Michaelmas, a festival that comes just in time (even though it looks like the opposite)

September is the month of the Equinox, the harvest, and Michaelmas.

September is a month of a lot of changes. Both internal and external.

September feels like A LOT!

The change of seasons, from Summer to Autumn.

The change of light, as the days get shorter and shorter.

The change of temperature, from hot to cold.

The change of rhythms and lifestyle, from the free summer days to the school or homeschooling days.

The change of food, from the sweet summer fruits to the arrival of the pumpkins, apples, and heavier meals to accompany the cold that starts to come…

At times, it feels like many changes are coming at once.

September is also a month of good intentions and resolutions. As we start the school year, we set new goals for the year.

While it feels that this festival could “wait” a bit and give us a respite from all the changes, it actually comes to put in order our preferences and focus our attention towards what is important.

Let me tell you why by first explaining you what is this festival about.

Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29th, is a significant festival in Waldorf education and the Christian calendar. Saint Michael, the archangel, symbolizes courage, strength, and the triumph of good over evil. In the Waldorf tradition, this festival is linked to the changing season from summer to autumn and represents inner strength as we face the darker days ahead.

Michaelmas falls around the time of the autumn equinox, when the balance of light and darkness shifts, and the days begin to shorten. In this context, Micael represents the inner light that remains strong even as the outer light fades.

The archetype of Micael is not just about vanquishing external enemies but about cultivating inner fortitude. Waldorf schools, inspired by Rudolf Steiner's teachings, see Micael as the guiding force that encourages humans to confront the "dragons" in their lives—be they doubts, fears, or obstacles.

We need Michaelmas.

The festival reminds us to foster courage and strength within ourselves as we prepare for the darker months of the year. Here is when it comes, at the right time.

As we set goals for the new school year, we will need to collect our inner energy to take them to term, the courage to confront the challenges that will come along for our children and us, as their guides, and we will need to develop and bring awareness to our inner strength, to not to let our thoughts win the battle against will and determination.

As the light fades and we feel a bit more “blue”, the inner light will have to be called out to light up our path and not lose track in the dark (figurative and non-figuratively).

As we, as parents, settle amid classes, schedules, emotional changes, and more, we need to find the strength to handle all for ourselves and our children. Not an easy task, that requires a lot of energy, while it seems that the energy of the sun is fading.

How can we awaken the magic of Michaelmas and learn Spanish in the process?

Stories, storytelling, songs and verses, puppet shows… those are the elements that I consider vital to learning a language or, pretty much, anything.

Today, I want to bring you ways to celebrate Michaelmas and learn Spanish, at the same time.

In September in my Waldorf Inspired Spanish Circle Time, where your whole family can learn Spanish through puppet shows, storytelling, and more, I present two stories where the characters need to look at the inner light to discover their self-worth and who they want to be.

As we have seen, Michaelmas is not about killing a dragon. It is about overcoming fears and becoming who you really are by discovering your inner strength.

In this guide, you will find a song, that can be done as a verse, or as a song in both Spanish and English, a verse for older children or bilingual families, as well as activities and ideas to celebrate Michaelmas in Spanish.

DOWNLOAD YOUR MICHAELMAS GUIDE HERE