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Being
a Rastafarian means different things to different people. As for
me, being a Rasta woman means that I am ordained by God to emanate
his will here on earth and to keep the 10 commandments.
Faith is hope in the unseen, to know that the Lord Almighty God
will never let us down come what may. When we are in need of peace,
strength, courage and solutions, if we have faith and do his will
he will never fail us.
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| Rastafarian
man |
Rastafarianism
is not a religion...
Rastafarianisim
is not a religion, it is a group of people who go under the the
name of rastafari.
Many
people view Rastafarian as a none Christian faith. This is a myth!
The
name Rasta comes from a shorten version of Rastafarian being one
of the names of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, who directs
his people to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
His
Majesty is the head of the Orthodox Church and on many occasions
he has encouraged all God's people to keep the 10 commandments.
These speeches are recorded and written down.
As stated above the basic beliefs of a Rasta is to uphold the truth
and defend good over evil, to do the will of God here on earth.
These are the teachings of God.
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| Emperor
Haile Selassie
I |
About
Haile Selassie I
Born
1892 in Ethiopia, in the royal house of David, his bloodline is
descendent from Solomon and Sheba and related in the family bloodline
to Jesus Christ.
Emperor
Haile Selassie I is the only foundation stone of the Rastafarian
faith and the modern day descendent and defender of the biblical
faith.
Haile Selassie is a devout Christian. He is a follower and disciple
of Jesus Christ and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian.
Haile Selassie accepted the Holy Bible and had a translation made
in 1952 - "all the scriptures were written for our instruction,
we desire that the light which comes from the scriptures may shine
to all', (taken from a selected speech of His Imperial Majesty,
23/7/1961.
Prayer and worship...
Every
day I pray as it is written in the good book of life - the Bible,
which instructs us to watch and pray.
Fasting
as a Orthodox Christian is imperative to build and strengthen the
spirit. Christ and his apostles fasted always, as did his imperial
majesty. We do many fasts: some, in remembrance of past prophets and
saints and holy men of times passed by.
Wearing my locks with pride...
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Margaret
(right) with friend Sharon (left)
Sharon
shares her memories of visiting Ethiopia.
Sweet
mama Africa
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I
wear my locks as an outward sign of what I represent - a women who
loves and serves almighty God.
I got my locks by not combing my hair. I didn't add anything neither
did I twist it, I just let it locks up naturally.
As
for caring for my locks, I wash them regularly with shampoo nothing
special, I also use an olive oil spray to keep them soft.
Don't
have to be dread to be Rasta...
Having dreadlocks is not central to being a Rasta - rendering your
heart is what is required. Note that Emperor Haile Selassie I the
1st, who is the foundation stone of the Rastafari faith and movement
which has been founded on his name, wears no dreadlocks.
When going to church, it is expected of us to cover our heads.
The origin of dreadlock comes from the times of Moses when there
was a tribe called the Nazarenes (read in the Bible: Numbers: chapter
6) who wore dreadlocks, as did Samson as a sign of their covenant
to the almighty God.
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| Rastafarian
flag |
The
Flag...
The red, gold, and green coloured flag is the Ethiopian Orthodox
flag. Religious symbols include:
 The
Lion of Judah - Taken from the heraldic symbol of the biblical Tribe
of Judah, Genesis 49: 8-10.
Star
of David - The Star of David, or also called the Star of Solomon,
is used many times to symbolize the Rastafarian religion. Haile
Selassie was descendant from King Solomon and King David, hence
the use of the symbol.
The
cross - symbolises The
cross of Jesus Christ saviour of the world.
Do's and Don'ts...
Rastafarians live by loving thy neighbour as you love yourself and
to do unto others as you'd have them do unto you, irrespective of
race colour or creed.
Personally
I don't eat pork due to its uncleanness, although Christ said that
all is good - it's just a matter of choice.
Being
a vegan I don't eat meat, fish or dairy products, this is as I said
is a matter of choice. I choose to be vegan due to healthy eating
reasons.
Being a member of the Orthodox church we have various types of fasting.
One of those is to fast from dairy products and meat. At other times,
we exercise total fasting: nothing to eat or drink before Holy Communion.
Smoking
the herb...
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| Rasta
man smoking ganja |
Smoking
is not an healthy option. The Bible does tell us not to use our
nostrils as a chimney. Still everything, like I said, is about choice
and some chose to smoke while others refrain.
For most Rastas, ganja goes with the territory, it opens the mind
and is good for meditation. It was found on Solomon's grave and
the Bible says all herbs are for the healing of the nation and it's
a fact that ganja is a herb.
Becoming a Rasta ...
Anyone can become a Rasta by following the teachings of His Imperial
Majesty who directs us to Christ's teachings. Therefore we must
uphold all that is require of us and that is by doing the will of
God here on earth.
One Love, Maggie
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