On April 18, 1775, around 10 PM, a message went out to the people of Boston. However, not everyone knew its importance and it was designed that way. You see, the sexton of Christ Church or as we know it, the Old North Church, had an important mission. He was asked by his friend, Paul Revere, to help the Sons of Liberty deliver a message. That message was from Dr. Joseph Warren. He heard whispers of intelligence that the British military was going to seek out John Hancock and Samuel Adams and arrest them. He also thought that the military would march to Concord and take the stores of weapons and gunpowder. While that wasn’t the military’s plan, Dr. Warren instructed Paul Revere to warn Adams and Hancock who were hiding in Lexington. They were to gather the weapons and gunpowder and prepare to protect it from the British military. The message was to be delivered at the Old North Church to let the other Sons of Liberty know how the military was going to arrive so they could get out of Boston safely. One lantern in the tower would mean the troops would march from Boston Neck. Two lanterns if they would arrive by boat to Cambridge over the river. The message was sent out into the night and into the open. This act would ripple out to all, giving birth to the first breaths of the American Revolution.
Revere made it to the home where Adams and Hancock were staying. They were safely guarded by Sargent William Munroe of the Lexington Militia. William Dawes arrived shortly after. Taking the sound advice, Adams and Hancock were whisked away into the night under the protection of Sargent Munroe to a farm in Billerica where they remained safe. As the Midnight Riders set off to Concord, they were captured by a British patrol. Revere was the only one of the three who was not able to escape. Prescott and Dawes did make it to the weapon stores, leading us to “the shot heard around the world.”
As I sit here tonight, I am watching the clock, feeling into the Revolutionary spirit that is riding upon the winds. I live in these towns. I know Fiske Hill, The Battle Road, the Amos Wyman Homestead, and the tunnels under Chelsea where the Sons of Liberty would travel to keep safe. There are countless stories in and around Boston that have wisdom to share to those who are willing to listen. The men’s names were given to us by history. Yet, there are many women, sisters of the Revolution, that stood for the cause too. This Revolutionary Spirit lives and breathes in the land we live upon. As a Boston girl, I like to think it is in my blood. As a witch, you’d better believe it is. As we sit upon the threshold of the birth of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we stand at the same threshold once again. This time, we do not have a lantern in the window of the Old North Church warning us which way the oppressors are arriving. We do not have a midnight rider calling out into the darkness, warning us that “The Regulars are coming!” We do not have a secret network that is banning together to form an opposition to be at the ready. No. That does not need to happen anymore. Thankfully, it is not.
Today, our Regulars are in office, sitting upon faux gold thrones. Some are elected; others appointed. All are more insidious than the British king once was. These are the home-grown wannabe tyrants, drunk on self-appointed power and status driven ego. They are the ones perverting the laws, deconstructing our imperfect union and government. They are the ones who want to see us turn on each other, tear each other down, and vilify what we may not understand. While fear and hatred are being sewn this springtime, our neighbors are being rounded up and disappeared. This will not stand. This is not the Sprit of America and it is not the Spirit of Massachusetts. No. Something is happening. Perhaps are we awakening the sleeping giant?
The Revolutionary Spirit is rising, igniting the fire in the hearts, bellies, and heads of every day Americans. The egregore of the Sons of Liberty is rising, feeding the rippling vibrations beneath our feet. Its power inspires us to do what we can to offer our voice to the chorus of the opposition. There is power in numbers. There is strength given when we band together. Truth is the way of the sword. Speaking truth to power fortifies our resolve, paving the way to end tyranny, villainy, and oppression. If you can and if you are ready, there is a place for you with the rising tide that stands up for what is right and true. We gladly welcome you.
There is something that we have that our rebellious Founding Fathers did not. It was our gift from them so we would not have to fight the same battles they once did. We have the Constitution. We have our Bill of Rights. We have the right to assemble. We have the right to due process. We have the media. We have technology. We have the ability to connect with the world, share ideas, create powerful art, inspire, encourage, and the duty to protect those rights because we know that freedom is not free. We are not a perfect union. Our history is marked with trauma and tragedy. However, we rise today and every day, striving to learn from our mistakes. That is who we are and what we do. Offering safe harbor to the tired, hungry, oppressed, and poor. It is food and medicine to those who are dying and sick. We have a duty to shelter and take care of those who fought our battles on foreign shores and in our own streets. We welcome those who do not speak the way we do. We welcome those who may not pray the way we pray. We welcome those who love who they love for the sake and sanctity of love and life itself. Color, creed, sex, identity are what make us who we are. As a people, we should celebrate these aspects because it is all of us that makes us stronger. This is who we are. This is who we strive to be as we seek the guidance, inspiration, and wisdom of our better angels. This is the Spirit of America. This is what is woven into the fabric of our nation. It is not the banner of a dictatorship. It is not the spirit of an oligarchy. We are a melting pot. We are one. This is what makes us special. No one, not one person, is meant to hold all the power. The power is in the hands of the people. That is what feeds the Spirit of America. That is who we are.
Be well and take care of each other.
Blessed Be,
Renee
The Whispering Crow 