Michaelmas in Triform Camphill Community

Author

Takeshi Suesada
Has been a long-term coworker in Triform Camphill Community for many years.  

​Michaelmas, Michaelmas the time to show both courage and form
Look well around, inside you must wake
Trees may shake, I shall stand the storm

     In these simple Michaelmas songs, the essence of Michaelmas is well described.  There is much darkness in the world we live in.  Michaelmas time reminds us how we need to "be awake" and have "courage and form" to face many challenges.
     Since Michaelmas is not a familiar festival for many new volunteers, we spent time to introduce the festival.  We sang Michaelmas songs from the middle of September.  During the morning gathering on Monday, September 24, we heard a short introduction about Michaelmas.  We also had a festive evening gathering on September 25th, where we sang Michaelmas songs and heard what we would do for this year's Michaelmas in Triform.
     This year, we focused on spraying the biodynamic spray called the Harmonizing Spray of Hugo Erbe.   According to the website of Josephine Porter Institute (JPI), "the Harmonizing Preparation is intended to serve as an expression of gratitude to the elemental beings."  The Harmonizing Spray "helps to make it possible for the higher beings (the warmth, light and air beings) and the lower elemental beings (the water and earth beings) to work together again harmoniously for the restoration of fertility to the earth." (Quote from JPI website, the Harmonizing Preparation)
     The ingredients of the Harmonizing Spray is egg white, honey, cow's milk, (red) grape juice, sunflower oil, cooking salt, and whole wheat.  These ingredients could produce bread and wine, what was shared at the Last Supper.
     On September 28th, Friday, there was an opening ceremony of Camphill Academy in Camphill Village Copake.  Not everyone from Triform attended, but a number of people went.  Camphill Academy in Copake has the opening ceremony near Michaelmas to make the ceremony part of Michaelmas festival.
     On September 29th, we stirred the preparation from 1pm.  From 2pm to 4pm, we sprayed the original Triform property and also the Stewardship property.
     At 5pm, we all gathered at the new property Triform purchased in 2017.  This new property connects the original Triform property and the Stewardship property.  We call this property, Pegasus property. We had our Michaelmas community meal there.  
     Triform day students worked on a large painting of St. Michael.  The art work was about 8 feet times 7 feet.  It is wonderful when students and coworkers work together to prepare an art work for festivals.
     The bakery also created a small Michaelmas art work made of bread dough.  The bread was displayed as part of the harvest table.
     The evening was beautiful.  The mood of the meal was wonderful.  It was a perfect day to eat outside with everyone in the community.
     We had the Bible Evening later in the evening.  One of the volunteers commented how much he enjoyed the conversation.  
​     The Festival of Offering was celebrated on Sunday morning.
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