Today is the feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael in the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints. For Episcopalians and other Anglicans, it is the feast of Saint Michael and All Angels.
Why is September 29 sacred to angels? There is a historical answer to this question, and a folkloric answer.
According to history, the association of this day with angels is nothing more than a quirky accident. Sometime between the mid-5th and early 6th centuries — there seems to be no consensus on the actual date — a basilica just outside of Rome was dedicated to the Archangel Michael on this date. The basilica no longer exists, and a convent of Poor Clare nuns now occupies that particular site. But in its day it was, apparently, the first major church in Italy dedicated to St. Michael. The association between September 29 and the Archangel became entrenched in popular consciousness, so that by the time the Middle Ages rolled around, this date was known as Michaelmas, from the Mass of Saint Michael that was celebrated on this day.
Michael is one of just three angels mentioned by name in the Bible, the other two being Gabriel and Raphael (not counting the fallen angel described as Apollyon, mentioned in Revelation). Other angels have been identified from apocryphal writings, including Uriel and Phanuel. It’s helpful to keep in mind that the stories of angels that include descriptions of their names and functions come relatively late in the game. Indeed, the earliest Hebrew writings speak of “the angel of the Lord” as if there were but one angel: God’s messenger (the Hebrew word that we translate as angel literally means “messenger”).
There seems to be a lot of mystery around angels, which brings us to the folklore associated with September 29. It’s a day that comes barely a week after the fall equinox, so there is a folkloric tradition (still popular among some Wiccan lineages) that the angels became associated with this day because it originally corresponded to the beginning of Autumn. Just as the birth of Christ corresponded with the winter solstice, the birth of John the Baptist with the summer solstice, and the resurrection (Easter) with the spring equinox, it’s tempting to think that the early Christians associated the angels with the turning of the seasons, particularly summer to fall. I’m afraid there is not much beyond the romance of folklore to imply that this is really historically true. But it does make for a great story and a nice suggestion — that in its early years, Christianity was friendlier to pagan perspectives than was the case later on.
Make what you will of the folklore — or of the randomness of the historical record. September 29 now serves as a day to remind us that helpful spirits have been venerated and celebrated in cultures around the world. If it can bring a bit more magic and mystery into our lives, and encourage us to believe in spirits who love us and watch over us, then to my mind it’s worth remembering.
So… Happy Michaelmas! To celebrate, here’s a video of one of my favorite vocalists of the classic rock era, Annie Haslam (of the band Renaissance) singing a song from one of her solo albums: “Summon the Angels.”
