Hi Homies!
     It's been a minute since I have written as I have been using my other platforms for social justice and awareness on the daily.
SO MUCH has been happening EVERY DAY since the beginning of the year as well as late last year, that I've been sharing insights on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
I'm not one to delete my page because someone disagrees with me or I'm seeing too much of this or that. A lot of people have, which is your choice, but it's very clear that this is the first time for many in America, particularly White America, to be uncomfortable far more than they are used to.

Imagine being White in America right now...

I couldn't even begin to know what processes they are going through; many just now learning of the 400 years of injustice in our country. That everyday, People of Color are treated unfairly by their race at work, stores, banks, schools, on the street jogging, in their apartments sleeping, walking down the street in a hoodie from the store, coming home from getting tea at the store and having a ski mask on because you are cold, only to die from all of that.
All because of the color of our skin.

I couldn't imagine what it's like for White America to realize, fully realize that no matter what your political affiliation, worldview, or whatever, they get to walk out of the house with a natural VIP card.
I've been enlightening some of my White friends on this. Until they saw what happened on January 6th at the Capitol, they really didn't see how great they have it, no matter what class they are in.
They are VIP because of their skin.

An example and question for my White readers.
You are going out to a gathering (pre-pandemic) one evening. It's a pot luck.
How do you get ready for it?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you most likely, make a potluck dish, get ready and go to the dinner, yes?
Awesome.
If you are Black or another person of color, if goes a little something like this...
"Okay, there's going to be a mixed crowd there tonight, mostly White (in my town) and I won't know everyone. I need to dress nicely and make something that is tasty and White people friendly. Tacos? Truffle Fries? No, Saja, just make something good, girl, you know you can cook!"
"Ugh, I HATE walking into these things and ALWAYS being one of the only Black people here. The guys mostly talk AT me and the girls are mostly scared. More often than not, I have to be the first person to talk to them. God, I should just stay home. I'm so sick of this shit."
"Why the hell did I move here?!?"
And down the rabbit hole I go...

This is my scenario for parties, I have one for going to the store, clothes shopping ("Talk as White as possible so they don't think you're a thief."), concerts, you name it.

It's not just me. This script runs through every person of color. They may have a different take on it, but the plans are very similar.
I wish we could just hang out at a party, go clothes shopping without being watched, not get pulled over for nothing, denied housing due to the neighborhood, etc.
I shop mostly online now and not just because of the pandemic.

So, White America, I couldn't imagine what you are seeing for the first time in your privilege, but as you can see you probably haven't ever had these conversations outside of being nervous on a date, first meeting or potluck. Once you are there, it probably goes a way a little bit. 
For most of us people of color, it's our other "special party guest" all night; our other friend at the store, or in the car in a new part of town. 
We carry this anxiety of exclusion and suspicion like it's a part of our bodies.
It's never not been there.
America has made sure of that.

January 6th showed a side of White America we people of color have always seen, but many of you are seeing for the first time.
It's not pretty is it?
You are facing yourselves now. The mirror has been cast.
Look within. Look at each other.
Imagine being treated, like the Capitol was that day, for 400 years.

Have the conversations with your family.
Have the conversations with us.
I'll be excited to go to a party without my "special party guest" one day soon.
We all will.
Much love and light,
Saja

You can follow me on Twitter @ButlerSaja
Instagram @Afrobanjo
and Facebook

***I started this post when Trump got diagnosed with COVID-19.
I finished it this evening 10/18/20***
​
It's been 6 months since the pandemic in America shut everything down.
As I write this, our President has contracted COVID-19.
He went into the hospital last week after a debate with Joe Biden, knowing he was exposed.
While in the hospital, he decided to go for a ride in a limo to appease his fans, exposing all in the limo to COVID-19.
He then proceeded to go back to the White House yesterday evening and do a press op on the balcony without a mask, CLEARLY having trouble breathing.
All the while, he was tweeting that he "had defeated COVID."
Meanwhile, all White House staff are now exposed.

What was the point of all this?

I genuinely ask as we are going through such breakdown and breakthrough at the same time, it's interesting to see someone play the same OLD GAME.

Does he know the game is OVER?
Do most know?

It must not be so quite yet, as this is exploding more than ever now.

Be mindful to judge at this moment, as most here on Earth still play this game.
So much so, that they are in Fanatic Mode.

Fanatic Mode is when someone is so shocked that anyone can't believe their opinion that they become fanatic about it.
(Be mindful; Fanatic mode knows no title. ANYONE of any race, class, gender, religion, political view can have Fanatic Mode.)
 Fanatic to the point that mansplaining, micro and macro aggressions are the norm. They are not seeing the cause and effect of their fanaticism.
They are right.
You are wrong.
They feel defense in conversation FIRST; fear FIRST; and either run from the issue OR. continue the attack.
Both lead to nowhere, but it sure does keep them distracted.

SO, what's next?

You ever notice how when you blow a bubble, the bubble, right before it bursts, tries to hold on so tight to itself, but to no avail.
It must pop
Its time is done.

Thus, with the fanatic.
Their time is fading on our Earth as most of the us command more from each other.
We desire authentic engagement, authentic conversation, and intimacy.
Hiding behind drama, passive aggressive behavior, mansplaining, womansplaining, and the like are at an end.

How on Earth can you expect authenticity when you are not?

Be real and your attract real.
Be fake and the fake shall continue.
Act rude and rude you are served.
Be your true vulnerable self and oh my, the truth you shall see!

You have based your life and actions and livelihood on Human HABIT, not Human NATURE, so your lives are stressful, uptight, and very boring. 
The very thing that you thought people would be impressed by is now the very thing they are repelled by.
You refused to see you GIFT and it remains UNOPENED.

So...OPEN IT.

And thus, as Robert Frost says. "That has made all the difference."
Breakdown and Breakthrough.

WE can't wait to see you inside.

Free the Mind.

​Saja


​

I'm sitting here at the front desk at The Music District on a Friday. I have sanitized the whole front desk and right before I did 2 of my other colleagues did the same.
Coronavirus, or COVID-19 is spreading throughout the planet.
I just saw that SXSW is canceled due to Austin having concerns.
We are in a dis-eased state friends.
Not more than ever, we need to fill our own cups. 
We're moving about without boundaries, letting everyone and everything in.

Hi All,
     So sorry I have been out of touch for a bit.
I've been going through some major changes and am officially on the other side.
Since I last wrote, I have gone to Nashville to learn more about recording, had some amazing gigs, hung out with my family for the holidays, rang in the New Year with good friends, and peeled back old layers to see a shiny new beautiful me.
I am on the other side and very happy.
Time to shine.
SO MUCH CHANGE right now, yes?
It's a now or never time on our Earth, and so many are having to face themselves for the first time.
(This is another regeneration for me.)
It's uncomfortable, unruly, and resistance is futile.
Need a concrete answer to things?
Sorry, we're in flux.
Need some stability?
Ha! Good luck.
Need things to be better and different?
Well, here's where your wish is coming true.
We've all had enough.
We're all waiting for something to finally break down the old paradigms of fear, game-playing, racism, bias, aggression and the like.
BUT, what if all of those paradigms were reflections of all of our resistance?
What if, by dropping those paradigms in ourselves, the world's view would eventually release them?
We are connected after all...
So many want change but are refusing to change themselves.
Are we that afraid of losing the distractions that keep us comfortably numb?
Are we so afraid of real joy?
Do we believe it's even possible?
Can we reach the point that we can truly have, do, and be whatever we want without pain or fear?
I believe so.
I believe so much so that I'm going to prove it by example.
We're all tired of lectures. We're all tired of being told what's right and not right.
SO, how about we truly lead by example? Fill our own cups to overflowing that we give authentically, love fearlessly, do our work courageously, rock fully?
The shedding of the old is a messy, embarrassing process.
But, it's only temporary.
As Lao-Tzu said, "Only when your sickness appears, does your sickness disappear."
I have been releasing the sickness of toxic people, feelings, and energies lately.
I have flushed them out for good and all has disappeared, inside and out.
All walls are gone.
I am, as OutKast, so beautifully put it. "so fresh and so clean."
I am devoting more time to self-care and my circle is smaller and more powerful.
I am attracting the best in life and performing a top levels.
Come see for yourself at my solo shows or with my band, Lois and the Lantern.
And come say hi and enjoy the vibes.
Fill your cup to overflow, by letting the old go.
It, and you are worth it.
Peace,
​Saja

I'm in the midst of major upheaval in my life.
You, too?!?
Congratulations and I'm terribly sorry.
So much stripping of the old paradigm is happening that my normal chill behavior is rattled, raw, insecure and fearing the unknown.
I should know better, and I do; but i can't help feeling the world view of mass upheaval.
It's a 'do or die' kind or time on our Earth.
Lots of breakdowns, break ups, uncovering, big happenings, and light shining on the darkness.
The Old World is crumbling and we aren't in the New World just yet.
You have to see the mess of destruction and then the clean up first.
Personally, I have been shown the light of my fear of success.
Sure, I believe it's possible, teaching it, and preaching it everyday in lessons, classes, ensembles, to friends and family.
But, have I ever stopped to see my true SELF as a success?
I realized I hadn't truly and was brought to tears.
I was relying on others' viewpoints to guide and nourish my view of my success!
I'm a giver. It comes easy to me.
Well, it did until people kept taking advantage of my kindness and ripped my heart to shreds.
(Insert dramatic country music here.)
I closed up for a long time; angry that people could be so mean to authenticity.
I was hurt and it showed.
Then came an upheaval in my life that blew me back into the present.
I have been playing more music as a solo artist recently and it feels good.
It's been easy for me to hide behind my teaching and performing in bands, as there are buffers of experience and bodies to play with.
Performing solo showed me myself. Where I was and where I should be.
The upheaval of solo performance made me see how much I relied on others to guide my success factor, and how I kind of lost myself.
When you see it in one area of your life, you begin to see it in all areas of your life.
Thus, I am raw, new, and in the unknown.
After all the years of running a business, you'd think I'd be used to upheaval.
Everything is always changing, not much is stable. 
A business is external; my Soul and Journey are within.
So, I go forth new and expectant and with hope.
I see that I matter and that I am supposed to be here to help our Earth heal through the gift of Music.
Never let it be said that an Old Soul can't learn new tricks.
This Old Soul is now brand spanking new.
Old New.
"It is our Light, not our darkness, that most frightens us."-Nelson Mandela

Whew!
Sorry for the delay in posting Saja Speaks.
I have been busy working on songs, touring, collaborating with new music friends and having a personal life. Yes. A personal life. I've realized how much I give away due to having a solid mission here to help heal you and all of us through Music, so I'm giving more to me.
I have realized through great friends that I am worthy to receive. 
I love seeing what I give to others, so why do I feel guilty receiving it?
I'll tell ya..
We are addicted to suffering.
It's not like we want to be.
We've just had the habit since birth to work hard and long, pleasure being a no no, good food and drink having a sinful quality and so forth.
Ridiculous.
People always comment on why I love the finer things in life.
It's because I deserve them.
But even as I see that, I still feel a little guilt if there is not something wrong somewhere.
Again, ridiculous.
We tend to fall into the notion that guilt and suffering are human nature, when they are truly human habit.
We have been at this shit show called fear for so long, that we think it's something inherent; something every human is and does.
Nope.
We are born to thrive.
Look at your body for example. 
When you cut your skin on paper or while chopping something for dinner, you body isn't like "Oh gaaaawd!! I'm dying! I'm leaking! It's getting bigger!"
It's more like "Okay, skin, let's get to repairing NOW!" 
Cells start dividing to seal the wound, scar tissue is birthed, and the blood cells begin to clot.
You body's mission is to thrive.
So, Dear Soul in your body...aren't you supposed too as well?
Just a reminder for both of us.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take my thriving self to a jam and play some music.
I'm baaaaack.
See ya soon. 
​Mwah. :)

​All this "Toxic Masculinity" talk is making me realize how much men need to be paid MUCH MORE attention to than less. People tend to want to get angry and hold fast to the old paradigm of men. 
Instead of feeding the dominant male attitude with more anger towards men, perhaps honoring the men in your life that truly are genuine will give the best example to those men who have been taught (yes...they have been TAUGHT), to be TOXIC. 
An Analogy:
Blacks and Indigenous Peoples of America have been enslaved, hung, beaten, raped, dishonored, and discriminated against by the white race historically for hundreds of years in this country. 
I, and the rest of the Black and Native race could simply just surmise that ALL white people from this point on are still that way. 
But all white people aren't, yes? 
The race as a whole is evolving and seeing the need to heal from that past, whether voluntarily or by kharmic example. 
Many whites are now are seeing our global tribe, not just their tribe.
And the evolution of a higher, kinder-minded race is slowly developing.
So, in turn, all men aren't toxic.
SO, let's nourish the amazing men in our lives. 
They, in turn, will be uplifted and will create a domino effect that can simply and hopefully diminish toxic male dominance. Don't believe me? 
Please read the paragraph about white/black and Native relations above again. 
It's very possible. 
Drop your negativity and doubt from past pain and you will see this and oh, so very much more, Beings of Earth.
Much love. ❤️❤️❤️
Shout out to all the amazing men in my life. 
Blessed to have 100% Kings in my life. 
As a Queen, I command it. 
I am a gift to the men in my life and they are a gift to me.
Thus, we are naturally equal in our differences and respect and love comes organically.
Like attracts like, baby. 

 It's an amazing time on our Earth.
"Whaaaaat?!?" You say. "It's the most f@%ked up and conservative we've been!"
"Especially after all the revolutionary decades!!"
Have you ever seen a bubble pop?
When a bubble is about to pop, notice the colors and how much it tries to hold on. You can quite literally see the colors move wildly as it tries to keep it shape. But then...boom.
It pops.
This is very similar to how the old paradigm is acting.
Many of us are trying so hard to cling to what we know that we are clamoring to keep our old beliefs, standards, and safety in tact all the while knowing it doesn't work anymore.
Insanity is repeating the same acts and expecting different results.
So we cling to the old, desperate for stability in one of the most unstable times on our Earth.
It's understandable. 
Most beings here need answers, safety and everything known to exist here.
That's human habit, not human nature.
Every evolution happens due to a non-conformed thought.
That thought comes from too much similarity, wanting more due to discomfort, or comfort that allows for creativity. 
With that non-conformed thought comes a vision and desire. 
With that vision and desire comes a new way of thinking; a stretch in thought, if you will. 
As a result of any purposed vision, particulate energies gather to support that vision and thought. 
If little to no resistance is given, that vision, paired with those "ready to create" particulates create what is envisioned.
And thus, evolution happens. and your desire to thrive continues.
The Earth, its people, and all of existence is built to thrive. 
It is Law.
So what is allowing all of this resistance?
The human habit of fear and suspicion of course, coupled with a ton of regret and inadequacy.
Pair that with a sense of hopelessness and feelings of entrapment and whoa nelly, you've got a planet in a hot mess!
Ever notice a remodel?
You have to break down and destroy the old to get to the new.
AND, you have to see the mess to see what needs to be repaired and rebuilt.

So, beautiful being, there's no need to fear.
There is, however, a need to face your shit.
We are in a global community and it's time for all of us to step up.
If you are here, you are very much needed.
YOU as in your best you.
So what do you do first?
See or FEEL what you are trying so hard to keep the same even though you KNOW it ain't right.
Something or some experience that you're trying so hard to keep that just keeps failing.
Stop the justification of "I've put so much into this, so it has to work out!"
Your micro-managing is making it worse not better.
These are unstable times; a time of remodel.
So chaining yourself to the proverbial house will not make it stay if it's not supposed to stay.
Let it go.
If it comes back or isn't destroyed, it is yours.
In the meantime, try and face yourself; for the first or the thousand and first time.
You're meant to thrive, so aligning with your Higher Self is always a win win...
Can't wait to see YOU.
Cheers,
​Saja

Greetings,
    I am going to be posting blogs in video form mostly as I am visual and LOVE to express. 
Like texting, the words can be misunderstood, taken to seriously or not taken seriously enough.
You wait for an answer and assume the worst, when they could only just be peeing or walking the dog.
But I digress...
Every week, I will post something on Music, Life on Earth and what our Universe is trying to tell us.
I hope you enjoy it. 
If not, no worries.
GO click on another page.
See you in a week.
​Saja