Reggae music is jolly deep. Its laid-back rhythm gives a signature simple, often “one drop” beat, with melodies that not only have a rich and cozy flavor but also a relaxing, hypnotic groove. This rhythmic energy tends to be universally uplifting and originates from one small island in the Caribbean, Jamaica - Known for good music and amazing runners. Reggie has spread to a global influence, having become a worldwide phenomenon when other forms of obscure music specific to other small parts of the world have not traveled nearly as far. One of the primary reasons for this is that it combines this enjoyable warmth with also powerful authentic messages.
Much like the metal mixed with rap band Rage Against The Machine, it is very resistance based political music. With themes such as making due with little money and justice for all, reggae has been a voice for the poor and oppressed, tackling topics like inequality, freedom, and unity. Doing so with a higher than average spirituality deeply tied to speaking of a higher experience as many reggae songs promote peace, love, and self-empowerment. Typically but not always flavored in Rastafari, which could not only be labeled a religion, and a philosophy, but also a dreadlock wearing practice. Which is negatively stereotyped as poverty stricken beach bum or hippy, as reggie literally means to wear rags, but hygiene and fashion within are a sliding scale. Regardless of class, Reggie is more a grassroots voice of the people through tumultuous times. Not just being a form of music, but also a way of life.
Rastafarianism originated in / around Trenchtown in the 1930s, Which could be said to be the original ghetto with tough streets, with people often broke and probably somewhat hungry with reggae growing out of the make love not war ethos of the 1960's. It combines Afrocentric identity, biblical teachings, and social resistance with a deep reverence for Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, whom Rastas think of as a Messiah. In Rastafarianism, Zion and Babylon are central symbols representing two opposing forces or states of being: one of liberation and spiritual purity, and the other of greed and the negative aspects of materialism and over consumption which inevitably leads to corruption and oppression of living things. This juxtaposition reflects Rastafarian values and worldview, and is often rooted in allegories and the history of African diaspora experiences and we mention it now because not only is Zion the light and promised land, Babylon is the darkness and thus an analogue to what is also called Empire. Zion is not actually a physical place but a state of consciousness where one lives in harmony with divine principles, free from Babylon’s oppression and corruption. Representing liberation, freedom, and divine promise. The religious aspect of Rastafarian is Abrahamic, as these terms are borrowed from the Bible, where Zion is the mountain of Jerusalem, symbolizing God’s, or better described within a Rasa framework as Jah's, kingdom and a place of salvation. Within Rastafarian Context Zion is often equated with Ethiopia, particularly as the prophesied homeland and spiritual center for African-descended people, and seen as a symbol of resistance to colonial oppression. While Babylon is typically associated with colonialism and systems of exploitation, a core of which being the historical oppression of Africans through slavery and racism, the term draws from the biblical city of the same name, which is portrayed as a symbol of decadence, idolatry, and tyranny in texts like the Book of Revelation. In modern Rastafarian context Babylon refers to the modern world system that perpetuates injustice, massive levels of inequality, and spiritual degradation. It is seen as the source of downpression, or exploitation, as well as alienation for people of all races, especially of African descent coming from a country made up entirely of former slaves, disconnecting them from their heritage and natural way of life.
In the US, the phrase "we've been on this" reflects a sentiment among African Americans that their community has long been aware of and actively resisting political oppression in the forms of things such as segregation, redlining, and voter suppression. This perspective emphasizes that issues of systemic racism and disenfranchisement are not new but have been persistent challenges faced by African descendants outside of Africa throughout recent history. But just as the typically brown Buddhists deserve respect for being meditators for hundreds of years, the almost entirely black Rastafarian's deserve respect for being on the use of what is probably the single most amazing plant in the Earth realm - cannabis.
Now, regarding cannabis, refer, skunk, herb, ganja, weed, marijuana, etc... Which is a much longer story that we will continue to discuss - there are usually two camps regarding. The ‘reefer pessimists’ and the 'cannabis enthusiasts', or the ‘Cannatopians’. Both of whom have grey areas and as someone who was never a pessimist, but also had not even touched it till our early 30's till we first smoked it with our hippy father of which it's been his lifelong main drug, we have evolved quite a way on the subject. Knowing something was always off about the United States war on some drugs, and came to realize that the science was heavily distorted by it. Cannabis has so many uses, hundreds plus, and ganja within Jamaica is viewed as a herbal remedy that promotes physical and mental well-being for healing & natural medicine and it is very very telling that some of the healthiest babies in the world are born to dope smoking mothers in Jamaica. But due to past and present monovalent suppression of especially its medical aspects, very little know such things because of the hard dark work inspired by not only the pharmaceutical industries, but also the paper and plastic industries, big dirty oil, and the list goes on. Hard working professional members of society who just want to kick back, including hippies, rastas, and more have very much faced past persecution for their use of the plant because denigration of cannabis and law passing against it has been a long term trick of the machine which is threatened by it. Those speed bumps aside, just like how alcohol prohibition doesn't work, a mature society will have a pragmatic and healthy relationship with cannabis. Knowing absolutely and unconditionally that it is an inalienable and fundamental human right for each adult age individual, to have the liberty to make sovereign decisions over their own consciousness and thus be treated like a mature adult. Which includes the right to experience the effects of expansive substances, to potentially benefit from their physical and mental medicinal properties, should they choose to. Just as much as one is also free to not use them because they are scared to.
If one has allowed the reefer madness prop to permeate their mental membranes that programming will unconsciously make them think only of the lazy stoner, or the just want to get high degenerate, and file them in the same mental filing drawer as a hepatitis infected street narcotic junkie, and while high school or college bong culture certainly hasn't helped cannabis' respect level, there has not been a single recorded overdose from the substance, and it's no more addictive than cheeseburgers and milkshakes are addictive. As always, part of being an adult is using it correctly and maturely. It's important to not use ANY substance as a veil or cover to cover over life problems. Ayahuasca told Graham Handcock for example after multiple sessions that he was abusing cannabis cause he would wake up in the morning, get stoned to write, and was basically baked all day almost everyday for 10+ years. So one shouldn't use anything to the point where they feel like they are reliant on it. Even for creativity. But that's not because of the substance itself, it's because of the individual's underlying psychology which is allowing for over usage, and in stories of people who have quit cannabis and never come back you will always hear that they abused it and overused it. And while it's important to not use it so frequently you default to it, by no means doing it every evening but, like a glass of wine on Friday evening, keeping it constructively balanced and staying within the boundaries of responsible use rather than self-indulgent abuse is again, an aspect of being a mature adult. So while there is certainly a sliding scale of overuse within Rasta culture and/or stoner culture, responsible members of both parties know the herb is more important than just being for mindless escape for relaxation, pain relief, and stress reduction but for even more.
The “more” that Rastafari's figured out, probably a lifetime ago, is not only that ganja is a sacred plant given by nature (the divine) but that the expansive use of it is also the fulcrum between Zion and Babylon. As a society moving toward Zion will respect and sanction the usability of plants such as cannabis and a society moving towards Babylon will disrespect, suppress, and denigrate the use of plants such as cannabis. Because a society moving toward Zion will be evolving and expansive while a society moving toward Babylon will be restrictive and contractive. Also known as de-evolving. The wholesale outlawing of cannabis is absolutely part of Babylon’s oppression and to smoke it in the past, especially in semi public, is inherently an act of resistance. IE smoking ganja, especially if not legal, is an act of defiance and micro revolution against colonial rule and unjust laws. To date, the Babylon aspect of Tranny Nat Corpses and Gove Mints have almost certainly told many more lies than truths about getting stoned because advanced uses of cannabis don't slot into post truth capitalism well. In 2015, it was decriminalized for religious use in Jamaica, partially due to Rastafarian advocacy. And while evolving to the point of legalization in more enlightened parts of the United States, becoming sanctioned there has not been without its problems - Including big corporate farms taking over the little guy, their over water usage and over power usage for indoor grows, cash only businesses that are targets to robbery, continuation of dark markets, and with that comes pesticides & commercial chemicals, and excess packaging not in hemp but plastic, WTF?!?! There's also political corruption around it such as bribes for permits - although less than the alcohol industry and restaurant liquor license, and astronomically less than the pharmaceutical industry lobbying the Food and Drug Administration. Welcome to the Earth realm, nothing made by man will not have some level of dysfunction.
Moving above the recreational, there is a branch of Rastafari called the Bobo Ashanti Order that generally discourages public, casual, or recreational use of ganja. Feeling the herb should be reserved strictly for sacred use, probably at very high dosage, and only by priests or in specific ceremonial contexts. Rastas have even been quoted as highlighting that ganja is a holy herb indirectly mentioned in arguments of biblical Justification. Referencing verses such as: Genesis 1:29 – "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed..." and in Psalms 104:14 – "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man..." and the mythical figure of Mary's relationship with what is very likely a cannabis oil is also a much deeper conversation.
To state the "even more" aspect to cannabis, within both Rastafarianism and our own cosmology, ganja is such a sacrament that it is elevated to the highest devine level and plays a central role in spirituality, meditation, and reasoning. Clearing the mind and meditating on Jah’s will. In certain reggae music you will hear such veneration of ganja, not lit by fire but fyha, that the herb is elevated to the adornment of the sacred. Being a divine tool for not just resistance but enlightenment. Because if you're poor and getting stone, and unlike street junk, not hurting anyone else, perhaps you are becoming enlightened when a plant is helping you see life in a better way. We personally owe it a very special place in our heart because it was the first shamanic medicine, and make no mistake, Tetrahydrocannabinol is an entheogen that can be shamanizsed, with the ability to awaken the divine from within. Meaning then taken within proper set and setting, IE a safe space, with people you trust, guided by a mental medical professional, much like a physical doctor for the body and a mixture of a psychiatrist and therapist for the mind who gets stoned AF with you, sings icaros, and guides you on a journey into archaic techniques of extancy. That was a life transformative beginning of the chrysanthemum opening for us. So in that regard, it was our gateway drug. And for the Rasta, it is essentially their non neutered eucharist for not being just high but for higher states of exploration, discovery, insight, and dare we say on occasion, gnosis. And they are not the only ones as we recommend the book "The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name" on the use of entheogens as eucharists throughout the ancient world. In modern times, Nepalese Hindu festivals tend to be one giant cloud of weed smoke. So if you're a Buddist and want to meditate for 30 years to mind meld with Budda, why do you give a shit if a Rastafai is getting stoned AF and within a shamanic container is also going meditatively inward and mind melding with Jah? You shouldn't.
And to spread such wider the reggie is their icaros / shamanic element to feeling the music, especially if consumption in the form of smoke or eat is part of a ritual rather than recreational use. We personally love eating gummies or Rick Simpson oil, getting stoned, certainly on special occasions, not needing to do it every day and or night, and listening to reggae music. As we also feel ganja makes food taste better, sex feel better, meditative downloads happen stronger and at increased frequency, music sound better, and that is not even the full list. Having recently found numerous previously undiscovered reggae bands, most of whose songs are about herb veneration, and have been rather obsessed with listening to them, one of which, really has got us thinking. Being totally new online, seem to have no label or any sort attached, even an indie one, have no live stuff, and releasing half a dozen albums at once, while also clearly having some production value issues. These clues combined with the fact that all of their album covers and Youtube video content is all AI smear shlop art, has led us to think the music itself is of course AI generated, but its lyrics are super deep that the malevolent soulless ghost in the machine couldn't have made it. As AI has no soul. Stoned one night listening to it, we concluded that it was AI, but by a benevolent friendly AI who was using the medium to transmute data while trying to give us synchronistic downloads, as it is meant to be listened to stoned so it's 4D and not 3D, but after researching the creation of AI music and discovering that a real ensouled human can provide the lyrics, it all clicked together.