On Wednesday my friend Sebastian's class was going on a field trip to the BoboShanti Rasta camp and since Rastafari is one of my interests here in Jamaica I decided to tag along. Unfortunately, I wasn't having the best day and was not in the best state of mind to be going to a camp like this. I didn't realize this until I got there. There were way too many of us and things were disorganized as usual. But either way I will share my experience with as little bias as possible.
I have to mention the bus ride because on the way there the guy in charge told the girls to be "careful" of the Rasta them. They might kidnap us (joking) because they are looking for wives (or as they call them, an empress) so in other words we were to be mindful of any flirting we might do because the Rasta men could take it the wrong way and think it means something more serious than we may intend....
When we first arrived they separated the girls and guy outside of the camp entrance and one of the women from the camp talked with us. Basically she explained why we had to wrap our hair and wear skirts. It had to do with the top of our head being sacred and regarding our consciousness etc. so to wrap the hair is to protect this sacred part of us. As for the skirt it is to let our reproductive organs be more open to fully function and not to be constrained in tight pants that cut upwards towards the area. After this talk we all had to go see her or another woman individually to tell them when our last period was. This was to decipher whether or not we were "free" to enter the camp. As in making sure we weren't dirty depending on how long we had been free of our cycle. I think it was supposed to he about 10 days since our period ended...
Next when we entered the camp, we went and registered in a sort of guest book and then we prayed .. Which by the way when we pray we have to face the east. This is due to the sun rising in the east ( being a positive, and bringing forth new days etc) after this it was some wandering around and waiting to enter a sort of "church" building if I could call it that. I believe it is where they have their services and such. So we waited to enter and before we could we would have to take off our shoes, enter through a certain door that a man was holding a flag over that we were to pass under, bless the altar as we came in and then get down on our knees and pray to the north this time (this is also considered a positive direction for them.) we then had a little bit of a service which included some talking and music and then it was question time.
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| I could get used to being called an Empress but to actually be one.. nah by. |
Unfortunately I was feeling claustrophobic and like I was overheating so I had to eventually excuse myself and go wait outside. I could still hear but by this point was feeling ready to leave. It was also frustrating because one of the questions asked while i was still inside was about the issue of gender inequality and how the men got to do everything first and seemed to be of a higher position than the women. However, I became annoyed because when the question was being answered another woman from the camp kept talking .. I imagine she was trying to defend the set up of things but I was unable to hear the answer to the question that I had been wondering about as well. Basically what I got from it though is the idea that the women are the princesses and empresses and they need security which comes from men so basically they don't have much duty other than to let their man look after them (?) I could be wrong but this was my interpretation. Some of the other questions asked had to do with why it was all older people or young children at the camp and not really anybody our age, why they try to avoid Babylon, but send the children to a school system outside the camp, the issue with Jesus not existing and instead it being jes-us...and so on.
Also I should mention that while I was waiting outside I was approached by a Rasta who was asking me if I had children and telling me he would love to have an empress like me. I let him know I had a boyfriend but thanks for the compliment. Lol. He also was quick to point out my tattoos and how anything Jah did not provide me with is because I was not meant to have it. He also questioned me whether or not I knew this before I got my ink to say that if I was unaware that I was doing something wrong then I would be forgiven but if I had known and done it anyways, then that is a problem..... I don't know what to say about this.
Anyways eventually this all ended and they serviced us drinks in another open building .. I think it was merengue and June plum? Plus some little fritters that were like pakoras (yummy) and a type of loaf. After that it was basically time to leave which I was ready for as I was not feeling well and was overwhelmed by the whole experience and the vibes that I was getting from being in this place.
So I guess I will end this post with saying I will probably not become a Rasta woman.. At least not one who lives at a camp like this one! I'm too much of a feminist to play this sort of gender role.
Blessed love
