Almost October

September is a strange month. Lots of new beginnings, lots of anxious energy around us. Then comes Michaelmas, and everything begins to settle down. We're into our routines, the children are accepting that yes, indeed, schoolwork does happen most days. Friends who have been stressed since late August are starting to feel more centered again.

I only had an intuitive feel for this, but a visit to my acupuncturist in the middle of the month really confirmed this phenomenon. He commented that when the meteor showers are felt, and all through September, he gets more requests for addressing anxiety and stress then the rest of the year. There seems to be something in our ancient makeup that is telling us winter is near, and we start to worry about having enough food, the light is dwindling, is there enough food, and on. Even though today many of us are lucky enough to not have these real worries.

So here we are almost at Michaelmas. The children are hearing the story of George the knight and the dragon. They are captivated, plans are being made for acting this out. One has to feel these different energies, the fear of the maiden, the ferociousness of the dragon, and ultimately the courage of the noble knight who subdues, but does not kill the dragon. In the version I told the girls this morning, the dragon turns into a mountain of iron ore which the villagers use for their needs over centuries to come. This version came from Marsha Johnson's listserv, so I took it on.

We are taking this week off from schoolwork. We have four good weeks behind us, and we feel the need for a bit of a change of pace. This week we'll be cleaning the house, working on our many unfinished projects, write letters to the great-grandparents, and finish out the week in Colonial Williamsburg. I think this will be a nice way to end this busy month.