Battling Dragons

Today is Michaelmas.  If you are unsure what this festival is all about, click here.  When I became interested in Waldorf Education, one of the things I loved most was the emphasis placed on seasonal festivals and celebrations.  Being raised Catholic, I was taught to pray to many Saints and St. Michael the Archangel has always been one of my favorites.  St. Michael is the Patron Saint of Police Officers and being the daughter of a NYPD Inspector and a family of NYPD officers, this angel represented protection for our family.

Waldorf festivals are so beautiful.  They are not just celebrated externally but internally.  For Michaelmas, we are asked to search deep within to discover our innermost dragons and demons and pull from ourselves the courage we need to win our hardest battles.  These deep thoughts are not brought to young children in the Waldorf classroom but messages of bravery and triumph over evil are.  It's all a very beautiful spiritual process that I have always been drawn to.

If I am honest, however, although I have written a large selection of Curriculum and Festival Books - I struggle myself with remembering to celebrate and work on these things in my own life.

Waldorf families all over may be making their dragon bread (a fun tradition) this week or participating in their Waldorf schools Michaelmas Festivals.

Dragon Bready by Vanessa Mitchell Kohlhaas

I was lucky to squeeze out this little activity with my girls from our Autumn Equinox and Michaelmas Festival E-Book, Nature's Dragons... but that's about it so far.

We haven't baked in forever, my house is a mess and I've got a list a mile long of things that I'm not sure I will ever get to!  As I was sitting here trying to write an inspirational post for my Waldorf followers on how to celebrate the day, I realized that I needed to be honest that my own family has no celebration planned at all.  :) 

But the day did bring me to think about battling those dragons.  Lately, I have many I'm trying to conquer and sometimes I feel as if so much progress has been unraveled as I see myself struggling with  many of the same issues over and over again that I thought I had somewhat figured out. 

If this year we do not get around to baking our dragon bread, I at least want to take some time to look within.  

“It is the renewal of the whole human 

disposition of heart and soul that 

should be celebrated at Michaelmas—

not as an outward or conventional 

ceremony, but as a festival which 

renews us wholly and inwardly.” 

~Rudolf Steiner, extract from a lecture 

given in Stuttgart on 5 October, 1923

Hmmmm I could use some renewal.  In my work life, personal life and home.  I find this time of year I'm always feeling like I'm on a hamster wheel and not getting to where I need to be.  

From our Autumn Equinox and Michaelmas E-Book Caregiver Meditation:  

"At this time of year, the turning seasons remind us to slow down, come home, warm up, and 

consider. We are happier to look inward in the autumn and winter than we were during the 

summer months when we were busy living and doing. When we turn our attention inward, we 

can see our own inner dragons waiting for us there. They deserve our attention again because 

they've been patient—even faithful—waiting for us to remember them. Our dragons are our 

fears, insecurities, failings, worries, and procrastinations. And they have much to teach us. In a 

way, our dragons keep us honest."

For those of you who could use a little help celebrating this week or digging deeper into yourself like me, I am offering a 6 hour 50% off sale of our Autumn Equinox and Michaelmas Festival E-Book at Little Acorn Learning.  From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST today only - the e-book is only $12.49.

xoxox