Today on Winter Solstice, when the ‘Sun Stands Still’, Let us pause to reflect on the many customs associated with this powerful storytelling time of year.
Keey Withers
It is the dark before the dawn, the time of renewal, giving us the most primordial myths of humankind. The Sun of Mid-Winter draws in its breath, opening in new life at this time of deepest darkness.
In Old Norse mythology, the Sun goddess was swallowed up by the wolf of darkness, but was reborn as her daughter, the maiden goddess of the underworld, who rose again to illumine the world.
The esoteric meaning of this time of year can be gleaned from the ancient mystery schools. Initiates into the Mysteries of Isis had to undergo a ceremony of death & rebirth in which they entered the underworld to gaze upon the “sun at midnight.” This ceremony, speaks of the journey of the soul into the fecund depths of the subconscious mind, & even deeper into the great dark sea of space from which all creation comes forth, where it could be purified & born anew.
Dion Fortune describes this process in her book, The Sea Priestess:
Sink down, sink down, sink deeper and more deep Into eternal and primordial sleep. Sink down, be still, forget and draw apart, Sink into the inner earth’s most secret heart. Drink of the waters of Persephone, The secret well beside the sacred tree. Waters of life and strength and inner light – Eternal joy drawn from the depths of night. Then rise, made strong, with life and hope renewed, Reborn from darkness and from solitude…
Throughout the ancient world, people gathered at sacred sites as far apart as Newgrange in Ireland & the temple of Karnak in Egypt, to celebrate the miracle of the sun’s return at the darkest time of the year. In the pitch-black sanctuaries of caves & earth chambers, our ancestors waited for the birth of new light & life.
Beckwith Carplax
At a time when the fate of our planet & all her creatures hangs in the balance, let each of us journey down into the cave of the soul to drink from the secret well of wisdom & find the hidden flame within the dark — then return bearing our own unique gift of Light for the world.
Chay Linn
May we re-member what came before, so that we can reflect on the now & create the future anew.
The ancient Romans celebrated from December 17th to December 24th with a festival called Saturnalia, during which all work was put aside in favor of feasting & gambling. The social order was reversed, with masters waiting on their slaves.
Saturnalia is named after Saturn, who
is often depicted with a sickle, like the figures of Death or Old Father Time.
Astrologically speaking, Saturn is saturnine: gloomy, old, dutiful & heavy,
like the metal associated with it: lead. He was the god who ate his own
children rather than let them surpass him.
For new life to flourish, for the sun to rise again, it is necessary to vanquish this gloomy old fellow. Therefore, the feasting & merriment of the midwinter season are required in order to combat the forces of gloom.
The day following the Saturnalia, was the Juvenalia, a holiday in honor of children, who were entertained, feasted & given good luck talismans. After vanquishing the Old King, it’s time to celebrate the New Year’s Baby.
Christ’s birthday was not celebrated on December 25th until the 4th century. Before then, December 25th was best known as the birthday of the Persian hero & sun-god, Mithra (an earlier form of Michael). The myth tells that he sprang up full-grown from a rock, armed with a knife & carrying a torch. Mithra journeyed into the underworld, winning gifts for humankind before his miraculous rebirth.
Lenaia was a women-only Athenian midwinter festival. They held ecstatic dances where a bull, representing Dionysus, was cut into nine pieces.
In 274 AD, the Roman emperor Valerian declared December 25th the Birthday of Sol Invictus, the Unconquerable Sun.
In the early years of Christianity Christ’s birthday was celebrated on January 6th known to us now as Epiphany, represented by the Wise Magi, Kings who could read the omens in the starry script. The Eastern Orthodox folks knew that this was connected with the Baptism, when the Cosmic Christ Being entered into human form.
On the same date in pre-Christian times, this was when the Virgin Kore gave birth, celebrated in Alexandria with a festival called the Koreion. The image of the goddess, decorated with gold stars, was carried seven times around her temple as the priests cried, “The Virgin has brought forth the new Aeon!”
This ritual recalls the Egyptian ceremony re-enacting the birth of Horus, the sun-god to Isis. All lights in the city were doused while Isis circled the sarcophagus seven times, then brought forth Horus who was called “the Light of the World.”
Statues of Isis holding the newly born sun god on her lap, presenting him to the world, prefigure the later Madonna & child archetype.
In Europe on Winter Solstice the ceremonies involved kindling the new light with a Yule log. Oak was popular in the north of England, birch in Scotland & ash in Cornwall & Devon, all associated with the Sun.
In some parts of the Scottish highlands, the head of the household finds a withered stump and carves it into the likeness of an old woman, the Cailleach Nollaich or Christmas Old Wife, the goddess of winter, the hag of night, the old one who brings death. Burning her image drives away the hardships of winter & protects the occupants of the household from death.
The Yule log is brought into the house with great ceremony, & decorated with holly & ivy & evergreens. Some prefer to use the Yule log as a decoration & place candles on it instead, transforming it into a candelabra. It is lit with a piece of last year’s log as described in Herrick’s poem, “Hesperides:”
Come bring with a noise My merry, merry boys The Christmas log to the firing With the last year’s brand. Light the new block, And for good success in his spending On your psalteries play: That sweet luck may Come while the log is a-teendling.
In Italy, the Yule log is called the Ceppo, & families gathered around the hearth pouring libations of wine upon the glowing wood, linking the Yule log with the custom of wassailing, & pouring out libations to the trees in the orchard.
The Yule log is left to burn all night, &, if possible, throughout the 12 Holy Nights. The ashes are kept for good luck. They have magical properties & can be scattered in the field to fertilize the soil or sprinkled around the house for protection.
Another ancient midwinter custom is decorating with greens. The Romans decorated with rosemary, bay, laurel, holly, ivy & mistletoe. The holly & ivy were both important midwinter plants in Great Britain & Ireland, as seen in the mysterious medieval carol which mentions the rivalry between them, with the Ivy representing the cold gloominess of winter, & the Holly King, the jolly spirit of the season.
The Christmas tree is of more recent origin. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated comes from Riga in Latvia in 1519, when a group of local merchants carried an evergreen bedecked with flowers to the marketplace, where they danced around it & then burned it.
Another possible source is the custom in 15th century Germany of hanging apples on a fir tree as a prop for the Oberufer plays performed on Christmas Eve, depicting Adam & Eve being driven out of Paradise.
Sumpra Tanz
Many traditions focused on this human battle between the dark & the light within. May we be willing to look into the dark before calling in the light.
This is a natural time for letting go & saying farewell. Since this is the season when animals hibernate & nature sleeps & we can turn inward too. Then when you light your Hanukkah candles or your Christmas tree, do so with the intention of bringing light into the world. What are the ways in which you can help make the world lighter?
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Online Holy Nights Gatherings:“May Human Beings Hear It”
Hosted by the Anthrophosophical Society in America Organizers: Laura Scappaticci, Angela Foster, and Hazel Archer-Ginsberg Each gathering will begin with an opening verse and acknowledgment of the zodiac constellation corresponding to that night. Then a special offering will be shared by different friends representing many North American groups, branches, and regional councils. These unique contributions will range from meditative readings and thoughtful poems, to enlivening eurythmy and artistic activities, to insight into the cosmic script of the zodiac. This will be followed by work with the Foundation Stone Meditation and conclude with a closing verse. December 24 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada / 6:00 PM GMT) December 25 – 30 7:30 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada / 12:30 AM GMT) December 31 “Hidden Night” – No Meeting January 1 – 5 7:30 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada / 12:30 AM GMT)
The gatherings will be recorded for later viewing if you are not able to join us live. Register using the button above to access both the live presentations and recordings.
Wise Cosmos is pleased to participate in this inaugural Holy Nights series sponsored by Anthroposophical Society in America. Brian Gray will be the featured presenter on January 4th.
Holy Nights 2019-2020 – The New Mysteries of the ‘Christmas Conference’ Renewed! Dear Friends – Join us this year for an Extra Ordinary Holy Nights. We will gather at the Branch from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CST to attend a new initiative with folks from around the world; ‘May Human Beings Hear It: An Online Holy Nights Gathering hosted by ASA friends around the country’. Organized by: Laura Scappaticci, Angela Foster, & Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Then from 7:30pm – 8:30pm CST we will take up our own study of the ‘Laying of the Foundation Stone’ from The Christmas Conference 1923/1924. (There are copies of ‘The Red Book’ in the Library)
Most Nights are from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm CST except: 24 Dec. Zoom Call at NOON CST (no meeting at the branch) *26 Dec. The Rudolf Steiner Branch is Hosting this Nation-wide event. Meet in the Upper Room at 6 pm CST. *28 Dec. Olaf Åsteson practice 3 pm – 5 pm CST – Performance at 7 pm CST.
1st Holy Night: Tuesday 24 December 2019 – Christmas Eve, Adam & Eve’s Day (no meeting at the branch) Zoom call at NOON CST – A Goethean Conversation
*3rd Holy Night: Thursday 26 December 2019 – Boxing Day – Feast of St. Steven. 1st hour hosted by us the Rudolf Steiner Branch, Chicago: “The Vast & Holy Night” a liminal performance of spoken word & eurythmy honoring the dark from which the light is born. Our study: The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the General Anthroposophical Society through Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 68
4th Holy Night: Friday 27 December 2019 – Feast of St. John -1st hour hosted by Mary Stewart Adams. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting pg. 98
*5th Holy Night: Saturday 28 December 2019 – The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson with Debbie Barford & Mary Tom 3pm – 5pm practice 7 pm – 9 pm performance. Come gather to work with the Legend of Olaf Åsteson in the afternoon to be part of the community ensemble 3pm – 5pm with a dinner break returning for the performance open to all from 7 pm – 9 pm. $10 Donation Encouraged. Contact Debra Barford for more info.
or Zoom Call: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm hosted by The Dallas Maitreya Branch. Lisa Dalton
6th Holy Night: Sunday 29 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Rockford TN. Group.William Rogers
4 pm – 6 pm You are invited to the Mandaamin Institute’s 2019 Open House! This year we intend to report on the great progress we have made with breeding, testing, and getting our high quality, nutrient efficient corn out together with our farmer, university, and company colleagues.
However, we also need now to consider, does it make sense to do research and to breed crops for organic farmers if the farmers are going out of business?
The last few years have been very tough for farmers and there is a real danger that we will lose the smaller scale farmers who practice biodynamic and organic farming. It is increasingly clear that farmers cannot do it alone. Consumer awareness and action are critical for ensuring the best food possible and a healthy planet.
Therefore, this year we will highlight Mark and Petra Zinniker, who run the oldest biodynamic farm on the continent in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. They will share with us the amazing things they have been doing to produce the healthiest food possible, while at the same time, saving the planet through their farming methods.
We will share with you our problems, our plans, and our hopes. Please forward this invitation and the attached flier to anyone who is concerned about food and water quality, climate, and planet health.
Sunday, December 29, 2019
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 7194 Madaus Street, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Drinks and snacks will be provided. Please RSVP by contacting Bente Goldstein at: (262) 642-9738 or benteg@centurytel.net
for those who opt to stay in the City – Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 110
7th Holy Night: Monday 30 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Eastern Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 138
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– NYE–The 13th Hidden Night Tuesday 31 December 2019-2020 7:30 pm – 1 am – $20 + Potluck Food & Drink to Share Live Music & Folk Dancing with Jutta & the Hi-Dukes ™ 8 -9:30pm Biography Playshop Spacial Dynamics & the Loving Kindness Meditation with Deborah Rogers Cut Away & Call in – A Ritual of Renewal Seeking the Holy Grail Within – with Hazel Archer Ginsberg Lead (Wax) Casting Divination for the NY More TBA…
***
8th Holy Night: Wednesday 1 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Tess Parker & The Youth. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 183
9th Holy Night: Thursday 2 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Western Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 192
10th Holy Night: Friday 3 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Portland Branch. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 204
11th Holy Night: Saturday 4 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Brian Gray. Our study: The Envy of the Gods – the Envy of Human Beings, Looking back to the burning of the Goetheanum, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 231
*12th Holy Night: Sunday 5 January 2020 – Epiphany, ‘Three Kings’ – 1st hour hosted by The Central Regional Council. Alberto Loya, Marianne Fieber, Lisa Dalton, Hazel Archer Ginsberg. Our Study: On the Right Entry into the Spiritual World – The responsibility Incumbent on us, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 260
The Sun of mid-winter draws in its breath, at this time of deepest darkness.
Soon we will be entering into the Longest Night, entering into the Birth of Light.
Let us live into the darkness of the space between the stars & planets – the dark of the sea -the dark of the womb – & the promise of the tomb.
Wrap this darkness gently about you like a comforter. Float gently now in its soft depths. Grow here, nourished by an invisible cord that connects you to the Source of all life – Floating gently in the dark -Softly rocking in the dark…
And though it is dark, we
realize that what surrounds us is not empty, but, like the womb, full of life.
Take a breath & sense the swirling, nurturing energy of the dark.
And now, as the energy increases, imagine how it will give birth to the smallest spark conceivable, the spark of new life. See that spark as it glows, watch that spark, watch as it grows. Glowing brighter & brighter, it fans into flame. And as you look at this flame, its light fills you with warmth, with love.
Amy Dixon
And as you feel increased
love & warmth within you, the intensity of the flame slowly diminishes &
as it does, in its place, slowly becoming visible, is the outline of a present.
This gift becomes more solid, until you can see its form clearly, wrapped in a
glistening filament of light.
This gift has your name on it, inscribed in the glimmering material. Is your name written in a special color? Is the inscription special in any other way?
Examine your present more closely. What shape is it? How big is it? What color is the wrapping? Pick it up: is it light? heavy? What do you want it to be?
And now – unwrap your
gift. How easy, or difficult is it to unwrap? Finish opening it – & receive
your gift. What is it?
Look at it carefully. Experience it fully. Accept it. Accept your gift with joy. Feel your heart warm with the love with which this gift is given to you – Given to you every year at this time.
Jenifer Borme
And now, from your heart, send out gratitude for this gift; send out thanks for this gift; send it out like light, like a holy beacon back to Our Great Mother, back to the Universe: both the dark & the light. Send out your thanks for this gift.
Sk Picmia
Now, if you wish, find a place to keep this gift, a place to put this present, so that it is always on hand; so you can open it whenever you need to remember that the light is born from the darkness. An inspiration & reminder of these words by Rudolf Steiner:
My eager heart aspires To be a torch to bear the Spirit’s light Into the dark night of a wintry world Blessing and blest. Bright shoots of soul Shall be sunk in the gardenbed of the world. Shining from the sensual dark, Inner meaning — the Word — resounds through all Reality.
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19 December 2019 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Venus gleams in the southwestern sky after sunset. The brilliant goddess of Love stands out just a half hour after sunset, when it appears above the horizon, & remains on display until 6 pm. She is by far the brightest celestial object in the evening sky, residing in far western Capricornus, having crossed the border earlier today from Sagittarius.
Looking at the
past to see the present, co-creating the future:
“History, historical life, will only be seen in the right light when a true consciousness of the connection of the so-called living with the so-called dead can be developed” ~Rudolf Steiner – The Living and the Dead
Gilbert Walfert
According to Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual research, today is the Birthday of Abraham interestingly regarded as the father of the faithful by all 3 monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, & Islam
Birthday of Lot, nephew of Abraham
Also celebrated today: O Radix Jesse O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.
O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the peoples; before you kings will shut their mouths, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer.
Isaiah had prophesied: “A shoot shall come out from the stock of
Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
“On that day the root
of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of
him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10
Jesse was the father of King David, & Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Also compare Isaiah 45:14, Isaiah 52:15 & Romans 15:12
150 – Deathday of Clement
of Alexandria. His parents were educated pagans, having rejected paganism
as a young man due to its perceived moral corruption, he travelled in Greece,
Asia Minor, Palestine & Egypt. In his Protrepticus
he displays an extensive knowledge of
Greek mythology & mystery religions, which could only have arisen from
the practice of his family’s religion. In Greece, he encountered the Ionian
theologian, Athenagoras of Athens;
while in the east, he was taught by the Assyrian, Tatian, & a Jew, Theophilus
of Caesarea. In around 180, Clement reached Alexandria, where he met Pantaenus, who taught at the
Catechetical School of Alexandria. Clement studied under Pantaenus, & was
ordained to the priesthood by Pope Julian before 189.
As his three major works demonstrate, Clement was influenced by
Hellenistic philosophy to a greater extent than any other Christian thinker of
his time, & in particular by Plato
& the Stoics. His secret works, which exist only in
fragments, suggest that he was also familiar with pre-Christian Jewish esotericism & Gnosticism. In one of his works he argued that Greek philosophy had
its origin among non-Greeks, claiming that both Plato & Pythagoras were
taught by Egyptian scholars. Among his pupils were Origen & Alexander of
Jerusalem.
Clement is regarded as a Church Father & is venerated as a saint in Coptic Christianity, Ethiopian Christianity & Anglicanism
1776 – Thomas Paine publishes a series of
pamphlets in The Pennsylvania Journal entitled “The American Crisis“. The first was released during a time
when the Revolution was still viewed as an unsteady prospect. The opening lines
are as follows: “These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink
from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love
and thanks of man and woman”.
The pamphlet,
read aloud to the Continental Army on December 23, 1776, three days before the
Battle of Trenton, attempted to bolster morale as well as shame neutrals &
loyalists toward the cause: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered;
yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more
glorious the triumph”.
Along with the
patriotic nature of The American Crisis, it displayed Paine’s strong deist
beliefs, inciting the laity with suggestions that the British are trying to
assume powers that only God should have. Paine states that he believes God
supports the American people, “that
God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them
unsupportedly to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to
avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent“.
1848 – Deathday
of Emily Brontë, English novelist &
poet
1907 – 239 coal
miners die in the Darr Mine Disaster
in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania
1932 – BBC World Service begins broadcasting as the BBC Empire Service
1941 –Adolf Hitler appoints himself as head of the Oberkommando des Heeres
1974 – Nelson Rockefeller is sworn in as Vice President of the United States under President Gerald Ford under the provisions of the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution
***
Matt Mercer
POD (Poem Of the Day)
~I have come
To this dark world
Like a satellite streaking —
I am the open eye gleaming —
A laser, sculpting, reality
With precise rays of promise
Sparking eternity —
Come Beloved, bring forth your art
& let us co-create the heart…
~hag
***
Holy Nights 2019-2020 – The New Mysteries of the ‘Christmas Conference’ Renewed! Dear Friends – Join us this year for an Extra Ordinary Holy Nights. We will gather at the Branch from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CST to attend a new initiative with folks from around the world; ‘May Human Beings Hear It: An Online Holy Nights Gathering hosted by ASA friends around the country’. Laura Scappaticci, Angela Foster.
Then from 7:30pm – 8:30pm CST we will take up our own study of the ‘Laying of the Foundation Stone’ from The Christmas Conference 1923/1924. (There are copies of ‘The Red Book’ in the Library)
Most Nights are from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm CST except: 24 Dec. Zoom Call at NOON CST (no meeting at the branch) *26 Dec. The Rudolf Steiner Branch is Hosting this Nation-wide event. Meet in the Upper Room at 6 pm CST. *28 Dec. Olaf Åsteson practice 3 pm – 5 pm CST – Performance at 7 pm CST.
1st Holy Night: Tuesday 24 December 2019 – Christmas Eve, Adam & Eve’s Day (no meeting at the branch) Zoom call at NOON CST – A Goethean Conversation
*3rd Holy Night: Thursday 26 December 2019 – Boxing Day – Feast of St. Steven. 1st hour hosted by us the Rudolf Steiner Branch, Chicago: “The Vast & Holy Night” a liminal performance of spoken word & eurythmy honoring the dark from which the light is born. Our study: The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the General Anthroposophical Society through Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 68
4th Holy Night: Friday 27 December 2019 – Feast of St. John -1st hour hosted by Mary Stewart Adams. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting pg. 98
*5th Holy Night: Saturday 28 December 2019 – The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson with Debbie Barford & Mary Tom 3pm – 5pm practice 7 pm – 9 pm performance. Come gather to work with the Legend of Olaf Åsteson in the afternoon to be part of the community ensemble 3pm – 5pm with a dinner break returning for the performance open to all from 7 pm – 9 pm. $10 Donation Encouraged. Contact Debra Barford for more info.
or Zoom Call: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm hosted by The Dallas Maitreya Branch. Lisa Dalton
6th Holy Night: Sunday 29 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Rockford TN. Group. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 110 William Rogers
7th Holy Night: Monday 30 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Eastern Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 138
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– NYE–The 13th Hidden Night Tuesday 31 December 2019-2020 7:30 pm – 1 am – $20 + Potluck Food & Drink to Share Live Music & Folk Dancing with Jutta & the Hi-Dukes ™ 8 -9:30pm Biography Playshop Spacial Dynamics & the Loving Kindness Meditation with Deborah Rogers Cut Away & Call in – A Ritual of Renewal Seeking the Holy Grail Within – with Hazel Archer Ginsberg Lead (Wax) Casting Divination for the NY More TBA…
***
8th Holy Night: Wednesday 1 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Tess Parker & The Youth. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 183
9th Holy Night: Thursday 2 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Western Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 192
10th Holy Night: Friday 3 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Portland Branch. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 204
11th Holy Night: Saturday 4 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Brian Gray. Our study: The Envy of the Gods – the Envy of Human Beings, Looking back to the burning of the Goetheanum, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 231
*12th Holy Night: Sunday 5 January 2020 – Epiphany, ‘Three Kings’ – 1st hour hosted by The Central Regional Council. Alberto Loya, Marianne Fieber, Lisa Dalton, Hazel Archer Ginsberg. Our Study: On the Right Entry into the Spiritual World – The responsibility Incumbent on us, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 260
30 Jan. – 2 Feb. 2020 Prep-makers conference at Michael Fields Institute
Fellowship of Preparation Makers Gathering
BD 501 and 508 – Tools to bring the cosmic light into the earth.
January 30th – February 2nd, 2020
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, N8030 Townline Rd, East Troy, WI
The mission of the Fellowship of Preparation Makers is to ensure that good quality biodynamic preparations are available now and into the future throughout North America.
Schedule:
Thursday, January 30th
10—10:30 am Registration for Chromatogram Intensive
10:30am Chromatogram Intensive – All levels welcome. Presenter: Ryann Herring
12 —1pm Lunch on your own
1-3pm Chromatogram Intensive
3—5pm Registration and Social Time
5-6:30pm Supper
7-8:30pm Welcome from Perry Brown, and Candlemas Festival with Hazel Archer Ginsberg
Friday, January 31st
7:30-8:30am Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30– 10 am History of Fellowship of Prep Makers, and Introductions.
10-10:30am Morning Break
10:30–12:30pm Why Biodynamics? Presenter: Mac Mead
12:30-1:45pm Lunch
2-3:30pm How the cosmic works in the earth? Presenter: Hugh Courtney
3:30-4pm Afternoon Break
4-6pm Different ways to make and use BD501 & BD508. Practical hands on session with Marjory House and Lloyd Nelson
6-7:30 pm Supper
7:30-9pm The Journey of a Prep Maker, A history circle, Facilitator: Brian Wickert
Saturday, February 1st
7:30-8:30 Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30-10am History of Silica on Man’s Evolution (Lamuria to today) Presenter: Mac Mead
10-10:30am Morning break
10:30– 12pm Silica and the Human Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
12-1:30pm Lunch
1:30-3pm Interpretation of Chromatograms Presenter: Ryann Herring
3-3:30pm Afternoon Break
3:30-5pm Kolisko Institute Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
5-7pm Supper
7-8:30pm Quality Comparison of BD501 & 508 Show and tell how you make and use the preps. Facilitator: Wali Via
8:30 pm Evening Social/Brew City Drifters
Sunday, February 2nd
7:30-8:30 am Breakfast & Social Time
8:30-10am Round Table Discussion: Peppering for Pests and Weeds Panel: Mac Mead and Hugh Courtney
10-1-:30 Morning Break
10:30– Noon Fellowship presentations, evaluations and closing circle.
Home stay and airport transportation arrangements will be handled by: Petra Zinniker petrazinniker@gmail.com 262-581-7574
We will work to provide home stays for everyone who requests one. Some homes will be free and others may have a cost. Please contact Petra with your requests. Home stays will be reserved on a first come first served basis.
Local accommodations are also listed below: Quality Inn & Suites (1.8 miles away) 2921 O’Leary Ln, East Troy, WI 53120•(262) 684-2183
Alpine Valley Resort (1.6 miles away) W2501 Co Rd D, Elkhorn, WI 53121•(262) 642-7374
BD 501 and 508 preps for quality comparison: If you have them, please bring or send BD 501 and BD 508 preps for quality comparison and closing ceremony. Preps can be mailed to Petra Zinniker, N 7399 Bowers Rd, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Presenters:
Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Mac Mead
Hugh Courtney
Marjory House
Lloyd Nelson
Dr Kamsler
Ryan Herring
Wali Via
Sponsors: Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Demeter, Biodynamic Association
Karma and Anthroposophic Psychology — an Easter-Tide RetreatMaundy Thursday 9 April 2020 Noon thru Easter Sunday at 3 pm Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, ILAAP:James A. Dyson, M.D., Roberta Nelson, Ph.D., and David Tresemer, Ph.D. with Susan Overhauser, Ph.D.CRC:Marianne Fieber, Alberto Loya, Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, David Howerton, Lisa DaltonEurythmist: Mary RuudActivities:Art-ActsStar WisdomThe Karma ExercisesExperiential PAGEANT on Holy Saturday: ‘Know Thyself’Easter Sunrise SongtrailOptional service at the Christian CommunityCommunal meals and time for ConversationLectures:‘Living into Karma through the Senses’‘How to find the Self in a Sea of Karma’‘Unfolding the Enigma of the Saturn Path’‘The Gesture of Karma’‘Christ as Lord of Karma — how do I access this in terms of my personal psychology?’(Program subject to change) $125 Conference fee includes 1 meal a dayFor more information and to register, contact Alberto Loya aloyavaca@peoplepc.com
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Festivals for the Dead. Then & Now. Renew, or Create Your Own Tradition.
with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg – Founder of Reverse Ritual Understanding Anthroposophy through the Rhythms of the Year. Essayist, Lecturer, Poet, Trans-denominational Minister, ‘Anthroposopher’, working as the Festivals Coordinator & Council Member of the Chicago Rudolf Steiner Branch, The Traveling Speakers Program, & the Central Regional Council of the Anthroposophical Society.
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Rudolf Steiner Branch of The Anthroposophical Society, 4249 North Lincoln Avenue. Chicago, IL 60618 (map)
Check out our Web site! (Anthroposophical Society in America)
The Elderberries 3-Fold Space & the Flex Space are available for rental on PEER SPACE for classes, events, meetings, retreats, art exhibits, family parties, etc..
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ON-GOING:
Community Study – Wednesdays at 9:30 am – 11 am at the Branch – Working with Rudolf Steiner’s Karmic Relationships Vol 4
‘Anthroposophy’, which means Wisdom of the Human Being is a ‘Spiritual Science’ built on the research of Rudolf Steiner. Our current conversation explores: the riddles of existence, the truth of karma, the mystery of evil, historic connections, life after death and more. We incorporate ‘The Calendar of the Soul’, eurythmy, focused discussion and seasonal artistic explorations in our study.
The Darkness is coming… But never fear… The darkness is coming… But the light is near… The darkness is coming… The darkness is here…
Paula Bell
The Hag goes to seed & becomes bone…a rich black loom containing the seed of our own rebirth. Let us release ourselves from the outer world for a sacred moment to celebrate the dark; where the inner life is honored & nurtured by the many Marys within…
Egron Sillif Lundgren
The future is a line arcing out in front of us. The past is a line extending behind. But space is curved. So somewhere the future meets the past, & the circle is joined in wholeness. And guess what, we call that, the Now – The place, in time & space, where we can meet ourselves wherever we go. We even meet ourselves when we greet each other. & so we share this present together, this gift of now, unwrapping it together in the spirit of Peace, Love & Wisdom…
Sam Gelfit
Knowing…That as the wheel turns the Sun Returns
~hag
***
Marco Menato
18 December 2-19 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Last-quarter Moon (exact at 10:57 pm CST. Bella Luna rises around midnight shining in the head of Virgo, under Leo.
“History is the essence of innumerable biographies.” ~Thomas Carlyle, “On History” (1830)
1271 – Kublai Khan renames his empire “Yuan” officially marking the start of the Yuan dynasty of Mongolia & China
1803 – Deathday of Johann Gottfried Herder, German philosopher, theologian, & poet – associated with the periods of Enlightenment, Sturm und Drang, & Weimar Classicism.
1829 – Deathday of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, biologist, & academic – an early proponent of the idea that evolution occurred & proceeded in accordance with natural laws. He gave the term biology a broader meaning by coining the term for special sciences, chemistry, meteorology, geology, & botany-zoology
1863 – Birthday of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Rudolf Steiner has some very interesting things to say about his assassination
1865 – US Secretary of State William Seward proclaims the adoption of theThirteenth Amendment, prohibiting slavery throughout the USA
1878 – Birthday of Joseph Stalin, 4th Premier of the Soviet Union
1879 – Birthday of Paul Klee, Swiss-German painter & educator
1958 – Project SCORE, the world’s first communications satellite, is launched
1966 – Saturn’s moon Epimetheus is discovered by astronomer Richard Walker
1972 –President Richard Nixon announces that the United States will engage North Vietnam in Operation Linebacker II, a series of Christmas bombings, after peace talks collapsed with North Vietnam on the 13th
1973 –Soyuz 13, crewed by cosmonauts Valentin Lebedev & Pyotr Klimuk, is launched from Baikonur in the Soviet Union
1990 – International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers & Members of Their Families is adopted.
1999 – NASA launches into orbit the Terra platform carrying five Earth Observation instruments
2006 – United Arab Emirates holds its first-ever elections
***
POD (Poem Of the Day)
~I’ve known that tempting feast of death when
While darkness filled the mind, the heart cried out –
Let us listen & hear…
I know when the eye of truth is plucked
From the head, only the blood
Of rage remains –
Can we make the change
To heal the Comforter?
Come & call forth with me
A bright secret veiled in black cloth –
A heart-light beyond heaven
Which is the light within
Re-kindled through sacrifice…
~hag
***
Kristen Hager
Hung with the white veils of winter, the Sun daily wanes. Soon the centaur of Sagittarius will hand the reigns over to the scorpion – a catalyst for the transformation into the longest night of the Winter Solstice. In this time of the dark before the dawn, the image of the centaur stands before us like the forces of gravity seeking to pull the human being down. It speaks to the danger inherent in this final chapter of Advent, reflecting Herod’s fearful animal instinct to preserve himself by the killing the innocents. This evil act precedes the birth of the light.
Diana Petrulyte Rodriguez
Yet ancient myths tell of the hidden wisdom of the centaur. They speak of the struggle of the hero to overcome the bondage of the animalistic drive. It is the eternal drama that plays out in the depths of the human soul.
Franz Simm
Inspired by this struggle Goethe has his character Faust carried thru the night on the back of Chiron the centaur, past the turbulent waters of the Peneios, to seek out the secluded sanctuary of wise Manto, who is to show Faust the way to Helena, the lost archetypal image of the divine feminine. Faust praises Chiron as a doctor & tutor.
Yin Stacho
The riddle of this strange contradiction of the centaur – the
wildness & wisdom living so close together, is rooted in the tragedy of
human incarnation. On the way to becoming human we had to be bound to the
forces of our animal nature which have attached us for so long to the lower
materiality, until we can find our way to liberation. The truth hidden behind
the consumerism of Christmas, the mystery of the incarnation of Christ holds
the key to this healing of the human being.
“O, thou slumber’s turning, O, thou sorrow’s ending!” ~Christian Morgenstern
Holy Nights 2019-2020 – The New Mysteries of the ‘Christmas Conference’ Renewed! Dear Friends – Join us this year for an Extra Ordinary Holy Nights. We will gather at the Branch from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CST to attend a new initiative with folks from around the world; ‘May Human Beings Hear It: An Online Holy Nights Gathering hosted by ASA friends around the country’. Laura Scappaticci, Angela Foster.
Then from 7:30pm – 8:30pm CST we will take up our own study of the ‘Laying of the Foundation Stone’ from The Christmas Conference 1923/1924. (There are copies of ‘The Red Book’ in the Library)
Most Nights are from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm CST except: 24 Dec. Zoom Call at NOON CST (no meeting at the branch) *26 Dec. The Rudolf Steiner Branch is Hosting this Nation-wide event. Meet in the Upper Room at 6 pm CST. *28 Dec. Olaf Åsteson practice 3 pm – 5 pm CST – Performance at 7 pm CST.
1st Holy Night: Tuesday 24 December 2019 – Christmas Eve, Adam & Eve’s Day (no meeting at the branch) Zoom call at NOON CST – A Goethean Conversation
*3rd Holy Night: Thursday 26 December 2019 – Boxing Day – Feast of St. Steven. 1st hour hosted by us the Rudolf Steiner Branch, Chicago: “The Vast & Holy Night” a liminal performance of spoken word & eurythmy honoring the dark from which the light is born. Our study: The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the General Anthroposophical Society through Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 68
4th Holy Night: Friday 27 December 2019 – Feast of St. John -1st hour hosted by Mary Stewart Adams. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting pg. 98
*5th Holy Night: Saturday 28 December 2019 – The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson with Debbie Barford & Mary Tom 3pm – 5pm practice 7 pm – 9 pm performance. Come gather to work with the Legend of Olaf Åsteson in the afternoon to be part of the community ensemble 3pm – 5pm with a dinner break returning for the performance open to all from 7 pm – 9 pm. $10 Donation Encouraged. Contact Debra Barford for more info.
or Zoom Call: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm hosted by The Dallas Maitreya Branch. Lisa Dalton
6th Holy Night: Sunday 29 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Rockford TN. Group. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 110 William Rogers
7th Holy Night: Monday 30 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Eastern Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 138
***
– NYE–The 13th Hidden Night Tuesday 31 December 2019-2020 7:30 pm – 1 am – $20 + Potluck Food & Drink to Share Live Music & Folk Dancing with Jutta & the Hi-Dukes ™ 8 -9:30pm Biography Playshop Spacial Dynamics & the Loving Kindness Meditation with Deborah Rogers Cut Away & Call in – A Ritual of Renewal Seeking the Holy Grail Within – with Hazel Archer Ginsberg Lead (Wax) Casting Divination for the NY More TBA…
***
8th Holy Night: Wednesday 1 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Tess Parker & The Youth. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 183
9th Holy Night: Thursday 2 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Western Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 192
10th Holy Night: Friday 3 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Portland Branch. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 204
11th Holy Night: Saturday 4 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Brian Gray. Our study: The Envy of the Gods – the Envy of Human Beings, Looking back to the burning of the Goetheanum, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 231
*12th Holy Night: Sunday 5 January 2020 – Epiphany, ‘Three Kings’ – 1st hour hosted by The Central Regional Council. Alberto Loya, Marianne Fieber, Lisa Dalton, Hazel Archer Ginsberg. Our Study: On the Right Entry into the Spiritual World – The responsibility Incumbent on us, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 260
30 Jan. – 2 Feb. 2020 Prep-makers conference at Michael Fields Institute
Fellowship of Preparation Makers Gathering
BD 501 and 508 – Tools to bring the cosmic light into the earth.
January 30th – February 2nd, 2020
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, N8030 Townline Rd, East Troy, WI
The mission of the Fellowship of Preparation Makers is to ensure that good quality biodynamic preparations are available now and into the future throughout North America.
Schedule:
Thursday, January 30th
10—10:30 am Registration for Chromatogram Intensive
10:30am Chromatogram Intensive – All levels welcome. Presenter: Ryann Herring
12 —1pm Lunch on your own
1-3pm Chromatogram Intensive
3—5pm Registration and Social Time
5-6:30pm Supper
7-8:30pm Welcome from Perry Brown, and Candlemas Festival with Hazel Archer Ginsberg
Friday, January 31st
7:30-8:30am Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30– 10 am History of Fellowship of Prep Makers, and Introductions.
10-10:30am Morning Break
10:30–12:30pm Why Biodynamics? Presenter: Mac Mead
12:30-1:45pm Lunch
2-3:30pm How the cosmic works in the earth? Presenter: Hugh Courtney
3:30-4pm Afternoon Break
4-6pm Different ways to make and use BD501 & BD508. Practical hands on session with Marjory House and Lloyd Nelson
6-7:30 pm Supper
7:30-9pm The Journey of a Prep Maker, A history circle, Facilitator: Brian Wickert
Saturday, February 1st
7:30-8:30 Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30-10am History of Silica on Man’s Evolution (Lamuria to today) Presenter: Mac Mead
10-10:30am Morning break
10:30– 12pm Silica and the Human Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
12-1:30pm Lunch
1:30-3pm Interpretation of Chromatograms Presenter: Ryann Herring
3-3:30pm Afternoon Break
3:30-5pm Kolisko Institute Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
5-7pm Supper
7-8:30pm Quality Comparison of BD501 & 508 Show and tell how you make and use the preps. Facilitator: Wali Via
8:30 pm Evening Social/Brew City Drifters
Sunday, February 2nd
7:30-8:30 am Breakfast & Social Time
8:30-10am Round Table Discussion: Peppering for Pests and Weeds Panel: Mac Mead and Hugh Courtney
10-1-:30 Morning Break
10:30– Noon Fellowship presentations, evaluations and closing circle.
Home stay and airport transportation arrangements will be handled by: Petra Zinniker petrazinniker@gmail.com 262-581-7574
We will work to provide home stays for everyone who requests one. Some homes will be free and others may have a cost. Please contact Petra with your requests. Home stays will be reserved on a first come first served basis.
Local accommodations are also listed below: Quality Inn & Suites (1.8 miles away) 2921 O’Leary Ln, East Troy, WI 53120•(262) 684-2183
Alpine Valley Resort (1.6 miles away) W2501 Co Rd D, Elkhorn, WI 53121•(262) 642-7374
BD 501 and 508 preps for quality comparison: If you have them, please bring or send BD 501 and BD 508 preps for quality comparison and closing ceremony. Preps can be mailed to Petra Zinniker, N 7399 Bowers Rd, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Presenters:
Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Mac Mead
Hugh Courtney
Marjory House
Lloyd Nelson
Dr Kamsler
Ryan Herring
Wali Via
Sponsors: Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Demeter, Biodynamic Association
Karma and Anthroposophic Psychology — an Easter-Tide RetreatMaundy Thursday 9 April 2020 Noon thru Easter Sunday at 3 pm Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, ILAAP:James A. Dyson, M.D., Roberta Nelson, Ph.D., and David Tresemer, Ph.D. with Susan Overhauser, Ph.D.CRC:Marianne Fieber, Alberto Loya, Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, David Howerton, Lisa DaltonEurythmist: Mary RuudActivities:Art-ActsStar WisdomThe Karma ExercisesExperiential PAGEANT on Holy Saturday: ‘Know Thyself’Easter Sunrise SongtrailOptional service at the Christian CommunityCommunal meals and time for ConversationLectures:‘Living into Karma through the Senses’‘How to find the Self in a Sea of Karma’‘Unfolding the Enigma of the Saturn Path’‘The Gesture of Karma’‘Christ as Lord of Karma — how do I access this in terms of my personal psychology?’(Program subject to change) $125 Conference fee includes 1 meal a dayFor more information and to register, contact Alberto Loya aloyavaca@peoplepc.com
***
Festivals for the Dead. Then & Now. Renew, or Create Your Own Tradition.
with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg – Founder of Reverse Ritual Understanding Anthroposophy through the Rhythms of the Year. Essayist, Lecturer, Poet, Trans-denominational Minister, ‘Anthroposopher’, working as the Festivals Coordinator & Council Member of the Chicago Rudolf Steiner Branch, The Traveling Speakers Program, & the Central Regional Council of the Anthroposophical Society.
Dear friends – When all seems dead & barren on the face of the Earth, below the surface, the inner life is strengthened…& if we can let go of the false hustle & bustle imposed on us from without, & sit in the stillness of the darkness, where the heart-beat can be heard, There we will find the inner strength to let go of our fear of the dark. To let our eyes adjust to the dark. And soon we will see quite clearly in the dark. And then we can begin the work of Re-Patterning & opening to the inspiration of our Immaculate Conception – our pure thought, which creates the new paradigm…
Energizing Hope for the Sun’s return & the Earth’s renewal we make a ‘spiritual manger’ – a sacred space – in the cold black frozen places, that seem devoid of life, but are really just a sterilized palate – a clean slate, fresh & ready for the newly conceived light to be born into & fill…
Ilian Rachov
At Advent, All our souls are pregnant with the possibility of giving birth to the light within. Wisdom fills us with this possibility that we may birth the Being of Love. This pure light is a becoming, it becomes, a rainbow, in us: shining with the colors of hope, truth & goodness; radiant with the hues of integrity, beauty & virtue, which overflow as joyous praise. In growing this rainbow within, we become, enlightened, with Good Will, bringing the power of Peace to bear in the world.
Debbie Lin
~hag
***
Harry Voot
17 December 2019 – “Speaking with the Stars”: This evening offers an exceptional chance to spot the asteroid belt that lies between the orbits of Mars & Jupiter. Look south of Alpha Aquarii, the second-brightest star in the constellation Aquarius, at the southwestern corner of the Great Square of Pegasus.
“My eager heart aspires To be a torch, to bear the Spirit’s light Into the dark night of a wintry world Blessing and blest. ” ~Rudolf Steiner
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Ossawa Tanner
Feast day of Lazarus – The biblical narrative of the raising of Lazarus is found in chapter 11 of the Gospel of John. Lazarus is introduced as a follower of Jesus, who lives in the town of Bethany near Jerusalem, the brother of Mary & Martha. The sisters send word to Jesus that Lazarus, “he whom thou lovest,” is ill. Instead of immediately traveling to Bethany, Jesus intentionally remains where he is for two more days before beginning the journey.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany, he finds that Lazarus is dead & has already been in his tomb for four days. He meets first with Martha & then Mary in turn. Martha laments that Jesus did not arrive soon enough to heal her brother & Jesus replies with the well-known statement, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die“. Later the narrator here gives the famous simple phrase, “Jesus wept“.
In the presence of a crowd of mourners, Jesus comes to the tomb.
Over the objections of Martha, Jesus has them roll the stone away from the
entrance to the tomb & says a prayer. He then calls Lazarus to come out
(“Come forth”) & Lazarus does so, still wrapped in his
grave-cloths. Jesus then calls for someone to remove the grave-cloths, &
let him go.
The narrative ends with the statement that many of the witnesses
to this event “believed in him.” Others are said to report the events
to the religious authorities in Jerusalem.
The Gospel of John mentions Lazarus again in chapter 12. Six days
before the Passover on which Jesus is crucified, Jesus returns to Bethany &
Lazarus attends a supper that Martha, his sister, serves. Jesus & Lazarus
together attract the attention of many & the chief priests consider having
Lazarus put to death because so many people are believing in Jesus on account
of this miracle.
The miracle of the raising of Lazarus, the longest coherent
narrative in John aside from the Passion, is the culmination of John’s
“signs”. It explains the crowds seeking Jesus on Palm Sunday, &
leads directly to the decision of Caiaphas & the Sanhedrin to kill Jesus.
It is notable that at John 11:11, after being told by His disciples to fear those who would kill Him, & after the parable about living in darkness, Jesus references his own parable & states that Lazarus sleeps, & that He will go “wake him up”. The disciples thought Jesus meant Lazarus was actually sleeping in verse 12. Then, in verse 14, Jesus speaks plainly & tells them that “Lazarus has died”. This is to be clear that Lazarus has died in the flesh, & is not sleeping or unconscious.
OLYMPUS Cameron
Lazarus is spoken of by Rudolf Steiner as becoming John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, & formerly as Hiram Abiff the Master Builder of Solomon’s Temple & Christian Rosenkreutz.
Antoine Francois Callet
497 BC – The first Saturnalia festival was celebrated in ancient Rome.
1790 – The Aztec calendar stone is discovered at El Zócalo, Mexico City.
1819 – Simón Bolívar declares the independence of Gran Colombia in Venezuela. Gran Colombia was the most prestigious country in Spanish America. John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State & future president of the United States, claimed it to be one of the most powerful nations on the planet. This prestige, attracted to the nation unionist ideas of independence movements in Cuba, the Dominican Republic & Puerto Rico, which sought to form an associated state with the republic.
1862 –General Ulysses S. Grant issues General Order No. 11, expelling Jews from parts of Tennessee, Mississippi, & Kentucky.
1830 – Death Day of Simón Bolívar, 2nd President of Venezuela
1833 – Deathday of Kaspar Hauser, the rightful Prince of Baden, died after a murder attempt on 12.12.1833
1873
– Birthday of Eleanor Charlotte Merry, an English poet, artist, musician
& anthroposophist with a strong
Celtic impulse & interest in esoteric wisdom. She studied in Vienna &
met Rudolf Steiner in 1922 after becoming interested in his teachings. She
went on to organize Summer Schools where Steiner gave lectures, & was
secretary for the World Conference on Spiritual Science in London in 1928
Eleanor Charlotte Kynaston grew up in a liberal educational
environment, her father being the well known classical scholar & professor
of Ancient Greek, Herbert Snow aka
Kynaston. It was only at the age of
13 that she began to attend a regular school. This was also when she began
to take a passionate interest in music. Two years later, her father became Deacon of Durham, so Eleanor grew up
close to the beautiful cathedral. She was able to read the manuscripts that
were kept in the monastic library, walking up & down amongst the Norman
columns of the cathedral & experienced something of a real, concrete
history, something completely different from what she read in her schoolbooks.
It was the myths & legends that
captivated her, & she learned by heart Tennyson’s King Arthur.
The
stream of scholars & theologians that entered their house fed her spiritual
longings.
As she grew up, she sought a career as singer, wanting to study
music & art. At 19, she left home for a course of study in Vienna, which
led not only to a fine command of the German language & development of her
musical skills but also placed her in a kind of artistic-aesthetic inner
crisis. Soon after her return to England, she married the well-known Oxford
surgeon Merry, to whose professional commitments Eleanor Merry was to devote
much of her energy besides the rearing of their son & daughter.
She learnt about Theosophy at the beginning of World War I when a
copy of the “Secret Doctrine”
of H.P. Blavatsky was sent her by persons unknown. As she read it, she felt
as if guided by some unseen hand, & studied further works of Annie Besant & other Theosophists.
After the war, she was made aware of Rudolf
Steiner’s Knowledge of the Higher Worlds. In January 1922 she met Daniel Nicol Dunlop in London for the
first time. He was reading a lecture of Rudolf
Steiner’s to the anthroposophical group there. A few months later, her
husband died of pneumonia, after which she had her first personal conversation
with DN Dunlop. Dunlop was still fired up with gratitude over his meeting with
Rudolf Steiner some few weeks previously.
She took part in the conference “Spiritual Values in Education” in Oxford that August, where
she met Rudolf Steiner personally for the first time. She saw him first in a corridor & by his gait & the manner in
which he looked at her, she had the impression: “He knows where he is
going.”
She assisted D.N. Dunlop in the preparation of the subsequent Summer School in Penmaenmawr the
following year, where a further conversation with Rudolf Steiner took place in
which he recommended to her the new techniques in painting that had been
developed under his guidance. She was soon exhibiting publicly in London&
elsewhere. He also advised her to form as strong a bond as possible with
Dunlop. This summer school, devoted to
the theme “The Evolution of Consciousness” was felt by Steiner to be
a milestone in the development of the anthroposophical movement.
Eleanor
was present at the founding of the new General Anthroposophical Society at the
Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland around New Year 1923/24.
The theme of the ensuing Summer
School at Torquay in 1924, “True and False Paths in Spiritual
Investigation” (GA 243), stemmed from a conversation she had with Rudolf
Steiner on this occasion.
In her further work in Britain after Rudolf Steiner’s death, she
wholeheartedly supported D.N. Dunlop’s efforts to create an open, inclusive &
at the same time spiritually founded continuation of the anthroposophical work.
She acted as secretary of the
anthroposophical World Conference in London of 1928 &wrote a play around
the figure of King Arthur for the youth conference initiated by David Clement
in Glastonbury in 1932. More immediately than anyone, she experienced the dramatic events affecting Daniel Dunlop between
1929, when he became General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Great
Britain & the spring of 1935, when he was expelled from the General
Anthroposophical Society & died a short while later. After his death,
she maintained intimate friendships with her half-sister, Marna Pease, Walter Johannes Stein & particularly Eugen Kolisko, whom
she helped to build up the School for Spiritual Science, wrote numerous
articles for their magazine “The
Modern Mystic“, & wrote down the biographical notes Kolisko
dictated to her. In the 1940s she led a
painting school together with Maria Schindler as well as working with her on
the book Pure Colour (1946), leading to large public exhibitions.
Eleanor Charlotte Merry died on 16. June 1956 in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex.
***
Holy Nights 2019-2020 – The New Mysteries of the ‘Christmas Conference’ Renewed! Dear Friends – Join us this year for an Extra Ordinary Holy Nights. We will gather at the Branch from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CST to attend a new initiative with folks from around the world; ‘May Human Beings Hear It: An Online Holy Nights Gathering hosted by ASA friends around the country’. Laura Scappaticci, Angela Foster.
Then from 7:30pm – 8:30pm CST we will take up our own study of the ‘Laying of the Foundation Stone’ from The Christmas Conference 1923/1924. (There are copies of ‘The Red Book’ in the Library)
Most Nights are from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm CST except: 24 Dec. Zoom Call at NOON CST (no meeting at the branch) *26 Dec. The Rudolf Steiner Branch is Hosting this Nation-wide event. Meet in the Upper Room at 6 pm CST. *28 Dec. Olaf Åsteson practice 3 pm – 5 pm CST – Performance at 7 pm CST.
1st Holy Night: Tuesday 24 December 2019 – Christmas Eve, Adam & Eve’s Day (no meeting at the branch) Zoom call at NOON CST – A Goethean Conversation
*3rd Holy Night: Thursday 26 December 2019 – Boxing Day – Feast of St. Steven. 1st hour hosted by us the Rudolf Steiner Branch, Chicago: “The Vast & Holy Night” a liminal performance of spoken word & eurythmy honoring the dark from which the light is born. Our study: The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the General Anthroposophical Society through Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 68
4th Holy Night: Friday 27 December 2019 – Feast of St. John -1st hour hosted by Mary Stewart Adams. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting pg. 98
*5th Holy Night: Saturday 28 December 2019 – The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson with Debbie Barford & Mary Tom 3pm – 5pm practice 7 pm – 9 pm performance. Come gather to work with the Legend of Olaf Åsteson in the afternoon to be part of the community ensemble 3pm – 5pm with a dinner break returning for the performance open to all from 7 pm – 9 pm. $10 Donation Encouraged. Contact Debra Barford for more info.
or Zoom Call: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm hosted by The Dallas Maitreya Branch. Lisa Dalton
6th Holy Night: Sunday 29 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Rockford TN. Group. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 110 William Rogers
7th Holy Night: Monday 30 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Eastern Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 138
***
– NYE–The 13th Hidden Night Tuesday 31 December 2019-2020 7:30 pm – 1 am – $20 + Potluck Food & Drink to Share Live Music & Folk Dancing with Jutta & the Hi-Dukes ™ 8 -9:30pm Biography Playshop Spacial Dynamics & the Loving Kindness Meditation with Deborah Rogers Cut Away & Call in – A Ritual of Renewal Seeking the Holy Grail Within – with Hazel Archer Ginsberg Lead (Wax) Casting Divination for the NY More TBA…
***
8th Holy Night: Wednesday 1 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Tess Parker & The Youth. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 183
9th Holy Night: Thursday 2 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Western Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 192
10th Holy Night: Friday 3 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Portland Branch. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 204
11th Holy Night: Saturday 4 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Brian Gray. Our study: The Envy of the Gods – the Envy of Human Beings, Looking back to the burning of the Goetheanum, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 231
*12th Holy Night: Sunday 5 January 2020 – Epiphany, ‘Three Kings’ – 1st hour hosted by The Central Regional Council. Alberto Loya, Marianne Fieber, Lisa Dalton, Hazel Archer Ginsberg. Our Study: On the Right Entry into the Spiritual World – The responsibility Incumbent on us, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 260
30 Jan. – 2 Feb. 2020 Prep-makers conference at Michael Fields Institute
Fellowship of Preparation Makers Gathering
BD 501 and 508 – Tools to bring the cosmic light into the earth.
January 30th – February 2nd, 2020
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, N8030 Townline Rd, East Troy, WI
The mission of the Fellowship of Preparation Makers is to ensure that good quality biodynamic preparations are available now and into the future throughout North America.
Schedule:
Thursday, January 30th
10—10:30 am Registration for Chromatogram Intensive
10:30am Chromatogram Intensive – All levels welcome. Presenter: Ryann Herring
12 —1pm Lunch on your own
1-3pm Chromatogram Intensive
3—5pm Registration and Social Time
5-6:30pm Supper
7-8:30pm Welcome from Perry Brown, and Candlemas Festival with Hazel Archer Ginsberg
Friday, January 31st
7:30-8:30am Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30– 10 am History of Fellowship of Prep Makers, and Introductions.
10-10:30am Morning Break
10:30–12:30pm Why Biodynamics? Presenter: Mac Mead
12:30-1:45pm Lunch
2-3:30pm How the cosmic works in the earth? Presenter: Hugh Courtney
3:30-4pm Afternoon Break
4-6pm Different ways to make and use BD501 & BD508. Practical hands on session with Marjory House and Lloyd Nelson
6-7:30 pm Supper
7:30-9pm The Journey of a Prep Maker, A history circle, Facilitator: Brian Wickert
Saturday, February 1st
7:30-8:30 Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30-10am History of Silica on Man’s Evolution (Lamuria to today) Presenter: Mac Mead
10-10:30am Morning break
10:30– 12pm Silica and the Human Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
12-1:30pm Lunch
1:30-3pm Interpretation of Chromatograms Presenter: Ryann Herring
3-3:30pm Afternoon Break
3:30-5pm Kolisko Institute Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
5-7pm Supper
7-8:30pm Quality Comparison of BD501 & 508 Show and tell how you make and use the preps. Facilitator: Wali Via
8:30 pm Evening Social/Brew City Drifters
Sunday, February 2nd
7:30-8:30 am Breakfast & Social Time
8:30-10am Round Table Discussion: Peppering for Pests and Weeds Panel: Mac Mead and Hugh Courtney
10-1-:30 Morning Break
10:30– Noon Fellowship presentations, evaluations and closing circle.
Home stay and airport transportation arrangements will be handled by: Petra Zinniker petrazinniker@gmail.com 262-581-7574
We will work to provide home stays for everyone who requests one. Some homes will be free and others may have a cost. Please contact Petra with your requests. Home stays will be reserved on a first come first served basis.
Local accommodations are also listed below: Quality Inn & Suites (1.8 miles away) 2921 O’Leary Ln, East Troy, WI 53120•(262) 684-2183
Alpine Valley Resort (1.6 miles away) W2501 Co Rd D, Elkhorn, WI 53121•(262) 642-7374
BD 501 and 508 preps for quality comparison: If you have them, please bring or send BD 501 and BD 508 preps for quality comparison and closing ceremony. Preps can be mailed to Petra Zinniker, N 7399 Bowers Rd, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Presenters:
Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Mac Mead
Hugh Courtney
Marjory House
Lloyd Nelson
Dr Kamsler
Ryan Herring
Wali Via
Sponsors: Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Demeter, Biodynamic Association
Karma and Anthroposophic Psychology — an Easter-Tide RetreatMaundy Thursday 9 April 2020 Noon thru Easter Sunday at 3 pm Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, ILAAP:James A. Dyson, M.D., Roberta Nelson, Ph.D., and David Tresemer, Ph.D. with Susan Overhauser, Ph.D.CRC:Marianne Fieber, Alberto Loya, Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, David Howerton, Lisa DaltonEurythmist: Mary RuudActivities:Art-ActsStar WisdomThe Karma ExercisesExperiential PAGEANT on Holy Saturday: ‘Know Thyself’Easter Sunrise SongtrailOptional service at the Christian CommunityCommunal meals and time for ConversationLectures:‘Living into Karma through the Senses’‘How to find the Self in a Sea of Karma’‘Unfolding the Enigma of the Saturn Path’‘The Gesture of Karma’‘Christ as Lord of Karma — how do I access this in terms of my personal psychology?’(Program subject to change) $125 Conference fee includes 1 meal a dayFor more information and to register, contact Alberto Loya aloyavaca@peoplepc.com
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Festivals for the Dead. Then & Now. Renew, or Create Your Own Tradition.
with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg – Founder of Reverse Ritual Understanding Anthroposophy through the Rhythms of the Year. Essayist, Lecturer, Poet, Trans-denominational Minister, ‘Anthroposopher’, working as the Festivals Coordinator & Council Member of the Chicago Rudolf Steiner Branch, The Traveling Speakers Program, & the Central Regional Council of the Anthroposophical Society.
What is at the root of “triskaidekaphobia” (the fear of the number 13)?
Well it could be because all numbers have their own cosmic vibration, & “13” is considered an unstable number. From the time when humans first used numbers to measure things, the number 12 has represented a common cosmic standard. There are 12 months of the year, 12 hours on the clock, 12 signs of the Zodiac, 12 Tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles, 12 Knights of the Round Table & so on. The number 13 represents disruption to the established order.
Perhaps the modern basis for the aura that surrounds Friday the 13th stems from Friday October the 13th, 1307. On this date, the Pope of the Church in Rome, in Conjunction with the King of France, carried out a secret death warrant against “the Knights Templar”. The Templars were terminated as heretics, never again to hold the power & riches that they had stewarded for so long. Their Grand Master, Jacques DeMolay, was arrested & killed on that Friday the 13th.
In the Christian faith, 13 is the number of people at the Last Supper, with the 13th guest at the table being the traitor, Judas. Also legend has it that Adam & Eve ate the forbidden fruit, on a Friday, & later died on a Friday, & in Christianity, Good Friday is always a solemn occasion.
The Scandinavian belief that the number 13 signified bad luck sprang from their 12 demigods, who were joined by a 13th, Loki, an often cruel trickster god who brought humans great misfortune.
Whether or not a person considers Friday the 13th unlucky, belief in superstitions is thought to offer a sense of control in stressful situations. Today’s beliefs may very well be tomorrows superstitions.
But, let’s consider that in pre-Christian societies, reliance on a lunar calendar meant that Friday the 13th could coincide with the Full Moon or New Moon. And Friday named after the Goddess Freya, was a day to honor the Goddess & the planet Venus in a day-long love-fest! Friday the 13th symbolized a day for everyone to let go, revel, sacrificing routine. Such breaks in the usual order allowed for the restoration of balance & harmony.
So maybe we will choose to take a cue from our forebears. They saw the number 13 as a lucky omen, a time to make a fresh beginning, seeking new roads to success & satisfaction. What if we took today to consciously open our heart & mind to new opportunities, luck & love?!
But just to be safe, don’t step on a crack!
~hag
Alicia-Irene Arce
Today is also the Feast of Santa Lucia
What do Norse Vikings, Swedish farmers, an Italian peasant girl, & an English Bishop have in common? Well since today is the feast of St. Lucia you have a clue. The interesting story is in who & the why. Let’s start with the Norse Vikings. According to the old Julian calendar, December 13 was the darkest day. In modern times with our Gregorian calendar, we know this to be the Winter Solstice, usually falling on December 21st or 22nd; the shortest day & the longest night for those of us, like the Vikings, in the Northern Hemisphere. This darkest day was not a day to be out on a boat, better to be inside, possibly burning a log to keep warm -a tradition that would later become part of the winter festival – the burning of the Yule Log. But in those days, December 13 was the time of year when the ancient pagan Scandinavian farmers offered sacrifices for good crops for the coming summer. These sacrifices would usually involve building a ceremonial fire to light the night.
Sulamith Wulfing
The name Lucia comes from Lux which means light. An old legend from Sweden, names Lucia as the bride of light. The story says that on December 13, Lucia will appear riding in a lusse-cart, similar to a chariot, & if the cart breaks down, you will get lice in your hair. On Lucia night, the threshing of grain must be finished to insure a bountiful crop the next year, the horses should have on winter shoes, & all new-born babies should be baptized before Lucia night or the trolls would come & whisk them away forever.
Another old legend tells of Lucia being seen in the Swedish province of Vermland during a great famine. Lucia, robed in white came across the Lake in a large ship. She commanded the ship to dock at different places & distributed food to the starving people. The people who lived in Vermland claimed Lucia was the queen of supernatural beings & was a worker of miracles.
To understand why we celebrate St. Lucia Day today, we need to look at the actual person. An English bishop from the Seventh Century, St. Aldhelm, gave us the story of St. Lucia as we know it today. Lucia was born in Syracuse, Sicily in Italy. Her mother, a widow, raised her in the Christian faith. Lucia made a vow to God never to marry & to devote her life to serving Christ & the poor. There was a young man who wanted to marry Lucia. But Lucia told her mother the secret vow & asked for her inheritance which would have been her dowry. Lucia used her inheritance to help the poor & needy. The story tells of Lucia bringing food to the Christians hiding in the caves. In order to bring with her as many supplies as possible, she needed to have both hands free. She solved this problem by attaching candles to a wreath on her head. Meanwhile, the rejected young man accused her of aiding & abetting the Christians. Lucia was brought before the Court & was asked to renounce her faith in Christ, but she refused. The court condemned her to die a martyr’s death. Later the Church declared Lucia a saint of the Church & patron saint of the blind, as she had brought so much light to the world & it is believed her eyes were plucked out during her persecution.
The story of St. Lucia resonated particularly in Scandinavia where it became mingled with those earlier Norse legends. Today it is one of the very few saint days observed in Scandinavia. Put the two together, the religious & the folklore, & you create a warm & joyous day dedicated to the finding of light in the darkness.
St. Lucia’s feast Day is a preparation for Christmas in the same sense as Advent is. The life of St. Lucia directs us to Christ – the Light of the World. It is a reminder of her sacrificial giving to the poor. A St. Lucia celebration stresses the importance of the coming of light – light as warmth, light as promise, light as hope, light as life & light shining in the darkness. – The Light of Christ shining in our dark world. Today we celebrate that light just as the Norse Vikings, Swedish farmers, an Italian peasant girl, & an English Bishop all did.
This celebration begins before dawn, with the oldest girl in the family rising to make saffron buns & Coffee for her parents. She wears white, with a red sash & a wreath of candles on her head. Other girls in the family are dressed in white as attendants & the boys are dressed as “star boys” with pointy star hats. In the pedagogy of the Waldorf schools, the 2nd grade studies the Saints, so they take up this festival. The youngest in the class wears the candle crown & the class processes thru the hallways singing:
Santa Lucia, Thy light is glowing
All through the darkest night, comfort bestowing
Dreams float on wings of night,
Comes then the morning light
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia
Through silent winter gloom, Thy song comes winging to
Waken the Earth anew, Glad carols bringing,
Come thou, oh queeen of Night,
Wearing thy crown so bright,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia, Christmas foretelling, Fill hearts with hope and cheer, Dark fear dispelling, Bring to the world’s call, Peace and goodwill to all, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia
Santa Lucia was born around the year 300 A.D. to a wealthy Sicilian family. Although her father died when she was a baby, he left plenty of money for Lucia & her mother to be cared for. As she grew Lucia learned of The Christ & was raised in the Christian faith. She made a secret vow never to marry but instead to spend her life serving the poor. Her mother was unaware of this vow, & pressed her to marry a man who was pagan. Although she resisted, Lucia became engaged to this man.
Around
that time, her mother suffered from unexplained bleeding, & Lucia persuaded
her to go to the tomb of St. Agatha to pray. Miraculously, her mother was
healed. After this, Lucia told her mother of her vow never to marry, &
persuaded her that in gratitude to God they should give away their wealth to
the poor of the city. So, by candlelight, the mother & daughter went about
the city secretly ministering to the poor. Some even said she would bring food
to the poor people living in caves, & that because she needed both hands to
carry the food, she strapped candles to her head.
As a result of her vow, the young man she had been engaged to was furious. Not only did he lose the opportunity of having the beautiful Lucia as his wife, he also missed out on the great amount of money that would have been her dowry that he would have received in the event of their marriage. He went to the governor & accused her of both being a Christian, & aiding other Christians. At that time, it was illegal to be a Christian. Lucia was called before a judge & given the chance to renounce her faith, but she refused.
The
judge ordered her to be taken away & executed, but the soldiers who came to
drag her away could not budge her. Instead, they put wood around her & laid
a fire beneath her, but the fire would not light. Finally, the judge called
forth one of the soldiers & told him to kill her with his sword, which he
did.
Many years later, Sweden was in the grip of a terrible famine. At the height of that dark, icy winter, hunger & suffering were at their worst. People were reduced to grinding tree bark to bake into bitter bread. But on the long night of Santa Lucia Day a brilliantly lit ship came sailing across the stormy waters of Lake Vannern. At the helm stood a beautiful young woman dressed all in white, with a face so radiant that there was a glow of light all about her head. As the vessel touched shore, great quantities of food & clothing appeared with her for the starving. When asked her name, she simply replied “Lucia”. When all were fed & cared for, the vessel disappeared as quickly as it had come. To this day, the people of Sweden celebrate the remembrance of Lucia, & how she came to save the people of their country.
The
emblem of eyes on a cup or plate recalls her torture & suffering & reflects
popular devotion to her as protector of the light which brings sight. In
paintings St. Lucy is frequently shown in Gothic art holding her eyes on a
golden plate. She also holds the palm branch, symbol of victory over evil.
In Scandinavia (as late as until the mid 18th century) this date was the longest night of the year, coinciding with Winter Solstice, this was due to the Julian Calendar being employed at that time. This can be seen in the poem “A Nocturnal upon S. Lucy’s Day, Being the Shortest Day” by the English poet John Donne.
Falling within the Advent season, Saint Lucy’s Day is viewed as an event signaling the arrival of Christmastide, pointing to the birth of the Light on Christmas Day. It is said that to vividly celebrate Saint Lucy’s Day will help one live the long winter days with enough light.
St. Lucy is the patron
saint of the city of Syracuse (Sicily). On 13 December a silver statue
of St. Lucy containing her relics is paraded through the streets before
returning to the Cathedral. Here, it is traditional to eat whole grains instead
of bread on 13 December. This usually takes the form of cuccia, a dish of
boiled wheat berries often mixed with ricotta & honey, or sometimes served
as a savory soup with beans.
St. Lucy is also popular among children in some regions of North-Eastern Italy, where she is said to bring gifts to good children & coal to bad ones the night between 12 & 13 December. According to tradition, she arrives in the company of a donkey & her escort, Castaldo. Children are asked to leave some coffee for Lucia, a carrot for the donkey & a glass of wine for Castaldo. They must not watch Santa Lucia delivering these gifts, or she will throw ashes in their eyes, temporarily blinding them.
In Hungary & Croatia, a popular tradition on
Saint Lucy’s Day involves planting wheat grains that will eventually be several
centimeters high on Christmas; this new wheat serves as symbolic of the new
life born in Bethlehem, the Nativity, & a candle is sometimes placed near
the new plant “as a symbol of the Light of Christ”.
Although
St. Lucy’s Day is not an official holiday in Sweden, it is a popular occasion
in Sweden. At many universities, students hold big formal dinner parties since
this is the last chance to celebrate together before most students go home to
their families for Christmas.
The modern tradition of having public processions in the Swedish cities started in 1927 when a newspaper in Stockholm elected an official Lucy for Stockholm that year. Today most cities in Sweden appoint a Lucy every year. Boys take part in the procession, playing different roles associated with Christmas. Some may be dressed in the same kind of white robe, but with a cone-shaped hat decorated with golden stars, called stjärngossar (star boys); some may be dressed up as “tomtenissar” (Santa’s elves), carrying lanterns; & some may be dressed up as gingerbread men. They participate in the singing &also have a song or two of their own, usually Staffan Stalledräng, which tells the story about Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr, caring for his five horses.
In Denmark, the Day of Lucy (Luciadag) was first celebrated on 13 December 1944, as an attempt “to bring light in a time of darkness, a passive protest against German occupation during the Second World War, but it has been a tradition ever since.
Historically
Norwegians considered what they called Lussinatten
the longest night of the year & no work was to be done. Between Lussi Night
& Yule, trolls & evil spirits, in some accounts also the spirits of the
dead, were thought to be active outside. It was believed to be particularly
dangerous to be out during Lussi Night. According to tradition, children who
had done mischief had to take special care, since Lussi could come down through
the chimney & take them away, & certain tasks of work in the
preparation for Yule had to be finished, or else the Lussi would come to punish
the household. The tradition of Lussevaka – to stay awake through the Lussinatt
to guard oneself & the household against evil, has found a modern form
through throwing parties until daybreak. Another company of spirits was said to
come riding through the night around Yule itself, journeying through the air,
over land & water. This might be an echo of the
myth of the Wild Hunt, called Oskoreia in Scandinavia, found across Northern,
Western &Central Europe. Legend also has it that farm animals talked to
each other on Lussinatten, & that they were given additional feed on this
longest night of the year.
In Saint Lucia, a tiny island in the Caribbean named after its patron saint, St. Lucy, 13 December is celebrated as National Day. The National Festival of Lights & Renewal is held the night before the holiday. In this celebration, decorative lights (mostly bearing a Christmas theme) are lit in the capital city of Castries; artisans present decorated lanterns for competition; & the official activities end with a fireworks display. In the past, a jour ouvert celebration has continued into the sunrise of 13 December.
Dante also mentions Lucia in
Inferno Canto II as the messenger “of all cruelty the foe” sent to
Beatrice from “The blessed Dame” (Divine Mercy), to rouse Beatrice to
send Virgil to Dante’s aid. She has instructed Virgil to guide Dante through
Hell & Purgatory.
What would it be like to use this feast day as an opportunity to ‘see’ the growing darkness with eyes of hope, knowing that in the dark womb the light will be reborn, again & yet again.
~hag
***
13 December 2019 – :Speaking with the Stars“: The waning gibbous Moon, in Gemini, rises after dinnertime underneath Pollux &Castor. To the Moon’s lower right, Procyon soon appears. Off to the right of Gemini sparkles Orion. High above Orion shines orange Aldebaran, and above Aldebaran are the Pleiades. Far left of Aldebaran and the Pleiades shines Capella. Below Orion, brilliant Sirius rises around 8.
662-
Feast day of Saint Odilia, patron
saint of good eyesight, & of Alsace.
By
tradition she was born blind. Her father did not want her because she was a
girl & handicapped, so her mother had her brought to Palma where she was
raised by peasants there. A tenth-century legend relates that when she was
twelve, Odile was taken into a nearby monastery. While there, the itinerant
bishop Saint Erhard of Regensburg was led, by an angel, to Palma where he baptized
her Odile (Sol Dei), whereupon she miraculously recovered her sight. Her
younger brother Hughes had her brought home again, which enraged her father so
much that he accidentally killed his son. Odile miraculously revived him, &
left home again.
She
fled across the Rhine to a cave near Freiburg Germany. It is said the cliff
face opened up in order to rescue her from her plight. In the cave, she hid
from her father. When he tried to follow her, he was injured by falling rocks &
gave up.
When
her father fell ill, Odile returned to nurse him. He finally gave up resisting
his headstrong daughter & founded the Augustine monastic community of Mont
Ste. Odile in the Hochwald, Bas-Rhin, where Odile became abbess.
Some
years later Odile was shown the site of Niedermünster at the foot of the
mountain by St. John the Baptist in a vision. There she founded a second
monastery, including a hospital. The local well is still said to cure eye
diseases.
St.
Odile died about 720 at the convent of Niedermünster. At the insistent prayers
of her sisters she was returned to life, but after describing the beauties of
the afterlife to them, she took communion by herself & died again.
1204
– Deathday of Maimonides, a medieval
Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific &
influential Torah scholars of the Middle Ages. In his time, he was also a
preeminent astronomer and physician. Born in Cordova, (present-day Spain) on
Passover Eve he worked as a rabbi, physician, & philosopher in Morocco &
Egypt.
During
his lifetime, most Jews greeted Maimonides’ writings on Jewish law & ethics
with acclaim & gratitude, even as far away as Iraq & Yemen, his copious
work comprises a cornerstone of Jewish scholarship. He is sometimes known as
“ha Nesher ha Gadol” (the great eagle) in recognition of his
outstanding status as a bona fide exponent of the Oral Torah.
Aside
from being revered by Jewish historians, Maimonides also figures very
prominently in the history of Islamic & Arab sciences. Influenced by Al-Farabi, Avicenna, & his contemporary Averroes .He in his turn influenced other prominent Arab &
Muslim philosophers and scientists. He became a prominent philosopher &
polymath in both the Jewish & Islamic worlds.
Maimonides exerted an important influence on the Scholastic philosophers, especially on Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas & Duns Scotus. He was a Jewish Scholastic. Educated by reading the works of Arab Muslim philosophers , he acquired an intimate acquaintance not only with Arab Muslim philosophy, but with the doctrines of Aristotle. Maimonides strove to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy & science with the teachings of the Torah.
1466 – Deathday of Donatello, Italian painter & sculptor
1476
– Birthday of St. Lucy Brocadelli,
mystic & stigmatic. Lucy was born in 1476 on the feast day of St. Lucia,
the eldest of eleven children in the town of Narni (then called Narnia) in the
region of Umbria. When she was only five years old, she had a vision of the
Virgin Mary. Two years later, she had another vision, this time of the Virgin
Mary accompanied by Saint Dominic. Dominic is said to have given her his
scapular at this time. When she was twelve years old, Lucy made a private vow
of chastity, & she determined to become a Dominican nun.
Circumstances,
however, changed to make doing so impossible as her father died the following year,
leaving her in the care of an uncle. This uncle, following the wish of her
father while he was still alive, decided that the best course of action he
could take would be to get Lucy married as quickly as possible.
He
made several attempts to do so. One of these included holding a large family
party. He had invited the man he had chosen to become Lucy’s husband to the
party, with the intention of having the couple publicly betrothed. He however
had not informed Lucy of his intentions. The suitor made an attempt to put a
ring on Lucy’s finger, only to be slapped repeatedly by her for his efforts.
A
later attempt involved Count Pietro di Alessio of Milan, an acquaintance of the
family. Lucy was actually quite fond of him, but felt that her earlier vow of
perpetual virginity made the marriage impossible. The strain Lucy felt as a
result of the conflicting feelings made her seriously ill. During this time,
the Virgin Mary & Saint Dominic again appeared to her, this time
accompanied by St. Catherine of Siena. They reportedly advised Lucy to contract
a legal marriage to Pietro, but to explain that her vow of virginity would have
to be respected & not violated. Pietro agreed to the terms, & the
marriage was formalized.
Lucy
performed austere penances, which included regularly wearing a hair shirt under
her garments & spending most of the night in prayer as well as helping the
poor. The servants told her husband that Lucy was often visited in the evenings
by Saint Catherine, Saint Agnes, & Saint Agnes of Montepulciano, who helped
her make bread for the poor.
However,
when one of the servants came up to him one day & told him that Lucy was
privately entertaining a handsome young man she appeared to be quite familiar
with. He took up his sword & went to see who this person was. When he
arrived, he found Lucy contemplating a large crucifix. The servant told him
that the man he had seen Lucy with looked like the figure on the crucifix.
Later
Lucy left one night for a local Franciscan friary, only to find it closed. She
returned home the following morning, stating that she had been led back by two
saints. That was enough for Pietro. He had her locked away for the bulk of one
Lenten season. She was visited only by servants who brought her food. When
Easter arrived, however, she managed to escape from Pietro back to her mother’s
house &, on 8 May 1494, became a Dominican tertiary. Pietro expressed his
disapproval of this in a rather dramatic form—by burning down the monastery of
the prior who had given her the habit of the Order.
In
1495 Lucy went to Rome & joined a group of Dominican tertiaries who were
living in community. The next year she was sent to Viterbo to establish a new
convent & here she found she was frequently the object of unwanted
attention, as she was reported to have received the stigmata. Lucy did her best
to hide these marks, & was frequently in spiritual ecstasy. The house had a
steady stream of visitors who came to speak to Lucy, &, often, just to
stare at her. Even the other Sisters were concerned about her, & at one
point called in the local bishop who watched Lucy go through the drama of the
Passion for twelve hours straight.
The
bishop would not make a decision on Lucy, & called in the local
Inquisition.
At
that time Pietro also came to her, making a final plea to persuade Lucia to
return with him as his wife. She declined, & Pietro left alone. He would
himself later become a Franciscan friar & a famous preacher.
When
Lucy returned to the convent in Viterbo, she found that the Duke of Ferrara,
Ercole d’Este I, had determined to build a convent in Ferrara, & he wanted
her to be its prioress. Lucy, the Dominican Order, & the pope all agreed
quickly to the new proposal. Lucy’s departure precipitated a conflict between
Ferrara & Viterbo which would continue for two years. Viterbo wanted to
keep the famous mystic for themselves, & the Duke wanted her in Ferrara.
Lucy escaped secretly from Viterbo & was officially received in Ferrara on
May 7, 1499. Thirteen young girls immediately applied for admission to her new
community.
The
local Prior Provincial of the Dominican Order would not permit any member of
the Order to see her. There are records that at least one Dominican, Catherine
of Racconigi, did visit her, evidently by bilocation,& that Lucy’s earlier
visitations by departed saints continued. This punishment was to last her
entire life. When she died her body was laid out for burial & so many
people wanted to pay their last respects that her funeral had to be delayed by
three days. Her tomb in the convent church was opened four years later &
her perfectly preserved body was transferred to a glass case.
When the French Revolutionary Army suppressed the convent in 1797, her body was transferred to the Cathedral of Ferrara, & then in 1935 to the former Cathedral of Narnia. Lucy was beatified by Pope Clement XI on 1 March 1710.
***
13 – 14 December 2019
Rudiger Janisch
“The Spiritual Goetheanum, the threefold human being and the threefold social impulse”
Friday 13 December , 7 – 9 pm
Saturday 14 December, 9 am – noon
Rüdiger has been working in Curative Education and teaching in professional training programs in Germany and the United States for over 40 years. A long-time student of anthroposophy, he serves on the Collegium of the School for Spiritual Science in North America. His contributions to adult education methods were recognized in the context of an international research project sponsored by the European Union. He has been a member of the core faculty of a joint ‘Training for Trainers’ program supporting Curative Education and Social Therapy in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan. He has also taught as an adjunct faculty member of the M.S. Ed program in Waldorf Remedial Education at Antioch University N.H. Having taught many different aspects of anthroposophy and Curative Education, he currently is focused on action research and the development of artistic and experiential approaches to the spiritual scientific study of the human being.
Holy Nights 2019-2020 – The New Mysteries of the ‘Christmas Conference’ Renewed! Dear Friends – Join us this year for an Extra Ordinary Holy Nights. We will gather at the Branch from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm CST to attend a new initiative with folks from around the world; ‘May Human Beings Hear It: An Online Holy Nights Gathering hosted by ASA friends around the country’. Laura Scappaticci, Angela Foster.
Then from 7:30pm – 8:30pm CST we will take up our own study of the ‘Laying of the Foundation Stone’ from The Christmas Conference 1923/1924. (There are copies of ‘The Red Book’ in the Library)
Most Nights are from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm CST except: 24 Dec. at NOON CST (no meeting at the branch) *26 Dec. The Rudolf Steiner Branch is Hosting this Nation-wide event. Meet in the Upper Room at 6 pm CST. *28 Dec. Olaf Åsteson practice 3 pm – 5 pm CST – Performance at 7 pm CST.
1st Holy Night: Tuesday 24 December 2019 – Christmas Eve, Adam & Eve’s Day (no meeting at the branch) Zoom call at NOON CST – A Goethean Conversation
*3rd Holy Night: Thursday 26 December 2019 – Boxing Day – Feast of St. Steven. 1st hour hosted by us the Rudolf Steiner Branch, Chicago: “The Vast & Holy Night” a liminal performance of spoken word & eurythmy honoring the dark from which the light is born. Our study: The Laying of the Foundation Stone of the General Anthroposophical Society through Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 68
4th Holy Night: Friday 27 December 2019 – Feast of St. John -1st hour hosted by Mary Stewart Adams. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting pg. 98
*5th Holy Night: Saturday 28 December 2019 – The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson with Debbie Barford & Mary Tom 3pm – 5pm practice 7 pm – 9 pm performance. Come gather to work with the Legend of Olaf Åsteson in the afternoon to be part of the community ensemble 3pm – 5pm with a dinner break returning for the performance open to all from 7 pm – 9 pm. $10 Donation Encouraged. Contact Debra Barford for more info.
or Zoom Call: 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm hosted by The Dallas Maitreya Branch. Lisa Dalton
6th Holy Night: Sunday 29 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Rockford TN. Group. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 110 William Rogers
7th Holy Night: Monday 30 December 2019 – 1st hour hosted by The Eastern Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 138
***
– NYE–The 13th Hidden Night Tuesday 31 December 2019-2020 7:30 pm – 1 am – $20 + Potluck Food & Drink to Share Live Music & Folk Dancing with Jutta & the Hi-Dukes ™ 8 -9:30pm Biography Playshop Spacial Dynamics & the Loving Kindness Meditation with Deborah Rogers Cut Away & Call in – A Ritual of Renewal Seeking the Holy Grail Within – with Hazel Archer Ginsberg Lead (Wax) Casting Divination for the NY More TBA…
***
8th Holy Night: Wednesday 1 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Tess Parker & The Youth. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 183
9th Holy Night: Thursday 2 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Western Regional Council. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 192
10th Holy Night: Friday 3 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by The Portland Branch. Our study: Continuation of the Foundation Meeting. pg. 204
11th Holy Night: Saturday 4 January 2020 – 1st hour hosted by Brian Gray. Our study: The Envy of the Gods – the Envy of Human Beings, Looking back to the burning of the Goetheanum, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 231
*12th Holy Night: Sunday 5 January 2020 – Epiphany, ‘Three Kings’ – 1st hour hosted by The Central Regional Council. Alberto Loya, Marianne Fieber, Lisa Dalton, Hazel Archer Ginsberg. Our Study: On the Right Entry into the Spiritual World – The responsibility Incumbent on us, by Rudolf Steiner. Pg. 260
30 Jan. – 2 Feb. 2020 Prep-makers conference at Michael Fields Institute
Fellowship of Preparation Makers Gathering
BD 501 and 508 – Tools to bring the cosmic light into the earth.
January 30th – February 2nd, 2020
Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, N8030 Townline Rd, East Troy, WI
The mission of the Fellowship of Preparation Makers is to ensure that good quality biodynamic preparations are available now and into the future throughout North America.
Schedule:
Thursday, January 30th
10—10:30 am Registration for Chromatogram Intensive
10:30am Chromatogram Intensive – All levels welcome. Presenter: Ryann Herring
12 —1pm Lunch on your own
1-3pm Chromatogram Intensive
3—5pm Registration and Social Time
5-6:30pm Supper
7-8:30pm Welcome from Perry Brown, and Candlemas Festival with Hazel Archer Ginsberg
Friday, January 31st
7:30-8:30am Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30– 10 am History of Fellowship of Prep Makers, and Introductions.
10-10:30am Morning Break
10:30–12:30pm Why Biodynamics? Presenter: Mac Mead
12:30-1:45pm Lunch
2-3:30pm How the cosmic works in the earth? Presenter: Hugh Courtney
3:30-4pm Afternoon Break
4-6pm Different ways to make and use BD501 & BD508. Practical hands on session with Marjory House and Lloyd Nelson
6-7:30 pm Supper
7:30-9pm The Journey of a Prep Maker, A history circle, Facilitator: Brian Wickert
Saturday, February 1st
7:30-8:30 Registration, Breakfast and Social Time
8:30-10am History of Silica on Man’s Evolution (Lamuria to today) Presenter: Mac Mead
10-10:30am Morning break
10:30– 12pm Silica and the Human Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
12-1:30pm Lunch
1:30-3pm Interpretation of Chromatograms Presenter: Ryann Herring
3-3:30pm Afternoon Break
3:30-5pm Kolisko Institute Presenter: Dr. Mark Kamsler
5-7pm Supper
7-8:30pm Quality Comparison of BD501 & 508 Show and tell how you make and use the preps. Facilitator: Wali Via
8:30 pm Evening Social/Brew City Drifters
Sunday, February 2nd
7:30-8:30 am Breakfast & Social Time
8:30-10am Round Table Discussion: Peppering for Pests and Weeds Panel: Mac Mead and Hugh Courtney
10-1-:30 Morning Break
10:30– Noon Fellowship presentations, evaluations and closing circle.
Home stay and airport transportation arrangements will be handled by: Petra Zinniker petrazinniker@gmail.com 262-581-7574
We will work to provide home stays for everyone who requests one. Some homes will be free and others may have a cost. Please contact Petra with your requests. Home stays will be reserved on a first come first served basis.
Local accommodations are also listed below: Quality Inn & Suites (1.8 miles away) 2921 O’Leary Ln, East Troy, WI 53120•(262) 684-2183
Alpine Valley Resort (1.6 miles away) W2501 Co Rd D, Elkhorn, WI 53121•(262) 642-7374
BD 501 and 508 preps for quality comparison: If you have them, please bring or send BD 501 and BD 508 preps for quality comparison and closing ceremony. Preps can be mailed to Petra Zinniker, N 7399 Bowers Rd, Elkhorn, WI 53121
Presenters:
Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Mac Mead
Hugh Courtney
Marjory House
Lloyd Nelson
Dr Kamsler
Ryan Herring
Wali Via
Sponsors: Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Demeter, Biodynamic Association
Karma and Anthroposophic Psychology — an Easter-Tide RetreatMaundy Thursday 9 April 2020 Noon thru Easter Sunday at 3 pm Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, ILAAP:James A. Dyson, M.D., Roberta Nelson, Ph.D., and David Tresemer, Ph.D. with Susan Overhauser, Ph.D.CRC:Marianne Fieber, Alberto Loya, Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, David Howerton, Lisa DaltonEurythmist: Mary RuudActivities:Art-ActsStar WisdomThe Karma ExercisesExperiential PAGEANT on Holy Saturday: ‘Know Thyself’Easter Sunrise SongtrailOptional service at the Christian CommunityCommunal meals and time for ConversationLectures:‘Living into Karma through the Senses’‘How to find the Self in a Sea of Karma’‘Unfolding the Enigma of the Saturn Path’‘The Gesture of Karma’‘Christ as Lord of Karma — how do I access this in terms of my personal psychology?’(Program subject to change) $125 Conference fee includes 1 meal a dayFor more information and to register, contact Alberto Loya aloyavaca@peoplepc.com
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Festivals for the Dead. Then & Now. Renew, or Create Your Own Tradition.
with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg – Founder of Reverse Ritual Understanding Anthroposophy through the Rhythms of the Year. Essayist, Lecturer, Poet, Trans-denominational Minister, ‘Anthroposopher’, working as the Festivals Coordinator & Council Member of the Chicago Rudolf Steiner Branch, The Traveling Speakers Program, & the Central Regional Council of the Anthroposophical Society.
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