4 December 2017 – Astro-weather: The Geminid meteor shower gets underway this week. Although the shower doesn’t peak until the night of December 13/14, you should start to see some Geminids during the overnight hours. To tell a Geminid meteor from a random dust particle burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, trace the streak of light’s path backward. A shower meteor will appear to originate from the constellation Gemini the Twins.
The Moon reached perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, at 2:46 a.m. CST. That’s why yesterday Full moon was called a ‘super moon’.
Once Bella Luna is up in the east, look to Her right for Betelgeuse. The rest of Orion extends farther right.
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Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
“If we give up ourselves to mutual help, through this giving up to the community a powerful strengthening of our organs takes place. If we then speak or act as a member of such a community there speaks or acts in us not the singular soul only but the spirit of the community. This is the secret of progress for the future of mankind: To work out of communities. “ ~Dr. Rudolf Steiner
1000 – Birthday of Anna Porphyrogenita , Grand Princess of Kiev; married to Grand Prince Vladimir the Great. Anna was the daughter of Byzantine Emperor Romanos II & the Empress Theophano, born in the special purple chamber of the Byzantine Emperor’s Palace. Anna’s hand was considered such a prize that some theorize that Vladimir became Christian just to marry her. Anna did not wish to marry Vladimir & expressed deep distress on her way to her wedding. By marriage to Grand Prince Vladimir, she was referred to as Queen or Czarina. Anna participated actively in the Christianization of Russia, she acted as the religious adviser of Vladimir & founded convents & churches herself.
1642 – Deathday of Cardinal Richelieu, French cardinal & politician, Chief Minister to the French Monarch
1679 – Deathday of Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher & theorist, writer of Leviathan
1795 – Birthday of Thomas Carlyle, Scottish-English historian, philosopher, & academic
1798 – Deathday of Luigi Galvani, Italian physician, physicist, & philosopher. Galvani’s report of his investigations were mentioned specifically by Mary Shelley as part of the summer reading list leading up to an ad hoc ghost story contest on a rainy day in Switzerland—& the resultant novel Frankenstein—with its construct of reanimation. Galvani’s name also survives as a verb in everyday language to galvanize. The crater Galvani on the Moon is named after him.
1875 – Birthday of Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian-Swiss poet & author
1916 – Rudolf Steiner begins a series of 25 lectures called the ‘karma of Untruthfulness’ GA 173, 174, on the background that led to the World War.
1969 – Deathday of Black Panther Party members Fred Hampton & Mark Clark, shot and murdered in their sleep during a raid by 14 Chicago police officers. “We expected about 20 Panthers to be in the apartment when the police raided the place. Only two of those black niggers were killed, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark.”–FBI Special Agent Gregg York
Black Panther Party leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were set up and murdered by the CHICAGO POLICE during a raid, orders for the murders came from the FBI. BOTH men were SLEEP during the raid, which the CPD KNEW they would be because an FBI INFORMANT drugged the two men earlier that night. All involved in the murders were: A tactical unit of the Cook County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO), in conjunction with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the FBI.
Hampton’s murder was chronicled in the 1971 documentary film The Murder of Fred Hampton as well as an episode of the critically acclaimed documentary series Eyes on the Prize. The FBI informant, William O’Neal, later committed suicide after admitting his involvement in setting up the raid.
1976 –Deathday of Hagen Biesantz, Vorstand member of the Anthroposophical Society; author of ‘The Goetheanum: Rudolf Steiner’s Architectural Impulse’
2005 – Tens of thousands of people in Hong Kong protest for democracy & call on the government to allow universal & equal suffrage.
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A Pop Up Art Exhibition – Opening: Saturday December 9th 2017 – 2pm – 7pm
“Trees and Water” – NEW Paintings by Lisa Villa Moser
Closing: Sunday December 10th Noon – 5pm
And then:
a Pop Up Christmas Mart – Sunday December 17th Noon till 9pm
Locally Hand-Crafted items, clothing, Art, Various Fair-Trade Wares, Health-Food Supplements, Baked Goods, Chili & HippocraTeas…(20 per cent of sales goes to help Elderberries at the Branch)
In the evening the seniors from CWS will do performances to raise $ for their 12th grade trip…
Would you like to be a vender? contact Hazel@ReverseRitual.com
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Then join us for a ‘Star’ making workshop with Elizabeth Beunaiche (more details to follow) Wed. Dec. 20th 3 sessions 6 pm, 7pm, 8pm
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Looking ahead to the Holy Nights at the Branch:
The Dream Song of Olaf Asteson with Mary Tom & Debbie Barford on Lyre
Tuesday December 26th 7 pm
Then: The Story of Being Human: Fairy-Tales for adults – a Journey thru the Holy Nights
December 27th– 30th at 7 pm $10
Shepherded by Joen Dealande & a series of guest artists, we will use Drama, Eurythmy, Painting, Needle-Felting, & Sculpting, to live into the gesture of our Human karma & Destiny.
NYE Sunday December 31st (The 13th Hidden Holy Night) 8pm – 1am Our annual Community Gathering with music by Jutta & the High Dukes, Lead Casting, Eurythmy, Crafting, Games & more TBA $20
January 2018, 1st – 4th at 7pm – The Fairy-Tale Trail Continues
Friday January 5th Eve of Epiphany (3 Kings) 7pm – 9 pm – A special 12th Night gathering, Eurythmy with Mary Ruud, more TBA $10
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Lazure Workshop with Nancy Melvin –
January 20-21st 2018 – 9am-5pm
$100 for the weekend (1/2 the proceeds go toward a new heating & cooling system for the branch)
Learn the secrets of the Lazure painting method from an expert, while helping to beautify the Elderberries 3-Fold Cafe!
for more info. contact Nancy Melvin
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What are your ideas? What gifts can you share with the community? Who needs a meeting space, or a party room, or wants to exhibit their art? or, or, or…
Advent Blessings & peace
~hag