The Meaning of Sabbath: Hola Senbet Selam

Greetings and Blessings for the coming Sabbath,


There are many Rastafari who keep the Sabbath or Senbet Day of Rest, holy and sacred because it is a part of the Ten Commandments which His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I personally requested that all man and wombman read and abide by. His Majesty is noted in the film Man of the Millenium, to stay home on Senbet, and watch educational documentaries with His Family.

Richard Pankurst in Aethiopica quotes Ras Tafari Makonnen saying in the province of Harar, in 1913:

Before this there have been many proclamations about work being carried out on the Sabbath and other holy days which were established with excommunication. But now we realise that the wrath of God has not abated, due to your indulgence in working on holy days and especially on the Sabbath, despite proclamation and excommunication. Henceforward, observe the Sabbath and the other already specified holy days! Do not labour on these days! Any person found working on these days, forbidden both by proclamation and excommunication, shall be punished! (Pankhurst, 2004)

Because Prince Emmanuel was very staunch with Mosaic Law, Sabbath is a major part of the Bobo Shanty mansionl and was one of the biggest sacrifices I've personally ever made as RasTafari. Dreadlocks and Ital are sacrifices in their own right, as are sobriety and separation from Babylonian society, but Sabbath is a sacrifice of all daily customs, for worship and Iditation on the JAH and one's Ivine Connection to the I-the Most High Selah Alpha and Omega I.

In order to remember to keep the Sabbath day holy, every Ras must be educated in the Way of Sabbath, and overstand what it truly means as a feast, a fast, a hallowed day of rest and a solemn assembly. The following Sabbath reasoning is part of an entire written work I did on the topic based on my research in different texts, namely the Book of Jasher, the Book of Jubilees and the Books of Moses (first five Books of the Torah), National Sunday Law and the Cathechism.

This excerpt is not really to delve into or explain the creation and institution of Sabbath, just to briefly outline what it is, and what it signifies as a day of rest.

The meaning of Sabbath, or Senbet in Amharic, or Shabbat in Hebrew is most commonly derived from its recorded place as the Fourth Commandment on the tablets of stone housed in the Ark of the Covenant, and re-written in the Book of Exodus Chapter 20 (and 31:12-18); which reads: 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 

 (Exodus 20:8-11)

The Sabbath is a weekly holy day held on the seventh day. The seventh day was actually called Shabbat, not Saturday, by Isra’el. Senbet is a time for remembering God collectively as a Nation, after every six days of labour.
The Sabbath is the sign and seal of the Covenant between Abraham’s Seed the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el, and the Living God and Creator Elohim. It was a day the entire Nation had to submit to:

Therefore I made them go out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgements, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’ Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them. (Ezekiel 20:10-12)

And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15)

The Sabbath was given only to Isra’el to be the sign and seal of the Nation (like circumcision). It became their identification, a holy seventh-day law for all tribes no matter if they were in the wilderness or in Kanaan. The Sabbath as part of the Ten Commandments of Zion, and as the seal of the Covenant, was a strict law that could not be broken: "Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death" (Exodus 35:2). It is not surprising that the Commandment starts with “Remember the Sabbath Day.” There are a few points to overstand on Sabbath from the Commandment:


First, the Sabbath day is specifically the seventh day of the week; and not simply one day out of seven; or at the end of any randomly chosen six days. It is the holy rest day after the marked six day period of the working week. It is not a holiday intermittently during the Sunday to Friday week.

"Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Genesis Chapter 2:1-3)

Second, this Commandment instructs us that on the Sabbath day each family as a unit is to do NO WORK. Leviticus 23:8 and Numbers 29:35 state that during Sabbath, no laborious work or anything that is customary work to a man, woman, child, animal or employee shall be carried out. It is a time for assembly and rest. “… you shall have a sacred assembly. You shall do no customary work.” It is not a time to carry, to work, to collect, to create, or to mould or fashion. Therefore the home and body must become quiet sanctuaries of Jahovah.


Third, JAH the Creator God and Goddess rested on the seventh day after fashioning the Iniverse, thereby giving Creation the first truest ensample of the Sabbath’s requirements and meaning. Thus, the conception and specified observance of the Sabbath ordained by JAH was from the beginning a symbolic gift of that which JAH did for humanity during Creation. This gift would continue always, because of God’s promise to Abraham, even though man is sinful. Immanuel said that “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath is for man’s rest and rejuvenation in JAH, it is for his own well-being. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28).


Fourth, the Lord “blessed and sanctified/hallowed” the Sabbath day, making the Sabbath a separate day of holiness for Isra’el. Sabbath is a day of blessing and sanctification; not of burden, sorrow or planning. The Sabbath is a day of service not to the world, through work and money-spending, lust and greed. It is a day to become one with JAH by separating ourselves from activities and mind-sets that serve to defile Creation rather than embrace it.




Scriptural references to the Sabbath Day such as “Sabbath of solemn rest”, “holy convocation,” “sacred assembly” and “solemn assembly” also give some indication as to what is ritual for that day: Communal Rest in the Lord God Jahovah. Used in these terms however, the Sabbath Day specifies also the honorary commencement and closing of the Appointed Times or Feasts of the Lord Ha Moyadim in Hebrew (Leviticus 23). Whenever Ha Moyadim began the Israelites refrained from work on that day. 

"These are the feasts [Ha Moyadim]of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day—besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord. "(Leviticus 23: 37-38)

Sabbath is the first and most reoccurring Appointed Time Feast day for Isra’el in Leviticus 23 (aside from New Moon feasts): "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings" (Leviticus 23:3). The others Feasts include: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First fruits, Pentecost, the Day of Atonement the Great Sabbath of Sabbaths, Tabernacles and Trumpets. The Feasts are more or less defined by Leviticus 23. It is important to take note of the Great Shabbat or Feast of Atonement:

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:26-32)

The Feast of Atonement is the only day the High Priest can enter the Holy of Holies to atone for Israel’s sins. It is a feast for acknowledging sin, and specifically to facilitate a mass gathering for the repentance for sin. It is considered also to be the forerunner of Judgment Day after the Great Tribulation (Zechariah 13:1; Revelation). The law of the feast specifies no work to be done, that all souls must be afflicted. Affliction of the soul means that the Israelites would be greatly troubled and grieved for their iniquity, for their vanities, their outright sins before JAH. They would have to take a break from works, pause and reflect on the Word (SELAH) they would have to face themselves. By tradition, this greatest of all Sabbath Days is marked by fasting ten days before the date. No eating, drinking, bathing, marital relations or work should be attempted, for this feast day to result in complete and faithful repentance. White, according to the Hebrew Identity, is also the main colour worn as for the weekly Sabbath, in order to remind ones of the goal of the feast: purity.


As mentioned, the sacred assembly of Sabbath can fall at the start or end of a feast season. This is ideally a Sabbath with a special “Covenantal” significance. ‘No work’ during a feast is specific to a Sabbatical Feast that does not fall on a Friday, but on the day of the feast. This Sabbath was a “holy convocation”, “sacred assembly” meaning a holy day set apart for worship under the theme of the feast. Leviticus 23:6-8 describes the Feast of Unleavened Bread which is an ensample of such a “High Sabbath” or feast-determined solemn assembly. "On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it."


The Feast of Tabernacles also gives an ensample: 


"On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it." (Leviticus 23: 35-36).

By observing the Sabbath day and keeping it holy, Rastafari are blessed with spiritual, physical and heartical rejuvenation; making time to praise Rastafari and grow closer to HIM. Babylonian obligations often take up too much time away from reasoning and educating the mind with knowledge on Afrika, Ethiopia, Isra’el and Ras Tafari Selah. The Sabbath is the time I and I take every strong-end, to bring our children closer to JAH and to spend quiet time as a family.

The Bobo Shanty priesthood sees ritual celibacy and Sabbath as sure guides to ever-living life, as shown in Isaiah:
"Thus says the Lord: “ Keep justice, and do righteousness, or My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the Lord
Speak, saying, “ The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”;
Nor let the eunuch say, “ Here I am, a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord: “ To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name
Better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.
“ Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants - Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant - Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
(Isaiah Chapter 56:1-7)


Blessed Heart of Sabbath, Senbet Selam Selah!

Ila

Special Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes

Greetings Royal Dawtas!

I haven't been able to get online much lately, and I need more time to write and gather the particular topics I want to  strengthen the  RasTafari Wifeline.
So instead of taking longer to post reasoning, here is a recipe that some of my Sistrens actually wanted to get from me, but I haven't gotten around to it (sorry Safiyah and Peggy hehe)! It's as vegetarian as I've been able to get with a cake - minus the sugar of course. Anything with sugar is not perfect Ital, so this is a recipe to make on special occasions, not too often!

I find it very rewarding to do an intimate, homemade treat for your little prince or princess on their earthstrong - a just between "mommy and me" treat (of course daddy and everyone else can have some, but mummy made it as a special earthstrong surprise). You get the drift!


My daughter calls them at every mention "special chocolate surprise cupcakes." She doesn't even say "cupcakes." And that's because I always make her this recipe for her earthstrong since she was two years old.  It can be either cake or cupcake form.

Utensils and Ingredients

any cake pan or cupcake tin, or paper molds

electric cake-mixer or a large spoon or a whisk

tablespoon,teaspoon, cup measuring utensils

2 medium to big bowls

dry ingredients

2 1/2 cups wheat flour

4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tspn baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

wet ingredients

1 1/2 tspn mixed or other essence

2 tbspn lemon juice or vinegar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups water

add crushed almonds, flaked coconut or any other ingredient to flavour it up for different occasions. 

Method

- If baking a cake, grease your pan with oil first and set aside.

- Pre-heat oven to about 200 degrees celcius. 

 -Combine the dry ingredients except the sugar, using the sieve, in one bowl. When sieving the flour it will appear that a lot of the bran or wheat is left back, but just throw it in after the finer flour has sifted through.

- In the other bowl, dissolve the sugar as much as possible in the water. Add the oil, essence and lemon/vinegar and mix well.

- Pour the dry into the wet ingredients, mixing well using the electric mixer or whisk or spoon. It will look like this:

- You can either pour into the cake pan, or cupcake tin or use a spoon to dish out the cupcake paper moulds.

- Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes if a cake. For Cupcakes 10-15 minutes. Generally go by smell once the time is up. And use a fork or knife to test the middle.
This recipes makes very fluffy cupcakes if the batter is mixed well and allowed to stand for any length of time. If they are fluffy you dont want them to stay in too long because they will burn.

- Let it cool just a little, but this recipe tastes yummy when warm!

And you're finished with your special chocolate surprise cupcakes!

Full-joy!

Sis Ila

Queen Omega Livity Principles of the RasTa Empress

Blessed Love
Heart of Sabbath and Heart of Selabration Love on this blessed Garvey Earthstrong!

More love, strength and power to all Ithiopian Queens and Dawtas who are giving thanks for the Prophet of Black Isra'el.

Though I should post something to honour Marcus Mosiah Garvey, I am moved to post this summary on the character and attitude of Empress Menen Asfaw in the key roles she played in Her lifetime as the Proverbs 31Virtuous Wombman or Wife of Valor, Ethiopian Empress, Hebrew Matriarch, the Blessed Sacred Feminine, the Goddess of the God-Head JAH Rastafari, King Alpha and Queen Omega.

 

 "Her Personality was indeed a true and clear womb-manifestation of the Wise Wombman, Virtuous Wife, Mother, Patroness, HandMaid, Daughter, Warrior, and Queen. Every purpose, deal and deed reflected Her submission to serve with love; Her unwavering faith and commitment to righteousness; as well as honouring Ethiopia, the Teachings of Immanuel Yesus Kristos, and Her sacred marriage vows to Man and God.

As the RasTafari Wombman’s Identity is empowered by her connection to such Omega-Goddess energies; the following capture the virtuous points of principle by which Empress Menen Asfaw thrived and ruled. The Empress teaches the King’s Royal Dawta to:

• Put prayer and Ises first in life. To pray regularly and always be conscious of JAH within and all around, in others and in the natural world.

• Be faithful to JAH and keep the Holy Laws and Commandments of Isra’el (such as the Mosaic, Nazirene, Nazirite) no matter what misfortunes, trials and tribulations happen in life.

• Turn to JAH, the Ingels and ancestral Saints in times of hardship, for all personal and spiritual guidance, healing and inspiration.

• Be a patroness of the Tabernacle – to ensure it is kept clean, beautified and well-furnished for its priests and congregation.

• Be dutiful, loyal, hardworking, respectful, loving and kind in all roles in life: as daughter, mother, sister, wife, queen, nun or any political or social leadership.

• Fully support and stand by the King-Man, defending and protecting one’s property. Being knowledgeable, skilful and wise enough to take on his roles or work in his absence, and to assist and strengthen him in all tasks and struggles as Head of the house.

• Be a caring, disciplinary and protective mother, keeping children and grandchildren close to home; raising them to be of goodwill; submissive to their parents, God, church and education.

• Be mindful of one’s health and appearance: modest, appropriately attired, clean and observing fasting and vegetarian livity principles.

• Be of humble spirit and nature: a woman of knowledge yet few words in the courts of the Brethren, capable of reasoning or speaking wisdom, and encouragement at the given moment. Known for showing more through kind actions, than words.

• Be an avid entrepreneur, creating businesses that provide for self, family and community.

• Be compassionate for those in need and never neglect to find or establish solutions to provide for the poor.

• Be a good role model to young girls and adult women by always showing mature attitude and work ethic, and by helping them to live better lives in whatever way possible.

• Collaborate with other like-minded women and care-providers, and commit to doing good works for the elder and juvenile community.

• Never give up on any goals or aspirations, or new ideas which will bring good to your life and the lives of others - perseverance is the mother of success. "

Selah!

 

I offer this word sound to the Sistren who gather for reasoning and who perform works in the Name of JAH RasTafari, who have organization or fellowship with other Dawtas, or who wish to discuss the character of Empress as a True Mother of the Black Nation.
It is very  important to read the Biography to capture the fullness of Her character and life!


Hail Queen Omega, Mother and Goddess of Love
RasTafari!
Sis. Ila

Crazy for Cous Cous!

Greetings all Royal Dawtas of RasTafari Selah!

Eating Ital is not just about being vegetarian, it's about knowing the nutritional value of foods themselves, and what can and cannot be eaten in excess. Though grains like rice and pasta are versatile and downright tasty, they are starchy and give the body excess sugars and carbohydrates - such add weight, spike blood sugar and blood pressure levels, increasing the overall toxicity to the body combined with other unhealthy snacks and meats. Grains also have gluten, which is an allergen to some people.

 (I'll post about the best type of eating habits for Wombman and good substitutes for unhealthy foods - which also promote weightloss - soon!)

If you haven't discovered the best alternative for bread, pasta and rice,  it is time to try cous cous. Cous cous is a pasta too, being rolled yellow granules of semolina and wheat. It is the staple food of North Afrika and the Maghrib diet in Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and Algeria. Kus Kus as it is originally written, as Afrikan language has no "C", is a good source of niacin, thiamine, and selenium which is hard to find in foods. Selenium protects the arteries and heart from disease and blockages. It also provides protein for muscles and energy, and potassium for heartbeat and blood pressure.Because it is a "light food" it also helps to reduce weight - and keep that weight off! It's still made from wheat, so it still unfortunately has a high glycemic index like rice - which means it can spike insulin if eaten too much by a diabetic -  but kus kus is still definitely a better option than pasta and rice.


Kus Kus  goes perfectly with veges and salads and peas! It really looks like rice but takes only 8 minutes to prepare! The kind I and I get over here in the West is pre-cooked, so we just have to boil water and let the Kus Kus draw it all in for 5 minutes. Really really easy, and you can make exactly how much you need at the time.
 The proportions are generally 1 cup of Kus Kus to 1 1/2 cups water. 1 cup serves about 3-4 Idren depending on how much every I wants to "nyam." (I "nyam" a lot lol)

My favourite dish is green pigeon peas, Kus Kus, mixed steamed vegetables (usually brocolli, eggplant, chinese cabbage) and plantain. I also usually add a raw salad of beet, tomato and lettuce/cabbage on the side. I also like to change it up with black-eye peas, lentils or channa. Here's one of my meals in the past when I first started to eat kus kus. I usually mix up all my peas with the kus kus first!

Kus Kus "Salad" Recipe:

1 cup kus kus

2 garlic cloves

half an onion, or 1 small onion

1 small piece of ginger

1 pimento pepper

small leaf thyme any other fresh herb or spice

corn niblets

spices: tumeric/saffron, geera/cumin, paprika, sea salt

2 tbs water

1 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

 a small saucepan 

- Finely dice the herbs and fresh seasonings

- Heat the 2 tbsp. of water, medium heat, in a small to medium saucepan or a skillet with a cover, if you have one.

- Add the freshly diced seasonings and saute for 2 minutes. 

- Sprinkle in the spices - a dash of paprika and cumin and salt. Stir well for another minnute.

- Add the corn, vegetable stock or water and about 3/4 tsp of saffron, and bring to a boil - I add a lot of saffron personally, probably a whole tsp. This is how my saffron water looks, it then turns red. Make sure to dissolve the saffron well.

- When it boils, turn off the heat and stir in the cup of kus kus quickly.

- Cover and remove from heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Usually it should look like this (but yours will have corn and seasonings):

 

- Fluff with a fork, serve it up!

This is how it traditionally is served in Afrika, they don't do much seasoning of the cous cous, generally the stew has all the flavour. The pasta is buried under  a stew of vegetables and maybe a piece of meat here and there:

Try something new, you can still have a filling hot meal, with less fat!

Blessed love!
Sis Ila

Summer time Child's Crocheted Net Tam

Materials: yarn of choice, a crochet needle, scissors

I use a 5.5 mm needle, but a 6 or a 5 will work also.

The colours I used here are:
Red Heart Yarn in parakeet, raspberry, copper and light sage
(i think they renamed some colours so you will have to check the swatches on the website)

Every RasTa youth usually, at some stage in life gets a tam of their very own, and every now and again I get an order to make a special hat for princess or prince.

Here is one of my favourite original patterns for up to age 5. This tam is one that has a nice round shape, and holes or a net-like finish which is ideal for hot weather. The net gives it a stretch, so it may look small, but will fit a full dread that is shoulder length with a few longer dreads in the back. If you want a tam without spaces, just put a stitch where the space goes and follow the increases or decreases as noted.

If you want to do an Ethiopian coloured hat, these are the rows to divide the colours:

top = rnd 1- 6

middle = rnd 7-10

bottom = rnd 11-15

Here is a quick key of abbreviations:

Ch – chain   

Join  – join back at the beginning with a slap stitch  

HDC – half double crochet

DC – double crochet      

sp – space

rnd – round or row

st - stitch

Rnd 1:      Ch5, join at the 1^st Ch to make a circle. Ch 2. Make 10 HDC in the centre of the circle. Join at   Ch 2 at the beginning. Ch 3. 

Rnd 2-3:    * 1 DC in first st, Ch 1, 1 DC in 2^nd st, Ch 1* - repeat in each st all around leaving no spaces. Join. Ch 3.

Rnd 4-5:       *2 DC, Ch 1, skip 1, 2 DC in next st* repeat all around. Join. Ch 3.

Rnd 6:        *skip 1^st st, 1 DC, Ch 1, skip 1, 1 DC* repeat all around. Join. Ch 4. (No increases in this row.)

Rnd 7:         skip 1, 1 DC, in the first st. *Ch 2, skip 1, 1 DC, Ch 1, skip 1, 1 DC, skip 1, ch 2, skip 1, 1 DC* all around. Join. Ch 4. This is a 2112 increase.  

Rnd 8 – 11:    *skip 1^st st, 1 DC, Ch 1, skip 1, 1 DC* repeat all around. Join. Ch 4. (No increases. Add more rows here if making a bigger tam)

Rnd 12-13:    make 1 DC in first st, *Ch 1, skip 2, 1 DC. Ch 1, skip 1, 1 DC. Ch1, skip 1, 1 DC, Ch 1, skip 2, 1 DC. * all around. Join. Ch 3. This is a 2112 decrease.

Rnd 14 -15:    *skip 1^st st, 1 DC, Ch 1, skip 1, 1 DC* repeat all around. Join. Ch 4. At the end of row 15, join and fasten off. 

Make a long chain that will fit around your child’s head and still have left over to tie. Insert this into the last row of the tam as a tie. I add beads to the end as well.

How to Sew an Ethiopian Banner

In the Bobo House, youths are offered up unto JAH (blessed) wearing white garments and swaddled in the Ethiopian rainbow banner. Every family buys one for the ceremony from a particular Empress, who is like the deputy Leading Empress of the camp.

Here’s my princess with hers. It measured 31 x 41 inches. This is something that she will always have in her room. Her gown was actually my niece’s, it was like 11 years old when Nile wore it!

Besides using it for blessing the youths, the Ethiopian banner is hung around the home – outside the home, at all or the main exit/entrance doorways to the home, and over all bedposts. It is also placed in the direction of the East so that Idren face it when chanting Ises. The banner is not only a reminder of JAH RasTafari and Ethiopia, but it is viewed as a talisman, a symbol of JAH’s Love surrounding I and I through the ever-living rainbow. Moses in Exodus 17:15 "built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner," showing how much the Ithiopian banner symbolizes JAH Selah. Every RasTafari home has a banner even if it has the Lion symbol (which represents the Reign of the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Yehudah) or the black star (Ghanaian flag) or a picture of King Alpha and/or Queen Omega. But it is important to have the plain one, which symbolizes the blessing and Itection of the family.

There is always a “preference” that RasTa have regarding the order of the colours in the flag. Some want the green up top, some want the red up top – this tutorial makes a banner that can function either way. The green up top is the traditional, original national Ethiopian flag. Green represents the fertility of Ethiopian soil, yellow the religious freedom and richness, and red for the blood of the people who died to keep it free.

But the Red Gold Green is not only about Ethiopia, the colours of I and I banner are also representative of the ever-Living God, JAH through the real rainbow in the sky, which is primarily made up of red, yellow, green. The red is always up top in nature, being the truest banner. The rainbow represents the Covenant of Noah, which ideally is a promise that JAH shall not destroy the Earth by water. It represents mercy and JAH’s omnipresence and tending over the world. The full moon also has a night rainbow when it is surrounded by hazy clouds. A complete ring of a rainbow is usually formed around it, and it is always distinctly red, gold, green. This full circular rainbow represents again the continuity and fullness of JAH in the Iniverse – the Rainbow Circle Throne.

It is important to know that even though there is partiality, the Red Gold Green and Green Gold Red are indeed cosmic and terrestrial mirror images of The One. The order of the colours is in fact related to the Shield or Star of David, where the up triangle points to the heavens, “as above” and the down triangle points to the earth, “So below.” This is demonstrated by the moon’s full circle rainbow. If you cut the full circle rainbow in half, you are left with two separate bows – one will have red up top, and one will have green up top. I hope you see my point!

And finally, the reason why many Rastafari will also place red up top, is because (and I am going based on what is written in The Rastafarians by Leonard E. Barrett, Sr. about the Movement in its earliest days) the banner is also an adaptation of the Garvey banner which places red first, then black then green. Barrett says that in every camp the Red Black and Green could be seen painted everywhere – it was when dress and tams started being made, that the yellow which was in the Jamaican flag (green yellow black) was added. The red always remained up top. Either he is right, or he didn’t get the memo about the Ethiopian flag having gold in the middle. But it was with the creation of clothing that yellow started to make its appearance and was mixed with Red Black Green – so the Rastafari colours became Red Gold Green Black. Coincidentally, the Red Black and Green banner shares the #1 spot with the Red gold Green banner in the Bobo House, most houses have both banners, so please use this tutorial to make your Red, Black and Green or Garvey banner. The Red stands for the blood shed by the Black race for freedom, Black for the true colour of Afrika and Israel, the colour of the race; and Green is for the vegetation, the land which is the hope of the race in Zion.

Ok, I’ve said my full on the importance and significance of the Banner in the Rastafari Home – onto the banner tutorial. Remember Empress, you can use this banner in the home, or you can sell them, put a print on them , bless up your sistren or anyone you know trodding Fari and could use a lil strength.

Materials: 1 yard of red, yellow, green cotton fabric each at 45 inches if you want to make it big enough for the youth blessing purpose. Black cotton thread, sewing machine, scissors, pins, chalk, yard stick.

Note: you are cutting both your red and green sections with a selvedge side, so that you only have to make hems for two sides of the banner. If you are making two banners from the 3 yards, which I did, then one of them will have to take 3 finishing hems instead of two. Note also that this tutorial is also a basic guide on how to do patchwork.

This banner I made was from the scraps I had from making a jean skirt (tutorial to come), so it’s an odd size: 28 x 32. Note the width is the side along a solid colour, the length is the side with the tricolour. Each panel was about 10 inches long x 34 inches wide. I used a 1 inch seam allowance.

First, cut three panels the same size as shown above. Use the ruler and chalk to help get it as straight as possible. Whatever size you want your banner to be, add an extra 1 inch for your seam allowance. Smaller seam allowance if you can get it smaller of course.

Next, join the panels together in this order:

Yellow panel over red panel and pin:

On the other side of the yellow: Green panel over yellow panel and pin:

This is how it will look when pinned:

   

 Sew the 3 pieces together at these two points, using a ½ seam for both lines. Zigzag ends together.

    

Make the necessary hems to complete the banner. Press in two ½ inch folds and pin.

Sew all around with straight stitch

Iron over all seams. You are finished!        

I hope this tutorial is clear, it is very very easy! Time to get sewing one of your own!

Blessed Love

Sis. Ila

How to Sew a Turban for Your King-Man

Blessed Love in the Name of JAH RasTafari!

Like the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Aaronic Priesthood, the Rastafari Priest wears fabric wrapped around his crown to signify his worship and service of the Most High JAH. The Bobo turban is however, much more fabric and made of cotton rather than white, fine linen. It is usually made by the leading empress or an appointed empress of the camp, and a brethren receives it from the leading priests of the tabernacle in a special ceremony, after a period of culturing and transformation. The time when a prophet or apostle or priest is crowned or brought into altar service, is determined by the Leading Priests of the community, who would have monitored his attendance to service and gathering, progress in the Livity and Scripture, and heartical attitudes for a period of months. The state of his household is also considered if he has one.
 The crowning of the turban is indeed a baptism, just not with water. It comes at a time when the RasTa Man is totally read to "take up his cross" and walk in the path of JAH, Melchizedek, the King, the Priest. The Bobo prophet or priest must now walk with honour and live in cleanliness every day, never defiling his crown by sinning against the Laws of King Emmanuel, the Commandments or Priestly Order of Leviticus. That’s one of the reasons I raspect the Bobo Shanty, because those brethren make a serious commitment in covering their dreads, much like I and I Sistren make in covering up. Bobo Husband and wife perfectly reflect one another in their coverings, it is such a beautiful sight.

So with a slight tip-toe around technicalities (which may land me in some fire later on too), I wouldn't make a turban for anyone who is not living righteously and is not conscious of the Nazirite and priestly code of the turban. But I thought for the strict Bobo Empresses out there who may not have a Taba or camp to go to, whose King-Man (who has been officially crowned already) may want turbans but can't access them regularly - this might be nice for the Sistren~ This method also serves for the Empresses too, in making a headwrap out of Afroprint!

Making a turban or headwrap is very easy – the hardest part is just having patience to go through all that fabric, pressing and pinning, then sewing! Note that this turban tutorial is for a brethren with a big crown or dreads past the buttocks. For those who have shorter requirements, just cut the excess before starting using an old turban as a guide. If you don’t know how long it should be, and the dreads are shorter than waist length, try 1t o 1 1/4 yards until the fit comes. To determine the size, the brethren can wrap and when he reaches the shape and neatness, he can stop and the remaining fabric cut and hemmed. That would be the length to cut future turbans at.

You will need: 2 yards of 45 inch fabric, scissors, lots of pins, iron, sewing machine and corresponding needle to match fabric (just the regular needle should be fine), yard stick, matching thread. The size of this turban will be 21 1/2 inches wide about, and around 4 yrds long.
Having a middle seam can leave a dark mark on the bredren's foreheads, so it is also a good idea to buy the total length needed and make two turbans out of it. Avoid middle seams!

Press out all the creases as much as you can, out of the 2 yrds of fabric.

Fold the fabric in half, selvage edges together, to form a long narrow rectangle.

Pin the edges together and press down this fold well.

Cut the rectangle into two along the side with the fold (opposite the pinned side).

 Don’t move anything during this next part. Pin the two rectangles at one of the short sides. Unpin the long side. Selvage edges together still.
*if you are using the full length of the fabric, without the middle seam, skip this part and just press and hem the raw edges.

Along the short end, Zigzag the edges and sew a 1/2 inch seam. Iron this seam out. 

Starting at the top corner of the right short-rough cut end, start pressing in the first fold of the 1/2  inch hemline that will run along the non-selvedge side of the turban.

When you get to the left short end, go back to the beginning and start the second 1/2 inch fold of the hem. Pin this time around, not too many pins close together as the seam should hold from the iron alone. Too many pins makes the sewing part tedious with pin removal. Always put the pins in sideways or horizontal to the hem and not along the fold, so the machine can run over them, and you don’t have to be unpinning and stopping all the time. (As you can see I broke all my rules in the pictures below, but that’s why I can tell you now to avoid giving yourself the extra hassle!)

(Also note in my pictures I made my hem big – the smaller it can be the neater, but really no one sees those edges anyway so no stress about that!)

 When you have finished pressing and pinning, take your “train” to the machine and start at the top right corner again, that way you can just sew without having to stop. When you get to the corners, stop, lift up the presser foot, turn the fabric, put back down the presser foot and continue sewing.

Iron out all the seams with a hot pressing! When it’s finished this is how it looks on the wrong side. The Seam is a middle seam and the brethren uses that seam as the mark for the middle of his forehead. 

This is how the finished turban looks (Sizzla Kalonji):

 Well Sistren, I hope this tutorial helped the I! If you make a turban for your King, be sure to send I a picture of his stepping out!

Blessed Love

Sis. Ila Addis