My POD (Poem Of the Day)
~Am I
Bent on being bent
Raw
As milk
Hot like honey
In the Sun…
Re-membering
The circle never stops
Even as we bite our own tails
~hag
***
Elemental Meditation
Take a moment, sit comfortably & calm your mind…Take a deep breath, deep into your belly, hold it for a moment, & let it slowly go…
Imagine that you are standing on a high, wide hill. It is midnight, & the waning moon cuts a slice of light onto the landscape. You turn to the North, & across the valley, you can see majestic mountains, their sharp peaks reaching toward the sky. You notice the richness of the colors in the rock, & the pure whiteness of the snowy crests. A light breeze wafts up from the valley, bringing with it the earthy odors of the lush vegetation below.
You spread your feet wide, & you can feel the indomitable strength of the stone. Time slows down, & you feel that you yourself are made of the same stone, with your “I” in the realm of the Seraphim. You have seen eons of time go by; you have seen the Earth’s creatures evolve in the slow steady dance of life & death. You are One with the living Earth, part of her body ever changing, ever treasure full…
Spend a few breaths in rhythm with her cycles…then allow the image to fade…
Again you are standing on the hill. You turn to the East, & you notice that the dawn is beginning to break. An insistent breeze raises your hair, as you inhale the heady perfume of newly opened flowers in the air…
A tall pine grows up out of the valley, & on its topmost branch sits an eagle. It gives a loud cry, & as the sun breaks over the horizon, the eagle spreads its wings, & with powerful strokes, lifts itself into the rising currents of air. As it soars nearer, you too, can feel the rising thermals pressing upwards on your being, lifting & supporting the thoughts of your highest mind. You gaze around, & you find that you can distinguish the smallest detail with perfect clarity. You are One with the Air. Take a few healing breaths in the quicksilver lightness of new beginnings…your mind free & uncluttered… sharp & attuned…slowly this image begins to morph & fade.
Again you find yourself a top the hill. You turn to the South, you realize it is high noon, & the blazing Sun beats down like a drum. You look out over the valley, undulating with heat, & from a cleft on the other side, you see an ancient winged-dragon emerge. It looks up to where you stand, & your eyes meet. Michael holds him lightly with a golden chain.
Before Michael lets him go, he beckons the dragon to kneel, head bowed. A clear violet flame springs forth from its brow, & you watch as this being transforms in a purifying fire, burning away all illusion of separateness & opposition, releasing the essence of warmth, enthusiasm & courage. The dragon revealed as a winged serpent of Wisdom, flies across the blazing valley toward you, & yet you feel perfectly safe meeting this great being face to face. Its eyes are like red coals, & its breath is hot fire on your face, like the scorching Sun, smelling of the molten flames burning deep within your solar plexus. Its scales appear metallic, as though they were made of beaten gold. It lowers its head, & as you place your hand on its brow, you feel a surge of energy, as though the plasma of the Sun itself was flowing through your veins. You are One with the Sun energy reclaimed from the belly of the dragon.
Take a few golden breaths feeling its activating passion, protecting & enlivening every cell of your being. Release the dragon in peace, to go back to his master Michael, & allow the image to fade.
Yet again you find yourself standing on the hilltop. You turn to the West, & you realize that the Sun is setting. At the base of the hill a vast sea spreads to the horizon. Its deep blue surface is calm, & you feel a deep sense of perfect peace & serenity. The waters of the sea gently lap the shore directly below you, revealing its secret mysteries at your feet. You walk down the shore of this primordial wellspring, wading into the cool water. At the oceans edge, you see that a clear spring flows out from the side of the hill, cascading over rocks, to form a small waterfall.
You reach down, & scoop up some of this clear sparkling water, bringing it to your mouth to drink. The water tastes incredibly fresh & clean, & you know that it is.
You dive into the seawater at the base of the waterfall, & feel its smoothness over your body. You laugh, & float like a fish in the sea, soon realizing that you are surrounded by dolphins. You can feel their joy in life, you allow yourself to join in their playfulness. You feel the flowing force of your loving ancestors acting as midwifes as you are reborn in the purifying saltwater. You lie back, to allow the water to support you, yet you need no support, for you are One with the Water….
Spend a few breaths in the deep truth of this peace & calm, as you slowly allow the image to fade…
Once again you are on the hill. It is night. You look up, & see the great black arch of the sky thick with stars. As you gaze at them, you feel a pulsation of energy coming from them, & from the Earth beneath your feet. The energy feels like a dance, with you in the center of the leminscate, as you sway to its rhythm, the music of the spheres enters you, & you are One with the Universe the 5th Sacred Thing. Breathe with the Life-Force pulsing within you…
In gratitude
Blessings & Peace ~Hazel Archer Ginsberg
5 September 2020 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Bella Luna & Mars rise close together in the East about a half hour after the end of twilight, only about 1° apart. By dawn Sunday, they’ll stand high in the southwest 2° or 3° apart.
Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day
Those who work with the Original indications in the Calendar of the Soul know that Rudolf Steiner lists the birth & death days, as well as other significant occurrences of various individualities, along with the dates in the calendar.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Deathday of Nathanael (Hebrew נתנאל, “God has given”) of Cana in Galilee, a disciple of Jesus Christ, mentioned in the Gospel of John in Chapters 1 & 21.
Jesus immediately characterizes him as “an Israelite in whom is no deceit”. Steiner said this is a reference to the fact that Nathanael had been initiated & had received the title “The Israelite.” Jesus’ quote: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”, shows their connection in the super-sensible world.
Deathday of Gaius Marius Victorinus, born in Africa he became a Roman rhetorician & Neoplatonic philosopher. He translated 2 of Aristotle’s books from ancient Greek into Latin: The Categories &On Interpretation
Deathday of Zacharias the Prophet, father of John the Baptist. He performed the priest’s office in Jerusalem during the reign of Herod. The Lord appeared before him, standing on the right side of the altar & said “Fear, not Zacharias,” assuring him that his prayer was well pleasing & it had inclined God to a great act of mercy. The Archangel Gabriel then visited Zacharias’ wife Elizabeth who had long been barren & told her that she would give birth to a son who would be called John, whose name signifies grace.
Zacharias said to the angel, “Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is well stricken in years.” The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things be performed, because thou believes not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.”
Then the prophecy was fulfilled & John was born, & after Zacharias had written John’s name on a writing tablet, his mouth was filled with the Holy Spirit, his tongue was loosed, & he spoke, praising God.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem & the Magi came from the East, they told Herod of the newborn king. Herod sent soldiers to slay all the children in Bethlehem, he especially remembered hearing about the miraculous birth of John. “What manner of child shall this be? Will this child be the King of the Jews?” He decided to kill John. The executioners could not find them, but the slaughter of innocents began.
When Elizabeth heard these cries, she took John & fled into the mountains. When she saw soldiers drawing near, she prayed to God & cried out to the rocky mount nearby and said, “O mountain of God, receive a mother and her child!” Immediately the mountain was split & she entered hiding herself & John from the executioners.
The soldiers returned to Herod, having not found the child, & Herod sent word to Zacharias in the temple saying, “Surrender your son John to me.” Saint Zacharias replied, “You will kill my body, but the Lord will receive my soul.” The executioners straightway fulfilled Herod’s command & fell upon Zacharias between the temple & the altar. His blood was spilt on the floor & became hardened like rock as a witness against Herod & a testimony to Zacharias.
***
The Central Regional Council Invites ALL to our Michaelmas Festival:
‘Courage Born of Wisdom’
Wednesday 23 September 2020 – The Autumnal Equinox – 7:15 pm CDT – 8:30 pm
CRC performs a telling of a tale from ancient Chaldea where EA gives birth to Marduk, precursor to Michael.
then “Wisdom Built herself a house*”…7 members of the various sections of the Anthroposophical Society will stand as Wisdom’s 7 Pillars to share how Courage was born from Wisdom leading to their work in the world.
Medical Section –Drs. Molly & Quentin McMullen
Social Science Section – Doug Wylie
Youth – Stephan Ambrose
BD – Rand Carter
Pedagogical –Michael Holdrege
3-Folding – Dorothy Hinkle-Uhlig
Eurythmy – Barbara Richardson
with a closing about the connection between Michael, The Christ & Anthroposophia!
FREE – Zoom details to follow
***
Our annual Michaelmas Festival & Youth Gathering 27 Sept. 2020 – 2 pm – 4 pm CDT
Joan d’Arc – PURIFYING FIRE: The Power behind the Will – 2 pm – 4 pm CDT
In person & online presentations
This years theme will be an exploration of the connection between Joan d’Arc & the Archangel Michael…
with special guests: Angela Foster from Atlanta & Mary Spalding
Including a performance of ‘The Passage” by Lucian Dante Lazar
More Details TBA
Michaelmas Saturday, 9/26 @2-4pm https://zoom.us/j/97955920156
Meeting ID: 979 5592 0156
Michaelmas Sunday, 9/27 @2-4pm https://zoom.us/j/92376555749
Meeting ID: 923 7655 5749
Phone numbers:
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Sponsored by: The Rudolf Steiner Branch, Elderberries Biodynamic Outpost & 3-Fold Cultural Hub
for more info. contact Festivals coordinator Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
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