Michealmas: The festival of Courage

"Micheal, heaven's knight
rains down iron showers from the shooting stars"

This time of year can get very busy for me. There is so much I want to do with the kids, schooling, outings etc.
Fall is my favorite time of year. And so far, we, the kids and I, have been very busy with our school work. Tyler has some classes where he is accountable to other teachers besides me. That has been great so far this year. It is one way that I have accepted my limitations and reached out for help. While on one hand, homeschooling can seem  a bit like wanting to control our children and their future outcomes(based in fear)...the other side is about letting go and asking for help.... totally trusting in the universe to step in when asked or allowed(via Me, getting out of the way). And truly, homeschooling for me is more about spending time with my children and family, creating a close knit relationship. We get through the thick and thin together. I make plenty mistakes and I do my best to own up to them. And, I ask for help. And help is there. Hence, outside classes, help from family and friends and building community. Which leads me to the reason I am posting today;
MICHEALMAS!
Michealmas, in a nutshell, is the festival of courage! As the light of the Sun begins to fade, we are all gathering up our courage, our nuts(if we are squirrels, or from a crazy family, teehee) In days of old, or in the North as is my Father, we are chopping wood, to be sure we can make it through the cold, dark of winter. We are harvesting all that the sun's warmth and light has produced throughout the summer and storing it up for winter. There are so many ways to see how we outwardly prepare for winter. What are we doing to prepare inwardly? When the short, dark days are knocking on our door. Reminding us of our lack of light? Do we believe the darkness? Do we give in to these ideas that we do not have enough? Not enough light...so we get depressed(not trying to minimize depression in ANY way...chemical imbalances are real) but the depression comes also with other lacks... lack of money, as Christmas approaches, lack of the loved ones we have lost.....
So, to prepare spiritually, what can be done? There are of course countless ways to nurture our spirit. And Michealmas is one way that we can take up our sword of light, gathering up the iron that is given to us from the heavens and forging our swords to bring this light into the world. Holding it within ourselves in remembering our connection with the higher beings of light, to make it through the darkness.
Now, I have no doubt that there is an even older, Paganish festival which celebrates this similar theme.The equinox or some other type. But I am going on my understanding of Rudolf Steiner's explanations along with my own experiences of the season.
Community! Having a festival is akin to gathering up our friends and family around us. Asking for help in a sense. I am very excited to have completed the first step towards planning our first homeschool community Michealmas festival!  We will create costumes, sing songs, share in our harvest(apples, bread) and finish with a play! This play will be inclusive and anyone who wants to join in can!
And so, it looks like it will be a small group. But it should be a good time. I say, just following through and setting up this event pushes me to be courageous. And so begins the festival of courage!

" A knight and a lady  went riding one day, far into the forest, away, away...........
Dear knight said the lady I pray have a care, this forest is evil, beware...beware...
A fiery red dragon lay spied on the grass, the lady wept sorely, alas...alas....
The knight slew the dragon, the lady was gay, they rode off together, away...away......"
The Knight and the lady AND the dragon are all archetypes that live within ourselves. We display of embody(sp?) all of these characters. So, to be aware of which energy(so to speak) is apparent at one time or another, they are all necessary, but at what times and which situations. This is where being fully present, in the moment can help us observe ourselves, our actions and behaviors so that we can wield our swords of light and save the victim(from ourselves) or not just victim but maybe the lady is our innocence which could be protected ,or subdue the dragon(also ourselves) or killing off certain behaviors or attachments which no longer serve us... thus, Micheal and the sword of light come in(with the meteoric iron from the sky) to burn up old, destructive behaviors and attachments.
And this prepares us for the coming months of darkness.... rid ourselves of self-doubt now, so when darkness is upon us, we can see the light within ourselves and not hold onto the old fears, attachments that can make it difficult to see the light. If we are riddled with that fear of the dragon who was not defeated, this would make it more difficult to continue on through the dark months.
So, let us clear the way, defeat the dragon and move forward, fearlessly into the dark for we know that the light will see us through!