In the beginning, God create the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Not long after, his first creations, modelled in his own image, did as children always do, searched for boundaries. And thusly ate of the tree of knowledge gaining a wisdom too much for their youth. God, realizing he needed to keep a closer eye on these two immediately discovered the realm of parental anger and disappointment. He put them in time out, removing them from the luxury of the garden of Eden.

Adam and Eve then became parents to generations of children who, with a few notable exceptions, are famous simply for begetting the next generation. ( read Numbers for full description).

Finally came Moses, who was educated in Egyptian Mystery Schools. He freed the children of Israel from Egypt, and redefined their belief system with traditions that were deeply rooted in the Mystery School and others that we a dead set rebellion against traditional Egyptian belief. And of course there was whole thing with the ten commandments.

Finally, God decided to move himself from the position of angry parent to the new age concepts of acceptance and understanding. In doing so, he gave the world his only son, by creating the holy trinity of father-mother-son ( also known as father, son and the holy spirit. Also know as the Isis/Osiris ritual. Which resulted in Gods first son Ra or Adam. Which would mean that Isis is also Sophia? So that by eating of the tree of knowledge — also know as Philo, Adam then gained philosophy or knowledge of Sophia. Ewwwww how Oedipal is that?!) I’m beginning to understand the gnostic appeal of the demiurge.

Anyway… In the year 0 Jesus was born.

Historians argue about the actual date. Apparently, it took seven years for the three wise-men to find Jesus (which would make him 7 in year 0). And then there is another mathematical adjustment that should be made, because it is rumored that the Roman Calendar did not change for seven years. (which would make Jesus 14 in year 0). Of course all of this brings up the philosophical notions of the fact that man created the concept of telling time – and how that impacts the time space continuum and notions of interdimensional travel. Ehm… But I digress.

The point being that when Jesus was found, he was not a baby. Which is why he was able to escape Herod’s fear that he would be replaced by a newly born king from the tribes of Israel-which subsequently lead to the mass murder of all the Jewish male babies.

To be on the safe side, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Egypt to hide him. The return to Egypt, created a re-introduction to and re-enforcement of the Mystery School traditions and beliefs that Moses had originally introduced to the tribes in the desert.

Flash forward some years, and we find Jesus re-enacting the Osiris/Isis rituals with Mary Magdelen. The result of which, Mary becomes the holy Grail holding the blood of Christ and begetting his child, the grand daughter of God (who sources call Sarah). Mary, then escapes to southern France were she is still celebrated today as the Black Madonna. Thereby forever tied with two names to the original Madonna, Mary, mother of Christ. (for more on this research, please refer to Holy Blood, Holy Grail – Secrets of the Nights Templar – or the popular work of fiction based on this history Da Vince Code by Dan Brown)

Not to long after the crucification of the Son of God and the spreading of his exoteric word by his apostles ( the esoteric remaining hidden with the Black Madonna, her secret linage tracked in the dossier secrets by the Priory of Sion and discovered by the Templar knights). Ehm… Again I digress.

Anyway, with the exoteric word soon consuming the Roman Empire and causing war and strive among the people, the Emperor Constantine had no choice but to choose between the ancient believes of Roman Tradition and this new modern message of God’s Love. He makes the obvious choice and converts the empire to Christianity. And like most things governmented, the new Catholic Church becomes rigid and unforgiving. Actually, there are two main Churches at this point — Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. For the sake of not writing a dissertation, I will leave out the Greek Orthodox and only mention them to note that there are two types of protestants. Those protesting Catholicism and those protesting Orthodox. There are none protesting the Black Madonna, since Catholicism and Orthodox are already dominate and Black Madonna worshipers live under a vail of secrecy or – basically – murdered during the inquisition of Europe and on friday the 13th when most of the original Templar Knights where killed by the King of France (perhaps because the Sinclair blood-line is believed to be the bloodline of Sarah, child of Mary and Jesus, grandchild of God. And the Templars either knew that to be a certainty or a falsity, we will probably never know which)

Where was I? … Oh yeah, the Catholic Church. Which, strangely enough is the most rigid form of Christ’s message is also the most malleable. Basically, with the institution of sainthood (saint-worship) and the Roman Tradition of adopting … traditions… Catholicism found itself changing and mutating to fit with the populations being converted. (remember this point, it will come up again later)

Next we come to the time of Henry the Eighth. Already, the first modern Protestants were gaining ground in Europe. Henry is aware of this movement but does not take any real interest until he meets Anne Boylean. At this time, he realizes that he will not have a male heir from Catherine of Aragon and the fiery Anne convinces him that she could produce such an heir if he were to marry her. Unfortunately for him, divorce is not allowed in the Church and the Pope is unaccepting of the shaky story Henry gives on why he should be granted an annulment. So, Henry parts with the Catholic Church and creates and Anglican Church of England, thereby, once again changing the history of Europe. The fall out of course is the 3 princes of the crown nearly tear England apart over the issue ( that being Henry, his daughter Mary and his daughter Elizabeth — for those not paying attention, Henry did have a male heir by his third wife, but he died as a child). By the way, when I state England here, I am also including Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.

Many trying to escape the conflicts of Europe and wanted to celebrate their religion in freedom and liberty moved to the new world. They were mistaken in this believe in true escape because the wars followed them to the Americans only they were veiled in the nationalistic notions of British against French, French against Spanish, Spanish against Dutch, and Portuguese carving their own nitch.

In the United States, African slaves were taught to follow the protestant believes of their slave owners. For the sake of their lives, they converted to the one-god worship religion losing much of their heritage. With the exception of New Orleans with it’s Catholic system and the the South Carolina Sea Islands, which were isolated from all the religious fervor. Although a few individuals did convert to Christianity, they were not forced to under threat of whip, thereby holding on to their African and Native cultures. That is, until after emancipation when they crossed over the main land and attempted to re-invent themselves as newly freed people.

Catholism was the dominate form of Christianity for New Orleans as well as for the Caribbean. What that meant is that the pantheon of saints offered a safe heaven for African Gods. (remember I talked about Catholicism as being malleable and picking up traditions). What happens here is the slaves, forced into Catholicism, see that the saints have similarities to their Gods. So that Shango, becomes Santa Barbara and Yemaya (the mother) becomes The Virgin Mary. The religion become syncretic, new. And in these new syncretic religions of the Caribbean and New Orleans we have a very new form of Catholicism experienced no where else. And while some try to hold closer to original Church considering themselves fully Catholic — other embrace this new religion calling it Shango, Obeah, Santeria, Macomble, VooDoo, etc. And for some who find themselves in the middle of the two traditions will visit the priest on Sunday and priestess on Monday. In fact, Trinidad’s carnival is a loosely vieled attempted to celebrate those tradition with their Moco Jambie Gods, tall as the sky watching over the people. And celebrations packed up, boxed up, and cleaned up just in time for lent.

During this time a Scottish Priest settled in Trinidad. Caught up in the syncretism and trying to reunite with his roots via the Jesus/Magdelene re-enactment of the Isis/Osiris rituals, he has relations with one of his slave women. Of course he is neither crucified nor resurrected, so his influence on history is only noted in the fact that the result from his Grail lead to the birth of a man, who the begat a daughter, who begat a daughter who found herself at a big fête around Christmas and her birthday. This resulted in the previously document side-effect of conception that lead to the birth of Diana who grew up to fête with George to ultimately create my own birth.

Many people protest to the celebration of Christmas time with it’s clear dominance over other religions in the US making it difficult for them to enjoy their freedom and liberty that this nation was founded on to enjoy their own religions. Or even worse, the modern day commercialization of the Holiday forcing parents to pay more than they can afford on gifts supposedly from an old man in a red suit. I, however, am thankful for such a tumultuous history which would find a Scottish priest re-enacting the rituals of Christ so that I could ultimately be born.

Jamestown was starving and would have perished completely if not for the help of the local Native people, who brought them dinner, friendship, and the first home cooked meal many had had in a while.

This dinner, now know as the first Thanksgiving was the beginning of a long stained relationship between the two peoples.

Although, they had offered much aid in that first winter, the natives lived by the motto that to give a man corn could feed him for a day, but teach him to grow corn and he can rely on his own resources. However, after starving and having many of their people drop like flies, Jamestown was not exactly in the mood for instruction.

Understanding that to continue to offer so much aid to the settlers would negatively affect their own propensity for survival, the natives had no choice but to turn the settlers away. And the settlers had no choice but to steal in order to insure their own survival. This lead to a mistrust between the to cultures, which only escalated as more settlers came to American shores.

At the same time, African people also traveled to the New World. Although, some came over with European settlers as free men, while others came over in chains, within a few decades new American laws forced both free and chained into slavery.

In the Caribbean, most slave plantations kept families together, thereby maintaining much culture, language, and traditions of the people. And by doing so allowed for an under-current of strength, which later united the people to not only overthrow slavery, but to chase the colonizers off island.

The US plantations, learning from the mistakes of their brethren to the south, kept families apart and mixed African ethnic groups to create a wholly new culture. Strangely enough, this was not the strategy adopted in the South Carolina Sea Islands. Rather, in these islands, families where kept together- keeping traditions and evolving — not to unlike the Caribbean islands. These people referred to themselves as Gullah or Geechie. And in their evolution, also like the Caribbean, they mixed with the local native (Cherokee) population.

Not long after emancipation, many of the Gullah/Cherokee people crossed over to the main land in search of new opportunities and a fresh start. Mary’s family migrated to Savanna, we she was able to meet and fall in love with Emigrant. Soon they started a family with 5 girls and one son, who they named George. While George was still a young boy, his parents found the Georgia was becoming increasingly more inhospitable to African and Native people. So they decided to migrate to New York city. This migration allowed George to grow strong and smart.

In college he discovered a young woman named Diana. Although, it was her beauty that attracted him, it was the similarities in her Trini culture to his on Gullah culture that felt familiar and comfortable and helped to maintain his interest. And when she taught him about Calypso and fête-ing he was hooked. Soon all this jump-up lead — as it usually does — to the side effect of conception and on a lovely day in June I was born.

Many people object to the celebration of Thanksgiving as it marks the change of destiny and massive genocide for the Native populations of America. However, it is such a tumultuous history that made it possible for African and Native populations to mix, thereby creating my bloodline and my life.

So on this day, I give thanks to those ancestors.

And thus ends part two of holidays I can directly relate to my birth. Enjoy your weekend!

On Columbus’ third voyage to the new world, he was blown off course landing on the southern most island of the West Indies on Tuesday 31st of July 1498. There he found himself discovered by the local Carib peoples and named their lands after the Holy Trinity, La Trinidad. Though ignored at first, Trinidad would be come a prized property in the war and colonization of the Americas by Europe changing hands upwards of 23 times between the Spanish, British, French and Dutch. These colonist brought with them African slaves, and indentured servants from China and India. The result was that the little “2×4″ island of Trinidad became the most diverse place of the world. It is also the birth place of the only instrument invented in the 20th century, the steel band drum. Also known as the pan. The pan lead the way to the creation of a musical form known as Calypso, from which came Soca and Chutney. The subject of this music is usually either politics or sex and is celebrated in February in Trinidad’s biggest fête, Carnival. One side effect of such a big jump-up is conception. And it was such a side effect that happened on Christmas, Trinidad’s other big fête, when Catalino celebrating the holiday along with his wife Barbara’s birthday that lead to Diana’s birth.

As a small child, Diana voyaged with her family to discover New York City and a better education that could be attained there. With this focus on education, she found herself eventually in college where she was discovered by George. She then introduced George to the rich history and traditions of her people which included fête-ing and it’s own side effects which ultimately lead to my birth. Following in the foot steps of family tradition. I also found myself discovered by Patrick and later begat our own offspring. These offspring like, all children in US and other countries in the Americas, have been granted the day off from School.

Which brings us to today when all of this history can be celebrated in honor of it’s founder Christopher Columbus. Columbus day has in fact become a rich family holiday filled with massive hours of Noggin, Mario Brother’s party of 8, and spontaneous break outs of wining to some good Soca music.

Although there are many who object the observance of Columbus Day because the the implicit notions of destruction and genocide it represents. It is such a tumultuous history that allowed for my own mixed blood line, and ultimately my life. So I can only be thankful on this day and celebrate it in away that can only be reviled by the other thanksgiving holiday which is wrought with it’s on controversy. (please read on for that side of my family history)

So, in essence, I will be working from home Monday so that I can observed the fore-mention festivities.