~families with a roots rasta livity~

[revolucionaria]

blessed love mamas. our rastafarian mamas tribe was sent to spirituality, where it has effectively faded away, so i thought i would resurrect this one in a new form, more broad than the original appeared to be. is anyone interested in continuing to come together to reason about our path, our food and school choices, bringing up our children, books and speeches, where to get a decent head wrap/tam, having children with locks, ital recipes etc... hopefully this will also encourage other mamas who do not see themselves as RASTA, but identify with the lifestyle, to feel welcome and reason, too. ONE LOVE~

to the moderator, rasta livity is far more than just a religion or a spiritual path, but a lifestyle, as well, so i feel we belong here. i hope you do too, give thanks!

[emaye_to_2]

Rastafari is the Might!

Greetings Empress, I would love to chat and reason with you about raising our likkle ones in rastafari livity. How sweet it is to find you here. Jah willing, we can help each other rise up!

Blessed Love.

[sunmamma]

bless bless!

Give thanks Rev for this tribe. I don't have much time to be online these days, but I will come right here when I do.

Life is good, a blessing every day. Judah is getting big!!!

Lots going on, but not a good time to write it all out. Just checking in and sending love and blessings to all the mamas...

I would love to reason with you about how to deal with adversity and disrespect from family members when it comes to Rastafari livity....I am getting it hard core from my mother and am trying to find a way to effectively and lovingly communicate with her.

Jah Bless~

[revolucionaria]

Originally Posted by sunmamma

bless bless!

Give thanks Rev for this tribe. I don't have much time to be online these days, but I will come right here when I do.

Life is good, a blessing every day. Judah is getting big!!!

Lots going on, but not a good time to write it all out. Just checking in and sending love and blessings to all the mamas...

I would love to reason with you about how to deal with adversity and disrespect from family members when it comes to Rastafari livity....I am getting it hard core from my mother and am trying to find a way to effectively and lovingly communicate with her.

Jah Bless~

blessed love sunmama! i am glad to hear your little one is doing well. and your big one too, for that matter.

yes its so hard, isnt it, with family? why cant some people just accept that we can have different methods and let go of the rest? its hardly anything to risk a loving relationship over! my own mother is coming next week for my 30th b-day ( i am thrilled to be turning 30, for some reason!) and while she is pretty cool about the lifestyle and all it entails, she is fairly uncomfortable with the spirituality. i have been in the habit of teaching my daughter some christian songs from when i was a kid and changing the lyrics (to negus instead of jesus, or whatever) and i am praying that she wont sing when my ma is here so i can avoid the conversation. rather than highlighting the fact that there are teachings and traditions i am passing from her to my daughter, she would get hung up on the difference!

i try not to engage with people too much when they seem really negative about my lifestyle, honestly. if i think i can teach them something, or they me, then yes, but if all we are going to do is get upset then i dont even bother. we dont have the vax conversation, she deals with the family bed and doesnt put up the pack and play whenever i come to visit anymore, but there is a lot that is unspoken. she doesnt really nag me either.

i dont know if this helped...

~one love~

[Pebble Mama]

I have always been interested in learning about this way. If you don't mind, I'll be reading along as to learn from your path .

[sunmamma]

Blessed Love~

Thanks for your thoughts Rev, it helps to know there are others out there who have similar issues. I think the problem I am having is the unspoken things that you mention. There is so much unspoken between us, and it becomes painful to even be around her sometimes. It feels so NOT real! And that is one thing I feel Rastafari Livity has shown me through the years, is the raw truth of the matter. When I say One Love, I mean it. I don't care what you call it, I believe in one God. So it hurts when I get the eye roll at something I do or say that is different from her own set of values or beliefs. All I really want is respect. She has this big hang up with me naming my son Judah because she thinks Judah betrayed Jesus, while I have an entirely different take on it, and #1, I was not planning on naming him that, it IS the name I heard when he was born and I am honoring that, and the root meaning of Judah is thanks and praise. So when I get into it with her about his name Judah Ari meaning give thanks to Jah Lion of God she gets all freaked out that it is so "religious" yet she is bothered by her own interpretation of his name, so bothered that she has been telling her friends who have come to me to ask me to explain o her why out of the thousands of names out there I would pick Judah! She thinks I have basically named him satan or something. Let me also mention here that my mom in no way considers herself religious or really even very spiritual. So, the whole thing is very confusing, and painful for me as I had the intention of naming my child something to honor our Creator, and I get this response. The further on this path I go, the more distant I seem to be getting from my mom. I am actually going to look into NVC as a way to communicate my feelings to her and with some prayers as well, I hope to find the right things to say. I just feel like I need to bring out the unsaid things from the darkness into light, and even if she chooses not to understand or respect my livity, I will have spoken my truth to her.

On a more positive nonte, I am so happy to have other mamas out there to share thoughts and reason with! Give thanks!

I will part with a really easy recipe....
put on a pot of quinoa or brown rice

chop up:
one onion
some garlic
a few sweet potatoes(peeled)bite sized
a handful of baby potatoes..bite sized
green cabbage...coarsely chopped

put about a TBs of coconut oil into a large cast iron skillet on medium heat.
add the onion and garlic and stir for about four minutes
add a tbs garam masala, and all the potatoes(including the sweet) and stir
add a little water and cover, cooking on simmer for another five minutes
add about a cup of red lentils and enough water to cover veggies, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils and potatoes are soft

in a separate pan, add some oil and on med-high heat, stir fry the chopped cabbage until still a bit crisp but warmed
through. season with fresh ground pepper if desired

serve up the potato mixture on top of your grain with a generous side of cabbage, and some Pickapeppa sauce sprinkled on top!

Give thanks, and dig in!
Peace~
sunny

[sunmamma]

Originally Posted by Pebble Mama

I have always been interested in learning about this way. If you don't mind, I'll be reading along as to learn from your path .

and hopefully you will share your thoughts as well so we may all learn from each other!
Bless~

[emaye_to_2]

Blessings to all the Sistas on this thread!

And give thanks for the delicious recipe you posted sunmamma.. I can't wait to try that out on the family soon.

I can definitely relate to issues with family especially my mother. I can sadly say we basically do not reason on spirituality at all because of her judgemental yet ignorant attitude about our family's beliefs. It's so defensive-like. She is a practicing Catholic. I ended up moving 3000 miles away from her eight years ago. I get that you want to share everything you've learned and your faith with your mother, of course you do.

But I agree with Sis Revolucionaria when she wrote "i try not to engage with people too much when they seem really negative about my lifestyle, honestly. if i think i can teach them something, or they me, then yes, but if all we are going to do is get upset then i dont even bother."

JAH IS LOVE LET US ALL LOVE

INI give thanks again for finding you all here!

[emaye_to_2]

Originally Posted by sunmamma

She has this big hang up with me naming my son Judah because she thinks Judah betrayed Jesus, while I have an entirely different take on it, and #1, I was not planning on naming him that, it IS the name I heard when he was born and I am honoring that, and the root meaning of Judah is thanks and praise. So when I get into it with her about his name Judah Ari meaning give thanks to Jah Lion of God she gets all freaked out that it is so "religious" yet she is bothered by her own interpretation of his name, so bothered that she has been telling her friends who have come to me to ask me to explain o her why out of the thousands of names out there I would pick Judah! She thinks I have basically named him satan or something. Let me also mention here that my mom in no way considers herself religious or really even very spiritual. So, the whole thing is very confusing, and painful for me as I had the intention of naming my child something to honor our Creator, and I get this response. The further on this path I go, the more distant I seem to be getting from my mom. I am actually going to look into NVC as a way to communicate my feelings to her and with some prayers as well, I hope to find the right things to say. I just feel like I need to bring out the unsaid things from the darkness into light, and even if she chooses not to understand or respect my livity, I will have spoken my truth to her.

I was thinking more about your sitch today sunmamma. Maybe she feels threatened by your new-found spiritual heights, or maybe she feels like she's losing her control over you in some way.

Either way, Judah is the son of Jacob, one of the twelve tribes of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah was the southern half of Israel including Jerusalem. Judas Iscariot is the man who betrayed Yashua. I can't imagine anyone would name their child after him!

More Love.

[sunmamma]

Blessed love!

yes, I know!!! Everything you said was right on...I think she is feeling that way. I think 16 years ago when I first started growing locs and listening to reggae she thought that it was just a phase and has not taken the time to ever reason with me about my spiritual beliefs that have formed through the years. Something that started as a spark has now become the fire that lights my every step. She is still waiting for me to "grow up" and join her in the ways of babylon. She doesn't try to relate or learn, so it must seem like I am drifting away fro her and she probably feels threatened. Overstanding would bridge the ap between us most likely but they ay you can lead a horse to water but can't make them drink. It is in her hands.

And we named Judah this name because it was very clear to us when he was born. If he was born in June we would have considered Levi.

I am feeling a bit betterabout the situation. We have hung out a couple times since I lastposted, but the youth were with me, so I did not bring up the conflict. She seemed more at ease(or more respectful towards me at least) about his name, and likes to combine themiddle name and call him Judari! I feel that if I were to explain the biblical references and set her straight on Judah vs. Judas Iscariot, she would take it in the wrong way and feel offended. Like I was schooling her. I'll just let her figure it out for herself. After some meditation, I realize that this is really her problem and not mine. Give thanks for your thoughts, it is comforting to know there are like minded/hearted mamas out there who get it! I feel supported!
Love and Bless~

[emaye_to_2]

Greetings again!

Originally Posted by sunmamma

After some meditation, I realize that this is really her problem and not mine. Give thanks for your thoughts, it is comforting to know there are like minded/hearted mamas out there who get it! I feel supported!

I'm glad you were able to sight it this way, true true. It can be frustrating you know when someone doesn't get it.. but rasta livity a path that you must find on your own right? For my mother and me, we don't have a bad relationship, it is just on one level and not others. I try to love her where she's at.

And names for us can be so very important. You gave your son such a strong, beautiful and historically meaningful name for a reason. Words are power. And with your positive intention that name will carry him thru life!

[Peace~*]

Blessings

deleted

[revolucionaria]

one love istren! i'm glad to see that this thread has been kept alive. i am in a whirlwind of homeschool, single mama, small business owning, grad student life. am i exhausted! but i just did something which is going to be so great for my iditation, which is that i just booked tickets to take my kids to visit their family in TRINIDAD! (including their great-great grandmother).

just wanted to keep the link with you all, love up that little baby, sunny!

one love, roots daughters, ~revo

[emaye_to_2]

RASTAFARI!! Give thanks for our creator and for life on this holy day.. Haile Selassie I Coronation Day! I hope this note finds all you sistren happy and peaceful, enjoy your family and give more thanks today. Love Emaye.

[revolucionaria]

Jah Rastafari, Empress Menen-I coronation day, blessed blessed love. Give thanks for the hail up amaye. I had hoped to make a meal and reason with my children, instead we ended up in the ER when my daughter, Tamar, fell off the monkey bars. She's okay, give thanks, but it certainly does not make for a peaceful day. I hope all of yours were peaceful and full of love.

one love, Rastafari.

~revo

my daughter is here with me and she really wants me to put this jumping smiley on my post. :

[emaye_to_2]

Greetings Sisters! INI pray that you and your families are healthy and well this new season. I don't want to lose touch with you all..

Sis Rev, that trip you have planned for you and your youth to visit roots in Trinidad sounds beautiful, when do you go?

Sorry to hear about your DD's trip to the ER on HIM Coronation Day. Things happen. We came to the conclusion on that day that, there was almost no one to meaningfully celebrate with in our town. Are you part of a Rastafari community?

[revolucionaria]

bless bless sisters. ahh, finally home again after a visit to my parents place, then off to trinidad on saturday. i have been so busy with school and now traveling but i hope you all are well, basking in your child(ren)'s loveliness and feeling fine. i will post more detail about the Rasta community out here in western mass later on. for now, one love, Jah bless. Rastafari, Menen-I. One love.

[sunmamma]

Blessed Love sistren...no recent posts here and I have been so busy with the boys that I haven't had much computer time. Was hoping to see more posts... Rev, hope you are feeling IRIE and would love to hear more about your community in MA. Especially since we are up there(more Eastern) a few times a year.
One Love~
sunmama

[oregonmama79]

uplifted to see this thread was brought back to life. i hope to learn and grow through it in part. onelove.

[PoeticNSoul]

Oh my! I'm so glad I found this. Being raised in Jamaica, we are taught to look down upon Rastas. It wasn't until meeting my husband that I really learned a lot. he was raised in the mountains of Jamaica (I'm from MOntego Bay and was rasied to be all prim and proper) and was able to have close friendships with lots of Rastas without his family's knowing. That would have gotten him more spankings than he was already getting!!!! Though I have always embraced Rasta belifes, I haven't been able to shake off my Christian side either. So I consider myself a combination of the two

Jah Bless!!!!