Long Night’s Journey into Day
It is the last few hours of the winter solstice—at least where I am. Tonight is the longest night of the year, signaling the transition from darkness to ever-lengthening light. It is also the seventeen-month anniversary of losing my beloved husband, Michael.
When I woke up today, I texted a loved one:
“Just woke up and had the idea to publish an artistic video (combining Michael’s words, cemetery B-roll footage, and the composition I played at his funeral) … I made a while back for both the 17-month anniversary of losing Michael and the solstice. I realized how perfect it is that the solstice is the longest night of the year, signaling the transition toward greater light. Long Night’s Journey into Day.”
Seconds after I sent that, I read a text a dear friend had sent me this morning accompanied by the following image:
“I thought of you when I saw this blessing for this magical season and the next year, and would like you to have it.”
I would like you, precious readers, to have this blessing, too.
Falling Angel
This video features an April 27, 2011, quote by Michael I discovered several months ago. It was in a forgotten file of notes I’d taken for a book we’d intended to write about his experience of being semispecial due in part to his Asperger’s syndrome. I’d recorded Michael saying:
“I am truly a fallen angel. I have nothing in common with people. I miss my wings. And I miss what angels do. They serve God only ever constantly, and it was only when they didn’t that it was bad.”
“I wonder how I got mixed up in that. So the story goes.… One moment, I think everything’s just normal, and the very next moment, I’m rising up in the air, which means because I’m going backwards, I’m falling into the air, but I’m not afraid. So I’m rising, rising, rising into space. And I’m surrounded by people like me, and I feel utterly one with them, except something’s wrong. Somehow I got mixed up in this, and now I’m punished.… Or something like that.”
Michael was identifying with his namesake, the archangel Michael, but he was also storytelling, as he often did, weaving fictions on the fly that he utterly believed in the moment. As he said on November 24, 2009:
“I believe my stories. Don’t you?”
It “just happened” that at the same time I found that quote, I’d watched the footage of hawks in flight our longtime friend Rory had filmed at the cemetery following Michael’s funeral. I instantly knew they belonged together. It was only as I was writing this paragraph that I realized these hawks are yet more wingèd messengers on my journey through grief, loss, and healing.
I set the video to Michael’s composition “Mosquito’s Last Meal,” which I’d played prior to delivering his eulogy on September 6, 2024.
May this video and solstice blessing remind you to cherish your beloveds … before they fall into the air.
© Margaret Anna Alice, LLC
🙌 Thank You for Lifting Me Up
The only reason I can spend every possible second writing, researching, producing videos, collaborating, nurturing our karass, living my cheng, and battling tyranny is because of the 1.17 percent of you who are kind enough to support me. Thank you with all of my being for that tangible expression of your appreciation for my work.
When you subscribe, you gain access to premium content like Memes by Themes, Afterthoughts, podcasts, Consequential Quotes, Case in Point, Behind the Scenes, personal writings, and bonus articles.
This has been a particularly challenging month financially, and losing $2,844 in annual Substack income over the past thirty days hasn’t helped. If you have ever considered supporting me, I would be grateful if you would do so now as I am still trying to scrape together enough to pay end-of-month bills. Thank you, dear readers, for helping our thirteen kitties and me survive 💓
😻 Lovebug says, “Thank you!” 🙏
I am always grateful for bill-paying contributions if you prefer one-off donations:
🎁 Personal Gift
If you would like to snail-mail me a tax-free personal gift, please DM me on Substack or reply to any of my newsletters for details.
😇 Become a Founding Member
If you take the extraordinary step of becoming a Founding Member, you will enjoy benefits such as:
signed & personalized copy of Canary in a Covid World—your choice of Volume 1 or Volume 2
special gifts
select typeset PDFs
Zoom or phone call, depending on your preference
I especially want to thank those of you who have taken the time to write a private message to me when you subscribe. I read and cherish each note.
Thank you for being part of our karass of brave, brilliant, kind, and witty thinkers.
🙏 Shoutouts Gratitude
🛒 Spread the Words
If you would like to help propagate the message that Mistakes Were NOT Made, you will find a wide selection of products in this collection.
💰 SAVE on Signed Copies of My Fairy Tale Book! 📖
I am currently running a sale on signed, personalized copies of my fairy tale for its four-year anniversary, so now is the time to buy copies for yourself and as gifts. Message me on Substack or reply to any of my newsletters to place an order.
📚 Anthologies
Canary in a (Post) COVID World: Money, Fear, & Power (Hardback, Paperback, Kindle)
Canary in a Covid World: How Propaganda & Censorship Changed Our (My) World (Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook)
Yankee Doodle Soup for the Fringy, Tin Foil Hat–Wearing Conspiracy Theorist’s Soul (If you enter the code ALICE at checkout, Jenna will give me a royalty 🙏)
🐇 Follow Me on Social Media
⏰ Wake-up Toolkit
My Wake-up Toolkit is a great way to get acquainted with my content. I’ve organized my articles by topic for easy reference and use in your red-pilling efforts as needed. Note that I have not been able to update this since June 2024 due to a technical issue, so check my archive for more recent additions.
🌟 WARM GRATITUDE FOR THE RECS!
The single-most important driver for new readers joining my mailing list is Substack Recommendations. I want to thank every one of you who feels enthusiastic enough about my Substack to recommend it, and I especially appreciate those of you who go the extra mile to write a blurb!
Remember, a subscription to Margaret Anna Alice Through the Looking Glass makes for an intellectually adventurous gift down the rabbit-hole!
Note: Purchasing any items using Amazon affiliate links included in my content will further support my efforts to unmask tyranny.
