Sunday, June 20, 2010

Obama and the Spirits of History

On November 4, 2008 at more or less 11:00pm Central time, Barack Obama was elected the 44th President of the United States of America. Obama and his beautiful wife, Michelle, bring grace and belief in the future of possibilities that has not been seen or felt in the White House since John and Jackie Kennedy, our 35th President and First Lady from 1961 to1963. In the hope-filled, decisive, yes-we-can victory of the Obama campaign, the spirits of every person and every event that came before him exploded in continuity, clarity and
an evolution of history, inside a specific time and space.

Was the advent of Obama written in the stars long before he arrived? maybe the Astrologers and Numerologists, the Astronomers and Scientists will each have their own opinions on the coinciding and clashing of events and folks in 2008. The historians, politicians, journalists, laymen and women have all shared their thoughts and opinions. The scientific and mystical aspects may be ignored or underestimated as insignificant, irrelevant, or outright foolish alongside cold difficult facts of a brilliant person running a brilliant and efficient campaign. A campaign that gathered young, old, rich, poor, black, white, Hispanic, Democratic, Republican, believers and non-believers across all lines.

Aren't we also capable of embracing the mystical or spiritual; the wonder of it all as facts evidenced by the years and numbers, the folks and events that helped pave the road and build the steps Obama followed even as he chiseled new more braver, bolder steps? The knowledge of Obama's campaign moving forward as his opponent's, John McCain's, campaign suffered from poor planning and execution, the downward approval rating of George W. Bush and McCain's ties to Bush that would not be unbroken, Wall Street and big business fall-out, and the phenomena of Sarah Pallin that proved to be a shot in the dark and not a guiding light through a storm as originally hoped, are all proven, evidenced facts. We have witnessed how the combination of folks and events gave Obama the momentum to rise; and, how through intelligent and insightful planning he seized the moment and imparted it to victory.

Because we know these to be facts of actuality, we call them forth as proof of victory. As reasons both how and why. And, nevertheless, what if the forces of the Universe - the natural laws of spirit and form; the stars and galaxies, the heavens, God/Allah/Jehovah/Buddha - shaped and formed these events, placed these very specific folks, to collide at very specific moments? What if when Obama was born to his 18-year-old white mother, his star aligned to shape his destiny and point his manner? And, in conclusion, what if every battle against slavery, cruelty, injustice, racism, and every African-American person who audaciously hoped and ran for president, congressman/woman, senator; who marched on behalf of Black folks's civil rights, who stood after being beaten, hosed, jailed for the right to vote - what if the spirit and actions of a piece of these brave known and unknown martyrs entered Obama's spirit as ancestors, as wise men and women, guiding his star, laying his path to make the current events and this man come together in this time - Now - to carry his message of unity and hope to us all?

How can we choose one set of facts simply because they're evident, logical and follow a specific pattern, without regard or understanding of the other set of facts that may involve the spiritual, the mystical, the unknown, but also follow a logical and specific pattern if one cares to see:

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln our 16th President was first an Illinois State Legislator and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He defeated the secession of the Confederate States aiding the abolition of slavery. Lincoln was the first Republican elected President. He imparted members of both political parties into his cabinet and forced them to cooperate. On November 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Lincoln delivered what has come to be called among the greatest speeches in American history. This speech contains famous and oft quoted phrases such as, "...all men are created equal," and "...this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the folks, by the folks, for the folks, shall not perish from the earth." In these words lies the spirit of what Black folks claim as our right to be, to vote, to aspire and inspire.

Frederick Douglass born in 1818 to a slave woman and an unknown white man in Maryland, escaped to New York City and freedom on September 3, 1838. He became a leading advocate for abolition of slavery and for racial equality. As Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Douglass describes the spirit of those awaiting the announcement of the signing in a manner that might as well describe Grant Park in Chicago, IL the night voters awaited the results of the 2008 Presidential campaign: "We were waiting and listening as for a bolt from the sky...we were watching...by the dim light of the stars for the dawn of a new day...we were longing for the answer to the agonizing prayers of centuries."

In 1872, without his knowledge, Frederick Douglass became the first African-American nominated for Vice President of the United States as Victoria Woodhull's (first woman to run for President) running mate on the Equal Rights Party ticket. At the 1888 Republican National Convention, Douglass became the first African-American to receive a vote for President in a major party's role call. Here we have our first star aligning in position, preparing for the future. Here we take our first step. Every great person in History, in Folk Lore and Fairytales, in Biblical and other religious references, had someone or some a lot of who came before, who paved the manner usually fighting against great odds in great battles: So, too, Barack Obama.

Our history as Blacks in politics and service begins long before Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1836, Alexander Lucius Twilight became the first African-American elected to public office and serving in state's legislature as Vermont's House of Representative. Twilight is also credited with being the first African-American to receive a college degree as he graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a B.A. in 1823.

One hundred years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, on August 28, 1963, before an unwavering sea of folks, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his immortal "I Have A Dream" speech before the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. inside King's speech lie these prophetic words:

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. ... But one hundred years later, the Negro nonetheless is not free. We have come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy. ... Now is the time to lift our Nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. ... Now is the time to make justice a reality for all ..." And, surely, the famous words, "... I have a dream that one day ... the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood." In that moment, Lincoln and King forge the bonds of a dream moving forward on the bridge to somewhere, forming steps of closure and fulfillment.

A mere five years after Martin Luther King, Jr's speech and 80 years after Frederick Douglass' vote for President, enter the "Unbossed and Unbought," Shirley Chisholm carving history into play for blacks and for women. Shirley, an educator and childcare manager, was the first African-American elected to Congress. She served as Congresswoman from New York's 12th District for 7 terms from 1969 to 1983. Then, in 1972 she became the first major party African-American candidate for President of the United States. Shirley received 152 first ballot votes at the 1972 Democratic Convention. A quote from Shirley that may echo our current sentiments is, "The United States was said not to be ready to elect a Catholic to the Presidency when Al Smith ran in the 1920's. But Smith's nomination may have helped pave the manner for the successful campaign John F. Kennedy waged in 1960. Who can tell? What I hope most is that now there will be other people who will feel themselves as capable of running for high political office as any wealthy, good-looking white male." So the cycle is unbroken, the steps expanding, growing, the path clearer. Whether these are considered alignments or parallels they still continued to carry the promise along. All seemingly innocuous nevertheless forming binding ties.

Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his speech on August 28, 1963, forty-five years later on August 28, 2008 Barack Obama gave forth his acceptance speech for President of the United States. Obama may have planned his speech to coincide with the anniversary of King's speech, that fact in no manner subtracts the evidence or erases the mystery of the unseen interconnectedness gathering force.

In, 1984 and 1988, 100 years after Frederick Douglass and 20 years after Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson's name was entered as the Democratic candidate for President.

Seven important dates from 1863 to 2008, spanning 145 years, affecting six known individuals and thousands unknown, culminating in the 44th presidency being fulfilled by the first African-American. Can we honestly and somewhat ignore the years, the dates, the folks, the battles, the loses and wins as not being by some divine choice or guiding star or a fluid movement of continuity between conductors before a great orchestra?

Douglass -- 1888 -- each person who ran for President or Congress

Chisholm -- 1968 -- did so in a year ending in #8.

Jackson -- 1988 -- In Numerology as number definitions, the #8 means

Obama -- 2008 -- power and sacrifice.

We have four 8's. The number four means Creation. Obama will be the 44th President. Double fours totaling eight: Creation, power, sacrifice.

Lincoln -- 1863 -- These years of Lincoln and King end in #3.

King -- 1963 -- three is the number for communication, interaction, and

neutrality.

Weren't King and Lincoln both communicators who acted upon their beliefs? King's message of non-violence can be looked as neutral.

Twilight -- 1836 -- In Numerology's number definitions

Obama -- 1996 -- six equates to reaction, flux, and responsibility.

Douglas -- 1872 -- Unknown vote for VP

Chisholm -- 1972 -- two is the number for balance, union, receptive, yin.

Are these facts or myths? Coincidence or ordained? Relevant or merely interesting?

From African-American's first entry into the political arena, to Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, through the years to Barack Obama being elected to the presidency in 2008, there are ten dates spanning 172 years. In number definitions ten means rebirth. The necessary events to bring about the impossible have come full circle. The number 172 equals 10 or one, which indicates individual, aggressor, and yang. Do we all not believe this year, this presidency, this campaign, this democratic victory, this falling of Wall Street and the rise of a man black bringing hope to all is not a rebirth?

The relationship between numbers, patterns, folks's lives and events and the physical objects of living things may be debated with or without proof. it is able to be like the sighting of a UFO or the belief in things unseen known simply as Faith.

It has taken us 172 years from 1836 to get here. The years 1836/1863 adds up to the number nine which means completion. When we began was the end already decided? Had one cycle of history been completed so additional could begin? It was the ending of civil war between the states and the shaping of America, which prompted Lincoln to sign the Proclamation.

We all understand that Obama inherits a hard and monumental task. You could say his plight comes with baggage attached. We know he requires and has asked for all our help. If we dare to consider the numbers for a small glimpse of what could be if we work difficult and believe, we would see that the year 2009 equals the number two which means balance, union, receptive, and yin. Which to me means hope and posibility...

We are simple men and women believing in something larger than ourselves. If we add the number for every year we hope Obama will be in the White House, namely two terms, we might find:

2009 -- (2) -- balance, union (state of, maybe), receptive, yin.

2010 -- (3) -- communication, interaction, neutrality.

2011 -- (4) -- creation

2012 -- (5) -- action, restlessness (time to reelect?)

2013 -- (6) -- reaction, flux, responsibility

2014 -- (7) -- thought, consciousness

2015 -- (8) -- power, sacrifice

2016 -- (9) -- completion. (the end of his 2nd term. Time for a new regime)

2017 -- (10) -- rebirth. (we begin, again)

Barack Obama's ascendance to the presidency of the U.S. was watched and celebrated worldwide. The rise of America and Americans, the black experience and Democracy is currently global issues. The eyes of the world are upon us and our eyes are definitely on the prize.

Be it through the stars, numerology, science, mystically or factually with eloquence and intelligence, the proof of man's current and historical interconnectedness and our oneness with the universe, is written and being lived each day by each and every among us.

No comments:

Post a Comment