Michaelmas: the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel

Thursday the 29th is Michaelmas, or the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel. For those of us who honor and work with the angelic host, this is an important day indeed.

Background

Michael is a warrior angel, often depicted with a sword. His associations vary depending on the source, but I have always placed him in the East, with fire and the rising sun, and represented him with the color red and the symbolic triangle pointed upward. Seek his aid when in need of strength and perseverance, when purity of thought and deed are in order, for health and exorcism. In literature and legend he is the archangel who physically makes battle against Satan; ironically his feast day is near the Autumnal Equinox, and the length of days decreases after his holiday until the Winter Solstice passes.

Old Michaelmas Day falls on October 11 (October 10 according to some sources). According to an old legend, blackberries should not be picked after this date. This is because, so folklore goes, Satan was banished from Heaven on this day, fell into a blackberry bush and cursed the brambles as he fell into them.(courtesy of Wikipedia).

It was traditional to bake a goose on Michaelmas:

"If you eat roast goose on Michaelmas day, you'll never want money all year...Sauce for a stubble goose: Take the pap of roasted apples, and mixing it with vinegar, boil them together on the fire with some of the gravy of the goose and a few Barberries and breadcrumbs; when it is boiled to a good thickness, season it with sugar and a little cinnamon, and so serve it forth." ~Markham, The English Housewife, 1683 (courtesy of The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore by Charles Kightly)

A Michaelmas Celebration

Few of us cook goose very often these days, but you might try baking a free-range chicken instead. While the chicken is baking, you'll be making a few simple preparations.

Chicken Recipe

1 whole free-range chicken
1 whole apple
Salt, pepper, and spices (rosemary, sage, thyme, savory)

Remove any bagged neck or organ meats from the cavity (cook separately or use them for gravy-making). Soak chicken in a large bowl of water with a teaspoon of salt. After 1 hour of soaking, preheat oven to 375 F.

Remove chicken from water and place in a roasting pan or oval baking dish on a wire rack to elevate it from cooking juices. Place the entire, unpeeled apple inside the chicken to prevent drying of the breast meats (this is much simpler than making stuffing from scratch, and it serves the same purpose). Cross and tie the legs with butcher string. Sprinkle with seasonings, salt, & pepper.

Cover with lid or tented foil. Bake for approx. 1 1/2 hours (about 20 minutes per pound). Remove lid or foil and continue baking uncovered, basting with spoon every 10 - 15 minutes, until brown and internal temperature reaches 165 F. by your meat thermometer (you'll notice the skin connecting legs to breast beginning to stretch). Remove from oven and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

A Centerpiece for the Table

During that first hour of baking time, prepare your centerpiece with things you have on hand, in your yard, or by the nearby road or lane: a red leaf or two that may have fallen early, blackberry fruits or sprigs, an orange from your fruit bowl, barberries (or other red berries), a statue, picture, or other representation of Michael or his symbolic animal the lion, a quartz stone, flowers of the appropriate color and association (dandelion, buttercup, marigold), and so on. For a simple centerpiece, attractively arrange your things in a bowl or basket -- or use a tray, surrounding red, orange, and/or gold candles with the items you collected.

As you are gathering materials and putting together your centerpiece, think about Michael, what he symbolizes, and what he means to you. Put together a few words of grace to say before you break bread.

After dinner, burn a pleasant incense and sip a tea or chai spiced with orange and clove as you give thanks for Michael and his blessings of protection, prosperity, and health.