Rasta Homeschool Initiative

Greetings my beloved Sistren and Brethren!

It's been so long but JAH know my absence is due to the volume of works I am preparing to bring forth this year (JAH willing). So before I introduce my newest offering I will just give a brief run through of what is going on with me, Ila Addis, at this point.

I am currently on the final editing of my first book to be published: The Lion of God is the working title at this time. It is a five year long expansion of the article  I posted back in 2014 The Sun Lion King: Cosmic Messianic Symbolism in Rastafari
I never expected to be taken on this journey but alas it has truly been an enlightening one, where I have come to see that what Rastafari hold dear in our beliefs about His Majesty Haile Sellassie I, are well founded but have not been explored in a collective fullness. So this offering will be my personal exploration into the 'hidden symbolism' and deeper meanings behind the Messianic symbolism of Judeo-Christianity, which we attribute to the Emperor.

Secondly, I have been posting my recipes to www.italpeople.blogspot.com instead of here, so please do connect with that site if you haven't. I am also on instagram as @italpeople. I have been absent for a while there as well but I am preparing to post some more recipes starting today. I also am requesting that Sistren or Brethren email me recipes for not just Ital food but body and home care as well, anything with child care. Ital People is not just about me personally, but about the Ital Livity of the Rastafari collective, so please do contribute! You will be credited. Email me your recipe in article style, with pics and your social media info at italpeople@gmail.com. I would apprecilove it. Ones who work in culinary arts or produce body care items this is a great opportunity for you to get yourself known to the community as well.

Thirdly, my website is still up www.iloveafrika.com Tams and Loc Caps and Wraps are the major sellers at this point. I haven't had the funds to produce my Afrika patchwork skirts like in previous years but I am always hoping to get back to the works.

Fourth, my kingman Jahmaro (instagram @jahmarro) and I have finally been able to produce our own Tshirt line through Amazon. We upload the print and they do all the shipping and so on. So you can find our heartworks by typing in Amazon Search ANCIENT LIONAGE you can find links to the tshirts at www.iloveafrika.com
so far it is just to the USA but we hope to upload to the UK Amazon soon.

Fifth, and to the point of this post, I have FINALLY finished a few of my worksheet printable packs for homeschooling Mamas! It has been a long journey because I have been drawing and digitally colourising the images and creating/formatting the worksheets myself which is a LONG AND TEDIOUS process! Luckily Jahmaro has been helpful with drawing the images of people and animals for me - I am useless when it comes to those types of images haha. So far I only have language arts up but I am working on some Math packs now, and then some Reading Comprehension and Writing packs.

Some of these packs will be freebies at the Teachers Pay Teachers store but on my website I can't offer items free so they will be only $1.00. So I really do hope you will check them out, support the works and also spread the word to other homeschoolers. It is important to bring Rastafari into the classroom and it is very hard to do that without materials that bear the images or themes. Homeschooling is packed with so much subjects to cover, I am pleased to integrate the two. I have developed and used these sheets as I teach my own five year old prince so I myself have been benefiting along the way.

My Rasta Homeschool Store is on Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) and also available at www.iloveafrika.com under Homeschool.

Please leave me some feedback when you download any item on the TpT store. You can also follow my Pinterest Board where I will post up new packs that are available in the store.

Finally, I give thanks for another year ahead, especially since my personal health has improved in the last year (which was why I was also absent - arthritis, anxiety and stress are no joke!)

I am really hoping to once again become more active in the online Rastafari community through Ital People, RastaWifeLine, FariFacts and ILA Designs. It's a lot but my commitment and passion for the works has never ceased, I just need my body to keep up with all the things my mind wants to achieve!
I am also hoping to get back to posting videos on youtube because there are some things I want to re-address in RastaWifeLine, but I need time with QUIET in my house to do so haha!

Everything will forward in JAH Time but I thank you for sticking with me through the years, and I thank the Sistren who take the time to send me an email or post on social media to let me know I am missed! I miss connecting with you too.

Blessed Love and for 2019 let us focus on doing the WORK for Rastafari Upliftment!
Ila Addis

Journaling to Vibrate Higher

Journaling is an important step to include on your mission to Vibrate Higher. In order to change and improve your mind, body and Irit (spirit) you must first “Know Thyself.” You must first sort through all the many aspects that define you – your experiences, your thoughts, your relationships, your goals, you inhibitions, your desires.

Journaling helps you to sort through yourself so that you can learn who you are on many levels.
It helps you to identify patterns of negativity – experiences or people that have caused blockages, fear and low self-esteem. It helps you identify sources in your life that cause pain and joy, sources that need to be improved or removed. It helps you identify toxic situations and people so that you may remove them for your own health and happiness.

Journaling helps you to make informed decisions about who you want to become for the greater good. 

Journaling helps you to sort your feelings, habits, attitudes, actions – past and present, your strengths and weaknesses.

It helps you to determine what steps you need to take to achieve your goals. It allows the space to determine what is needed for you to achieve them.

Journaling creates a sense of self-awareness that allows you to apprecilove and draw upon all positive things about yourself or positive experiences.

Journaling documents your thoughts, hopes and dreams so that you can constantly remind yourself of the future and foundation you are aiming to build each day.

Journaling says YES I CAN, and I AM DOING GREAT.

Journaling is a form of releasing past hurt and negativity, unblocking your mind and body, as you are free to pour your pain onto the page thereby releasing such thoughts and words from your body. You can destroy the pages to bring a final release and cleanse yourself.

Journaling allows you to figure out and solve problems on your own, or it allows you to decide how you will solve conflict with others rationally.

Journaling inspires you to take action, at your own pace, when you are ready. IF things do not go as planned then you can use journaling to regroup, to reassess your ideas and goals and come again. It works with you and for you, because it is your opportunity to always express yourself and figure out where you are going, what you are doing right and wrong.

Journaling is personal, it is your safe space and time to express all the good and the bad. It is an action that is just for you that cannot be controlled or influenced by anyone else but you. So you can be as honest as you need to be no matter how hard it is. 

Journaling inspires you to think positive and happy thoughts about yourself and your life, it is quite encouraging and self-loving to write short inspirational poems about yourself, write mantras or one-shot sentences that inspire you or show self-love and care. Stick pictures of yourself at happy times or with people you love, stick inspirational quotes and memes you find so that you can constantly surround yourself with positive image and word sound power.

Journaling is an expression of love because you are committed to healing yourself through your thoughts and these thoughts inspire positive action.

Here are a few journaling prompts to help you get started.

• Things I am grateful for
• People I am grateful for
• Experiences I am grateful for
• Things I am proud about
• Things I am not proud about
• My strengths
• My weaknesses
• Things I wish to change about myself
• Things I love about myself
• Things I love doing
• People I love spending time with
• Positive experiences and memories
• Intentions/Goals for the New Year: family, business, personal, spiritual
• People that inspire me
• Things that inspire me
• People that deflate my confidence
• Thoughts that deflate my confidence
• Good habits
• Bad habits
• Reasons why I am great
• As a parent I am
• As a friend I am
• As a lover/spouse I am
• I wish that I
• I want to
• I feel connected to JAH when
• I feel disconnected from JAH when
• I AM
• I AM NOT
• Adventures I want to have
• In order to achieve my goals I must
• I feel sad/insufficient/unneeded/unloved/incapable when…
• Ten things I love about me
• Ten things I want to change in my life
• My plan to……is

These are just a few ideas that I hope will inspire you to journal, to take action and control of your life and your state of Being. I am no expert on the subject but I do feel that it is necessary for us Dawtas, especially when we feel overwhelmed by life and relationships.

 Journaling is a wonder self-improvement and empowering tool. It instills confidence and a sense of clarity which are very important to our daily functioning. People talk about making "new year resolutions" well journaling is a great way to prioritize, reorganize and plan for yourself and your future. It is a good way to "clean house" of all the negativity and make way for abundance and joy.

Get a nice notebook – cover it with pretty fabric or spend extra and get a fancy one. Also acquire a special pen and keep them in a safe place where they can always be on hand but protected from others.  Make sure to journal on full and new moon and any special lunar and solar events.
Happy journaling!
Ila Addis

Vibrate Higher for 2018

For 2018 I wish to inspire all Sistren to grow and improve themselves as I myself aim to do the same. As wives and mothers we tend to lose commitment to ourselves. We become so consumed by work and the needs of others that we often neglect our bodies and our minds. We get so lost in satisfying others that we aren’t even aware of our own needs until stress, anxiety or illness start to knock us down. We go through the motions, we fulfil our duties but we are not fulfilling ourselves on an Iritual level. We can’t give our best to anyone if we don’t first provide for ourselves. In order to improve our lives in various ways, in order to be truly grounded, happy and prosperous we must pay closer attention to our own needs. We must increase our vibration.

To vibrate higher is to consciously enhance our mind, body and Irit, it is the foundation of RasTafari Livity. It is about increasing the positivity in one’s life, to strengthen one’s character and will in order to create a better mental and physical living environment for self and by extention, friends and family.

To vibrate higher is to feed the soul with positive attitudes and actions that serve to make us more in tuned with our God-Self, to make us LIVE in the I-Self rather than just the body.

I have been thinking about my own journey and came up with some steps that will help me to raise my vibration. My intention is for these steps to positively adjust my thoughts, attitudes and habits so that I can be mentally and physically healthy, proactive and at peace – not ill and stressed. Lots of these steps may seem obvious, and familiar as we do already factor most if not all of these things into our daily lives. But there is something more encouraging about writing it all down and feeling responsible for carrying them out. Life is hectic and it gets in the way. A month may pass and you don’t do anything for yourself, take time alone to just relax, clean out the clutter or read a book or pamper yourself. Weeks may pass and you haven’t listened to your favorite music or danced or exercised. Years may pass and you haven’t looked at yourself in the mirror and had a deep discussion about your feelings and what you want for yourself.  Time passes and you forget who you are, who you used to be or who you wanted to become. Time is like a thief in the night when we are just so busy trying to raise a family.

So it is important to make a list, to commit yourself to that list, to review it daily, to even plan for it weekly, just so that you know that YOU are giving YOURSELF what you need to improve and enhance your life. We mustn’t take our lives for granted. We must dwell in the present and consciously create a better future.

Start by journaling, by sitting down and having a quiet conversation with yourself about your fears, your wants, your strengths, weaknesses and the goals you need to set for yourself in order to improve your situation and how you view yourself and life. Then make that list and stick it up in a place that you can see it every day. Make other mini lists in your journal as well, of your dietary intentions, your exercise regime, a list of activities and projects you wish to try. Make lists about the relationships and characters in your life so that you are more aware of the people who positively and negatively influence you. Changing your vibrations also includes the vibrations of others around you.

Create visuals for yourself. Use Pinterest to create vision boards of these things as well - collect recipes, inspiring photos, mantras and DIY tutorials. Use the internet for positive reinforcement and stay away from all the “people watching” which does nothing but make you feel bad about yourself or makes you feel like your life is shit compared to others. You see people out there doing things you cannot do because you don’t have the money or have a family to take care of. The negative feelings and thoughts that arise from social media creates a negative living environment for your mind and soul within your body. It is depressing and is like a disease.

For the last few years I myself do not go on social much anymore aside from Instagram (which I limit outside of business) because I find it counteractive to my self-confidence and it is time consuming. I choose to spend my time working on me - my business and my written works since becoming a published author is my biggest goal, one I hope to fulfill by 2019.  These commitments have also caused me to stray from Rasta WifeLine which I am not proud of, but have been necessary for me to achieve my goals for the RasTafari community. All my time away hopefully will be worth it when I am able to publish my book and my homeschooling materials.

So it is important to prioritize your time, to spend your time constructively. We often say there aren’t enough hours in the day, but there are once we choose to use them wisely. Orient your time in a way that works for you, that promotes YOUR BEST SELF. Taking time away from others is beneficial and necessary to your goals and you mustn't regret that. Vibrating higher requires full commitment, full dedication to the cause which is to improve yourself and your life.

So here is my list, which you are free to copy or use as a template for yourself and your needs:

1. Daily affirm mantras and compliments to myself in the mirror. State my intentions to myself.
2. Plan a daily routine of Ises, Exercise and Meditation
3. Journal daily or weekly to focus my intentions, process my feelings, track my growth and tackle my inhibitions
4. Don’t worry or stress – instead make plans for improvement or find solutions instead.
Never go to bed angry or stressed, clear the mind and lighten my mood first.
5. Budget and control my attachment to money – don’t let it stress or control me
6. Spend time outdoors in the natural elements
7. Learn and use crystals for attracting positive energy and healing
8. Dance!
9. Read!
10. Smile!
11. Pamper or treat myself once a month
12. Eat healthy live foods and drink plenty of water
13. Wear nice clothing everyday, things that make me feel like a goddess
14. Get enough rest – to bed early, rise early
15. Create something beautiful for my home, self or others
16. Clear away clutter from my living and work spaces
17. Learn something new, develop a skill that can help me in other aspects of life
18. Set positive goals and activities for myself and family
19. Hug my family and say “I love you” daily
20. Say loving, kind, complimentary and positive things to others
21. Do good deeds for others, especially for the RasTafari community
22. Do not yell
23. Control my temper
24. Do not gossip
25. Stay away from negative people and places, walk away from negative situations
26. Surround myself with inspiring, happy, likeminded people
27. Be grateful
28. Believe  - in the possibility of everything believe I am CAPABLE of accomplishing whatever
29. Visualize the future I wish to have, the person I wish to be
30. Take action and never back down when things are hard
31. Be patient in the process

I hope you will find this idea useful and give it a try. Please let me know how it goes and for the Bredren, I hope you will find these words encouraging and do the same. Tell your Fari family about it, encourage others to make the next year of life a better more Upfull one.
RasTafari on the whole needs to raise its vibration as a collective force in the world. Let us all individually work towards the greater good.

Ila Addis

Four Lessons to gain from the Coronation of Emperor Haile Sellassie I

Blessed Ilah Honourable Coronation Selahbration to one and all RasTafari Idren on this day,


I give thanks for November 2nd 1930 as a constant reminder of the greatness and Ivinity of Emperor Haile Sellassie the First, Negus Tafari Makonnen. A Man who fought all odds to claim a seat of power that He knew was destined to be His no matter the socially accepted order of succession. The throne of Ethiopia was not just handed to HIM because He was the heir, it was an honour bestowed upon HIM because of His tenacity and Wisemind to do what was necessary to ensure it would become His.

That is the first lesson InI can learn about the coronation, that we must fight for what we know in our hearts to be our destiny. InI must know what our individual calling in life is, so that we can perform all necessary steps to fulfill that purpose. Our works must also be considerate of others, bring goodness to them, uplift their lives. The Emperor didn’t just gain a crown for HIMSelf, but for His people, that He could do what was right and necessary to ensure that their lives improved and that they were protected. This was His purpose, this was the fulfilment of His upbringing as a noble youth, son of a diplomat and leader of an army.

The second lesson InI can learn from the coronation is to stand tall in the presence of our enemies, to treat our enemies with respect and show them our worth even if they will not like it. The Emperor was crowned in front of twelve nations from around the world, namely Europe. He was well aware of the racist attitudes they had towards HIM, especially Great Britain ruled under King George V, but that did not deter HIM from making His legitimacy as Emperor known and respected. These nations bowed to HIM as He ascended a throne more ancient than theirs, in a country more powerful than theirs. Even if for a few days, He forced them to respect the Afrikan nation in its independence, which was a thing most hated by the Europeans. InI must learn to shine even when others cast nets of darkness, InI must see competition as a tool to strengthen ourselves for success. InI must use adversity to better ourselves.

The third lesson is the importance of unity between Husband and Wife, King and Queen. The Empress Menen Asfaw was joined to Her Husband the Emperor on that day eighty-six years ago. This was the first time in Ethiopian Istory that an Empress Consort shared the coronation ceremony of an Emperor. Empress Menen’s anointment as Queen was granted by the Ethiopian Tewahedo Orthodox Church upon the request of Her Husband. She too took a vow to serve Her nation, to be a Guide and Help unto the realm and Her King. She did not merely gain a crown and high position that would move Her into the palace of Emperor Menelik II, but took on an enormous responsibility to share the Emperor’s work. There must be balance and equality in all aspects of a marriage. A wife is not there just to adorn her husband, she is there to uplift and improve him as he handles all the responsibilities and burdens that come with his position in life as a man. And vice versa as well, naturally. There cannot be one without the other. Life is better when there is full unity, love and mutual raspect between a husband and wife. The world they create together as One is beautiful and a thing of power and fruitfulness.

The fourth lesson, sealing the great fourfold journey of the I, Kristos (as represented in the Cross/Ankh/Tau which adorns the crown and orb) is within the symbolism of the crown itself. Coronation Day represents the bestowing of the Crown, the gain of power. In RasTafari InI wear the crown of the Ras, the Natty. InI must remember that the crown or Ras upon our heads is a sacred thing and also a symbol of authority – the authority InI gain over our minds, bodies and souls through our individual awakenings. The Natty represents, like the golden crown given to the Emperor and Empress, InI Jah-given Ivinity, it represents our Union with the Most I – Wisdom, Beauty and Life Iternal. 

The wooly crown is a sacred adornment to the body, it enhances our internal intuition, our connection to the vibrations that exist outside of our bodies. It is an antenna system that feeds upon and yet physically represents the awakening of our senses, the unlocking of our chakras/aritus/light centres in our bodies. The Ras sits upon the head, the head represents the dwelling of Kristos, together they are the pinnacle of InI Kristos-Consciousness. InI must therefore remember to raspect and treasure our crowns, to feed them correctly, both with Ital foods of Neter and with Truth and Wisemind. Our Crowns are manifestations of the glory InI receive through a personal connection with the Ivine I. InI must be conscious not to desecrate the crown with bad words, feelings of ill will towards others and dishonest, destructive works and attitudes. The Emperor and Empress are Figures of High Morality and Goodness and we must remember as Rastafari to emanate the attitude of Kristos in all things, to let our rootical crowns, our lion manes, be reminders of that. A crown is more raspected when its wearer behaves in a worthy manner.

Ultimately, it is the hard times, the difficult struggles that show forth the value of a crown and the greatness of the one who wears it. Let InI be reminded of this fact and shine forth with the power and majesty of a thousand suns.

I invite you to revisit other post I made a few years back on the symbolism of the coronation regalia.

Blessed Coronation Day one and all

Selah!



Ila Addis

Rastafari Wisemind Newsletter for August 2016

Blessed Love

I am happy to share the Wisemind The People's Voice Newsletter for August 2016

This issue features an insightful reasoning from Ras Ravin I one of the newsletter's founders, sharing his early years of  sighting up Rastafari during the Black Power days of Trinidad.


View it here Wisemind The People's Voice


RasTafari Speak!

Ila

Say No To Burn Out

Blessed Love and Power

As Dawtas InI wear many crowns: InI are sisters, daughters, wives, mothers, friends and business women all at once. Although a kingman has his own share of duties and roles, I honestly don't think it can compare to the roles and duties of a wombman.

A man can come home from work and relax after work, but not a wombman, our duties run from sun up til eyes close - meals have to be prepared, clothes have to wash, house has to tidy, business has to be tended to if you're self employed, children have to be settled for bed, homework tended to, homeschool schedule tended to, there are no set working hours for InI.

A kingman can go on vacation from work and relax as he sees fit, help if he wants to, be out all day if he wants to, sleep late if he wants to, but a wife or mother can never do that unless HE is willing to take over her duties! Think about it, InI can go on a family vacation to a beach house or something, but mama still has to rise up early and get everyone dressed, meals prepared, she still has to keep the place in order, still has to cater to every single need of the family.
The only vacation a mama gets is when she is given that vacation without the yutes, or if papa says "I will do it, you relax!"

The old saying "No rest for the weary" never gets old in truth.
InI can easily find ourselves burnt out because as wombman we never.stop.going. InI Never Stop Going!

And sometimes it feels like the kingman dem dont get it! To hear a one complain about vacation over, work starting back etc. but YOU never get a vacation because you still doing the same things everyday without a break of your own. There is no end to the cycle of mama/wifey duties! There is no vacation even when it's vacation for everyone else!

It is important that InI as Wombman find and demand the time for ourselves or we'll burn out - we'll be sour and in bad moods, we'll feel physically ill, mentally fatigued and overall unhappy.

Somehow, sometime, somewhere it is a must that InI have ME TIME.REAL ME TIME
I know many of us don't like to send our yutes to be under the care of others, even if they are family members, I am guilty of that always, but we also have to be reasonable and think about our own selves, and give ourselves one day of peace and quiet, of doing nothing - and I don't mean a day to stay home and clean but a day of no duties whatsoever besides self-pampering, reading, listening to music or just resting in bed! No one to dictate our pace or set the tone!

I know it's an impossible feat sometimes especially when InI don't have the family or even kingman support that is necessary to make it happen. I live in a country different to where I grew up and long for the extra help from my mum or brother who love my children and would gladly keep them for a day or two.

But where there's a will there is a way, and InI have to acknowledge that InI are worthy of rest, and worthy of time to just be ourselves, free of pressure and constant service to others. InI must stand up for our right to relax and rejuvenate rather than always just being slaves to our duties - cause that's how it feel sometimes. While we love the family, it can be OVERWHELMING.  Self love and service is the foundation of loving and serving others.

InI have to have these conversations with our kings and make them see how much we need help when we feel like we are at our breaking points. Hopefully the kings will be willing to support us and offer to help rather than be nagged into helping. All wives ask for is a little initiative, for our kings to read the signs from us. It is not selfish to ask for time alone, neither should it be something that sparks a quarrel when the issue is raised. Mutual overstanding and support makes a happy marriage.

In the meantime, to take the time daily before the yutes rise or after the house is quiet at night is also important, but hard as well. Use the quiet hours for Ises and exercise, reading an inspirational word to set the mind right for the day. It is also necessary to protect the I from burnout: Eat well, rest enough every night, keep hydrated and listen to the body. Visit Nature, tend the garden. Make time to meet with other sistren and just relax, even if the yutes are there. Laughter is great medicine too!

InI must become mistresses of stealing time if we are to keep ourselves strong and mentally capable of being the Super Wombman that everyone thinks we are!

Love Thy Self, Protect the Crown and Listen to your Heart
Say no to Burn Out
Ila

RasTafari WiseMind Magazine July 2016 issue

Blessed Love

I post the July issue of WiseMind Magazine here.
This issue features my article on Rastafari King and Queen Conduct which I posted here on the blog a while ago. I give thanks to be a part of the newsletter again.
The newsletter this month features some great words of the elders, calling us to wake up to the social and political atmosphere that is brewing against Afrikans of the Diaspora. So much of our brothers and sisters are suffering right now in America and we must remember to keep taking our own stand against the system. Support black business, keep your money out of Babylon as much as possible - find a way in your life to be a revolutionary, This is what RasTafari stands for. Now is the time for us to lead by example, to show Afrikan pride in the West and remember the suffering of our elders and ancestors. We must take a stand against the injustice just as the Emperor did and would have Himself.

Give thanks to Ras Ravin and Itrice Beepath for their works in bringing the voices of Rastafari to the world. Let InI learn and grow with one another.

Please remember to view my latest contributions to the RasTafari community at www.farifacts.com 

RasTafari Love!
Ila