ON NOVEMBER 20, 2010, the M’TAM School of Kemetic Philosophy and Spirituality welcomed its 19th generation of initiates. The M’TAM School is part of the larger Earth Center organization and is responsible for leading a human being back onto the path of development followed by his or her Ancestors. This path leads towards the highest standards of quality and purity attainable by a human being.

This is a long journey. In the M’TAM School it is often said that the education you receive is like an uphill journey. This was certainly the case for the first generation of the Los Angeles Earth Center. Their wadj (the energy line that motivates a person) has held them together as a generation for the past two years.

At their graduation, they received the name Meznkhepra (their traditional Kemetic name) which means “brought forth by Khepra, the God of transformation.” This is a characteristic that they must learn to embrace as a generation. As their teachers, we have been witnesses to their paradigm shifts, seeing their illusions and attachments fall. There were many emotional battles and many challenges early on. There were several location changes which served to improve their communication skills and a few teacher changes due to illness and circumstance. Despite these challenges or perhaps because of them, this first generation of Los Angeles has managed to set the model for future generations; a model to preserve the traditional structure of indigenous peoples and restore the pursuit of quality to humanity. However, as with every generation the biggest challenges are with what each student brings with them to the education.

The M’TAM School promotes and preserves indigenous culture. To do this, it is necessary to expose the influences of colonization in each student. The process of this exposure can provoke emotional responses as the initiate realizes many of the truths they held on to and used to establish their identity were lies told to manipulate their understanding of the world. Once we let go of our emotional attachments, we put ourselves in a position to turn the information we receive in the M’TAM School into the education that will transform our existence. This is done by putting into practice the concepts we are taught in the Earth Center. Once we make the decision to do this, no one has to convince us of the importance of the education we have received. We start to become the living expression of the culture of our Ancestors. Those that knew us best before our transformation began can attest to these words.

One word of caution, when one is exposed to the realities of existence it is not difficult to step back into ignorance. Once the first step is taken on this uphill journey, the difficulties only increase. Even with an initiatic name, there is no guarantee that one will remain on the initiatic path. Only a few in this modern era have been exposed to this education and fewer yet continue the journey despite this natural inclination. For some, the distractions of the modern world prove to be effective in keeping humans from pursuing a life of honesty and quality. For the Meznkhepra, they have the added responsibility of being the example of all those that will follow in Los Angeles. They will be scrutinized by all those that come after them as the model for how to interact with the physical world. It is an honor to serve in this role. It is an honor to serve as a beacon for those that wish to add quality and purity into their lives and into the lives of their children.

In the M’TAM School we require students to have spiritual and intellectual honesty. What this means is that once you are exposed to the realities of existence then we are expected to behave according to this understanding. In other words, we are expected to be honest with the knowledge and spiritual concepts we have been exposed to at all times throughout our day-to-day affairs inside and outside of the Earth Center, even when we think no one is watching or no one will find out. This is honesty. This simple requirement can prove to be too much for some to handle.

The Meznkhepra generation is now aware of their obligations and responsibilities to the Ancestors, to better their lives and live honestly by the 77 Commandments. These are the values given by our ancestors to enhance our quality of life and to come closer to the Divine World. These students have just begun their journey towards truth by following the path that will take them towards these goals.

This modern society has presented many illusions that have handicapped our own ability to survive in nature. This initiation exposes each student’s habits that have prevented their growth. The challenge that all initiates face is identifying these habits that have hindered their growth and kept them from clearly seeing where they were stepping and where they will end up if they were to continue to live with these handicaps. We have imposed these on ourselves because we did not know any better. Before the shroud was taken off we could say we did not know. Now the shroud has been removed and the Meznkhepra generation has the tools to become grounded in the knowledge and wisdom of humanity’s Ancestors. The M’TAM School provides the sacred knowledge from our Ancestors and gives us an awareness of our true selves along with the path for our spiritual growth towards becoming better human beings.

The first generation in Los Angeles began with many more students than the five that earned the name Meznkhepra. This is not troubling, for as Master Naba Lamoussa Morodenibig (Founder of the Earth Center) said many times, we would rather graduate one student of quality than 100 students that fall short of the standards set forth by our Ancestors.

Kanimaat Meznkhepra: Truth, concern of the higher spirit

As we stated earlier, the biggest challenge is what we bring with us to the education. It’s letting go of the teachings we have read in books or been exposed to by other spiritual systems and religions that will be difficult. The M’TAM School will only provide you with the information needed to transform yourself. To turn this information into the knowledge that allows this transformation to happen is the sole responsibility of the initiate. No one can do it for you. No one can walk the path for you or grow for you. That journey is our inheritance.

Journey With No End: Introducing the Meznkhepra Generation

In The Meantime

On The Ancestral Path: What Are We Becoming?