A quick Google search didn't yield a precise answer as to the history or origin of the snow Angel. Some say (Noel Botham's "The Book of Useless Information") that Jewish mystics would roll in the snow to purge themselves of evil urges. The current world record of "Most People Making Snow Angels Simultaneously" is held by the State Historical Society of North Dakota (8,692 people on February 17, 2017). Numerous people have written books with "Snow Angel" in the title and Wikipedia will tell you how to make one. One comment online (by Richard O. Colestock on Quora.com) suggests that as long as there has been snow and children, snow Angels have existed.
I just find it interesting that this simple act we did outside today, which I was mildly curious about, could be something that's been around since the beginning of time and have the ability to connect people from all walks of life, throughout time and culture. That's a powerful ability for one little playful action.
"United (Angels' Anthem)" conveys the idea that all people are one. It draws upon Spiritual concepts from various faiths and backgrounds, including the idea that the Divine is not only everywhere, but is within Us and part of Us - and as such, we can say (philosophically) that we are all part of each other. It's ancient mystical wisdom. The lyric is delivered from the perspective of a fleet of Angels coming to heal the world. It is their anthem.
This song inspired an entire album! While we continue to work on mixing and mastering the whole album, we decided that the message of two songs in particular could not wait. This is the first single - the song that started us off on an incredible journey. We imagined, as Angels might, how best to heal and inspire this world and the humans in it, who may have forgotten their Divine nature and strength. Unity and Love is where we begin this musical chapter. Thank you so much for listening and allowing us to share these thoughts with you!
We'd deeply appreciate your help in spreading this message of unity by sharing it and encouraging others to share as well. Here are some additional links to "United (Angel's Anthem)" and information.
Two new singles from Red Queen Records (that's us) are out now!!!
"United (Angels' Anthem)" and "Relentless" are available now on all major music platforms.
"United (Angels' Anthem) conveys the idea that all people are one. It draws upon Spiritual concepts from various faiths and backgrounds, including the idea that the Divine is not only everywhere, but is within Us and a part of Us - and as such, we can say (philosophically) that we are all part of each other. It's ancient mystical wisdom. The lyric is delivered from the perspective of a fleet of Angels coming to heal the world. These warrior Angels are here to ensure that Love will win.
"Relentless" is about the power of Love. Love will always win, and trying to fight it is a losing battle. The lyric is delivered from the perspective of Love herself (apparently I just made Love a "she"). If Love could speak, she might say something like this...
There is so much to tell you about the songs, the journey, the artwork, the upcoming videos and more! We will be posting all kinds of fun things in the weeks and months to come. Why on earth did we release TWO songs in two days? (Thinking...) Probably because doing one thing at a time is just not something I can do??? Because I LIKE making an impossible amount of work the norm? Because sleeping at night is totally overrated? SMH.
In reality, I think it has more to do with the times. It's the message. Millions of people are talking about how crazy these times are now. We feel like these songs convey a message and a Spirit that needs to be heard and felt. Now. Right now.
We thank you in advance for liking and sharing and being a part of spreading messages of Love and Unity.
We're OK. May that be the first thing you hear from loved ones as the next few weeks go by.
We went from new school protocols, to no school. From playground, to no contact with other children - not even the ones next door. From relatively normal life - to this.
As is the case for most of the world, life is changing by the minute.
Now we are heroes for keeping distance from each other, for following guidelines that require our mastery of the mundane within the walls at home.
There's a litany of things we can NOT do, but what about the things that we can? We can appreciate time together with our children. We can understand that we are all in this together. We can learn more. We can seek out positivity and do our part to promote it. We can call someone who is alone or elderly and keep them company by our conversation. We can put differences aside. We can act in a way that lifts others up and that brings us together in spirit. We can find new ways to have fun. We can do a lot to show each other love and respect.
Here's wishing health and happiness... and for the peace and comfort that comes from knowing that there are great depths of Love, Kindness, Understanding and Strength within us all.
Two posts I saw this week linger on my mind and in my heart. The first is this clip from "The Great Dictator."
"The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire comedy-drama film written, directed, produced, scored by and starring Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the only Hollywood film-maker to continue to make silent films well into the period of sound films, this was Chaplin's first true sound film.
Chaplin's film advanced a stirring, controversial condemnation of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, fascism, antisemitism, and the Nazis. At the time of its first release, the United States was still formally at peace with Nazi Germany. Chaplin plays both leading roles: a ruthless fascist dictator, and a persecuted Jewish barber.
The Great Dictator was popular with audiences, becoming Chaplin's most commercially successful film. Modern critics have also praised it as a historically significant film and an important work of satire. The Great Dictator was nominated for five Academy Awards - Outstanding Production, Best Actor, Best Writing (Original Screenplay), Best Supporting Actor for Jack Oakie, and Best Music (Original Score).
In his 1964 autobiography, Chaplin stated that he could not have made the film if he had known about the true extent of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps at the time."
The second is a reference to this statement/poem, "First They Came."
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me."
- Pastor Martin Niemöller
"First they came... is a statement and poem written by Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) about the cowardice of German intellectuals following the Nazis' rise to power and subsequent purging of their chosen targets, group after group. Many variation and adaptations in the spirit of the original have been published in the English language. It deals with themes of persecution, guilt and responsibility."
I started my music career in a reggae band in Buffalo, NY where I was first introduced to the phrase "I and I." (Used in the Rastafarian religion in place of "you and me" to show that all people are equal under Jah. - UrbanDictionary.com)
Here's hoping that I and I (we) can focus on remembering that we are all united in our one human family this week - and throughout our times of challenge.
It would be impossible not to notice the conflict and division that surround us this week...
As a new mom, I am also keenly aware of the miracles that surround us as well...
Through conflict and differences, may we discover opportunities for greater understanding and expansion of our perceived capacity to Love. #WereAllInThisTogether
The standout moment I keep coming back to is when I found out someone I know is terminally ill. I had no idea. She spoke of it candidly. I must have seemed at a loss for words. I was.
The human spirit is amazing. Most of us try not to think of our own ending. Those who are forced to and do it with grace and bravery beyond measure, leave an unforgettable, inspirational mark on our hearts.
I am reminded to always be kind. We never know what challenges our brothers and sisters are facing. I am reminded to be grateful. The silly things we complain about are mostly petty. I am reminded that we are all the same. We all come into this world and we will all leave it one day. I am reminded that we should live in a way of which we can be proud. How we journey through our short time on this earth is everything.
Then there was this story of an extraordinary Santa visit... (Warning: You may cry.)
On Saturday's gig, Joe had the audience members take each other's hands and hold them in the air as he spoke of unity and the power we all hold to make a difference in the world. I just love the people I work with.
Joe, Me, Russ at the gig
So as the trees go up and the Christmas lights come out, I'll remember that we can all make a difference to someone by our actions and kind words. We never know what they might mean to someone.
God Bless Us - Every One. (A Christmas Carol reference)
I truly enjoyed watching the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Olympics in Rio! What an inspiration - seeing all of those athletes and countries come together... A commercial that keeps airing during the games features sections of a poem by Maya Angelou that has really stuck with me. The complete version is printed here.
Human Family
I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.
Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.
The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.
I've sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I've seen the wonders of the world,
not yet one common man.
I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I've not seen any two
who really were the same.
Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.
We love and lose in China,
we weep on England's moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.
We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we're the same.
I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.
- Maya Angelou
"Olympic Opening Ceremonies - A journey through time"
I am breathing unity and human camaraderie as if they were air this week. With media highlighting our differences lately, it is positively nourishing to remember how alike we all really are.
On Sunday, a most lovely speaker told the congregation that when we encounter someone who seems different from ourselves, we should talk to them. We should try to find the "sameness" that exists between us because the world now requires us to join together.
For those who don't believe, no proof is possible."
- Stuart Chase
As for me? I believe.
This week, I am reminded of the Truth - that all things are possible, that magic exists, and that we can. "We can" what? We can - anything.
The following is from The New York Sun, 1897. I've always loved this Christmas editorial:
"WE TAKE PLEASURE IN ANSWERING THUS PROMINENTLY THE
communication below, expressing at the same time our great
gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the
friends of The Sun:
Dear Editor -
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there
is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The
Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a
Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety Fifth Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected
by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except
they see. They think that nothing can be which is not
comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia,
whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great
universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as
compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by
the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and
knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as
love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they
abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas!
how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It
would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be
no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable
this existence.
We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The
external light with which childhood fills the world would be
extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in
fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the
chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you
did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no
Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that
neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies
dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they
are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders
there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise
inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not
the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the
strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith,
poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and
picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it real? Ah,
Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A
thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years
from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."
- "Is There a Santa Claus?" reprinted from the September 21,
1897, number of The New York Sun.
This year, I was moved by the writing of a nine year old little girl, Basya Fogelman, who read her winning essay aloud at the National Menorah Lighting in Washington, DC. I was also inspired and encouraged by Rabbi Levi Shemtov's comments, which immediately followed:
“Chanukah means different things to different people. To little kids, Chanukah means
presents. To adults, Chanukah means
spending time with family. To me,
Chanukah means going up. You might ask, ‘What does that mean?’ The second night
of Chanukah is symbolic of elevation or ‘going up’because every night you add
more light by lighting another candle. So
too does a Jew by doing this important mitzvah.
This mitzvah will lead to more. As
our sages say, ‘One good deed leads to another.’ We should try to do more good deeds every
day. It’s important to me to add more
light in honor of my grandmother who passed away on the second night of
Chanukah many years ago. My favorite
way to add light is to visit old and sick people and light the menorah and
sing Chanukah songs with them. When I
do this, I know I am not only elevating myself but my grandmother’s soul too.” - Basya Fogelman
“In your homes or via the live broadcast, know that you can
light a candle too.Even if you’re not
celebrating Chanukah, go warm up somebody’s life.Go do another good deed.Go make the world brighter than it would be
without you and in that way, you’re celebrating Chanukah too.Obviously, in the Jewish community we light
menorahs, but spreading light, good, and warmth in the world is a universal
opportunity and message.”- Rabbi Levi Shemtov
While the children are teaching us, here is another good find from Sesame Street, about Kwanzaa. I fondly remember learning all about Kwanzaa when my (then five year old) little sister came home from school and excitedly shared her entire lesson on the holiday with the whole family.
“Just as millions celebrate Irish culture on St. Patty's Day and Mexican culture on Cinco de Mayo, Kwanzaa has grown to fulfill Dr. Karenga's vision. The vision that people of all stripes celebrate the African culture and spirit.” - History.com
This holiday season, I'll keep in mind what the children have taught me. I will be warmed by the purity of love in their hearts and by the magic and spirit of family that fills the air. I will be reminded:
Life is simple. Choose Love. Choose Joy. Follow the Magic. Follow the Light.
Be Love. Be Joy. Be Magic. Be Light.
May we all have a joyous holiday season. May we love and appreciate each other for our uniqueness, for the variations and different traditions within our brotherhood and for the common bond which connects and unites all of us.
The perfect end to an extremely busy week came on Sunday.
I attended the wedding of a wonderful friend and his partner. The spirit of Love that filled the air was simply incredible. All who were present felt Blessed to witness the couple's declaration of a most genuine and precious Love. It warmed our hearts, brought tears to our eyes and sent our Spirits leaping for joy. The magic and beauty that we felt defies description by mere words. It seemed we all witnessed a bit of Heaven - the way things are supposed to be. We laughed, cried and drank it all in as if our parched souls had finally found an oasis. By sharing their Love with us, that couple had actually fed our souls.
As they stood before us, baring their hearts to each other, someone in the intimate crowd gathered there in the couple's living room said, "I love love." The woman standing next to me was compelled to introduce herself to me, and I to her. We all came together under that umbrella of Love. There were family members, friends, and complete strangers gathered in a feeling of unity. Isn't that what love is all about?
As I was eventually saying my goodbyes, along with so many lovely people, we spoke of a sense we had, of a "cloud of Love" surrounding us. We bid the couple hold on to that cloud and always refer back to it in times of challenge. I vowed to myself to hang on to it and carry it with me as I ventured back out into the world beyond the comfort of their enchanted home that evening.
With so much going on in the world at this very moment, I will carry the remembrance of that Love this week. I will seek out that which unifies people and accept it as truth. I will dismiss that which seeks to divide us.
I believe we are one family.
Namaste,
T
"Don't let them deceive us
Orchestrating our defeat
Pushing us to ruin
We fight our brother in the street
Just because he wears a different face
What a disgrace
I believe that we're all family
And together we can find all that we need..."
-Tanya Diona
"Family Reunion" lyrics
P.S.
As if Angels have just sent me confirmation of these sentiments, I just viewed these two posts (which I will post, in sequence, after posting this blog):
As I write this, peaceful protesters unite and line the streets across the country...
