OVWS alum Ida Eames reflects on the festival of Michaelmas and what it means to conquer our own personal dragons.
I was standing atop a grassy hill, sword in hand, ready. I was Saint Michael.
I was ready for this moment to be over. Not because I don’t enjoy acting, because I do, I love it. I wanted the moment to be over, so I could leave. I wanted to leave this Waldorf school that sheltered and protected me.
We celebrated Michaelmas every fall and now, finally, it was my last time ever taking part in the pageant. Just days prior, I had been begging my mom to let me go to a public school, but there I was, chosen to be Saint Michael, out of every other eighth-grader.
I was chosen to march down the hill to tame the dragon. The dragon was destroying the crops, the sustenance of the villagers, and the villagers were looking to me to save them.
At that moment with the warm autumn sun shining into my face, sword aimed at the dragon, I did not realize that there was so much more I had to learn about myself.
Michaelmas is celebrated at the time of the harvest between the summer and Winter solstices. The Archangel Michael, a powerful figure in Christian, Judaic and Islamic traditions, comes down from the heavens to tame the dragon that is wreaking havoc on the village. We all have the possibility within ourselves for personal transformation, and our own dragons to tame, whether greed, fear, selfishness, or other destructive forces. At Michaelmas, we seek to face with courage, one’s dragons to transform oneself.
My personal dragon’s name is Fear.
Fear was subdued at my old school. I did not know this dragon lived inside of me and was ready to break loose until I left the comfortable environment that nurtured me in my early years.
I didn’t realize how grounding it was to look my teacher in the eye every morning and be met with a firm and kind handshake and a welcoming “good morning.”
The day was filled with a focused main lesson, artwork, singing, and purposeful movement, which left me feeling alive. I did not realize my curiosity about the public school and my strong desire to leave the Waldorf school would cast me out on my own, leaving me to face my personal dragon, Fear.
I met Fear up close on the first day of my freshman year. There were computers, teachers, loud bells, and complicated rules, all new and startling to me. I felt so alone and uncared for, I felt fear deep in the pit of my stomach. Fear stopped me from going to school, trying new things, and eating. I became a person I did not recognize, scared, and unconfident. Where was my sword to tame this dragon?
I discovered my sword. It was there, inside me, a burning light, dimed in those harsh moments of change. I was still there, the enthusiastic and determined child who was the first to knit my hat and the first one outside at recess leading the kids down to play soccer; I was there upright singing my heart out during the morning verses.
My light began to flicker brighter when I joined the high school chorus and theater group. I returned to my sewing machine in earnest, making empowering creations such as quilts, masks, and tote bags. I found teachers who saw my light and in their eyes encouraged me. I found soccer, helping to create a girl’s team that not only nurtured my need to move, but also made other girls feel cared for and part of a community. I kept dancing, fueling my light of courage. I surrounded myself with dear friends who fueled my heart.
My flame came back, perhaps brighter than before, slaying my dragon, Fear. I am ready for what’s next, climbing mountains, visiting new places, expanding my knowledge. I will move through the world with courage, awareness, and curiosity.
Ida Eames attended OVWS through 8th grade and graduated last year from Craftsbury Academy. She is attending Northern Vermont University in Johnson VT , where she received a full tuition scholarship because she was salutatorian of her high school class. She plays soccer at NVU and is majoring in Holistic Health.
