Dear Parents, letter #22
Spring is here and we are all emerging out of the chill of winter. I hope that you are all well and looking forward to the sunny days ahead. Again we are heading for the end of our 3rd term and getting ready to celebrate our Michaelmas Festival on the September 23rd at 10am. At the moment it doesn’t seem like we will have much to present on the day – things are taking a while to come together – but nevertheless it will be a lovely day just to celebrate all that we have achieved. Please could parents organise food to share, drinks and picnic blankets. MICHAELMAS – THE FESTIVAL OF COURAGE The Michaelmas Festival is named for the Archangel Michael, conqueror of the powers of darkness, the harvester of the deeds of human souls. It is at this time that the image of Michael with the dragon appears before us as a mighty imagination, challenging us to develop strong, brave, free wills, to overcome love of ease, anxiety and fear. This demands inner activity, a renewal of the soul which is brought to consciousness in the Michaelmas festival, the festival of the will, the festival of courage. Michael is often portrayed as the angel warrior, astride his powerful steed carrying a sword of light. The children hear stories of St. George, a brave knight, who with the help of the Archangel Michael tames the dragon. In the legend of Michael we find he offers four gifts: strength, courage, the will to do deeds, and love, to those who are willing to undertake self-transformation and look towards that which is divine in every human being. Both the transformation and the battle with the dragon are uniquely individual; they reside within our powers of thought, and we are the only ones to have access to them. Michael is the angel who hurled Lucifer down from heaven for his evil workings against God. Archangel Michael, warrior of courage, fighter against evil, rules the heavenly spheres; he guides and inspires us to take courage against darkness. St. George symbolizes the human aspect of this conflict; he is the knight who looks to Michael for strength and guidance. These images truly symbolise the challenges we face. They speak to our deep need to carry an inner light of wisdom and courage. In Africa, the image of Michael has been very prominent, especially in Ethiopia, where King Lalibela erected many churches dedicated to the Archangel Michael. Michaelmas Day which is celebrated on the 29th September comes with the astrological sign of the Scales (Libra) and a very near perfect balance point of daylight and darkness in the year. As human beings we also strive to find that balance in our lives. May we gain insight, courage and truth at this Michaelmas time, to bring light to our inner life, our community and to the world. Let us celebrate new beginnings and the taking up of a new task. We will discover new inner resources whenever we wish to take a new step on our inner journey – to raise ourselves a little above our nature. *Adapted for various articles Individual child discussions I’d like to have individual child interviews with parents, so that we can have an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, any issues, possibilities for intervention and anything else that you may be need to discuss or share. I’d like to suggest Monday/Wednesday/Thursday afternoons. Please could you make a time with me as soon as possible. Date for The rest of Term 3 …. Week 9: 12th – 15th Sept Week 10: 19th – Friday 23rd September 10am MICHAELMAS FESTIVAL Warmly. Teacher Beulah 8th September 2022
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Dear Parents Letter #14 September 2021
By now you may all have heard snippets of our songs and stories of saints and dragons, swords and girdles, heroes and kings as we step into the time of Michaelmas …. Michaelmas is an ancient festival celebrated on the 29th September and is named after the archangel Michael. There are many legends of St. Michael, across many lands and many cultures. The archetypal image of St. Michael, depicted in many paintings and images, with his sword held high and the dragon underfoot is a representation of the struggle between good and evil. St. Michael does not slay the dragon, but through his inner forces is able to hold it within his control, at the tip of his spear. Stories of good versus evil are often told to illuminate the balance we all must strive towards mastering. The story of St. George taming the dragon is an earthly representation of Michael and woven into a much more imaginative picture for the children to understand. In the northern hemisphere Michaelmas is celebrated midway between the summer and winter solstices, but for us it’s the other way around - midway between winter and summer. It is our spring solstice. As the cold of winter recedes and the first signs of spring appear, we celebrate new beginnings as the blossoms and new buds promise the coming fruit and flowers. The season of spring requires us to take up a new task, different from that of the barren winter. The St. John/Winter festival sent out a message of burning one’s inner light in the heart of winter, so that it may bring warmth and guidance in the dark days. New life brings new possibilities and we must ‘take up a new task’. Michaelmas time challenges us to put that inner light to use, to engage our will against the darkness so that we may become conquerors and leap into our purpose during the season of new life and growth. St. Michael took up his task of facing the dragon with strength, bravery and courage, so too we are called on to raise ourselves above our fears and struggles. In the Michaelmas story the dragon symbolises our daily challenges, which drag us down into the earth away from our purpose, but Michael offers four gifts to those who are willing to undertake self-transformation and look towards that which is divine in every human being. He offers strength, courage, the will to do good deeds, and love. Both the transformation and the battle with the dragon are uniquely individual; they reside within our powers of thought, and we are the only ones to have access to them. Michael’s message to humanity is not to try to slay the dragon within ourselves, for we would not live in freedom if we did, but rather to overcome it with consciousness and to awaken our “will” for rightful deeds. Michaelmas is a celebration of our strength and courage. Wishing you all a good weekend. Warmly. Teacher Beulah 10th September 2021 |
AuthorTeacher Beulah's 'Letter to the Parents' Archives
February 2023
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