September 07th, 2013

Michaelmas Circle


You can say and sing these verses and songs to your children at this time of the year; powerful words, bringing the energy of Michaelmas.

Songs and verses compiled from the Wynstones Autumn book, the oral tradition, and other sources


The autumn wind blows open the gate,

O Michael, you, you we await.

We follow you, show us the way.

With joy we greet the autumn day,


Good morning, good morning

And I wonder who is this Michael? And I hear the wind sing:

Michael, God’s great knight,

Strong and pure and shining bright.


I’ll be a knight of Michael, too,

And polish my crown to a golden hue.

Ask the gnomes the iron to mine,

Iron from the stars, from the earth, so fine,

To bring to the blacksmith, who with his might

Will make me a sword, so strong, so bright.


And we follow the falling stars to the mountain cave where the gnomes are working.


And the gnomes say:


With fire and stone, we work with a will

With our strength and our skill.

The iron we soften and then we bend

Into hammers, swords, and nails to mend.


Dear gnomes, may I have some iron?


Are you noble? Oh, yes.

Are you good? Oh, yes.


And do you hear the singing of the stars? Oh yes.


Then you may have some iron.


(Song) Thank you little gnomes, in your crystal homes.


Oh bring me a galloping horse for to ride,

A crown on my head, the iron by my side.

Off to the blacksmith we must go.

Galloping, galloping, off we go.


Dear blacksmith, will you make me a sword?

Of course! for:


I am a blacksmith, strong and true, Best of work I always do.

All day long my hammers go, slinging, clanging, clanging, so,

A rickety, tickity, tickity, tick,

A rickety, tickity, tickity, tick.


Thank you, kind blacksmith, for your might.

I’ll polish my sword, so fine, so bright.

I will use it for the right,

Not for some silly quarrel or fight,

But to drive away evil, I will try

And protect those who are weaker than I.


Oh bring me a galloping horse for to ride,

A crown on my head, my sword by my side,

For it’s off the to castle we will go.

Galloping, galloping, here we go.


The knights came together and proclaimed

No fear here! Michael, be my guide and stand by my side.

And they knew that Michael was always ready to help.

Michael, God’s great knight,

Strong and pure and shining bright.

The Most Beautiful Dragon in the Whole World

That evening Farmer John lit the first fire of fall in the living room. He sat down in his armchair, put his feet on the grate, and told his children about Chiron.

“You should have seen him this morning,” he said. “He was so full of energy he raced about the paddock with his tail held high.”

“That’s how I feel at Michaelmas too,” said Tom Nutcracker. “Bursting with energy and ready for brave deeds.”

“Me too,” chimed in June Berry. She was tired and already had her thumb in her mouth.

“Then he charged towards the fence and leapt right over it,” continued Farmer John. “He galloped down the meadow and followed Running River towards the mountains. He didn’t come back for a long time.”

“Where did he go?” asked Tom Nutcracker.

“I don’t know,” replied Farmer John. “But when he came back his eyes were burning like fire.”

June Berry came over and settled on Farmer John’s lap. “Story time,” she said, and snuggled up. Her brother came over and wiggled his way onto his dad’s lap too.

Farmer John scratched his beard and thought for a minute. “Hmmm,” he said at last. “Today is Michaelmas Day, and I will tell you a dragon story. It’s called: The Most Beautiful Dragon in the Whole World.”

“Once, a very long time ago, there lived a dragon. He lived in the air like a bird, but never came down to earth. He was a beautiful dragon, with wide, golden wings and a fiery red body. As he flew, the sun glistened and shone from his scales as if they were jewels. And when he breathed, his fiery breath burst forth in yellow and orange flames and burned brightly in the air. Then the flames changed to violet and lilac clouds.

“I am the most beautiful one in all the world,” thought the Dragon. “Nothing can compare to me!”

And it was true. There was nothing in the world as beautiful or more gorgeous than him.