CurateZim

Once the seeds were planted we could resume or rituals, marriage plans...Our next community rituals would be Matendo (thanksgiving for rain) at the time of the December Solstice (21st) which used to be the peak of rainy season before climate change.

Those rains are also a universal signal to the populace to switch from rain dancing and start land preparation. All seeds have to be planted in time for December downpours. Food security becomes the primary concern. We have this one opportunity to zadza matura. All hands on deck.

Before drought patterns, inching desertification and El Nino, the first drizzles of rain would have started end Oct. That would be the signal that our rain dance prayers had been heard. What that rain does is it sprouts new grass in the dry savanna. Grass that goats eat "Mbudzi"

Until those in Nyikadzimu (the afterlife) who are close to Mwari Musikavanhu hear us and take up our petitions. Gogo's like me would be sending young men like Xhaka the Vibe Creator to thrash the grain needed to make home brew/ doro. A critical element of our prayer practice.

The Senior N'anga would have pilgrimaged to Matobo and other strategic sites to be in meditation for rain. The junior N'anga would be organising rain dances and rain biras at comnunity level. Biras are how we pray paChivanhu. We play our drums, and dance until we are frenzied.

My opinion and understanding is that Chivanhu is a nature based spiritual system, we follow a lunar calander, have animal totems, Muhacha trees are our cathedrals, water is life. Based on the climate the spiritual emphasis would have been on rain. The rain dance. All the Mhondoro