Michaelmas

The festival of Michaelmas is a celebration of courage and transformation. It falls just after the autumnal equinox at a time when the days are becoming noticeably shorter. The light is changing, and with it a more quiet time in the natural world approaches, following the amazing growth after the monsoon rains. Inwardly, we can experience a shift from a summer mood of expansiveness and relaxation to a more concentrated and self-aware consciousness. It is this reawakening to ourselves and facing of our shortcomings (our "dragons") that Michaelmas celebrates in order to give courage and strength for our continued inner transformation. The images of Archangel Michael and St. George defeating dragons in tales of old and paintings are wonderful to contemplate in this season. At our daily morning teachers' circle, we are singing Michaelmas songs that we are sharing with the children in preparation for the festival, and we are saying the following verse for us as adults:

We must eradicate from the soul all fear and terror of what comes out of the future.
We must acquire serenity in all feelings and sensations about the future.
We must look with absolute equanimity to everything that may come and
We must think only that whatever comes is given to us by a world direction full of wisdom.
It is part of what we must learn in this age, namely to live out of pure trust,
Without any security in existence,
Trusting in the ever present help of the spiritual world.
Truly nothing else will do if our courage is not to fail.
Let us discipline our will and let us seek the awakening from within ourselves every morning and every evening.
~Rudolf Steiner