Good Book

I put some new links up to several free downloads for some great E-Books. I like to look at old books to get a snapshot of what life was like back then so I included some old cookbooks for some fun archeology without disturbing anyone's bones.

The book "What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Southern Cooking" is said to be the first cookbook written by a black woman. On that same site, there are several other cookbooks and a recipe book for cocktails, all firsts by Black authors. I tried to find the links this morning, but didn't have time to look for them. I will post them tomorrow or later on today.

And of course the Black Elk Speaks and Autobiography of Black Hawk books are amazing. I was so happy when I found these as public domain books.

The Dictionary of Biblical Names is pretty interesting. There's probably a lot that could be done with that.

I was taking a Choctaw class last year, but had to drop out. The Choctaw Pentateuch is a book I found at that time.

I will post more as I rummage through my years of bookmarks.

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Ulali - for stress and self-love

Oh my goodness, the music of Ulali (Pura Fé , Soni Moreno, and Jennifer Kriesberg)is so amazing, I am continually entranced. I just had to share the medicine of these women's voices. Their song "Wah Jhi Le Yihm" was in the movie "Smoke Signals" and the song "Mahk Jchi Heartbeat" was sung with the Robbie Robertson Red Road Ensemble. These two songs are on their myspace page with the addition of the amazing "All My Relations", which makes me stop what I am doing every time I hear it and just say a prayer and give thanks for being alive. Just beautiful.

You Tube video for "Mother"

Lyrics to Mahk Jchi Heartbeat --

Mahk Jchi

Mahk jchi tahm buooi yahmpi gidi
Mahk jchi taum buooi kan spewa ebi
Mahk jchi tahm buooi yahmpi gidi
Mahk jchi taum buooi kan spewa ebi

Mahmpi wah hoka yee monk
Tahond tani kiyee tiyee
Gee we-me eetiyee
Nanka yaht yamoonieah wajitse
Nanka yaht yamoonieah wajitse

Hey yah eh yah eh yah
Hey yah oh way-hee-tah-ah
Hey yah hey yah hey yah
Oh way-ee oh way-ee oh way-ee yah-ah

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Sacred Object -- Boli

This sacred power object is a Boli from the Bamana Nation of Mali. I know almost next to nothing about these objects and what I do know is from several webpages that I just happened across last night. They are amazing. The idea of these to me is mind blowing. If I am understanding correctly, they are a constant sacred power work in progress, containing the intentions of all who have ever participated in any type of ritual with them. Amazing. Here is an excerpt from one of the pages above (I can't seem to find the other ones) that has some info about them:

"The primary function of a boli is to accumulate and control the naturally occurring life force called nyama for the spiritual benefit
of the community. Used as altars or carried during dance performances, they are complex creations created from esoteric
recipes, or daliluw. Animal bones, vegetable matter, honey, and metal are packed around an interior armature of bamboo
wrapped in white cotton cloth. They are covered with layers of mud and clay, and their surfaces accumulate sacrificial materials
over time, including chicken and goat blood, chewed kola nuts, alcohol, and millet porridge. Each added layer of material lends
the structure greater spiritual power."

The Dogon also call the life force called "nyama" and if I recall correctly, they live in the same area as this ancient empire.

[*** note -- okay I had not scrolled down on the page... I thought the top part was all there was as a matter of fact... but I scrolled down right now and see that these objects are for sale??? (huh???) I thought this was a museum or something. And they have a picture of one in someone's house next to a TV??? Okay, I am not going to say anything else... just fill in the blanks rant rant rant !!! ]

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African Ritual Objects Photos

As I was web wandering this evening, I came across this nice collection of photos of ritual objects and ceremonial dress from different parts of Africa. Included are photos from the (DR)Kongo, the Wodaabe of Niger, Bamana of Mali (with photo of a Boli -- which I am becoming extremely interested in these sacred objects), the Asante of Ghana, Yoruba of Nigeria and more. I was really happy to see the photos of the Nkisi and the ceremonial dress of the Wodaabe women. The bead work of the women was beautiful.

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Obeah Man

While searching you tube for some rake and scrape videos I clicked on this from you tube channel Jamaica Yard TV. It is a short video (wish there was more), but is good in what the man says when he is asked if he is an Obeah Man.

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June 19th -- Galveston, TX

I went here to learn more.

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With TV Gone

... I don't seem to have as much to write about. Not so much to be angry or appalled at. And when I read to catch up on the news, seems to have a different affect. I don't feel so invaded.

Through a yahoo group I subscribe to, I found out about these several things...

this one's relevant for tomorrow --

Moon Illusion

these concerning American enslaved Bantu people's and Christianity --

Kimpa Vita
Christianity in the Kongo #1
Christianity in the Kongo #2
Christianity in the Kongo #3

The latter pages shifting and balancing the askew picture of a majority of African's in America's practice of Christianity and the belief of their being introduced to it by their enslavers. Makes common sense that some already believed and this is how they were manipulated into not escaping or destroying their captors. After hearing about Stockholm Syndrome, I immediately applied it to slavery and the Africans forcibly involved, trying to make some type of life under horrific and unbelievable cruelty. A mind shift. But now with this information, the psychological impact appears to have been even more insidious, with the attackers using what they believed against them. A cult.

Also in the essay recounted on this page, a former slave talks about his experience with conjuring and how Africans could conjure each other, but not their captors.

"The biggest thing the niggers done was working congerations. [This is the interviewer's attempted phonetic spelling for "conjurations," that is, conjure or hoodoo.] The funny thing bout that was they could hoo-doo each other but they sure couldn't hoo-doo the white folks."

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Earthships

And now for some good stuff... :)

Was watching the Science Channel and saw a program called Eco-Tech with a feature on "Earthships", common-sense homes. I had seen these a while ago, and wanted to live in one (I really want to live in a lodge/tipi, maybe one day...).

Lots of info and images to look at.

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Huh???

Okay this is ignorant...

http://underafullmoon.com/2007/08/
witchcraft-suppression-bill-in-south.html

[excerpt]

"Supposedly, the bill was designed to prevent the practice of traditional African witchcraft which can include animal sacrifices and the like. But the bill makes no mention of Western witchcraft, such as Wicca, leaving Pagans who practice it wondering if they'll have to abandon their religion or keep it in secret."

Working WITH Herbs and Plants

Just a little realization...

I have always thought of herbs and plants (and rocks and animals and other things I can't think of right now) as my friends. Plant friends, rock friends, animal friends. I think this may be one link to a difference in hoodoo/native american/atrs from "wicca" or "wiccan-type" rituals (okay I am being very general here, and probably too simplified, so please excuse me). In the wiccan flavoured rituals I have seen/studied/performed there always seemed to be a 'hiccup' for me at the empowering/charging part. I would not 'tell' or 'use' a friend to get me something I want using 'mind power'. I would however explain to my friend my situation, and ask for any help, insight or wisdom in aiding me to obtain a resolution for the problem. In the course of such a relationship, I would have done little things to show how much I care about this friend and would most likely take the friend out as a celebration for my freedom from the problem or invite the friend over for a night of listening to music, good food and chillin, as a little sign of how much I appreciate this friendship and their help. So behaving in this same way to my plant and rock friends makes perfect sense and is inline with my other behaviors. If I have been a good friend, my friends will not hesitate to help me and will genuinely want to see me free from strife. If I have not been a particularly good friend and I realize this, I may apologize for my neglect, and commit to a changing in my ways. I would leave the decision up to the friend. And if this friend is especially wise, I would tell them that there is probably more going on here than what I can see and ask for help to see the 'bigger picture' and want only truth from them, no matter how much it may hurt. This would be the expected behavior from a real and true friend.

I also understand the viewpoint that all of this exists within us and the answer lies within, so the answer could lie in my allowing my "inner self" to push out the energy to empower the 'item' to get the job done. I mean they are really all different perspectives on the same activity. I know inside that the rocks and the plants and the animals are all ME. But I think there might be a little difference that is important to me, whereas it might not be so important for others. There is a little subtle shift concerning the ego. As we know, the ego can be a very self aggrandizing entity/program. There is such a fine line to crossing over to the path that leads to egoism or to other side with a false sense of humbleness, leading to fake self-deprecation. In seeing 'all' things as equal and as having meaning and value, for me, this is the balancing pole, the equalizer. I at harmony with life and living things in this life. Like the Buddha said, "walk the razor's edge" (okay I am paraphrasing, here are the actual words"...Rise, awake! having obtained your boons understand them! The sharp edge of a razor is difficult to pass over; thus the wise say the path (to the Self) is hard" from this page at Sacred Texts).

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Crown Royal 'of Success'

Our family is a Crown Royal Bag Family. Well at least my dad, brother, sister and I are. Probably the extended family too. I know for sure at least my dad’s side of the fam is. My mom… naw, that is a little too tacky for her tastes. I love the bags! I have not had one in my possession for a while now. Last one I had was when I was in my early 30’s. I was always perplexed why I loved them so… and why so many other people loved them too. Always had a strange pull for me.

The other day while checking out a page at Lucky Mojo about hair care products, I read about Royal Crown hair grease as being used by folks because of the crown on the label and in the top. I used to use Royal Crown too years ago, before I stop using grease on my hair. Even though I had stopped, I still had (have) this urge to buy it. So it dawned on me… of course, the symbolism of “Crown Royal”! And the bag being purple too?! Ah, I finally saw the connection. So wonderfully covert! And no wonder it’s never spoken of, just as so many other “things” are hardly ever spoken of, just done. And I’m sure others have realized the connection, but I just couldn’t find anything when googled. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough.

Also Jazz musicians have used it for many years as a mute for their trumpets. Wonderful…

On this forum page, someone speaks of liking the brown Blanton’s bag better because it is not purple. I’ve never heard of Blanton’s. And I guessing the poster means it’s less “tacky”. Also a lot of folks post how they use them for poker chips, scrabble tiles, chess pieces and dice. This makes sense.

I gotta get me a bag now. Ebay has some, but I think I’ll just persuade one of my friends or one of my sons to have a little whiskey instead of rum for one of their get togethers. Mmmm… Crown and coke does sound good.

Irish Moss and da Big Big Bamboo

Okay, I've been looking for Irish Moss, trying to find either some product that contains it or somewhere close by that sells it for cheap-ish. But I've have been having this feeling that I know what it is already, but I just could not place where from... so this morning I googled Irish Moss. Checked out the Wikipedia 'crib notes' and saw that it was also called carrageenen and used in some ice creams, which I knew from somewhere. But I didn't think that was the connection, so I kept scrolling and saw that it is popular in the Carribean... ahhh okay so I googled Irish Moss Bahamas and came up with this. I was like oh okay, Irish Moss... Big Bamboo, now I remember. I don't think the person writing this review got the reference to Big Bamboo, which is a song by The Mighty Sparrow that I grew up listening to my mom play on the huge over-sized stereo in the family room. Big Bamboo links it to the aphrodisiac properties associated with this plant. Ya know... big bamboo... a man? Okay, so I looked for a place to listen to the song on the net, wanting to hear it again. 'The big big bamboo bam-boo... aye la la la la la la... workin for dah yankee dollar".

Click here to see the Mighty Sparrow sing it. Click here to see a shorter cute version I just found.

I also used to LOVE LOVE LOVE this song and still do!!! Obeah Wedding (click to here a little snippet).

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Irish Moss

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Archaeplastida
Phylum: Rhodophyta
Class: Rhodophyceae
Order: Gigartinales
Family: Gigartinaceae
Genus: Chondrus
Species: C. crispus
Binomial name
Chondrus crispus

*Money herb*

Also more info here at Herb-Magic

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