Life and Jah are one in the same

When people think of Rastafarians, it is often iconic Reggae singer Bob Marley who springs to mind. Indeed, Jamaican Marley was probably the first person to popularise Rastafarianism and bring it to the knowledge of the masses. Although developed in Jamaica itself in the 1930s, there are an estimated 700,000 to 1,000,000 Rastas across the world, with many believers and different communities living in Antigua & Barbuda.

So what exactly do Rastafarians believe in? In short, a true Rastafarian is a peace-loving and kind Afro-centric person who is no ways money orientated. Rasta beliefs are based on a specific interpretation of the Bible with the core principle being that a single God Jah partially resides within everyone. Many also focus on Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who reigned from 1930 to 1974, believing that he was the second coming of Jesus and Jah incarnate, although others view him as a human prophet who recognised the inner divinity in every individual. What is certain, is like so much in Antigua & Barbuda and the wider Caribbean, there is a strong link to Africa and the slavery to which their forefathers were submitted.

Rastafarianism teaches that the black African diaspora are exiles living in Babylon - Babylon being the oppressive system of the materialistic Western world, which is held responsible for many ills, including those that their enslaved ancestors underwent with their repressors. Zion, as a contrast, is the utopian place of unity, peace and freedom. It is to Zion that Rastas aspire. With their spiritual connection to the Earth, the use of cannabis is considered a sacrament with great healing powers and allows the user to find a personal introspection and discover their inner divinity or “I and I” consciousness.