BEAUTY RITES (Rights)

When I began my research into the history and origins of Locs, it took me into antiquity.  What an exciting journey discovering all of many ancient and vanishing tribes of Africa and other indigenous people.  Beauty beyond words was what I found.  And oh...what an enigma.  In childhood I was taught in school that African people were uncivilized cannibals who swung it trees in the "Dark Continent".  I was in awe of the creativity, magnificence and wonder of African adornment and fashion (not style).  The beading, clothing, even some of the houses (Ndebele) were exquisite, regal, majestic, vivid, colorful almost  magical.  Indeed it was original; no where else had it been done like this, ever.  The creativity and ingenuity was mind boggling; how feathers, shells, stones, skins, eggs, gold, silver and everything around them was used to create matchless beauty.

As I began to synthesize this glorious past I realized that there was very critical component of our culture which they possessed that was critical to the stability of their society: Rites of Passage! The depth of Rites of Passage is that from childhood through adulthood, it taught you what to do, explained your role at that every significant stage and provided a community of support to accomplish it.  From childhood you were set in a community which consisted of your age and sex groups (girls or boys your own age).  You grew up together, collectively, and you learned together as you progressed through the stages of life! W0W!  How wonderful is that.  I'll say that's serious bonding and most importantly information and guidance.  In America, we lost it.  We do not receive any meaningful training that prepares us for our real lives of becoming women, mothers and wives.  We go to school and learn about many European things i.e. the history of America, science, math and such.  Don't get me wrong, this kind of education is important...but what about preparation for LIFE! This is especially important for WOMEN since all human life on this planet comes through them.  Nobody really teaches us how to move through life's passages into our womanhood.  You see the results of it.  It's a fiasco.  One must learn how to become a woman, basically by making serious and often tragic mistakes in life, taking lickings, scraping your behind, and getting very scarred (mentally and emotionally) in the process!

A significant part of our Rites of Passages in becoming a WOMAN was how to be beautiful.  How to keep ourselves clean, how to scent our bodies to attract men, how to dress for various occasions and absolutely how to Adorn ourselves.  We also learned important womanly things about menstruation, how to attract understand and deal with men and of course cooking and cleaning.

I would like to focus on the Beauty rites (rituals).  We've almost become spooked with the word "ritual" (especially since it's associated with Africa).  Ritual in its purest sense simply has to do with daily routines and practices, things you do habitually.  I'd like to explore with you ongoingly in this blog some of these "Beauty Rites" or elements of Beauty.  This blog is about creating a "BeYouTFull Life."  

Our forebears, the great ancient Queens of Africa and Khemet (Egypt) were the originators of these traditions of Beauty.  It is beneficial and it is our natural and divine right as their inheritors to know and honor them.  Of course we must translate them into practical modern day reality.  I am convinced however that we need them, since we have lost them and we are lost.  We still do not get the teaching and preparation we so desperately need about becoming and being a beautiful woman.  We are in a culture where  the media with all of its perverted sensibilities tells us what our beauty is and what it should be. We shall explore our Beauty Rites and our Beauty Rights...... more in the future.

I Love You ...and always Stay BeYouTfull

Lovingly I Am, Nekhena