselves, none of us will ever elevate... Nor will we be able to come together harmoniously, because we will never understand one another.

Peace and love. More to come.

Thoughts on America & Independence (quick blog)

2010-01-17T23:01:00.000-08:00

AmeriKKKa was built on the pain, the blood, the sweat, the tears, the anger, the rape, the exploitation, the death and the backs of the slaves.

How can a country built on the backs of others feel such a sense of entitlement and such a sense of independence?
Those who call for Ayiti/Haiti to "stand on its own feet", need to think about what you're saying. Has the country that you claim as yours (though you stole it) ever stood on its own?
After America removes what has been built by my ancestors and removes what has been built upon what my ancestors built, what would be left?
Has white America ever stood on its own two feet? Or have the Europeans always had their feet firmly planted on the backs of others?

My Thoughts: Moments & Memories

2010-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

Once a moment is gone... It is but a memory... It is a moment we've captured and frozen within our minds, and we bring back to life through our imaginations... But over the course of time, it begins to slip away... Decay and lose its luster... Piece by piece... Until the memory is no longer a bright, vivid picture... Its an old, worn, faded photograph that we squint at, as the details become more and more faint... We cling to it, yet it escapes our hands like tightly clenched sand...

Memories of laughter become fainter and more soft... Until we can only see mouths smiling, with no sound coming out... Eventually... The smiles become blurred and fade, as well...
The present is so fleeting... It is perpetually passing us... As soon as you say, "this is the present"... Its now the past, is it not?
Live each moment... Seize it and experience it in its entirety... Enjoy it and fill yourself with it... Create the brightest memory you possibly can...
Live.
Life.
Love.

The Mousai/The Muses

2010-01-17T11:28:00.001-08:00

The Muses were nine (9) in number, which is interesting because nine (9) is the number of Born. It is to bring things into existence. It is manifesting it or birthing it from the womb of the mind.

The Muses presided over art, science, inspire all artists, especially poets, philosophers and musicians. They were goddesses of Knowledge and remembered all things that came to pass. The Muses gift to humanity was talent and inspiration. They would give inspiration to people. They would spark a thought or plant a seed in the person's mind, and the person would BORN it into physical reality.

Another interesting piece of information is that both museum and music derive from the word "muse". The Muses were said to be nine beautiful, intelligent, and careless goddesses. Their home was Mount Helicon in central Greece. This mountain was sacred to Apollo. He was the Greek God of music, light and the Sun. The nine (9) Muses were:

Calliope (Epic Poetry)
Clio (History)
Erato (Love & Erotic Poetry)
Euterpe (Music/lyric poetry)
Melpomene (Tragedy)
Polyhymnia (Sacred poetry)
Terpsichore (choral songs and dance)
Thaleia (Comedy)
Urania (Astronomy)

Nine (9) nights, Zeus, secretly, had sex with Mnemosyne. Mnemosyne was sometimes called the Mother of Creativity. Those nine nights between her and Zeus created the nine muses. Ironically enough, The they had Mnemosyne, the goddess of Memory (this is where the word mnemonic comes from), as their mother... Yet their mission was to make people actually forget their sorrows and not think about their cares. The Muses were brought to life to make the world disremember the evil and relieve the sorrows and to praise the gods, and especially the Olympian Gods' victory over their ancestors, the Titans. Apollo was the main teacher of the Muses. They were usually accompanying him and the Graces on their strolls and loved singing and dancing on soft feet on laurel leaves, while Apollo was playing the lyre.

They were originally regarded as the nymphs of inspiring wells, near which they were worshipped, and bore different names in different places, until the Thraco-Boeotian worship of the nine Muses spread from Boeotia over other parts of Greece, and ultimately became generally established. Furthermore, the genealogy of the Mousai is not the same with all writers. The number of the Muses varies, as well, but there are usually nine. Its said that, originally, three were worshipped on Mount Helicon in Boeotia, namely, Melete (meditation), Mneme (memory), and Aoede (song); and their worship and names are said to have been first introduced by Ephialtes and Otus....

Now that you know about the Mousai or the Muses...Which one whispers in your ear?

Ayiti... Haiti...

2010-01-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

In this blog, I'll discuss a variety of topics on Haiti, including the most recent tragedy. This blog is out of my love for my people, and out of my love for Ayiti/Haiti. It is for the pain of Haiti, which is my pain... That is my family in Haiti. That is your family. Those are OUR children who are suffering... We are connected. We are one. I am writing this out of love, pain, anger, outrage and hurt. I cannot believe some of the things that I've seen and heard since this tragedy struck mon frères et ma sœurs of Ayiti (my brothers and my sisters of Haiti)... I've long known of the pain and plight of Ayiti... She's long cried out... Are you only now hearing? Yet, despite all of Her tragedies, pains & hardships, Ayiti is filled with beautiful, persevering, strong, spiritual people. People who smile when we think there's nothing to smile about. People who hope when there appears to be none... Such beautiful spirits...

Haiti is one of the poorest, most underdeveloped, neglected, and densely populated countries in the Western Hemisphere. 80% of Haitians live in poverty. Haiti is one half of the island. The Republic of Dominica, the other. Haiti has 9 million residents, with 2 million of that being residents of Port-au-Prince, which is the capital of Haiti. Many (or most) stay in shanty like houses.

Haiti has a history of tragedy, pain, poverty and hardship. Just last year, there was a flood that left over 800 dead, due to all of the deforestation that frequently causes flooding and mudslides.

In 1923, over 60% of Haiti's land was forested; by 2006, less than 5% was forested. The most direct effect of deforestation is soil erosion.An estimated 15,000 acres (61 km²) of topsoil are washed away each year, with erosion also damaging other productive infrastructure such as dams, irrigation systems, roads, and coastal marine ecosystems. Soil erosion also lowers the productivity of the land, worsens droughts, and eventually leads to desertification, all of which increase the pressure on the remaining land and trees. There have been many efforts to reforest Haiti, but with charcoal being the primary source of fuel, it has not been enough. Sugar was once a major cash crop for Haiti, but with the competitive prices from other countries, that has been diminished. Because of the political instability, lack of infrastructure, and the abject poverty, tourist agencies direct their clients elsewhere. As each year goes by, the amount of land that is suitable for growing crops is shrinking. Haiti is considered as one of the most food-insecure nations of the world. Over the last 20 years there has been a rapid migration to the capital city of Port Au Prince. Lured by the prospect of employment, hundreds of thousands of people have left their villages in the country to seek a new life in the city. Many have become squatters, setting up meager shelters in gullies, ditches and landfill sights. With little in the way of pure water or sanitation, these shanty towns are death traps of sickness and death. The streams that flow down from the mountains into Port Au Prince are often the only source of water available. It is here that the people not only bathe and wash their clothes, but also where they collect water for drinking and cooking. Contaminated with the refuse of man and animals, the water is filled with disease-causing agents. Many of the child deaths in Haiti are simply a result of drinking the tainted water. Haiti has one of the highest infant and child mortality rates in the world. Out of every 1000 children born in Haiti, almost 200 will never see their fifth birthday. Most of these deaths are due to preventable diseases and simple malnutrition, both in the child and the mother. Many of the children who do survive, are mentally and physically handicapped for the rest of thier life, because of these factors. Haiti has long needed help. Since its independence, it has never been given a fair chance... And that is due to it gaining its independence. What European countries (past & present) or European dominated countries would want to help the first black republic?

The Recent Tragedy: The 7.0-magnitude earthquake has left between 30,000-100,000 dead. This number has not yet been confirmed. Recent numbers say as many as 500,000. Some say 50,000. It has left Haiti in total chaos & destruction. The earthquake struck shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday on January 12th, centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It could be felt strongly in eastern Cuba, more than 200 miles away. The earthquake's power matched that of several nuclear bombs, said Roger Searle, a professor of geophysics in the Earth Sciences Department at Durham University in England. He said the combination of its magnitude and geographical shallowness made it particularly dangerous. About 3 million people -- one-third of Haiti's population -- were affected by the quake, the Red Cross estimated. About 10 million people felt shaking from the earthquake, including 2 million who felt severe trembling, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated.
None of the three aid centers run by Doctors Without Borders is operable and the organization is focusing on re-establishing surgical capacity so it can deal with the crushed limbs and head wounds it is seeing. The earthquake has flattened the president's palace, the cathedral, hospitals, schools, the main prison and whole neighborhoods. For miles, whole blocks are totally leveled.
A religious conference was under way when the quake occurred. One witness said, "There were priests and nuns in the street. ... Everywhere, you heard cries from beneath the rubble."
Shocked survivors wandered about in a daze, some wailing the names of loved ones, praying or calling for help. Others with injuries fast growing into infections sat by the roadside, waiting for doctors who were not sure to come.
Search-and-rescue helicopters buzzed over the bodies of partially clothed victims who lay face-down in mounds of rubble and twisted steel. Everywhere, there was panic, urgency, pleas for help.
"Thousands of people poured out into the streets, crying, carrying bloody bodies, looking for anyone who could help them," Bob Poff, divisional director of disaster services in Haiti for the Salvation Army, said in a posting on the agency's Web site.
NAOMI KLEIN: But as I write about in The Shock Doctrine, crises are often used now as the pretext for pushing through policies that you cannot push through under times of stability. Countries in periods of extreme crisis are desperate for any kind of aid, any kind of money, and are not in a position to negotiate fairly the terms of that exchange.
We need to make sure that the aid that goes to Haiti is, one, grants, not loans. This is absolutely crucial. This is an already heavily indebted country. This is a disaster that, as Amy said, on the one hand is nature, is, you know, an earthquake; on the other hand is the creation, is worsened by the poverty that our governments have been so complicit in deepening. Crises—natural disasters are so much worse in countries like Haiti, because you have soil erosion because the poverty means people are building in very, very precarious ways, so houses just slide down because they are built in places where they shouldn’t be built. All of this is interconnected. But we have to be absolutely clear that this tragedy, which is part natural, part unnatural, must, under no circumstances, be used to, one, further indebt Haiti, and, two, to push through unpopular corporatist policies in the interests of our corporations. And this is not a conspiracy theory. They have done it again and again.
Barack Obama has, reportedly, said "This will be a great investment", when speaking on aiding Haiti. It appears that everyone is looking to get something out of the devastated Haiti. Capitalism at its finest. This "aide" is coming at a price... A price that Ayiti cannot afford... But the people aren't thinking of future debts. They're thinking of loved ones lost and missing... They're thinking of water, food... SURVIVAL.
Whether looking to indebt Haiti further, or looking to further indoctrinate the people with christianity, everyone is there and "helping" for their own selfish reasons (with the exception of very few, such as Wyclef Jean).
Haiti is in need and has been for quite some time, but no one has helped because they don't see "what's in it" for them. Let's not allow them to capitalize off of Haiti's pain. We can't allow that to happen. They are looking to put Haiti into such a deep debt, she'll never recover. They are looking to bleed her dry of any and all things they deem as "valuable". Now is the time for us to donate time, money, supplies, or whatever we have to give. Any little bit matters. Now is the time. Those are OUR people.
Here are some links, if you wish to help:

In Haiti? Text 4636 (International:447624802524) with your location and need. Report emergencies and missing persons. http://haiti.ushahidi.com

Help drop Haiti's debt, PLEASE: http://one.org/us/actnow/drophaitiandebt/signed.html?id=-4473819-QDvfdsx

Donate NOW: http://www.yele.org/ (Wyclef Jean's site)

Americans trying to locate family members in Haiti to telephone the State Department at 888-407-4747.

Online search for missing people: http://www.cnn.com/haitimissing

UNICEF: https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6680&6680.donation=form1

Before I go, I'd like to give a history of Haiti...

A Brief History of Ayiti: Ayiti is the ancient name of what is now known as Haiti. Ayiti, or Haiti, was the first to free itself from the bonds of slavery and establish a republic. Haiti was inhabited by the Tainos long before Columbus and his people ever discovered it. They lived throughout the greater islands of Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico and had migrated from South America centuries before Columbus. The Tainos are said to have been gentle, calm and very hospitable. Those in the island of Haiti were known as having been the most advanced of the Tainos, having developed a flourishing civilization way before Columbus's voyage to the Americas.
Both the French and the Spanish used slave labor to build their "empires" in Haiti. Even the Catholic churches owned slaves. The entire economic structure of St. Domingue rested on the backs of a population denied any participation in the colony's prosperity.
In 1492, Columbus & the Spanish occupied the island of Haiti, and renamed it Española (written in English as Hispaniola) meaning "little Spain". They exploited its gold mines and reduced the Tainos to slavery. According to early Spanish historian observers, there were as many as 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 Tainos on the island in 1492. Around fifty years after the arrival of Columbus in the Americas, most of the Tainos in Haiti were wiped out through the hardship of their condition as slaves, organized massacres or diseases they contracted from the Spaniards. The genocide of the Tainos in Haiti was one of the most brutal and the annihilation committed on the Indians of the New World by Columbus and his men, one of the most complete in History. Later on, Bartolomew Las Casas, a Spanish priest, revolted against the massacre of the Indians and demanded the cessation of the injustices committed every day against these people in Hispaniola. He advocated for the importation of Blacks from Africa to work on the mines as a mean of ending Indian slavery in the island. Thus, in 1503, the first blacks landed on the island. These blacks, however, came from Spain and not from Africa (?). Years later, the Spanish would leave Hispaniola for the richest lands of South America where the gold mines were still fresh and rich of the precious metal.
The Spaniards established a Spanish settlement, Navidad, on the north coast of the island of Hispaniola in what is now Haiti. That settlement was destroyed by the natives but Columbus on a later voyage establiched Isabela farther to the east on the north coast.The Spanish colony, called Santo Domingo, became a staging point for later expeditions and provided supplies for the conquistadores in Mexico and elsewhere. The first administrator for Santo Domingo was a brother of Christopher Columbus. Spaniards were given estates on the island and the right to compel the labor of the natives. The native population very nearly disappeared during the first half of the 16th century as a result of epidemics and enslavement. As a consequence the disappearance of the native population the population of Hispaniola, even in the Hispanic Dominican Republic, is not mestizo, as is the case in much of Latin America.
After the conquest of Mexico and the establishment of New Spain, Santo Domingo lost is status as an administrative center and its economy lacked dynamism. By the end of the 16th century Spain, was losing control of the seas to French, Dutch and British forces. Pirates preyed upon weak colonies such as those of Santo Domingo.
In 1625, the first French adventurers landed on the island of La Tortue (Tortuga Island) in the northern part of what is today the Republic of Haiti. Later, they began exploring and settling on the main land to eventually displace the Spanish from the western part of the Hispaniola through warfare. Tired of their attack, and also because of the results of war in Europe, Spain signed with France the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697, ceding to the latter the western part of the island. The French renamed their possession Sainte-Dominigue, a translation of Santo Domingo, the Spanish denomination of the eastern part of the island. The French then developed Sainte-Dominigue into the richest colony in the world. The prosperity of the French colony was based upon slavery. To build this wealth, France imported thousands of slaves from Africa who were submitted to virtually the same abuses and mistreatment imposed on the Indians, only on a larger scale. By the time of the French Revolution the population of slaves in Haiti was somewhere between 400 and 700 thousand. Most were slaves imported from Africa, predominantly from the west central african region of Dahoumey. The hard labor of the plantations along with the epidemics endemic to the tropics kept the mortality rate high, continuing importation of slaves from Africa. The origin of the slaves in Dahoumey left its effect on the culture of Haiti, particularly in the religion known as Vodou or Voodoo. Thus, the wealth of Sainte-Dominigue was achieved on the work of slaves and only a minority of the island’s population was enjoying this wealth: the whites. The importation of the blacks in large numbers would change the demographic face of Sainte-Dominigue.

During the 18th century the French colony grew and prospered. By the time of the French Revolution Haiti was producing more than half of all the coffee produced in the world and Haiti was producing 40 percent of the sugar for France and Britain and accounted for 40 percent of France's foreign trade at a time when France was the dominant economy of Europe.
The century of domination of white slave holders over the African women produced a subpopulation of mulattoes. The mulattoes, being offspring of the white elite, were given special privileges that led to mulattoes accumulating land and some wealth. The mulattoes definitely were below the white elite in social status, but they were definitely above the pure African slaves.
During the 18th century, communities of escaped slaves developed in the mountain wildernesses. These people were called maroons from the Spanish word cimaron for wild. These maroon communities carried out wars against the slave plantations. One war in 1751-1757 resulted in the deaths of six thousand. The French were able to put down these wars but not able to wipe out the threat from the maroons. The maroons acquired military experience for this period of guerrilla war. Mulattoes of the cities acquired military experience while serving in the French units suppressing the warfare of the maroons. Some mulattoes gained military experience fighting on the side of the revolutionaries in the battle for independence of the British colonies (the American Revolution). The mulattoes had a self-interest in preserving slavery in the colony but they wanted their legal and social status made equal to that of the whites.
St Domingue's population was divided into three main groups, the whites or "Blancs", the "Affranchis", a group composed of free blacks and mulattoes and the great masses of the slaves. By 1789, the colony’s population comprised between 400,000 and 700,000 blacks, compared to 25,000 whites and 40,000 mulattoes. A great number of mulattoes are offspring of the rape of slave mothers by colonists. They in turn adopted these children and provided them with the necessities of life. These children would sometimes inherit the wealth of their fathers and by the end of the 18th century, the mulattos would own around 25% of the colony’s plantations and wealth, while most of them went to France to get a higher education.

However, despite their wealth and their education, the mulattoes, because of their color, were considered inferior to the white by law and were discriminated against. They could not practice certain professions, wear European clothes, sit among the whites in church, among other things. Struggle would ensue between the Affranchis and the Whites throughout the 18th century with the former claiming civil and political equality with the latter who want to maintain the status quo. At the same time, the whites were demanding to France the right to participate in the running of the colony. They wanted to make of St Domingue, a country that would be autonomous from France. Both groups would voice their grievances at the time of the French revolution in 1789, which proclaimed the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.

In the meantime, the slaves manifested their rejection of their condition through different forms of resistance. Some poisoned their masters; others killed their own children to save them from the hellish conditions of slavery. There were also other forms of protests like the collective suicides of the Ibos particularly.

The most successful and persistent form of the slaves' protest was the "maroonage" or the Maroons. Maroons consisted of slaves running away from the plantation to hide in the mountains of the island or in its forests. From their retreat, the maroons conducted raids on the plantations and often would come at night to poison or kill their masters. One of the most famous Haitian maroons was a man named François Mackandal. He was also a houngan, or voodoo priest, from Guinea. At night, he would attack the plantations, burning them and killing their owners. During his six-year rebellion, he and his followers poisoned and killed as many as 6000 whites. In 1758, however, the French finally caught him and publicly executed him on the public square of Cap Francais (today Cap Haitien).

In 1791, as the whites and the "Affranchis" continued on their war for greater participation in the running of the colony and for equality, the Blacks entered into a full-fledge rebellion that would ultimately result in the creation of the State of Haiti and the abolition of slavery in the land.

A man named Boukman, another houngan, organized on August 14, 1791, a meeting with the slaves in the mountains of the North. This meeting took the form of a Voodoo ceremony in the Bois Caiman in the northern mountains of the island. It was raining and the sky was raging with clouds; the slaves then started confessing their resentment of their condition. A woman started dancing languorously in the crowd, taken by the spirits of the loas. With a knife in her hand, she cut the throat of a pig and distributed the blood to all the participants of the meeting who swore to kill all the whites on the island. On August 22, 1791, the blacks of the North entered into a rebellion, killing all the whites they met and setting the plantations of the colony on fire. However, the French quickly captured the leader of the slaves, Boukman, and beheaded him, bringing the rebellion under control. Just like Mackandal, Boukman had managed to instill in the blacks the idea that he was invincible. Thus, the French exposed his head on Cap’s square to convince the slaves that their leader was really dead. However, the ideas of the revolution, the ideas of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, had already enflamed the mind of the slaves. The death of Boukman -- although it had temporarily stopped the rebellion of the North -- failed to restrain the rest of the blacks from revolting against their condition. The Revolution, that would give birth to the Republic of Haiti, was under way and nothing could stop it.

François-Dominique Toussaint L'ouverture

was the great leader who emerged out of the mass of the revolted. He proved to be a military genius and a formidable leader. He organized the masses of the slaves into an organized army. With political manipulation, and military campaigns, he would gain more and more notoriety in the colony. During the period of 1791, to 1800, Toussaint used the French, the Spaniards and the English against one another. He managed to eliminate all his enemies until he was the only power left in St Domingue (Haiti). By 1801, he was governing the whole island by himself and proclaimed himself governor of the colony. A constitution was soon drawn that same year declaring St Domingue an autonomous French possession where slavery was abolished.

Napoleon wary of Toussaint's great power in the colony sent 82,000 of his battle proven troops commanded by his own brother-in-law seconded by able generals, a fleet of warships, canons, munitions and dogs in order to bring St Domingue under control. Two years of war ended in a stalemate. However, the French treacherously arrested Toussaint Louverture during a meeting in June 1802. He was exiled to France and died in the Fort de Joux high in the cold Alpine mountains of Jura in April 1803. Toussaint though had left capable generals who could carry on the struggle. With the arrest of Toussaint, Dessalines emerged as the new leader of the Haitian Revolution, bringing it to its ultimate level. Other leaders of that period would be Alexandre Petion, François Capois named "La Mort", Henri Christophe, and Boironds Tonnerre.

Independent Haiti started with a devastated economy and infrastructure as well as the hostility of much of the rest of the world's rulers. The U.S. and Europe isolated Haiti. Soon it was an era of gunboat diplomacy, with Germany, France, England and the U.S. sending ships into Haitian waters to enforce their demands.
By 1914, when the U.S. starting maintaining ships in Haiti "almost without interruption," its navy had already sent warships at least 30 times since 1849, according to American military historians. From 1915 to 1934, the U.S. occupied Haiti.
After the Americans left, 12 years of repressive stability followed. Then a period marked by military coups culminated in the army's installing Dr. François Duvalier in 1957.
"Papa Doc," Haiti's "President for Life," and his son Jean-Claude (known as "Baby Doc") would rule Haiti until protests forced the latter dictator to flee in 1986. In 1982 a Canadian parliamentary committee had described their rule as a "kleptocracy."
The military took over and ruled Haiti, except for a few months, until 1990.

The Aristide era

Elections took place in December and Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a left-wing priest, won an overwhelming victory in the presidential vote, on the shoulders of the opposition movement against military rule. But after just seven months the military staged another bloody coup, and Aristide soon went into exile.
This coup met with strong international and popular opposition. Three years of contested power followed until Haiti was occupied by a multinational force that consisted almost entirely of U.S. troops. Aristide resumed his presidency in October 1994.
The next year, authority was transferred from the multinational force to the UN mission in Haiti, with significant Canadian involvement until it ended in 1996.
Aristide's term also ended in 1996 and his candidate then took over. Aristide was again elected president during a contentious vote in 2000. Through all this time, Haiti was marked by violence, instability, poverty and corruption.
Opposition to Aristide continued to grow. By early 2004, the opposition was in military control of a large part of Haiti. Aristide was forced from power in February; he said he was kidnapped by the U.S.
A multinational interim force with eventually 3,600 troops was formed. Canada again played a major role.
That year, floods in May and September claimed 5,000 Haitian lives. Others died in the continuing political violence.
In 2008, Haiti was once again devastated, this time by storms and hurricanes. At least 800 people died and a million were left homeless. A humanitarian crisis followed.
There's much more to be written about Haiti, but for now, I'll leave it here. I have alot of information on Haiti, the exploitation, the neglect, the history, etc, etc... But I've been wanting to post this blog since the 12th. So just know, it is not finished.

**info was found in from several sources, including things I remembered from past research, wikipedia, the Haitian bicentennial site, cnn, Naomi Klein, history cooperative, and a few others**

Je taime, Ayiti... Je pleure pour vous, Ayiti...

2010-01-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

I love you, Haiti... You and all of my beautiful brothers and sisters... I cry for you, for the children...

For the adults who are your children... I cry for the pain. Your pain is my pain. Your loss is my loss. I cry for you, the same way I cry for mama Africa. My heart breaks each time I look upon the pictures of this recent tragedy... My love for you has been deep and unwavering since I've known you. It will not fade... You did not deserve this, dear Haiti. Your children did not deserve this...

You have been abused, neglected, raped and destroyed for too long, my beautiful Haiti. You've been crying for years and years... Yet none but us few have heard you and shed tears... Now, the world suddenly knows and remembers you. Why does it take such events for people to open their eyes and ears?

Bodies lay bloodied and broken... Men, women and children weep... Nothing to eat, nowhere to sleep... People mourn for families members who are beyond reach... People wandering aimlessly in the streets... Haiti, I hear you... I see your wounds are deep...

Dear Ayiti, if not for you, who knows how long it would have taken for our people to be free? If you had not gotten free, how deeply that would have changed the course of history?

Haiti... Je taime... Ayiti, je pleure pour vous...

Thoughts & Reflections: How Fragile We Are...

2010-01-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

Our bodies... So fragile... Easily bruised, broken... From the moment we're born, we begin to die...
I think Thomas Fuller said that... Bob Dylan said "He who isn't busy being born is busy dying"... Many of us walk around as if we're invincible... As if, we're immortals... But... This physical vessel is finite... There's a beauty in our fragility... Our bodies delicate as a rose... Can you see it?

These are my thoughts...

Life is such an unsurety... The only thing promised to us in life, is death... That is the only surety... And it comes swiftly & (often) unannounced... Life is so fragile... We should live each moment to the fullest...

Death twitches my ear. "Live," he says, "I am coming." ~Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro), Minor Poems, Copa

Live to Love... Love to live... What purpose is life without love? These are my thoughts...

People say "beauty is fleeting"... As is life...
...Is life but a cruel joke? Is life a lesson we must learn? Is life a stepping stone, a prerequisite to a higher existence... A higher realm? What is the purpose? Is there a purpose? Do all of us realize our purpose? If so? If not? What then? These are my thoughts...

Shall I realize all I'm supposed to realize before the sunset of my life?

These are my thoughts...

A Tearful Rant

2009-12-29T17:53:00.001-08:00

Thomas Winston... A 29 year old father, who had fell on hard times and was struggling (yet striving) to turn his life around, is now dead. And for what? A man stepped on his shoes, and when he asked the man to apologize, that sparked the confrontation that led to 16 year old Cyan Brown stabbing him in his heart.
The story was originally portrayed as if she was an innocent young girl being attacked by "aggressive, black thugs"... Let's just be honest. Anytime you see a black man in the news, he's (more likely than not) going to be depicted as some idiotic, ruthless thug. The truth was revealed. Cyan turned herself in and is facing first degree manslaughter. Manslaughter? That's it?
Thomas was living in a homeless shelter and working hard to get his life turned around for himself and his baby boy.
*sighs* I've been crying since I read the story... When my people die, I hurt. When my people hurt, I hurt... What hurts most is that its not only white people killing us... We're killing ourselves. We're dying and we're doing it to ourselves... When are we going to stop the madness? How do you look at your brother and your sister with so much hate? How do you look at your brothers and your sisters and feel NOTHING? How do you look them in the eye and take their life? It wasn't yours to take! Now there is another young black man who will be raised without his father! Fatherless households have long been an epidemic... Isn't it time we do something? Isn't it time we stop hating and killing? Isn't it time we start healing, loving, uniting? Oh, how far we have fallen... And sometimes, I'm afraid we will never rise up... My heart aches for this young brother and his family... Most of all, his son... So now, Thomas Winston's son has lost his father. Cyan Brown's mother has lost her daughter. Thomas Winston has lost his life... I am beyond sad, beyond outraged... I'm sick of seeing my people act like savages. I'm sick of us being crabs in a barrel... Or stray dogs in a fight in the gutters... When will we see what's right in front of our eyes!!! When we recognize what we're doing and start the healing process? I feel for my people, so things like this... I will never understand... And I hope I never do. I won't share with you all the awful thoughts I had about this young "sistah"... But I do hope that Karma gets that bitch something terrible... Link to the story below... I'm out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/nyregion/26train.html

The Ugly Truth About Abuse

2009-12-27T02:26:00.000-08:00

I felt myself be pushed, hard, onto the bed... I felt his hands wrap around my throat... I heard my voice, but it didn't sound like my voice... I heard it tell him to stop... I hardly recognized my own voice. It sounded so small, so raspy from the lack of air coming into my throat... I didn't even fight him... I couldn't fight him... It was as if I had lost all control of my body... And all I could think was, "Why?" I felt no pain... It was dream-like... Surreal... I noticed how horrible he looked, as he looked down at me... I felt myself slip into unconsciousness............................ When I woke up, I was alone on the bed. My throat hurt, I felt light headed. I couldn't even think clearly...

That was the first time my ex put his hands on me... But not the last... Shortly after this "incident", we found out that I was pregnant. What should have been a wonderful, joyous time in my life, was anything but... 2 months into my pregnancy and 3 months into our marriage, I found out that when he and I had started dating, he had had a girlfriend that he had been with for two years. I found out that there was a little girl out there (who he had NOTHING to do with) who may in fact be his daughter... We were at my grandmother's house when we had the argument. It was a horrible argument... He said some of the most hurtful things you could imagine... He pushed me, I pushed him back... That is when he choked me (for the second time in our short marriage)... Right there on my grandmother's couch... I left him for the first time... I remember going to my appointment with my obstetrician and covering up the scratches and bruises on my neck... He begged, he pleaded, he promised and he swore... We got back together...

Things were fine for awhile... We were happy... Or so I fooled myself into believing... All these different phone numbers on scraps of paper started popping up... Private calls... Also, he began "punishing me"... No hugs, no kisses, no 'love-making', no nothing... And that was his method anytime I upset or angered him... He'd insult me and criticize me for everything... My self-esteem was getting lower and lower and lower... I felt so lonely... He would leave the room to make phone calls (something he never did, at first)... He'd pick fights with me, just to have an excuse to leave... I began having anxiety attacks, due to all of the stress. I became so sick and so stressed, I had to drop some of my classes... He didn't like me even going to school. He'd fuss about my clothes. He'd bitch if I fixed my hair up or dressed up AT ALL... He accused me of talking to people, etc, etc... Eventually, I allowed all this to fuck my schooling up... He would stare (I mean GAWK) at women right in front of me. He'd try to hide it, but hardly... By this time, I was about 4 1/2 months pregnant. I wasn't really showing yet. I didn't show 'til my 6th month, but by this time, I felt so unattractive...

A month or so passed, and I was finally REALLY showing... He had a different job and I noticed he had stopped wearing his wedding band. When I asked him about it, he said, "Oh, it always falls off at work." I didn't believe him, but I let it go... One day, he was in the bathroom getting ready for work. I knew he didn't have any money for lunch that day, so I was sneaking and putting some in his wallet... A tiny scrap of paper fell out (I mean TINY). At first, I wasn't going to pay it any attention because it was so very little, but my intuition said "LOOK". When I unballed this tiny scrap of paper (I'm not even sure how the hell he balled such a tiny ass piece of paper), it was a torn off piece of printer paper. Written sooooooooo tiny on the paper, was a girl's name and number. I had been to his job. His co-workers knew me. This girl was a girl I KNEW liked him. I could feel it... I put his wallet back down, but I kept the number. I went to iron his clothes, but I was so pissed, I couldn't. I went into the bedroom, because I was going to wait until he got off work to ask him about it... But thinking of him going to work with her infuriated me. I didn't want a make a scene (at the time we were staying with my grandmother until our new place was ready). When he got out of the bathroom, I confronted him. I blew up. He just went on about his business as I yelled. Him ignoring me pissed me off more, so I grabbed his shirt. He knocked my hand away. I got in front of his face and he pushed me, HARD. I slapped him. That is when he grabbed me, shoving me into the wall. I got my arm free and punched him as hard as I could in the face. I connected with his mouth and heard a weird noise. My hand was bleeding... But one of his front teeth was out and the other was pushed back (he got them fixed and wired back in right)... Now, this isn't the end of it. My brother heard the noise and broke us up. My mom and my brother were right there now. My ex and I exchanged words. I was crying. He was holding his tooth and calling me a ho. Then, he stormed out onto the front porch. After what seemed like an eternity, I followed him outside (I know... Not smart of me)... But he had made a habit out of saying (when made at me) that he didn't want my son. So, I asked him, what are we going to do about the baby? He said you can have him and he didn't want any part of it. I said fine, but I want it in writing. He said fine. Then he walked off the porch, cursing me out. I heard him say "Bitch"... Before I knew I was saying anything, the words were out, "No, your mama's the bitch" (I hated his mother. I'll tell y'all why another time). I was sitting in a chair, pregnant... I couldn't move too fast... He ran up the porch and fell on the first step. He quickly got up, but I remember laughing in my head and thinking how crazy, comical, and sad this whole thing was... I knew he was about to do something... He punched me in my right eye. I swung back, but he grabbed my hair (it was in a long ponytail) and yanked me out of the chair. He began swinging me around the porch, trying to knock me into the patio furniture. My brother came out and they started fighting... Something about my brother... He's crazy... And something like a mini-professional boxer... So... Let's leave the story at that...

Shockingly (and stupidly) enough, that isn't the end of it... We got back together before my son was born... We made agreements, compromises or whatever... And things seemed better for a long time... But right after my son was born, it started again... The lying, the cheating... The physical and emotional abuse... The accusations, the control... The guilt trips (he tried to kill himself because I was leaving... He did that on more than one occasion)... Finally, I decided that I couldn't do it. I started looking back over things: He made me give up my friends. He controlled how I dressed and how I did my hair. He controlled my relationships with my family. He controlled all the money. He never helped with my son. He made my pregnancy and labor miserable. I remembered the black eyes, the busted lips, the bloodied nose... The marks, the pain... The neglect... I remembered every cruel, hateful word... He tried to control my schooling. He would tear me down. Threaten me. Guilt me. Nothing I did or said was ever good enough... He always thought I was trying to control him. Everything was my fault to him. He never could take responsibility. He would physically hurt me and himself... I realized, I don't love him and if what he has for me is love, I don't want nor need it. I realized that I felt sorry for him (he had a horrible family life and childhood), but I realized that wasn't enough to keep me there... Its funny, because as horrible as our abusers are to us, we still feel the need to protect and defend them... But, let's move on... With all these realizations (and many other realizations), the most important was that I didn't want my son to grow up in an environment like that... I could not let myself and my son live like that... So, shortly after my son's first birthday, I left him for good... I left with nothing but my son and my son's belongings... He destroyed everything I had... My clothes, my books... My self-esteem... Everything...

Now, there were many other "incidents"--abuse, stalking, threats, breaking in my house, etc--but I'm not here to bash him, tell my whole life story, get pity or any of that. I'm writing this for my sistahs and my brothas. Hopefully, this will help someone else. See, as a woman who went through domestic violence, I take it very seriously and very personally (especially when you have some females making a mockery out of what we go through). Domestic abuse is very real and very common. According to the American Psychological Association Force on Violence and Family, over 4 million American women experience a serious assault by a partner each year. 1 out of every 4 women will experience spousal abuse at some point in their life. Now, let me be clear, I'm talking about abuse. NOT "I hit him and he hit me back". And men go through domestic abuse, as well. Their abuse is usually (but not always) emotional abuse.

The info that I'm about to give you, to this day, scares me. I mean it shakes me to my core... It still brings tears to my eyes, because during the abuse, I don't think I ever truly realized, "He could kill me." And I think alot of women never really understand that this person that we love so much, this person that we're protecting and making excuses for... That very same person may MURDER us... And in fact, are deathly close to doing so... My ex choked me on more than one occasion... And out of all the acts of abuse, the choking is the one that has stayed with me the most... I later learned why:

To domestic violence experts, choking is not just another element in a brutal attack. It is a harbinger of potential murder. Domestic violence victims who are choked are at significant risk for being killed. The Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study, which examined how to predict domestic violence homicide, found that 12 percent of women whose partners choked them were later killed, compared with 6 percent of women who had been attacked but not choked. A 2002 study of domestic violence murders in Minnesota’s Hennepin County came to a similar conclusion. “An act of strangulation was often a precursor to a domestic homicide,” said Marna Anderson, executive director of WATCH, a Minneapolis-based domestic violence court monitoring organization. She uses the word “strangle” deliberately, even for attacks that are not fatal. The word “choking,” she said, fails to capture the act’s viciousness. “It’s intended to cause death or to instill enough fear for the victim to realize that this person could actually kill her,” she said. “And there’s something very intimate about it, when you think of how close you have to be. You don’t see a lot of acts of strangulation in bar fights or stranger assaults.” There is something particularly chilling about choking, said Carolyn Rebecca Block, senior research analyst with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority and principal investigator for the Chicago study. “If somebody can look you in the eye and squeeze the breath of life out of you … what kind of person could do that to someone else?” she said. “You’re talking about the ultimate degree of power and control.” The incidents themselves posed a serious risk. Five percent of domestic violence attacks that involved choking were fatal, compared with 1 percent of other attacks. And they weren’t rare. Of the 550 women in the study who had experienced domestic violence, 325 women had been choked. Choking’s role as a warning sign is often overlooked.

About Abusers:

People who were abused as children (if they have not undergone extensive therapy/counseling), are more likely (highly more likely) to be abusers. Abusive relationships are characterized by control games, violence, jealousy and withholding sex and emotional contact. An emotionally abusive man is harder to pin-point and a skilled, abusive man can easily make you think you aren’t good enough or that everything is your fault. It is just as difficult to recover from emotional abuse as it is from physical abuse. Emotional abuse causes low self-esteem and depression. An abusive man may tell you he loves you or that he will change, so you won’t leave. However, the more times you take him back, the more control he will gain. Empty promises become the norm. Make sure you pay attention to his actions and not merely his words. As the old saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.”

Abusive men seem to think there is a reason behind every woman’s actions and words. They are always under the assumptions that women are trying to influence them. Often, they accuse a woman of doing things she is not guilty of and they are easily irritated by her, especially when she is in a good mood. These men may feel they love these women but emotionally they do not “like” them.

The most important aspect of any relationship should be mutual respect. Unfortunately abusive men always strive to project themselves in a favorable light and put women down. They thrive on making a woman feel inferior in all things. The object is to tear her down to make her feel weak, insecure and co-dependent. It is a double-edged sword: a no win situation or a do or die situation. The woman spends years trying to prove that she is not bad but they are kept on deaf ears. No matter what she does, he doesn’t care so it is futile for her to try to prove she is worthwhile.

Some Stats:

According to the Department of Justice, recent study shows that two thirds of all marriages will experience domestic violence at least once in their life time. One shocking discovery from a study found that 37% of pregnant women, across all class, race, and educational lines, were abused physically during pregnancy.

-85-95% of all domestic violence victims are female.
-Over 500,00 women are stalked by an intimate partner each year.
-5.3 million women are abused each year (37% of that are pregnant women).
-1,232 women are killed each year by an intimate partner.
-Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women.
-Women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know rather than by a stranger.

Ten Warning Signs of an Abuser:

1. Jealousy and Possessiveness – Becomes jealous over your family, friends, co-workers. Tries to isolate you. Views his woman and children as his property instead of as unique individuals. Accuses you of cheating or flirting with other men without cause. Always asks where you’ve been and with whom in an accusatory manner.

2. Control – He is overly demanding of your time and must be the center of your attention. He controls finances, the car, and the activities you partake in. Becomes angry if woman begins showing signs of independence or strength.
3. Superiority – He is always right, has to win or be in charge. He always justifies his actions so he can be “right” by blaming you or others. A verbally abusive man will talk down to you or call you names in order to make himself feel better. The goal of an abusive man is to make you feel weak so they can feel powerful. Abusers are frequently insecure and this power makes them feel better about themselves.
4. Manipulates – Tells you you’re crazy or stupid so the blame is turned on you. Tries to make you think that it’s your fault he is abusive. Says he can’t help being abusive so you feel sorry for him and you keep trying to “help” him. Tells others you are unstable.
5. Mood Swings – His mood switches from aggressive and abusive to apologetic and loving after the abuse has occurred.
6. Actions don’t match words – He breaks promises, says he loves you and then abuses you.
7. Punishes you – An emotionally abusive man may withhold sex, emotional intimacy, or plays the “silent game” as punishment when he doesn’t get his way. He verbally abuses you by frequently criticizing you.
8. Unwilling to seek help – An abusive man doesn’t think there is anything wrong with him so why should he seek help? Does not acknowledge his faults or blames it on his childhood or outside circumstances.
9. Disrespects women – Shows no respect towards his mother, sisters, or any women in his life. Thinks women are stupid and worthless.
10. Has a history of abusing women and/or animals or was abused himself – Batterers repeat their patterns and seek out women who are submissive and can be controlled. Abusive behavior can be a generational dysfunction and abused men have a great chance of becoming abusers. Men who abuse animals are much more likely to abuse women also.

10 More Signs of an Abuser:

1. He has a history of drug abuse and/or alcohol, and possibly violence.
2. He has record of being arrested for domestic violence. Do your homework and if possible the background check to know more about him. According to a dating poll of over 500 women on WomanSavers.com, over 50% of women google a person’s name before dating.
3. He has a poor or no relationship with his mother or ex partners.
4. He speaks negatively about all his past relationships, blaming them always. If at all possible, try to speak to these women to hear their point of view. If he badmouths them, you may be next.
5. He exhibits an over-bearing, aggressive personality. You may be attracted by his apparent confidence, strength, determination and aggressive personality – the kind of qualities you think you lack. However, this personality type can also be a red flag for abusive behavior.
6. He talks at length, bragging about himself. This self-obsessed behavior is frequently seen in abusive men.
7. He expects a big return on his venture. He may seem happy to put your needs and wishes first for a little while, but it will not be long before he throws it in your face by saying: “Look at everything I do for you. You owe me!”
8. The relationship moves forward very quick. Abusive men persuade as fast as they can. They know that they cannot sustain consistent good behavior for very long. Good behavior does not give them the pay off they want, controlling through abuse does.
9. You catch him telling lies. There are areas of his life that he is not telling you about or is lying to you about because he may lose you.
10. He is interested in everything you have to say and coincidentally always agrees. This is a sneaky technique called mirroring and can later be used to control you by developing trust. Any of the above must be considered as an important warning sign of an Abusive Men. If you hear any alarms going off in your head, listen to them carefully and act on them. An ounce of prevention can avert a lifetime of heartache.

Are you already in an abusive relationship? There are many signs of an abusive relationship. The most telling sign is fear of your partner. If you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around your partner—constantly watching what you say and do in order to avoid a blow-up—chances are your relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs that you may be in an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles you or tries to control you, and feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation.
To determine whether your relationship is abusive, answer the questions below. The more “yes” answers, the more likely it is that you’re in an abusive relationship.

Your Inner Thoughts and feelings
Do you:
-feel afraid of your partner much of the time and avoid certain topics out of -fear of angering your partner?

-feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?

-believe that you deserve to be hurt or mistreated?

-wonder if you’re the one who is crazy?

-feel emotionally numb or helpless?

Your Partner's Belittling Behaviour

Does your partner?

-humiliate or yell at you?

-criticize you and put you down?

-treat you so badly that you’re embarrassed for your friends/family to see?

-ignore or put down your opinions or accomplishments?

-blame you for his own abusive behavior?

see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?

Your Partner’s Violent Behavior or Threats

Does your partner:

-have a bad and unpredictable temper?
-hurt you, or threaten to hurt or kill you?
-threaten to take your children away or harm them?
-threaten to commit suicide if you leave?
-force you to have sex?
-destroy your belongings?

Your Partners Controlling Behaviour

Does your partner:

-act excessively jealous and possessive?
-control where you go or what you do?
-keep you from seeing your friends or family?
-limit your access to money, the phone, or the car?
-constantly check up on you?

Common Misconception About Domestic Abuse:
Physical violence is just one form of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse takes many forms, including psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse. These types of abuse are less obvious than physical abuse, but that doesn’t mean they’re not damaging. In fact, these types of domestic abuse can be even more harmful because they are so often overlooked—even by the person being abused.

Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse often is combined with physical abuse... Or it can lead up to it. Emotional abuse serves the purpose of tearing down the person's esteem, confidence, sense of independence, etc. The person begins to feel that they are nothing, maybe it is their fault, and that they without the spouse/abuser, they have nothing. Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse such as yelling, name-calling, blaming, and shaming. Isolation, intimidation, and controlling behavior also fall under emotional abuse. Additionally, abusers who use emotional or psychological abuse often throw in threats of physical violence.

Sexual abuse: According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, between one-third and one-half of all battered women are raped by their partners at least once during their relationship. Any situation in which you are forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity is sexual abuse. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom you also have consensual sex, is an act of aggression and violence. Furthermore, women whose partners abuse them physically and sexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed.

Economic or financial abuse: Remember, an abuser’s goal is to control you, and he will frequently use money to do so. Economic or financial abuse includes:

-Stealing from you or taking your money.
-Rigidly controlling your finances.
-Withholding money or credit cards.
-Making you account for every penny you spend.
-Withholding basic necessities (food, clothes, medications, shelter).
-Restricting you to an allowance.
-Preventing you from working or choosing your own career.
-Sabotaging your job (making you miss work, calling constantly)

General Signs of Domestic Abuse:

People who are being abused may:

-Seem afraid or anxious to please their partner. Go along with everything their partner says and does. -Check in often with their partner to report where they are and what they’re doing. -Receive frequent, harassing phone calls from their partner. -Talk about their partner’s temper, jealousy, or possessiveness. -Warning signs of physical violence

People who are being physically abused may:

-Have frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents.”
-Frequently miss work, school, or social occasions, without explanation.
-Dress in clothing designed to hide bruises or scars (e.g. wearing long ------sleeves in the summer or sunglasses indoors).
-Warning signs of isolation

People who are being isolated by their abuser may:

-Be restricted from seeing family and friends.
-Rarely go out in public without their partner.
-Have limited access to money, credit cards, or the car.
-The psychological warning signs of abuse

People who are being abused may:

-Have very low self-esteem, even if they used to be confident.
-Show major personality changes (e.g. an outgoing woman becomes withdrawn).
-Be depressed, anxious, or suicidal.

Speak up if you suspect domestic violence or abuse
Do's and Don't's
-Do: Ask. Express concern. Listen and validate. Offer help. Support her decisions.
-Don’t: Wait for her to come to you. Judge or blame. Pressure her. Give advice. Place conditions on your support.

If you suspect that someone you know is being abused, speak up! If you’re hesitating—telling yourself that it’s none of your business, you might be wrong, or the woman might not want to talk about it—keep in mind that expressing your concern will let the person know that you care and may even save her life.Talk to the person in private and let her know that you’re concerned about her safety. Point out the things you’ve noticed that make you worried. Tell her that when and if she wants to talk about it, you’re there for her. Reassure her that you’ll keep whatever she tells you between the two of you, and let her know that you’ll help in any way you can. Remember, abusers are very good at controlling and manipulating their victims. Abused and battered women are depressed, drained, scared, ashamed, and confused. They need help to get out, yet they have often been isolated from their family and friends. By picking up on the warning signs and offering support, you can help them escape an abusive situation and begin healing.

Beloved, if any of this strikes a chord within you, I sincerely hope you remove yourself from that situation. No one has the right to control you, hit you, or take anything from you. Its not love. Its not love. THAT'S NOT LOVE! And you aren't helping them by protecting them, by staying with them, by allowing this to continue on... No, it isn't your fault. Its not... You don't deserve what's happening to you... But if you continue to stay... You become an enabler. You too are at fault, now. Don't let anyone tear you down. You don't need him (or her), regardless to what they're telling you. Leave before its too late. Find the courage and strength that I KNOW lies within you... You're not alone, dear sister... I am you. I've been there... Know that there are people who love and care about you.

Love and strength to you, beloved.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas: People are scrambling around, decorating, shopping, drinking, caroling, rushing... But very few of these people (if any of them) know the true origins of this "holiday". As with all things, they go through their lives never questioning, never seeking to know. They're content with accepting and believing. They're comfortable in their ignorance... Blissfully so.
I've never understood Christmas, nor the "festivities" that go into it. For most children, the day doesn't mean anything to them. They just want the gifts, and to maybe even see the pretty lights. It was always strange to me how everyone gets gifts on Jesus birthday... Everyone but Jesus, that is. I never understood the trees, the lights... I never was a fan of Santa, either. The thought of his fat ass shimmying down the chimney, eating cookies and prowling through the house was a bit frightening. Plus, I never got what I wanted. So, St. Nick, if you're there, where is my barbie corvette? Where is my black my size barbie? Huh? Where is my princess game? Where is my power wheel? Huh, Santa?

The Word "Christmas": Christ-mas. Christ-mass. Christ simply means "the anointed one". They're have been many 'christs' throughout history. Jesus was not the first. In fact, 'messiah' means anointed, as well. I do not dispute whether or not Jesus existed. I dispute what people claim he is. I can accept Jesus as a prophet, a wise man, a teacher... A revolutionary. He taught freedom, justice and equality. He did not found christianity nor was he himself a christian. I cannot accept saying he is "God" and that he is the only means of salvation. Now, let's move on. Christmas. Christ refers to Jesus Christ. And the second part Mas refers to Mass. Mass is the large, religious gathering or celebration; festival. So Christmas is a celebration or festival in honor of the nativity of Christ. Nativity means his birth... But... Jesus of Nazareth was not born on December 25th. Some accounts say May or September, but August seems to be the most accepted. There were other gods who were born on that day, though. Mithras, for example. Mithra or Mithras was the "rising sun". His birthday was called "natalis invicti", the rebirth of the winter-sun. It was called such because it/he was unconquered by the rigours of the season (winter solstice). There is another deity that 'Jesus' shares many similarities with. Krishna.
Krishna is traditionally believed to have been born during August. The festival Janmashtami is held in honor of this birth. The birth day of Jesus is unknown, but is believed by many to have also been about August during some year between 4 and 7 BCE, due to the way his birth is described, i.e. the shepherds tending their flocks. That would have been highly unlikely, because of the dreadful cold of winter.
"The object of Krishna's birth was to bring about a victory of good over evil." Krishna "came onto earth to cleanse the sins of the human beings."
"Krishna was born while his foster-father Nanda was in the city to pay his tax to the king." Yeshua was born while his foster-father, Joseph, was in the city to be enumerated in a census so that "all the world could be taxed."
Jesus is recorded as saying: "if you had faith as a mustard seed you would say to the mountain uproot yourself and be cast into the ocean" Krishna is reported as having uprooted a small mountain.
Krishna's "...foster-father Nanda had to journey to Mathura to pay his taxes" just as Jesus foster-father Joseph is recorded in the Gospel of Luke as having to go to Bethlehem to pay taxes.
"The story about the birth of Elizabeth's son John (the Baptist), cousin of Jesus, corresponds with the story in the Krishna myth about the birth of the child of Nanda and his wife Yasoda." Nanda was the foster-father of Krishna. The Greek God Dionysos, Jesus and Krishna were all said to have been placed in a manger basket after birth.
The author Jacolliot, referring to the "Bagaveda-Gita and Brahminical traditions," states that the body of Krishna: "was suspended to the branches of a tree by his murderer, that it might become the prey of the vultures...[Later] the mortal frame of the Redeemer had disappeared--no doubt it had regained the celestial abodes..." M. Guigniaut's Religion de l'Antiquité, which states: "The death of Crishna is very differently related. One remarkable and convincing tradition makes him perish on a tree, to which he was nailed by the stroke of an arrow." There are other references to Krishna being crucified, and being shown with holes in his feet, hands and side. The bible says Jesus was "hung from a tree", that he was "taken down from the tree", and his body was "upon the tree".
Jesus was called "the lion of the tribe of Judah." Krishna was called "the lion of the tribe of Saki."
Both descended into Hell, and were resurrected.
Many people witnessed their ascensions into heaven.
Both were visited at birth by wise men and shepherds, guided by a star.
Both were called Savior, and the second person of the Trinity.
Krishna performs miracles in Mathura. Jesus performs miracles in the town of Materea in Egypt.
At noon on the day of Krishna's crucifixion, the sun darkened. From the sixth hour to the ninth hour on the day of Jesus' crucifixion, the sun darkened. We'll come back to these things later on in the blog...

Oh, Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree

The Christmas tree began as a "pagan" tradition. For the Druids, trees were a religous symbol

representing life and eternity. They (the Druids) would participate in tree worship and would go into the woods and decorate trees. The Romans would decorate trees and hang wreaths during their festival, Saturnalia. (In Europe) Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Trees seem to be a link or symbol that unites most (if not all) of Northern Europe's winter solstices.

Winter solstice:

The winter solstice marks the beginning of winter. It also marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, 'sun'; and -stitium, 'a stoppage'. Its also said that it comes from sol setit, 'the sun stood still'. Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. Many different cultures/religions celebrated this day. The sun died (was at its lowest point). The sun went into darkness (the longest night) and was reborn. The Sun has risen and becomes stronger (the days become longer; goodness overtaking evil). In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule.
Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.  Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun.

Saturnalia... Sol Invictus. The seven days of Saturnalia was a time to eat, drink, and be merry, beginning December 17, during the darkest days of the Winter Solstice. During the winter solstice, the men would become drunk, celebrating and participating in homosexuality and acts of pedophilia. The toga was not worn, but rather the synthesis, i.e. colorful, informal "dinner clothes"; and the pileus (freedman's hat) was worn by everyone. Slaves were exempt from punishment, and treated their masters with disrespect. A Saturnalicius princeps was elected master of ceremonies for the proceedings.

Saturn was a homosexual/bisexual roman god. He was also a cannibal who would devour his own children. Homosexuality/Bisexuality was a common practice for the Greeks and the Romans.

Women were viewed as inferior and only serving the purpose of child-bearing, so men often preferred the "company" of each other. They thought of "male love" as pure and virtuous. It was said that there is no virtue among women. Many (if not all) of the scholars/elders/teachers were "intimate" with their male pupils. It was quite common (the norm) for the men of Rome and Greece to have young boys as their lovers. These young boys didn't really have much of a choice and upon reaching adulthood, they were often no longer desired by the men who had taken them as lovers. In Greece, young boys were taught homosexuality. It was a part of citizenship. In Rome, only slave boys and boy prostitutes could be taken as lovers. It was against the law to harass or seduce the boys who were "born free". That means that the young, boy lovers were often from foreign lands, and forced into slavery and prostitution. Sex between soldiers (superiors and the lower ranks) was common. It was thought of as a way to bond. Some say that during Saturnalia (Sol Invictus), human sacrifice was known to happen. It makes sense to me, seeing as how he was a cannibal. It is said that heads would be placed upon trees, as decorations or ornaments. This also goes in line with the story of Nimrod (the great hunter) that the Honorable Elijah Muhammad received from the prophet W.D. Fard.

So, obviously, Christmas isn't what people think it is... Christmas is all about Sun worship, consumerism, competition, lies, greed, and flashy lights...Yet people are content and comfortable with being ignorant. People are comfortable with giving credit for their hard work to some fat white guy who breaks into your house, eats up your cookies, and never gives you what you asked for. There are single mothers (and fathers) who bust their asses to give their kids nice things... I see videos of people practically killing each other just to shop for christmas. This is madness... But hey, who am I to resurrect you up from your mental deaths? Keep dreaming dreams and worshipping deities that aren't yours.

P.S. Did I mention that Saint Nicholas was present at the council of Nicaea? Strange coincidence... Don't you think?

**correction** Thanks to one of my wonderful brothers, I can correct a mistake I made in my post regarding Krishna. While he was indeed pinned to a tree by an arrow (pinned could be taken as "hung". If you're pinned up, you're hanging, right?), but he was not nailed to a tree or a cross. There were no feet and hand wounds. Those parallels came AFTER Christianity, in order to more closely link the two gods (who were already VERY similar). Peace.

New Info on Winter Solstice and Stone Henge:

Winter solstice feasts may have taken place around Stonehenge 4,500 years ago

2009-12-26 13:40:00

In a new research, archaeologists have come across ancient animal bones near Stonehenge, which date back to 4,500 years, indicating a connection between the prehistoric site to winter solstice feasts that might have taken place during that time period.
According to a report in Discovery News, abundant cattle and pig bones recently unearthed a few miles from the megalithic site suggest that prehistoric people celebrated the connection between the stone circle and the sky with hundreds of roasts.
Initial research led by Mike Parker Pearson of the University of Sheffield, UK, suggests that the animals were walked from different places and for hundreds of miles to be slaughtered immediately after arrival at Durrington Walls, a massive circular earthwork, or henge, two miles northeast of Stonehenge.
Parker Pearson's research has shown that this site attracted people in droves as far back as Neolithic times.
"The considerable quantities of pig and cattle bones, pottery, flint arrowheads and lithic debris indicate that occupation and consumption were intense," he said.
So far, the archaeologist has found no evidence that Durrington was permanently inhabited.
He believes that the intense human activity was linked to feasting during the solstices.
"The small quantities of stone tools other than arrowheads, the absence of grinding querns and the lack of carbonised grain indicate that this was a 'consumer' site," he said.
"The midsummer and midwinter solstice alignments of the Durrington and Stonehenge architecture suggest seasonal occupation," he added. (ANI)

Ras Kass, "Nature of the Threat"

2009-12-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

Let freedom ring with a buckshot, but not just yet
First we need to truly understand the nature of the threat
And a pale man walks in the threshold of darkness
Roughly 20,000 years ago the first humans evolved
with the phenotypical trait, genetic recessive
Blue eyes, blonde hair and white skin
Albinism apparently was a sin to the original man, Africans
So the mutants traveled North of the equator
Called Europeans later, the first race haters
So here's the Devil's alpha to the beta
Cause history's best qualified to teach one
Quoting German philosopher Schopenhauer
"Every white man is a faded or a bleached one"
Migration created further mutation
Genetic drifts, evolution through recombination
Adaptation to the climate
As the Caucus Mountain man reverted to that of a primate
Savage Neanderthals, until the late Paleolithic age
That's when the Black Grimaldi man came
With the symbol of the dragon, fire and art
Check cave paintings in France and Spain to the Venus of Willendorf
Around 2000 B.C. Southern Russians migrate in small units
Those who travel West populated Europe
Those who went East settled in Iran, known as Aryans
1500 B.C. some crossed the Khyber Pass into India and
created Hinduism, the first caste system, the origins of racism
A white dot on the forehead meant elite
The black dot - defeat; untrustable, untouchables
They wrote the holy Vedas in Sanskrit
That's the language that created Greek, German, Latin and English
Now the Minoans around 2000 B.C.
Starts on the island of Crete, in the Agean Sea
The Greek culture begins Western Civilization
But "Western Civilization" means "White Domination"
Myceneans learned from Kemet, called Egypt in Greek
It existed since at least 3000 B.C.
Creatin geometry and astronomy
This knowledge influenced Plato, Socrates and Hippocrates
Cause Imhotep, the real real father of medicine
Was worshiped in Greece and Rome in the form of a Black African
The word Africa comes from the Greek "Aphrike"
meaning "without cold"; the word philosophy means "love of knowledge"
Stole from first man, Greek power expands
The first Greek fraternities band
The word gymnasium is Greek for "naked"
This was the place where adolescent boys were educated, and molested
This was accepted because Greek culture was homosexual
For example, Sappho trained girls on the island of Lesbos
Hence, the word lesbian (Ay let these dumb motherfuckers know)
December 25th, the birth of Saturn
A homosexual god, now check the historical pattern
December 25, now thought the birth of Christ
Was Saturnalia, when men got drunk,
fucked each other then beat their wife
Fact is, it was still practiced, til they called it Christmas
So put a gerbil on your Christmas list
The Hellenistic Era, Alexander the Great
Conquers all the way to India leavin four successor states
By the Fifth century B.C., R.O.M.E.
succeeds to be the conqueror of Egypt and Greece
But had the threat of the Black Phoenicians in Sicily
The Punic Wars began 264 B.C.
The Black general Hannibal and Carthaginian Peace
In 146 B.C. Carthage fell after a six-month siege
Rome sold every citizen to slavery
The first genocide of history
And more bisexuality in sight; Julius Caesar was known as
"every woman's husband and every man's wife" (BEOTCH!)
Spartacus Revolt, a slave rebellion that lost
Where 6,000 slaves was nailed on a cross
Cross? Aw, shit! Jesus Christ! Time for some-act-right
Christians get your facts right
Cause Christ was not his name
That's Greek for "One who is anointed"
Yahshua Ben Yosef was his name, do Christians know this?
So who do you praise, do you know his name?
Or do you do this in vain?
Accepting the religion they gave slaves to behave
Peep the description of historian Josephus
"Short, dark, with an underdeveloped beard was Jesus"
He had the Romans fearing revolution
The solution was to take him to court and falsely accuse him
After being murdered by Pilate how can it be
these same white Romans established Christianity
Constantine would later see the cross in a dream
In his vision, it read "En Hawk Signo Wonka":
"In this sign we conquer" - Manifest Destiny
In 325 he convened the Nicean Creed
And separated god into three
Decided Jesus was born on December 25th
and raised then on the third day is a myth
Plus to deceive us
Commissioned Michelangelo to paint white pictures of Jesus
He used his aunt, uncle, and nephew
Subconsciously that affects you
It makes you put white people closer to God
(Yo, 'The Man' got game like a motherfucker!)
True indeed, fuck it, Jihad
In the eight century Muslims conquered
Spain, Portugal and France and controlled it for 700 years
They never mention this in history class
cause o'fays are threatened when you get the real lesson
Moors from Baghdad, Turkey threatened European Christians
Meaning, the white way of life; hence the Crusades for Christ
On November 25th, 1491
Santiago defeats the last Muslim stronghold, Grenada
King Ferdinand gave thanks to God for victory
And the Pope of Rome and declared this date to forever be
A day of "Thanksgiving" for all European Christians

.. Now listen, when you celebrate "Thanksgiving"
What you are actually celebratin
is the proclamation of the Pope of Rome
Who later, in league with Queen Isabella
sent Cardinal Ximenos to Spain
to murder any blacks that resisted Christianity
These Moors, these black men and women
were from Baghdad, Turkey
And today, you eat the turkey, for your "Thanksgiving" day
as the European Powers destroyed the Turkeys
Who were the forefathers of your mothers and fathers
Now fight the power, you bitch-ass niggaz!

Now around this time, Whites started callings us Negroes
That's Spanish for black object meaning we're not really people
but property, and the triangle trade begins - they seize us
Queen Elizabeth sends the first slaves on a ship named Jesus
Stealin land from the indigenous natives
Gave them alcohol to keep the Red Man intoxicated
Whites claim they had to civilize these pagan animals
But up until 1848 there's documented cases
of whites bein the savage cannibals, eatin Indians
In 1992, it's Jeffery Dahmer
They slaughtered a whole race with guns
Drugs, priests and nuns
1763, the first demonic tactic of biological warfare
As tokens of peace, Sir Jeffery Amherst
passed out clothin and blankets to the Indian community
Infested with small pox, knowin they had no immunity
Today it's AIDS, you best believe it's man made
Cause ain't a damn thing changed.. let me explain
Now since people of color are genetically dominant
and Caucasoids are genetically recessive
and Whites expect to be predominant, meaning survive as a race then
they simply must, take precautions
That's why they're worried about their future now
Cuz by 2050, almost all the Earth's population
will be brown, then black, so understandin that, whites counterreact
(I'm sayin.. man.. them fools
ain't nothin but a teaspoon of milk in the world color majority)
So they created a system
to force blacks into an unnatural position
That re-enforces the position of natural inferiority
In addition, created guns and developed the ethnocentric view
that God justifies every fuckin thing they do
Condition people to perceive whites' culture as civilized
and every other culture considered primitive - not true!
Racism is the system of racial subjugation against nonwhites
in every areas of human relation
Entertainment, education, labor, politics
Law, religion, sex, war and economics
See blacks were 3/5ths of a man with tax purposes intended
You think you're Afro-American?
You're a 14th amendment and a good nigga
Jews don't salute the fuckin swastika
but niggaz pledge allegiance to the flag that accosted ya
They never teach about the break of islands like Jamaica
But before slaves came here whites would take a
pregnant women, hang her from a tree by her toes
Slice her stomach with a knife
and let the unborn baby fall to the flo'
And stop an unborn child in front of all the slaves
to inbreed fear, so they'd be scared and behave
and not rebel more
Understand all whites must be perceived as potential predators
I paraphrase historian Ishakamusa Barashango
"Understand that regardless of the lofty ideas ingraved on paper
in such documents as the Constitution or Declaration
the basic nature.. of the European American white man
remains virtually unchanged".. so check
This is the nature of the threat

Color Wars: Light Skin vs. Dark Skin

2009-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Introduction: As a light-complected black woman, I have experienced both favor and hatred.

Then, factor in my hair length and texture... It has added to the favor and to the hate. I am not one of those who will deny that I've been given favor based on my lighter complexion and more curly, less kinky hair texture (although, my hair is much more coarse than you think). I know that I have been given this 'favor', and I hate that it has been given to me. I hate that my sistahs who are darker than I am have been taught that their beautiful skin is somehow less attractive. I hate that my brothas have been taught that their darker sistahs are somehow less desirable. I hate that sistahs who are just as attractive (and sometimes more attractive) are overlooked, just on the basis of me having a lighter skin tone. I hate that my sistahs (and my brothas) who are lighter look down on my darker skinned brothas and sistahs. I hate these ignorant terms of "yellow" and "red". What IS that? How does being a 'redbone' or 'yellowbone' make me anymore attractive? Is it that my skin is less offensive to white supremacy? Is it that my skin tone is less of a reminder of our beautiful blackness, when it is looked upon by self-hating, colonized, brain-washed negroes?

On Willie Lynch: Willie Lynch did not exist *awaits gasps* No, he didn't exist and neither did his letters. Do the research for yourself... BUT... This does not somehow discredit nor negate the content of the infamous "Willie Lynch letter". The division, the conditioning, the exploitation, the tearing down of our people is not somehow lessened by the document being false. The content holds true, and whoever wrote that letter did well in identifying and outlining the psychological (and physical) torment and trauma of our ancestors and identifying and outlining the savagery & inhumanity of the slave-owners. Our people are very much divided, but we can't keep looking to "Willie" for the answers. We see the problem. Its time we heal--Heal SELF and each other. I think its about time we 'lynch' ol Willie and all his madness... Don't you think?

Self Hatred: Self hatred is taught to us from the time we're born... It is taught to us even before we're born. It happens while we're in the womb. We feel what our mother feels, good and bad. We're feeling nine (9) months of self hate... But I think it goes even deeper than that... It is my theory that what our ancestors have been through becomes imprinted on their--upon our--DNA (others may have this theory, too... but if so, I'm not aware) and is passed on from generation to generation. We get our "genetic coding" from our parents, who got it from their parents who got it from their parents and so on and so forth. It is my personal belief that we inherent more than just their physical traits. We inherit fears, their pain, their "post traumatic slave syndrome"... We inherit the shackles that were placed on their minds and spirits (Now, once we recognize things within self, we can change that, but we'll talk about that later in this blog). From the womb and on, we are instilled with this belief that we're inferior. We are taught that we as individuals are lower, but also that our people, as a whole, are inferior. We're taught this by our families, by society--by everyone. We are taught that our hair is too nappy, our skin too dark, our noses too wide, our hips too wide, our butts too big, our lips too large... We are taught that everything that makes us the Original people of the planet Earth--everything that makes us, US--is unattractive. We're taught that everything about us is wrong, dirty, bad... When its the opposite. This causes a hatred for self, which extends to a hatred for our people. If you don't love and respect YOU, how can you love and respect anyone else? If you don't love and respect YOU, how can anyone else love and respect you? We tear each other down and envy each other. We become carbon copies, shunning our diversity and embracing these eurocentric ideals of beauty. We CONFORM. We walk around with the same limp hair (or weave), we walk around in the same clothes. There is no individuality. There is no BLACKNESS. We reject self and accept an ideal that we can never be. We perm our hair, we lighten/whiten our skin, we get nose jobs, we talk, walk, act a certain way, we deny who we are and HATE anything that reminds us of who we are. We embrace what "they" say is beautiful... But their standard of so-called beauty is one that we can never attain. Those who are a darker complexion dislike/hate/envy those who are lighter. Those who are lighter feel superior to those who are darker. The self hatred is deep rooted (right into our roots; DNA) and it is toxic, as evidenced by our eurocentric ideals in all aspects of our lives and by our "crabs in a barrel" mentality.

Trials, Tribulations and Confrontations: One of my earliest experiences with other black girls was when I was five years old: My mom (and I forget who else) had taken me to Wal-Mart. I was in the Barbie aisle, looking at the glass case that held the special edition, collector Barbies that I wanted, but couldn't have. My mom wasn't too far away, but she was far enough that I felt I was being independent. Two black girls were coming down the same aisle. They were a little older. Probably around 9 or 10 years old (either that, or they were just tall... because I was kinda tall for my age, and they were much taller than me). They were darker skinned. I saw them and was happy to see two little girls who were like me, so I smiled a big smile (Funny... I still remember exactly how I felt). They did not smile back, and they looked me over with a look that became very well known to me as I got older... As they passed me one of them said, "I don't know what she lookin' at". At first, I was stunned, shocked and hurt... But me being who I was (tomboyish and confrontational), I turned around and glared at her... Daring her. She had her head turned back, looking at me, but she continued down the aisle. I was so angry. I remember clenching my little fists. I couldn't even look at the Barbies anymore. I went to my mom.
This was one of the earliest (remembered) experiences with my sistahs. I was very young, but this always stuck with me. It may seem small to some, but it wasn't very small to me... Especially once the "other incidents" started happening. As I got a little older, things like this, only worse, became quite common. I got to a point where I was like, "Fuck black girls. If they don't like me, I don't like them". Now, black men have never given me a problem. In fact, it was quite the opposite. I didn't understand, until I started hearing things like "red-bone", "mixed girl", "yellow-bone", "good hair", etc, etc. I've had people tell me, "We'd make pretty babies", "I want my babies to have that good hair", "you don't look like other black people", "you're not like THEM" (the people who said these things, thought these things were compliments).

Growing up, I wasn't "black enough" for the black kids. I wasn't "too black" for the so-called Latinos and I didn't want anything to do with the caucasians (and they, for the most part, wanted nothing to do with me, either). My personality and looks weren't understood. So I never fit in anywhere. I hated my hair, my nose, my butt, my hips... I hated all the things that made me "black". For a number of years (I'd say from Jr. High and into H.S.) I planned on getting a nose job, once I got old enough. I would press and press and press my hair... There was even a point (freshman year of H.S.) in time that I didn't want my skin to get darker. I was very self hating. This is the strange thing, though: Though I was very self hating, I always felt very protective of my brothers and sisters. I was very proud of my ancestors... But I hated my black features. I was a paradox). I struggled with finding my identity and with accepting who I was.

In between my sophomore and junior year, I read the Willie Lynch letter. I was FURIOUS. It set me on fire. I saw myself. I saw my people. I cried and shook with anger. It was as if all the pain of my ancestors and all of my brothers and sisters hit me at once... But I understood. Every situation, every conflict, everything made sense. It was a moment of clarity. My anger turned into sadness. It turned into sympathy, empathy, compassion... All that I had been through flashed before my eyes, but my eyes didn't see it the same anymore. My whole world had changed. So, while Willie Lynch, himself, did not exist, I am very thankful for whoever wrote it. This is the reason why I don't see the Willie Lynch letters as bad. They helped me, so I'm sure they've helped others. The key is for us to look deeper. They were a good starting point for me. Once I read that, I began working on self, in regards to my self hate issues. I also worked on getting angry at sistahs for hating me, because I realized they didn't hate me. They hated themselves. Now, I'm not saying I did a total 180 overnight... But I did rapidly changed and grow. I still had plenty of "demons", but they had been recognized and identified. Healing could now begin.

Identify and Rectify, Recognize and Neutralize: We all have or have had self-hatred issues. Which means a hatred of our people, as well. Us children of the diaspora and our brothers and sisters over in Africa. We all have wounds. We're all emotionally, spiritually, mentally bleeding. These wounds cause problems in all aspects of our life. Our functionality is severely impaired. Self-hatred has infected us, but most of us are unaware. So we, in the words of the great Malcolm X or Malik El-Hajj El Shabazz, we "suffer peacefully". We suffer peacefully because there are a great many of what I like to call "pain relievers" (i.e. Distractions: materialism, religion, media, entertainers, substance abuse, sex, etc, etc). Until we identify the problem, it cannot be solved... But we can't identify the problem if we don't even know its there. Let me again, quote Malcolm X, "we have a knife in our backs and no one acknowledges that its there". I paraphrased, because the quote was directed at "white america", but it applies to us, as well. We don't know there is a knife in our backs and they don't acknowledge the knife they've put in our backs. There is a pain underneath all of the sex, lies & videotape. Under all this illusion & confusion, there is a pain. We are the "sleeping giant". We've become comfortable, complacent in our ignorance.
Cypher : "You know, I know this steak doesn't exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain... that it is juicy... and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss."

We have become numb. We are "blissfully ignorant". Many of us know this world we live in is all an illusion, but we close our eyes to everything. We choose to "stay plugged (or be replugged) into the Matrix". We don't know, nor care... And most of us don't even want to. Our denial, complacency, self hatred and indifferene is so very unhealthy for us: mentally, emotionally, spiritually, all of which leads to poor physical health. Healing can be painful, especially when we're so used numbing it. When the numbing wears off, it creates a stronger need for these "pain relievers". We don't want to feel! We don't want to heal! The pain of healing is necessary.

No healing can happen without some pain, but we're afraid of any perceived discomfort, much less pain! We're so afraid of the pain of the healing process. Many of us (most) are fooled to think that this life, this way that we're living is good, acceptable or fun. We don't want to face the serious issues. We are like lobsters in a pot... Slowly being boiled, lulled into a 'comfortable', slow death. We must identify and resolve the issues we each have. Once we identify them, we can fix them. If this was to happen on a mass scale, the world would change, seemingly overnight! Once we see what is broken, it can be fixed. Once we see what is wounded, we can heal it. Once we see the shackles and chains placed upon our minds, we can break free! If this happens on a mass scale... *sighs* Such a beautiful thought...

Across the globe, the image of black Americans is a poor one. We are portrayed as thugs, hoes, gangsters, materialistic, shallow, over-sexed, criminal, lazy, stupid negroes. What's worse is, we help to perpetuate these images. The world hates us and we, too, hate ourselves. We are considered the lowest people on Earth. Such a great fall from the Kings and Queens, the NTRs and NTRTs we once were. We have fallen from grace--and we've fallen HARD.

We are not beyond help. I cannot and will not believe that we are beyond repair! We are the Mothers and Fathers of Civilization. We are the Mothers and Fathers of Humanity. We are the Creators, the innovators... We are the Supreme Beings of the planet Earth... But we have to wake up! We have to realize the potential within self. It isn't enough to just KNOW. It must be applied!

Potential and Kinetic

Bridging the Gap & Breaking Down Barriers: We children of the Diaspora are disliked (hated) by our brothers and sisters in Africa. And many of us hate them, as well. This is because neither of us know any better. We hate them for hating us, they hate us for hating them. We each think we're better than the other and hate the other for thinking they're better... Madness, right? We don't realize that we're the same people. We've all been colonized, gentrified, white-washed, enslaved, degraded, exploited, oppressed and stripped of who we truly are... Same boat, different sides of the ocean. We fail to see WHO is feeding us these negative images of each other (and I assure you that those people do not look like us, AT ALL). The media feeds them negative images of us... And it feeds us negative images of them. Then we spend all of our time hating each other, rather than pulling together as family should. They know that united, they could never defeat us. They know who we are, and they fear us. They don't want us to awaken to who we are, because once we do, their game is up. Their reign will come to an end... If you look around you, it already is.... Its time for us to unite. They are us and we are them! It is time for us to lay these stupid stereotypes and negative images of ourselves and of each other to rest. Its time we unite. I love my brothers and sisters across the globe. We must learn to love ourselves and each other. We are oppressed through the suppression & repression of who we are. We are oppressed through our ignorance. We are oppressed through our self-hatred.

Education-->Application-->Unification-->Liberation Once we become educated (learn the truth of ourselves), we can apply what we know to self, to healing, to our people. Once we've done this, we can unify. Once we unify, we can liberate ourselves from all that oppresses us.

Outro: This blog started out just to shine light on this light skin vs. dark skin nonsense, but as I went on, it grew into something else. I'm keeping the title, because I feel that although I ranted a bit, it all ties in, none-the-less. I'll be adding more to this later, but for now, peace and much love to ALL of my brothers and sisters.

**Writer's Note: I don't like to use the term "black" and "white", but for the sake of everyone's understanding, I will be using it. In a later blog, I will break down why I don't like to use the term "black".

What is Marriage?

2009-12-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

What is marriage and who defines it? The American Heritage dictionary defines it as: 1.a. The state of being husband and wife; wedlock. b. The legal union of a man and woman as husband and wife. 2. The act of marrying or the ceremony of being married; a wedding. 3. Any close union: a true marriage of minds. 4. The combination of the king and queen of the same suit , as in pinochle. [Middle English mariage, from Old French, from marier, to marry]. The Oxford Etymology dictionary defines "marry" as: to join in or enter into wedlock. It defines "wedlock" as: marriage vow OE.; union ofman and woman as husband and wife. XIII. Late OE welac, f. we pledge, wed+-lac -lock. So, if we look at this, marriage is a union. It is pledge between two people who wish to commit themselves to one another....

But... We have allowed societal conditioning to make us think that the only people who are married, are those who have a certificate from the government, but this is untrue. By the definition alone, we can see what marriage really is. What makes two people who are unhappy, but have a certificate any more married than a man and I who are very happy, committed, have no certificate, but have made a pledge or vows to one another? True marriage is a commitment, a bond. It has nothing to do with some piece of paper that is printed en masse and distributed like toilet paper (for a fee, of course)... And it is so often thrown away in the same manner. With the divorce rate at around 60-70%, this concept or idea of marriage that people have in their minds is nothing more than a delusion. They quickly will say, well, what if they split up and then you get nothing? So, you're already getting divorced before you even get married! This is the madness, the out-sanity, of our people. Take the lovely Erykah Badu, for example. Her person was recently called into question because she has not been "lawfully" or "legally" married, but she has children with different men. She cares for her children, the fathers are in their children's lives, the children are healthy, happy, well educated... Yet a piece of paper--or the absence of that piece of paper--determines the importance of her relationships and determines her character. Emphatically no! True marriage is a bond between two (or more, if you're a polygamist) individuals who love one another, have come to an understanding, and who wish to pledge themselves to one another. Of course, even these marriages do not work sometimes. But that is just how it goes... I have been married. I have one child from that "union". We're no longer together and he chooses not to be a part of my son's life. Yet I'm praised for "doing it right". I have went through hell because of "doing it right" and have learned that their version of right, is actually wrong. Very wrong. So what defines marriage? Is it the love, loyalty, the bond...the union? Or is it the "sign your name here" piece of paper with a government seal that defines it?

How about, I define it? We define our own relationships, just as we define love and other things for ourselves. Furthermore, no religion has "cornered the market" on marriage, or rather, no religion has claims to marriage. Therefore, no religion can dictate who should or shouldn't get married. Their claims about marriage are baseless. Christianity did not create marriage, despite what so many Christians believe. Marriage existed long before Christianity, and the laws against "homosexual marriage" are unconstitutional. There is no actual, legal reason for this. It is all based on Christian doctrine, which goes against the "separation of church and state."

Instinct Vs. Intuition

2009-12-08T02:14:00.000-08:00

“Intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”~Albert Einstein

“Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.” ~Florence Scovel Shinn

   What is instinct? What is intuition? Is there a difference between instinct and intuition... Or are they one and the same? In this blog, I am going to explore the differences between the two, but also, delve deeper into what intuition truly is... Enjoy this trip along my thought process.
   First, let's deal with instinct. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of instinct? For me, 'reflex' is the first word that comes to mind. When something falls, you reach to catch it. If you touch something hot, you jerk your hand back. If someone is shooting, you duck and/or run. Those are reflexes (The last one may be common sense, but you get the point). Reflexes are involuntary (for the most part). You do them without thinking. Your brain is constantly sending signals, most of which, you're unaware. Instinct is something biological--born into you. Instincts can be adapted, but are not learned. So, instinct is a physiological response, controlled by the brain. You can train yourself out of reacting with your instincts, but they are always there.
   Now, let's deal with intuition. What comes to mind when you think of intuition? 'Clairvoyance' immediately comes to my mind. Intuition is knowing beyond doubt and beyond reason. Intuition comes from within. Is it of the spirit? Is it of the mind? It can't come from the spirit.

The spirit is just energy; non-thinking. So, perhaps emotions belong to the spirit, since emotions are energy. Perhaps when people say "my heart", they really mean their spirit (Hmmm... Another build for another blog)... But back to the topic, intuition cannot be taught nor learned. Only your ability to listen to your intuition grows, but not the intuition itself.
   Let's discuss "the mind" for a moment. The mind is housed within the brain, but it is NOT the brain. Let's divide them like this: The brain is an organ; a part of the body. It is the "command center". It is our brain that controls all bodily functions. It is our brain that receives the signal that our stomachs are empty, but it is the mind that says, "I am hungry. What shall I eat?" We don't think about breathing, our blood flow, our digestion. The brain tells our body to do these things, but we don't have to make a conscious decision to do them. They're involuntary. Our brain, the lower. Our mind, the higher.

   Brain---> Organ--->Tangible
   Mind---> (?) ------->Intangible
The mind is a conduit between the physical and the unknown. It is a bridge that enables the different realms and planes to cross over and interact with this physical one. You can't hold the mind, nor grasp the mind (pun intended). Our mind deals with logic and logic is limited to those things which can be explained. If the mind deals with logic and reason, then intuition cannot be of the mind, because intuition defies logic and reason. Our very minds, themselves, defy logic and reason. People who deal only with logic and reason, limit themselves. (Strictly) Rational minds think all things can be explained. They deal only with the physical. This is why they cannot deal with spirituality, intuition, et cetera.
   Most people deal with instinct and mistake their instincts for their intuition. They ignore and neglect intuition, so their ability to hear/feel their intuition gets weaker and weaker. I think some completely lose their ability to hear/feel their intuition. They deal only with sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. Those are senses of the physical body. Intuition is a higher sense. It is the sense of our higher self. Intuition is beyond 'intellectual reasoning'. Perhaps intuition belongs to the soul... The soul is our being. It is our purest, truest self. Intuition is the voice of the soul. It interacts with the mind, but the mind has the choice if it wants to listen to it or not. (Strictly) Rational minded people only listen with their physical senses and only deal with that which can be explained. A (strictly) rational mind is a closed mind. These type of people dismiss the soul, the spirit, and the intuition, because they cannot explain them. People fear what they don't understand. Spirit, soul, intuition... No one knows their cause, where they come from, et cetera. They defy scientific reasoning. A rational mind deduces, calculates, etc. But intuition knows things that it should not know, according to rational thinking or intellectual reasoning. It knows without deducing, without calculating... It is precognitive... Clairvoyant. Intuition will tell you things that cannot be gleaned from reasoning, logic, and rationale. Intuition knows without any of this. Instinct is your "gut reaction" or "gut feeling". Instinct has causality, whereas intuition, does not. So, instinct is a biological response, controlled by our brain. Intuition is a higher sense that is housed within our being. Also, there are many who mistake their fear for their intuition. We must learn to be balanced with all (physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, etc, etc), so that we will not make such potentially dangerous or ill-thought out decisions. Peace & brothers and sisters. More to come!

"Will I" [poetry]

2009-11-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

Will thoughts of you always haunt me? Will they always chase me about my mind, 'til I, give up and allow them to overtake me? With each time I close my eyes, will I, always see your face and remember our dates and rendevouz, with each place, I go to? How many relationships must I go through?
Ended by my inability to commit, and by my heart just not being 'in it'"... But how can I give them something not within my possession? Relationships ended by my confession, of still... loving... you... Will I always think of our water games or our times by the fireplace when we'd become hotter than flames... Limbs entangled, moaning each other's names as we... came and came... Will I always have to fake that I came, cuz his lovin' ain't the same, but he ain't to blame. My body just still wants you... Will I always feel a certain way when I see you? And will my heart always lurch and drop down to my feet when I see you with her, and think, "It should be me"... Will I always regret "setting you free", even though I know it was was best for me, cuz you sho' wasn't what I need. You couldn't commit and I couldn't cheat... But if its best, then why do I feel so incomplete? Will I always compare your love to his and think how you loved me better than anyone ever did... Will I always relive, our moments at the worst possible moments? Will I always think of you while I'm with him? Will I always long for your arms while wrapped within his? Will I always kiss him too passionately hoping to drown out thoughts of your lips... And how you taste so much sweeter... Shall I, will I always hug him too tightly, hoping to block out my love for you and smother out left over emotion? Shall I always lie awake, worrying that if he feels the emptiness... Shall I always try too hard and smile too sweet, to hide that my love for you still runs deep? Will I always snap at him and push him away... Then regret it as I see the hurt on his face, because he doesn't understand what it is he did wrong... But he's willing to change... Because he doesn't want me to leave... You see, he does all within his power to please me... But the one thing he can never do... Is be you...

Erotic Short Story Pt. I

2009-11-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Only half asleep, I felt him lay next to me. I felt his strong arms circle around me and pull me close. The warmth of his body quickly spread to mine, as I snuggled closer. His right hand began caressing my face... Then moved to my neck... His left arm was still under and around me. Small shocks traveled from his fingertips into my skin, as his hands traveled the curves of my body... I began to sigh, softly... He pulled me tighter and I felt the hardness of him... Immediately, my body responded to it and I felt my waters begin to flow. He took my face and turned it to the side... He began kissing my lips, my chin, jaw and neck... Soft, sweet, lingering kisses... He released my face and ran his hand down my body, and between my thighs...
Seeking out the source of the ever growing wetness... His fingers rubbed and caressed... My sighs turned into low moans, as his fingers slid in and out... His fingers rubbed against walls that were hot and wet... I moved slightly against his fingers... Then he slid them out. I turned to him and watched him lick every bit of me off of his fingers... Then, I kissed him, passionately, lovingly... He pulled me on top of him and slid into me... How hard, hot and wonderful it felt... I felt the wonderful feeling of him throbbing within me... Each inch of him brought me closer and closer... Finally, our bodies met. I took him all in... I felt him pressing against my depths... The pressure threatened to push them--to knock them down... I began to move up and down, enjoying the control. I moved forward and backward... As I moved forward and backward, I felt him touch that certain "spot"... I began grinding on him, my hands on his chest... His hands on my wrists... His heart was beating fast and his breath was shorter than before... I watched his face as it let me know that it felt good to him... The movement of his hips let me know that, as well... I felt the tension building within him, as I worked my hips in circles... He gripped my thighs... He moved his hands to my hips, then to my waist, as I continued grinding on him, slow... Then fast... then, my god pulled my body against his. I felt his heart beat against my chest... Our heart beats and our breath were in perfect sync with one another's. I began too tighten around him... I felt him grow even harder... Tighten... Release... Tighten... Release... He sat up, never removing himself from me. I wrapped my legs around his back, my arms around his neck. I laid my forehead against his... He smiled, then kissed me and began lifting me up and down on him... It felt so good... When he lifted me and let me down, I would press harder into him...He laid back, still holding me against him... He held me so tight, it was as if he wanted our bodies to merge... He whispered sweet words, as we lay there without movement--Just enjoying the energy flowing from my body to his, his body to mine... Then I moved and laid next to him. I took his hand and kissed each fingertip... I ran my hands over his body... He swiftly moved on top of me, kissing down my body... And I gave myself over to his touch... He kissed back up and then he slowly entered me... Excruciatingly slow... It was almost torture, yet so pleasurable... I wanted all of him inside me, but he teased me... Taking the very tip in and out... He brought me to the brink of climax... Then pulled me back... I was shaking with pleasure and anticipation... Finally, he was once again within me. My body felt like it was going to explode, but he whispered to me, "Not yet"... He moved slowly, alternating between short, fast strokes and long, deep strokes... He kissed my mouth and explored it with his tongue... While his phallus explored the depths of my yoni... My hands rubbed his back, but as he went in as deep, I began to dig my nails in... He gently bit, licked and kissed my neck and shoulders... He pressed his body against mine, his low growl sound within my ear... His roughness against my smoothness... His hardness against my softness... His sounds drove me wild, so I kissed and (gently) bit back... He took my hands in his and placed them above my head... He entered me as deeply as he possibly could... I felt myself about to let go... I felt the tension within his body and I felt the strength of him... I moved my hips into his thrusts... We ascended higher and higher... He went in and out... My yoni tightening around him on its own now... I pulled him close and breathed in his essence... I licked his flesh, tasting the sweetness of him... He felt so good... His passion, his sounds... All let me know how good it felt to him... I felt him release within me and I poured and gushed over him... Our ecstasy stretched up into the heavens and we were no longer two... We were one being, one entity... Two halves coming (and cumming) together to make one perfect whole... Our heartbeats, our breathing, our climaxes: All in perfect harmony... We lay there, with him still inside me... We shivered with pleasure as the intense feelings subsided............................

Thanksgiving Day Rant

2009-11-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

As you gorge yourself on flesh, sweets and bread... I hope you think of the so-called indians and the ruthless, vicious massacre of those beautiful, indigenous people. I hope you think of the pointless destruction and death... I hope that as you breathe in the aroma of that 'thanksgiving' feast, the smell of burnt flesh, the smell of sickness and death fills your nostrils... As you look around at the ones you love, I hope you see the faces of those who had their loved ones taken and were taken from their loved ones... As you stuff your mouth with stuffing and cranberry sauce, I hope the tears of the so-called indians make everything taste bitter. As you eat, I hope you feel unsatisfied. I hope their gnawing hunger eats at your stomach... I hope their pain fills your stomach so you can't eat even a tiny bite. I hope guilt weighs so heavily on you that DO eat, that as you tire from L-Tryptophan and all the carbohydrates building up in you, the guilt keeps you from sleeping... Instead of the laughter of your loved ones, I hope you hear the screams of those women and children being burned alive. I hope you hear the wailings and mournings... I hope you feel their agony and grief... And if you do happen to drift into a food induced slumber, I hope that your mind is filled with nightmarish visions of what the so-called indians went through. I hope the flames, the pain, the agony, the anguish, the death--I hope it all haunts your dreams. I hope that when you awaken, the visions cannot be shaken from your head... These sweet, beautiful, spiritual people who were slaughtered by pale devils so ruthlessly, so SAVAGELY...

These devils called them the savages, but who was (and is) the true savage? Then you have those who make excuses as to why they celebrate this day... People use the excuse "I'm just giving thanks". Well then choose your own day to do so. Set aside a day of your own and give thanks. Why use THIS day? DON'T use this day. You know what this day represents, yet to quell your conscience, to make yourself feel better, and/or to justify celebrating it, you use that pathetic excuse. Deep in your mind, you know how wrong it is... But you just refuse to let go of these unholy-days. "I just spend time with my family". So, you need THEM to tell you when to spend time with your family, when to be thankful, & when to enjoy your family? You need their designated days to come together?!? Are you so programmed?!?! How sad... That is it for this rant... But before I leave you, read the words of this Wampanoag. The town of Plymouth Rock has a Thanksgiving ceremony each year in remembrance of the first Thanksgiving--even to this day. One year, they actually had the audacity to ask this indigenous man to speak at their idiotic ceremony to mark the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim's arrival:

"Today is a time of celebrating for you -- a time of looking back to the first days of white people in America . But it is not a time of celebrating for me. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People. When the Pilgrims arrived, we, the Wampanoags, welcomed them with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end. That before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a tribe. That we and other Indians living near the settlers would be killed by their guns or dead from diseases that we caught from them. Let us always remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white people. Although our way of life is almost gone, we, the Wampanoags, still walk the lands of Massachusetts . What has happened cannot be changed. But today we work toward a better America , a more Indian America where people and nature once again are important."