Four Little-Known Facts About the Fourth of July

Author: Daniel Doherty

Happy Fourth of July! Today we celebrate 238 years of American independence. To that end, here are four interesting facts about this uniquely American holiday that you might not be aware of.

(1) Did you know that the Second Continental Congress approved a resolution to dissolve all political ties with Great Britain on July 2, 1776? It wasn’t until two days later, on July 4th, that the Founding Fathers formally adopted the document we now universally refer to as the “Declaration of Independence.”

“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America,” John Adams wrote his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776. As it turned out, he was off by a few days.

(2) John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both passed away on July 4, 1826 — 50 years after the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted. The fifth president of the United States, James Monroe, also died on July 4th shortly thereafter — in 1831.

(3) Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Franklin (70) was the oldest to sign his name, and South Carolina’s Edward Rutledge (26) was the youngest.

(4) John Hancock was the first delegate to sign the Declaration; and he was only one of two delegates to do so on July 4, 1776. According to legend, he decided to sign his name in big, ostentatious letters so that, as he put it, the “fat old King could read it without his spectacles.”

So there you have it. Have a great day, everyone. I’ll leave you with this: an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence — one of the most important political documents ever written (or ever will be written):

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

 
Published on TownHall

The 4th of July

It’s time for the “Barbecue”
And the “Fireworks” galore!
And the “Beer” and the “Friends”
And the “Burgers” for sure!

But most important
And I really must say
Is that “America” got
Its “Independence” today!

Yes in “1776”
The famous politician
Senator “John Hancock”
Had signed the petition

That stated that our country
Was “free” from all others!
And that we would “only be governed”
By our “American brothers”!

So while we are celebrating
This “great day of fun”
Let us always remember
What our forefathers had done!

Published on FunMunch.com

 

Good morning, my very precious family & friends. I wanted to take a moment to thank each of you for your love and prayers during my time of loss. There are way too many of them to responds to each. I hope if you are one of those individuals that personally emailed me or left comments are reading this. Your words of comfort, prayers and blessings mean the world to me. I would ask that you continue to keep Razzy and myself in your prayers, please.

I am not going to lie, this has been the worse week in my live. Tomorrow, it will be a week since Kiki passed. A week seems like an eternity. I still look for her. I expect her to be following me to the kitchen. I expect her to be waiting outside the shower for me when I get out. I believe the hardest is not having her waiting for me on the other side of the door when I get home. Home now is very, very empty and a place I try not to spend much time at.

She was given a funeral and was buried under a big shade tree out in the backyard. I put one of my pentagrams in her little tiny paws along with a favorite toy and bone. Her grave is where I can look out my bedroom window and see her. She is checked on daily. A concrete slab was fashioned on top of her grave so the coyotes couldn’t get to her. That would absolutely kill me.

The sudden outburst of crying still occur. I ask the Goddess and the Morrighan to replace my sad thoughts to those of the happy memories I have of her. I also asked both of these dear Ladies to give me strength and comfort. I know with their help and your prayers it will ease but it will never totally go away. A piece of heart is buried with my dear precious Kiki. A piece I don’t want back it was hers and it belongs with her.

I wanted to say thank you before we get started this morning. I ask again for your continue prayers and prayers that I get through this morning. Everywhere I look are reminders of her, I don’t won’t them removed nor do I want to ever forget her.

Thank you my precious family, I can never put into words how I feel about each of you.

I Love You,

Lady A

2003 – 2016

Words suddenly escape me, I’m sorry. My dear sweet baby Kiki has pass away. She started getting bad Saturday. We made it through the night and Sunday, she was acting like her old self. I had had a long night Saturday so I took off Sunday, to rest and spend time with her. Monday came and something just kept telling me not to leave her. That night she had a bad spell and I did my usual medicine that generally pulled her through. This time, she didn’t want anything to do with the medicine nor me. She went under the bed and stayed there. I laid down in the floor and she curled up in my stomach. I knew she was tired and ready to leave this world. In case you didn’t know, we have battled congestive heart failure for two years. I did everything in and above my power to keep her alive. But she was tired and ready to go home.

 

She was always such a Momma’s baby, I was afraid of her being scared to leave this realm. I had talked to the Goddess about letting Mocha and Stinker cross back over when it came time for Kiki to leave me. While I was laying in the floor curled up with Kiki, I felt something heavy step on my leg. It was Mocha, plain as day. I heard a loud purring above me, it was Stinker. Both of them came and Kiki’s little paw shook just a little bit and she passed quietly in her sleep. I am very grateful for them coming to be with Kiki but to see them and lose her at the same time, ripped my guts out.

 

I haven’t stopped crying since she passed. My eyes are almost swollen shut and Razputin is looking all over the place for Kiki(which is absolutely killing me). Razzy was there when Kiki passed but she doesn’t fully understand what has happened. She is waiting for me now to get off the computer and cuddle with her.

 

We are going to be taking a few days off. My heart is broken and my head is so confused I can’t even think straight. Kiki and I had a blood bond. When it comes to them leaving this world that is the worse kind of bond you can have. While their alive, it’s great. When they pass it rips you to shreds. So basically I am a mess right now. I would ask one thing of you, please, please, remember Kiki and me in your prayers. I know Kiki is home and at peace. It is those of us left behind that suffer and suffer. I would appreciate your prayers because they are desperately needed.

 

We will be back in a few days, right now I just can’t do it. I’m sorry.

 

I love you and please give all your fur babies a hug and kiss from me tonight, would you?

Lady of the Abyss

WEST

Element: Water – Earth
Season: Autumn
Time: twilight
Tool: chalice/cauldron
Color: sea green – blue – gray – purple – white
Animal: fish – dolphin – sea serpents
Rules: intestines – emotions – guts – introspection – undercurrents – vitality – daring – strength – endingd – the courage to face deepest feelings

 

INVOCATIONS
Goddesses:
Amenti – the Hesperides, Daughters of the West – Hsi Wang Mu, Royal Mother of the Western Paradise – Isis – Mertseger – Sekhmet, Lady of the West – Selkis
Gods:
Cteryon, King of the West – Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl – Favonius – Itzamna – Gabriel – Hastehogan – Khenty-amentiu, Foremost of the Westerners – Sachiel – Salim – Thoth – Quebehsenuf, Lord of the Watchtower of the West – Ra – Varuna
From The Egyptian Book of the Dead:

“Thou who circlest,
Guide of the Two Lands,
Beautiful Rudder of the Western Heaven,
Ra, Guide of the Two Lands,
thou Beautiful Rudder of the Western Heaven.”

The West Wind:
Invocations: Cardea – Favonius – Zephyrus

EAST

The world direction of the new day.

Element: Air – Fire
Season: Spring
Time: dawn
Tool: athame/sword
Color: white – violet – pastels – green
Animal: eagle – highflying birds
Rules: stomach – spirit – mind – illumination – passion – wisdom – beginnings – the power to know

 

INVOCATIONS:

All dawn god and goddesses
Goddesses:
Aja – Aurora – Eos – Hesionë, Lady of Asia – Mahamantranusarini – Neith – Nebhet – Nephthys – Salmaone – Zorya
Gods:
Chac, Lord of the East – Duamutef, Lord of the Watchtower of the East – Horus, Lord of the East – Indra – Mars – Morning Star – Raphael – Shar – Sopedu, Lord of the East

From The Egyptian Book of the Dead:

“Splendor, Dweller in the temple of the Ashemu gods,
Beautiful Rudder of the Eastern Heaven, Khu,
Dweller in the House of the Ashemu gods,
thou Beautiful Rudder of the Eastern Heaven.

The East Wind:
Invocations:

Cardea – Eurus – Volturnus

SOUTH

Element: Fire – Water
Season: Summer
Time: Noon
Tool: wand
Color: red – orange
Animal: lion – coyote
Rules: liver – energy – spirit – will – love – gentleness – trust – innocence – warmth – hospitality – rapid growth

 

INVOCATIONS

Goddesses
Fire Goddesses: – Isis, Queen of the South – Mahamantranusarini – Mahapratisara – Mert – Nirrti – Satet – Satis – Satjit – Tin Hau – Vajrapasi
Gods: Ea – Imset, Lord of the Watchtower of the South – Michael – Ninib – Prajnantaka – Ra – Sachiel – Saturn – South Star – Yama – Zocho
From The Egyptian Book of the Dead:

“Dweller in the temple of the Red gods,
Beautiful Rudder of the Southern Heaven,
Dweller in the House of the Tesheru Gods,
the Beautiful Rudder of the Southern Heaven.”

The South Wind:
Invocations: Auster – Cardea – Ninurta – Notus – the Breath of Set, Lord of the Chambers of the South

SOUTHEAST:
Invocations: Agni – Takkiraja – Tejosnisa
SOUTHWEST:
Invocations: Niladanda – Nirrti – Surya
The Southwest Wind: Auster – Notus

North, The Direction

(Correspondences, Associations and Invocations)

 

NORTH

The most powerful direction – the location of magick
– the source of Otherworld powers.

Element: Earth – Air
Season: Winter
Time: midnight
Tool: pentacle
Color: brown – black – green
Animal: white buffalo
Rules: lungs – the body – rudeness – mystery – silence – purity – clarity – renewal – vision – the unseen – the power to listen, to keep secrets, to know what not to say

 

INVOCATIONS:

Goddesses:
Athena – Baaltis Zapuna – Belili – Earth goddesses – Mertseger, Friend of Silence – Nebhet – Neith – Nephthys – Nerthus – Uatchet
Gods:
Baal Zebul, Lord of the Mansions of the North – Baal Zephon, Lord of the North – Bel – Hapy, Lord of the Watchtower of the North – Jupiter – Osiris – Seth, Lord of the Northern Sky – Soma – Uriel – Zeus
From The Egyptian Book of the Dead:

“Thou Beautiful Power,
thou Beautiful Rudder of the Northern Heaven,
Power of Heaven, Opener of the Disk,
thou Beautiful Rudder
of the Northern Heaven

The North Wind:

“Awake, O north wind;
and come thou south,
blow upon my garden,
that the spices thereof may flow out.”
– the Song of Solomon

Invocations:
Aquilo – Boreas – Cardea – Erichthonius – Ophion The Silver Castle, the Corona Borealis, is at the back of the north wind.

NORTHWEST:

Invocations: Mahabala – Tiksnosnisa – Vayu

NORTHEAST:

Invocations: Isa – Soma – Uluítuyar – Uruín Ajy Toyoín