For those that have ears to hear: The 7th Holy Night: The Woman Clothed with the Sun on the ‘I Think Speech‘ Podcast
Here is the recording of ‘Birdsong’s Journey into the Land of Tomorrow’ by Ultra-Violet Archer as part of the ASA’ A Rose By Any Other Name…’ the 6th Holy Night. Here is the written version of the text. Here are links to Ultra-Violet Archer’s Music.
Here is the Recording of ‘The Green Snake & The Beautiful Lily‘ by Goethe, a storytelling for the the Full December Holy Nights Moon.
I greet you on this the eve of NYE. Welcome dear friends, to our Holy Nights Series. We have been following the indications from the great Anthroposophical Initiate Sergei O. Prokofieff, based on the insights of Dr. Rudolf Steiner – taking us on the path from Jesus to Christ, starting from the feet of Pisces, the sphere of the human being, up to the Mystic Lamb of Aries.
And today we enter the 7th Holy Night: & begin to rise up from the lower zodiac into the ascended signs, to meet 1st, the Constellation of Virgo, the Virgin (ruling the abdomen & digestive system)This is The Sphere of the Kyriotetes, the Spirits of Wisdom, the Dominions, the top of the 2nd Hierarchy
Here we contemplate the imagination of the Heavenly Virgin- an indication of the cosmic being of The Divine Sophia – the Archetypical Wisdom of the World – depicted in the 12th chapter of the Apocalypse of St John, as the woman clothed with the Sun, wearing a crown of stars & standing on the sickle moon, with the dragon at her feet.
The Virgin gives birth to the Sun, & is then clothed by the Sun: this is a picture of the birth of the etheric body, & the sickle moon refers to the Old Moon evolution (resulting in the origin on Earth of silver, the metal that testifies to the overcoming of the lower Moon-Forces by the higher forces of the Sun)
We find all these qualities in the being of the Mary of the Luke Gospel, an earthly reflection of this Heavenly Sophia – her twin soul. Spiritual Science tells us The Mary of the Matthew Gospel was the earlier incarnation of Eve, the 1st earthly woman.
And the Younger Luke Mary, like the Nathan Jesus, is that spiritual part of Eve & Adam that did not pass thru the fall, but stayed in the spiritual world until their incarnation at the ‘Turning Point of Time’, as mother & child.
In the 5th Gospel, (which we have been studying during these Holy Nights) Rudolf Steiner tells us that right before the Baptism, the 2 Mary’s became united, to create a vessel for The Divine Sophia. After this merging, the Mary of the Matthew Gospel becomes the earthly reflection of the Divine Sophia, opening the way for humanity to become the lowest member of the Sobornal, or collective being of the Sophia. Rudolf Steiner named her Anthroposophia, the force of Wisdom that lives in the soul of humanity.
This archetype carries the contemplation of the virtue depicted by the ‘Mother of God’ as selfless giving. In order to receive the experience of the Christ, the Gospel of Luke tells us this Wisdom had to ‘pierce Mary’s heart like a sword’ (Luke 2:35) so that there might pour forth from Mary-Sophia, the highest virtue of true giving, into the hearts of humanity.
At the foot of the cross, John, the disciple Jesus loved, is asked by Christ-Jesus to take this Sophia-Wisdom-the Mother of God-into his ‘house’, symbol of the soul. Thru this he becomes known as ‘John the Divine’ because he is embodied by the Divine Sophia, which enables him to write his Gospel & the Book of Revelation.
So on this 7th Night let us look within, to find the realm of The Virgin, & feel our connection to the being of Anthroposophia.
And the Virtue for this constellation, which at 1st seems simple, but is often hard to practice, is: Courtesy becomes steadiness of feeling – courtesy, putting others 1st, brings equanimity.
May we seek to acquire the calm steady wisdom, that gives birth to The Christ within.
~hag
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We will resume our Holy Night’s Study tonight of The Fifth Gospel by Rudolf Steiner – on Zoom from 7 pm – 8 pm CST
(NO STUDY CALL ON NYE)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/92592034861?pwd=Mmo0eURaWDVqYVlabTdSY1ltcUFxdz09
Meeting ID: 925 9203 4861 – Passcode: Peace
Thursday 31 December 2020-21 Our Annual Conscious NYE Gathering 6 pm-10:10 pm CT
In-Person at Elderberries Bio-dynamic Outpost & The Rudolf Steiner Branch Chicago
6 pm CST – Potluck and artistic mask making with Lucien Dante Lazar
Victoria Martin will be offering individual readings: Runes with either Palmistry or Astrology 6-9 PM Pick a Rune for the year ahead and add a Palm reading: a life portrait.
Or pick a Rune and add Astrology to see where the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction is in your horoscope now and for 2021: There will be tips on how you can use the conjunction and the Square to Mars-Uranus. The latter is near Dr. Steiner’s Birth Chart Mars-Pluto conjunction so that is significant for Anthroposophy! Reading will be recorded on an MP3 file and visually documented. $10 cash
Bring your horoscope or Victoria will calculate it please send Birth info DATE, TIME and PLACE of birth to Victoria ASAP (by Wednesday 5PM) <viccimartin@gmail.com> or call/text 312-961-3380
8 pm– 9:30 pm CST – Live Music with Jutta and the Hi-Dukes
10:10 pm CST – Project Thought-Seed
The evening ends at 10:30 pm
$20 per person http://donate.rschicago.org/
For more info. contact Hazel Archer hag@rschicago.org
***
Nancy Poer
Wednesday 6 January 2021, 2 pm – 4 pm CST
Joan’s Epiphany ‘What Joan of Arc Calls for Today’
In-Person at Elderberries Bio-dynamic Outpost & The Rudolf Steiner Branch Chicago & online Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/7052931041 Meeting ID: 705 293 1041
Today on the Birthday of Joan of Arc we welcome special Guest Nancy Poer
We will also explore ‘The Destinies of Individuals and of Nations’, Lecture 5, ‘The Nature of the Christ Impulse and the Michaelic Sprit Serving It’ by Rudolf Steiner with Leading Thoughts by Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Social Sculpture: “The Passage” with Lucien Dante Lazar,
+ An Artistic exploration, Singing & Eurythmy
For more info. contact Hazel Archer hag@rschicago.org
Blessings of the Season
~Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Festivals & Events Coordinator
for the Rudolf Steiner Branch
of The Anthroposophical Society
Thank you Hazel and Steve, for the work and energy you both put into the materials to reflect on this year for the Holy Nights.
I’ve been contemplating a few details around the Holy Nights this year, and was curious to hear thoughts on them. First, I’m reflecting on the substantive issue of the 13th holy night (of New Year’s Eve) being more relevantly tied to the annual perihelion event (this year on Jan 2) than to the Gregorian calendar’s placement of New Year. I wonder what your understanding is around why this is not more widely considered/observed as the anchor to orient the holy nights around? Even Steiner seems to avoid touching on it in his indications. Second, I’m exploring the meditations on the zodiac and on the virtues, and considering the reasons for which nights to link them in the holy nights. I’m curious to hear that some are making the choice this year to begin with Virgo and move in reverse. I’m also curious what your understandings are around the difference of perspective to traditionally begin with either Capricorn or rather with Aries. And why some begin the zodiac/virtues on Christmas night and go through Epiphany, while others start on Christmas eve, and pause for the 13th night near the middle. And third, I’m pondering why Steiner’s indications don’t seem to be consistent about including the 13th night in the middle of the Holy Nights observance… and the whole issue at large of the conventional celebration of the 12 Holy Nights, whereas many new age and pagan traditions do include the 13th mystery night.
Greetings – Thank you for joining in the conversation.
For me it is always the 13 Holy Nights as that reflects the 12 zodiac signs seen in the 12 Apostles with the Christ as the 13th at the center. Without that 13th, we are dealing with the time before the Turning Point of Time.
I am interested in this idea of the tie with Perihelion, I was contemplating that myself for tomorrows leading thoughts.
Those that start at different points of the zodiac are striving for different agendas, usually having to do with gaining personal human biography insights.
If we start with Aries, that works with the imagination of following the journey of Christ from the sphere of the Mystic Lamb thru the various constellations into the human being of the Luke Jesus.
I have worked this way as well, which gives many insights into what these spiritual beings experienced in their encounter with the Cosmic being of Christ & how it changed them.
It is important to start on Christmas Eve as that is the Feast day of Adam & Eve & the fall from paradise, which is the whole reason the Christ makes his journey into human incarnation – as the antidote to the fall.
We are always starting on the eve, this is where the power if. And every Holy Night is counted as starting at 6pm on the eve & going into the next day until 6 pm when it changes.
Christ is in the middle & represents the energy of the hidden Holy Night that can be revealed if we give up the reverie & join in the seeing of the ‘Sun at Midnight’.
There is much that the ancient peoples knew that we have forgotten, we must unveil the essence that lives within these festivals as we renew them.
Blessings on this New Year’s Octave Day
Thanks,
And what about the 13th Hidden Holy night being between the 7th and 8th nights, rather than between the 6th and 7th… dividing the night sunevenly?
I would imagine it has to do which what Steiner shares around the opportunities available on New years’ eve…
Hi Hazel,
I am getting a little confused here. Is the 7th Holy Night in the sign of Virgo, or Aries? Tess Parker is saying Aries , which would seem to indicate that certain folks are working from Sagittarius, which would be the sign in which Jesus was born on December 25th, toward Pisces, which is where you started on December 24th.
You know that we have both a forward and a backward stream of evolution. The backward stream involves the working of the astral world, and the forward stream involves the etheric world, and why we can take both directions at the same time. For example, Aries is the first sign of the Winter Constellations, and to be followed by Taurus and Gemini. I suspect that this is the direction that Tess Parker is going toward. You, Hazel, seem to be going in the opposite direction, which I find so exciting to consider.
Both streams are very accountable when we consider that Jesus was born in a manger on the winter solstice, i.e., Sagittarius, and also was the Pisces initiate to his cousin John, the Aquarius initiate, when Christ first came forth at the baptism in early spring of 30 AD. Thus, Christmas will always be aligned with Easter, like ham and eggs.
Each of the 12 days & 13 nights – From the Eve of the Sacred Birth, to the Eve of Epiphany, can be seen as a microcosmic experience of the macrocosm, allowing us to approach the sublime gesture of the divine spiritual beings, whose outer vestments are the constellations of the zodiac – while simultaneously contemplating the events in our own lives, in order to uncover the golden threads connecting us to each other, as well as to the goals of Earth evolution, & to the divine spiritual nature that comes to birth again & again at this darkest time of year.
This sacred ‘Time out of Time’ provides an opportunity to contemplate, not only the great journey of the Cosmic Christ thru the zodiac into the body of Jesus; but also the path of Jesus to Christ; as well the evolution of every Human Being as a Star unfolding in an Earthly biography – for we as human beings are following both paths.
On Christmas Eve, we begin the contemplation with Adam & Eve, remembering that the fall was the reason The Christ Being made the sacrificial journey from the Godhead to become the Son of Man. The Holy Nights are completed on Epiphany, also recognized as the Baptism -when the Son of God – The Christ – entered human form.
So, when we look at the circle of the Zodiac during the Holy Nights we can find imprinted there a memory of that significant track from spiritual heights to human depths. The 12 apostles formed an outer version of these constellations around Jesus Christ. And we all incarnate into these various signs on our way to becoming spirit once again.
I Start on Adam & Eve’s Day in the Constellation of Pisces as indicated by Rudolf Steiner, Herbert Hahn, & Sergei O. Prokofieff as this is the sign of the Human Being (feet) the journey thru the Holy Nights then takes us up from Jesus to Christ, from matter to spirit, to the Mystic Lamb of Aries. I have explored working down from Aries to Pisces when contemplating the path of the Cosmic Christ into the Human Sphere, but i find that the other way best serves our human biography & evolution.