'Tis the Season

reflections at Ponkapoag

[We'll be revising this page very soon. Patience is a virtue.]

The rhythm of the seasons plays a large role in how our year unfolds academically and in our family life. The gesture of each season lends itself to a unique pulse which supports us on our journey. This pulse is reflected in the activities we embrace, and in our approach to life.

Seasonal festivals play a role in how each season is celebrated, and serve to connect humanity with the rhythms of nature and of the cosmos. While they may be celebrated differently among various communities, participation in festival celebrations can help to nourish the life of the soul, as well as to help build a stronger sense of community for all.

In traditional Waldorf circles, there are four festivals that are considered to be the main spiritual turning points in the calendar year.

Easter (spring)
St. John's Tide (summer)
Michaelmas (autumn)
Christmas (winter)

While all of these festivals originated in ancient cultures, they have been adapted over the years to resonate with the select needs of modern communities, taking into account other holidays and traditions that represent a spectrum of diversity among individuals while retaining the rich meaning of the festivals themselves. In addition to these main festivals, there are also other festivals that may be considered for celebration, depending on the talents and interests of a particular community.

spring on the drumlin

Easter/Spring

Easter begins the anthroposophical calendar, with a date that varies each year. This season represents the morning of our earthly experience. The long winter has passed. Nature begins to awaken. The energy of rebirth and renewal are finally here! It is time for dyeing eggs, getting the garden ready for planting, and dancing around a May pole. It is time to shrug off the winter doldrums, to clean our house, to pack away our winter things. Other feast days include: Vernal Equinox, May Day (5/1), Whitsun (50 days after Easter), Passover.

In our own homeschooling year, we are starting to feel the energy begin to go outward and upward, and so become increasingly aware of the need to finish what we have started last fall before the even more expansive energy of summer is upon us. We find ourselves grateful for the momentum of creative forces that comes with spring. We wind down our lessons and projects, and begin to allow ourselves to begin to experience an outbreath on many levels.

summer on the bay

St. John's Tide/Summer

St. John's Tide (June 24th) marks Midsummer in ancient cultures, and also the feast of St. John the Baptist. It is the afternoon of our earthly experience, as we watch the sun reach its high point at this time. It is time to honor the sun, and to pray for good crops. It is a time to breathe out, to let go. It is a time when the cosmos brings the spiritual to humankind and, as such, is reflected and revealed to us. We enjoy activities of an outward and expansive nature. We swim, travel, picnic, walk on the beach, camp, bask in the glow of a bonfire, and attend outdoor festivals, particularly those related to crops like strawberries, blueberries, and corn.

Summer is naturally a time for our structured lessons to go to sleep until the fall rolls around again. We find this period of rest and relaxation to be a necessary part of the rhythm of our homeschooling year, as there is much learning that still takes place on a level that is not conscious. It is also a time for we, as parents, to balance a much needed rest with an eye toward the next year. It is time to reassess what this past year has been for our family. It is a time for us to relax, while also beginning to prepare for the coming year in a deeper way. We must ask ourselves some questions: What worked? What didn't and why? What changes do we need to make? What resources do we need to gather for next year? It is time for us to do some reading or attend a curriculum training in the summer months. We are using this time to gather our forces.

Michaelmas/Autumn

Michaelmas (Sept. 29th) marks the feast of St. Michael. Known as the conqueror of the dragon with his starry sword, Michael gives us strength to slay the dragons of our modern age, such as materialism and egoism. It is the evening of our earthly experience now. There is a clear call to action. It is a time to harvest what was sown in the spring and what grew all summer. The earth is beginning to contract. We begin to prepare ourselves to go inward, and to prepare for the coming winter on a practical level. Other feasts: Sukkot, Autumnal Equinox, Rosh Hashanah, Halloween (10/31), All Saints Day (11/1), Day of the Dead (11/2), Martinmas (11/11 - lantern walk), Thanksgiving, and Advent.

Rich with festivals, this season is deep with meaning and our most favorite. With a solid plan in place and a "clean slate" in hand, we are back to structured lessons, as well as outside classes and activities. Taking full advantage of the final days of summer (and the nice autumn weather in New England), we usually do not begin our lessons until Michaelmas or just slightly before. It is time to dig down deep and do our best work, to enjoy the harvest festivals, to slay our own dragons on behalf of our family.

snow on the farm

Christmas/Winter

Christmas (Dec. 25th) is an ancient festival. It is the night of our earthly experience. This festival is celebrated when the sun sends the least power to the earth. As the Advent Spiral winds inward, it is a time when the soul withdraws into the innermost depths. It is a time to breathe in, to go back to self and to exercises of introspection. Like the rose beneath the snow, we keep in mind that despite our stillness above ground, there is much going on beneath the surface. It is a time for adult development, particularly during the Holy Days (from Christmas to Epiphany). Other feast days include: St. Barbara (12/4), St. Nicholas (12/6), Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Candlemas (2/2), and Valentine's Day (2/14).

Winter in New England is rich in many ways. We often take a little break during the Christmas season, and simply enjoy our time together engaging in other activities such as cross-country skiing, skating, and sledding. It is also a time for we, as parents, to take some time for private retreat to help us nourish our souls and to prepare ourselves for the remainder of the year's lessons and activities. Once we are refreshed as adults, we begin again with our children, with great anticipation of the rush of spring that is sure to follow, in eagerness to allow the rose beneath the snow to be unveiled.