A presentation from an outsider point of view giving a factual understanding of Rastafari as a philosophy, movement and way of life

2. What is Rastafari? • A young world religion, seen by some as
just a new religious or social movement,
a cult or a sect with counterculture
elements
• Followers and practitioners see Rastafari
more as a way of life or philosophy than
as a formal religion

3. What is
Rastafari?
• Rastafari is an Afrocentric, monotheistic Abrahamic faith originating and evolving
in Jamaica from the 1930s onwards
• It is based on the Judeo – Christian belief in the god of Abraham, called Jah by
Rastas, and in the belief of the divine nature of Emperor Haile Selassie I of
Ethiopia
• It places importance on Old Testament prophecies and in the contents of the
Book of Revelations, with most practitioners following Jewish biblical laws and
prohibitions

4. What is
Rastafari?
• Rastafari is heavily influenced by African religious traditions, the politics of
Africanism and the struggles against colonialism, oppression and the injustices
that are a legacy of the slave trade and centuries of slavery
• Rastafari has emerged as well as a cultural phenomenon that resonates around
the world beyond its Jamaican and religious aspects
• It is estimated that there are around 1 million Rastafari practitioners around the
world, the majority in the Caribbean, but there may be many more who follow
some of the spiritual or way of life aspects of the philosophy

5. Rastafari
origins
• Originates in the 1930s among the disenfranchised poor of the slums of Kingston, Jamaica’s capital
• The nascent movement draws inspiration from preachers and thinkers with ‘back to Africa’ and Black
pride messages that resonate well with those who still live in great poverty and are oppressed and
exploited by lighter skinned Jamaican and colonial elites a century after the abolition of slavery
• One such influential thinker whose teachings provided the ideological foundation for the Rastafari
philosophy and movement was Jamaica born Pan-Africanist Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr, a prominent
Black activist in both the Caribbean and USA
• According to Rastafari lore, Marcus Garvey in his anti-colonial and pro-Africa speeches often
mentioned to ‘Look to Africa for the crowning of a Black king’
• This was interpreted as prophecy by later Rastas, who consider Garvey as a second John the Baptist,
though Garvey himself never identified as a Rasta or had much to do with the movement

6. Rastafari
origins
• When in 1930 Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned
in Ethiopia as Emperor Haile Selassie I with the
titles ‘His Imperial Majesty the King of Kings of
Ethiopia, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah,
Elect of God’, this was seen by many in Jamaica
as fulfilment of Marcus Garvey’s ‘prophecy’ and of
what was foretold in the Book of Revelations and
other biblical passages
• The movement, further developed by preachers
such as Leonard Percival Howell who promoted
an Africanist inspired political spiritualism distinct
from European Christianity and who saw Haile
Selassie I as Jah incarnate and a messiah who will
liberate all Black people and bring them back to
Ethiopia, seen as Zion and Paradise of Earth,
slowly grew in numbers despite antagonism by
Jamaican elites and colonial authorities
• Crystallizing around the personality of Leonard
Howell, the movement adopted the pre-
coronation name of the Emperor, Ras Tafari
(loosely meaning ‘the Prince who is respected)
and started developing the philosophy, spiritual
tenets and way of life that will characterize
Rastafari, with many early practitioners following
Howell to his Pinnacle commune in Jamaica’s
countryside

7. Rasta
symbols
 The Rastafari movement has adopted a number of symbols, most borrowed from Judeo-Christian and
Afro-Ethiopian traditions, that thanks to reggae’s and Bob Marley’s popularity, are recognizable the world
over by the public at large, having been commercialized
 Rasta colours are adopted from the Ethiopian flag and that of Marcus Garvey’s Africanist organization. Green
represents nature and the vegetation of Africa and Jamaica, as well as hope for the eradication of oppression. Gold
represents the rich natural resources of Africa. Red represents the blood of the martyrs who died for the Rastafari
cause and in the fight against black oppression. Black represents the colour of the skin of Africans, the original humans
from whom we all descend
 The Lion of Judah represents H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I as well as being a symbol of strength, kingship, pride and
African sovereignty
 The Star of David indicates the lineage of Haile Selassie, believed to be a direct descendant of David through
Solomon’s and the Queen of Sheba’s son Menelik, Ethiopia’s first historical Emperor
 The inverted triangle, or Seal of Solomon hand sign, often seen in photos of the Emperor,
supposedly represents the Trinity, but has many interpretations, some esoteric

8. Rasta talk
 Rastas feel that they have been robbed of their native speech during the slave trade and consider English
as an imposed colonial language. In reaction, they have created an organic dialect of Jamaican patois
called Iyaric, Dread-talk, Livalect or I-talk that reflects their world view and rejects English words with
negative connotations or sounds, replacing them with more positive and uplifting words, as well as
creating a lexicon particular to the philosophy that has seen some words adopted beyond the Rasta
community, often due to reggae lyrics
 Babylon is an important Rasta term that describes the negative aspects of Western society and its manifestations such
as colonialism, capitalism, materialism, greed and corruption, blaming it for the past Atlantic slave trade and its legacy
of suffering and poverty. The term also applies to agents of oppression such as police and soldiers and explains the
disdain for –ism terminology
 Zion on the other hand is an idealized version of the biblical Zion, referring physically to the Ethiopia or Africa that
Rastas aspire to be repatriated to and considered to be Heaven on Earth, and metaphorically to a state of mind
accessible through Rastafari as a spiritual and cultural connection with African roots

9. Rasta talk
 I and I (InI, I&I), a pronoun replacing ‘you’, ‘me’ and ‘we’ is an expression of the concept of oneness with Jah and
among people, as in ‘God is one and one is God’ meaning the divine is present in everyone, making the body a
temple to be taken care of, and the knowledge of Jah inherent and waiting to be awoken
 Everliving, as opposed to everlasting, represents the belief that true Rastas are immortal, both physically and spiritually,
or through reincarnation, as they do not believe in the afterlife, but instead in Heaven on Earth
 Irie, meaning ‘all right’. ‘great’ or ‘fine’, refers to anything that is good, peaceful vibrations and positive emotions or
feelings
 Give ‘thanks and praises’ is the preferred way to say ‘thank you’
 Downpression replaces ‘oppression’, because it keeps people down instead of lifting them up (op in patwa)
 Overstanding or innerstanding is used instead of understanding, as under has a negative connotation
 Bald head (Ball head) refers to a person who does not have dreadlocks
 Polytricks is a Rasta term replacing ‘politics’, because so many politicians turn out to be more like tricksters

10.  Marcus Garvey was born in 1887 in St Ann’s
Bay in Jamaica
 In his youth he travelled and worked in
Central America
 He became conscious of the racism, social
injustice and injustice inflicted on Black
people by White society
 After a time in the UK, he moved back to
Jamaica where he founded the Universal
Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), the
organization and work for which he is best
known
Rastafari ‘prophet’
- Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr
 He then moved to the USA where he
organized branches of the UNIA in the USA
and many countries around the world
 He started the inspirational but ultimately
failed Black Star Line, a shipping line
intended to bring Black people back to
Africa
 Inspired and influential, he encountered
opposition to his ideas both from Blacks
and Whites, and died in London in 1940
“We are going to emancipate
ourselves from mental slavery
because whilst others might free the
body, none but ourselves can free the
mind.”
Marcus Garvey

11.  A Pan-Africanist advocating Black pride and a Back to Africa policy,
his ideas were controversial in that he saw no point in integration
and equality of Black people in White society, preferring instead
racial purity and the establishment of a Black nation in Africa
 Promoting the concept of Black superiority based on the past history
of the African continent, with special emphasis on Ethiopia, his
suggestion to worship the everlasting God of Scripture through
‘Ethiopian spectacles’ and his alleged prophecy to look out for the
crowning of an African king have provided the spiritual and
ideological foundation on which Rastafari is based
 Though never a Rasta himself, he is considered the prophet of the
religion and is otherwise remembered and honoured as one of the
earlier and most influential thinkers of his time among those who
worked for the social, economic and educational advancement of the
Black people, with the hope of making Africa a great nation taking its
rightful place in the world
Rastafari ‘prophet’
- Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr

12.  Born in 1898 in Clarendon Parish in Jamaica, Howell travelled and worked abroad in his youth,
including in Panama and New York, where he absorbed various philosophies and ideas on
justice, politics of the left and the Pan-Africanism and Ethiopism espoused by Marcus Garvey
and other thinkers of the time
 Being deported from the USA, he returned to Jamaica in 1932, where he started preaching
that the recently crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia was the Christ returned, God
incarnate and the rightful King of the Black people, as foretold in biblical prophecy
 His incendiary speeches on Black empowerment, against the church establishment and
urging Black Jamaicans to owe allegiance to Emperor Haile Selassie I instead of George V will
lead to his arrest on charges of sedition
 This will initiate a cycle of imprisonments, internments in mental institutions, harassment and
criminal charges from the colonial and Jamaican authorities that will make Leonard Howell
the ‘most persecuted man in Jamaican history’
 In 1935, Howell publishes ‘The Promised Key’, considered by many as the Rastafari manifesto,
under the Hindu inspired pen name Gong Guru Maragh, which is why he is often referred to
as ‘The Gong’The ‘First Rasta’
- Leonard Percival Howell
“His Majesty Ras
Tafari is the head
over all man for he
is the Supreme
God.”
The Promised Key
G. G. Maragh
(Leonard Percival
Howell)
“Black People, Black
People arise and shine
for the light has come
and the glory of
the King of Kings is now
risen upon thee. Let not
the preachers of the
white man’s doctrine
persuade you to turn
your back against H. M.
Ras Tafari the Lord God
of Israel.”

13.  In 1940, having purchased 500 acres in Sligoville near Spanish Town, Howell founds
and leads The Pinnacle, a self sufficient Rastafari commune where several thousand
Rastas lived as farmers and craftsmen and where ganja was cultivated on a large scale,
for medicinal, spiritual and commercial use, which will give reasons to the authorities
to conduct several crackdowns and arrests of Leonard Howell
 Massive raids are conducted in 1954 and finally in 1958, when the commune is burned
to the ground and its settlers dispersed
 Following this, Leonard Howell will mostly disappear from public view until his death
in 1981
 Considered by many as the ‘First Rasta’, his work and that of other early leaders gave
direction and inspiration to what will become the wider Rastafari movement
 His family and admirers are now fighting to preserve his historical legacy, forgotten by
many, and to save what remains of The Pinnacle by making it a UNESCO listed World
heritage Site and spiritual centre for Rastafari followers
The ‘First
Rasta’
- Leonard
Percival
Howell

14.  Born in 1892 in the then Abyssinian Empire as Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, a
member of the Ethiopian feudal nobility claiming descent from King Solomon and the
Queen of Sheba
 The son of a provincial governor and chief advisor to Emperor Menelik II, Tafari
Makonnen, educated by private European tutors and showing great intelligence, will
be given positions of responsibility from an early age, including a provincial
governorship from 1910 to 1916, and becoming known as Ras Tafari Makonnen
 After helping overthrow the unpopular Muslim sympathising uncrowned Emperor
Iyasu V in 1916, he is appointed by the new Empress Zewditu as Regent and heir
apparent, and later appointed as Negus (King) in 1928
 During this period, Ras Tafari initiates modernizing reforms in Ethiopia, the only
sovereign and never colonized African country, managing to have it included in the
League of Nations in 1923
 On Empress Zewditu’s death in 1930, the Negus is crowned Emperor with full name
and titles being "By the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, His Imperial
Majesty Haile Selassie I, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Elect of God"
Jah Incarnate
- H.I.M Haile Selassie I

15.  Haile Selassie’s lavish coronation on 2nd
November 1930 was attended by royals and
dignitaries from around the world, including
George V’s son, the Duke of Gloucester
 H.I.M. becomes the first Black person to
grace the cover of Time magazine
 For many Black people around the world,
seeing a Black African on an equal stage
with rulers and dignitaries from the West
and East, as the leader of a sovereign,
ancient and proud nation with historical ties
to biblical dynasties, was a source of
immense pride and of hope of better days
to come for people of African descent
 This led many, especially among those
inspired by Africanist thoughts from the
likes of Marcus Garvey, to see in the
Emperor the returned messiah who would
lead the African nation towards a better
future, even considering him as God
incarnate based on interpretation of
scripture, particularly from the Book of
Revelations, giving rise to the Rastafari
movement on this basis
Jah Incarnate
- H.I.M Haile Selassie I
“…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 of 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.”
H.I.M. Haile Selassie I
U.N. speech 1963

16.  Haile Selassie I will confront a fascist invasion by Mussolini’s troops in 1935, forcing
him into exile and during which he made a famous speech at the League of Nations
pleading for international help for his nation and foreseeing what was to come for
other nations in the face of apathy for such annexations
 It will take the onslaught of WWII for the Allies to help Haile Selassie I recover his
country in 1941
 The Emperor pursued his reformist agenda at home, though encountering in the
incoming years increasing dissension at home as well as problems with secessionist
movements in Eritrea
 H.I.M. addressed the UN General Assembly in 1963, the only Head of State to have
addressed both the League of Nations and the UN in such capacity, delivering an
impassionate speech against colonialism and apartheid in Africa, rendered famous by
Bob Marley’s song War
Jah Incarnate
- H.I.M Haile Selassie I

17.  In 1966, the Emperor made a state visit to
Jamaica, a day known to Rastas as Grounation
Day, where he was welcomed by thousands of
Rastas mobbing the airport to get a glimpse of
their living god
 Contrary to the Jamaican government’s
expectations, in respect to the Rastas beliefs,
he remained ambiguous about the nature of
his divinity, though not making any claims of
being any more than a man
 At home, the Emperor was deposed in a
Marxist led coup in 1974, dying at age 83 in
1975. This was met with disbelief by the
Rastas, who then found ways to reconcile the
Emperor’s temporal and divine natures
Jah Incarnate
- H.I.M Haile Selassie I

18.  Born Nesta Robert Marley in 1945 in Nine Miles, St Ann Parish in Jamaica, from an
ageing white Jamaican father and a black teenage mother
 With a largely absent father, he grew up in relative poverty, first in the rural setting of
Nine Miles, then from age 11 in the tough tenement yards of the Kingston ghetto of
Trench Town
 His musical career starts in the early 1960s, joining talents with childhood friend Neville
Livingstone (Bunny Wailer) and Peter McIntosh (Peter Tosh) and finding local success
as the Wailing Wailers
 In 1966 he marries Rita Anderson, then moves for a few months to be with his mother
who had migrated to the USA, working in a factory to save money before returning
home to continue with his music together with The Wailers
Rastafari icon
- Robert Nesta Marley

19.  At around this time, having been influenced
by Rasta musicians and inspired by Emperor
Haile Selassie’s visit to Jamaica and by his
wife’s sudden conversion to Rastafari during
the Emperor’s visit, Bob Marley embraced the
spiritual and socio-political aspects of
Rastafari
 From then on, his musical style will be reggae
and his song writing will carry powerful
messages about social injustices, oppression
and violence at home in Jamaica and around
the world, particularly in Africa where at the
time several countries were still under
Portuguese colonial control or under white
minority rule
 His songs often referred as well to the
Rastafari faith, the belief in the divinity of
Emperor Haile Selassie I and the aspiration for
a return to a united Africa for all people of
African ancestry, what Rastas call Zion
 Gaining international fame and acclaim
internationally in the 1970s, his influence grew
at home, making some factions
uncomfortable with his anti-establishment
messages and perceived support for one of
two main political factions in Jamaica
 In 1976, two days before a free concert aimed
at easing political tensions in Jamaica,
gunmen burst into the studio during a
rehearsal, wounding Bob Marley in the chest
and arm, but not stopping him from
performing at the concert
Rastafari icon
- Robert Nesta Marley
“Some
people
feel the
rain,
others
just
get
wet.”
Bob
Marley

20.  Diagnosed with cancer in 1977 but refusing conventional treatments in line with
Rastafari beliefs, Marley will continue recording and performing live to enormous
international success, before succumbing to the disease in Miami in 1981, while on his
way back home from Europe
 Considered as one of his generation’s most successful musicians and the first
international superstar to emerge from the ‘third world’, bridging rock and pop with
world music, Marley will accumulate rewards and honours and leave a legacy that is
relevant to this day and resonates around the world, especially among the less
fortunate and oppressed who identify with his universal messages of hope, resilience
and pride
 Bob Marley’s music, charisma and talent have brought worldwide attention to Jamaica,
reggae music and the Rastafari faith in a way that could have hardly been possible if
not for him, prompting millions to adopt at least some aspects of Rastafari philosophy,
beliefs and culture, as well as generating an industry around his image and what it
represents
Rastafari icon
- Robert Nesta Marley
“Open your
eyes, look
within. Are
you satisfied
with the life
you’re
living?”
Bob Marley

21.  Buried with honours in Jamaica, revered by millions and considered
as a Rastafari poet, prophet and global icon, he leaves behind a
number of children many of whom have become talented musicians
in their own right, while his messages about positivity, peace and
One World, One Love will live for ever in the hearts of many
Rastafari icon
- Robert Nesta Marley
“Money can’t
buy life”
Bob Marley

22. Rasta world
view, beliefs
and
practices
• Rastafari is a philosophy, a way of life, an understanding of
the relationship between the individual and the divine
essence of life, whether seen through the experience of a
Creator god, be it Jah the god of the Bible and his earthly
representative H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I, or through
more individual spiritual experiences, as the belief system is
open to personal interpretations
• Lacking a formal structure, dogma or book of rules,
consistent with Rastas mistrust of organized systems,
Rastafari has however a set of beliefs, practices and a world
view that are common among those who identify as Rastas,
although allowing room for personal insight

23. Rasta world
view, beliefs
and
practices
• As an Afro-centric and biblical inspired faith, Rastas see Black Africans as
the true Israelites that have been displaced from Africa, particularly
Ethiopia, considered as Zion or Heaven on Earth, or denied their African
history and earlier supremacy, through the unjust and oppressive
institutions of slavery, colonialism and manipulated Christianity created by
white society and its instruments of power, called Babylon by Rastas
• Through an Afro-centric reinterpretation of scripture such as the King
James Bible, considered to have been tampered with in its translation to
deny Africans their true nature and justify slavery, and a personal
knowledge of Jah as a divinity present in each human being, Rastas have
created a system of spirituality and a way of life to better interpret their
current experience in the world, to find a new and proud identity relating
to their history and away from the inferiority complex created by slavery
and colonialism and, and to strive for an eventual return to Africa / Zion /
Ethiopia, be it physically through repatriation or mentally by embracing
Africanness and a natural way of life as idealized as being that of Africa

24. Rasta world
view, beliefs
and practices
• These aspirations were somehow fulfilled with the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I, seen as fulfilment
of biblical prophecy and paving the way for the much expected return to Zion
• As an open belief system, not all Rastas believe in the literal divinity of Haile Selassie, or of him being the
returned Messiah, a point made clear by the Emperor himself, and later by his earthly death, with Rastas
finding other interpretations of the Emperor’s nature but generally agreeing on his special position as a
person, inspiring African leader and beacon of hope

25. Rasta world
view, beliefs
and
practices
• Rastafari preaches love,
peacefulness, respect for nature,
the importance of life and
respect for it, detachment from
material possessions and places
emphasis on spirituality,
righteousness and positivity,
reflected in the way Rastas speak
and their choice of words and
their phonetic connotations
• Rastas refer to their practices as
’livity’, generally shunning the
consumption of meat -
particularly pork, shellfish,
processed food, the drinking of
alcohol, the taking of hard drugs
and the smoking of cigarettes,
based on Old Testament
scripture and ancient Israelite
practices, though those are
individual choices for those who
want to live according to the
Rasta way of life, which considers
health important as the body is
seen as a temple for the Most
High and should be treated
accordingly

26. Rasta world
view, beliefs
and
practices
• Without a formal structure, Rastafari has no priesthood, favouring a direct relation between the worshipper
and the divinity, though some elders having attained a good reputation in the community may be
accorded special respect and play influential roles
• There are no houses of worship or particular days set for worship in Rastafari, though assemblies known as
‘reasoning’ or ‘grounding’ are often held in community centres or in someone’s home
• Reasoning sessions provide a time for chants, prayers and singing, and for communal or spiritual issues to
be discussed, while Ganja may be ritualistically smoked to produce heightened spiritual states among
participants
• Rastas celebrate a number of holidays, generally at dates related to H.I.M. Haile Selassie and Ethiopia

27. Rasta world view, beliefs and practices• Though most Rastas
distrust institutions, many
are however associated,
often loosely, with one of
the many ‘mansions’ or
branches of Rastafari, the
three main ones being the
Nyabinghi, Bobo Ashanti
and Twelve Tribes of Israel,
which differ on their views
about certain beliefs,
practices and symbols
• Rastafari has no sacred
text, drawing instead
inspiration from various
sources, chiefly the Bible as
well as the Afrocentric Holy
Piby, The Royal Parchment
Scroll of Black Supremacy,
the Kebra Negast, The
Promised Key, writings of
Marcus Garvey and
speeches by Haile Selassie
I

28.  Ital, derived from the word vital,
is a generally vegetarian or
vegan diet followed by most
Rastas, as part of their way of
life aiming at enhancing ‘livity’,
the universal energy and life
force inherent in all living
beings
 The general principle of an Ital
diet is that food should be
natural and pure, from the
earth, as fresh, unprocessed and
raw as possible, free from
additives, preservatives and
other chemicals; and in most
cases dairy, oil, sugar and salt
free
Ital
- The Rasta diet

29.  The diet has also a spiritual dimension, originally inspired by Old Testament dietary
recommendations, Hinduism and Buddhism, and is mostly vegetarian or vegan,
though some eat fish and use kosher salt
 Rastas respect all life, and eating meat from an animal, especially one bred for
slaughter and having lived an unhappy life, is not desirable as it introduces
negative vibrations into the body and can affect consciousness
Ital
- The Rasta diet

30.  Ital food is usually cooked in earthen pots using wooden spoons, and is
preferably self grown or sourced nearby for freshness
 In Jamaica and elsewhere, Ital food in new and creative ways is being
introduced to non-Rastas as a spiritually meaningful, healthy, tasty and
positive alternative to established vegetarian and vegan cuisines
Ital
- The Rasta diet

31.  Although dreadlocks and other forms of matted hair have been worn by people
of different cultures since antiquity, in today’s popular culture, the style is
generally associated with Rastafari
 Wearing hair in dreadlocks is not only one way for Rastas to differentiate from
non-Rastas and distance themselves from the grooming norms of ‘Babylon’, but
has also a spiritual justification, and cultural and symbolic significance
 Rastas in general follow the biblical command found in Leviticus 21:5 “They shall
not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of
their beard nor make any cuttings in their flesh”
Dreadlocks
- The Rasta look

32.  Like the biblical story of Samson, Rastas believe that their hair is their strength,
and that cutting it can weaken them
 Dreadlocks also symbolize the mane of the lion, as in the Lion of Judah
 Africanist Jamaicans started wearing hair locks to identify with their African
heritage, as many tribes such as the Maasai wore their hair in this way, a fashion
that the Jamaican establishment deemed ‘dreadful’
Dreadlocks
- The Rasta look

33.  By the late 1940s and early 1950s, in line with
their religious beliefs, symbolism and as part of
their natural living philosophy, as well as being
inspired by the locked hair style of the Mau-
Mau rebels in Kenya, Rastas adopted this
hairstyle as part of their connection to Jah and
to their African heritage and pride
 Often persecuted by the authorities for being
Rastas, the cutting of dreadlocks, often in
public, was one way to humiliate and punish
followers of the movement
 Now often worn by non-Rastas as fashion or as
a statement of individuality or anti-conformism,
the significance, history of oppression and
symbolic value of the hair style should be
appreciated
Dreadlocks
- The Rasta look

34.  Together with dreadlocks and
reggae, the smoking of Ganja is
often what most people associate
with Rastas and Rastafari
 Not all Rastas smoke it, and there is
no compulsion to do so when
following a Rastafari way of life
 Many however do smoke it, and find
justification for this in scripture, as
well is in their African heritage and
in the spiritual practice of smoking it
by many cultures, in particular
Hinduism, with the smoking of the
plant being introduced by Indian
labourers coming to Jamaica in the
19th century
Ganja
- The Holy Herb

35.  Rastas refer to biblical passages such as Psalm
104:14 ‘He causeth the grass for the cattle, and
herb for the services of man’ and Revelation 22:2
‘the leaves of the tree of life (ganja) were for the
healing of the nation’, as the reason why they
smoke the Herb, which they believe grew on
King Solomon’s grave
 Usually not referred as marihuana, but instead as
‘Holy Herb’, ‘Wisdom Weed’, ‘Ganja’, ‘Callie’ or
‘Healing of the Nation’, the smoking of ingesting
of the herb is thought to provide wisdom, open
the mind to the truth, allow Rastas to discover
their inner spiritual self and get closer to Jah, as
well as having medicinal properties and multiple
practical purposes as a plant provided by Jah for
humankind, as stated in Genesis 1:29
 The ritual smoking of Ganja for spiritual
purposes usually takes place during ‘reasoning’
sessions, when a prayer is said before lighting a
‘chalice’ that is then passed around the
assembled members
Ganja
- The Holy Herb

36.  Although banned since 1913 but not
severely outlawed, Rasta communities such
as Howell’s Pinnacle were harassed for
growing and selling ganja, leading to
arrests and incarceration after the laws were
tightened in the early 1940s and prompting
many legal fights in Jamaica and elsewhere
for the right of Rastas to smoke ganja as
part of their spiritual rituals
 Since 2015, in line with increasing
liberalization in many countries regarding
marihuana consumption, and so as not to
be left behind in the expected economic
windfalls from legal marihuana, Jamaica has
decriminalized consumption, possession
and growing of small quantities of ganja, as
well as making it legal for Rastas to smoke
the herb as part of their spiritual rituals, a
long awaited right
Ganja
- The Holy Herb

37.  During spiritual meetings known as ‘groundations’, which are
gatherings of Rastas to commemorate significant dates, such as the
birth of H.I.M. Haile Selassie I or his 1966 visit to Jamaica (Grounation
Day), the beating of drums and singing of Rastafari themed ‘chants’ are
performed throughout
 This type of music, mixing 19th century gospel music and Kumina (an
Afro-Jamaican folk religion) inspired African drumming, is called
Nyabinghi music, which is also used as the name for the gatherings and
is the name of one of the major ‘mansions’ of Rastafari, deriving its
name from an 19th century Ugandan / Rwandan anti-colonial
possession cult led by a woman possessed by the spirit of deified early
18th century Queen Nyabinghi
Reggae
- The Sound of Rastafari

38.  The rhythms of Kumina and Nyabinghi drumming were introduced into popular Jamaican music mainly
thanks to Rastafari master drummer Count Ossie and his group, influencing new emerging styles from the
late 1950s to 1960s
 Reggae as a musical genre emerged in the late 1960s from earlier genres such as mento, considered as
Jamaican calypso, ska and rocksteady, with R&B, jazz, Kumina, African and Nyabinghi musical influences
 Heavy on drums and bass, the rhythm started appearing in the UK and USA charts and influencing artists
such as Johnny Nash, Paul Simon and most famously Eric Clapton who in 1974 topped the charts with his
cover version of Bob Marley and The Wailers’ song ‘I Shot the Sheriff’
Reggae
- The Sound of Rastafari

39.  Bob Marley and friends Bunny Wailer and Peter
Tosh had formed the group The Wailing Wailers in
1963, finding some local success recording at first
ska and rocksteady tunes, then embracing reggae
 From 1966 and under the influence of his wife Rita
and other prominent Rastas, Marley embraced
Rastafari and began to grow dreadlocks and
infusing his music’s lyrics, especially his reggae
songs, with powerful messages relating to
Rastafari philosophy, pronouncements from
Marcus Garvey, Leonard Howell and Haile Selassie,
social and racial justice themes and praise for the
spiritual and health benefits of Ganja smoking
 Becoming an international sensation from the mid
1970s, Bob Marley not only introduced reggae to
the world, but also Rastafari, paving the way for
the music to be intimately associated with the
movement and for many more musicians of the
reggae genre to use the music to spread the
Rastafari message in Jamaica and around the
world
Reggae
- The Sound of Rastafari

40.  Rasta themed reggae is often known as roots reggae to
differentiate it from the less spiritually and socially engaged
dancehall music now more popular in Jamaica and the
Caribbean
 Inspiring musicians all over the world, whether they follow
wholly, partially or minimally the Rastafari way of life or
spiritual belief, reggae has contributed like no other aspect to
globalize Rastafari, from an obscure Afrocentric Jamaican cult
with few followers into a global phenomenon, which even if
for many just a fashion has prompted people to take notice of
the more positive messages of the philosophy, through a
great sounding music with lyrics that speak of oppression,
poverty, injustice and the daily struggles of the downtrodden
masses
Reggae
- The Sound of Rastafari

41. Rastafari as a global
phenomenon
 Born as an Africanist Jamaican cult centred around the newly
crowned Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I, the messages and
philosophy of Rastafari spread first around the Caribbean, where
people shared similar experiences and outlooks as Jamaicans
 With the popularity of Bob Marley and reggae, the Rastafari
message reached the wider world, appealing to the world
downpressed who related to the Jamaicans and Africans experiences
in their own struggles
 As its popularity grew and the internet age made information widely
available, sympathisers, wanna-be Rastas and those into reggae and
Rasta style appeared in all corners of the globe, with many musicians
embracing reggae and sometimes the Rasta way of life, or aspects of
it
 Without a strict dogma, organized structure or formal conversion
ritual, anyone can embrace the Rastafari way of life if following the
main tenets that allow one to sincerely consider oneself a Rasta
 Although as a spiritual belief based on the Old Testament there may
be some unsavoury aspects for those choosing to follow them, the
core messages of One Love, One World, Peace, Unity, Equality, living
a natural life and fighting for human rights and an end to oppression
are Rastafari’s valuable contribution to global culture that we can all
relate to, appreciate and give thanks for…

42. I-man give thanks to I and I for listening
to this I-sentation, and hope it will give
I and I a better overstanding of Rastafari
livity.
One love…
“Throughout history, it
has been the inaction of
those who could have
acted; the indifference of
those who should have
known better; the silence
of the voice of justice
when it mattered most;
that has made it
possible for
evil to
triumph.”
H.I.M. Haile
Selassie I