For the I Who Soon Trods Outta Babylon
🔸 Purpose
To prepare the mind, heart, and spirit of the Rasta bredren/sistren for life after incarceration, grounded in Rastafari livity, spiritual discipline, and self-reliance. This plan helps the individual continue their walk with Jah while facing freedom’s tests and opportunities.
🔹 PHASE 1: INNER PREPARATION (90–30 Days Before Release)
1. Recommit to the Livity
- Reflect daily: “What does it mean to live Rastafari on the outside?”
- Choose 1–2 principles to carry forward:
- Ital living
- Nonviolence
- Truth-speaking
- Brotherhood/sisterhood
- Daily reasoning with Jah
Affirmation:
I leave this place, but I do not leave the path. Jah walk with I and I.
2. Build Your Spiritual Routine
Create a “freedom livity plan” that includes:
- Morning prayer / chant time
- Weekly Sabbath or meditation period
- Monthly fasting or cleansing ritual
- Community check-in or correspondence
Start practicing that schedule inside, so it’s already part of your rhythm.
3. Gather Tools for the Journey
Prepare or request:
- Pocket Bible or Psalms
- Small booklet of affirmations or prayers
- Journal or notebook
- List of Rasta contacts or communities (where allowed)
Tip: Ask the chaplain if they can print spiritual materials or connect you to a reentry group.
🔹 PHASE 2: EXIT STRATEGY (30 Days to Release)
1. Plan Your Physical & Spiritual Environment
Ask:
- Where will I live? Is it peaceful?
- Who will I surround myself with?
- Is there a Rasta elder, church, or center I can visit or link with?
If there’s no direct Rasta presence, create a sacred corner in your space—somewhere you can pray, reflect, and stay grounded.
2. Rasta Principles for Babylon’s Pressure
As you face jobs, parole meetings, or social judgment, repeat:
- “I man deal with truth and discipline.”
- “I do not follow Babylon’s confusion – I move with intention.”
- “If it is not righteous, I do not make it I dwelling.”
3. Rebuild with Roots
Reconnect with:
- Ital food – even small steps
- Natural living – fresh air, herbs, sun
- Craft or trade – use your hands to create, heal, or grow
- Spiritual study – read Garvey, the Bible, Kebra Negast, or teachings of the elders
🔹 PHASE 3: LONG-TERM LIVITY (Post-Release)
1. Weekly Reasoning with Self or Community
If no Rasta link is nearby, set a weekly check-in time:
- Reflect on your walk
- Read a Psalm and affirm your growth
- Journal or voice-note your challenges and triumphs
2. Service & Reparation
Use your freedom to give back:
- Mentor youth or former inmates
- Build or join a Rasta circle
- Host online reasoning or participate in one
- Share what you’ve learned with others in the struggle
3. Honor Jah in All Things
Make your work, your relationships, and your choices reflect the path of life, not death. Choose love, even when tested. Choose progress, even when tempted.
“We do not come out of Babylon empty-handed. We come out with power.”
🌿 Closing Commitment
“I walk forward in truth, discipline, and dignity.
I carry the fire of Rastafari in my heart and actions.
Jah guide my steps beyond these gates.
I am free not just in body, but in soul.
Selah.”
Contact for Support & Clarification: Sanctuary of the Rastafarian Order (SOTRO)
Email: support@jahlove,ca
Web: www.jahlove.ca