Harvest Your Blessings and Meet Your Dragons

From Slow Summer to Autumn’s Call: Harvest Your Blessings and Meet Your Dragons

The late days of summer have their own magic. The pace is unhurried, the light is golden, and the air still carries the scent of warm earth. And yet, as August slips toward September, there is an almost tangible shift in energy. In the Waldorf tradition, this turning is mirrored by the festival of Michaelmas, a time when the outer world’s shift reflects our inner journey.

Michaelmas and the Inner Dragons

Michaelmas falls near the autumn equinox, when day and night are in balance before the darker months arrive. It is a moment to ask: Where is my light, and how will I tend it through the winter?

The stories of Michael and the dragon remind us that each of us carries inner dragons. These may be fears, doubts or pride that stir when life feels less effortless. In legend, Michael meets the dragon with courage, will, and clarity, not with destruction.

For me, these dragons are not the fire-breathing creatures of fairy tales, but subtler companions: the self-doubt that whispers I have not done enough, the impatience that rises when days do not flow as I hoped, or the fear that I am not holding it all as gracefully as I should. Michaelmas reminds me they do not need to be slain in a blaze of glory. They do need to be met, acknowledged, and transformed. Sometimes my sword is simply a deep breath, a moment of honesty, or letting go of perfection.

Harvesting with Little Ones

With my girls still young, our family celebrations are joyful and tangible. We pick apples, bake bread, gather natures treasures, and tell gentle stories of bravery in its many forms.

Michaelmas also coincides with harvest time, a season of gratitude and gathering in. We can ask: What have we grown this year? Not only in the garden, but in our hearts.

For me, my spiritual harvest includes seeing my daughters play together at the beach in late summer light, slow morning starts, and kissing their warm cheeks goodnight. These moments are stored alongside apples, pumpkins, and jars of jam.

Guiding the Transition from Summer to Autumn

• Re-establish daily rhythms
  Anchor the day with a shared breakfast, outdoor play, and evening stories.

• Warm the senses
  Serve baked apples with cinnamon, spiced tea, and pumpkin soup to bring comfort and grounding.

• Bring the harvest indoors
  Fill baskets with apples and display wheat bundles and pumpkins by the door as daily reminders of nature’s abundance.

• Name the dragons
  For older children, talk about challenges such as tiredness after school, homework frustration, and shyness as dragons they can face with their own sword of courage.
  
  

The Seasonal Table in Early Autumn

Our seasonal table marks the year’s turning. In this in-between moment, we show both the last warmth of summer and the first signs of autumn:

• Colours: golden yellows and deep reds

• Nature treasures: wheat, seeds, sunflowers in their last bloom
  

• Harvest bounty: gourds, apples, or a basket of grain
  

• Symbol of courage: a small felted or wooden figure of Michael with a sword or a dragon. A new Silhouette in our Toverlux lamp.

As the weeks pass, I slowly add deeper reds, fallen leaves, and earthy tones, preparing for autumn under the watching eye of my woolen mother earth.

The transition from summer’s languid days to autumn’s vibrant and sometimes turbulent energy is more than a change in the calendar. It is an inner shift. We are called to gather our courage, harvest our blessings, and step into the darker months with both hands full of light.

I wish for your home to be a place where this turning of the seasons is felt, honoured, and lived.

Warmly,
Annefleur