Know what you are celebrating ~ Liberation

In the age of information it is even more important to revisit the intention behind and examine our reasons for supporting traditions, holidays, and at the core - honor and know what we are celebrating. Especially as we take introspective looks into American holidays like Thanksgiving and Columbus Day, which in many ways glorify horrific historic events with a brand of white-washing that make things acceptable by focusing on positive modern expressions, like: family, sharing, and abundance. So what are we really celebrating when it comes to American Independence?

The British sailed to the Americas, along with primarily the Spanish and French and created colonies all along the eastern seaboard. First Nations people (Native Americans) populated all of these locations and had very established cultures in these, their homelands. Some native communities were open to these new settlers and trade was adopted; North American livestock and agriculture were shared. From The Crown (Britain) this was always from the perspective of expansion of empire and colonization. The Americans who chose to - and were sent here - were escaping criminal pasts, religious persecution, or simply lack of resources.

As the colonies became more and more established and continued to explore west and push the First Nations people out of their original lands, hunting grounds, and sacred places there began to be push-back. What may at first have been a generosity extended to newly arrived people struggling to live, was now a lack of acknowledgement of their sacred right to their native homelands. Many skirmishes and battles began between some tribes and the colonists, much of which the British were unable to quell or provide support against.

Americans at the time were also heavily taxed, which provided The Crown a portion of all trade and sales in the Americas. Mind you, none of this was in consideration of the First Nations. The First Nations did not receive any portion or acknowledgement of their portion in this, they did not hold values in ownership the same was as the new settlers did. With both heavy taxation, lack of a real voice in 'government' decisions, AND warfare from the indigenous tribes, the colonists began to come together to figure out alternatives. Ultimately, the final option which remained was revolution. Independence from Britain. Liberation.

NOW - as we re-examine the basis for this holiday, we have a choice to consider what we celebrate, if we choose to celebrate anything at all. In general, I choose to celebrate honesty, diversity, inclusion, healing, and life-affirming qualities. I approve of celebrating Liberation. First and foremost, I personally direct my celebration of liberation to include the liberating of any and all controlling forces that do not serve my highest good. For me, this begins with my own thoughts, beliefs, and subsequent actions that create barriers, lack, fear, or an expense of quality of life for myself and others. In my celebration I choose to bring all contributing factors into my awareness, so that I might release and/or shift past patterns that allow me to bring things into the Light, that allow me to witness how I choose to create my experience, and how that experience can be inclusive of the betterment of others as opposed to their exclusion or detriment. I celebrate wholeness and community that is open and able to articulate feelings, wounds, and experiences that are tough - empowered through fear instead of silenced by it. I choose to celebrate the freedoms presented by the natural universe, available to all sovereign beings who's awareness allows for them to be fully blossomed and for the ability for our communities to step further into and support individual sovereignty in each other. I choose to uplift and magnify the qualities of life, love, and healing that are so desperately wanted, and in truth needed upon the planet in this time.

I encourage everyone to take a deeper look into what we celebrate. Bring it more fully into alignment for yourself and the Universe at large. We are all on separate journeys, though in my belief to the same ends - and that is peace, prosperity, and unity consciousness. Let us continue to consciously direct ourselves toward that which we wish to see in ourselves and in the world; to that which is only possible through our commitment to this level of conscious awareness. Blessed BE.