I greet you dear friends from deep inside the St. John’s Tide, where I am swimming with the Virtue of the Month: ‘Unselfishness Becomes Catharsis’ – which is acting like a Catalyst for the Call of Conscience – ever issuing forth from the Spirit of John the Baptizer – answering the Universal need that arises to Let the Light of the Higher “I” shine into our being.
At our Spring Biodynamic Prep-making Work-day on Zinniker Farm, Margaret took me aside & told me how much it meant to her that in 2017 I led a powerful St. John’s Festival on the farm. She said that year she was going thru a difficult time as her mother was making the transition into the spiritual world. She shared how the drumming & my leading thoughts on the Season, helped her come to a place of peace – This was a catalyst, she emphasized, that allowed her to let go of fear & worry – Which then allowed her mother to pass over peacefully. Margaret said she has been wanting to thank me for years, & asked if I might lead another Drum Circle to celebrate St. John’s Day this year..?
I often suffer from self doubt – thinking what I do doesn’t matter, isn’t wanted, or that someone else can do it better; so I was very grateful to hear that our gathering had meant so much. And I enthusiastically agreed to bring the St. John’s Festival alive again on the farm.
The Zinniker’s wanted to make it a low-key community celebration, not a workday; & Margaret wanted to bring her Christian Community friends together, & I wanted to serve the Spiritual World, the Community – the land & the Farmers. And so it was that More than 50 folks came from near & far.
Gathering around in a big circle before the sumptuous potluck meal, I looked around at the bright shining faces, & felt ‘Words of Flame’ rise-up within me, as if the Baptist was standing with us.
In my minds-eye, the circle of human beings became a Christened periphery, with the blazing bonfire – a point at the center, creating the astrological symbol of the Sun.
The flaming point seemed to move out into vertical & horizontal lines to create a Cross within the Circle – the planetary symbol for Earth – & the alchemical sign for Salt – the cube shaped mineral-crystal – outpictured in the Holy of Holies & the cubic altar of The New Jerusalem.
We had ‘Squared the Circle’ bringing in the 4 Elements.
Acknowledging these Nature Beings fostered on the sacred land maintained by the Zinniker Family, we directed our human Reverence & Gratitude to connect & enliven the Christic impulses, Living into each Quarter.
Because the land was so dry, after giving Recognition with Thanks & Praise, to the Elements, we appealed specifically to the Undines for some rain to ease the drought. We made the intention that during the Drum Circle we would do a Rain Dance.
By establishing ‘The Great Cross of Nature’ – we experience the Seasonal Round – We see how the Equinoxes of Spring & Autumn hold the Horizontal Axis, the balance of Resurrection & Renunciation – Easter & Michaelmas.
And coinciding with the Vertical Axis we meet the polarity of the Solstices – 3 days after the Summer Solstice is the Birthday of The Forerunner, John the Baptizer; & 3 days after the Winter Solstice brings us the fixed date of Christmas – the Birthday of the Luke Jesus.
When thinking about the Living Cycle of the Soul of the Earth, the in-breath & out-breath – now – during the Summer-Tide – we feel ourselves fully exhaled out to the periphery of the cosmos –
We are a circle, within a circle
With no beginning, and never ending
Intermingled with the grandeur of the highest Cosmic Mysteries, where the Divine forces of life exist among the Stars.
The Soul of the Earth is dreaming now in the heights, in union with the Angelic Hierarchies; & it is this dreaming which is brought back into the Earth to become assessable to our thinking during the Sacred Time of the Holy Nights.
Epiphany, the last of the Holy Nights, coincides with the Baptism of Jesus by John – the birth of Christ on Earth – the fulfillment of John the Baptizers mission.
And just as John the Baptist, the last Old Testament Prophet, had to decrease; when our ‘little ego’ decreases, we grow in Christ.
At the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow to hide. Summer is associated with High Noon – the hour of judgment – “Then you shall know the truth, & the truth will set you free.”
This can happen if we respond to the Summertime call for a ‘Metanoia’- from the Greek μετάνοια – a transformative change of heart & mind – a Spiritual Conversion, brought in thru Repentance / Atonement; a review of our Conscience; a call to ‘make straight the path’.
Then the power of our Higher “I” will increase, just as the Christ impulse is ever increasing in Earth existence.
After his sacrifice, John the Baptizer, was able to distillate his Spirit-Self to become like a guardian angel for the apostles, especially Lazarus John, his name-sake – Johannes – E – O – Ah – nes.
Following this archetypal gesture from ‘the voice of one crying in the Wilderness’ we can see that John the Baptist has become one of the main impulse givers towards a new kind of group work – guiding community life for us today.
After the delicious repast, I acted as Master of Ceremonies & sparked the space for artistic sharings out of the community. Many folks came forth with a story, song or poem. Rev. Jeana Lee brought a wonderful overview of Christianity. Velsum sang. Gregory & Alexander brought some Irish tunes on violin & cello to get the crowd dancing. A few young people including Emma & Ultra taught us some songs. And this led naturally into the Drumming & Song Circle in earnest.
The clouds rolled in as we sang “Air I am, Fire I Am, Water, Earth & Spirit I am”. The lingering twilight brought a few fireflies which receieved our serenade. Soon lightning flashes could be seen striking in the dusky clouds above. We felt ourselves rise together in ‘Ripening Glory’ –
We sang to Mark & Lucien, & Jack’s dad who recently passed away, to celebrate their St. John’s Day Birthdays.
When it was too dark to find our shoes we closed the circle, feeling that the reverberations of our sounding added to the ‘Music of the Spheres’ – An echo that unites us to the eternity of the Trinity – Reminding us to explore our own inner harmony with the cosmos – For at Midsummer the Trinity reveals itself out of the heart of this cosmic activity.
Substance of Earth
Essence of Light
Grace of Heaven
In Us Unite
Our carload made it back to the city by 1 am; the thunder building. By 3 am our Rain Dance started to pay off – What a gift! There was no doubt. Faith is real – effecting change & cooperation between Spirit & Matter – Thought & Deed –
Blessings as we continue to unfold this St. John’s Tide.
~hag
The wise one built their house upon the Rock,
And the rains came tumbling down.
The rains came down and the waters came up,
But the house on the Rock stood firm.
So build your life on the Being of Love,
And the blessings will come down.
The blessings come down as your prayers go up,
So build your life on Love.
26 June 2023 – “Speaking with the Stars”: This evening and tomorrow evening, the waxing crescent – and 1st quarter – moon sit along the southern edge of the star pattern known as the Spring Triangle – an asterism made of the bright stars Arcturus in Boötes the Herdsman, Spica in Virgo the Maiden and Denebola or sometimes Regulus in Leo the Lion at its corners. Bella Luna and the Spring Triangle will be visible until after midnight. ~Chart via John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky.
RUDOLF STEINER’S CALENDAR OF THE SOUL
translated (with added titles) by Roy Sadler
SAINT JOHN’S TIDE
At the Altar of the Senses
v12
The world’s light-glancing beauty
compels me from the depths of soul
to free the god-enwoven powers of my life
in cosmic flight, forsake myself
and trusting, seek my Self
in cosmic light and warmth.
The mirror verse:
EPIPHANY II
At the Altar of the Heart
v41
The soul’s creative power
from depths of heart aspires
to fire the forces of the gods
to right activity in human life
and form itself in human love
and human deeds.
