Matam Today

Myeo Myeo

2006-04-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine said this film was good. I heard nothing but bad reviews and thought I would check it out. It had all the elements that I would typically enjoy in a film, transformation, superheroes, empowering role model......action..etc. Sometimes the critics are wrong......sometimes they are right. The film is not that good........this time they were right....yuk! The worst aspects is dialogue and chemistry. The people who worked on this project forgot to add great dialogue and character chemistry. It was rather flat and that is too bad because the whole story of the comic heroine, Cat Woman is worth a movie. One thing I can say however, is for those who are interested in cat mythology and the history of the character Cat Woman will find the special features a treat. This short feature has interviews of Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar, Michelle Pfeiffer, Lee Meriweather, and Halle Berry. It also takes a look at the original Cat Woman in the comics and how her appearance has changed since say the 1950's. The film does cover cat totemic interests passively. This part was done well. The first divine images of cats are found in ancient Nubia. Later the cat goddess image was adopted by Egypt, who conquered Nubia by 2500 BC. In Egypt, she was called appropriately, "Myeo" or Mau, sounds remarkably similar to Meow. The Egyptians fell in love with the dark feline goddess. Her icons were rapidly adopted and spread throughout the kingdom. She is thought to be the guardian of temples, the moon, fertility, love and wisdom. Many "cat goddesses" appear in Egypt including Mafdet, Sekhmet, and Bast. Bast and Myeo are thought to be domesticated cats, where the others are large, undomesticated creatures of the wild. There are many cat women in Egyptian and African mythology. More about them and their extraordinary abilities can be found in my book, The First Book of the Dark Goddess. Below are some interesting Cat Woman sites I found online.

Lost All Reason

2006-03-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

While doing research on the dark goddess for the book, Love Poems to Aphrodite, I discovered the Arabian goddess of the night named Layla. The Sufis serenade here in their lyrical poetry and song. She is the goddess of night. The beautiful dark night that one would see if you were a Bedouin nomad. The night in the deserts with no electrical pollution from city skylines is pitch and primordial. Also the hair of Bedouin women is dark black like their eyes and the burkas that they wear. Especially the eyes in many Muslim communities is where a woman communicates so much with a glance, a look, a wink. The dark eyes of Layla may have been another place of inspiration for spiritual practices of the Sufis. Well when I was looking into the myth of Layla and Majnun, I thought to myself this reminds me of that old Eric Clapton song....Layla which I heard a lot when I was growing up. I wonder if their is any connection. And sure enough, there is. The ideas of the dark goddess permeates our culture in many sublime ways. Here is one of the many musicians who were inspired by ancient mythology. The first part above shows an excerpt from the book, Love Poems to Aphrodite. The song below is by Eric Clapton which mirrors the ideas of the original belief. More on Layla and Majnun can be found at the end of this blog.

In poetry, Layla's dark hair and dark eyes represent this divine formless eternity. In her eyes, are the mystery of mysteries and the source of the grand design. [73] The darkness of night along with the star and crescent symbolism can be seen as symbols for the dark goddess as Layla and as dark mothers of Arabian prehistory. [112]

After that evening Majnun lost his heart. And as he lost his heart, he lost his reason. He wandered in the desert, and as he wandered, he tore his clothes and wildly sang his songs. From afar, people would say, "There goes Majnun, once called Qays. Because of his love of Layla, he wanders in the desert and brings dishonor to his father and his tribe." [57]

The powers of Layla can be found in Muslim love poems, especially in the love story between Layla and Majnun. Her presence, her reality stupefies, as is shown when Majnun sank into the depths of love at the mere glance of her toes, revealed under the hem of her gown. [112] Majnun went crazy due to his love for Layla. His name literally means crazy. This is called in Sufism fana or annihilation, in which the Sufi completely dissolves his social conditioning. His social mind is literally erased. [73]

Layla by Eric Clapton
What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.

CHORUS:
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.

I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.

CHORUS
Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.

CHORUS CHORUS
More on Layla and Majnun - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_and_Majnun

For more about this title and other Matam Press products,please go to
http://www.matampress.com

La Dolce Vita

2006-03-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

For the last month I have been in the world of Federico Fellini. You are probably wondering why. Well I plan to do some stories that could be turned into movies and some other types of writing. That is my goal and yes be successful at it as well. I can see why Fellini is a movie screened generously in classes on the art of movie making. I was blown away by the first movie I saw, La Dolce Vita. Now I must admit the images and personalities of women in a Fellini film is romanticized, some might say sexist, some might say primitive. I think Fellini's women represent the era they were projected in, Italy in the 1950's. Seeing them after the turn of the century, they look remarkably limited and in some cases desperate, but also the men sometimes are. The philosophical themes in his films are great. He really does challenge the viewer both intellectually, visually and sometimes spiritually. For instance, the themes of men and persons who are losing themselves as their dreams for a better life, a meaningful life seems to become even more and more distant. This type of crisis applies to today no doubt, even though its made even more brutal by the assumptions that so many of us have that the world we are in is possibly the most emancipated the world has known for some time. All the media images show how easy it is, how accessible it is and still there are many who have identity struggles and conflicts between the social mask and the authentic self that lies quietly beneath. I also saw the Fellini film -81/2. This, upon first screening was not impressive. But after some brief research and watching it a second time, this is supposedly one of his greatest films earning an oscar for best foreign film in 1963. This films shows Fellini, or the character that is Fellini struggling to make a film. But the real struggle is not the film but the director's insecurities about love, women and finding his true inner voice. Its great the dream sequences in the film which you have to pay attention to because it shifts from dream to reality with not much notice. Many of Fellini films are wonderful in that he plays well with Jungian archetypes and symbols found in the Catholic church. His movies are rich with life even in black and white, their vitality is still quite strong. I like also that in La Dolce Vita he hints at a divine Mother Goddess. In one scene, children are thought to see an image of the Virgin Mary in a tree on a vacant lot. Another scene shows the protagonist and his friends at a party discussing Afro-Asiatic women and their unique spiritual culture. I was amazed to see it but Fellini was obvious to me familiar with divine manifestations of women in eastern cultures and even in Italy as well. Seeing a Fellini film is one of the many ways I plan to strengthen and expand my creative muscle. I highly recommend the two films I saw.

Making fun with Monkey Bread

2005-12-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

While doing research on Monkey Bread which is like really FUN, I found this item online. This article looks at martial arts and mushrooms. One of the items featured in the book is called monkey head mushrooms. The articles looks at all major mushrooms including this one. Monkey Bread is my first recipe book and its the first that will have illustrations in the same way you see typically in a children's books. I am looking for a good illustrator who can do small images and borders. This book looks at simian folklore around food, drinks and consumption. I hope you like this information below. I find it fascinating. Right now I am trying to find some of the unique food items that will be in this book. Many of them are exotic and expensive.....chilis from Peru, Coffee from Indonesia, Mushrooms from China, raw Cacao, monkey head mushrooms.......expensive Teas....these types of things. Stay tuned....its going to be interesting to cook, construct unique recipes and get photos are some of the many tasks involved here. At this juncture I will have to change my deadline. The original deadline is the first of the year but it may take another two months to finish up everything. I set the original deadline only taking in the text as consideration but I now realize its more then text, cooking, looking for the right ingredients, illustrations....among many things. Well its going to be fun and intriguing. I look forward to that.

Peace Matomah

Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

2005-11-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

This subject was drop from my latest literary project, Monkey Bread. It didn't fit the subject focus. I thought it was information people should know so I posted it here. I didn't know that there was a coffee ceremony in Ethiopia. A bit of hidden cultural history. Peace Matomah

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Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony

Not many people know of the unique traditions surrounding coffee in Ethiopia. This particular coffee comes from the Oromio cooperative in Ethiopia, and for the last two years our Coffee Department, and other coffee fanatics within our circle, have considered this our finest green coffee. We roast it with a delicacy that hides none of its charm. Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe comes from the Sidamo region in Eastern Ethiopia, southeast from the Gulf of Aden. Approximately 12 million Ethiopians find their lively hood in the coffee industry, and while Ethiopia exports around 60 percent of its coffee, the drink has deep domestic significance for the country. In fact, many Ethiopians practice a traditional ceremony around coffee.

Not surprisingly, the ceremony is quite social. It is used to welcome guests into one’s home. Traditionally, the coffee ceremony involved drinking the brew either salted, or mixed with butter. According to legend, an ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi noticed his goats became frisky after eating the dark leaves and red cherries of a local shrub. The berries had a similar effect on Kaldi. He shared them with a monk from a nearby monastery, who discovered a brew of the boiled berries kept him alert during evening prayers. The ceremony, which can take a few hours, usually begin with a young woman dressed in traditional attire. She'll roast raw beans over a stove until they are black, releasing a familiar aroma that mingles with ceremonial incense. She'll pour three cups for each guest, serving the eldest first. After the third cup is consumed. Ethiopians believe a blessing is bestowed and one's spirit is transformed. In some parts of the country, this ceremony takes place three times a day and is the village's main social event. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is prized by connoisseurs for its delicate fragrance of orange blossoms and lemony tones. It has an elegant sweet and clean finish. Yirgacheffe charms you with its high citrus notes, sensual wisp of flowers, and round body.

Coffee ceremonies also play other social roles. Coffee time, more than just an ordinary coffee break, symbolizes an important get-together of family members, thereby helping to foster family ties and create an important opportunity to cultivate children and the young with the desired social norms and values. The good are blessed and the evil condemned by elders. Moreover, nourishment of friendship and hospitality to guests, expression of love and respect for "superiors", sharing of information and spiritually expressing the desire for the protection, wellbeing and prosperity of the individual and the collective are all aspects of this traditional coffee ritual. All these are performed while drinking coffee together, two to three times a day.

Notes on Monkey Bread

2005-11-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

I have started the serious work on my latest book, Monkey Bread. This one is a continuation of the simian mythology of Sako Ma: A Look at the Sacred Monkey Totem. I came across so much mythology especially around food. I wondered how much of this angle on simian totemic legends contains enough for another book. I did some more research and found some incredible things. I wanted to make this book a cookbook, a mythological cookbook. I think it goes well with the theme on food and consumption. Totemism among animist (native belief systems) is actually a regulation of human consumption via customs and rituals. This includes all desires for food, flesh, and sex. Totemism protects the blood-line and puts a freeze literarily on human emotions like jealousy, greed and lust, especially within the group. This book's focus is primarily food, eating food and cooking food. This book is really fun because I will have to devise recipes. I may try to put in some art and or digital images of food, but I haven't got to that part yet. Images of cooked dishes sales books really well. The subject matter, however is so rich and unique it may do well without it. Some people wonder why I am covering this subject. Most books on animal totemism or animal magic don't really do the animals justice in covering them. I learned this after covering this subject which could fill a book of 400 pages with details, layouts and more. There is no book on the market that covers one animal in the depth that these two books have. I also discovered it to be an old archetype still strong today. Animal types are archetypes, maybe smaller ones but important ones. Its like the system of the chakras. Most people know there are seven major chakras but no one knows there are many smaller ones that extend from that central system. The book on simian mythology is similar in that its one aspect of a more complex system. This subject is also very important aspect of dark Mother mythology and culture too.

Burning the Midnight Oil

2005-10-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

And I am happy to say that a book is finally complete. That book is called Kauri - Wonders of the Ancient World. While doing a lot of research on the dark goddess I came across this subject. I found one book on Shells of the World and was amazed at the information just on the cowry shell. It seemed like there was more to this complex story. So I did some more research and I have uncovered some intriguing things. I will send an excerpt for you to see. You on the list will be the first to see samples. This has not been promoted to the general public as of yet. What I didn't completely realize at the time is that the story of the Kauri shell is another chapter in the ancient legend of the dark goddess. I knew that basically going in but it really made sense after doing more research. For the dark mother of the waters, which is where most divine mothers began as water-related deities. And the cowry-shell was a gift from the primordial waters. It was Her symbol for fertility, prosperity, protection and abundance. Its an amazing story. And again its not a topic covered in mainstream books. Even in many goddess and pagan books I have come across its not widely known. Hopefully this book can expand the dialogue and inquiry. [http://www.lulu.com/content/77159]

2005-08-22T00:16:00.000-07:00

Beautiful golden image of the Virgin Guadelupe.
by Mano

The Hidden Messages in Water

2005-08-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

I just read this terrific book on water. Its one of the many books I am considering for a future book project. I think the idea of water is pretty important anyway if you are studying the goddess and related spiritual subjects. Water is so fundamental to who we are as human beings and as souls. After all we are made up mostly of water, up to 80% and water is more essential then food, although I know friends who drink more soda and coffee then water. Life would not be possible on this earth if the there was no water. Mr. Emoto considers many angles about water, one of his more profound theories suggest that water may have originated from outer space. In ancient times, water came from the celestial sphere maybe as a comet of ice and overtime evaporated into clouds and simply began expanding itself, recycling itself. The earth was mostly covered with water at one time, even the pyramids of Giza show water erosion at its base. This region, mostly desert today could have been a beautiful green oasis, with lakes and swamps surrounding these pillars of architecture. It’s a remarkable idea and gets one to thinking about a lot of things.
That is why this book is such a gem. It’s a great book that expands your mind and leaves you wondering about many things, the least of which is one’s relationship to water.

Goddess of the Americas

2005-08-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this wonderful book. On my latest project I needed some more information on the Goddess Guadelupe. I found this wonderful book called Goddess of the Americas, which is actually an anthology of diverse writing by authors and their insights on She Whose Origins Were in the Rocky Summit. Some of the contributing authors include, Miriam Sagan, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Sandra Cisneros, Luisah Teish and Luis J. Rodriguez. Many of the authors I have never read before and their writing is refreshing and powerful. Every issue is covered among the many short essays, including the origins, her impact in politics, icons of the Lady in popular culture and her impact on the lives and well-beings of those who honor Her. One lucky gem of a book for those interested in this black Goddess of the Americas. Many of the essays are intriguing, informative and really illuminates the beauty and complexity of this powerful icon.

Rainer Maria Rilke

2005-05-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation...so we must not forget, when we love, that we are beginners, bunglers of life, apprentices in love and must learn love...

by Rainer Maria Rilke

Cult of the Goddess

2005-04-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

I was in my local used bookstore. Wonderful place full of old books and other types of media, its called Bookmans in Tucson. I found this wonderful little book on the goddesses in Hinduism. Its not a book a normally see like that beautiful one on KaliMa for instance. This one is a small pamphlet about a 100 pages long. Its called, Cult of the Goddess - Social and Religious Change in a Hindu Temple by James J. Preston. The publisher is called Waveland Press, Inc. They have a generous list of sociological and anthropological titles for the knowledge hungry. The list which is featured behind the book I have is really IMPRESSIVE. The price is also modest.

Flipping through the booklet, it covers unlikely goddess issues like temple economics, patronage, attitudes and perspective and priesthood solidarity. A great little unsuspecting book with interesting angles and insights.

The Origin of Love

2005-03-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

I am focused on gathering bits of information for my next book - Love Poems to Aphrodite. Its on the black goddess and love culture. So I thought it fitting to learn about love or get some general idea. I want to focus on the goddess so I have to be a little more clever and find those pieces. I thought I start with the Western concepts of love. I searched the web and found this interesting site that looks at love. Although the site is Christian, it does cover the tradition of love as it relates to Christianity and philosophers of the past. Love is important in the Christian cosmos. The Virgin Mary for instance is thought to be the embodiment of compassion, mercy and love for all humanity, especially children and the suffering. Her black goddess version, the Black Madonna is also a powerful symbol of love, unshakable love for her child, for heaven and for the people. Incidentally their love is also the source of their suffering. Such great love only leads to deep suffering.

Here is the four major types of love, modified for a goddess-centered audience.

Philios Love - Every one is born with an innate desire to be loved and accepted, Creation intended us to be social beings, and we must have others around us to survive.

Storge Love - A mothers love for her child, which begins at the moment of conception and follows the child all their lives.

Eros Love - God made man and woman to be attracted to one another.

Agape Love - This love is perfect, complete, selfless, undying, unconditional, eternal, and it is for all men for all times.

2005-02-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

This is an example of the image that will be used for my next project, Love Poems to Aphrodite. This beautiful image was illustrated by Mano Sotelo. I was first attracted to his work by the wonderful images of angels he sent me on his postcard. I never seen angels done that way...with a beautiful Arizona backdrop. If you would like to see more images by Mano, check out his online portfolio. http://www.sotelostudio.com/
by Mano

The People's Poet - A Writer's Footnotes

2005-02-17T17:30:00.001-07:00

Discarded Text from my upcoming manuscript - Love Poems to Aphrodite.

Considered Russia’s greatest poet, Alexander Pushkin was also known as a novelist and dramatist. His work expresses the uniqueness of Russian national consciousness, and they are seen as the first works of modern Russian literature. Through the efforts of Pushskin, Russians heard their collective voice for the first time. His beautiful writing first established the tradition of Russian romanticism. In a day of autocracy and tyranny, he spoke out eloquently for liberty and justice and his quick wit always involved him in duels.

Aleksander Sergeevich Pushkin was born in Moscow on June 6, 1799. While at home, he learned to speak fluent French, but also learned Russian from his grandmother and heard Russian folktales from his nurse. In 1811, he entered the Imperial Lyceum at Tsarskoye Selo, where he was trained to enter the civil service. While positioned there, Pushkin began work on his first major poem. The poem, "Ruslan and Lyudmila," published in 1820, was his first work to break with literary tradition of the day. The poem is written in the accepted style of the Romantic writers, but it has an Old Russian setting and draws upon Russian folktales.
In 1817 Pushkin took a post in the foreign office in St. Petersburg. He became involved with several literary societies; one of which became a branch of a secret society called the Union of Welfare. A favorite of the Czar, he was sought for his insight and wisdom. Idolized by the masses, Pushskin always thought of himself as a black man. He wrote:

An ever idle scapegrace, hideous descendant of Negroes,
brought up in savage simplicity, I pleasure the young beauties
with the unbridled furies of my African passion.

When Pushkin first heard African music it was as if his flesh remembered some fabulous long, long ago...In his poetry, Pushkin adhered to a model that seems to be rootedly African. He became the spokesman for those who later participated in the failed Decembrist uprising of 1825. Due to these activities, he was politically exiled in 1820 to a remote southern province.
During his exile Puskin traveled extensively in the northern regions of Caucasus and the Crimea. These travels provided the material and inspiration for his "southern cycle" of Romantic narrative poems, which firmly established his reputation. In 1826, Pushkin was allowed to return to Moscow. Although his work was censored and the police put him under secret observation, it was here that he wrote his most mature works. In 1831, Puskin married a young woman by the name of Natalya Goncharova, and they settled in St. Petersburg, where he again acquired a position in government service. His desire to continue writing came into conflict with his court position and his petitions to be allowed to resign were all denied. He died in February 10, 1837 (Jan 29, according to the old calendar), in St. Petersburg from wounds suffered in a duel, which was an attempt to regain his honor due to a slight directed towards himself and his wife.

Puskin’s major works are an _expression of his interest in the common people of Russia, their folklore, and their way of life. As such he broke dramatically with the forms of the day and established an entirely new tradition. In both "Eugene Onegin" (1833) and "Boris Gordunov" (1831), Puskin writes in a realistic, objective style about typically Russian themes in Russian settings.

Higher Learning

2005-02-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

On my vacation, technically on your spiritual walk you are NEVER really on vacation. Sometimes the lessons and insights are a breath of fresh air, relaxing and a relief. While in San Francisco I had the wonderful opportunity to finally meet a woman I admire very much. Her dedication to ancient African Herstory is phenomenal. Passionate, warm and down-to-earth, when I first encounter her books and work, it inspired me to keep going and to stay strongly focus. Her name is Lucia Birnbaum and she is one of many of the professors who teach (the first program I have ever seen) women's spirituality. The program has a strong womanist and black goddess focus. Probably the first and only program in the country, possibly the world. She teaches at a wonderful school called CIIS located in the downtown area of San Francisco. The whole school has a wonderful humanist, spirituality focus with the bookstore stocked with titles ranging from Tantra, the Dalai Llama, Healing Racism, Buddhism, Recovering the Teachings of the Body and just books I am more likely to see in a Shambhala Bookstore, or even in my own bookcase at home and not in an academic setting. The school even has a meditation room upstairs. Surreal! The world is moving fast in expanding its consciousness around these issues of race and sex and it was incredible to see it and experience it. You know in the past higher education meant just that....studying subjects and creating an environment so that people can learn to become better people and to contribute in a positive way to a diverse world. I guess CIIS has what you might call, higher education. Lucia Birnbaum and her books and great work can be found at this link.

Vacation away from the Pen

2005-01-31T21:25:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I was on a needed vacation. I visited family in San Francisco and kindav took it easy. I was tempted to bring my manuscript and the construction notes but I decided not too. I just relaxed and really zooned out. It felt good to get away and was a good exercise to prepare my mind for the next project. Well back from vacation this monday, I started going over my notes and doing the necessary preparation before I started up again.

Love is in Need of Love Today

2004-12-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

I have been looking at my latest manuscript - Love Poems to Aphrodite and I realize that this one needs a total rework, overhaul. My original intention was African-centered and included a different focus. I planned to cover lots of hidden African culture that celebrated love, romance and chivalry but found that many of these traditions did not necessary support women or included goddess inspiration. I think many writers are doing the African-centered angle and wanted to reach further for something that was less likely to be covered in an already marginalized genre. So this is, as most suspected another black goddess subject book but it is focused more on love, romance and the sensual culture inspired directly or indirectly by goddess influence. So that is where I am now tearing down old chapters, ripping them to shreds and adding the framework that supports this new interest. I love the subject of love and so I am anticipating lots of learning and fun with this one. Lots of FUN>

Love Poems to Aphrodite

2004-12-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

My next project is Love Poems to Aphrodite. This document is an overview of love traditions and practices among African descendants. In the news, we hear a lot about the desperation and tragedies that usually characterize African culture but few people realize that for some Africans romantic traditions were very strong and dominated, in some cases entire world-views. Romance is thought to be out of step today, but in my next project there is all there is....love and romanza. I am just shifting notes and getting a feel on how I want to tackle this subject, how it will be presented, gathering images, creating a list of source documents to do research and take note. This book will be different because it will be the first one to benefit from my new buddhist chanting. I needed to organize my thoughts and the resources of my mind better and chanting helps me to do that. I can really get into some pre-preparation practices and start focusing on the ideas and concepts I really want to explore. My previous work was on a personal level very helter skelter and I don't want to do that again. I am looking forward to this book because love is important in my life.....love, balance, harmony, justice, peace......all love to me.

Well we will see how it goes....keep you posted. Until then check out my coming soon page for more details on this exciting work. http://www.matampress.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page3.html

New Project - Love Poems to Aphrodite

2004-12-01T19:31:00.003-07:00

My next project is Love Poems to Aphrodite. This document is an overview of love traditions and practices among African descendants. In the news, we hear a lot about the desperation and tragedies that usually characterize African culture but few people realize that for some Africans romantic traditions were very strong and dominated, in some cases entire world-views. Romance is thought to be out of step today, but in my next project there is all there is....love and romanza. I am just shifting notes and getting a feel on how I want to tackle this subject, how it will be presented, gathering images, creating a list of source documents to do research and take note. This book will be different because it will be the first one to benefit from my new buddhist chanting. I needed to organize my thoughts and the resources of my mind better and chanting helps me to do that. I can really get into some pre-preparation practices and start focusing on the ideas and concepts I really want to explore. My previous work was on a personal level very helter skelter and I don't want to do that again. I am looking forward to this book because love is important in my life.....love, balance, harmony, justice, peace......all love to me.Well we will see how it goes....keep you posted. Until then check out my coming soon page for more details on this exciting work.

Get That Monkey Off My Back

2004-12-01T19:31:00.001-07:00

I have just written an article on more delicious sacred monkey totemism. The phrase having a monkey on your back is a popular phrase especially generations ago. Its not used as much today but many older people may remember its incessant application in the past. My article traces the possible origins of this phrase among animistic cultures in Africa that honored all animals and nature. In this case, primates are represented and their zoological and spiritual characteristics celebrated and remarked in text and symbol. This article presently can be found at New Age Journal, but its not limited here. I am presently sending out inquiries and submissions to other online and offline journals that might be interested. If you are interested in posting this article in some form online or offline, please contact me.

Here is the article at New Age Journal.
http://www.newagejournal.com

Peace Matomah Alesha, author of Sako Ma and The First Book of the Black Goddess

New Wholesaler Added

2004-12-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Matam Press has a new wholesaler especially for book retailers. Northern Traders has been around over ten years and has a unique catalog of products and services. They also have excellent customer service. They are a manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor and importer of their own designed products. I am happy to be a part of their business. If you are a book store or university or school looking for wholesale prices for large orders, this is the place to order. For individual sales, please go to Matam Press at http://www.matampress.com If you have any questions about wholesale prices for businesses and institutions, please contact me at mtpbooks@yahoo.com To reach Northern Traders, call them at 800-704-6111 or go to their website for more information.

Matomah Alesha of Matam Press

2004-09-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

This is an example of the book cover for the second edition, The First Book of the Black Goddess by Matomah Alesha. A rare and comprehensive exploration of the divine feminine cross culturally. The cover art done by the ultra talented Mano Sotelo of Tucson.

Second Edition is now available

2004-09-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

Hello readers,
The second edition of my first book, THE FIRST BOOK OF THE BLACK GODDESS by Matomah Alesha is now available at Lulu.com. Please purchase this book and all titles from Lulu for now. I am in the process of putting these titles into the book distribution systems of Amazon.com and many others. I am happy this is finally done. The first book was great but this is even better. There are better footnotes, more expanded information on the black goddess cross culturally, more black goddess profiles are added with their complementary mythology. Also there are more illustrations over 20 this time. The first book had only three. The book cover was done by a wonderful local artist name Mano Sotelo. His work is incredible. More about him and his portfolio can be found here...http://www.sotelostudio.com It really adds to the vibrant look of this edition. There is so much more..lots of editing and refinishing went into this one to make an exceptional book for readers exploring this archetype. All the products at Matam Press complement each other, please consider the black goddess journal and calendar which has as much research and love involved in them.

Revision of TFBBG

2004-08-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

I am half done with the rewrite of my first book, The First Book of the Black Goddess by Matomah Alesha. I am presently working on the illustrations and how I want to organize them. The first edition did not have any illustrations really, just three. This new book will have many and that is very useful in conveying its message. Also I am considering an index as well. I am new at creating an index, so this is challenging. This books needs and deserves an index for researchers and fans of a particular black goddess. For more information about this first title, please go to the website provided.