Michaelmas 2024, Temperance, Air and Fire
Credit: Gallinago/Shutterstock.
Yesterday, Sunday 29 September, was Michaelmas; The Feast of Michael and All Angels. This is a quarter year date in the Church calendar, signifying the end of the harvest season. The October full moon, the Hunters Moon or Buck Moon, is the next full moon after the Harvest Full Moon, and will be happening on Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 7:26 PM Eastern Time (4:26 AM Pacific). This will be the third of four supermoons we have seen in a row and this one will be the closest to Earth, 225, 000 miles. The harvest is gathered in. The fields lie bare. The stag, the doe and the buck have lost much of their cover.
Michaelmas, the mass of Michael, conjures St Michael, the patron of this October moon. Michael is the angel of fire, heat and light; a protecting angel, associated with the autumn/fall equinox, signifying the returning of the darkness of the approaching winter. Dark sacred night. But Michael stands against the unfriendlier forces of darkness. The evil that gets done in the dark, hidden from sight, literally and metaphorically speaking.
A defender, a protector, even more so than an attacker, needs fire in the belly, strength and stamina, physical, emotional, strategic and moral. Love and love of justice makes us stronger, braver, more resourceful. But love alone is not enough. Whoever is acting as a protector of others must be a warrior; resourceful, able to live off the land, resilient, resolute, digging deep while facing outwards, an embodiment of utter determination.
It was believed that Michael had his battle royal with Lucifer this time of year, when he flung Lucifer down into the bramble patch. Lucifer was not amused at landing in the brambles- well, scratched to pieces, who would be- and spat all over the blackberries, says the tradition, and this is why blackberries are past their best after Michaelmas, and now it is regarded as bad luck to pick them.
In the language of the tarot Michael is the Archangel of the south. His element is fire but, perhaps surprisingly, and this may well strike you as back to front as it did me, his colours are blue, especially cobalt blue, where red and gold are associated with Uriel, the angel governing the North and the element of Earth
Michael’s cards are the Ace of Wands, the 8, 9, 10 of Wands and- arguably- he is the angel depicted in the Temperance card, which although watery in its imagery, represents the mutable fire of Sagittarius.
Words are easy. Most things are easier said than done. But nothing is mightier than the virtue of Temperance, meaning the power of right timing and self control. The ability to watch and wait, to tolerate fear, discomfort, anxiety, deprivation or even simple boredom. The ability to defer…to refrain…and to persist.
The power of Moderation is the power of both the Healer AND the Hunter. It is not to be confused with meekness, though often it is. Michael is- arguably- also the angel represented in the Judgement card. But there is another angel candidate for Judgement, Israfil, traditionally regarded as the angel who blows the trumpet on the Day of Resurrection.
Michael is connected with the asterism of Sagittarius, depicted below as “The Teapot” which is almost part of the Milky Way as seen from Earth, and for this reason, Sagittarius the Archer and Hunter was seen by the Neo-Platonists as the bridge of the souls of the dying as they ascended back to the source of their beginnings through the stars of the constellation next door, Capricorn, the gate of the winter solstice, and the “Gate of the Gods.”
Credit https://kartin.papik.pro/nebo/20788-kartinki-sozvezdie-strelca-na-nebe-67-foto.html
Sagittarius is a psychopomp, meaning one who can go between the underworld and other worlds. Michael, together with Uriel, the archangel of the North, offers safe escort to the souls of the dead as they make their journey back to their first and last home in the stars.
"Give me the courage to face and conquer my fears. Give me strength of body to protect others and strength of spirit to lead them."
Beautiful blue. There is a reason many police uniforms are blue. Warrior angel Michael, the enforcer of Divine Law, is the patron saint of police forces and soldiers and emergency workers the world over.
Blue Savannah song
Oh blue Savannah song
Somewhere 'cross the desert
Sometime in the early hours
In a restless world
On the open highway
My home is where the heart is
Sweet to surrender to you only
I send my love to you
Blue Savannah song
Oh blue Savannah song
Racing 'cross the desert
At a hundred miles an hour
To the orange side
Through the clouds and thunder….
…….
(Blue Savannah Song, Erasure, Vince Clark, Andy Bell)
And on the road are you and me.
2 October, The New Moon Annular Eclipse in 10 degrees and 3 minutes of Libra is represented by the Two of Swords and the Three of Swords. situation or a relationship, partnership, agreement or treaty that has been under strain for some time, in an uneasy condition of stasis, now or in the next 3-6 months, breaks down, or flares up to a point of climax, separation or severance.
17 October the Full moon at 24 degrees and 28 minutes of Aries is represented by The Four of Wands. This card represents The House. The Home. The Place of Works. A promotion family celebration. A public celebration. All good, on the face of it, but this moon opposite the sun is square Mars in Cancer (issues at home, homeland and at sea) AND also square Pluto retrograde in late Capricorn (power). This is symbolically potentially “combustible” in theaters of military conflict, and in public office, and could betoken an acute challenge at home and/or in public office for presidential candidate Kamala Harris, a cardinal sun sign Libra native, though her natal, 20 October decan falls later, represented by the four of Swords. My cards for Donald Trump include the 3 of Wands (overseas business, foreign shores) and 8 of Cups (Pisces, and walking away) No jail. Earlier this year I drew The Hanged Man (also Pisces, Neptune (floods-sacrifice) which as it turned out was anticipating Joe Biden’s imminent announcement of standing down.
A number of Vedic astrologers have called it for Donald Trump. As a non-astrologer I am leaning towards the greatest likelihood of KH, based on the appearance of the 3 Swords (critical point in Libra season, Justice (Libra) and Queen of Swords (Libra.) Declaration of personal interest. This does not reflect a personal preference. If I was a US voter I would be pretty vexed at my options. Readers are fallible and must beware their own bias and their blind spots. In general terms, whatever the merits of the respective candidates, passionate disagreement is one thing. But I do not like see any section of an electorate dissed and ridiculed. Especially the poorest. We saw something like this in the UK in 2016. Brexit turned deeply ugly, almost tantamount to a class war, and has left a bitter legacy, and now there is a degree of distrust of the Establishment such as has not been seen for a long time. Sometimes I feel pretty clear. When I don’t, I look again and wait to learn the reason why. I felt pretty clear and wrote it up about Brexit 2016, and the so-called Hard Brexit, the UK Elections 2019, and this year’s election outcome in India.
14 October Pluto moves forward but the Sun (self, happiness, travel, progress, children, fifth house or first house natal sun sign) is at odds with Mars (action, fire, fertility, crops, war) throughout October. A time to watch, to wait, to bite our lip and bide our time unless our hand is absolutely forced by events.
Thank you for reading. Back again soon with more stories from the Tarot, astrology and mythology at work in the real world.
Further Reading
Free natal chart report https://astro.cafeastrology.com/natal.php
Explore where Octobers astrology might affect your own chart, looking at the cardinal signs, planets and aspects at approx 10 degrees
Aries Tarot cards 2 and 3 Wands
Cancer Tarot 2 and 3 Cups
Libra Tarot 2 and 3 Swords
Capricorn Tarot 2 and 3 Pentacles
Emphasis on Kamala Harris in this Michaelmas posting is because her natal astrology chimes with Libra and the Aries eclipse this coming month.
US Election 2024, astrologer Marjorie Orr, https://star4cast.com/us-election-the-longest-marathon-anywhere/
Kamala Harris, astrologer Jessica Adams https://www.jessicaadams.com/2024/08/23/blog/triple-checked-astrology-and-tarot/
Kamala Harris, astrologer Janet Kane https://www.mythiczodiac.com/2024/08/the-birth-chart-of-kamala-harris.html
Kamala Harris, astrologer Steve Judd
Love the Erasure reference. 😊👍👌💛
Thank you for your words about Michael. Has always been a favorite angel for me and sounds like we’re going to need him here in the U.S. . Sounds like we’re in for a bumpy ride.