Cartoon by Shea Thomas at Noland-Comics
Shedding the Past, A Rite of Passage – Interview
Marla with Dreadlocks
I had the honor to attend and drum for a Moribayassa (see explanation of this rite of passage below) for Marla, a participant at the Sacred Fire Circle at Circle Sanctuary last week. One of the unique benefits of participating in a Pagan community is the opportunity to share in rites of passage, and have a community of support and celebration for your own rites. Pagans are as creative with the rituals that define and celebrate life’s transitions, as they are diverse in their beliefs. This ritual was to celebrate the cutting of the dreadlocks from Marla’s head. For her it was the symbol of many changes in her life, setting aside the past, and an ending of a personal commitment the dreadlocks represented for her. It was a powerful and joyous rite.
Listen to an excerpt of Moribayassa from this ritual
I asked Laurie, a Madison, WI. hand drummer who helped organize the ritual, what is a traditional Moribayassa like?
Laurie: Moribayassa is a rhythm and a dance that comes from Guinea, West Africa. It is performed by a woman just once in her lifetime. She does this dance as a way to celebrate having overcome some kind of adversity in her lifetime. She will announce she will do the dance sometimes years in advance, and drummers and singers gather when the time approaches to help her. The woman will dress in rags, which is a big deal because Africans are very concerned about their appearance. She dances in the rags and dances like she is ‘crazy’. She dances several times throughout the village, and when she is done she takes off the rags and buries them, usually under a tree. She is then dressed in new clothing symbolizing that now she is a new person. She has overcome the difficulty, it is in the past now, and behind her. It was quite an honor to play this rhythm for Marla in the context that it was meant for. You can read more, and learn the rhythm in “ A Life for the Djembe” by Mamady Keita.
I talked to Marla the day after her ritual. She was still overwhelmed from the ritual.
When did you start dreading your hair?
Marla: In the spring of 2008. My ex-husband’s sister was dieing of cancer. I hadn’t had contact with them for 15 years. His wife told him I should be told, so he called me. His sister was a hairstylist, age forty. They called just as she was put on oxygen, and a week later she was gone. After that, I just quit combing my hair because it just wasn’t important to me anymore. It was compounded by the fact I hit forty and still hadn’t had children. That’s were it started, because I felt I was wasting time, and to honor her life. My niece initially twisted my hair, and then they all came back out. I tried again back-combing it into dreadlocks and then super gluing beads in them so they couldn’t untangle any more. Finally they started to “dread” on their own.
Video: Coming Soon to Paganistan – Pagan Living TV
On Saturday September 16th, PaganLivingTV will host a dinner and bonfire fundraiser in Coon Rapids. Requested minimum donation is $25. Registration is available online through the PaganLivingTV website.
PaganLivingTV is very much in its start-up phase. Bernston states in this video that programming will not be available until January; volunteers are now training to use the equipment. At this time what programming will contain is unknown.
Note from Diana: this was filmed on a Flip camera. Editing did not work – probably because this reporter is really out of practice. Apologies.
Pagans honor heroes at Flight 93 Memorial
Iowa Pagans Jesse and Teresa are visiting the memorial created for the Heroes of Flight 93 today. The memorial, dedicated to the passengers and crew of Flight 93, is located in field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Even before ground was broken on the memorial in 2008, Pagans were making trips to the site to leave offerings. Jesse and Teresa had been planning on seeing the site, but this year was the first opportunity they had to do so.
History of Flight 93 and 9/11 attacks
United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists on September 11, 2001. Four hijackers took over the aircraft shortly after take off and diverted it towards the east coast. The intended target is believed to be the United States Capitol. The passengers of the plane, alerted by friends and family of the fate of the other flights hijacked that day, attempted to regain control of the aircraft. When it appeared the passengers were succeeding in breaking into the cockpit, the hijackers crashed Flight 93 into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania killing all 44 people aboard including the 4 hijackers.
Memorial Site draws crowds
A temporary memorial at the site of the crash was set up soon after the crash and the first phase of the permanent memorial was completed, opened, and dedicated last year. Jesse and Teresa had planned to attend the dedication, but were unable to due to a family emergency. This year they were able to complete the trip. “It was very important for us to be able to see this place. To make our offerings to these Heroes,” said Teresa.
Although the couple did not know anyone on the flight, or anyone killed in the 9/11 attacks, they felt a strong religious pull. “These people, the ones who tried to take the plane back from the attackers, are Heroes. Not in the modern sense of the word, but heroes who are now guardian spirits of our country,” says Jesse. He believes that the passengers have achieved apotheosis, which is when a person has been raised to divinity. Heroes were worshiped throughout the ancient Pagan world.
Modern Pagans in the USA, like Jesse and Teresa, have begun offering traditional cultus to American Heroes like George Washington, Harriet Tubman, and the passengers of Flight 93.
The Tower of Voices reaches 93 feet into the sky and houses 40 aluminum wind chimes. The continuous sound of chimes in the wind will be an audible reminder of the selfless acts of courage of the passengers and crewmembers; many of whose last contact on Flight 93 was through their voices on phone calls.
The memorial site, when completed, will contain:
40 Groves containing 40 trees each, a Field of Honor covering 150 acres, a Tower of Voices, a Field of Honor, a visitor center, Western overlook, a protected wetlands, and the Sacred Ground area. The Sacred Ground is the final resting place of the passengers and crew members. A planned stone and slate plaza will offer a closer viewing position of the meadow and hemlock grove which absorbed the main impact of the crash. Small niches along the low, sloped wall of the viewing plaza will accommodate personal tributes and remembrances from visitors.
Note: PNC-Minnesota is differentiating between the modern word hero and the religious word Hero through use of capitalization. The Flight 93 Memorial is open, but still seeking donations to finish its construction.
Video: Interview with David Stewart of Mentorship Circle for Boys
The Boys Mentorship Collaborative will host Secrets of the Ancient Fire on Friday, September 15th at Hidden Falls Park. Open to all men; boys under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Suggested donation is sliding scale from $5-$15.
The Boys Mentorship Collaborative is the counterpart to Journey of Young Women. David Stuart, the organizer behind this program, plans for this to engage fathers and sons in styles of communication and interaction different from typical western acculturation.
Pagan Newswire Collective - Minnesota Bureau 