Rasta

Rasta from the ancient point of view is a state of consciousness. When our ancestors said they wished to enter the house of Rasta, they were speaking in relation to that exalted spiritual state where one attains wisdom.

The "House of Rasta" is the entrance to the duat, the 'underworld journey' of initiation. It is the crossroads. Ones must understand with clarity the extent of their power to choose. In the House of Rasta they find their guide, most often portrayed as Anubis. It is not possible to proceed without help. This is an idea many do not like. So they stay spinning at the crossroads for a long, long time. It is a place of darkness, and the loss of everything comforting and familiar. One must be willing to be stripped. Only then will they hear the voice coming out of the darkness to lead them on.

The word Rasta in relation to dreadlocks is derived from the natural way people lived, especially in ancient times when they deliberately returned to the forest to recapture the laws of nature. In so doing they were isolated and without grooming so the dreadlocks developed naturally. This is quite similar to when people get lost on some deserted island and are forced to survive on their own. Sometimes these people learn to embrace nature and develop the natural skills to survive in the wild.

In some ancient texts, 'ras' meant wise, possibly coined from the Egyptian Ra and as such the word became annexed to leadership. In Amharic, the word 'Ras' means, 'head' as in leadership and Tafari - "he who inspires awe". Ras Tafari was the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie (1892-1975), Emperor of Ethiopia. Upon his coronation, Ras Tafari styled himself Haile Selassie -- literally, "Might of the Trinity".

It should not be difficult to grasp that 'Ras Tafari' means a wise person who inspires awe through the unique conscious insights which they bring to bear on all matters.

In essence Rasta in its most ancient meaning is about developing oneself towards self-actualization, which is the only way to attain universal wisdom.