The Cadillac Flying Lady: A symbol of God's faithfulness

The Chariot of the Lord

The Cadillac Flying Lady

    In the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the chariot was a status symbol, expensive and built for war. It became the symbol of war, the facility in which men fought those who sought to harm the community. The Hebrews saw the Chariot of the Lord as the same. The vehicle in which the Lord used to wage war against evil. In the heart of Chicago's south side neighborhoods, the "Chariot of the Lord" was a bold way of letting evil know that you are in the neighborhood, and what you came to do. For as long as I can remember, My dad was the King waging war on evil, using his words and wisdom as the sword that is raised to save the people. I was his armor bearer, I carried his weapons into that war, his bible which served as both sword and shield. Being an armor bearer, I got to witness firsthand what a King of his people looked me  

Me, my father, my brother Antwan, and my nephews. 

    I remember the first Chariot that my father purchased. You can tell it was a repossessed drug dealers car, literally everyone knew who he was when they saw his car. This Escalade was a car that my father wanted since he was a kid. But the chariot he saw in his visions had something that this one didn't. The Cadillac Goddess or the flying lady. We searched high and low looking for this emblem, they were either way too overpriced, or not available. After the era when hood ornaments were popular, Cadillac stopped putting this emblem on their cars due to theft. She was a symbol that people were drawn to, akin to the angelic ark of the covenant of God

    The means to purchase this vehicle came through need. My father had already started The Vision of Christ Recovery homes, but needed a way to support the people that he served. Getting food for his residents, transporting them to their destinations, etc, was an obstacle in helping. Thus, God provided the means to get both the vehicle that my father wanted, while providing a tool in his ministry of helping people, and spreading the good news of the Lord. Because my father trusted the Lord, and the Lord trusted his worker, the need was filled. In honor of that deed, my father has screen printed the words "Chariot of the Lord" on every Escalade work vehicle he has owned since then. Being a status symbol, of wealth and royalty, but being used as a work vehicle, to help those in need, showing both the glory of the kingdom of God and the humility of my father, in his role as Pastor. 

    Chariots typically function as equipment in war. God’s chariot or chariots symbolize his ability to execute judgment as a warrior whenever and wherever he wishes. He does not have the limitations in space and time of a human warrior. The chariot is the manifest of God’s faithfulness, to his promises and to his covenant. They also affirm his kingly power. 

The Cadillac Goddess showed herself to me, late at night while searching for lord knows what. An opportunity to finally obtain this icon, and all she represents presented itself, and after price checking other websites, I knew that this opportunity would not come again. It became a gift, to the man who gave me everything I could never say thank you enough for. She is the symbol of the Holy spirit, the guide and faith of my father, the King who battles the evils in this world, the light of the mothers that leads my feet

The Flying Lady of 1933

History of the Cadillac Goddess

    The Cadillac Goddess was introduced in 1930, at the height of popularity for automotive mascots, which were viewed as symbols of style, elegance and prestige. The Goddess’ depiction of femininity evolved over time, becoming more contemporary and interpretive, but always a distinctive, powerful form. Its first significant revision was introduced in 1933 and when launched, it exclusively adorned Cadillac’s incomparable V-16 models.

    Its form was used on Cadillac models throughout the 1940s and into the mid-1950s — with a final appearance on the limited-production 1959 Eldorado Brougham. More than six decades later, the Goddess returns to inspire the next generation of Cadillac cars, as the brand reinvents itself for an EV future. It has taken a new form with the all-new CELESTIQ ultra-luxury EV1.

    The 1933 Goddess was its inspiration, as a Cadillac artist focused on creating impressionistic wings and complex, flowing drapery that give the figure a sense of motion.

Today’s Goddess is found on the front quarter panel of the CELESTIQ and within the multi-function controller on the center console. The latter is composed of a combination of real metal and glass, housing the Goddess emblem in it.

Crown of the Yoruba King

    The bird motif on most crowns has layers of meaning. It recalls how Odùduwà, assisted by a mythical bird, created habitable land on the primordial waters at Ilé Ifè, where he eventually became the first king. It is also emblematic of the role of the king as an intermediary between his subjects and the òrìsà, in the same way that a bird mediates between heaven and earth. Finally, it alludes to a mystical power or holy spirit that God gave to the first female (in the form of a bird enclosed in a calabash), thus allowing her to counterbalance the physical advantage of men. 

  
 The legend of this bird, representing the holy spirit as Shekinah goddess, is responsible not only for women's ability to procreate but also for her capacity to turn into a bird at night to do good or evil. Thus, by having a symbol of archetypal female power on his crown, a king is expected to manipulate that power for the good of all. This explains why the Ìyá Oba (Official Mother of the King) crowns a new monarch in some towns — to underscore the fact that he has the support of the women. In my opinion, the flying goddess and the Iyami bird represent the same thing. 

    Having both the support and authority to serve the community as King. This authority is only given BY women, as it cannot be given by another man. I was given the authority to work and serve the community by my spiritual family of women, who trust that my words, thoughts, and actions are aimed at protected that same community, respecting and supporting women, and being an advocate for the weak. I believe this is the same authority and oath that my father does his work in. Being the owner and founder of the Vision of Christ Recovery homes, his vehicle serves as the chariot of the King in which he uses to help those in need. Some days that looks like buying food, some days it is transporting his residents to and from their destinations. Cadillac, as a status symbol, itself represents royalty, or one who has the status of a royal, of a King. Status not to show superiority, but to stand out and communicate that you are the lighthouse they are looking for. I think the flying lady confirms this imagery, as she leads the vehicle to its divine destination. In short, nothing says "I am a man of status, of royalty, and my feet are both led and ordered by the holy spirit of God" than this icon.