Michaelmas 2011

Slowly we are incorporating some new celebrations into the wheel of our year.  This year I decided to add in a touch of Michaelmas to our home.  I have only just read a few things about this celebration and so feel very insecure and a bit skeptical about how I want it to be seen in our home.  The Christian based holidays that are celebrated in the Waldorf schools have caused me a bit of conflict as I don't necessarily want to identify as Christian and don't want just Christian lore to be part of our home.  That being said, I read an amazing article over at Natural Kids Team Blog that I highly recommend. Julie seems to have been going through something similar, with perhaps a bit stronger definitions of her conflicts than I have.  She wrote a great post with some really cool links.  One of them was through International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education.  The article is called Festivals.  Please click on the link and check it out. It is about the way Steiner viewed the year and how, for children, we incorporate fables and celebrations around the energy each time of year possesses.  I can't tell you how much this article resonated with me.  All of the festivals we celebrate as a family are really tied into the seasons and nature, so for me to find a way to incorporate what I perceive as "Christian" celebrations into our yearly wheel, then yahoo!  A lot of families just incorporate the equinox (Sept 21st) in with Michaelmas (Sept 29th) and it is a week long celebration.  I think we will have a harvest week when Narina is a bit older, but for now small celebrations were perfect for us. 

What I learned about Michaelmas this year is that St Michael, or Archangel Michael as I am used to calling him, was the one who cast Lucifer out of heaven.  What he represents is protection of spirit, protection of divinity and the weigher of love in your heart when you die.  His earthly counterpart, St. George, was the slayer of dragons (dragons representing the people against the progression of the church) and he represents courage and martyr sacrifice.  This is such a small summary and longer articles can be found here:

The Magic Onions wrote a Discovering Waldorf post on Michaelmas
Waldorf Journey wrote a great article giving a few different perspectives on the historical points of St Michael and St George 
Treasure Mountain wrote a great story about the Star Child that is perfect to introduce small children to AA Michael

How we celebrated Michaelmas this year was more subtle than literal.  Big changes have been happening energetically with both Narina and myself.  I have realized some of my own dragons that need to be slayed.  The fear of my upcoming birth, my lack of control over Narina's birth that needs to be confronted.  With Narina, she is coming into her own so completely. Where normally she is reserved, I see her speaking out, running out, and practicing using her will.  She is becoming powerful and this reflection is heartwarming (when I have had enough sleep to not take her "no Mummy, I will not!" personally).  We are getting shifting towards a big change that is only a few months away and for both of us that means courage.   Today I talked to Narina about how special it was for me to see her play with the kids in our playgroup without me while I went to the toilet.  She has developed a comfort, perhaps courage, recently that I want to foster.  I also read her the story of The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch.  The story is of a girl who outwits a dragon to save a prince and all the prince can say is that she is dressed like a slob.  Her retort is clever and empowered.  I love this book because it involves a girl with a dragon, the dragon doesn't get slayed, just outsmarted, and the girl doesn't wind up with the prince, she revokes him for being a jerk.  A perfect story for our fist Michaelmas.

Along side that, a local woman gave us some beautiful Michaelmas daisies and I needlefelted a dragon postcard to put on our nature table.  I also have some cards, much like tarot cards, of angels and there is a beautiful picture of AA. Michael.  Narina asked me at our meals who it was and we talked about St Michael within the stories I have mentioned above.

I hope that you have had a special day today.  I am looking forward to examining more of what I need to work through this season.  It is a powerful one and probably one of my favorite times of year.  I welcome the challenge and the journey inwards. 

A little walk away from the road

Wheel of life: Adult Birthday Celebrations in our home

I just wrote an article for the Natural Kids Team about celebrating the adult in families.  To take a look, click here.

Reflections on the Montessori and Waldorf comparison

There was a pretty amazing summery of the differences between Montessori and Waldorf educational models over at The Magic Onions last week.   If you didn't get a chance to read it, even if you are well versed in both theories, I highly recommend it.  It brought a really interesting view to a world I partially understand (Montessori) and one that I have both feet into (Waldorf).  One of my dearest friends is a radical teacher.  By this I mean she examines the theory of teaching and is constantly challenging herself as a early education teacher to exercise her truth within her discoveries.  I have learned an amazing amount from this friend and after I sent her the article to read, she sent the following back to me.  I wanted to post it as a follow up to the article linked to above.

"After getting lots of feedback about the practice of Waldorf and the
practice of Montessori, I've come to these conclusions (which I think
this article demonstrates), which are ever-evolving in my quest to
understand and appreciate them both.

People raised Montessori are incredibly capable and have a deep trust
in their ability to perform tasks. They struggle in their adult lives
with breaking out of what is given, struggle with breaking into
magical and creative thinking. Those who can learn to think creatively
become powerful people, because of their capability and
self-confidence. Montessori philosophy was at it's core about nation
building and the role of the state in education. It is beautiful in
some ways and in other ways terrifyingly stifling.

People raised Waldorf are incredibly creative and are able to tap into
the creative flow of the universe with deep self-confidence. They
struggle in their adult lives with directing this energy on the
material realm and in doing practical work with this creativity. Those
who can learn to be capable and practical are powerful people who
manifest amazing things that we have never seen before. Waldorf
philosophy (anthroposophy) was at its core about creating a science of
spirituality. It is very powerful and effective in some ways and also
terrifyingly stifling in others.

People raised mainstream are well-versed in the language of the
culture. They struggle with thinking outside of the script that we've
all been given. Obviously, they can be very powerful if they can
create their own script because they possess the language of power. At
its core, mainstream education is about creating excellent workers for
corporate interest.

I think where I bump up against all of these is that there is
suffering created for those who don't fit into the structure created.
Some kids simple are not naturally very imaginative. They thrive with
linear, logical, rational thought. We both know that some kids (I'm
sure you and I!) thrive in their imagination. Some kids like the rules
and regulations, easily identifiable rights and wrongs of mainstream
school."

Rachel VanBoven

This moment: Sick cuddles

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule 

Around the Farm: Harvest Season

Blackberry bliss

This Moment: Naked Dancing

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule

Brighton Break- Mirror Love

This past weekend we were able to connect with dear friends and old haunts when we were in Brighton and Hove visiting Dan at work.  We ate well, we walked a lot (for a woman who is getting lots of pregnant pubic pain) and we talked enough that my jaw hurt upon returning.  The thing about being away from Dan for any length of time is that the next time he sees me, I always look very different. I don't see this much in my own life because we have a limited amount of mirrors in our home.  One small one in the bathroom and an darkened one that is part of an art piece in the dining room.  I limit mirrors not because I don't like my own reflection but because of the magnetism mirrors have in space.  People can't help but look at themselves.  Myself included.  Then dialog happens.  I have found that by limiting them in my home I have been able to be more authentic and less controlled in my appearance.  Every now and then, though, I get a full body view and see that I look as pregnant as I feel.  Narina, too had a love affair with herself this weekend.  Kissing herself uncontrollably in the long view mirror in our hotel room. 

Waldorf Wednesday: Kinder Lyre Part 3: Learning to Tune Your Lyre,

Using the phrase "Learing to play the kinder lyre" is almost an oxymoron.  I felt compelled to buy song books when I first got it in the mail.  The thing that makes the kinder lyre so special is that you don't need to know how to read music, play music or have dreams of doing so.  You can strum or pluck any notes in any order and as long as the lyre is in tune,  they come out sounding amazing. 

I learned how to tune my kinder lyre from Sarah at Bella Luna toys.  She made a simple to understand You Tube video seen here:



The tuning instruction follows a brief introduction to the lyre and then she plays a couple of tunes at the end that help you hear the simplicity of the instrument. 

Tutorial: How to make a back to school Waldorf Angel Doll

I have another tutorial up on the Natural Kids Team Blog.  Its pretty simple if you have a sewing machine, and even to hand stitch!  Have fun!

How to make a back to school Waldorf Angel Doll

Love You Forever

 

When Narina was born we were given this book.  I love Robert Muncsch.  I don't really like this book and that is a bit of a surprise.  Am I alone?  Does anyone else find the fact that this boy's mother creeps into his room to rock him when he is a grown man?  If you haven't read this book it starts off with a mother holding her new born baby.  She sings him a beautiful song:

I'll love you forever

I'll like you for always

As long as I live 

My baby you'll be

My sister in law was kind enough to sing it to us the first time we all read it together.   I now have the song tune in my head and will sing it to Narina on occasion.  The book progresses with the son getting older and the mother going through great lengths to rock her son when he was asleep.  Then, at the end, the roles are reversed.  

The thing is, my rational brain thinks this woman is creepy for a) crawling into her sons room, even when he is a toddler and b) doing the same thing when he is a grown man and living away from home.  

That being said... I have never been able to read the whole book through.  I usually start crying by the third time I sing that song.  Today I had to cut off the last 3 pages and make something up because I couldn't get it together.  

Hormones? Maybe... God I hope so.  I mean I have been pregnant, breastfeeding, breastfeeding and pregnant for the past 3 years. 

Can you make it through this book?

Discovering Waldorf Series

Over at The Magic Onions, in case you haven't been, there is a fantastic series of essays named Discovering Waldorf.  I love reading these essays because they are all by differing points of view centered around the broad theme of Waldorf education.  Waldorf and Montessori education systems are often compared in casual conversation.  I would really like to have my daughter go to a Waldorf play group, for example, and a few of my friends have said, well there is a Montessori one down in the next village.  Both are alternative to the norm and have some similar aspects but as this article demonstrates, they are far apart indeed. 

Discovering Waldorf - 'A Comparison: Waldorf and Montessori'

This moment: Getting Her Toes Wet

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Amanda Soule 

Fall/ Winter 2011 Toddler Waldorf Doll Special!

Do you have a little one with a birthday coming up?  Have you started thinking about Christmas gifts yet?  

For the month of September I am offering an amazing 25% discount on my toddler custom dolls.  With soft cotton velour bodies and a full head of hair, these custom dolls are designed for children ages  2-3 and older.  Normally priced at £50, all preordered custom dolls will be only £38. 

 

What is a custom doll?  It means you get to choose the body colour, skin, eye and hair colour.  It also means that your child’s name is embroidered into the doll (unseen) imbuing it with that special connection that it was made especially for him or her.

 

How does this work? After purchasing the doll via Oast on Etsy or Oast on Folksy I will send you a detailed questionnaire about your choices.  Once obtained I will give you a time frame for when the doll will be finished.  If the doll is for a birthday and not for the holiday season, please let me know as soon as possible.  The custom slots are first come first serve. 

What do I get with my purchase?  Alongside having a doll custom made for your little one, each purchase comes beautifully wrapped with a care book full of instruction on how to best wash, store, and care for your new Waldorf doll.

 

This promotion will run for the duration of September but please remember spaces are limited.  All custom orders will be finished by the middle of November and won’t start again until February. 

Please feel free to contact me prior to purchase if you have any questions.