Music and the plant go hand in hand and are a big part of his life as a Rastafarian, and in daily practice, the Rastafarian life, or livity, is explained as the daily act of living a righteous life.His father was said to use his notoriety, once famous, as teaching moments on the Rasta message in his music and while being interviewed. Being good people, giving thanks, loving one another – and basically, living a life of livity.Even after being arrested for possession of cannabis in 1968, his father, Bob, made the infraction an educating moment, waxing poetic on his use:”When you smoke the herb, herb reveals yourself to you. All the wickedness you do, the herb reveals itself to yourself, your conscience, show up yourself clear because the herb makes you meditate. Is only a natural t’ing, and it grows like a tree.” – Bob Marley

A Lineage of Livity & Muse

Born in British Jamaica, Julian was raised in London by his mother, Lucy Pounder.And though music and spirituality were all around him in the city, it wasn’t until he visited his extended family in Jamaica that he became aware of the teachings of the masters his father had learned. He also realized they all looked like him, with their dark skin, bright clothes, and Rasta Dreadlocks – some down to the floor or wrapped high around their heads.As they are referred to, the dreads are a sign of strength, with shared knowledge between them that Jah (God) instructed them never to cut their hair. They represent the mane of the Lion of Judah, often centered on the Ethiopian flag.The locks also have a place in Tibetan Buddhism, ancient and modern-day Hinduism, indigenous tribes of Australia, and the Maasai of Africa. Upon learning the ancient teachings, Julian also noted that the British Orthodox Church, specifically its language and characters from the Bible, were not the same as the proper Posh British teachings he grew up with in London.”The teachers are all gone now, but we were fortunate to have learned the old ways at a young age in Jamaica,” he said. “If I’m going to search for messages from the Bible, I want to go as far back as possible – to the ancient texts.”Reading the Bible as a child in London, he said the old English language took him far away from his roots in Jamaica.

“When I went back to visit my brothers, I realized that I didn’t look different anymore – everyone looked like me,” he continued. “Our dreads, our hair is our strength. My dreads also remind me daily of the meditations, of who I am as a Rasta man, of who I need to be – of the messages of love and unity that we must teach.”He also realized that his father’s homeland was where the ancient beliefs came from.”The Rasta man has a message to bring to the four corners of the earth,” he surmised. “This was our father’s message through his music and interviews, and what we still sing about, talk about, and live daily. This is part of living a righteous life, in livity.”

The Tide is High

In May of this year, Julian released a cover of the classic rasta song, The Tide is High, penned by Jamaican-born singer/songwriter John Holt in 1967.Though the song’s been covered many times over the years, notably Debbie Harry’s version recorded for Blondie in 1980, Julian’s cover is a bit slower, closer to Holt’s version. Julian lamented that the world had a slower pace then; we could use some of that today.Julian also released a Remix EP on August 26 this year with a remix by Alexx Antaeus and Takinio Soul. You can listen to the Tide is High and remixes on Spotify and watch on YouTube.Look for a new album from Julian to be released this year on Monom Records.Livity in the KitchenA big part of the Rasta life is how they eat – or what they don’t eat. Respecting all living things on the planet is part of that, with many Rastafarians turning to Vegetarianism by eating no meat; or Veganism, wherein meat and livestock byproducts are shunned out of respect for the animals.Ital cooking sprang from the saying, “Ital is vital,” referring to Vegan eating, as quoted in National Geographic in 2016, interviewing Ital dubmaster Daniel “Nashamba-I” Crabble. “We don’t use the word ‘cook’ since they use things like butter and salt,” Nashamba-I explained. He referred to himself as a dubmaster, not a cook, using the musical producing reference.Eating Ital, for the Rasta, is part of staying healthy and spiritually connected to the earth; the article continues, “Rastas eat a natural diet free from additives, chemicals, and most meat.”

Much of what the Rastas believe is measured with a big dose of common sense. Such as the fact that humans are the only species on the planet who still drink milk after being weaned from our mothers (or bottles), and the milk we drink isn’t even ours. It’s a strange concept when you think about it, and one that makes sense for Vegans.Julian’s last meat-eating experience came during his feasting on a big plate of Jerk Chicken, a dish Jamaica is known for.”Jerk chicken is the best in the world,” he said passionately. “I hadn’t eaten meat in a very long time, and I was halfway through it when the bones on the plate started piling up, and I looked down and realized that was once a living thing, running around with life.

That was the last time I ate the meat.”Julian said it’s not the meat that tastes good; it’s what we do to it.”It’s not the meat; it’s the salt, the flavorings you put on it,” he explained. “Nowhere in the Bible does it say to eat meat. I do eat fish, though. Jesus was a fisherman, and the Bible talks about eating fish, so I eat the fish, and give thanks doing it.””Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But allcreatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales-whether among all the swarming things or all the other living creatures in the water-you are to detest.”- Leviticus 11:9-12

The Rasta Table

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”- Hippocrates, Greek Physician, 440 BCRastas protested processed food before the research on the nutrient deficient foods flooding the market post-WWII, during the 1950s. Touted as convenient, by the 1980s, movements like Slow Food out of Italy opposed fast food, with Rastas around the globe already living a life of clean food decades before today’s trend.With his food philosophies firmly in place, Julian’s brand Juju Royal launched in 2014, established in both California and Colorado. He’s credited with closely helping to develop products within the brand that include an excellent Hemp infused ginger honey, tropical flavored gummies, and a lovely mango tincture in varying doses.While the brand has always carried a nice variety of top-shelf flower, it also developed an excellent array of olive oils, both non-infused and infused with Hemp, a whole plant cannabinoid (CBD) compound, with less than .03 percent THC. Hemp hybridized from cannabis is naturally higher in CBD but also has a full cannabinoid and terpene profile, depending on the cultivar.

This means you can still get the whole plant benefits without the head high brought on by most THC-infused products. This makes micro-dosing throughout the day a bit easier while keeping beneficial compounds in your system, adding to homeostasis or a place where illness can not dwell.Flavors for its olive oil include Extra Virgin, Garlic, Basil, and a favorite flavoring of Jamaica’s own, Spicy Jerk (See Kitchen Apothecary, this issue for a special recipe on Roasted Jerk Cauliflower, Sharon developed just for Julian).The brand recently won First Place in the 4th Annual Best of Edibles List Award by International Cannabrands, Inc., in two categories, Best Colorado Edible and Best Olive Oil. A video on Julian’s YouTube page shows him in the kitchen with Chef Matt Stockard of California, using Julian’s Hemp infused, Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a dish of Cannabis-Infused Ratatouille, a classic French Provencal vegetable/Vegan stew.”We love animals and nature,” Julian surmised. “We love the plant and all it offers us, spiritually, physically, mentally – to nurture our souls and keep us healthy. This is what the plant means to our Rasta lives – to livity.”