Recently I fell into the rabbit hole, looking outwards, searching for culprits of this ‘plan-demic’, this pandemonium. And now again I am pulled to continue to investigate thru the lens of spiritual-science, to ask what task this illness holds for us as individuals & for humanity as a whole. I have written a lot about how Rudolf Steiner describes epidemics as events that belong to the progress of humanity, serving to enhance our spiritual & moral development. So, on a personal & global, karmic level, we need to ask: Why have I called in this ‘pandemic’?

Every illness is always associated with a task – this is something we know especially from the field of Anthroposophical Medicine. New abilities need to be acquired, which often involve a personal catharsis – involving deep layers of the soul – an investigation of karma – a striving to ‘Know Thyself’. If you listen to your inner self, what do you perceive there?

From an anthroposophical point of view we can think that humanity has laid the spiritual foundation for this current world event. In the Karma Lectures Rudolf Steiner addressed this aspect of epidemics. “These illnesses work according to a wise world plan. The human soul finds the opportunity to compensate what had been caused by the Ahrimanic influence and by certain earlier Luciferian influences. If other conditions of avoidance are now brought forward to delay this compensation, this is again becomes subject to far reaching karmic laws that add to the dept. We can see from this that we really must not look at these questions superficially“. ~Rudolf Steiner, Manifestations of Karma, THE NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF KARMA IN THE PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL, AND IN HUMANITY, THE EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE, GA 120.

It makes me think of how when the dragon was cast out of heaven, enabling the human being to become its host, there was a disruption in the karmic order of humanity. The angels that separated from the Choir Master Michael & came down to earth brought a kind of chaos into the karma of many. Are all the measures imposed upon us ‘for our own good’ part of this prevention of our karmic compensation?

We can turn again to Rudolf Steiner’s explanation: “From this you can see that for a karmic compensation, which we would be able to remove from one side through prevention, or a temporary seeming cure, there would have to be a compensation in another direction again. We then only create the need to seek other opportunities and influences if we remove the initial influences. Now let us suppose that many epidemics, common causes of illness, can simply be seen to lead  back to the fact that those people who subconsciously bring in these ‘causes of  illness’, want to clear away what they have acquired through karma.

For example in the smallpox epidemic we can see the organs of unkindness.

If we were able to remove these organs, the cause of unkindness would still remain and the souls concerned would then have to seek the appropriate compensation in another way, in this or another incarnation.

We can understand what is going on when we point out something that we certainly have to count on, and that is the following. Today, indeed, a great deal of external influences and causes are being cleared away that would otherwise have been sought, as illnesses, to balance out certain karmic things that mankind has been carrying around since earlier ages. But by doing so, we only remove the possibility that man will be forfeited to the external influences: We make his outer life more pleasant or even healthier in the short term. But by doing this we only achieve that what man would have sought as karmic compensation in the corresponding disease relationship, must now be sought in another way. The souls which are kept back in this way today in a health-related relationship are thus condemned to seek this karmic balance in another way. And they will have to seek it, not just in one way, but in numerous cases, in often more dire cases.

By making their physical life guarded, the soul will be influenced in the opposite way; it will be in a way influenced that it will gradually feel a certain emptiness, an unsatisfactoriness, an unfulfilled feeling.

And if it were to go on in such a way, that the outer life would become more and more disconnected, more and more unrelated, as one can have it according to the general ideas in purely materialistic life, then such souls would have less and less incentive to progress in themselves. A desolation of the souls would in a certain sense “go hand in hand“.~Rudolf Steiner, Manifestations of Karma, THE NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF KARMA IN THE PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL, AND IN HUMANITY, THE EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE, GA 120.

Ok, so when are we going to stop avoiding ourselves & begin to ask: What is the task of this dis-ease? Which ‘organs’ are calling to be developed in the sense spoken of here by Steiner ?

***

Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

“Greek philosophy beautifully compared the human soul with a bee. The world of colour and light offers the soul honey which it brings with it into the higher world. The soul must spiritualize sense experience and carry it up into higher worlds.” ~Rudolf Steiner 1906

1429 – Joan of Arc lifts the Siege of Orléans, turning the tide of the Hundred Years’ War.

1902 – In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing over 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survive the blast.

1933 – Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast of self-purification and launched a one-year campaign to help the Harijan movement

1884 – Birthday of Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, 33 degree Mason.

1922 – D. N. Dunlop resigns from the Theosophical Society

1891 – Death Day of Helena Blavatsky, Russian-English mystic & author, said to be the reincarnation of Cagliostro by Emil Bock. In her will, HPB suggested that her friends might gather together on the anniversary of her death & read from Sir Edwin Arnold’s The Light of Asia & from The Bhagavad Gita. Lotuses grew in unusual profusion one year later. Hence, May 8 became known as White Lotus Day.

1903 – Deathday of Paul Gauguin, French painter and sculptor. His work was influential to the French avant-garde & many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso & Henri Matisse.

1929 – Death Day of Pauline von Kalckreuth, early anthroposophist

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POD (Poem Of the Day)

~god Bee The Mother
As She carried Her child
May She carry Her own Soul…
As Her child was born,
May She give birth & life & form to Her own higher Truth…
For Her Soul shall be
Her most potent birth…
~hag

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Anthroposophy Atlanta Lunch & Learn (Zoom Call) – “Crowning” with Hazel Archer-Hazel Archer Ginsberg, and Eurythmist Raven Garland – Is this ‘global pandemic’ entreating us to awaken to the etheric realm that we share in common with the earth? Perhaps the coronavirus is an admonition for us to reconnect to the sun-forces now imbued with the Etheric Christ, waiting to be recognized and employed in these current evolving conditions – an invitation for all of humanity to rise to a higher stage of initiation – a Crowning re-birth.

For our first call, we have invited our friend from Chicago, Hazel Archer Ginsberg to share some of her work. To support Hazel’s content, we are thrilled that Raven Garland will lead us in simple, yet powerful eurythmy at the end of the call. Please join us if you are able! It is free-of-charge and everyone is invited.

“Crowning” With Hazel Archer Ginsberg and Raven Garland
Time: May 18, 2020, 11:30 am – NOON CDT – 12:30 pm – 1 pm ET – Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77977043476

Meeting ID: 779 7704 3476
Password: HAZEL

May 21st, 7:15 – 9 pm ‘Spirit Beholding’ Ascension Festival 2020 with the CRC

“…Like an evening vapor after the sunset…” ~Novalis –
A free online Ascension Festival with the Central Regional Council –
Ascension Thursday – May 21, 2020 – 7pm – 8:15pm CDT (8pm – 9:15pm EDT)

Join the Central Regional Council and special guest Raven Garland on an artistic exploration of the Mystery of Ascension. We will offer leading thoughts, intermingled with poetry and Eurythmy, to be followed by open conversation.

In the clouds, between the depths of earth and heavenly heights, in the sphere of the etheric realm, we see the primal image of metamorphosis.

Is this global pandemic entreating us to ‘Practice Spirit Beholding’ to awaken to the etheric realm we all share in common with the earth?

We can ‘Practice Spirit Recalling’ to remember we received our etheric body on Old Sun. In practicing ‘Spirit-Sensing’ we may feel perhaps the Coronavirus is an admonition for us to reconnect to the sun-forces now imbued with The Etheric Christ, waiting to be recognized and engaged in the current evolving conditions. This is an invitation for all of humanity to rise to a higher stage of initiation – a global Coronation.

The fulfillment of the secret promise of the Ascension is the Second Coming. Will we choose to participate?

FREE – ALL are Welcome 

This will be a “Zoom” conference call allowing us an opportunity to see one another while conversing (or audio only if you prefer). To connect to the audio/video-conference:

Option 1. Click link below if you wish to connect through your computer (a headset is recommended)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86998748216…

The PASSWORD is: Ascension

Option 2. Call in using your telephone.
United States: +1 (346) 248 7799 or +1 (312) 626 6799
Access Code: 869-9874-8216
The PASSWORD is: Ascension

Option 3. You can use a combination of Options 1 and 2 (computer and phone). If you use the phone, please turn off the audio on your computer to prevent audio feedback.

For more info. contact Alberto Loya aloyavaca@peoplepc.com

May Hope Spring Eternal –

The CRC – Marianne Fieber, Alberto Loya, Hazel Archer Ginsberg, David Howerton, Lisa Dalton
Eurythmyst: Raven Garland

“In heavy clouds let Him ascend
And so also let Him downward tread.
In cooling streams let Him be sent,
in flames of fire blaze His descent,
In air and essence, sound and dew,
To permeate our whole earth through”.
~Novalis

***

~Vitae Sophia~ A Whitsun Festival of United Soul Endeavor with Hazel Archer-Ginsberg

 Online Whitsunday, 31 May 2020 from 10am–11:15am EDT Zoom Call*

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

*Join Zoom Meeting on computer https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85927907854 Meeting ID: 859 2790 7854

or Dial in by phone: Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbEIk8kgk1 Meeting ID: 859 2790 7854

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 of the Chicago Rudolf Steiner Branch, The Traveling Speakers Program, & the Central Regional Council of the Anthroposophical Society.

Sponsored by the Anthroposophical Society in New Hampshire

For more info. contact deb@anthroposophy.org