Michaelmas always gives me chills, and not just because of the cooling fall weather! As a spiritual teacher, I love how this holiday blending Catholic and pagan traditions honors the autumn equinox and the powerful Archangel Michael.
Whether you’re religious or not, ritual helps us connect more deeply to cycles of change and growth. Michaelmas is the perfect time to shed stagnant energy as you prepare your home and heart for winter.
Let’s explore 5 meaningful rituals to celebrate Michaelmas and Saint Michael:
1. Craft a Corn Dolly for Abundance
One of the most enchanting rituals of Michaelmas involves creating a corn dolly. This simple, yet profound craft is woven into the fabric of folklore, symbolizing the spirits of grain and abundance.
By fashioning a corn dolly from dried husks and placing it on a prosperity altar, you invite a year filled with blessings and growth.
Add a green cloth, a Prosperity candle, and fresh seasonal flowers to your altar, creating a sacred space to light your candle and incense daily, offering prayers to Saint Michael for courage and protection.
This folk charm from harvested grain represents fertility and prosperity.
- Gather corn husks into a “body” and tie with ribbon “arms” and “legs”
- Keep on an altar with candles, flowers and incense
- Daily prayers and care ensure blessings
2. Enjoy Goose, Plant Trees, Avoid Blackberries
These traditions invite luck and ward off evil.
- Eat goose for abundance
- Plant trees to flourish
- Don’t pick bitter blackberries after Michaelmas
3. Purge and Protect Your Home
Cleanse clutter and invoke Saint Michael’s shield against darkness.
- Wash floors back-to-front with his floor wash
- Anoint windows and doors with his oil
- Light candles and incense while reciting prayers
4. Practice Divination
Folklore says acorns predict snowfall and moon phases hint at floods.
- Observe nature’s omens
- Use tarot cards, runes or other tools
- Open your intuition through ritual
5. Craft a Saint Michael Altar
Create a focal point to kindle his fiery protective light.
- Drape a red cloth over a small table
- Add his candle, incense, oils and imagery
- Mindfully tend the space
Rituals distill insight from changing seasons. However you honor Michaelmas, embrace the magick and mystery of this cross-quarter day!
Let me know if you try any of these meaningful rituals or have your own ideas for celebrating. Wishing you Saint Michael’s protection and autumn’s abundance!
