Juwarra's portfolio

I just opened my new art portfolio site. I added it into "Find me @" listings in sidebar here, but also thought that when I write about it in a separate post, it is more visible. Adress is http://juwarraart.blogspot.com/

What is Rasta

Just a fact before I continue - Ras was title for leader of province and military in Abyssinia. Heile Selassie was actually named ras Tafari Makonen, from what comes the word rasta or rastafari. When he was coronated to be emperor of Abyssinia (little bit bigger area than current Ethiopia), he took himself a name Heile Selassie I. When Rastafarian religious movement started, ras became widely used for anyone who was to be Rastafarian. So in Africa you may meet a lot of people who say ras in front of their name (similarily to Heile Selassie usually not their birth name, but something they just later take for themselves).

Ok, I was supposed to write why I liked when in Kenya people called me a Rasta. It is actually simple. First of all, in Kenya people basically knew only about four religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Rastafarianism. Well yeah, if you ask about their old Pagan beliefs, then of course they remember this too, but usually they don't imagine that someone would still believe something like that. And yeah, actually although I call myself a Pagan, my beliefs aren't anything like Neopagan's or even less like old Pagan beliefs in Estonia, elsewhere in Europe and surely not something like African peoples had before Christianization. With great reservations I could say that my beliefs are something similar to Shinto that would be mixed with very little of Taoism. Anyway, I would say that out of the four religions widely accepted in Kenya, I am more Rastafarian than any other. Rastafarians have pretty good philosophical and ethical side, but what I don't believe is the religious format of it. First of all, Rastafarians believe into hedonism, living well yourself and making all from your side to make also others irie. And rastafarians believe into making world better through simply understanding good values because of positive, constructive reasons, whereas in Christianity, Islam and many other world religions main thing is restrictive ethical codex, understanding of being the subject of higher entity, therefore condmning him/herself to be lower and less worthy and simply obeying, or one more thing is also the lure of promise for some bliss after death. And Hinduism with all the rebirths, pantheon of Gods and whatever else is completely strange to me. When Christians and Moslems see reason in prayers, then for Rastafarians all is about your actions. Christians and Moslems like to say that it is same in their case, that actions are most important, but then why they need to pray all the time. And why I don't see living like it counts then. Rastafarians live... they live good. Yeah, they often say something like: "Praise the Rastafari" or some other things, but this is not like prayer, it is more like cult of personality of Heile Selassie, who actually was a great example of a man and a leader. I don't believe that he was the incarnation of God... same way I believe that Christ was a mortal man who with his ideas and maybe charisma got lot of followers and enthusiasts... but he wasn't the incarnation of God either. Well, I simply don't believe into incarnation. Only perhaps in a way we all are first the part of this great spirit/God/Tao and then our soul incarnates in our body. But then we all are incarnations of God, and not Christ, nor Heile Selassie, nor Buddha, no-one are more the son of God than us all. Some are have simply more illuminated ideas about right/good ways of living and how to make world a better place. Actually, I should be called a agnostic, because I don't know if God exists. I want to believe that it is so, but probably I don't get to know it in my life. Basically I take from religions all that is about us, humans, and don't think so much about mystical side.

But about the cult of personality, I don't believe that we should make it so important. We can pay our respect to great men like Heile Selassie, Gandhi, whom ever you want, much better by simply following their example. Sure, I too may sometimes praise someone, but I understand that this is how it happens - mortal man is likened with the God. Same way also faith is good, but making it material and ceremonial, is not.

Faith and belief are not the same as religion.

Love and ideology

Sorry that I haven't posted here for a while. I have been busy with many things. Thinking through my plans of going for Eurotrip, finishing things for exhibitions, creating my portfolio blog and just having some social time.

But today I wanted to write something. At least the poem I wrote last night for my sweetie. Anyway, some time ago I wrote her a message that we finally have more sunlight in a day, but she is my true sunshine through all the good and bad times. Few days ago she sent me quite a similar message where she said that she is watching the stars, that she loves all stars in the sky, but these are nothing compared to the ones in my eyes. I know... quite cliché, but it is still sweet and it created some kind of story in my mind. So this is it:

Sun and other stars

Spacecold land of night,

a spaceboy is alone.

He longs his sunshine girl

and sunshine land, his home.

And sunbrown girl looks

to the stars above,

to the stars with pale light.

They love, they miss

eachothers eyes,

they wish for a kiss.

And wish they aren't

like day and night.

In the end they must get together,

right?!

Few days ago it was birthday of my friend. It was weird. He had like two kinds of guests. Some couples mainly from Tallinn or at least not from Aruküla... he himself included (acting pretty much like already married couples), and then there were guys from Aruküla - all alone. But it was weird this time for me especially because now basically I am in commited relationship, I have someone... but then again, I don't in the sense that she aren't there with me. And although I am now taking this relationship seriously, I defended the idea of free men, when my friend's girl (who by the way is very young... I think she was 25 like my friend... but already has two kids... not with my friend... and still my friend is like a dad to these little girls) said that when guy gets 30 then basically he is late with all the relationship things. I even defended the idea of guys who change girls like their shirt... one day, one girl. I'm still convinced free lover proponent and believe that marriage has lost almost all reason in modern world. Yet, in my soul I wish I could already be back in Kenya, hold my loved girl, build a steady life with her and think about marriage and having a child.

Heh, that all now reminded me one thing. Today Katarina told that there were selfhelp books and other such literature very common in Nigeria. I said that in Kenya there was a book called "How to beat your wife". And then we talked how I and Jürgen-Kristofer, both artists, both mostly pacifists, interested of spiritualism and eastern philosophies and also as somehow our theme also went to Indigos, then Katarina also said that Indigos like us, of course wouldn't understand such ideology. Of course not, we wouldn't want to hit anyone and if it would be possible we even wouldn't want to step on insects. Katarina kind of ironically said that maybe sometimes also wife needs beating. "What would you do when wife won't obey you?" Jürgen answered that he wouldn't beat her and for few minuts didn't know what he would do, but finally said that he would just leave. And then it was my turn. My answer was: "I would love my wife more." Jürgen then changed his thought to the same.

Ok... I guess that's enough for today. It was fun and busy day.. a good day, (maybe because we walked the street down from Harju hill... by one guy this was supposed to be the "happy road"). Tomorrow maybe I'll write some things I said to them today about my beliefs and why I so well accepted when I was called Rastaman in Kenya. I finally cleared it for myself and found good enough words to verbalise it.

Aight.... have fun ya'll... make love, but remember, do it safe.