Newsletter August 2017

Transcription

1 Newsletter August 2017 Excerpts From Three Rudolf Steiner Lectures on the Subject of Solar Eclipses Dear Friends, Rudolf Steiner touched on the subject of solar eclipses a few times including descriptions of the darkening of the earth at the crucifixion, and a recounting of what thereby became perceptible in nature. He also suggests that Christ chose the time of the eclipse for his death. I have found these materials helpful as we approach the August eclipse, and hope that you will also. For those of you attending the workshop, these readings may help to stimulate many questions, as they have me. There is, as always, much more to be had in the complete lectures. ~Valerie Hope Human Questions and Cosmic Answers, I Sunlight and Moonlight, Eclipses and Man s Life of the Soul Modern science knows only one side of the picture. The scientist sees only the physical properties of sun and moon. The old initiate said: While the sun continually sends its light down upon the earth, the earth sends its rays of will the combined will-forces of all the human beings living on earth into the cosmos. And when man allows the light of the moon to shine upon him, rays of thought are sent down to him from out of the cosmos. The old initiate had to wait at least fourteen days; for it was at the time of the new moon that he put his questions to the rising sun, and he received his answers only when the moon was full. The human organism has undergone many changes. Anyone, therefore, who is today seeking super-sensible knowledge cannot proceed in the old way. Man s power of understanding is cruder than it was in ancient times. When a man has begun to understand how the element of will inherent in the soul streams out towards the rays of the sun, how it streams into all the sense-impressions he receives from the outer world he also begins to understand how his soul and spirit stream out into the universe on the waves of a spiritual element, of a cosmic element, when his physical body has fallen a victim to the forces of death. The man of today, owing largely to his materialistic education, describes everything from the physical point of view. He says: An eclipse of the sun is due to the fact that the moon comes between the sun and the earth, cutting off the rays of the sun. This is a physical explanation, built up from physical observation and as obvious as if we were to say: Here is a light, and there an eye. If I place my hand in front of the eye, the light will be darkened. As you see, it is a purely physical, spatial explanation, and that is as far as modern consciousness goes. We must strive once more for a true knowledge of such phenomena. They are not of everyday occurrence, and on the comparatively rare occasions of their appear-

2 ance they should be studied not only from their physical but also from their spiritual aspect.. When we know that on the one hand the rays of the sun penetrate down to the earth and on the other hand the forces or rays of will stream out to meet the sun, it is possible to form some idea of how a solar eclipse can affect these radiations of will which are altogether spiritual in their nature. The sunlight is blocked by the moon; that is a purely physical process. But physical matter in this case the body of the moon is no obstacle to the forces streaming out from the will. These forces radiate into the darkness, and there ensues a period of time, short though it may be, in which all that is of the nature of will upon the earth flows out into universal space in an abnormal way. It is different altogether from what takes place when there is no eclipse. Ordinarily, the physical sunlight unites with the radiations of will streaming towards it. When there is an eclipse, the forces of will flow unhindered into cosmic space. The old initiates knew these things. They saw that at such a moment all the unbridled impulses and instincts of humanity surge out into the cosmos. And they gave The Portland Branch of the Anthroposophical Society Invites you to Save The Dates! See the attached calendar & fliers for more info. and more events 8/19-21 Solar Eclipse with Dr. Oliver Conradt and Mary Stewart Adams 8/29 Mind and Body in the Womb: How Do We Exist as Embryo with Dr. Jaap van der Wal 9/30 Michaelmas Observance 10/26-30 Thomas Meyer 11/2 All Souls Observance 12/ 1, 8, 15 Making Space for Christmas, with Dr. John Takacs their pupils the following explanation. They said: Under normal conditions the evil impulses of will which are sent out into the cosmos by human beings are, as it were, burned up and consumed by the rays of the sun, so that they can injure only man himself, but can do no universal harm. When, however, there is an eclipse of the sun, opportunity is given for the evil which is willed on earth to spread over the cosmos. An eclipse is a physical event behind which there lies a significant spiritual reality.. Today we must not absorb such teaching in its old form. Were we to do so, we should be led into superstition. But it is very necessary to reach a point at which we are able once more to perceive the spiritual which permeates all cosmic processes. Eclipses of the sun and moon, recurring as they do in the course of every year, may really be looked upon as safety-valves. A safety-valve is there to avert danger, to provide an outlet for something or other steam, for instance at the right moment. One of the safety-valves which makes its appearance in the cosmos and to which we give the name of a solar eclipse, serves the purpose of carrying out into space in a Luciferic way, the evil that spreads over the earth, in order that evil may work havoc in a wider, less concentrated sphere. When the sunlight streams towards us, the surrounding space is made free for the passage of those souls who must leave their physical bodies and make their way out into universal space. When the sun sends its light down to earth, the earth sends human souls out into cosmic space, where these souls undergo many metamorphoses. Then, in a spiritual form, they approach the earth once more, passing in their descent through the sphere of the moon, and taking possession once again of a physical body which has been prepared for them in the stream of physical heredity. It will not be possible for us to enter into a right relationship with the universe until such time as we begin to feel and experience these things in a real and living way. We must win back for ourselves once more a knowledge and an understanding that will enable us to call up in our souls a feeling akin to religion whenever we are confronted by great cosmic events. We must be able to say, with the men of old: O sun, thou sendest towards me the rays of thy light. These rays form a pathway to me upon earth and along this pathway, but moving in the other direction, the souls of human beings, the souls of the dead stream out into cosmic space. And again: O moon, thou shinest down with gentle radiance upon the earth from thy place in the heavens. And borne on the waves of thy gentle light from far cosmic spaces, are those souls who are on their way once more into earthly existence. 2

3 The Fifth Gospel, Lecture II I shall refrain from dealing with the spectacle presented during a solar eclipse and with all those things that are the creations of human artifice and technique. To be able to endure the spectacle of those demonic powers and entities which during an eclipse of the sun rise out of the creations of art-forsaken, technical science, requires great courage and the realisation that all these things were inevitable. I do not propose, however, to go further into this particular matter but merely draw attention to the fact that a vision, at other times only to be reached after very difficult meditation, lights up and reveals that during a solar eclipse all plant-life, all animal life, every butterfly, take on quite a different appearance. It is an experience that in the very deepest sense brings the conviction of how intimately a certain form of cosmic-spiritual life belonging to the sun and having its physical body in the visible sun, is connected with life on the earth. And when the physical radiance is darkened by the intervening moon, this is different from when, during the night, the sun is merely not shining. The spectacle of the earth around us is quite different during an eclipse of the sun from what it is during an ordinary night. During an eclipse of the sun one feels the group-souls of the plants and of the animals lighting up... all the physical embodiments of the animals and plants seem to pass into shadow, while the group-souls become radiant. (This is Rudolf Steiner s description of what was seen during the darkening of the sun at the Crucifixion.) And the external event becomes a symbolic expression of the fact that human evolution had reached a stage where the knowledge born of man s own mind placed itself in front of the higher knowledge, like the moon before the sun during an eclipse. In that eclipse of the sun one feels the darkening of the sun of humanity in earthly evolution, engraved into the Cosmos in a stupendous sign of the occult script With the moon-knowledge, darkness crept over the higher message of the sun. Star Wisdom, Moon Religion, Sun Religion III Questioner: What was the cause of the darkening of the sun for three hours at the time of Christ s death? Dr. Steiner: That, of course, is a most significant question and one which, as you may imagine, has occupied me very deeply. I can well believe that the questioner too considers it important, because it indicates that such things are really no longer credible to the modern mind. That is why the nineteenth century solved it simply by asserting: It is not true, it is only imagery and no great importance need be attached to it. That, however, is wrong. Care- Calendar of the Soul 18. Eighteenth Week (August 4-10) Can I extend my Soul So that she unites herself With the Logos-Seed received? I expect to find the strength To mould my soul, a garment Worthy of the Spirit. 19. Nineteenth Week (August 11-17) To hold mystically what I ve received Deep in my heart s warm memory That shall be my further goal: It shall augment my strength Deep in my heart And thus grant me my Self. 20. Twentieth Week (August 18-24) Thus I sense my Beingness, Estranged from World Existence, Must need extinguish, and, Reliant only on itself, Would kill the Self within. 21. Twenty-first Week (August 25-31) I feel an unknown power growing Strongly endowing me with Self, The ripening of the seed I sense And expectation weaving bright, Of confidence of Self. Calendar translation by Stefan Schwabe 3

4 ful study of the knowledge yielded by Spiritual Science leads to the discovery that at the time of Christ s death there was an eclipse of the sun, or at all events the sun was obscured to such an extent that when the death took place, darkness fell over the district. Such things should not be brushed aside and simply denied; quite obviously they call for explanation. The deep sorrow caused in the hearts of certain men by what came to pass in Palestine at that time was accompanied by anguish in the world of nature. The anguish in human hearts and the anguish in nature were simultaneous. Just as the blood flows in the body and man s health is dependent on this blood, so do the living forces contained in the sunlight flow into the blood. Just as before the death of a human being the blood is gradually becoming lifeless, so even at the time of Christ s birth what lives in the light was already on the way to that condition of darkness which set in when the death actually took place. There was a close and intimate connection between happenings in nature and the life of Christ. And it may be said that just as Christ consciously chose twilight as the time for healing the sick, so His unconscious depths of soul chose the darkening of the Sun as the time of death. That is how one must picture these things in order to interpret them truly; their meaning can only be suggested in a delicate and intimate way for they do not lend themselves to crude explanation. The Eclipse in the Context of the Cycle of the Year: Archangels Uriel and Michael During the August 21 eclipse, the moon s shadow will cross the North American continent, touching only the mainland of the US from Oregon to South Carolina. We are told that this has not happened since July 29, 436. A great deal of information is available about the exoteric aspects of this rare event. As Anthroposophists, we can together explore the esoteric implications, and perhaps bring something helpful to it out of ourselves. This is our purpose in coming together for the August workshop. As we prepare ourselves inwardly it can be helpful to place ourselves spiritually in the cycle of the year, (Steiner s lectures on the Four Seasons and the Archangels are invaluable for this) and perhaps wonder how the processes at work during this season might be affected by the eclipse. The Central Region is also considering the possible effects of this particular eclipse on our so-called dead in the spiritual world. From The Four Seasons and the Archangels Lecture IV St. John Imagination Excerpted and summarized Rudolf Steiner tells us that at midsummer, if we are able to look imaginatively into the depths of the earth, we would see a deep blue colored crystalizing process shot through with lines that sparkle like silver, which we would feel to be within ourselves. We would know that it is cosmic Will. all that is in human virtue and human excellence rises up with the silver-gleaming lines and is seen as the clouds that envelop Uriel. It enters into the radiant Intelligence, transmuted into cloud-shaped works of art. We would also see that weaving around the crystalline rays in the earth are disturbing shapes which continually gather and dissolve, and that these are human (weaknesses and) errors which stand out against the natural order of the regular crystals here below. And it is on this contrast that Uriel directs his earnest gaze. Here during the height of summer the imperfections of mankind, in contrast to the regularity of the growing crystal forms, are searchingly surveyed. Here it is that from the earnest gaze of Uriel we gain the impression of how the moral is interwoven with the natural. In the heavens we feel cosmic Intelligence, woven through with light as the polar opposite of the Will. Out of this radiant intelligence, which has received the elemental spirits of the Earth as they have soared upwards since Springtime, appears the earnest countenance of the Archangel Uriel, a concentrated image of Cosmic Understanding gazing down at us. He draws the silver forces in the earth upward, where they densify into a glory of gold the earth-silver is changed by cosmic alchemy into the cosmic gold which lives and weaves in the heights. It is impossible to look towards the increasingly earnest gaze of Uriel, directed towards the depths of the Earth, without also seeing there something like wing-like arms, or arm-like wings, raised in earnest admonition, and this gesture by Uriel has the effect of imparting to mankind what I might call the historic conscience. Here at high summer appears the historic conscience, which at the present time has become uncommonly feeble. It appears, as it were, in Uriel s warning gesture. 4

5 Lecture V: Uriel s gesture is a warning gesture, indicating to men what they ought to do. It calls upon them, if they understand it rightly, to transform their faults into virtues. For up above in the clouds appear the shining pictures of beauty, woven out of the Sun-gold, and they are pictures of all that by dint of virtue humanity has achieved Of course, you must picture all this as an Imagination. These things are quite real, but I cannot speak of them in the way a physicist speaks of positive and negative, of potential energy and so on. I have to speak in pictures that will come to life in your souls. But everything expressed in these living pictures is reality; it is there. The Heights (living movement): Behold our weaving, the kindling radiance, the warming life. The Depths (fixed form): Live in the earth s sustaining, and in the form-giving breathing, with the power of true being. The Midst The Inner Being of Man (morality): Feel the limbs of man, from the heavens illuminated, in the strength of worlds united. The Whole: The Substances are densified, errors are judged and rectified, hearts are sifted Rudolf Steiner tells us that Michael, who leads us over to the autumn time, derives his raiment from that which is formed in the heights through the upward-raying silver and the gold (diluted beyond human measure) that flows to meet it; from the transmutation by the sun s power of the silver sparkling up from the Earth. This raiment first lights lights up in golden sunshine and then shines forth inwardly as a silver-sparkling radiance within the golden folds from that which is formed in the heights through the upward-raying silver and the gold that flows to meet it; from the transmutation by the sun s power of the silver sparkling up from the Earth. As autumn approaches we see how the silver given by the Earth to the cosmos returns as gold, and the power of this transmuted silver is the source of that which goes on in the Earth during winter The Sun-gold, formed in the heights, in the dominion of Uriel, during high summer, passes down to weave and flow through the depths of the Earth, where it animates the elements that in the midst of winter are seeking to become the living growth of the following year. Lecture I Michael Imagination Rudolf Steiner tells us that in summer the sulfur within us rises and our inner being begins to shine - we become visible for other planetary beings. At the same time the Ahrimanic power, which is closely related to this sulfurizing prcess winds its way among us trying to ensnare and embrace us. And when in high summer, from a particular constellation, meteors fall in great showers of cosmic iron, then this cosmic iron, which carries an enormously powerful healing force, is the weapon which the gods bring to bear against Ahriman, as dragon-like he tries to coil round the shining forms of men. The force which falls on the earth in the meteoric iron is indeed a cosmic force whereby the higher gods endeavour to gain a victory over the Ahrimanic powers, when autumn comes on. And this majestic display in cosmic space, when the August meteor showers stream down into the human shining in the astral light, has its counterpart so gentle and apparently so small in a change that occurs in the human blood. This human blood, which is in truth not such a material thing as present-day science imagines, but is permeated throughout by impulses from soul and spirit, is rayed through by the force which is carried as iron into the blood and wages war there on anxiety, fear and hate. The processes which are set going in every bloodcorpuscle when the force of iron shoots into it are the same, on a minute human scale, as those which take place when meteors fall in a shining stream through the air. This permeation of human blood by the anxiety-dispelling force of iron is a meteoric activity. The effect of the raying in of the iron is to drive fear and anxiety out of the blood. St. John s Imagination by Rudolf Steiner 5

6 Foundation Stone Meditation According to Mary Steward Adams, Rudolf Steiner gave the Foundation Stone as a speaking to the stars in the form of a meditation laid into the hearts of those aligned with the re-founding of the Anthroposophical Society. Intensifying our work with it can be a good preparation for our time together at the eclipse conference, or for anyone else striving to perceive spiritual realities related to the eclipse. Panel One Soul of Man! Thou livest in the Limbs Which bear thee through the world of Space Into the ocean-being of the Spirit. Practise Spirit-recollection In depths of soul, Where in the wielding World-Creator-Being Thine own I Comes to being Within the I of God Then in the All-World-Being of Man Thou wilt truly live. For the Father-Spirit of the Heights holds sway In Depths of Worlds, begetting Being. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones! (Spirits of Strength!) Let there ring out from the Heights What in the Depths is echoed, Speaking: Ex Deo nascimur. (From God, Mankind has Being.) The Elemental Spirits hear it In East and West and North and South: May human beings hear it! Panel Two Soul of man! Thou livest in the beat of Heart and Lung Which leads thee through the rhythmic tides of Time Into the feeling of thine own Soul-being. Practise Spirit-pondering In balance of the soul, Where the surging Deeds of the World s Becoming Do thine own I Unite Unto the I of the World. Then mid the weaving of the Soul of Man Thou wilt truly feel. For the Christ-Will in the encircling Round holds sway In the Rhythms of Worlds, blessing the Soul. Kyriotetes, Dynamis, Exusiai! (Spirits of Light!) Let there be fired from the East What through the West is formed, Speaking: In Christo morimur. (In Christ, Death becomes Life.) The Elemental Spirits hear it In East and West and North and South: May human beings hear it! 6

7 Panel Three Soul of Man! Thou livest in the resting Head Which from the ground of the Eternal Opens to thee the Thoughts of Worlds. Practise Spirit-vision In quietness of Thought, Where the eternal aims of Gods World-Being s Light On thine own I Bestow For thy free Willing. Then from the ground of the Spirit of Man Thou wilt truly think. For the Spirit s Universal Thoughts hold sway In the Being of all Worlds, beseeching Light. Archai, Archangeloi, Angeloi! (Spirits of Soul!) Let there be prayed in the Depths What from the Heights is answered, Speaking: Per Spiritum Sanctum reviviscimus. (In the Spirit s Universal Thoughts, the Soul awakens.) The Elemental Spirits hear it In East and West and North and South: May human beings hear it! Panel Four At the Turning-point of Time The Spirit-Light of the World Entered the stream of Earthly Being. Darkness of Night Had held its sway; Day-radiant Light Poured into the souls of men: Light That gives warmth To simple Shepherds Hearts, Light That enlightens The wise Heads of Kings. O Light Divine, O Sun of Christ! Warm Thou Our Hearts, Enlighten Thou Our Heads, That good may become What from our Hearts we would found And from our Heads direct With single purpose. 7

8 The Portland Branch Newsletter is published monthly to serve Branch members and friends. To learn more about the Portland Branch of the Anthroposophical Society, contact Diane Rumage at To submit an article or a calendar item, it both to Valerie Hope, valerieannhpdx@aol.com and Wes Burch, truelion@comcast.net, The deadline for submissions is the 15th of the previous month. Items selected for publication may be edited for style, content and length. To sign up for our list, or to contact the Branch Council, go to The newsletter and calendar are posted on the Branch website, Paper copies are available at the Pohala and Healthbridge Clinics; and the Cedarwood, Michael & Portland Waldorf Schools, and Swallowtail School. Dear Friends, the 2017 Perseid meteor shower will peak on the night of August 12 and early morning of August 13. Cameras regularly monitoring the sky have detected meteors from the shower as early as July 1 and as late as September 3. The best time to observe might be in the last week of July and in the days following maximum in mid-august. Let us experience the effect of this strength and courage-building iron in our own blood. Newsletter co-editors are Wes Burch & Valerie Hope; Seth Miller is our webmaster; and Ruth Klein is our treasurer; Christopher Guilfoil is our design and layout artist. The Portland Branch thanks the following Members & Friends for their Dues and Generous Donations in 2017: Cyndia Ashkar, Christine Badura, Sandra Burch, Wes Burch, Julie Foster, Christopher Guilfoil, Helen Homola, Valerie Hope, Lauren Johnson, Bob Kellum, Donna Kellum, Ruth Klein, Tom Klein, James Knight, Anne Kollender, Vicki Lai, Robin Lieberman, Judith Levin, Martin Levin, Lisa Masterson, Brian McClure, Willi Muller, Jeff Rice, Diane Rumage, Jerry Soloway, Rebecca Soloway, William Surface, Linda Sussman, Joan Takacs, John Takacs, Chiaki Uchiyama, Beth Wieting, Brian Wickert Starry Night Vincent Van Gogh Oil, 29x36 We will gratefully receive your Branch membership dues ($50 or what you can afford). Send to: The Portland Branch c/o Ruth Klein, 3609 SE Center, Portland, OR We would like to gratefully acknowledge the following who generously provide spaces for our many activities: Dr. Joan and John Takacs for their long-standing donation of Bothmer Hall; the Portland Waldorf School; and the Cedarwood School. The Stars once spoke to man It is World Destiny that they are silent now. To become aware of this Silence Can become Pain for Earthly humanity. But in the deepening Silence There grows and ripens what the Human Being speaks to the stars. To become aware of this Speaking Can become Strength for Spirit Humanity. -Rudolf Steiner 8

9 7477 SE 52nd Ave. Portland, OR Primary Care Infused with the Aloha Spirit integrating Anthroposophic Medicine. Julie E. Foster, MSN, FNP Place Your Ad Here! And Support the Portland Branch Contact Valerie Hope at Dr. Lisa Del Alba Anthroposophical N.D. Benjamin Bell LMT OR Lic 3382 Advanced CranioSacral Therapy Pohala Clinic SE 52nd Ave. Portand, OR uorhealth.com Eugene Scheduling Jefferson St. Eugene, OR 97402

10 Portland Branch Calendar August, 2017 First Class of the School of Spiritual Science NO LESSON IN AUGUST Lesson 17 will be held on Sept. 10, (no admittance after the class starts) Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St, Portland, Blue card required. Lessons normally held second Sunday of each month Contact Diane Rumage at ; Cheri Munske at ; or Rebecca Soloway, Portland Branch Council Meeting August 7, 7 pm 2606 SE 58th Ave. Contact Valerie Hope, ; valerieannhpdx@aol.com All Branch members are welcome to attend, and/or to call us with agenda items, proposals, suggestions, or to observe. Meetings are on the second Monday of each month. Piano Recital with Besso Namchevadse from the Eurythmeum Stuttgart Tuesday, August 8, 7 pm at Classic Piano, 3003 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland Donation For more information contact Jolanda Frischknecht, Mr. Namchevadse, piano accompanist from the Eurythmeum Stuttgart, will perform works by Bach-Busoni, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Schumann. Sharing Performance from the Summer Professional Eurythmy Conference Sunday, August 13, 3pm at Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2 nd Ave., Portland Donation For more information contact Jolanda Frischknecht, This Eurythmy sharing will be the culmination of a professional Eurythmy conference with master teachers Dorothea Mier of Spring Valley, and Michael Leber of Stuttgart on the work of Rudolf Steiner s Twelve Moods. The evening will include a music piece and contributions from participating Eurythmists. Total Eclipse of the Sun with Dr. Oliver Conradt and Mary Stewart Adams August Portland Waldorf School, 2300 Harrison St., Milwaukie, Or. Contact Walter Rice, walter@waldorftravel.com or Valerie Hope, valerieannhpdx@aol.com $385 Full Conference, Saturday and Sunday only, $250, Bus trip only, $137. Protective Eyewear included The Portland Branch is pleased to announce this significant event, intended to bring us to a deeper experience and understanding of a total eclipse of the sun from an Anthroposophical perspective. After two days of preparation with Dr. Conradt, head of the Math and Astronomy section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum, and Mary Adams, longtime storyteller and researcher in star wisdom, we will bus together on the morning of Monday the 21 st to a private farm to view (safely, glasses provided) the eclipse. Spaces are limited, so sign up right away. The flier, program and registration form are in the newsletter and on our website, The Embryo in Us: understanding ourselves as embryo, with Dr. Jaap van der Wal Tuesday August 29- Saturday September 2, 2017 Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2 nd Ave, Portland. $665 includes meals, $615 for earlybirds before June 29, $15 discount if paid by check or cash Download the registration form at For more info contact Dr. Bob Kellum at healthbridge@integra.net. August 29, 7-9 pm lecture, Mind and Body in the Womb How do we Exist as Embryo? - is open to the public Fee is $12. Sponsored By The Society For Physicians Of Anthroposophic Naturopathy And The Portland Branch Of The Anthroposophic Society Anthroposophy Today: a National and International Perspective with Joan Sleigh and John Bloom Monday September 11, 7:45 pm Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St, Portland, contact Valerie Hope valerieannhpdx@aol.com This conversation with Joan and John will focus on the present and future of anthroposophy, and the life of the society. They will share some national and international perspectives about what is happening in the movement, and then open up the conversation. They are interested in learning from participants, hearing what is on hearts and minds as we navigate the early twenty-first century. How might today s issues inform research into a more human future? We look forward to lively and informative time together. See flier in the August newsletter. Opening Reception for Jacqueline Freeman: Photography Thursday, September 14 The Art Hall at Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2 nd Ave., Portland For more information contact Robin Lieberman From this renowned beekeeper and biodynamic farmer you will hear a tale or two about Jacqueline s elementals.

11 The Christian Community in Portland September Rev. Wiggins November Rev. Miller February 2 5 Rev. Wiggins May 3-6 Rev. Miller Michaelmas Observance Saturday, September 30 Bothmer Hall Contact Valerie Hope, ; valerieannhpdx@aol.com Meditations on the Platonic Solids: An exhibit of geometric sculptures by Martin Levin, Ph.D. October Opening reception Friday evening, October 6 At the art gallery of the Multnomah Art Center, 7688 SW Capital Hwy, Portland Thomas Meyer, Three Lectures in Portland Friday October 27, Saturday October 28 Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2 nd Ave., Portland Contact James Lee, anthroposophynow@comcast.net for more information and to ask about work-study openings. Friday, 7:30-9:30 pm, $20 branch members, $25 nonmembers The Mexican Mysteries and the Mystery of Golgotha: This lecture will delve into a deeply esoteric mystery linking the Mystery of Golgotha and the simultaneous, parallel crucifixion of an initiated black magician in Mexico, as revealed by Rudolf Steiner in Inner Impulses of Evolution: The Mexican Mysteries and the Knights Templar (CW171). Comprehending this event in the light of Steiner s Law of Polarity and its relationship to the Earth s nine subterranean spheres is critical to understanding modern times where new forces are entering human evolution from both sides of the two thresholds: the threshold to spiritual worlds and the threshold to the subterranean worlds. Saturday, Lecture 1, 3:30-5:00 pm dinner break Lecture 2, 7:30-9:30 pm $40 for Branch members, $50 non-members, or $30 each. The Subterranean Spheres in the World and in the Human Being : Rudolf Steiner gave only five lectures directly about the subterranean spheres, four of them in 1906, and one in He never returned to the topic again with specificity. However, his very last writing, Leading Thought of March 30, 1925 was titled From Nature to Sub-Nature and addressed the need to make such forces fully conscious. He warned He [the human being] can only do this if he rises in spiritual knowledge as least as far into Super-Nature as he has descended in the technical sciences in to Sub-Nature. The nine levels of the spiritual world have their polar reflection in the nine layers of the subterranean world. Awareness of these complimentary but opposing spheres is found in literature (Dante), mythology and legend. The degree to which modern humanity is influenced by these unconscious and semi-conscious forces and the necessity of becoming fully conscious of these chthonic energies in order to achieve a balanced progress in one s moral/spiritual development will be presented in the light of Spiritual Science. Sponsored by the Portland Branch. Flier is in the newsletter. All Souls Observance Monday, November 2 Bothmer Hall Contact Valerie Hope, ; valerieannhpdx@aol.com Making Space for Christmas, led by Dr. John Takacs Fridays December 1, 8, 15, 6-7:30 pm, promptness appreciated Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St., Portland Free Admission, all welcome Wear clothes you can move in Disabilities and infirmities accommodated Each session will build on the previous one We will use movement to explore and enliven the inner and outer spaces, enhancing awareness and ability for the spirit of the Christmas season. Ongoing Local Activities and Study Groups First Class of the School of Spiritual Science Second Sunday of the MONTH NO LESSON IN AUGUST 9:30 am sharp (no admittance after the class starts) Bothmer Hall, 5919 SE Division St, Portland, Blue card required. Contact Diane Rumage at , Cheri Munske at , or Rebecca Soloway (516) First Class Study Second Thursday of the Month The First Class of the Michael School and its Christological Foundations by S. Prokofieff For Members of the School of Spiritual Science 7:30-9:00 pm Contact Rebecca Soloway, jrsoloway@hotmail.com or Council Meetings of the Portland Branch Second Monday of the month 7-9 pm 2606 SE 58th Ave., Portland Contact Valerie Hope, (503) , valerieannhpdx@aol.com All Branch members are welcome to attend, and/or to call us with agenda items, proposals, suggestions, or to observe. An Outline of Esoteric Science Study Group First Monday of the Month 7:45-9pm Bothmer Hall, 5919 SE Division St., Portland Contact Jerry Soloway or jrsoloway@hotmail.com Please join us in lively discussions centered on Rudolf Steiner s An Outline of Esoteric Science.

12 Eurythmy Foundation Course with Jolanda Frischknecht Tuesdays & One Weekend/ Month Tuesdays 6-7:30 pm, One weekend/month Friday 6-:7:30, Saturday 10:30-2:30 with lunch break Takes place in Bothmer Hall, 5919 SE Division St., Portland $20/session; Tuesdays Only $80; weekend $50; all classes $120 Contact Jolanda, or This class is for those who have done Eurythmy for some time as well as for those new to it; for those who want to deepen their experience and dive into the eurythmical movements more intensively; session will consist of both Tone and Speech Eurythmy; we will explore and deepen the basic elements of Eurythmy as well as entering into an artistic process together of expressing poetry and music through the wonderfully enlivening and meaningful movements of Eurythmy. Eurythmy for Waldorf Alumni: Wednesdays Study, 6:30-7:30 pm; Eurythmy; 7:30-8:30 pm Eurythmy Room, Portland Waldorf School, 2300 Harrison St., Milwaukie Contact Carrie Mass, If you ve ever attended a Waldorf High School, this is for you! Eurythmy, Portland Waldorf School Community: Wednesday Mornings 8:45-9:30 am, Eurythmy Room, Portland Waldorf School, 2300 Harrison St., Milwaukie Free All are welcome. Contact: Carrie Mass, Carrie.mass@portlandwaldorf.org Festivals Study Group: Friday Mornings 10:45am-12:15 pm 2606 SE 58 th Ave, Portland contact Suzanne Walker, zzwalker@mac.com We are working with various of Dr. Steiner s lectures in an effort to better understand the festivals and how we may come to observe them. This is also greatly deepening our experience of the Calendar of the Soul and the cycle of the year. Light, Color and Darkness in Painting ( Therapy) Working with Indications from Liane Collot d Herbois; a study and painting group: Last Monday of the Month 10 am 12 pm Studio 901 at 1410 SW Morrison St. Contact Robin Lieberman, or robin@robinlieberman.net or Cheri Munske For artists working therapeutically out of Anthroposophy Please join Robin Lieberman, MSW, painting therapist and Cheri Munske, art therapist, for study and painting. We will be working from Liane s book of the same title, exploring color each month. Mystery Dramas of Rudolf Steiner and Speech Formation Exercises Second and Fourth Wednesdays ( holidays excluded) 7:30-9:00 pm Free. Beginners are welcome come check us out! 8654 NE Boehmer St., Portland Contact Diane Rumage by at drumage@comcast.net or by phone at We will work with play The Soul s Awakening, and Steiner s 1913 lecture series, The Secrets of the Threshold, which he gave after the performance of the play. Portland Waldorf School Community Choir Friday Mornings with David Edwards 9:00-10:15 am Portland Waldorf School, 2300 SE Harrison St., Milwaukie, in the Orchard Room Free will donations gladly accepted, all voices are welcome. Contact pws_choir-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (503) No practice during school breaks. Temple Legend Study Group First and third Tuesdays 7:30-9 pm 3046 NE 33rd Ave. Contact Donna Patterson and Bob Kellum, All are welcome Waldorf Education and Teacher Training Lectures and Courses Conducted throughout the year by the Micha-el Institute. Contact John Miles, johncmiles@usa.net Waldorf Teacher Education Eugene September-June Eugene Waldorf School Contact LeeAnn Message phone: Preparing Waldorf teachers for their future vocation since 1990 Embryo In Motion: Understanding Ourselves as Embryo 4-DVD Set Now Available With Jaap van der Wal, PhD, MD This beautiful 4-DVD set was professionally recorded live in Portland, OR, June 3 6, To learn more about the 4-DVD set and for instructions on how to order it, go to the shop portal on the Portland Branch website at

13 Please join us for these two events in connection with the West Coast Eurythmy Summer Conference: Eurythmy Conference Sharing Sunday, August 13, 3pm Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2 nd Ave. Portland This Eurythmy Sharing will be the culmination of a professional Eurythmy conference with master teachers Dorothea Mier (Spring Valley) and Michael Leber (Stuttgart) on the work of Rudolf Steiner s Twelve Moods. There will also be a music piece and contributions from participating Eurythmists. Rudolf Steiner s Twelve Moods were first performed in They show the universal nature of Eurythmy. One can also say they are dances of the stars. Rudolf Steiner wrote the Song of Initiation, a satire, at the same time as the Twelve Moods. He pointed out that the Satire should always be performed together with the Twelve Moods. Just as the Greek Comedy followed the Tragedy, these two works should always follow one another. Jan Stuten and Andrew Dyer wrote music for it. Piano Recital Tuesday, August 8, 7pm Classic Piano 3003 SE Milwaukie Ave. Portland This recital is presented by Besso Namchevadse, pianist from the Eurythmeum Stuttgart. He will perform works by Bach-Busoni, Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Schumann. Donations Requested. For more information contact Jolanda Frischknecht,

14 Mary Stewart Adams, Star Lore Historian and Program Director for the Headlands Int l Dark Sky Park Register at or use the form in the newsletter Housing with Branch members is still available 8:30 AM Opening Introductions, Announcements, Singing 9:00 AM 10:30 AM Dr. Oliver Conradt Preparing for the Great American Eclipse of August 2017: phenomena and other astronomical aspects. Total solar eclipses rank among the most fascinating celestial events. In the deepest shadow of the moon its umbra it gets so dark during the day that you can perceive different phenomena of a very special nature. People who saw these often reported being delighted and inspired by what they had experienced. A well- known description was given by the Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter:... Never, ever in my entire life was I so shaken, from terror and sublimity so shaken, as in these two minutes it was nothing other than if God had all at once spoken a clear word and I had understood it. 10:30 AM 11:00 AM Break 11:00 AM 12:30 PM Mary Stewart Adams "Stars spoke once to humanity, it is world destiny that they are silent now." Using this 1922 verse from Rudolf Steiner, Mary will share how an understanding of eclipses has evolved through the astrology of the ancients, the astronomy that started to develop in the 15th century, to what would be an astrosophy, or star wisdom, in contemporary culture. 12:30 PM 2:00 PM Lunch Break, Nearby Restaurants 2:00 PM 3:30 PM Artistic Workshops 3:30 PM 4:00 PM Break

15 4:00 PM 5:30 PM Dr. Oliver Conradt Sun and Moon gestures of these circling stars Seen from the surface of the earth, the disk of the sun and the disk of the moon appear in almost the same size. This is why the moon disk can cover the sun disk during a sun eclipse. Both circling stars play a most important role for the life on earth. We will talk about the threefold sun, the sun as a negative space, the spiritual sun on one side and about the moon rhythms in the sky, on earth and in the human being on the other side. We will describe the two stars from the point of view of astronomy and from the point of view of anthroposophy. 5:30 PM Dinner on our own Saturday Evening Under the Stars with Telescopes and Storytelling Storytelling and guidance around the night sky with Mary Stewart Adams as a way to build understanding for what we are "speaking to the stars" (optional). My intent is that the song and eurythmy introduced during the day on Saturday will be supported by storytelling and naked eye observing of the sky on this evening. 8:30 AM 9:00 AM Singing, participants sharing: What lives in you after our time together on Saturday? 9:00 AM 10:30 AM Dr. Oliver Conradt The 5 th Apocalyptic Seal Sun and Moon appear in a very powerful composition in the 12 th Chapter of St. Johns Book of Revelation: A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.... We will work with this imagination and show how it speaks about the relation of the human being to the cosmos. 10:30 AM 11:00 AM Break 11:00 AM 12:30 PM Artistic Workshops 12:30 PM 2:00 PM Lunch Break, Nearby Restaurants 2 PM 3:30 PM Mary and Oliver Prepare for tomorrow s eclipse viewing, and hand out special glasses which must be used for viewing to protect eyes. 3:30 PM 4:00 PM Break 4:00 PM 5:30 PM Mary Stewart Adams What humanity speaks to the stars How can we understand shared activity that is based on celestial phenomena as a speaking to the stars, and is it necessary? Depart on buses from Portland Waldorf School (2300 Harrison St., Milwaukie, OR) Latecomers cannot be accommodated! Be sure you have your viewing glasses, a lunch, and plenty of water

16 This conversation with Joan and John will focus on the present and future of anthroposophy, and the life of the society. They will share some national and international perspectives about what is happening in the movement, and then open up the conversation. They are interested in learning from participants, hearing what is on hearts and minds as we navigate the early twenty-first century. How might today s issues inform research into a more human future? We look forward to a lively and informative time together. Joan Sleigh has been a member of the Executive Council at the Goetheanum since April 2013, and is co-responsible for the Anthroposophical studies in English. She was born and raised in Camphill, South Africa, moved to Germany in 1982, and was trained as a Waldorf Class Teacher in Witten-Annen. She returned to Cape Town in 1995, taught at Michael Oak Waldorf School until 2012, and lectured at the Center for Creative Education from She is a member of the International Forum for Steiner Schools (Hague Circle), and has been coordinator of the Pedagogical Section in Cape Town since John Bloom was appointed as General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America in October He is Vice President, Organizational Culture at RSF Social Finance in San Francisco ( As part of his work at RSF he has been developing and facilitating conversations and programs that address the intersection of money and spirit in personal and social transformation. He writes frequently for RSF s Reimagine Money blog and has fostered collaborative dialogues on the challenging social aspects money. As part of his work he has helped develop awareness of issues of land and biodynamic agriculture across the US. He has written two books, The Genius of Money, and Inhabiting Interdependence, both published by SteinerBooks. He lives in San Francisco.

17 Sponsored By The Society For Physicians Of Anthroposophic Naturopathy And The Portland Branch Of The Anthroposophic Society: THE EMBRYO IN US UNDERSTANDING OURSELVES AS EMBRYO With Dr Jaap van der Wal August 29 September 2, 2017 Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2 nd Ave, Portland, OR $ for Workshop And Meals, Save $15 by paying with check or cash $ EARLY BIRD PRICE IF PAID BEFORE JUNE 29 TH WORKSHOP LIMITED TO 40 PEOPLE This workshop has been approved by OBNM for 26.5 Naturopathic General OR Obstetric CEU s The Workshop begins with a PUBLIC lecture at Cedarwood (no size limit) Mind and Body in the Womb How Do We Exist as Embryo? 7:00-9:00 PM, Tuesday, August 29, 2017 This evening lecture is $12.00; no charge for course participants. DOWNLOAD THE REGISRATION FORM AT FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT DR. BOB KELLUM AT HEALTHBRIDGE@INTEGRA.NET

18 Thomas Meyer Lectures in Portland Friday, October 27th and Saturday, October 28 th Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2nd Ave. Portland, OR The Mexican Mysteries and the Mystery of Golgotha Friday, October 27th from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM. $20 for Branch members; $25 for non-members. This lecture will delve into deeply esoteric mystery linking the Mystery of Golgotha and the simultaneous, parallel crucifixion of an initiated black magician in Mexico, as revealed by Rudolf Steiner in Inner Impulses of Evolution: The Mexican Mysteries and the Knights Templar (CW171). Comprehending this event in the light of Steiner s Law of Polarity and its relationship to the Earth s nine subterranean spheres is critical to understanding modern times where new forces are entering human evolution from both sides of the two thresholds: the threshold to spiritual worlds and the threshold to the subterranean worlds. The Subterranean Spheres in the World and in the Human Being, a twolecture series. Saturday, October 28th. Lecture 1: 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM; dinner break; Lecture 2: 7:30 to 9:30 PM. $40 for the two-lecture series for Branch members, $50 series for nonmembers or $30 each. Rudolf Steiner gave only five lectures directly about the subterranean spheres, four of them in 1906, and one in 1909 and never returned to the topic again with specificity. However, his very last writing, Leading Thought of March 30, 1925 was titled From Nature to Sub-Nature and addressed the need to make such forces fully conscious. He warned He [the human being] can only do this if he rises in spiritual knowledge as least as far into Super-Nature as he has descended in the technical sciences in to Sub-Nature. The nine levels of the spiritual world have their polar reflection in the nine layers of the subterranean world. Awareness of these complimentary but opposing spheres is found in literature (Dante), mythology and legend. The degree to which modern humanity is influenced by these unconscious and semi-conscious forces and the necessity of becoming fully conscious of these chthonic energies in order to achieve a balanced progress in one s moral/spiritual development will be presented in the light of Spiritual Science. These Thomas Meyer lectures are sponsored by the Portland Branch.For more information and to ask about work-study openings contact James Lee at anthroposophynow@comcast.net. Introductory Bio For Thomas H. Meyer Thomas H. Meyer was born in Switzerland in He taught at the original Waldorf School in Stuttgart, Germany and later was an editor working for the publishing house at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. In 1990 he founded Perseus Publishing (Verlag), Basel, Switzerland. Since 1997 he has been the publisher and editor of the monthly journal (in German) Der Europaer. In 2016 he launched The Present Age, a monthly journal in English. Learn more about the author and his publications at He is the author of many books, several of which have been translated into English and other languages. These include the definitive biographies of Daniel N. Dunlop and Ludwig Polzer- Hoditz. Other recent books include The Meditative Path of the Michael School in Nineteen Steps; The Sign of Five; Milestones; The Development of Anthroposophy Since Rudolf Steiner s Death; Representative Men; When a Stone Begins to Roll; Rudolf Steiner's Core Mission; The Bodhisattva Question; Clairvoyance and Consciousness; and Reality, Truth and Evil and Barefoot through the Burning Lava. Thomas Meyer is also the editor of Light for the New Millennium. He has written numerous articles and regularly gives seminars, courses and lectures around the world.