Katy Perry is back with her seventh studio album, title 143 with a very personal meaning. Her first single, “Woman’s World,” is meant to be an anthem of empowerment and celebration for women. Her line of related merch even includes the words “Feminine Divine.”
The lyrics of Katy Perry’s ‘Woman’s World’ flat-out reject the prevailing patriarchal notion of it being a man’s world. ‘It’s a woman’s world, and you’re lucky to be living in it,’ she sings. The accompanying video attempts to reinforce this message, depicting Perry as a modern-day Rosie the Riveter. In another scene, she has android-like armored legs and literally walks through glass walls. All of it is knowing satire, “on the nose,” and overplayed slapstick, before a “reset” into her “idea of feminine divine,” as she explained.
She appears like a goddess emerging from a portal on her album cover. So why is she meeting with such strong resistance online?
Video by Katy Perry:
143: A Message of Love
Already, Perry’s appearance is sparking critics in evangelical Christian circles who have attempted to tie her or artists like Stevie Nicks to something sinister for years. If you look at the big picture, this kind of story has gone on for thousands of years, an attempt to erase the Divine Feminine and the Earth Mother since the early beginnings of organized religion. Seeing it play out this way in modern times is actually just continuing the same ancient story. Isn’t it old and outdated?
Many critics have understandably called Perry out for working with producer Dr. Luke, who was accused of sexual and physical assault by Kesha in a lawsuit that was eventually dismissed. Some in the mainstream press have called her feminist anthem “dated,” “desperate,” or said it “rang false” by association with Dr. Luke.
Likewise, cynical comments on her social media posts have often been “savage,” with one saying it comes across as “a parody of girl-boss feminism.” Others said the imagery seemed to be a version of women “written by men” or that it was “written a decade ago.”
Yet, putting it in the contemporary context, women’s rights and empowerment have never been more at risk of extreme erosion in America. If cancel culture has a mission, it should be canceling the growing fascism taking hold on the doorstep. Now, that would be worthy of canceling in the upcoming elections. Instead, folks are distracted by the media.
A Loving Message From Angels
Despite a flood of criticism, the title of her album, 143, is literally about love and angels, a “throughline message” of the album. Is that an outdated notion or parody for the chorus of critics, too?
“I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message,” she said in a statement about the album.
On Instagram, Perry explained the meaning of 143 and why it’s so important to her on a personal level. She began seeing the numbers frequently during a time of hardship when her family was facing medical issues.
“…143 for me is a message from my angels. It means, ‘I love you in some digital language but it’s a symbol that I get and have received in some of my hardest moments,” she explained.
During the video, she also found the numbers on the ID number of her shirt, which friends made for her.
“The angels always want to speak with you,” she said confidently. “You just gotta be willing to hear it.”
Finding this inner message from higher beings, one can face all kinds of storms with impenetrable strength. But many folks seem to think their mission is to try to tear people down nonetheless. Yet that’s the darkness in them.
Women Bring Light and Love to the World
As for the deeper meaning of her choice, “Woman’s World,” she says it’s about the love and light women bring to the world.
“It’s a woman’s world, meaning us ladies are so full of love and light. And we love you, and we are soft and strong. We are chaos; we are cool; we are feminine divine. 143, ” she said.
She added that she wants to return love to her audience, although some chose not to receive it.
Where Does 143 Come From?
After Perry started seeing 143 everywhere, she discovered it was a code for “I love you,” which was “trippy” for her at first.
People report seeing all kinds of numbers, but 143 goes back to the complex Vedic system, associating each number with a planet.
1 = Sun (I)
4 = Uranus (Love)
3 = Jupiter (You)
One astronomer suggests the combined meaning of the “angel number” is ” support, foundation, and reliability.” Another astrologer says the number signifies “guardian angels” and the “spirit realm.”
143 And a Lighthouse from the 1900s
A fascinating origin of the 143 code goes back to the early 1900s and Minot’s Ledge lighthouse off the coast of Cohasset, Massachusetts. The lighthouse keeper chose their signature flash (called a characteristic) sequence randomly, with one short flash, followed by four, and finishing with three.
Later, a new lighthouse keeper assistant named Winfield Scott Thompson arrived. While he was away, his wife Mary told their kids that the message was their father saying “I love you” from the lighthouse.
“Each flash corresponded to the number of letters in each word of the phrase: I love you. This tale proved popular, so much so that the Minot’s Ledge lighthouse is nicknamed the I Love You lighthouse,” shared Dictionary.com.
Locally, it’s called “the lover’s light.” When the Coast Guard announced plans to change the lighthouse code, a huge protest from all over the state prevented it. That beacon of hope and the message of love is powerful, indeed.
The characteristic 143 code at Minot’s Ledge lighthouse has been the most famous of any lighthouse in the United States since 1894. (see video below).
Video by HISTORY about lighthouses, including Minot’s Ledge lighthouse (at 12:25):
Mr. Rogers and 143 Day
Later, people used the same meaning on pagers starting in the late 80s. And Mr. Rogers also favored the code, as he once explained on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It was also his code for “I love you.”
He weighed 143 pounds for most of his adult life and always tried to maintain his weight at that number. For him, it meant the angels loved him.
Efforts to make May 23rd, the 143rd day of the year, 143 Day, a national holiday for community projects and ” loving thy neighbor” are ongoing.
“As you grow, I trust that you are finding many more ways to show and tell people that you love them. Those are the most important things that you’ll ever learn to do,” Mr. Rogers said. “Because loving people and animals and the world we all live in is the most important part of being alive.”
Video by YURU:
Image of Minot Ledge Lighthouse via Flickr/ Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism with Katy Perry from her ‘Woman’s World’ video via YouTube