The Art of Confronting Dragons

Dear Members of The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara Community,

Next Thursday, September 29th, we will celebrate Michaelmas, a festival day honoring the archangel Saint Michael. Because it falls near the equinox, this day is associated with the beginning of autumn, harvest, and the darkening of our days. This festival -- because of the story of Saint Michael fighting a seven-headed dragon in the Book of Revelation -- is also associated with grappling with challenges.

Every Michaelmas WSSB Grades students put on a play. In this year’s play a dragon is cast out of heaven, down to earth, and soon causes much destruction. Many are frightened by the dragon while many choose to turn a blind eye. What to do? Some want "weapons," "rope" to tie the dragon down, and "battle." But Sophia, the feminine embodiment of wisdom, intervenes, counselling the opposite: "I cannot lead you, my nature is peace. You must change yourself to transform the beast."

After hearing Sophia's counsel, the people divide into four groups to journey to the four corners of the earth. Each group is now on a quest, a journey of transformation, of becoming. Abstaining from blood-thirsty revenge, they instead seek what they need to respond peaceably to their shared challenge. By the play's end, the dragon is not slayed and eradicated but integrated, trained, and made useful.

This play calls to mind Nigerian Yoruba writer Bayo Akomolafe. "What if the way we respond to the crisis," he writes, "is the crisis? What if 'justice' is getting in the way of transformation? What if a different kind of gesturing is required in this time, something deeper than a solution?"

As we each confront our own dragons -- our own crises -- and as we help our beloved children confront theirs, perhaps we should take a tip from Sophia "whose nature is peace." Despite the conditioning of our time, a conditioning toward blame, dualism, and war, perhaps the best way to grapple with our challenges is not via the slaying sword but something more reflective, integrative, and sophic.

Important Dates:

* The Michaelmas Festival is Thursday, September 29th. This year's festival will be an in-house, students-only event.

* Axxess Fundraiser. The Axxess Fundraising starts September 30th. Costing $40, the Axxess membership card grants one 3,000 exclusive discounts (restaurants, car-care, organized sports for the kids, et cetera) across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. For every membership, WSSB school earns $13. In other words, Access cards save you money and also support the school. More details forthcoming.

In gratitude,

The WSSB Admin Team

PS The thought of the day is from Steve Spitalny: "Festivals are held to inscribe into the human soul a feeling of union and community, both with fellow human beings and the world. Our school community celebrates Michael, the Spirit of Our Time, who teaches us of the community of human becoming. Human progress is a free deed and it is up to each one of us."

PPS The second thought of the day is from Richard Rohr: "Grace and mercy teach us that we are all much larger than the good or bad stories we tell about ourselves or one another."