THE EARTH CENTER of Los Angeles graduated its second generation of Kemetic Initiates. This group of brothers and sisters, the 2nd generation in LA, is named the Zeshera generation. Zeshera means "Emitting the light of RA."

In the M’TAM School of Kemetic Philosophy and Spirituality you learn how to read, write, and speak the Medu. This is the language people commonly call "Egyptian Hieroglyphs." You also learn the original system of "meditation" called Ka’at Ibi. This particular course also teaches the practical and technical aspects of traditional spirituality. The other first level course of study is Sounnt, or traditional healing. In this class you learn how to diagnose illnesses with non-invasive techniques and how to use herbs to heal the body.

The M’TAM School is providing initiation into the oldest mystery school known to man: the M’TAM initiation. M’TAM means within the Earth. These teachings acknowledge that we all come from the Earth and lead initiates to understand how to live in harmony with it. In Merita (Africa) the initiations are hard to find and harder yet to enter, yet here we are in Maanu (The Americas) in the city of Los Angeles blessed to be exposed to traditional spirituality. The graduates of the Zeshera generation have learned this knowledge from its source, without any tampering by colonial agendas. They have heeded the call of their ancestors to rebuild themselves, change their paradigm and go out into the world reborn, ready to transform themselves and the world. It has been a long difficult journey as the initiation exposes the initiate to the true nature of things.

The lessons taught in the M’TAM School are vital to our continued existence on this planet. Harmony, like purity, is fragile. It requires our constant attention. We must make the attainment and preservation of harmony our life’s goal. When we value the modern day idea of success (wealth, fame, objects) more than harmony and purity, our idea of what is important to our survival shifts our behavior slowly yet steadily into that which brings disharmony and destruction. Just as an off-key singer is removed from a choir to protect the harmony of the whole, so will any human bringing disharmony be removed from the choir of life to protect the harmony of the whole Earth. This is a small example of how vital the lessons taught in the M’TAM School are to our continued existence on this planet.

Over the course of the last year, we watched as a transformation took place amongst the graduates. When the initiation started, these individuals came together from diverse backgrounds and paradigms and came to learn about the ways of their ancestors. Now they have completed the first milestone in their spiritual journey, this milestone that marks a rebirth of these individuals. They are reborn as Kem. The Earth has given them new names, a new personal, "first" name based on their individual destiny and a shared, generational, "last" name. Their destinies are now bound through the meaning and purpose of the name Zeshera. Now they are brothers and sisters, family.

There are moments that happen in our lives that give us a hint at what our qualities are as human beings. It is in those moments when our values are tested that we have to decide what type of history will be written about us. What this education gives an initiate is the ability to meet those challenging moments with confidence in our ability to make the most logical choice possible at the time, in order to yield the results we want. To do this, we must not be subject to the whims of our emotions or the manipulations of those that seek to lead us by the nose with our emotions. This challenge continues long after graduation. It continues for the rest of our lives. We will constantly be faced with the challenges of the modern world. These challenges are designed to appeal to our emotions and serve to distract us while pulling us in one direction and then the other. It is all too easy for us to forget the lessons we are taught.

Students are told that repetition is the key to becoming good at something, and the same goes for spirituality and living a spiritual lifestyle. Thus far, most of us have been taught to be good at obeying and living the lies of the colonial world. As we navigate the path back to the ancestors, there will be many traps and challenges. The key is to get back on the horse when you fall off, this persistence is what makes a survivor. To our brothers and sisters of the Zeshera generation we congratulate you on your accomplishment and taking the first steps towards crossing the bridge to your ancestors. Now that you have graduated, this is where the education begins. Sharing this knowledge and applying it to your lives is the key to succeeding in this next level.