For the past several years, our Homeschool Co-op, Children of the Boreal, has gathered together to celebrate Michaelmas. This is one of our most elaborate and time-intensive festivals, and a lot of heart and work go into the preparations. For the month preceeding the event, there is much emailing and phone calling and meeting and planning and creating! There are times in the past when it has seemed overwhelming, but in the end, it always pays off because it is a really beautiful ritual our little community has created! Each year we are able to refine what we have done in the past, and it has evloved into many of our families' favorite celebrations.
On the day of the event, some folks arrive early (and some arrive waaaay early) to set up the treasure hunt and gather all of the food together so that someone can tote it out to the firepit for the feast (Thanks this year to the Music Man and Cycle Mama for bringing their bikes and bike trailers and biking all the food out!)
While the parents set up...
The kids enjoyed some time to just be and play and enjoy seeing eachother again...
We typically begin with a play (based upon the book Dragon by Jodie Bergsma). In years past, the play has been more extravagant, but this year, with so many kids sick or travelling during the month of preparation, we did more of a reading than a dramatic presentation. We didn't have much time to put it together, so there were definitely moments of comic relief (note to self: DO NOT volunteer to play the flute for these sorts of things. Those of you who were there will understand why...enough said.)
Some of the kids and I were "backstage," which was behind a a spruce tree and in betwixt a few birch trees. I tried my best to be ready for my cues, but I just couldn't help being distracted by present within the beauty surrounding me...
Here is the one picture I was able to quickly snap during the presentation of the story: B-Boy2 reading the part of Langilor...
The final words:
...And so it was that the spirit of fire was tamed
in a kingdom between the worlds,
and a new alliance began
between dragons and man.
Following the reading, we had the presentation of the Light-Bearers:
Our two oldest Saplings each carried a staff of Light...OldestFlowerGirl led the way for the smallest of our group, or those who chose to meander at a more leisurely pace. B-Boy1 carried the Light for those more energetic children to follow...they were able to run and leave the path and walk the wildside so as not to get too amped up or rowdy during the treasure hunt. I LOVE that we added this element to our ceremony, as it gave those boisterous ones with lots of energy a space to get big and loud - to have their needs met and be present in themselves- without overwhelming the little ones or losing the sometimes-solemn and sacred vibe of our journey.
I love how the Sun sent down rays of light during the presentation of the light bearers...just an hour before we began it was cloudy with a chance of rain...Thank you Mother Nature, for listening to our hopes for the day and bringing us the gift of sunshine!
We received our first clue and task to fullfill on our Quest. We headed to the "dragon's nest" to recite the verse...
Sure and strong will I be.
Each kind word sets me free.
Each good deed makes me strong.
I will fight for the right.
I will con-quer the wrong.
Once the children recited the verse, they were given capes of light to wrap around themselves and brighten their way...
Once the children were cloaked in Light, we headed over the bridge and onto The Path...
The next task was so much fun! It was a little on the chaotic side, but a great game that I think could be tweaked an inch just to be a little bit more organized...
The thing I love is that all of our kids, ages 2 to 13, while certainly full of mirth and laughter, took everything very seriously as well. What a wonderful blend of reverence and play!
The task: each child was given a "necklace" with a local animal drawn on a card. They placed them so that the cards dangled down their backs and could be seen by everyone else, but not themselves. They then had to figure out how to find the person with the matching animal without looking at their own card and without talking!
Panther's match happened to be a friend we haven't seen in a long while. He was SO happy that AnimalLover ended up being his partner! Once the task was complete, each child received their Crown of Light, which had been painted and cut by the Twigs (7-9 year-olds in the week leading up to Michaelmas)...
And I was happy to share a smile with AnimalLover's mama (also a lover of animals!) who I haven't seen in a long while!
And what a spectacular smile it was!
Back to our journey...
We headed down the trail to find our next mission...it was sweet how many of the children took the matching game quite seriously and stuck with their partners for awhile...
As we ventured, we sang...
Mother Earth to you we're singing,
listen to our song!
Thanks for golden harvest bringing,
listen as we sing to you,
sing to you, sing to you,
songs of rain and sunshine true.
On the trail where are we going
ever will we sing.
When the winter comes with snowing
listen as we sing to you,
sing to you, sing to you,
songs of rain and sunshine true.
(Indian Harvest from the Enki Songs & Movement curriculum)
The fields at Creamer's and the farmhouse in the distance looked lovely from where we were!
Third task: scavenger hunt. The children were placed into groups, and each group had to find something...one round something, two straight sticks, three triangles, four objects with varying textures, five different leaves (which is hard to do in a forest that boasts only three different kinds of trees and most of the plants have lost their leaves - but the kids managed perfectly well!) and six different types of seeds.
Our mistress of ceremonies was pretty serious about those sticks being straight! She was not satisified with the first round of sticks that was brought to her, so she sent them out again...the second time did it. FlowerGirl1, AnimalLover, Panther and Avery were pleased they didn't have to go back out a third time (thought I bet they gladly would have done it...they were enjoying themselves so much!)
Searching...
Finding...
...and just being sweet...
Once the scavenger hunt items were found and presented, each child was in turn presented with a gorgeous birch-bark medallion that had been prepared by our Sprouts (3 to 6-year-olds) (you can see the medallions in the pictures below)
We ventured onward until we came to a log, where the children were stopped and asked if they could, first, figure out how to get everyone onto the log...
We even managed to get the littte guy on there at the end with some mama-help!
then, the Twigs (7 to 9-year-olds and Saplings 10 to 12+ year-olds) had to get into two groups facing each other on the log, then try to switch places without falling off...
there was a bit of pondering at the beginning...
Hmmmm...
Then some experimenting...
A little scrambling...
it was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
sometimes, if ya can't get around something (or someone, in this case),
ya just gotta pick it up and move it outta the way...
After that kerfuffle, we realized if we attempted to get through this with all of the kids we have, we might be there all day! It proved much more difficult than anticipated!
Next, the Sprouts (3 to 6 year-olds) had to walk across the log without falling off...
Fancy festival dress: check!
Cape of Light: check!
Crown of Light: check!
Birch Bark Medallion: check!
Zebra pants: check!
Elf boots: check!
(I love this particular little girl's sense of style!)
After the children crossed the log-bridge, they each received a piece of quartz from the Brooks Range. Thank you to the BushFamily for gathering such wonderful treasures and donating them to our festival!
And now, accompanied by the Music Man's mandolin playing, we grew a bit more solemn as we headed to the field while gathering offerings in honor of Mother Earth, in preparation to enter the Spiral Labrynth.
As each one of us made the journey to the center of the spiral and back out again, we sang...
Spiraling into the Center,
the Center of the Shield.
I am the Weaver, I am the Woven One,
I am the Dreamer I am the Dream...
...There is a Woman, who weaves the Night Sky,
See how She spins, see how her fingers fly!
She is within us, Beginning to End,
She is the Weaver and we are the Web...
She changes everything She touches, and...
Everything She touches, changes.
Change us, touch us...
Touch us, change us.
For me, the journey into the Center symbolizes the path we have walked from the Winter Solstice towards the Light, preparing to meet the Autumn Equinox and readying ourselves for the journey into the darker times. At the center of the Spiral a light is waiting for us...it is the center of ourselves, the light within our own hearts, and we receive candles to light during the dark times when we need a reminder of the Light that shines within. Each child received a candle, which he or she then slowly carried with them on the journey outwards...
And now our Quest is slowly coming to an end as we venture back towards the forest...
...where the FireMan has been carefully tending the fire as we complete our tasks (it never hurts to have a firefighter tend the fire!)
We all gathered around the fire with our candles at the ready...
and we passed the Light from one to another...
...until our circle was filled with warm and radiant Light...
We then celebrated with a gorgeous and delicious feast, as we played, made music, made merry, and honored the Dragon, the Knight and the Light within...
And just as the celebration began to dwindle and we were packing up, a slight drizzle started to sprinkle down...quenching the thirst of Mother Earth, and sending us on our way to our cozy homes and warm cups of tea...
~blessings of Love and Light~
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