Nubian Queens V Lost Souls

Part 1

I speak from my soul, from a state of meditation. From a place filled with silence and the sound of my beating heart. If I allow my ears to penetrate the sounds around me, I hear “She’s not natural, she’s wearing extensions”.
I look and I see a soul on its journey. A journey of self discovery. You may have to accept that some people do not reflect themselves through their hair. I know of Queens who change from permed bobs to afro puffs to blonde extensions. Each hairstyle reflects a form they choose to reveal at that present time. Their words and actions are manifestations of their soul. I close my eyes and listen to the words of these souls, and realise just like me they are on a journey of self discovery. The fact that they are not natural does not affect the way I relate to them as they could open my mind on a range of issues.

An example of the benefits of seeing past someone’s exterior is Jesus. He came to fulfil the prophecy of the coming of a king. When he enters Jerusalem on a donkey, they were not expecting their King to look this way. But Jesus came with words from God and they refused to see his essence.

I may wear a head wrap some days. The hidden truth is that I do this when I have no energy to nurture my hair. It is not coming from a place of my black roots or my heritage. I do this because I’m lazy. Do I judge myself? Am I a black woman? Yes I am for my soul tells me so. This will be a loss to all who judge me by my aesthetic as they will be blind to my essence. Is everyone’s journey supposed to be the same? I think not, as I am different from you. I am me.

I define natural as something that feels both primal and comfortable to my soul. The word `natural’ to me derives from my truth, regardless of its offensive impact on another. But you ask me to see natural as something in its primitive state. Relating this to topic at hand I feel I come up short.

My hair in its natural state would neither know shampoo nor almond oil. It will be ignorant to beeswax and my infamous silk scarf that I wrap on it every night. My hair is in the process of locking and a lot of care and cultivation goes into formulating the perfect size locks for my taste. My hair didn’t naturally separate itself. So why is it that my hair is still considered natural?

My hair represents a time of personal deliberation. This time in my life is about challenging my beliefs and making sure they represent my own personal truth. My perception of beauty for myself was an issue before this time but I now know just how beautiful I am with my afro hair.
I have explained to all who know me that my locks represent a challenge to me as society doesn’t accept locks yet. Society still believes that the prerequisites for locking your hair are

1) Smoking weed
2) Haile Selassie is the one God,
3) Bob Marley is your favourite musician
4) The only food you eat is Itel food.


I do smoke weed, I do not hold Haile Selassie up as my God, I do not class Bob Marley as the best but one of the best. Itel is nice but my mouth sometimes hungers for a good piece of jerk chicken. Am I not worthy to wear this crown? A lot of Rastafarians would say no, what about you? Am I still natural?

Part 2

No one can tell me who I am or how I should be based on my hair as I know my truth. I know what feels right to me right now.
If I put beads in my locks why is it considered natural? I see beads as decorations but another could see them as additions to my hair, thus changing the natural state of it.

I worry about my black people sometimes. I just see us as ‘division seekers’. Any way in which we can create a division amongst ourselves we seek it out. I see this as another way of us creating that wall. In the conscious corner are the `natural queens’ and in the unconscious corner are the `lost souls’.

I am not psychic and therefore steer clear of making judgements. I observe others making judgments of people because their hair is not exactly as they would prefer it. Who knows what they may choose to do tomorrow. Here is a lesson in learning to respect another’s journey. Ironically you will still expect them to respect yours.

We can not all and will never be at the same place at the same time and that’s ok. It would be different if an observation was made which is different to a judgment. If a judgement is made it is a statement which condemns the persons past, present and future. Hence “she’s not a natural type of woman. An observation is a statement of fact. It highlights the past as fact, the present as fact and acknowledges that the future has yet to be written. Hence “She’s not natural right now but she could be moving towards that”

I cannot afford to invest passion and consideration into someone else’s journey as you may never know the intention behind their actions. I recognise that natural hair for a lot of people is a phase, a fashion trend, a temporary manifestation of who they are momentarily. A lot of these people may recognise this as their own path but refuse to admit it in fear of condemnation or judgement. Others may recognise this is the only way for them to go, oblivious to the possibilities the future holds. It would be interesting to see these people in 5-10 years. Their natural hair could be replaced with their latest chosen form of expression.

A woman at work once asked me how long are you going to keep your locks in for. I asked her how long is a piece of string?. I will not be limited or obligated to any ones truth, not even my own. I make no grand statements of remaining a Nubian Queen forever and quite frankly the crown fits well but I never ask to be given it. All that matters is my Now.

When you look at another and make a judgement be aware that all you are doing is setting your definition of what the subject means in relation to you. Subsequently, this enables you to acknowledge your personal shoulds and shouldn’t that serve you in your reality. You have no right to impose your opinion of something on another and have the expectation that they will do as you say. It’s your ego needing reaffirmation. The constant need to be right will blind you. If you define something right it is not necessarily true. What is right is subject to change depending on time and societies attitudes. What is true stands the test of time. I feel that anything as subjective as hair is bound to have a different definition for each individual as there are no two people with the same hair.

My advice
1) Keep your mind open you never know what you may learn.
2) Leave judgement outside on the doorstep as long as you judge another you will always be your own worse judge.
3) To gain an over standing of someone is better than an understanding. When you understand someone you are limited to seeing things through your eyes.
But once you over stand someone you start to see the world through their eyes.

Blessings and Love

Divine