Greetings dear friends on this Autumnal Equinox.

The arrival of autumn always signifies a test.

At the ‘Turning point of Time’ around the time of the Fall Equinox, the Sun stood in the constellation of Libra; the sign of the scales, & human beings were indeed weighed on that stern measure. And even today we can ask ourselves: Can we find our balance? Will our inner strength hold up, when the support of nature is withdrawn?

But we also have a new question that comes with what is referred to as ‘The Precession of the Equinoxes’ which spans a period of 25,920 years – a cycle termed a ‘Platonic Year’ – over which time the constellations appear to slowly rotate around the earth. Each sign of the zodiac stands behind the rising sun on the vernal equinox for about 2,000 years. At the Time of Christ the Sun rose in Aries on the 1st day of Spring. And in our time now at the Vernal Equinox it is the constellation of Pisces, with Virgo behind the sun starting at the time of the Autumnal Equinox & all thru the Michaelmas season.

My point is that now standing with Michael, we need to look for the Divine Feminine, to reveal not only the secret of a bountiful harvest, but the archetype of the Virgin, representing true wholeness, who waits to be recognized in the heavens & honored on the earth -Leading us to the unveiling of the New Isis-Sophia which gives us the wisdom to understand the Christ Impulse.

During the growing season nature supports our human consciousness, it is a gift given to us from the cosmos. But for the harvest we must work, not only to sow the fields on earth but also to fashion our own self-consciousness, if we are to remain inwardly awake during the dark of the year.

So as we’ve seen, & as Spiritual Science tells us – human consciousness is ever evolving, & around 1879, humanity experienced a huge shift in consciousness, & the fixed date of September 29th came to be called: The Feast Day of St. Michael & All the Heavenly Hosts. The old legends always preface the famous story of the battle against the dragon, with an enumeration of the 9 Angelic Realms, & there in the center is Michael, standing before us as the King & herald of all the hierarchies.

And so as we strive to create this festival of the future, now; we are invited to contemplate the Angelic Choirs – that we may look to our future selves – that we may think, here & now, that step by step, we can courageously build our own strong & steady rung on the ladder of evolution, teaching us to count the human being as the 10th hierarchy.  It is to this that the mighty Sun-being Michael directs our gaze, so that we can become once again beings of the cosmos.

Great Platonic Year = 25,920 years

The human being takes 18 breaths a minute 

One hour 18 x 60 = 1080

24 hours: 1080 x 24 = 25,920

72 (the life span of the human being) x 360 = 25,920

Let us stand in unity with our Time-Spirit Michael, along with the wisdom & wholeness of the Virgin, as we put heart-thinking into practice in our every thought word & deed.

~Hazel Archer-Ginsberg

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Dear Friends,

Below is an Overview as well as the Full Schedule of Activities for our Michaelmas Festival Weekend. Calling to those who would take up the spirit of Rudolf Steiner’s last address:

…You, disciples of Spirit-Knowledge,
Take Michael’s Wisdom beckoning,
Take the Word of Love of the Will of Worlds
Into your soul’s aspiring, actively!”

Our work begins at the Branch with World Eurythmy Day Tuesday 24 September 2019 With Therapeutic Eurythmist & President of Athena, Mary Ruud 7PM-9PM $10 Donation

Weekend Overview:

“The ‘I’ Awakens” a Michaelmas Festival for ALL…Saturday, 28 Sep. 9 AM – 6 PM at Urban First Aid Chicago – Art As Medicine & the Rudolf Steiner Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in America 4249-51 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago.

Bonfire 7:30 pm – 9 pm at the Archer-Ginsberg home

$25 – $100 Donation (or pay what you can) to support the Elderberries Initiative Potluck Snacks, Lunch & Dinner, Encouraged!

6 AM – Sunday 29 Sept. Sunrise Gathering at Montrose Beach Bird Sanctuary “The Magic Hedge”

8 am – Field trip to Angelic Organics Biodynamic farm 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011 (Contact Hazel if you want to carpool)

Bring food & drink to share & a donation to support the farm

29 Sept. Working with Michael in Heaven and on Earth – An Upper Midwest Michaelmas Festival 10 AM – 6 PM

$25 – $100 Donation (or pay what you can) to support Angelic Organics

PLEASE RSVP robert.karp@newspiritventures.com for catered dinner Questions, call Robert at 414.477.1170

Michaelmas Weekend Schedule in Full:

Saturday, 28 Sep. 9 AM – 6 PM

The ‘I’ Awakens” a Michaelmas Festival for ALL…(come & go as you will)

• 9 AM Singing with Nancy Melvin
• Eurythmy with Sea-Anna Vasilas, Eurythmist from Spring Valley, NY
• Check-in
• Speech Work on the Foundation Stone Meditation
• Biography Work with Sea-Anna Vasilas

12 PM – 1:30 PM Potluck Lunch

• Singing with Nancy Melvin
• Eurythmy with Sea-Anna Vasilas
• At 2pm We will gather in the Upper Room of the Branch for:

‘The Evolution of the Michael Principle Throughout The Ages’ – Original art collages & Leading Thoughts with Hazel Archer Ginsberg. Synopsis of Indra with Felicia White, Mithras with Elisabeth Swisher, Marduk & ‘The Babylonian Creation Myth’ with Jonathan Hadley, & ‘The Epoch of Gilgamesh’ with Mary Spalding

• Speech Work on the Foundation Stone Meditation

3:30 PM – 4 PM Break

• Singing Nancy Melvin
• Eurythmy & Biography Work with Sea-Anna Vasilas
• Soul Art with Frank Agrama Verse 26 for Michaelmas:
• ‘Starry World Movement’ (based on the Michaelmas Verse ) with Dottie Zold, Felicia White & Nancy Melvin
• Speech Work on the Foundation Stone Meditation

6 PM – Potluck Dinner

7:30 PM – Bonfire

Sunday 29 Sept. 6 AM – Sunrise at the ‘Magic Hedge’ Bird Sanctuary

• Speech Work on the Foundation Stone Meditation
• Thoughts from the Night Check-in
• Eurythmy & Biography Work with Sea-Anna Vasilas
• Potluck Breakfast
• 8 AM –Carpool to Angelic Organics Farm 1547 Rockton Road, Caledonia, IL 61011 (Contact Hazel if you want to carpool, meet us at Montrose Harbor no later than 8AM)

Working with Michael in Heaven and on Earth – An Upper Midwest Michaelmas Festival Sunday, September 29th from 10 AM to 6 PM (with potluck lunch & catered dinner) at Angelic Organics Farm

Schedule:

9:30 am – Arrive and settle in, coffee and rolls served

10 am – Songtrail – This walking tour of Angelic Organics Farm will integrate: • Stories from John Peterson’s life on the farm and his efforts to imbue the farm and its buildings with spiritual, social and artistic impulses inspired by his love of the first Goetheanum • Singing and poetry led by Joen Delande • Movement and biography exercises led by Robert Karbelnikoff

PLEASE BRING A POEM OR SONG TO SHARE DURING THE SONGTRAIL

1 pm POTLUCK LUNCH, please bring a dish to share

2:00 pm – Chorus of the Elementals (from Rudolf Steiner’s Symphony of the Creative Word) with Hazel Archer Ginsberg

2:30 pm – Working with Michael in Heaven and on Earth How are the adversaries working in the realm of food and agriculture? Who is Michael and how do we strengthen his presence in our lives, our food, our farms, our families? Leading thoughts from Walter Goldstein, Bente Goldstein, John Peterson, and Robert Karbelnikoff, interspersed with poetry and music from Joen Delande and followed by conversation and work in small groups

5:00 -Closing Reflections

5:30 – Catered supper prepared with food from the farm,

Suggested Donation $20 per person PLEASE RSVP robert.karp@newspiritventures.com Questions, call Robert at 414.477.1170

Directions • Exit I-90 East on Rockton Road • Drive 4 1/4 mi until road turns to gravel. • Once Rockton Road turns to gravel, drive another 1/4 mi east. • You will come upon a small, old cemetery on your right, and a converted limestone schoolhouse on your left (Haidy and John’s home.) • Just past the cemetery, turn right into the 1/4 mi long driveway to the Angelic Organics farmstead. • Turn right off the driveway onto the service drive just north of the farmstead. • Park along the fenceline. • Enter the big barn through the milkhouse. Come to the kitchen.