Hi,
It was lovely to see everyone who made it to the meeting last week and my prayers are with those that didn’t manage to join us…I hope you are all okay!
I’m cuddled up under a pile of cats….Archie, Amy and the Scabby Tabby (poor cat, she’s so pretty, I should call her Chloe, her proper name!) and I’m listening to the wind rattle through the windows and round the house.
It was SO cold last night, down to 1*c. For the first time this year, when I went out, I had layers of warm on and the fire in the kitchen hasn’t been allowed to go out for weeks.
All the swallows left weeks ago and now we have the winter visitors arriving…the Canada geese….no, not the posh coats but an actual goose!On walks we are seeing the skeins of geese, flying in a ‘v’ formation….they are noisy flyers, chattering and honking to each other all the time. They land in our field in flocks and chat to each other.
Some of them stay on in the spring and nest in up the hills not far from us. There is a beautiful walk that I sometimes do, through a path in the forestry and out onto the hills. The fields up there are rough moorland grass. There are ruined cottages from the eighteenth century next to a pond. It’s really remote. The geese nest there and in the spring the geese and their baby goslings swim on the pond.
The good news from last week…Lenny is okay! He has a stomach of steel, that staffy. He’s been bouncing round the house, playing, today. In fact, he and my son have just come rushing into the kitchen. Lenny goes into overdrive when anyone says the word W. A. L. K. and my son has just said it. Maybe he won’t be quite as happy about it when he sees the weather.
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Kebra Negast
40. How ZADOK the priest gave commands to DAVID the King And ZADOK the priest answered and said unto the young man, “Hearken unto what I shall say unto thee. And if thou wilt perform it thou shalt live to God, and if thou dost not God will punish thee, and thou shalt become the least of all the nations, and thou shalt be vanquished by thy foes. And God shall turn away His face from thee, and thou shalt be dismayed, and sad, and sorrowful in thy heart, and thy sleep shall be without refreshing and health. And hearken unto the word of God, and perform it, and withdraw not thyself either to the right hand or the left, in respect of that which we command thee this day; and thou shalt serve no other god. And if thou wilt not hear the word of God, then hearken to all the curses here mentioned which shall come upon thee. Cursed shalt thou be in the field, cursed shalt thou be in the city. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy land, cursed shall be the fruit of thy belly, and the herds of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep. And God shall send upon thee famine and pestilence, and He shall destroy that whereto thou hast put thine hand, until at length He shall destroy thee, because thou hast not hearkened to His word. And the heavens which are above thee shall become brass, and the earth which is beneath thee shall become iron; and God shall make the rain [which should fall upon] thy land to be darkness only, and dust shall descend from heaven upon thee until it shall cover thee up and destroy thee. And thou shalt be smitten in battle before thine enemies. Thou shalt go forth to attack them by one road, and by seven ways shalt thou take to flight before their faces, and thou shalt be routed; and thy dead body shall become food for the fowl of the heavens, and there shall be none to bury thee. And God shall punish thee with sores (or, leprosy), and with the wasting disease, and with the fever that destroyeth, and with the punishments (i.e., plagues) of EGYPT, and with blindness and terror of heart; and thou shalt grope about by day like a blind man in the darkness, and thou shalt find none to help thee in [thy] trouble. Thou shalt marry a wife, and another man shall carry her away from thee by force. Thou shalt build a house, and shalt not dwell therein. And thou shalt plant a vineyard and shalt not harvest the grapes thereof. Men shall slay thy fat oxen before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat of their flesh. Men shall snatch away thine ass, and shall not bring him back to thee. Thy sheep shall run to the slaves and to thine enemy, and thou shalt find none to help thee. And thy sons and thy daughters shall follow other people, and thou shalt see with thine own eyes how they are smitten, and shalt be able to do nothing. An enemy whom thou knowest not shall devour the food of thy land and thy labour, and thou shalt not be able to prevent him; and thou shalt become a man of suffering and calamity. When the day dawneth thou shalt say, ‘Would that the evening had come!’ and when the evening cometh thou shalt say, ‘Would that the morning had come!’ through the greatness of thy fear.-[All these things shall come upon thee] if thou wilt not hearken to the word of the Lord. But if thou wilt truly hearken unto the word of the Lord-hear thou-the goodness of God shall find thee, and thou shalt rule the countries of the enemy, and thou shalt inherit everlasting glory from the Lord God of ISRAEL, Who ruleth everything. For He honoureth him that honoureth Him, and He loveth him that loveth Him, for He is the Lord of death and of life, and He directeth and ruleth all the world with His wisdom, and His power, and His [mighty] arm.”
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Reasoning
Command. Isaiah 48 v15, 17
15 I, even I , have spoken: yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.17 Thus saith the LORD,
Emperor Haile Selassie I, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
Will. Proverbs 8 v14, 17-18
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength. 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.
Desire 1 Chronicles 16 v11, 13, 17
11 Seek the LORD, Emperor Haile Selassie I, and his strength, seek his
face continually. 13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones. 17 And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law,
and to Israel for an everlasting covenant.
Wish. Mark 11 v22, 24
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
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Proverbs
I thought I would look at Proverbs 8, like in the Reasoning this week. Written by King Solomon, again like the Proverbs chapters we looked at a few weeks ago, it is advice to his son. It’s a long chapter, so I thought I would put the 1st half this week and finish it off next week. By the way, I would like you to notice that this is what is described as a poem to wisdom….and wisdom is referred to as female….of course! 😊
Wisdom’s Call
Does not wisdom call out?
Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 At the highest point along the way,
where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gate leading into the city,
at the entrance, she cries aloud:
4 “To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence;
you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.[a]
6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;
I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true,
for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just;
none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right;
they are upright to those who have found knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;
I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;
I have insight, I have power.
15 By me kings reign
and rulers issue decrees that are just;
16 by me princes govern,
and nobles—all who rule on earth.[b]
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor,
enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold;
what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me
and making their treasuries full.22
In this, wisdom says: I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice It’s what I keep on trying to do, myself. I would like to think that you all do too!
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Nyahbinghi Chant
UNIVERSAL TRIBULATION
Universal Tribulation is upon mankind
There is only one conclusion we can find
Come together Brothers and Sisters
Time is drawing nigh
Hear the voice of Ithiopia – everyone
This is our liberation, let us all unite
Ithiopian Sons and Daughters
Wins the fight
There’s no power that can stop InI
While InI do the right
They say Jesus I say JAH JAH
True birthright
Hail our Emperor Haile Selassie I
Hail JAH the King of time
I must live in Zion City
Joy bells chime
Enemies of Ithiopia
Must go down in one
There will never be another
Mystery Babylon
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The wisdom of Marcus Garvey. From an article in the Charleston Chronicle
Mr. Garvey always said, without fear, that “God almighty created each and every one of us for a place in the world.”‘ He also related, “If you have no confidence in self you are twice defeated in the race for life. With confidence you have won even before you started.” This concept of inner confidence has always been a part of my personal understanding of believing in one’s self in order to achieve or accomplish anything worth attainable in life. I’m honored to say that in over fifty years of study this proud son of Jamaica, I’ve gained tremendous intuition into who I am and also about the battles I, and others of my culture, have to face daily in the quest for freedom and liberation.
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The Wise Words of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie l
What life has taught me on the question of racial discrimination, I like to share with those who want to learn.
That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and
permanently discredited and abandoned.
That until there are no longer first class and second class citizens of any nation;
That until the colour of a man’s skin is no more significance than the colour of his eyes:
That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race;
That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of
international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained;
And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique
and in South Africa in sub-human bondage have been toppled and destroyed;
Until bigotry and prejudice and malicious and inhuman self interest have been replaced by
understanding and tolerance and goodwill;
Until all Africans stand and speak as free beings, equal in the eyes of the Almighty;
Until that day, the African continent will not know peace. We Africans will fight, if
necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over
evil.
It will be self deceiving and a waste of time to advocate dialogue with those who are not
ready to listen, because it is obvious that the freedom of millions is not a commodity subject
to bargaining.
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Prayer
In the name of His Imperial Majesty, Holy Emanuel l, King Selassie l. I and I give thanks for this blessed day. May all the land be touched by your presence beauty and power. Keep I and I protected from Babylon tricks and adversity. Give I and I strength to survive another Day in Babylon. Bless I and I that I may maintain a positive loving caring and sharing spirit as I serve you Jah on this day. Keep Satan and his workers out of I and I path as I trod the earth today. In the name of King Selassie I, Holy Emanuel I. Rastafari.”
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A few days ago, my son & I were driving home and on the road just below our house I saw something I haven’t seen around there before. One of my favourite animals….a hare. I don’t know if any of you have ever seen a hare before….they are majestic, tall, swift. They can cover ground incredibly fast and in the spring the males box each other for territory….honestly, they box! It’s very rare to see them box but I have been very lucky and seen it once, on the moorland behind my old house. It reminded me of the story of the Welsh saint, Saint Melangell, who is the patron saint of hares and I thought I would find the old Welsh story about her. I decided to be kind and print it in English, rather than Welsh, as you are all kind to me and slow down so I can understand (most!!) of your Jamaican! 😊. Here you go…..
Saint Melangell was a Welsh saint of Irish descent who came to Wales to escape from forced marriage arranged by her father who was an Irish King. Unhappy at the prospect of an arranged marriage to a man she did not love she left Ireland to become a hermitess in the wilds of Powys, Wales.
Saint Melangell and the Hare
Saint Melangell is the patron saint of hares and there is a remarkable legend that tells how this association was created. According to the legend to escape marriage, she took a vow of celibacy and travelled across the Irish Sea to take refuge in a remote spot in Powys, Wales. There she lived in isolation without seeing the face of any man for fifteen years.
The Prince of Powys goes hunting
It so happened that one day the Prince of Powys whose name was Brochwel Yscythrog was out hunting nearby to her hermitage and his dogs roused a hare and chased it forcing it to take refuge in a thicket. The prince thought his dogs had the hare at their mercy so when he caught up with them he had a surprise. The hounds all stood at bay around the hare that sat defiantly glaring at the dogs from the fold of the dress worn by a woman of great beauty who was in deep prayer. All around the dogs howled and bayed but they would not go near the hare that stared boldly at them from the shelter of the the folds of the woman’s dress. The Prince and his huntsmen urged his hounds to go in for the kill but they would not venture near the woman who continued praying fervently. Prince Brochwel Yscythrog ordered his chief huntsman to blow on his horn to encourage them to the kill but when he tried to blow the horn no sound was made and it stuck fast to his lips preventing him from opening them. The Prince then spoke to the woman who told him her history and that she was a hermitess who lived nearby and had dedicated herself to God. She told him how she had arrived and lived here and that she had vowed chastity and that his and his huntsmen were the first men she had seen in fifteen years. She had lived a life of hardship and dedication to God and her bed been the hard cleft of a nearby rock.
Shrine Church of St Melangell
Brochwel Yscythrog was so impressed by her story and what he had seen he gave her the land thereabout to live on and to be a sanctuary to any who fled there. The Prince asked her to found an abbey on the site which she did and became the abbess living there for many years and dying at a great age.
Her latin name is Monacella though it is rarely used and her feast day is May 27th and was established in the year 590. The legend of Melangell and the Hare can still be seen carved on a wooden screen that depict hares running to her for her protection. Because of her association with them she was made the patroness of hares which were sometimes called St. Monacella’s Lambs or Oen Melangell. Today the saint is still remembered at the beautiful and peaceful shrine church of St. Melangell.
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Its one of the places I would love to visit. It’s not far from Berwyn at all, up in the hills. I wonder if there are still many hares around there.
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This week I’ve….I can’t believe I’m going to admit this to you lot! This week I’ve managed to accidentally dye myself bright blue. Not my hair….all of me. Think avatar without the glamour & the cooool tail….no, actually, think smurf! Yes, smurf blue!
I bought a new navy jumper, online. I opened the parcel and tried the jumper on and it was really cosy so I kept it on til bedtime. We are still camping in the spare room while our bedroom is being decorated….so, all of my bedroom stuff….in with all of the actual spare room stuff….and the Christmas shopping started. The main light bulb has gone and it’s such a mess that we are only using one useless bedside light to be able to see.
In the morning it was cold so when I got up I put that nice cosy navy blue jumper on and went to get on with my studying. Pete got up later than me and when he made the bed it was blue! Completely blue….just on my side, one edge of the 2 pillowcases and the top of the sheet. Really bright blue!
A couple of weeks ago there were beautiful soft cat beds in Aldi so I bought my spoilt cats a lovely blue velvet one and put it on my bed during the day. I thought the blue must be that. It seemed the only explanation…until I rolled my sleeves up and my arms were completely blue! Investigation proved that I was navy blue all over, from neck of jumper, down my arms to where jumper met jeans…..yes, completely smurf all over.
Since then I have had 3 long scrubby sort of showers and I’m now only vaguely smurf in a fairly good light….and my family have mostly stopped laughing at me, unless a strong ray of light hits me and they notice all over again my blue skin. As I keep on telling you, my life is just so glamorous!
So, if you notice a faint blue colour to me, please be kind and pretend you can’t!
Blessings, Elizabeth
Lockdown Letters 