Author Archives: Princess Pearl Manzini

Commonality between Zulu & Ifa Cosmology

Posted on by under Culture, Spirituality

By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

Zulu traditional dress. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group in South Africa, found mainly in the south-east in KwaZulu Natal. KwaZulu means the place of the Zulus. In Zulu cosmology the Creator (UMdali/uMenzi) has 7 aspects or messengers known by some as gods because they had greater power and consciousness than human beings. The number 7 is a sacred symbol of divine fullness. Each Of these divine messengers had a divinely ordained function.

The Orishas are the deities in the Yoruba spiritual tradition known as Ifa. The Yoruba people are from the south and west of Nigeria. The Orishas are aspects of the Supreme Being or the Creator given charge over different aspects of life. There are many Orishas however there are seven that are most popular and known as the Seven African Powers.

There are interesting parallels between the spiritual beliefs of Zulu and Yoruba people. Primarily these are centred around a single Supreme Being, the Creator. The Creator expresses his character through different cosmic energies that are personified as deities or gods. Human beings are made in the image of the Creator in terms of spirit so they carry the same energies within them. For the ease of human understanding human social constructs such as the family are used to teach complex cosmic concepts and stories are used to convey the wisdom in a way that can be readily understood, memorized and passed on from generation to generation.

Ifa Orishas. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

UMvelinqangi is the chief of the messengers. He connects people to all the other messengers. He is responsible for balance and centrality. He is the one known as Modimo wa Badimo, in SeTswana, the greatest of all the spirits. He has similarities to Obatala in the Yoruba spiritual tradition.

Ifa Orisha Obatala. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Ma, is the Universal Mother, Credo Mutwa, the famous Zulu Shaman called her Ninavanhu Ma. She gave birth to the first humans. She is a caregiver and nurturer. She gave the original blueprint of motherhood and embodies that powerful cosmic energy. There are similarities to Yemaya in the Yoruba tradition.

Ifa Orisha Yemaya. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Sodumo is responsible for the destinies of human beings. He connects the living and the dead. From him, each soul is given it’s assignment on earth to grow in consciousness through various experiences chosen by the individual before they are conceived. There are similarities to Orunmila.

Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Nomkhubulwane governs the phenomenon of rain and rainbows. Ancient priestesses prayed to her for rain. The original shapeshifter, she adopts the form of any animal. She sounds similar to Oya, the Orisha of weather & storms whose symbol is the rainbow.

Ifa Orisha Oya. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Somandla embodies the cosmic energy of vitality and power and gives humans the power to achieve anything. African Christians pray to USomandla for strength and capability as he represents the Omnipotence of God the Creator. His colour is red. He shares similarities with Ogun.

Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Nomhoyi embodies the energies of sensuality & fertility. She is associated with rivers. She brings spiritual cleansing & consciousness which comes with baptism. She brings peace and protection. She shares similarities with Oshun, the Orisha of fertility beauty and love.

Ifa Orisha Oshun. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Mlenzemunye, (means the one-legged one ) embodies the cosmic energies of courage, protection, & change. He protects people from harm. His Ifa counterpart is Osanyin, also🦵 who is in charge of healing & magic associated with diviners & herbalists.

Ifa Orisha Osanyin. Picture courtesy of Pinterest

The number 7 has significance in numerology, sacred geometry and many other spiritual traditions including Christianity. Isaiah chapter 11 tells of the 7 spirits of the Lord. Revelation tells of the 7 eyes of God which symbolizes the 7 spirits of the Lord. This is why the Jewish menorah or lamp stand has 7 lights or candles.

Christianity found resonance with African people because the Christian God was in many respects similar to the Creator revered by Africans for millennia. Human beings may be divided by religion, language, culture and tradition but are united in the Spirit.

Book Review: A Family Affair By Sue Nyathi

Posted on by under Culture

By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

I’ve been saving Sue’s latest novel for a time when I have time to read uninterrupted. The wait was well worth it. There is always a temptation to retell the story when you enjoy it so much. This family saga set in Bulawayo has all the elements of a bestseller. It’s good to finally read a family saga in the tradition of Barbara Taylor Bradford in an African setting. Having lived in Harare and visited Bulawayo it brought back memories of growing in Zimbabwe before the economic collapse.

Sue’s characters and settings are completely relatable. We all have the black sheep sibling, the meddling aunt, the feckless uncle and delinquent teenage and religious fundamentalists to keep everyone in line. Sue manages to convey the pathos and despair of sexual and physical abuse, dire financial straits and the choices people make in desperation to survive and hold onto the people they love while weaving all of it into a great story.

She deftly portrays contemporary social issues such as the modern mega churches where people turn to faith in God to ease the pain and despair and find solutions for issues in their lives. Conservative views about women, their sexuality and relationship choices are also a key theme as the family grapples with the issue of unwed motherhood, separation and divorce in the lives of their three daughters. A man’s sexual sins are not judged with the same severity. Interestingly it’s the women who are more vocal and judgmental about what constitutes appropriate behaviour.

I enjoyed every page. I would recommend you read this and her other books Polygamy and Gold Diggers.

Sis! You Had One Job.

Posted on by under Culture
Picture courtesy of Pexels.com

‘Tell me about yourself’, The stranger says
Looking deep into my eyes
Potential lover?
Looks like husband material too,
At 2 metres plus.
‘What do you want to know?
The truth is the wrong answer will end the conversation
Just like that.

‘Tell me something. Anything! I want to get to know you.’
What he really wants to know is…
Am I just a pretty face?
Am I smarter than him?
Am I fun to be with?
What’s my body count?
If he turns on the charm, will I have sex with him?
On the first date?

‘Think carefully.
Watch your words,
Don’t give away too much,
But keep it interesting.’
That’s my social self talking.
Relentless cynic, inner critic
The ego that must always shine.

‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Say:’
‘I love to cook. What’s your favourite food?’
‘I exercise everyday. Keeping fit & healthy is important to me.’
Well it’s true. No more lockdown love handles.
My jeans fit perfectly, no muffin top.
If he’s a gym freak that should do it.
A quick Google search for Lewis Hamilton’s stats
Or the World Golf Rankings. He looks like the classy expensive type. I could just say. ‘I enjoy watching action movies.’
Netflix and chill is my vibe.
What man can resist that?

Instead, my essential self says
‘I am a spark of the Divine
My eyes shine with the light of a thousand moons
In my DNA hides the wisdom of the ages
I am creatively inspired
My love is infinite
Dive into the deep waters of my soul
If you dare.
An oyster carrying a rare and precious pearl
Is what you will find there.’

‘Uh! Oh. That’s really great.’ He checks his phone. ‘It’s been great chatting. I’m really sorry….’ I hear the ‘but’, seconds before it comes. ‘I’ll call you.’ ‘Ok. cool.’ I sip my coffee and wave. Nonchalantly. Goodbye husband material.

My social self *sighs and facepalms* ‘Really!’ She’s furious. It’s our first date in months. ‘You had to go there. You had one job.’ ‘All you had to do was make him like you.’

© Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

Tell Us About Yourself: Job Interview Edition

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Noma Dzinotyiwei

They say “Tell us about yourself.”
Then ask “Who is Noma?”
At first I think, ‘I hate that question.”
Instead I smile and take a deep breath
I pause. Then I ask myself,
‘Who are these people?’
‘What do they want to know?’
Then most importantly ‘Why?’

It’s a job interview
A standard question
They want to know what makes me unique
Why the job suits me
Why I think I’m suited to the job
It’s a trick question
Too much information will put them off
Too little won’t tell them what they really need to know

‘Is she the right candidate?’
‘Does she have what it takes’
‘What makes her different?’
‘What makes her special?’
‘Can she do this job better than the others?’
‘How can we be sure hiring HER isn’t a mistake?’
A million versions of the same question
‘Could she the one?’

Maybe I am
Maybe I’m not
I could make this work
Or die trying.
I carefully think the question through
Making sure I properly package my answer?

The safe is to start by saying what to my role is In the lives of the people closest to me.
A wife, a mother, the eldest daughter.
I tell them what I like, what I’m great at
How I’m conscientious and disciplined,
Yet creative and wildly original.
But what I’m really trying to say is
I am the one you need,
The one you’ve been waiting for.

© Noma Dzinotyiwei 2020

Thread by @NomaDzino: So I jumped onto the ‘learning new skills’ bandwagon and signed up for MasterClass. It’s not cheap – R250/ month, R3000.00 per year. I picke…

Posted on by under Culture, Inspiration, Leadership

Thread by @NomaDzino: So I jumped onto the ‘learning new skills’ bandwagon and signed up for MasterClass. It’s not cheap – R250/ month, R3000year. I picked Ru Paul & I was blown away. So what can a drag queen teach us about self-love, authenticity an…
— Read on threadreaderapp.com/thread/1264879576318201857.html

Book Review: Nomaswazi by Busisekile Khumalo

Posted on by under Book, Culture

The story begins with a recollection of a wedding. You would think they live the happily ever after. Instead find yourself on a high speed train ride that is the relationship between Nomaswazi and the man that left her at the altar. An innocent girl, she is crushed by the rejection and flees to Johannesburg.

One day she is minding her own business when he saunters casually back into her life and decides that he has no intention of leaving. She loves him, yet she hates him. He loves her, yet he feels undeserving of her after ditching her at the altar and trying to keep a lid on the demons of his past. He pulls out all the stops in his effort to get her back. The story will have you hooked, wondering what other curveballs the writer will throw and she has plenty. Busisekile’s imagination is unparalleled and her research is on point making the story so real.

With recollections of war, weapons smuggling, intrigue, hot erotic encounters as well as a fatal sibling rivalry, this story set mainly in rural eSwatini will keep you up late as you try to find out whether Nomaswazi and her man eventually make it down the aisle and get their happily ever after.

Thread by @NomaDzino: We recently celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you for all the lovely messages and good wishes. For those asking How did we mana…

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Thread by @NomaDzino: We recently celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you for all the lovely messages and good wishes. For those wondering how did we manage to stay married? TBH, I don’t have all the answers. Looking back here’s what I learnt. A Thread W…
— Read on threadreaderapp.com/thread/1249348666797830146.html

Book Review: The Memo:What Women of Colour Need To Know To Secure A Seat At The Table by Minda Harts

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By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

This book was clearly written out of frustration with the career advice offered to women in books such as Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois Frankel. It’s great advice but the majority of the standard-issue career tips they offer don’t always address the experience of a woman of colour in a white male-dominated corporate environment. Women of colour face unique challenges in the workplace because of gender and racial discrimination as well as structural inequality. The answer is no, we don’t have the same 24 hours as men or white women and we start the race further back than they do.

Minda shakes the table and evens the scales for us by pointing out what the real problems are and how they should be addressed. As an African woman in a corporate job, it was a relief to finally read a book with career advice that speaks to my experience of working in a largely hostile environment. I have personally experienced many of the things she writes about and witnessed the others being experienced by women I know. The validation is heartfelt and appreciated.

We are not crazy. The micro-aggressions, passive-aggressive behaviour, gaslighting and the resulting anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress that we suffer are real. However she offers actionable insights that will put you in the driver’s seat of your career and well on your way to that seat at the table and the C-Suite. She talks about negotiating pay and benefits, being intentional in your career choices, self-awareness, emotional intelligence, setting boundaries and leveling up in terms of skills. She delivers her advice in a straight-talking manner. Call it tough love, but after reading this book you’ll put your big girl panties on, wipe those tears and come out of that corner swinging harder and faster than Muhammad Ali.

She also addresses white people, stating how their behaviour in the workplace is problematic. The truth is most white people suffer from unconscious bias and just don’t know how damaging their words and actions are. In this book she does not give them any free passes and tells it like it is in #DearWhitePeople style. When they get the message, they too will know better, do better and get on the team by becoming success partners for black women. In Minda’s own words, success is not a solo sport and to quote Jesus Christ, ‘he who is not for us is really against us and he who is not helping us gather is really scattering.’

My favourite quote says: “There are future generations of women of color counting on us to finish this race and make it better when they arrive! Please don’t bite the apple and leave the garden before your time.” Oh Amen! Was there ever any more encouragement than that?

Reading this book is like having lunch with a girlfriend, having the best time with laughter, a few tears, dessert and wine and coffee. I would definitely recommend it for any woman who’s tired of bumping her head against the glass ceiling. This is the sledgehammer you’ve been waiting for. Get your goggles because baby, that glass gon’ break in every direction.

The Heavens Declare The Glory Of The Lord; The Skies Proclaim The Work Of His Hands

Posted on by under Culture, Sermons

Scripture Reading: Psalm 19.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

‭‭Image from blog.timesunion.com

Human beings have studied the heavens for centuries to understand the past, the present and the future. In Genesis‬ ‭1:14-19, it is written that the lights in the sky will separate day from night and serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ There are two disciplines that relate to the study of the stars: Astrology and Astronomy. Astrology comes from the words astros meaning stars and logos, meaning knowledge, and the two words together mean ‘knowledge of the stars’. It was studied in ancient times to mark the signs and seasons for people to know when to plant, and to harvest. Astronomy is the study of the heavenly bodies, an exact science based on the absolute laws of physics and mathematics. Astronomers now bear witness to the hand of God in creating the universe. ‬

At the beginning and throughout the year, zodiac charts and predictions are published for people to read, to find out what the future has in store for them. Did you know that modern astrology to foretell the future is a corruption of the original study of the Stars by the Jews known as the Mazzaroth? Would you believe that the story of salvation is written in the stars? The difference between the ancient Mazzaroth star chart and the modern zodiac chart is that the Mazzaroth has 13 signs, while the zodiac has 12 signs. The number was reduced to 12 because it was easier to divide a circle into 12 to make the study easier. This means that the charts and the predictions are incorrect. The Mazzaroth tells the story of salvation, while the zodiac charts are used to analyse character and to foretell the future. The zodiac is a corruption of the original purpose of the chart. It keeps people trying to look into the future and to control events and keeps people from focusing on God and trusting in him for provision and protection.

THE GOSPEL IN THE STARS

People looked to the night sky to remind themselves of God’s promise of salvation. Mary the mother of Jesus praises the Lord in Luke 1:54-55, saying He has helped his servant Israel and remembered His promise to Abraham and his descendants just as He promised her ancestors. In the book of Job, written before Genesis, about a man who lived before Moses in chapter 26, verse 13 it is written: “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.” In the absence of a written bible, Job would have known about God’s plan for redemption from the stars. The gospel in the stars begins with Virgo, the virgin and ends with Leo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It is the story of the conflict between the Seed of the woman (Virgo) and Scorpio, the seed of the serpent. This was declared by the Lord in Genesis 3:15 to the serpent or Satan, saying that the seed of the woman would crush his head while the serpent would bruise his heel. The son of the Virgin Mary is Jesus Christ the Son of God, while Scorpio points to the Antichrist.

WAS THERE REALLY A STAR THAT LED THE WISE MEN?

Amos 3:7 says that the Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. The Magi followed a star to find the new born king Jesus Christ. An Astronomer, Michael Molnar believes that the wise men were, in fact, very wise and mathematically adept astrologers. They also knew about the Old Testament prophecy that a new king would be born of the family of David. Most likely, they had been watching the heavens for years, waiting for alignments that would foretell the birth of this king. When they identified a powerful set of astrological signs, they decided the time was right to set out to find the prophesied leader.

Astronomers have calculated that the sign of the birth of the king began on April 17 of 6 BC and lasted until December 19 of 6 BC. The earliest time the men could have arrived in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus would likely have been at least a toddler. Remember Herod’s instruction to kill all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of 2, to ensure that he removed the threat of a Jewish King. Herod is considered to be the first Antichrist.

The story of salvation in the stars is also found in the book of Revelation. It depicts the visions of the past, present and future that were given to the Apostle John when he was imprisoned on the island of Patmos. The Book of Revelation is written in symbolic language and contains several layers of interpretation and symbolism. This is just one. Revelation 12:1-6 says a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. The woman represents Mary and the nation of Israel and the child is Jesus Christ.

THE CONSTELLATIONS

Image courtesy of Pinterest

The story of the gospel begins with Virgo, the sign of the Virgin spoken of in Revelation. According to astronomers, the birth of Jesus was on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year between 18 and 20 September, a time when the constellation Virgo is hidden by the sun and the new moon appears beneath her feet! The sign of Virgo represents both the house of Israel and Mary, the Virgin who gives birth to Jesus Christ, who will rule the earth.

JUSTICE AND MERCY

Libra is the sign of the scales. In Daniel:5 , Daniel interprets the writing on the wall to Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar saying he has been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Libra represents the condition of the human race after the fall of Adam and Eve. There are two main stars in the sign of Libra, which tell the story of the prophecy. In one side of the scales, there is a star called Zuben Al Genubi. It means “the price which is deficient.” Undoubtedly, it points to the price which man might attempt to pay for redemption. There is no way one can obtain salvation through good works for the price is deficient. On the other side of the scales, however, there is a star called Zuben Al Chemali, meaning “the price which covers.” It is a picture of the price paid by Christ for the redemption of the sinner.

‘THE LAWLESS ONE’

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Scorpio represents the seed of the serpent, and is also depicted as a dragon or serpent trying to sting the heel of the mighty hero Ophiuchus, who is seen in the ancient star charts wrestling with a great snake, called Serpens. Ophiuchus is the 13th sign that is missing from the modern zodiac charts and lies between Scorpio and Sagittarius. While the Scorpion or dragon is trying to wound the heel of Ophiuchus, the head of Scorpio is being wounded as told in Genesis 3:15. It is said that the word, Scorpio, means “the Lawless One,” and as such, represents the seed of the serpent — the Antichrist. In Revelation 13:3, the beast is wounded in the head, this also identifies the Antichrist. God knew this before the world was made and placed the message in the stars. We should therefore put our trust in an all-knowing and all powerful God rather than predictions of the future and hidden knowledge that is based on inaccurate star charts.

THE ARCHER

Sagittarius appears in the form of a centaur — half human, half horse. The original meaning of the word centaur means two natures and represents the two natures of the Redeemer — His deity and humanity. The Centaur, or God-man, has a great bow in his hand, with the arrow aimed at the heart of Scorpio, the enemy. There are three other constellations places alongside Sagittarius to help to tell the story.

The first is Lyra – pictured as a harp and refers to the praise — so deserved by Sagittarius. The brightest star in the constellation is called Vega. It means, “He shall be exalted.” It directs our attention to the praise from the harp. In Revelation 5:9, we are told that the host of heaven will sing a new song saying, “Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation” (v. 9). The host of heaven will sing, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (v. 13).

The second is Ara— an altar seen upside down, with its fire poured out over the South Pole — called “the regions of outer darkness.” Here begins a cloud of stars, which runs throughout the heavens. Today, it is called the Milky Way, but in some ancient star charts, it was referred to as “the lake of fire.”The word Ara, name of the upturned altar means, “it is finished. There is no more sacrifice for sin.

The third is Draco, a long winding constellation made up of stars, which wrap around the northernmost part of the hemisphere. It covers one-third of the circumference we are reminded of Revelation 12:3 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven.” Some 4,700 years ago, the great dragon star, Thuban, was in fact the polar star. Over the centuries, however, Draco has fallen from his lofty position and has been replaced by Polaris — kicked out of heaven because he tried to usurp the throne of God and caused a third of the angels to rebel against God. This is in line with Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!”

Image courtesy of Pinterest

Capricorn is a goat with the tail of a fish. The goat represents the sacrificial animal used on the Day of Atonement and the fish represents that body of believers who have received life out of the death of the great sacrifice. Jesus is the fulfillment of the sacrificial goat and believers are represented by the fish. Furthermore, the Bible teaches that Christ is the head of the Church while, in turn, the Church represents the body of Christ — thus the head of a goat and body of a fish. When Jesus appointed His first disciples in Matthew 4:19, He said, “I will make you fishers of men.”

LIVING WATER

Aquarius is the great water bearer. Our Savior identified Himself as the fulfillment of Aquarius in John 4:14, He said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Furthermore, we can see its fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God was poured out upon believers. Throughout the Bible, water has been symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The water bearer can be seen pouring out his water upon Pisces, the fish that represents that which was born of water and of the spirit — that great body of believers down through the ages.

Aries is the Ram, the sacrifice for sin under the law. The ram represents the Lamb of God without Blemish in Revelation. Taurus is the bull, the traditional sacrifice for sin. The bull or ox is one of the personalities of Christ reflected by the Living Creatures before the Throne of God (Ezek 1:10; Rev 4:7). The bull or ox symbolizes Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, as portrayed in the Gospel of Luke.

THE DUALITY OF CHRIST

Gemini – the Twins, with one usually being considered immortal and the other mortal – the Immortal One who comes at the Second Coming is the same as the mortal Son of Man who came at the First Coming. So, Gemini symbolizes the dual nature of the Messiah (that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human): Suffering Servant and Conquering King. John 1:1-2,14 says In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

Cancer is depicted as a Crab. A crab holds on without letting go and sidesteps to avoid danger. The Arabic name for this sign is “Al Sartan”, which means “who holds” or “binds”. The Latin name “Cancer” means, “holding” or “encircling”.John 10: 27-28 says “My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

‘OF PEACE AND HIS REIGN THERE SHALL BE NO END’

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Leo is the Lion. Jesus is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Revelation 5: 5 says when John weeps in his vision “But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” He paid the price to save humanity and has the power to unleash the Apocalypse that will destroy the wicked. Jesus Christ is the one Jacob spoke of to his sons on his death bed in Genesis, when he said the ruler’s staff shall not depart from between Judah’s feet until He comes. Jesus Christ is descended from Judah. His is the name above all names and every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

THE PROMISE WRITTEN IN THE NIGHT SKY

The message seen in the ancient star charts tells a story quite different from that which astrology would have us believe. Those who foretell the future using zodiac charts pervert God’s original message given in the constellations. Satan did not invent the zodiac. He has only perverted what God originally created. God made and named the great constellations and their stars. And the meanings of their names represent the message of redemption — from Virgo, corresponding with His birth at Bethlehem, to Leo, corresponding with His return as the “lion of the tribe of Judah” to establish His kingdom upon the earth.

So when you look up at the night sky remember that the story of God’s promise of salvation is written in the stars and we can live with peace and joy in our hearts, knowing that our sins are forgiven. May the Lord bless you and pour out his Holy spirit upon you and give you the wisdom to understand his signs and spread the good news to all the people we meet.

References:

https://www.bible.com/111/psa.19.1-14.niv

http://www.bibletruthonline.com/themeaningofthezodiac.htm

http://theconversation.com/can-astronomy-explain-the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem-35126

http://heavensspeak.blogspot.com/2009/12/gemini.html

Book Review: The Y in Your Man is Silent Book 1; Book 2 by Yvonne Maphosa

Posted on by under Book, Culture, Relationships

By Nomathemba Pearl Dzinotyiwei

“He’s not your man, he’s OUR man.” That is the essence of the story in these two books. Whether she’s called the mistress, the side-chick or side dish, the other woman has many names in every language. This story is told from her point of view. An innocent, nerdy engineering student named Lastborn Fierce Nkomo from Zimbabwe falls for the charm of a handsome, dashing Ghanaian professor named Elikplim who’s a few years older than her. He’s a caring, sensitive man, a worthy contender in the Boyfriend Olympics, that is until he marries someone else. Despite that, the epic cross country love affair set in Cape Town and Johannesburg continues with Akon’s music as their soundtrack.

Just when you think you know what happens next, the author literally pulls the rug from under the feet of your mind and sends you tumbling as the couple lurch from one disaster to another, major and minor. Unlike most romantic dramas, in fact drama doesn’t even begin to describe it, the author unapologetically refuses to let them to catch a break. Rolling in money from his engineering practice with his best friend and partner in crime at every level called Lumka, Elik is the ultimate blesser. A generous man, not only with his money, he’s also extremely liberal with his umm… candy cane. There was so much cheating going on, even the players were getting played, I felt like I needed therapy after Book 1 and halfway through Book 2. I watched Star Wars then finished the story.

The story gives the other woman’s perspective of the extra-marital affair. Komla, the wife, favoured by the family, is not entirely innocent and makes a few fatal mistakes in her desperate quest to save her marriage. Betrayed repeatedly by Elik, physically and emotionally abused in turn by his wife, her sister and his other relatives; Fierce, named after a freedom fighter and true to her name, fights her wiser, more sensible self, her family, her friends and Elik’s wife and family to hold onto her love for him, repeatedly forgiving him and taking him back. She experiences a dramatic and cruel rejection by her own family, just as she is preparing to make things right by finally becoming an honest woman. The journey to redemption is equally arduous as the couple try to work out why and how their individual messes come together to create the hot mess that is their relationship.

With progressively steamy scenes as the story goes on, with break-up sex, make-up sex, revenge sex, theatrical break-ups and equally sudden make-ups, Fierce and her ‘Ghana Man’ as Fierce’s Aunt calls him, will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The ending is no less dramatic. A third book is definitely in order otherwise the suspense will kill anyone who dares to read both books.

As a self-published work, there is a lot of artistic license, so there is phrasing that would cause the grammar and syntax Nazis to take umbrage. Otherwise it’s a gripping and unforgettable read which needs its own Netflix series. I hope the universe is listening.