General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 1/15

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1 General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 1/15 Goetheanum January 2015 No. 1 Anthroposophical Society 1 Initiative: Articles on the 2015/16 Theme for the Year 3 Announcement of Annual General Meeting Goetheanum Executive Council 4 Qualities Needed by an Executive Council Member 4 Constanza Kaliks 6 Germany: Gioia Falk, New General Secretary 7 Holland: Jaap Sijmons, New General Secretary /16 Theme for the Year 10 Germany: Visits to Branches 13 Summer Conference North 14 Theodore van Vliet 15 Members Who Have Died 15 Hella Wiesberger Goetheanum 2 Mystery Dramas Still on the Schedule 3 Goetheanum Leadership: Winter Retreat 2014 Anthroposophy in the World 2 World: Anthroposophical Clothing Design (Appeal) 12 Israel: State-Recognized Training for Eurythmy/Waldorf Teachers 13 Greece: Painting Course on Patmos School for Spiritual Science Social Sciences Section Annual Meeting 13 Soul of Europe Conference Forum 14 The November 2014 Members Day Feature 16 Meditation in East and West General Anthroposophical Society Initiative: Articles on the 2015/16 Theme for the Year It is the first time that the Theme for the Year will not be presented in one article, but in contributions from several authors over the course of the next twelve months. These will be based on Rudolf Steiner s statement: Know your self and your self will become the world;/know the world and the world will become your self. Each year the annual theme of the General Anthroposophical Society aims to provide a stimulating focus for the work of those members who wish to engage in a process of common consciousness with the Goetheanum Leadership. During our annual autumn meetings with the General Secretaries (now representing seventeen countries worldwide) we consult on the theme for the following year. Currently in 2014/15 we are attempting to penetrate, through an attitude of complete acceptance, a core anthroposophical concept, namely The I knows itself in the light of Michaelic world affirmation. Through this theme we wish to examine a quality of selfknowledge which can come into being when we fully engage with and accept the world. We suggest that we continue to make this Michaelic quality of self-knowledge a central focus of our studies, contemplation and anthroposophical meetings in 2015/16. In addition to world-affirmation we would like to add world-connection. By expanding the theme, the fundamental anthroposophical self-knowledge and self-development evolve to an active engagement in the world. In this spirit, we can come to understand the meaning of Michaelic self-awareness in an ever new and deepening way. Articles on the Theme for the Year The members of the Goetheanum Leadership, as well as the General Secretaries, intend publishing a variety of contributions on a monthly basis. The first will be an article by Helmut Goldman, the General Secretary Know your self and your self will become the world; Know the world and the world will become your self. of Austria (see p. 8). These contributions will articulate different perspectives, showing how connection to the world can be achieved through self-knowledge, and connection to the self by experiencing the world. The I knows itself in the light of Michaelic world affirmation and world connection can contribute in a calm and powerful way towards a transformation also in terms of the Anthroposophical Society of: Know your self and your self will become the world;/ Know the world and the world will become your self. Take Hold of the Future through the Past The following meditation contemplating the stream of time, given by Rudolf Steiner on 24th December 1920 to Ita Wegman, may serve as a possible deepening of this year s theme: We are a bridge/between our past/and future existence;/the present a moment,/the moment as bridge./spirit grown soul/in matter s enveloping sheath comes from the past;/soul growing to spirit/ in germinal spheres/is our future path./take hold of the future through the past,/hope for what s coming through what became./so grasp existence/through growth;/so grasp what s growing/in what exists (English trans: Matthew Barton in Finding the Greater Self. Meditations for Harmony and Healing. Sophia Books, 2002) For the Goetheanum Leadership, Christiane Haid and Bodo von Plato Translation by Joan Sleigh, with Sue Simpson and Jan Baker Finch

2 2 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Goetheanum Goetheanum Stage Mystery Dramas Still on the Schedule B etween Christmas and New Year more than 700 people (mix of old and young) had a chance in snow-covered Dornach to experience the destinies revealed in Rudolf Steiner s Mystery dramas performed by the acting and eurythmy ensemble of the Goetheanum stage. More than any lecture or study, a concentrated artistic experience of this sort is a real event that takes place between people on the stage and those in the auditorium; it has a special quality at the Goetheanum. Also impressive were the music by Elmar Lampson (who conducted as well) and the quiet, perfect way the completely new stage served to support the performance. The stage management (Mar grethe Solstad, Seija Zimmermann and Nils Frischknecht) had decided earlier to ask Gioa Falk and Christian Peter (along with the ensemble) to continue these performances until Of course, there will be no performances between Easter, 2015 and the premiere of Faust I & II at Easter, 2016 to allow for time to focus full attention on that production. Justus Wittich, spokesman for the Goetheanum Leadership Anthroposophy Worldwide appears ten times a year, is distributed by the national Anthroposophical Societies, and appears as a supplement to the weekly Das Goetheanum. Publisher: General Anthroposophical Society, represented by Justus Wittich. Editorial staff: Sebastian Jüngel (responsible for the German edition); Douglas Miller (for the English edition); Michael Kranawetvogl (for the Spanish edition); Louis Defèche (for the French edition); Wolfgang Held, Philipp Tok. We seek your active support and collaboration. Contact: Wochenschrift Das Goetheanum, Postfach, CH 4143 Dornach 1, Switzerland; fax +41 (0) ; info@dasgoetheanum.ch. To receive Anthroposophy Worldwide, apply to the Anthroposophical Society in your country, or subscriptions are available for CHF 30. ( 25. ) a year from the address above. An version is available to members of the Anthroposophical Society only at: General Anthroposophical Society, Dornach, Switzerland. Anthroposophy in the World World: Anthroposophical Clothing Design Appeal: Research Project A research project on anthroposophical clothing design is being conducted in collaboration with the Art Section at the Goetheanum. Culture and textile researcher Heide Nixdorff is looking for examples of textile objects that have been inspired by Rudolf Steiner s artistic impulse. Examples of anthroposophical clothing design: Lady s suit, short jacket, collar and child s dress Rudolf Steiner s concept of clothing art points to an independent have been realized in many forms by tex- on his spiritual anatomy. Such impulses genre of art (The Arts and Their Mission, tile workers, artists, and lay people, and GA 276), one that may be directly compared with that of architecture. His cre- collect them systematically and preserve they have been worn. It remains only to ative work includes examples of stage them. Dear readers, do you know where costume, eurythmy apparel (e.g., the treasures of this sort might still be found eurythmy figures), suggestions for liturgical vestments, and design notes for A publication based on documents, in chests, boxes, and cartons? wearable fashion (see Hedwig Hauck, analysis, and interpretation in the context of the anthroposophical picture Handwork and Handicrafts. From Indications by Rudolf Steiner); these are based of the body would have two significant results: it would secure the traces of along with two women s dresses the historical development in this area, and it would encourage a new creative process. Preliminary studies like those done for the Aenigma exhibit catalogue (March 19 to August 1 in Olomouc and later in Halle; en/aenigma-anthroposophical-art--369) have shown that Rudolf Steiner s artistic input is not just adapted to the styles of the 1920s, but goes beyond the decades as a source for an endless variety of design impressions. Heide Nixdorff, Kleinmachnow (Germany) Information about everyday objects single pieces, ensembles, accessories artistic patterns, photos, and documents can be sent to: Sektion für Bildende Künste, attn. Heide Nixdorff, Postfach, 4143 Dornach, Switzerland, sbk@goetheanum.ch

3 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 3 Goetheanum Goetheanum Leadership: Winter 2014 Retreat Making the School for Spiritual Science Effective In its winter retreat (December 8 10, 2014) the Goetheanum Leadership looked at the research done by the individual Sections over the course of their history. The degree to which the School for Spiritual Science comes to expression in its activities is becoming increasingly clear, as well as the infrastructure needed at the Goetheanum. During Evolving Science 2014: Physicist Wilfried Gabriel and Johannes Kühl, biologists Wolter Bos and Jan-Albert Rispens with biologist Kathrin Studer and physicist Alexander Murrell In December the Goetheanum Leadership gathered for its winter retreat including Michaela Glöckler, who had recently recovered. The cooperative work that developed over the past two years made it possible for the first time for the eleven sections to give an exhaustive presentation of their research over the past decades and currently. Every week this summer the Goetheanum Leadership had discussed the current tasks in the Sections. The catalyst was a question about the scientific and methodological quality of anthroposophy posed by Chris tiane Haid, Constanza Kaliks, and Seija Zimmermann in the spring (Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 4 and No. 7 8/2014). The description of individual research approaches always produced a fire of enthusiasm. The overall form of the School for Spiritual Science became clear in outline. This showed how comprehensive the Goetheanum is as a School for Spiritual Science: in the inner path of schooling through the Class lessons, in special issues raised in the professional sections, in their efforts that flow into the various practical fields, as well as in their needs and developmental concerns. Thus anthroposophy is a spiritual science based on knowledge in individual schooling, one intended to have a cultural effect a mighty task for the General Anthroposophical Society. Tasks for the Next Years What has been achieved to this point is naturally rudimentary when compared to the goal. However the Goetheanum Leadership tried to develop this perspective, and especially to take a concrete look at the tasks and prospects for the next years. We hope to collect these presentations during the spring and publish them in the fall. One example of this development was Evolving Science 2014, an idea workshop by the Natural Science Section (see Das Goetheanum No. 1 2/2015 for full details). The Social Sciences Section has also established significant impulses for public events to be held during 2017 to A major working meeting at the Goetheanum during Michaelmas 2016 will bring together representatives of anthroposophy from the School, the Society, and practical fields to consider steps for the next seven to ten years. Much attention has been given to the major renovation work at the Goetheanum that will be completed in In the course of that it became clearer that we need to take up the architectural concept of the second Goetheanum more consciously especially the eastwest orientation with an emphasis on Photo: Laura Liska the west entrance as the Goetheanum s main entrance, the question of the outside stairway to the terrace (unused until now), and the two atriums (not yet really given full attention). Focus on the Goetheanum Building Plans for reconfiguring the ground floor were described in detail at the 2014 annual general meeting, and objections and reactions were taken into account (in regard to plans for the exterior stairway on the west set aside for now and the previously planned redesign of the Group Room). This fall, work was already begun on the new parking configuration and a new northern approach to the main entrance on the west. Supported by the new leader of the Art Section (Marianne Schubert), the building administration (led by Martin Zweifel) consulted with three architects and finally brought plans prepared by architect Yaike Dunselman to the Goetheanum Leadership s winter retreat. After discussion, Paul Mackay (responsible for the building) and Justus Wittich (responsible for finances) decided to solicit bids for the renovation work. The necessary construction is to be done in stages from summer 2015 to Easter, 2016, and it includes moving the reception and ticket desk to the west entrance, concentrating art and postcard sales inside the bookstore, moving the cafeteria s new kitchen arrangement (with food safety in mind), and providing an new opening from the south atrium into the Foundation Stone Hall. The cost of about 1.5 million francs will be covered by current reserves and funds budgeted for maintenance. A more complete description of the renovations on the ground floor is planned for an upcoming issue of Anthroposophy Worldwide. Justus Wittich, spokesman for the Goetheanum Leadership General Anthroposophical Society Annual General Meeting The Annual Meeting and regular General Meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society will take place on March 27 29, 2015 at the Goetheanum in Dornach (Switzerland).

4 4 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Anthroposophical Society Goetheanum Executive Council Was Makes an Executive Council Member? The Goetheanum Executive Council s decision to ask the Annual General Meeting to confirm Constanza Kaliks as a new Executive Council member led to queries about how such nominations are arrived at. All the Executive Council members spontaneously came together to talk about the (changing) criteria. All members of the Executive Council emphasize that a nomination is not a typical job appointment. The goal is to find people with qualifications for current tasks. There are, of course, specialized jobs in the Executive Council (e.g., treasurer). Seija Zimmermann speaks of the Executive Council as an organism: An organism always seeks optimal conditions for its tasks, those we see coming toward us. During the past few years optimal conditions have been clarified and evaluated against the whole situation of the Anthroposophical Society worldwide, and the state of the world. (Bodo von Plato) One result was the new seven-year (renewable) term for Executive Council members. Executive Council Tasks Challenges in Changing Time With the longest time on the Executive Council (31 years), Virginia Sease, has seen changing conditions for membership: I was the first non-european member, the first with English as my mother tongue. And Seija Zimmermann recalls that prior to her appointment the expectation was still to write books and give lectures. She adds jokingly: There I am already a disappointment. My colleagues have accepted that. Paul Mackay cites as today s needs a feeling and sense for people and readiness to work collaboratively in Executive Council activities; Bodo von Plato points to a creative relation with anthroposophy, a relation to now. Virginia Sease says diverse age groups are desirable; the best age for appointment is under 50. She just can t be fooled But why Constanza Kaliks as the first internal appointment? (Justus Wittich) Answers pointed to many concrete qualities like sense of direction (Mackay), clarity, clear thinking (Zimmermann), Michaelic strength (Mackay), independence (Zimmermann), cosmopolitanism (Sease), familiarity with today s world, intellectual capacity, and her critical and authentic connection with anthroposophy in short: She just can t be fooled. (von Plato) Joan Sleigh starts with a motif: the search for the right configuration in the Executive Council. The constellation changes with a new member; it is in metamorphosis. Virginia Sease adds: The desired constellation is related to changes in the Anthroposophical Society: How are emphases changing also geographically, linquistically? I sense that the Executive Council sees in Constanza Kaliks and her connection to South America someone who as an Executive Council member can represent the third-most-spoken language in the Anthroposophical Society (after German and English). And Virginia Sease adds: We are happy that the leader of the Youth Section is again in the Executive Council. Sebastian Jüngel What does the Executive Council actually do if the Goetheanum Leadership is also involved with the Anthroposophical Society? The Executive Council leads the General Anthroposophical Society. Executive Council members are confirmed by the Annual General Meeting and report to it; their tenure is limited. The Goetheanum Leadership appoints its members; they are not confirmed by the members. Within the Goetheanum Leadership the members of the Executive Council are responsible for the General Anthroposophical Section. The Executive Council shares responsibility to a certain degree with the Goetheanum Leadership, with special responsibility for the General Anthroposophical Society and the General Anthroposophical Section. Sebastian Jüngel Anthroposophical Society Sebastian Jüngel: What was your view of the Goetheanum from Brazil? Constanza Kaliks: Today anthroposophy lives in very diverse cultural contexts. In Brazil (where I was born and worked almost 20 years as a teacher) anthroposophy has developed a life of its own as in other places. To me this diversity can be felt in the relationship to the past for instance: In Brazil which is so young the social structure is only a couple of hundred years old in contrast to places where the past seen as native is over a thousand years old! The youth in Brazil have great expectations for the future that a new middle class is arising, that it is possible to be a student as a young person! Larger Responsibilities Jüngel: What does that mean for the development of anthroposophy? Kaliks: The anthroposophical movement lives in and from the reality of individual human situations. That requires a great openness and presents a great challenge: this practical reality means that anthroposophy (inaugurated in a certain place and under certain circumstances) finds new forms that allow anthroposophical life to develop organically in each context. In many places it was the members of the Anthroposophical Society that founded a new school for instance; today s circumstances are markedly different in regard to modern structures, values, and challenges. The responsibilities confronting every person today have temporal and spatial dimensions that are quite different from those of 100 or even 20 years ago. My question is: How can the Anthroposophical Society enter increasingly into what is happening today and into the reality of those individuals connected with the Society? Jüngel: Where do you see the similarities and differences between Section work and Executive Council work? Kaliks: It is still a little early to say. The Youth Section is a place for young people and their questions, questions that arise from an initial contact between their own (often nearly inexpressible) intentions and the reality of the world, questions that are felt to be quite existential. The Anthroposophical Society provides a space for human relationship,

5 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 5 Goetheanum Executive Council: Nomination of Constanza Kaliks Connecting with the Reality of Human Beings Constanza Kaliks (47) has led the Youth Section since She teaches in the studies and developmental program at the Goetheanum where she began Spanish and Portuguese as a language of instruction. In conversation, Constanza Kaliks emphasized a general view of the world rather than speaking of all-too-personal experiences. for an expansion and enrichment of the spiritual horizon in and through an encounter with the other. The point of contact between the two concerns would certainly be encounter and cooperation with people who are learning about anthroposophy or for whom anthroposophy is important. Conversation, meeting, learning about questions, intentions, ideas these all belong to Youth Section work, and will surely be a part of Executive Council activity. Sensitivity to an Awareness for Unforeseen Circumstances Jüngel: Should your appointment also be seen as call for help from an outdated Society to involve youth more strongly? Kaliks: The impression that the Anthroposophical Society is outdated is an issue in some places. In general and not necessarily in keeping with the reality everywhere I have more the impression that the conditions of membership are changing: Much of what might have seemed odd a few decades ago for a society interested in the spiritual element in the world now seems more familiar. That brings the reasons for joining the Anthroposophical Society closer to the reality of many people. But it also may be this very closeness and familiarity with the existence of spiritual life that delays consideration of membership. Here we come to specifics about the Anthroposophical Society. One theme of great interest to the Goetheanum Leadership and me personally is world affirmation: the spirituality that is waiting to be recognized in the world, a spirituality that sought in the affirmation of existence in the world. Jüngel: How do you see the relationship between young and old in your own country? What tasks does it present? Kaliks: In Brazil as elsewhere in South America the intergenerational relationship is in flux. Of course, you will find that younger people bring, expect, and want something new, but that is not necessarily done in opposition to older people. The social challenges in Brazil are enormous, but they affect every generation: social injustice, the need for equal educational opportunities for all Today society as a whole is faced with questions we young people as well as old often lack the experiential background to answer. Questions about central aspects of human life are being asked today, and we all have few answers that do not also draw more on the past. Today quite new elements of experience become relevant, a sensitivity to an awareness for unforeseen circumstances. It is here that I see a very close relationship between the tasks of the Youth Section and those of the General Anthroposophical Society. The Quest for Human Connection Jüngel: In Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1 2/2012 you noted a youth for which we scarcely have any pictures of the future. What picture do you have for the future of the General Anthroposophical Society? Kaliks: The Anthroposophical Society is a place for people to meet one another, people who have found anthroposophy and but who then go on to join it in very diverse ways; despite and because of this very diversity they seek human connection. Thus ours is a Society that recognizes the spiritual in life very concretely. My question is: How does such a Society live in the larger society so that it retains its own character and can still be open to the whole range of reality, a Society that is permeable and still creates a space for what can happen through a life with anthroposophy? Jüngel: What makes the Goetheanum, the General Anthroposophical Society, an esoteric institution today? Kaliks: Today we live in a world that is saturated with media for communication. It is a reality that I receive s every day, that young people can speak via Skype, and they often pose questions that are quite existential through these New things require openness: Constanza Kaliks means of communication. Young people do not necessarily write letters, and many cannot afford a trip to the Goetheanum. The Goetheanum is an institution that is known worldwide and in the most diverse circles; people want to be in contact with those who are working locally that can certainly not be stopped or prevented! But for that very reason the spoken and heard word has not become less important; instead it seems to me that its importance has become much clearer. Nothing can take the place of a personal conversation but that does not mean that communication media should be avoided if it is the only possible form of communication. Openness instead of Agenda Jüngel: Are you approaching your new task in a more wait-and-see mood as you prepare for what you will find there, or do you have some expectations? Kaliks: It is a task that can be take shape through life itself. New things require openness rather than an agenda. And also trust. That sounds simple, but for me it very deeply connected with Rudolf Steiner s intentions in founding the Anthroposophical Society. There is no way to institutionalize spaces in which something happens based on such efforts with others. After all, the Goetheanum should be an institution that supports such things. In the shared work done by the Goetheanum Leadership I see this approach being taken with great consistency. That is very encouraging. Photo: Anna Krygier

6 6 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Anthroposophical Society Germany: New General Secretary Gioia Falk Reporting Observations For decades Gioia Falk (58) has been active as a eurythmist. She was the artistic director for the new production of Rudolf Steiner s Mystery dramas at the Goetheanum. After serving on the council of the Anthroposophical Society in Germany for two years, she became its General Secretary (together with Hartwig Schiller) in autumn Sebastian Jüngel: Since you have lived in Dornach for a long time, take a look at Germany from the Swiss standpoint. What do you see there? Goia Falk: A national Society with a lot of tradition but also one with the courage to try to find new ways of thinking about the substance of anthroposophical concerns. Jüngel: And take a look at the Goetheanum as General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Germany. In what ways does it look different from the Goetheanum you know very well from inside? Falk: For me there is a spiritual Goetheanum. The Goetheanum s tasks for the world Society are immense: There has to be a global perception and there also has to be a place for new things to happen. That is what we expect from outside. From inside you can see how significant forces are working against that. Success through the Interplay of Various Approaches Jüngel: You bring together various points of view through your work as a stage eurythmist, teacher, or your research (on the Mystery dramas, for instance). Which aspects of these different viewpoints seem valuable to you? Falk: Between Christmas and New Year we again had performances of Rudolf Steiner s Mystery dramas here at the Goetheanum; they have taken on enormous value for me. Not only because they contain so much, but also because we can notice how a growing public in our time can find its way into them under the most diverse conditions. Moving on the stage as a eurythmist and studying the text are very different activities for instance. But I have the impression that it can become easier over the course of years to become involved so that the one capacity can profit through the other. I do not see my work in teaching as mainly transmission of knowledge. Instead I see it more as a preparation for the experiences that can be opened up through art and anthroposophy. Jüngel: The Anthroposophical Society also brings together different cultures (streams). How do the relationships among these cultures look within the Anthroposophical Society in Germany? Falk: I find that there are an unbelievable number of approaches and cultural contributions that live and meet in our national Society. Today there has been much success through specialization. But there is also less obvious success through an interplay of various approaches. That was very interesting to Rudolf Steiner and it also lives in the Society, but it still needs development. It requires a readiness to put one s own area into service. Quiet Support and Cultivation Jüngel: Will the Anthroposophical Society have to reorganize in view of the diminishing number of members? What is the thinking in Germany about that? Falk: This question is quite present. There are the most diverse efforts to resolve it. New committees are formed, problems are addressed; there are attempts at dialogue and new initiatives. But not to be underestimated are the many quiet and effective people who support anthroposophy and cultivate it! Jüngel: What do these new committees do? And what problems are addressed? Falk: There are no marching orders or any assumption that young people or older people should solve the problems; as yet the work has been individual. But the fact is that the question is strongly there, and it leads to an openness. The committees and responsible groups in a few centers have gone through changes or renewal, often after far-reaching processes. The working collegium of the national Council has also been reorganized since last fall. Jüngel: You are co-general Secretary with Hartwig Schiller. Are there different areas of responsibility? What are they? Putting her own area in service: Gioia Falk Falk: My own focus is clearly on the path of anthroposophy through the arts. We are in the fortunate situation that Rudolf Steiner did not view the arts as an adjunct or even decoration for life, but as a source that can provide us with decisive, substantial elements central to life. Today s problems are often so complex that a creative, wholistic approach is needed. This can also come from a recognition of the processes taking place in our entire social organism. We can have an artistic experience when we ask: Are we really healthy or are we corroded by acid? Jüngel: Since you also have a real familiarity with both the Goetheanum and the Anthroposophical Society in Germany from within: what are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Falk: One strength is that there is much about anthroposophy that can be deepened. Deepening requires a foundation along with a certain readiness to move forward. That provides continuity. This is a valuable force in our Society. I think the weakness comes when we isolate ourselves. Wishes for a Solution-Oriented Anthroposophical Society Jüngel: What sort of ideal Anthroposophical Society do you plan to work toward as General Secretary and personally? Falk: This ideal Society would be solution-oriented and that includes global questions. A mercurial element is a strong part of the Society, and an observant approach to our problems can lead healthy initiatives for the future Photo: Supplied

7 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 7 Anthroposophical Society Holland: New General Secretary Jaap Sijmons Trust the Higher Self in You and Others Jaap Sijmons (55) has been the General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Holland since last summer. He received doctorates at two Dutch universities: Utrecht University (Rudolf Steiner s philosophy) and Groningen University (health law). He is an attorney in a large firm and a professor of health law at Utrecht. Sebastian Jüngel: You are starting after a difficult process of rebuilding (Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 7 8/ 2014). What were these difficulties? Jaap Sijmons: The question of how to reconstitute something as vital as a well functioning Council in not always so easy to answer in a practical way. Experienced, talented young members need to be found, ones who have time, trust one another, and see a common goal. Basically, being in a rush and also being hesitant were to blame for the situation. Freeing from Outer Constraints Jüngel: As General Secretary you represent the Anthroposophical Society internally and externally. How would you describe the task of the Anthroposophical Society a 20-second news report? Sijmons: Anthroposophy has the potential to free us from the constraints in our surroundings, and can unite head knowledge and heart s experience in a new humanity. It takes only the courage to trust the higher self in you and others. Is there anything more wonderful than working together in a Society with such people? Jüngel: Paul Mackay (Goetheanum Executive Council) has characterized the General Secretary as the point of contact regarding the development of the General Anthroposophical Section (Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 12/2014). How does the task of leading the Society differ from that of a leader for the School for Spiritual Science? Sijmons: In the Society s constitution Rudolf Steiner drew a clear distinction between the Executive Council as the leadership of the Society and as the leadership of the Goetheanum. But this leadership of the Goetheanum carries a heavy load in organizing Section work, and it often seems as though there is little difference. The responsibility for developing anthroposophy as a spiritual science is lodged with the School which give impulses for the anthroposophical movement. The Society has been described by Rudolf Steiner as its sheathe. I feel that a council member should in the ideal case ensheathe and consider the whole, and then take up initiative. A position in both must also be possible, as in the first Executive Council and leadership of the School, so that the two are not separate as they were before the Christmas Conference, a situation that gave rise to a new form for the Society. The General Secretary has a mediating role between the two. Making the School Accessible Jüngel: What research within the School in Holland has impressed you especially? Sijmons: Much of the meditative work is not publicly visible. I don t intend to slight anyone if I mention the following: Kees Veenman (physics) and Wil Uitgeest (art) have done research on color theory. I hope Wil Uitgeest will soon finish his doctoral dissertation in Amsterdam on color theory in Goethe and Merleau-Ponty. Both have a connection with color therapy. In the area of medicine (based at the Bolk Institute), Erik Baars and Machteld Huber have both done interesting research. Machteld Huber recently received her doctoral degree at Maastricht on the anthroposophical concept of health and she published an essay about it in the British Medical Journal. I would also like to mention the phenomenological-astronomical work of Liesbeth Bisterbosch. These people are taking up impulses that Rudolf Steiner discussed or developed with Zeylmans van Emmichoven, Ita Wegman and Elisabeth Vreede, all from Holland. Jüngel: But the research has been hardly perceptible. What can be done? Sijmons: We are trying very practical things. In April there will be a School day for our members where the Sections will give public presentations and make themselves a visible as possible. Jüngel: In Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 12/2014 you formulated this as a task: the whole Anthroposophical Society Courage to trust the higher self; Jaap Sijmons needs to be enlivened in the countries by the Goetheanum impulse. How does this find its specific expression in detail and in each culture? Sijmons: That should be up to individuals and free collaboration. During the symposium on the Rudolf Steiner and the Alchemy of the Everyday exhibition in the Rotterdam Kunsthal we found that a theme like Metamorphosis and Inversion gave lasting inspiration with its spiritual orientation and fresh look at the seemingly familiar. But those who have no connection to the events of our time will not be heard. Be intensely contemporary, like Rudolf Steiner in his time! Uniting with Others Jüngel: What do you plan as General Secretary of one of the largest national Anthroposophical Societies? Sijmons: First, to work cooperatively with my Council colleagues and cultivate a connection with members who are active and full of initiative and who put the work into larger contexts. I want to relate us to what lives at the Goetheanum and our neighboring countries. Ron Dunselman, the previous General Secretary, still likes to travel, and he shows that we do have national Societies but in reality we belong together. Jüngel: Ron Dunselman, your predecessor, once pursued tennis as a competitive sport. Do you have a similar interest? Sijmons: Not really. I like music I play piano now and again for relaxation. Mostly the old masters: Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, etc. Ron was a professional. Early on I accepted that I am just an amateur. Photo: Supplied

8 8 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Anthroposophical Society General Anthroposophical Society: 2015/16 Theme of the Year World Affirmation in Knowledge Rudolf Steiner inscribed the verse on which the 2015/16 Theme of the Year is based in Elisabeth Vreede s copy of the Calendar of the Soul: Know your self and your self will become the world;/know the world and the world will become your self. Helmut Goldmann looks at how self-knowledge and world affirmation are related. Does not the world produce thinking in our heads with the same necessity as it produces the blossom on a plant? (The Philosophy of Freedom, Chapter 5) World affirmation 1 can never be affirmation of one detail or one aspect of the world. One cannot affirm evil, for instance, but one can learn to affirm, or at least inwardly accept, a world that encompasses evil. The affirmation relates to the wider world context including the human being. Interestingly, we find this world affirmation even in Rudolf Steiner s very early work, in writings that seem to suggest to some people that he is an atheist or even a materialist because he radically rejects any views of the beyond that from the point of view of Michaelic world affirmation must be seen as escapist. Such views often come with the attempt to relinquish responsibility to the world beyond and are therefore, in essence, a flight from freedom. Affirmation of Modern Humanity Michaelic world affirmation is affirmation of modern humanity, of our position in today s world and in the world of our thinking, feeling and will. The consciousness soul with the specific developmental potential it holds, especially since the beginning of the Michaelic Age in 1879, opens up new prospects for human selfknowledge: conditions and possibilities that belong to our world reality and form the basis for the freedom we can affirm and accept as our task. Michael and Human Thinking In the Michael Letters of 1924/1925 Rudolf Steiner described the cosmic journey towards human reality in which the transition from the intellectual to the consciousness soul is a crucial step. Rudolf Steiner characterized this step in the second Michael Letter: 2 our thinking loses the inspiration it (still) had in the age of the intellectual soul, and actively brings [the ideas] out of our own spiritual life. With the old inspiration we lose the spiritual substance of the world, however, and our (naïve) courage to use our own mind 3 is initially restricted to sense perception. Although this courage cannot be intellectually or theoretically, explained, it is justified because an entirely new possibility has emerged within our innermost being. But while human vision in this era had to be restricted to the outer physical world, the experience of a purified spirituality that consists in itself has evolved within the human soul. Our courage is rooted in this spirituality that consists in itself, but it is not yet conscious of itself, of its inner foundation. The sentences which follow are the essence of Michaelic world affirmation: In the Michaelic age, this spirituality must not remain an unconscious experience; it must become aware of its own nature. This 4 means that the Michael being enters the human soul. We must no longer seek spirituality in a traditional higher world but in the world in which we live: out of the dead thoughts of our object-consciousness we must wake up to this spirituality. This waking up to the oneness of the human being with the world that we need to recreate through our own inner spiritual activity constitutes the challenge we are facing now and in the future. We are free today from the coercive impact of old inspirations and we can look for the wellspring in which our freedom and our thinking originate. This is the Michaelic path in the world. If we do not take this step, we may be led into luciferic spirituality, or we may end up understanding and creating only dead contents in the world because our thinking has died or become detached. So much depends on the fact that our ideas cease to be merely thinking but, in thinking, become seeing. 5 From Dead Thinking to Living Thinking In his lecture cycle on the Karma of the Anthroposophical Society 6 Rudolf Literature for the 2015/16 Theme of the Year Rudolf Steiner: Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts (GA 26), Michael Letter of November 16, 1924, The World Thoughts in the Working of Michael and in the Working of Ahriman. Rudolf Steiner: Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts (GA 26), Michael Letter of August 31, 1924, The Condition of the Human Soul before the Dawn of the Michael Age. Rudolf Steiner, Karmic Relationships, vol. 3, Lectures of July 1, 1924 and July 28, Rudolf Steiner, Awakening to Community (GA 257), Lectures of February 28 and March 4, Rudolf Steiner: Inner Aspect of the Social Question (GA 193) Lecture of February 11, Rudolf Steiner: Letters to the Members (from GA 260a), letter of February 3, Steiner dramatically described the cosmic origin of our relationship with the world: A cosmic storm in the fifteenth century caused the Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones to transfer the cosmic intelligence from the human heart to the neurosensory system or head organization. [ ] Before this occurred, human beings were heart beings. After that, they became head beings. Intelligence has become our own. This meant, however, that the true, living thinking was forgotten for the time being. As free human beings we can decide to take hold again of the living thinking at any time; but the results of this thinking the ideas at first seem like forgotten and therefore dead. In the same lecture cycle Rudolf Steiner also outlined the task we have as a result of this cosmic-human evolution. After this intervening period, during which the vividness of thinking is darkened, humanity must strive to take

9 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 9 hold of the living thinking again, for human beings will otherwise remain weak and lose their own reality to the reality of thinking. 7 Self-knowledge in Thinking In the first place, this task refers us back to our own selves: an act of freedom is required. We can each of us decide to embark on such inner development: it is our answer to a question that the world asks. This affirmation of a situation is not a theoretical step; it is existential and it means and demands our ability to cope with ourselves it is a dramatic soul event: we must overcome the oblivious selfishness that is fed by dead thinking. This needs inner independence and autonomy because we now have responsibility and this responsibility we cannot relinquish. But as seekers who bear responsibility for ourselves, we can find each other in a new way: in what Rudolf Steiner referred to as anthroposophical community building. He described this in the eponymous cycle, especially in the lecture of 27 February in the crisis year 1923: the possibility of a new community-building arises as a result of the first spiritual awakening in group studies where a new, reverse cult can arise from conversation. It seems as if Rudolf Steiner recommended this path to the members because it would help to consolidate the Anthroposophical Society. Community building has a foundation and a practical way of application: Gaining Knowledge as a Community Its foundation is what Rudolf Steiner often referred to as spiritual idealism, 8 an idealism that has been acquired and that is based on will activity as opposed to the kind of idealism that is innate, acquired or intellectually cultivated. In our context here, it means the absolute acceptance of others as they are, absolute tolerance. Another motif of world affirmation! Its practical application is described by Rudolf Steiner as the true task of the branches and groups: to experience how anthroposophy lives in the other person. what is important in the Anthroposophical Society is the life that is cultivated within it. 9 The striving of each individual to really understand ideas that are not restricted to the external physical world generates life, and the ensuing instances of life can meet each other. In repeatedly experiencing the striving for knowledge of people whom I make an effort to meet, I can awaken to the initially unconscious experience of the purified spirituality that consists in itself and that is the source of all striving for knowledge. It is as if, in community my own initiative to gain knowledge becomes a perceptive organ for this spirituality in others, in myself and between us. All this lives in every real conversation if only as a seed. The answer refers us back to ourselves and our creative potential: an answer that merely replicates what has been heard or repeats old thoughts is not an answer. But in the weaving of listening and answering a first awakening can take place as something one cannot strive for in the ordinary sense, but that is given as a grace. This is why conversation is more life-giving than light. 10 Helmut Goldmann, General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Austria 1. Rudolf Steiner: Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts [GA 26], Michael Letter of November 16, 1924, The World Thoughts in the Working of Michael and in the Working of Ahriman. 2. Ibid. Michael Letter of August 31, 1924, The Condition of the Human Soul before the Dawn of the Michael Age. 3. Immanuel Kant, Beantwortung der Frage: Was ist Aufklärung?, Berlinische Monatsschrift (December, 1784) pp On-line: philosophie/texte/kant/aufklaer.htm English: 4. Emphasis added by Helmut Goldmann. 5. Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts, Michael Letter of August 31, Rudolf Steiner, Karmic Relationships, vol. 3, The New Age of Michael, Lecture of July 28, Ibid., Lecture of July 1, Rudolf Steiner, Awakening to Community [GA 257], Lectures of February 28 and March 4, 1923; Rudolf Steiner: Inner Aspect of the Social Question [GA 193] Lecture 3, Zurich, February 11, Rudolf Steiner: Letters to Members (from GA 260a), letter of February 3, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: The Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily. English translation by Margot Saar Das Goetheanum The German-Language Weekly The World of Anthroposophy Now in Color And On Line I would like to subscribe to Das Goetheanum One year 108 Name Address (Including postal code) Country Date Signature Please send to: Wochenschrift Das Goetheanum Postfach, CH 4143 Dornach, Switzerland Fax

10 10 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Anthroposophical Society Germany: Observations and Thoughts during Branch Visits Steps toward Essential Encounter Since her report in Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 11/2013 Barbara Messmer has traveled from the Frankfurt am Main center on through Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. She experienced branch work there on three evenings: the people, the process, the use of Rudolf Steiner s work, the conversation, the atmosphere. Every branch is different, more so than I had expected even though a basic structure has been developed that (I would guess) is similar throughout Germany. The point of reference is always anthroposophy approached through Rudolf Steiner s work (seldom secondary literature or freeheld lectures) and through reading and conversation. This sets the basic structure of the evenings. But the differences show how similarities vary according to people s individual qualities. Unlike a working group, each branch also considers itself as part of the larger organism of the General Anthroposophical Society. Any member worldwide can take part in branch meetings. This makes it easy for me to drop in occasionally. Taking Contents to Heart A suprapersonal etheric structure in branches has built a foundation for the anthroposophical movement with a decades-long continuity of weekly meetings. That often goes unnoticed, but it is spiritually real and has potency. The conduct of the evenings may be based on habit, but the thoughts of anthroposophy need to be newly grasped each time. This branch structure has patiently and steadfastly persisted through new beginnings, dissonance in the School for Spiritual Science, and quarrels about method. That is easy to undervalue. What would the great lecturers, occasions, events even the Class lessons be without a core audience from the branches! Here I do not want to go into how this etheric corporeality also has its shadow side, how the branch structure is not the only one that must be held to. I just want to look at how it has undergone changes since the middle of the 20th century. Let us go back two generations. Branch evenings in Frankfurt am Main during the 1950s were described to me this way: People squeezed into the narrow children s seats in a state school, someone brought a large photograph of Rudolf Steiner (carefully wrapped) that was set up in front, the branch leader read a lecture by Rudolf Steiner from the teacher s podium, then the picture was packed up again and everyone went home satisfied. There was no need to talk about the contents of what was read the contents were taken to heart. Anthroposophy was accepted without question as the truth. There is something very pure about this approach. The next development was an exchange about what was heard. At the beginning expectations were frequently so high that only a few dared say anything. The comments related to what Rudolf Steiner had said and made no reference to the situation of the attendees. Thus it might be that someone had just personally received the report of a death, but he would not have mentioned it even if the theme of death had come up. Today we might say this represents a wide chasm between the spiritual level and the reality of life. It was enough to remain objective within the context of Rudolf Steiner s work, a goal striven for in a basic mood of reverence. Words were exchanged only among a few, and they did not yet create conversations. In any case, the step had been taken from pure acceptance to a shared effort at understanding. But people wished to understand only Rudolf Steiner and the content of anthroposophy. Reflecting on Oneself The yearning for a shared exchange did not arise until the 1980s. It was in the air after the student movement and other upheavals. There was a need to relate general truths to one s own life to individualize them. That was often true even of older members. To clarify this I will depict a scene in a branch during The heretical movements (Cathars, 12th 14th centuries) came up in during the discussion of a motif in the summary of a lecture by Rudolf Steiner. A lady with white hair suddenly said forcefully: When Emerging from the abyss of the individ I hear this, it (based on a notebook entry by Rudolf St reminds me of the RAF (Red Army Faction). Her inner connection was probably the social isolation (even persecution) experienced by a group claiming such lofty human ideals. After an awkward moment and uncomprehending silence, an equally elderly man said the two were not at all comparable; it was completely wrong. The lady insisted: Why? These people raised questions like heretics in their time. Those are serious questions. The man got carried away, and said: The heretics had no questions, none at all! Then the answer: So! And they were born as heretics! The branch leader intervened Today s young people take their start from personal experience. They do not know what to do with the two steps described above, and they are quick to say so (unlike earlier generations). That happened with two 18-year-old participants during a conference at the center. They basically posed the following question as a test: Do I find what we are reading in my life? or Where do you experience what you know through anthroposophy? There is mostly a stunned silence. Even I had to collect myself. The tradition of concentrating only on understanding Rudolf Steiner s text has become too habitual. That would be the third step: a relationship to one s own life. Moments of Spiritual Communion A fourth step is (or could be) that people in a branch share a mutual perception of these three steps. Then understanding

11 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 11 ual, together with many spirits would have einer): Graphic by Uwe Battenberg to expand to the thoughts and soul state of the other people. Anthroposophy comes in the form of their life of soul and spirit and not only in the words spoken by Rudolf Steiner. Today a branch evening is not alive if such work is neglected. If understanding succeeds, personal experience can be transformed into individual truths. What Rudolf Steiner wrote in his March 16, 1924 letter to the members on Individual Formulation of Anthroposophical Truths is noteworthy. He explicitly compared pure spiritual science to individual remarks by branch members. But it is often difficult to understand a person, especially when a comment is made spontaneously in conversation. During a branch meeting I experienced how a young intern in the institution where the branch met had a well known modern painting suddenly appear before her inner eye during a discussion of the dramatic tension between good and evil powers (Michael and Ahriman). She spoke of it spontaneously and described her direct experience with halting words. I am sure that some were unable to do anything with it. In such perplexity it is easy to say Back to the text! The crumbs others acquire seem to offer too little nourishment. It is too bad since such moments might present a chance to practice bringing the individual treasure of truth out of subjective comments. Rudolf Steiner also saw that: Every such individual expression will contribute something of value towards an understanding of the truths of anthroposophy. Of course it is often necessary to begin by finding the key to the soul-spiritual element in the other. But when such spiritual movement can be felt, moments of spiritual communion arise. Rudolf Steiner calls that an inverted cultus (in GA 257 for the first time). In another branch I saw a lady try to formulate something new and struggle to find the words. Suddenly someone else was able to capture the exact word and speak it. At that moment she had immersed herself in the thought process of the other. And the blockage in the flow of thought was removed. Unfortunately there are still hindrances to conversation: e.g., when someone raises a real question. Then there is a threat of textual pedants with their quotations from Rudolf Steiner (often without reference to the context); a threat of needing to know the answer to every question; or a threat of instructive clarification that fails to understand the core of the question. That puts an end to any dialogue. I have experienced all those things during my branch visits (even though relatively infrequently). Current Events Over time, a person has disappeared who was quite prevalent earlier: the spiritual teacher in the branch or the branch leader. Such a person is hardly to be found in the Frankfurt Center. A team (or committee) is most often responsible. Sometimes people still think they should have more to say because they have been organizers and seen to administration, events, or facilities. But members have a fine sense for who is advanced and grant only such people authority (precedence) in spiritual matters. Everyone now has the same right to contribute to conversation. We more and more find that women or people with less education speak. That is an absolute benefit. We need to build soul-spiritual bridges among people. And as early as 1924 Rudolf Steiner wanted a fifth element for branch evenings: inclusion of current events. That need was there in the example from This means bringing anthroposophy into connection with what whole human groups and nations experience. At this point I have found current political themes mentioned in one branch. But there, too, not many members were inclined to take it up. Apparently the world out there disturbs the efforts for spiritual knowledge. One more experience: A branch evening took up Rudolf Steiner s perplexing statement that we can be assured that we are a unique I only during deep sleep. Someone mentioned that torture by sleep deprivation was the surest way to break a person, and thus it was practiced in dictatorships. There it was again an awkward, startling moment, even a jolt out of a beautiful ascension to the spirit. And a protective skin began to develop immediately. The comment was not rejected, but it was not addressed work continued on the text. Later, moral ideals appeared in the lecture and there was great enthusiasm. This year, Markus Osterrieder s book on Rudolf Steiner and the First World War gave rise to branch events that emphasized political and social questions through a connection with history. Many members were happy. But these issues disappear again, and normal branch life continues. Here a question arises as to whether consciousness of events on our earth today basically an understanding that countless people are suffering does not need just as much attention as anthroposophy. Do we not in fact concern ourselves with anthroposophy so that we can understand and handle current events? Bringing More and More People into Our Spiritual Consciousness Although a few members give occasional presentations about current events, branch evenings lack the gesture of taking seriously the pendulum swing between current events and permanent truths. We need the four steps described above in order to do this: an individualized anthroposophy that is given and received, and an attempt to understand the other person through his or her spiritual process. These efforts can widen out to a larger horizon through which an approach to the time spirit might grow indeed, the same spirit that inspires our anthroposophical movement. A practice of bringing more and more people into our spiritual consciousness would be a capacity that leads to the Christ Being. Barbara Messmer, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

12 12 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 School for Spiritual Science Social Sciences Section Esoteric of Profession in the Social Realm The Social Sciences Section will hold its annual conference for Section members and friends on March with talks on the theme Creation from the I, and (for the first time in the new approach to the Section s work) twelve working groups for professions and fields. Unlike medical-therapeutic, pedagogical, or agricultural professions (for instance), the range of work in the social area is very diverse and can scarcely be put under any single heading other than social. This year s annual Section conference offers a chance to meet in twelve working groups for professions and fields. Groups include classical fields like family and age, law and the social sciences, economics and organizational development as well as different areas like currency reform, working with the Class lessons, esthetics in the social realm and the threefold society and the 1919 workers council movement. With communication and public relations the Section includes for the first time a professional group that has had no real connection to the School up to now; it has been loosely organized into initiatives like the conferences for anthroposophical press and public relations workers and editors (KoPRa). A new theme, economy for the common good, will also have a working group. The social science professional groups and fields will meet together during the general program to consider the foundations for their specific work, their own path of schooling, under the theme Creation from the I. Rudolf Steiner s lecture Involution, Evolution, and Creation from Nothing (June 17, 1909; GA 107) and the 8th Class lesson can serve as preparation. Participants do not need to be Section members or members of the School (except for some special events), and all are invited to bring ideas, experiences, and research for discussion. Sebastian Jüngel Conference Creation from the I, annual conference of the Social Sciences Section, March Info: sozial.goetheanum.org/ index.php?id=5273 Anthroposophy in the World Israel: State-Recognized Eurythmy and Waldorf Teacher Training The Whole Range It is a fact that new Waldorf schools and kindergartens are being founded every year in Israel. It is also a fact that the Israeli minister of education is considering parts of the Waldorf model for the entire education system country-wide. But the Jerusalem Waldorf Seminar has long been part of a state-supported college. It is true that implementation of our educational plans has had feet of clay since the government coalition fell at the end of New elections should take place in mid-march But we have been assured by the appropriate ministry that they will be maintained. Eurythmy also recently received a lot of attention from the government. Thus the Culture Ministry suggested the Jerusalem Eurythmy Ensemble for the Jerusalem Arts Festival (March, 2015). American Jan Ranck and colleagues founded the ensemble 25 years ago; in 1992 the Jerusalem Eurythmy Academy was founded to train eurythmists. In the same year the Waldorf Seminar began in Jerusalem; in 1996 it became part of the public David Yellin College of Education. This was possible because two open-minded people met: the director of the college and Arie Ben- David, a cofounder of the seminar. From that point the training did not need private financing, and graduates receive a Bachelors of Waldorf Education. There is a great diversity: Jewish, Islamic, Christian, and non-religious students, anthroposophists and people who have not (yet) heard of anthroposophy. The Rabbi Nodded: It s OK At first a few religious students asked their rabbi whether it is OK to study anthroposophy and Waldorf Education. Arie Ben-David invited the rabbi to his house. They had two long conversations. Finally the guest nodded: This was not the type of situation where the meat had fallen into the milk which would have been unkosher. He had no objection. Of course this cooperation also elicits counterforces. A top political level began to suspect machinations by a Christian sect. Arie Ben-David disarmed that by explaining they were still far from being Jerusalem Eurythmy Ensemble in action Christian. But even so they would stand among people like Leonardo, Raffael, Johann Sebastian Bach, and other great figures. This put an end to the argument. The eurythmy academy was integrated into the Waldorf seminar beginning in 2008 so full-time study would end with an academic degree. Plans are to expand the college s Waldorf program as an institute for various branches of research. Master classes and training in anthroposophical therapies would be possible. Today many graduates of the academy are active as eurythmy teachers. It is not easy, says Jan Ranck. There is no material reward for artistic work. But anyone who has seen eurythmy ensemble performances during their regular tours in Europe knows that these performances create cathartic effects between emotional drama and Jewish humor. In April during the international professional eurythmy conference at the Goetheanum you can see an example of the ensemble s work during the international professional eurythmy conference at the Goetheanum Ronald Richter, Berlin (Germany) Jerusalem Festival of Arts: alturl.com/9pjar Eurythmy Conference: alturl.com/jz2mz Photo: Jerusalem Eurythmy Ensemble

13 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 13 School for Spiritual Science Greece: Painting Course on Patmos Colors Create Pictures and Tales On September 8 14 six people interested in color met Esther Gerster on the island of Patmos where volcanic forms are reminiscent of an underwater landscape to grow closer to St. John s Book of Revelation in an experience of color: two painting units every day, morning and evening with siesta, swimming, and relaxation between. The overwhelming power of blue the sea and the clear sky automatically take our gaze into the distance as we approach. With a moderate wind there is a wonderful play of light with small rainbows on the waves; these capture our attention, only occasionally drawn away when dolphins surface. A good sign according to the experienced travelers on board. It is the ideal start to week of painting. And at the beginning of September it is still hot we will need to find a way to deal with that. Redeeming Red and Blue in Yellow We began by examining the colors red and blue in our studio, a terrace of the white and winding studio hotel with an open view of sunsets where the red sun sinks from the blue sky into the sea of a somewhat different blue; it is accompanied by all the color nuances that excite the ether. We experienced the character of the two colors: the one is concentrated, more condensed and tends toward a point, while the other loses itself, is expansive, diverging, but also accepting and protecting. The first four days began with an early-morning visit to St. John s cave where he received the revelation, and to the monastery in St. John s cloister. During these days we intensified our sensitivity to our colors. The red and blue in the visual arts can be found everywhere on Patmos. The colors create pictures and tales in images. They take on their own life. In perception and in creation. We exchanged ideas and knowledge with one another and with our paintings. Our shared work with various Bible versions of the Book of Revelation and with texts by Wolf Ulrich Klünker and Rudolf Steiner led us to places that have their effect on us as people today and in the future. With Esther Gerster s non-directive support we found an approach in our painting to Rudolf Steiner s fourth seal on the theme of St. John s revelation, and we shaped our colors into the red and blue columns. Until the very end we really could not properly fix the concentrated quality of the red in the water and the blue in its tendency to spread on the solid background. And meanwhile there was a strong feeling of incompleteness, illness, perhaps somewhat brought on by the high temperatures until the fifth day when each of us had adjusted to the climate, which had a redeeming quality for the painting. We added yellow, centered from above the light permeating everything, radiating, illuminating. The eternity in the blue is captured, the concentrated quality of red is mitigated, and it all comes together. The airy element becomes visible, the solid element becomes tangible. A unity arose with and in the light. Gazing at the sea in the evening made it clear: an eternity without light, without redemption, without Christ, is unthinkable. Greece: A Pure Life in Blue And the eternal question for tourists in Greece is also answered: Why is it so difficult here with bus and ship schedules even after 50 years of tourism. A pure life in blue! In red, punctuality always requires inner efforts that may be difficult to make because of the high temperatures we experienced that. On the other hand, the accepting quality, the hospitality of the Greeks remains despite the obstacles in today s Europe and they are glad to clean, wash, and cook for everyone who visits there. And after a few days in the blue, joyful, and hospitable atmosphere we, too, did not care so much about whether the would leave in two or three hours, or perhaps not until the next day. The main thing is that the sun is shining. Thomas Anderl, Munich (Germany) Dates: May 2015 in Ephesus. July 2015 in the Glyptothek, Munich. Autumn 2015, probably Aegina. Contact: thomand07@t-online.de. Europe: 10 Years of The Soul of Europe Timely: Ukraine A series of meetings on questions about the soul of Europe began in 2005 as an initiative of the Anthroposophical Society in Holland and the Social Sciences Section at the Goetheanum. The conference moved from Budapest, Prague, and Danzig to Varna (Bulgaria), and in 2015 to Simeria (Romania). The question of Europe s character, its problems and tasks especially those of Central Europe were considered in ever-new ways. The transition from 1989 to 1991 set many developments in motion, but also problematic and half-way measures in many areas: Where does Europe stand between the United States and Russia? How can social developments in eastern Central Europe be fructified with new ideas? What does central mean not just geographically but also as a quality of communication and uniting? The 2014 conference in Varna (August 28 31) had 80 participants from 9 European countries; the emphasis was on ages past. It focused intensively on foundational spiritual streams from Scythianus to the Bogomils and the Rosicrucians, all of which led to modern Europe. Friends of the Anthroposophical Society in Bulgaria had prepared the conference under the leadership of Bulgarian country representative Traytcho Frangov. Continuation in Romania Now the Anthroposophical Society in Romania (together with the Social Sciences Section at the Goetheanum) is extending an invitation to the next conference on August 20 23, 2015 in Simeria. It will be devoted to the current situation, especially the change of climate in Europe with the events in Russia and Ukraine: how can we bring about mutual understanding among human beings and peoples? How can we better understand the folk spirits and their doubles? Hans Hasler, Mäkelä (Finland) Conference: Soul of Europe, August 20 23, Semeria, Romania. German, English and Romanian. Info: (Program and registration in February).

14 14 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Forum Anthroposophical Society On the members day held on November 7 8, 2014, at the Goetheanum Very few members attended the members day at the Goetheanum: fewer than 70. Only 4 members were there from Germany (perhaps because of the rail strike). The Goetheanum Executive Council began with reports: Constanza Kaliks is being suggested as a new Council member, Virginia Sease will withdraw from active participation in the Council s work but will continue with courses and other responsibilities (Anthroposophy Worldwide, No. 12/2014). Is a Critical Approach Appropriate for Rudolf Steiner s Intentions? At first there was an emptiness and a feeling of powerlessness. But then concentrated work began. Justus Wittich who moderated attentively (except for the abrupt close) suggested a discussion of Christian Clement s Steiner Critical Edition (SKA). Some found the introduction to the socalled SKA 5 to be fine, while others explained that Christian Clement s approach was wrong, that he made objective errors and partly misrepresented Rudolf Steiner s intentions. A third person asked that an effort be made to end the cooperation with Christian Clement and Frommann-Holzboog publishers since Rudolf Steiner and spiritual science were being harmed by Christian Clement. Another question was whether it made sense to handle Rudolf Steiner s work academically and critically if the core of it was not understood. Several times the wish was expressed that respect be maintained as part of anthroposophical openness and honesty. Further contributions concerned our shared work on current events, the wish to grow together with the world, to introduce a consciousness of reincarnation and karma, and to develop new capacities for cooperative work. Existential fear is a factor for many today. Another question was how the spiritual power of the 1923/24 Christmas Conference led by Rudolf Steiner might be activated. Where does this impulse live today? Where is it being taken up in new and fruitful ways? I suggested providing minutes for the next Annual General Meeting that reflected process instead of decisions so that absent members might get a sense of it, and as a memory for the Anthroposophical Society. All the significant issues should be visible: the mood and progression, and the results of discussions (even incomplete ones). Light-Soul Process There were hints of a lightsoul process in some members (sensory perception alternating with body-free thinking), an attentive listening that fades away, total immersion in the matter and this created a substance that was not there earlier and could have worked on. The conversation leaders were unfortunately too little motivated to continue to day s end (a request by many members on the second day). Instead they ended early at noon. There was no closing conversation, so the initial light-soul quality could bear no fruit. Heidrun Mathilde Scholze, Unterföhring (Germany) February 9, 1918 October 3, 2014 Theodore van Vliet For seventeen years it was possible (especially for members from English-speaking lands) to encounter Theodore van Vliet when they came to the Goetheanum. Until the end of the 1990s there was an English week parallel to the large conferences around productions of Rudolf Steiner s Mystery dramas or Johann Wolfgang von Goethe s Faust. Since Theodore van Vliet had been well educated musically, linguistically, and anthroposophically, he was frequently involved in preparing the English week and often held lectures in English at them. Chicago, London, New York Theodore van Vliet was born in a suburb of Chicago. His father was an engineer and inventor; his mother came from a farm family. He grew up with two brothers and a sister. His ancestors were early Dutch and English immigrants. His older brother brought him into contact with anthroposophy, and Theodore van Vliet made the effort to work through Rudolf Steiner s Goethe s Theory of Knowledge with his elementary knowledge of German. When the United States entered World War II, Theodore van Vliet was trained as a meteorologist and sent to England. In 1943 before his departure he joined the Anthroposophical Society in America. In London he sought a connection with the local Anthroposophical Society and met his first wife (eurythmist Elizabeth Raab) at the Raab family home. After the war she founded a studio for eurythmy and speech formation in New York. Thanks to Photo: Supplied his studies of art, music, and speech, Theodore van Vliet also taught there Newsletter With George and Gisela O Neil he led the anthroposophical branch in New York. Under General Secretary Dietrich von Asten he became a member of the Council of the Anthroposophical Society in America. During this time Theodore van Vliet was involved in a newsletter that reported on the work and activities of the branch. For several years it was circulated among the members in America. Elizabeth s illness brought the couple back to Switzerland (where she died in 1970). Theodore trained as a Waldorf teacher and that was how he met Erika Schwarz and her young daughter. After several years of activity in Spring Valley, New York, the small family returned to Europe and settled near the border with Switzerland. One of the things that can be a great help for anthroposophy is someone who is a member of the General Anthroposophical Society and is willing to take up an initiative even if the founder of the initiative is no longer able to carry on with it. This point has a close relationship to the esoteric principle of continu-

15 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 15 We have been informed that the following 75 members have crossed the threshold of death. In their remembrance we are providing this information for their friends. The Membership Office at the Goetheanum Engeltje van Katwijk Rotterdam (NL) February 23, 2014 Johannes Schwarz Hombrechtikon (CH) February 28, 2014 Lotte Reinsperger Crailsheim (DE) March 25, 2014 Marion Schlumberger Buseck (DE) June 9, 2014 Gerda Ogletree Spring Valley/NY (US) June 20, 2014 Mathilde Schmid Muri (CH) June 28, 2014 Gertrud Klemt Herne (DE) July 1, 2014 Franz Lüthi Arlesheim (CH) July 16, 2014 Joachim Sartorius Winterbach (DE) July 18, 2014 Edmund Spiller Schondorf (DE) August 2, 2014 Ruth Caplin Danby (GB) August 9, 2014 Patricia Peters Bristol (GB) August 18, 2014 Peter Möri Dornach (CH) September 1, 2014 Alice Munang Chestnut Ridge/NY (US) September 25, 2014 Joachim Riedel Berlin (DE) September 29, 2014 Frau E. Jurriaanse Zeist (NL) October 6, 2014 Christine Finke Rinteln (DE) October 7, 2014 Paul Margulies Great Barrington/MA (US) October 7, 2014 Magdalena Fischer Hinwil (CH) October 11, 2014 Hélène Bouillet Nyons (FR) October 14, 2014 Manfred Schubert Herdecke (DE) October 14, 2014 Gézáné Varga Budapest (HU) October 14, 2014 Verena Gucciardi Beringen (CH) October 15, 2014 Wagner Nielsen Århus (DK) October 17, 2014 Ruth Pilgrim Marburg (DE) October 19, 2014 Helmut Wegener Hannover (DE) October 19, 2014 William Crow Canton/OH (US) October 20, 2014 Meta Verheul Alphen a/d Rijn (NL) October 28, 2014 Elke Claus Gladbeck (DE) October 31, 2014 Claude Mainville Val-David (CA) October 31, 2014 Børge Pehrson Hjørring (DK) November 1, 2014 Ruth Sodenkamp Everswinkel (DE) November 4, 2014 Sara Mild Herdwangen-Schönach (DE) November 5, 2014 Jan Albert van Oyen Sommelsdijk (NL) November 7, 2014 Burgi Eckert Hamburg (DE) November 9, 2014 Elisabeth Chalès Zürich (CH) November 10, 2014 Lieselotte Schmidt Munich (DE) November 10, 2014 Elisabeth Adler Bad Liebenzell (DE) November 11, 2014 Gudrun Brauer Niefern-Öschelbronn (DE) November 11, 2014 Gladys Clench Hereford (GB) November 15, 2014 Ilse Meussdörffer Niefern-Öschelbronn (DE) November 15, 2014 Mr. H.L.M. Rademaker Zeist (NL) November 15, 2014 Ralf Kaliss Schorndorf (DE) November 16, 2014 Barbara Mossner Bliestorf (DE) November 19, 2014 Martin Askew East Grinstead (GB) November 20, 2014 Anna Sala Lucca (IT) November 21, 2014 Renate Schmidt Bad Liebenzell (DE) November 21, 2014 Jean-Nicolas Bazin Saint-Jeorire (FR) November 22, 2014 Nan Boyd Danby (GB) November 24, 2014 Bernd Rexroth Lohr (DE) November 25, 2014 Maria Eller Wuppertal (DE) November 28, 2014 Katharina Germann Überlingen (DE) November 29, 2014 Winfried Krings Freiburg (DE) November 29, 2014 Adelheid Redemann Dortmund (DE) December 1, 2014 Magdalena Castrén Helsingfors (FI) December 2, 2014 Peter Henn Bickenbach (DE) December 2, 2014 Ursula Schwander Uitikon Waldegg (CH) December 2, 2014 Werner Pfeffer Ahrensburg (DE) December 5, 2014 Ursula Korbach Nürnberg (DE) December 6, 2014 Lieselotte Pflästerer Weinheim (DE) December 7, 2014 Holger Vietor Bad Liebenzell (DE) December 7, 2014 Marguerite Wood Box near Stroud (GB) December 7, 2014 Günter Aschoff Dornach (CH) December 9, 2014 Elisabeth Herzog Reiserfeld (DE) December 9, 2014 Katrin de Quero Dornach (CH) December 11, 2014 Jens Hansen Copenhagen (DK) December 12, 2014 Hella Wiesberger Hombrechtikon (CH) December 13, 2014 Karl-Heinz Niklowitz Berlin (DE) December 16, 2014 Stephen Lloyd Hermanus (ZA) December 18, 2014 Ingeborg Bartels Kassel (DE) December 24, 2014 Geoffrey Bell Aberdeen (GB) December 26, 2014 Irja Vähänissi Helsinki (FI) December 27, 2014 Maria Roth Arlesheim (CH) December 30, 2014 Fritz Salathé Seltisberg (CH) in December 2014 Gerd von Stietencron Stuttgart (DE) January 1, 2015 From November 11, 2014 to January 5, 2015 the Society welcomed 169 new members. 310 are no longer members (resignations, lost, and corrections by country Societies) ity in the realm of intentionality. A request by Friedrich Hiebel (Goetheanum Executive Council member) to become editor of News from the Goetheanum (an editorship that fell vacant in 1976) was a happy coincidence because this completely matched Theodore van Vliet s capacities and interests. Dora Baker had been editor since Theodore van Vliet was free to give the publication a new form and content. Henceforth it was called What is happening in the Anthroposophical Society? and contained translated Section reports, conference reports, reports on issues, exchanges with the periphery, etc. The layout (still without computer), dealings with the printer, and occasional trips to meetings in Europe made it a one-man business. Literary Activity In his last years (and after 17 years with News from the Goetheanum) he worked in literature: an English translation of Christian Morgenstern s Einkehr, his own poetry and reflections on the meaning of poetry in human history. Increasing blindness was a serious hindrance as was a serious cardiac condition he bore without mechanical help so as not to lose the cosmic rhythm in his heart. Nonetheless Theo dore van Vliet remained inwardly creative, awake, and interested. In the past twelve years he lived in seclusion with his wife in a small town in the southern Black Forest. Virginia Sease, Goetheanum Executive Council Oct. 20, 1920 Dec. 13, 2014 Hella Wiesberger H ella Wiesberger studied Waldorf education and speech formation. At the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung she first drew attention with her typing ability, and later she became a main editor of Rudolf Steiner s works (social, artistic, esoteric, including the esoteric lessons, Class lessons, and the priest s cycles). Das Goetheanum No. 3/2015 is dedicated to her life and work. Sebastian Jüngel

16 16 Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 1/15 Anthroposophy Feature in the World Meditation in East and West Buddhism and Anthroposophy in Conversation Meditative work is part of the foundation for spiritual activity. What is offered today is widely diverse, and much of it reflects Buddhist literature. Rudolf Steiner also took up some elements from the Eastern path, and he united Eastern and Western esotericism. An ambitious conference brings the two approaches together. Based on Christian Clement s scholarly work in recently published volume 7 of the Critical Edition (with two works by Rudolf Steiner on the schooling of knowledge How to Know Higher Worlds [GA 10] and Stages of Higher Knowledge [GA 12]) something is now clear after 100 years of editorial history, something that could already be felt simply in the reading: Steiner s unique ductus in these books (which originally appeared in essay form) is fed by two springs. The Way Within, The Gaze Without On the one hand there are elements of Eastern esotericism and that includes all the exercises directed inwardly and toward the moral element. There the main point is to get some distance from yourself, observe your own thoughts and feelings especially in the subsidiary exercises, all of which can more or less be demonstrably found in Eastern esotericism, and which Rudolf Steiner recast in a new form. This is particularly true of the central path of exercise in Buddhism, the noble eightfold path which Rudolf Steiner called the teaching of sympathy and love. On the other hand there are elements that Rudolf Steiner took from Rosicrucianism thus from Western esotericism and then developed in his own way. They consist of those exercises connected with outer perception through a Rosicrucian and especially a Goethean approach. They are meant to lead to a training for supersensible perceptions, even though not as the sole means.* The approach taken by the path of schooling Rudolf Steiner intended to inaugurate (as shown in Stages of Higher Boddhisattva statue: Korea, seventh century Knowledge and its continuation) consists of the imaginative level of knowledge and the next level which is that of inspiration. Therefore it might also be said that the Western approach corresponds more to an outwardly directed (and artistic) imagination while the Eastern approach is directed more inwardly, more at an inspiration that is oriented toward the soul. Today anthroposophy is mainly known and valued for its practical and artistic results in education, medicine and agriculture because in the last 100 years in has principally followed the Western approach (which takes its start from the sensory world). But the Eastern approach of inspiration directed inwardly, at the moral element, at the development of a total selflessness has largely remained in the background for reasons we cannot go into here. A Different Prominence The imaginative path of meditation on which all anthroposophical practice in fundamentally based is almost completely unknown in the public arena. Even in anthroposophical circles it has really become known and systematically explored only during the past ten to fifteen years. The meditative practices of Buddhism, those that actually start directly with inspiration through a practice of the eightfold path, are known in every corner of the world today. And there is a flood of offerings and literature from various Buddhist traditions ranging from Tibetan to Zen that make Buddhism and its eightfold path accessible to and ever growing population. However access to the sensory world remains closed and it lies untouched, also in relation to any evolutionary concepts. In and of themselves, both approaches seem one-sided in a certain way; in fact, Rudolf Steiner even presents them as dubious in the two books cited. He clearly notes that the two approaches belong together belong to the modern path of initiation or schooling. It is in this context that an ambitious conference of the Anthroposophical Society in Stuttgart will present the meditative practice developed until now in anthroposophy and bring it into conversation with Buddhist approaches. The aim is to make a broader public aware of Rudolf Steiner s largely unknown meditative approaches, and enter into a conversation with Buddhist practices at the same time. Interspiritual Encounter From the Buddhist side, Volker Zotz and Michael von Brück (two of the best known researchers into Buddhism) have been invited, as well as the Buddhist monk Thich Hue An (Urs Schumacher) who was employed at the Goetheanum earlier and is thus very familiar with anthroposophy. We have also invited philosopher Gernot Böhme and from the anthroposophical side Anna-Katharina Dehmelt, Steffen Hartmann and Rudi Ballreich, all of whom have had long experience in the practice of anthroposophical meditation (although with different approaches). This conversation between Buddhism and anthroposophy will mainly deal with mutual understanding. Today other cultures must be met on the same level and with great openness. Thus an interspiritual encounter can lead to a new meeting with long-held beliefs and we hope it can help bring about mutual enrichment. Andreas Neider, Stuttgart (Germany) * Cf. on the two approaches: Rudolf Steiner: Andacht und Achtsamkeit. Stufen des Wahrnehmens, ed. by Andreas Neider; Rudolf Steiner: Herzdenken. Über inspiratives Erkennen, ed. by Martina Maria Sam, both Basel Conference: Meditation in East and West. Buddhism and Anthroposophy in Conversation, March 6 8, Rudolf Steiner House, Stuttgart (Germany). Registration/Information: Tagungsbüro Andreas Neider and Laurence Godard, Zur Uhlandshöhe 10, Stuttgart, Germany. Tel , aneider@gmx.de, www. meditationostwest.de