What is an Anthroposophical Festival?

seasons The Masque of the Four Seasons by Walter Crane

Understanding Anthroposophy Through the Rhythms of the Year

“To celebrate a festival really means to unite oneself in spirit with the cosmic spirit”.  ~Rudolf Steiner

Our festival life is structured to include activities that stimulate head, hands and heart. We engage our thinking through studying Spiritual Science, learning, as Goethe did, what lives behind the laws of nature, engaging in creative thinking outside the box, like Einstein demonstrated, opening to insight and intuition to better solve the problems of the world. Movement and artistic endeavors motivate our will forces, creating balance and beauty, channeling creativity in a purposeful way that deepens our thoughts through action. Activities like storytelling, biography sharing, and singing consciously involve our feeling life, reducing stress, stimulating our imagination, creating connections and goodwill.

By strengthening our thinking, feeling and willing we lead more conscious lives, better able to serve the greater community -involved parents, good neighbors, mindful citizens, purposeful workers in our chosen fields of work in the world.

The Greek meaning of the word festival is “Shining Day”.

The festivals not only commemorate great historical events, cosmic truths and traditions; they are in themselves spiritual events that manifest in seasonal rhythms, and carry a significance that grows and deepens with the development of human evolution. The celebration of the festivals let us practice what Steiner calls ‘the Reverse-Ritual– The idea of ‘Openness to Above’.  Instead of invoking Spirit down, as in days of old, we rise to the spirit, in our thinking.

We study and celebrate these ‘Shining Days’ to sustain and renew ourselves and the world. A festival has the quality of lifting us out of the ordinary and into the mysteries and magic of the rhythm of the seasons. Throughout history, festivals have emerged from people’s connection with their spiritual life and their search for the meaning of human existence.

“The great festivals exist to bear witness to our connection with the whole universe…” ~Rudolf Steiner, lecture in Berlin 1905

Find a collection of the many RECORDINGS of Presentations, Programs & Festivals HERE

~Hazel Archer-Ginsberg  – Practical Anthroposophy, Cultural Programs & Festival Events  Reverse Ritual – The Cycle of the Year as Path of Initiation into the New Mysteries

The ‘I Think Speech Podcast, YouTube Channel – Tip Jar Donations  

~Trans-denominational Minister~ Milestones: Rites of Passage & Custom Ceremonies

seasons

Read about the cycle of the year as seen thru the Seasons below:

SPRING FESTIVALS

SUMMER FESTIVALS

AUTUMN FESTIVALS

WINTER FESTIVALS

CROSS QUARTER DAYS

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HERE IS THE RECORDING of Vitae Sophia~ A Whitsun Festival of United Soul Endeavor with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, with Guest Speakers Lisa Dalton & Geoff Norris

Online Whitsunday, 31 May 2020 from 10 am–11:15 am EDT Zoom Call* Sponsored by the Anthroposophical Society in New Hampshire

Through leading thoughts and conversation we are called to redeem the ether spheres to create an Ecclesia, a chalice for The Sophia. Then the spirit flame can spread out to become what Steiner called a “World Whitsun”, which began in earnest at the Christmas Conference. The Whitsun Festival highlights one of the greatest challenges of being human: placing our individual gifts, in right relationship within the social realm. This challenge is especially strong now during this ‘pandemic’. Our groups striving to know Spiritual Science must work together as a community, to have the possibility to create a new culture where a sacrament is possible in every encounter. Our individual strength is enhanced by weaving our gifts together, kindling our social world in conscious community.