The Spirits of Will flash code in the lightning Love speaks Truth in the deep rolling thunder The Gnomes know it’s Midsummer Fat Undines splash against the warm fecund earth & steam up in a vital whiff Of ozone wafting in the cool moist air Filling my breath joining the purple sky On my walk home After the longest day… ~hag
Mattia Perti
Here we are on the eve of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, which stands today also on the Eve of the Full Honey Moon of June.
Gary Brand
The Sun has entered the fixed stars of Gemini, the Twins; which puts the Earth in the opposite stars of the Archer; the constellation which is associated with the Winter Solstice. This is the vertical axis of the life of Sun & Earth.
The equinoxes of Spring & Autumn hold the horizontal axis, forming the great cross of nature, the seasonal life & symbol of Earth. Upon this cross we have the Christian festivals, with St. John’s & Christmas coinciding with this vertical axis, & Easter & Michaelmas along the horizontal axis.
Belle Letters Inc.
When thinking about the the in-breath & out-breath-the living cycle of the soul of the Earth- we learn from Rudolf Steiner, that at Summer Solstice the Earth soul & spirit (which is now the Christ) are fully exhaled out to the periphery of the cosmos, to become intermingled with the grandeur of the highest cosmic mysteries, where the true forces of life exist among the stars. The soul of the Earth has been dreaming in the heights. The forces which live in the seeds have been held in these summer dreams of the Earth in union with the hierarchies, & it is this dreaming which is brought back into the Earth to become assessable during the sacred time of the Holy Nights.
Patricia Bollinger
The summertime union between the Sun & Earth is actually a re-union between the spiritual beings of the Sun & their human offspring. Through ‘the great window of heaven’ we experience this interaction which helps us develop an awareness of our ego. We can contemplate this dynamic & bring it to life in our soul most strongly at this time of year.
Rudolf Steiner tells us that in St. John’s-Tide The Trinity reveals itself out of the heart of this cosmic activity – We can experience this as a sounding – like the music of the spheres, which calls us to explore our own inner harmony with the cosmos – Will we answer the echo that unites us to the eternity of the Trinity?
Also important: Can we learn, to be still & small enough to hear the voice of conscience?
At the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow to hide. High Noon is the hour of judgment – a good time to remember what JC said “Then you shall know the truth, & the truth will set you free.”
~hag
This becomes true if we respond to the summertime call for a ‘Metanoia’- a review of life that asks us to engage in repentance, a call to ‘make straight the path’
~hag
For when our ‘little ego’ decreases, we grow in Christ. The true power of our higher “I” will increase like Christ increases in Earth existence. Just as John the Baptist, 1st had to decrease – but then after the beheading, he was able to distillate his Spirit-Self to become the guardian angel of the apostles, especially Lazarus John, his name sake.
Johannes E – O – Ah – nes…Following this archetypal gesture we can see that John the Baptist has become one of the main impulse givers towards group work -guiding community life for us even today.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY (Rudolf Steiner’s original Calendar of the Soul, Anthrowiki, Wikipedia Commons, Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia)
2006 – the Deathday of Rene Querido, General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in America, pupil of W.J.Stein, teacher, & writer, my favorite of his works: “The Golden Age of Chartres”: The Teachings of a Mystery School and the Eternal Feminine.
Find a collection of the many RECORDINGS of Presentations, Programs & Festivals HERE
Bernardo Zenale
‘Preparing the Way’ an experiential St. John’s-Tide Festival 23 June 2021, Doors open at 5:30 pm with a Potluck – Program from 7 – 8:30 pm In-person at the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4248 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, 60618
Singing – Elizabeth Kelly Group discussion – Hazel Archer Spatial Dynamics – Deborah Rogers Art – Mary Spalding
For more info. contact Cultural Events & Festivals Coordinator Hazel Archer
~Rudolf Steiner
St. John the Baptist and Uriel the Archangel of Summer –
An Experiential online Festival with Geoff Norris, Elizabeth Carlson, Lisa Dalton, Lucien Dante Lazar, Hazel Archer
Sunday 27 June 2021 on Zoom: Noon – 1:30 pm PT / 1 – 2:30 pm MT / 2 pm – 3:30 pm CT / 3 – 4:30 pm ET / 8 – 9:30 pm London Time / 9 – 10:30 pm CET
Metanoia – Can you hear the voice of conscience? – Make straight the path, for at the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow, a time to remember what St. John said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Musicial Performance by Lucien Dante Lazar
Speech – Geoffrey Norris
Eurythmy- Elizabeth Carlson
Living into St. John’s-Tide – Lisa Dalton
Leading Thoughts – Hazel Archer
Hazel Archer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: St. John’s Time: Jun 27, 2021 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Greetings friends as we stand with the still Sun after the Solstice. Last night at our celebration, next to the bonfire, while stirring the crystal essence of the 501 silica prep, we honored the power of our Daystar Sun, blessing the elemental beings living in all kingdoms, & called up the archetype of the ‘Good Father’ for Father’s Day. Folks went around speaking qualities, & we sent those energies into the stir.
Byron Stller
We asked: What does it mean to be a ‘good’ human being? Specifically what it can mean to be ‘a good man’? – To celebrate the masculine part of ourselves in balance with the feminine qualities. How can a good man be a good father, a Shepard & role-model for an effective future?
Every culture has its own history of storytelling – of how the world came to be, which informs what the world will become. This is how social norms should be formed, not thru the distorted lens of the screen, or history written by the conquers. To tell the children stories of our past, we pass on our history. This must include a range of archetypes that live within the ‘good man’:
King – Warrior – Magician – Lover.
Qualities of the benevolent King: Inspire, Leadership, Strategic, Vision, Wisdom, Decisive, Lead, Judgement, Charismatic, Benevolence, Integrity, Influencer, Empowering, Risk Taker, Humility, Authority, Order and Structure, Blessing…I particularly love the idea of “blessing”. A King who gives a blessing bestows upon us the right to go forward & make the best most valuable use of our own talents. This does not inhibit anyone’s ability to freely create & work for the greater good. Additionally, this blessing is a recognition of the skills to get the job done. “Authority” must come from within.
The Protector/Warrior: Courageous, Strength, Discipline, Determined, Reliable, Focused, Tactics, Work Achievement, Endurance, Loyalty, Service… The best warriors are those who are courageous – rather than fearless; reliable & loyal rather than seeking to be leaders. The Warrior has total focus on implementing the required tactics to accomplish the strategy set by their leader King/Queen. Strength & endurance needs to be physical, mental & emotional. Their characteristic quality of service enhances their sense of duty in fulfilling the tasks set by their King/Queen.
Magician: Wisdom, Intuition, Perception, Insight, Knowledge, Mysticism, Power , Respected, Gifts, Mentor…The Magician can be a teacher bestowing knowledge, & understanding to better ‘know thyself’. This is empowering to others & brings out the ‘magic’ in them. In cultural myth, the Magician seeks knowledge not for its own sake, but so that they may better understand, serve & mentor. Many Magicians have a personal gift: music, art, speech, charisma, that they can use to widen their own abilities to enhance the lives of others rather than for personal gain.
The Lover: Genuine, Compassion, Affectionate, Caring, Empathy, Altruistic, Open, Honest, Trustworthy, Beauty, Vitality, Celebration, Merciful…The archetypal Lover shares powerful qualities that enhance & improve the lives of others. It is the energy & power for living that the Lover brings to the world. Their appreciation for the beauty they see around them is an inspiration to others. The earth, the sky, the passing breeze. The Lover takes the moments of beauty seen in the smile of a child, or an old lady, & makes sure that moment is not missed. Celebration is the quality of being able to stop, breathe, look around & see what joy there is, in life. The Lover knows how to comfort & sustain.
Ishita Rastogi
Everyone took turns creating the vortex & chaos of the prepstir. We were also blessed by some musicians, Fuji & Marshel who played 12 string guitar & mandolin; we even sang a few old Chicago blues songs. No one wanted to stop stirring even after the hour had come & gone. More folks arrived after dark who wanted to add their energy to the mix. When a few fat rain drops fell we kept up the fire & the stir continued. The air was heavy & the heavens were rumbling, as lightning flashed. The storm held off for another hour; & conveniently when everything was cleared away, & there were just a few of us by the fire, the clouds finally burst. What a thrill – It was one of those tremendous thunder & lightning – tornado watch – Summer storms – that the Heartland is famous for. Glorious.
Blessings on the Earth & all her kingdoms, & blessings on all who embody the Good Father!
~hag
‘Preparing the Way’ an experiential St. John’s-Tide Festival 23 June 2021, Doors open at 5:30 pm with a Potluck – Program from 7 – 8:30 pm In-person at the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4248 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, 60618
Singing – Elizabeth Kelly Group discussion – Hazel Archer Spatial Dynamics – Deborah Rogers Art – Mary Spalding
For more info. contact Cultural Events & Festivals Coordinator Hazel Archer
St. John the Baptist and Uriel the Archangel of Summer –
An Experiential online Festival with Geoff Norris, Elizabeth Carlson, Lisa Dalton, Lucien Dante Lazar, Hazel Archer
Sunday 27 June 2021 on Zoom: Noon – 1:30 pm PT / 1 – 2:30 pm MT / 2 pm – 3:30 pm CT / 3 – 4:30 pm ET / 8 – 9:30 pm London Time / 9 – 10:30 pm CET
Metanoia – Can you hear the voice of conscience? – Make straight the path, for at the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow, a time to remember what St. John said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Musicial Performance by Lucien Dante Lazar
Speech – Geoffrey Norris
Eurythmy- Elizabeth Carlson
Living into St. John’s-Tide – Lisa Dalton
Leading Thoughts – Hazel Archer
Hazel Archer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: St. John’s Time: Jun 27, 2021 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
This is “Midsummer’s Night,”- we pass through the Summer Solstice at 10:32 pm Chicago time. In terms of daylight, this day is 6 hours, 6 minutes longer than on December Solstice. This is when the Sun is farthest North for the year (the Earth’s North Pole tilts directly towards the Sun) & now begins its 6 month return southward.
Summer Solstice comes at the precise moment when the Sun’s power is at its peak. ‘Solstice’ (Latin: ‘solstitium’) means ‘sun-stopping’. The point on the horizon where the sun appears to rise & set, stops & reverses direction after this day. On the solstice, the sun does not rise precisely in the East, but rises to the north of East & sets to the north of West, making it visible in the sky for a longer period of time.
It’s also the day when the midday Sun passes the closest to being straight overhead, so our shadow becomes the closest to us.
William Blake
The term “Midsummer’s Night” is left over from when the seasons were commonly defined as beginning & ending around the cross-quarter days.
But as we all know, what goes up, must come down, & so after ‘standing still’ for 3 days, the Sun begins to wane…& the journey into the harvest season begins. After the expansive outbreath we must begin the conscious in-breath – this is the celebration of St. Johns- Tide.
Newgrange, Ireland
But before we ‘decrease’, as John the Baptist did, we can recall that ‘Midsummer’ has always been an important Solar event throughout the evolution of humankind.
L.P. Linderson
Even our dear Shakespeare knew that Midsummer’s eve is a magical time, when we can see beyond the sense world to communicate with the plant & faeiry spirits.
It is after all the time of the herb harvest, all plants gathered around this time, especially on this the shortest night are considered exceptionally potent for healing & ritual purposes.
Eugeny Khara
This is traditionally the time when the herb St. John’ wort reaches its full potency & since it is a solar herb, it is used to bring the power of the Sun to people who suffer from depression
Sonnenwendfeuer – Summer Solstice Drawing by Mary Evans
The wise women of old would place St. John’s Wort & other healing herbs around the home for protection as they dried; They threw the stalks into the Midsummer bonfire, & when the coals had cooled down the ashes were mixed with water & sprinkled on the fields, the 4 corners of the home & the on the head & feet of the children.
Royal fern seeds gathered at midnight on the eve were said to make you invisible. Rub the blossoms on your eyelids to see the wee folk which will also make you wealthy & wise; but be sure & carry a bit of rue in your pocket or you might be ‘pixie-led’. Can’t find the rue, then turn your clothes inside out & follow the old ‘Ley-Lines’, which will keep you from getting lost in faeiry land.
Divination on matters of love are especially powerful on Midsummer’s Eve; young women around the globe place yarrow or other herbs & flowers native to their part of the world peaking at this time, under their pillows, to dream of their future mates.
Micky Landau
The ancient Druids celebrated the Summer Solstice as the Wedding of Heaven & Earth. The Goddess manifests as Mother Earth & the God, as the Sun King.
Wautier
This quarter day is also called St. John’s Eve by the church, celebrated on the fixed date of 24 June, for they knew that John the Baptist was born around the Summer Solstice, 6 months earlier than Jesus, who was born at Winter Solstice.
Musings in Summer: Jenny Uglow
Plant Spirits, Faeiry Folk, thank you for sharing your gifts, continue to teach us how to live in harmony with the essence of your healing magic.
Rockwell Kent
But remember dear sisters & brothers, that at the zenith of the Sun’s climb skyward, the brightest light casts the deepest shadow, so let us gather to bring the sacred Elements of Life into balance, as we celebrate the powers of Midsummer.
Rockwell Kent
(Summer Solstice/Litha poem) St. JOHN’S EVE in the tropic of cancer
WILD PAN THE BAPTIST WITH WORT & RUE IN HIS POCKETS, DREADED FORERUNNER ANOINTING THE MISTLETOE IN THE OAKGROVE…
HORNS OF LIGHT DANCING IN FAERY RING CIRCLES…
TEST YOUR STRENGTH IN THE CENTER OF THE STANDING STONES ROLL THE BLAZING SUN WHEEL & REKINDLE THE HOME FIRES FROM THE BRAND OF MIDSUMMERS FLAME LEAPING AS HIGH AS THE FLAX FIELDS…
THE GOD HAS GONE INTO THE GRAIN THE SUN IS ON THE WATER THE EDGE OF THE RIOTING ROSE BEGINS TO MELT Its SCENT IS HEAVY ON THE HEAT
STEALING THE BREATH FROM THE HOT MOUTH OF GOD…
HER INFERRED RUBY STEAMS THE MAGNETIC STAINS OF LIGHT TO GUIDE THE SUMMER-TIDE SOUL INTO THE LABYRINTH WHERE THE OAK KING CRESTS & GIVES WAY TO THE DARK HOLLY TWIN…
THE HISSING SERPENT A ROUND WRITHING EGG CHRISTENS THE HONEY MOON WITH MEAD…
AWAKEN THE GATE MEDITATE THE LAUREL GRAIL & ST.JOHN’S SPEAR UNDER CANOPUS SQUARED A PACKSADDLE BEAM CAPPING AN ARCH AS ARGO SAILS THE DIPPER FLOCK FROM THE TOP OF SEVERITY TO THE MOUNT OF THE MANGER…
PIN A TALE ON THE DONKEY PUT A FENCE AROUND THE GOAT… ~hag
935 – Birthday of Pope Sylvester , originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac. He was a prolific scholar & teacher. He endorsed & promoted study of Arab & Greco-Roman arithmetic, mathematics, & astronomy, reintroducing to Europe the abacus & armillary sphere, which had been lost to Latin (though not Byzantine) Europe since the end of the Greco-Roman era. He is said to be the first to introduce in Europe the decimal numeral system using Arabic numerals. He was the first French Pope.
According to the legend, Gerbert, while studying mathematics & astrology in the Muslim cities of Córdoba & Seville, was accused of having learned sorcery. Gerbert was supposed to be in possession of a book of spells stolen from an Arab philosopher in Spain. Gerbert fled, pursued by the victim, who could trace the thief by the stars, but Gerbert was aware of the pursuit, & hid hanging from a wooden bridge, where, suspended between heaven & earth, he was invisible to the magician.
Gerbert was supposed to have built a kind of robot head. This “Brazen” head would answer his questions with “yes” or “no”. He was also reputed to have had a pact with a female demon called Meridiana, who had appeared after he had been rejected by his earthly love, & with whose help he managed to ascend to the papal throne (another legend tells that he won the papacy playing dice with the Devil).
According to the legend, Meridiana (or the bronze head) told Gerbert that if he should ever read a mass in Jerusalem, the Devil would come for him. Gerbert then cancelled a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but when he read mass in the church Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (“Holy Cross of Jerusalem”) in Rome, he became sick soon afterwards &, dying, he asked his cardinals to cut up his body & scatter it across the city. In another version, he was even attacked by the Devil while he was reading the Mass, & the Devil mutilated him & gave his gouged-out eyes to demons to play with in the Church. Repenting, Sylvester II then cut off his hand & his tongue.
The inscription on Gerbert’s tomb reads in part Iste locus Silvestris membra sepulti venturo Domino conferet ad sonitum (“This place will yield to the sound [of the last trumpet] the limbs of buried Sylvester II, at the advent of the Lord”, mis-read as “will make a sound”) & has given rise to the curious legend that his bones will rattle in that tomb just before the death of a Pope.
1819 –It is the first steam-propelled vessel to cross the Atlantic, The U.S. vessel SS Savannah arrives at Liverpool, United Kingdom.
1877 – Alexander Graham Bell installs the world’s first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
1887 – Victoria Terminus, the busiest railway station in India, opens in Bombay
1943 – The Detroit race riot breaks out and continues for three more days
1970 – Deathday of Herbert Hahn, an anthroposopher who joined the society in 1912. In 1919 he was called by Rudolf Steiner to teach at the first Waldorf School in Stuttart, becoming a Class Teacher between 1921 & 1927 & finally History & German language teacher in the high school. Steiner entrusted him with the task of giving “free religion lessons” (for those children who did not belong to any of the denominations) & within this context he held the first “Sunday Service” in 1920. From 1931 until 1939 he taught at the Vrije School in The Hague.
During WW II he was deployed as interpreter. In 1943 he married his teaching colleague Maria Uhland. After the war, he returned to the Stuttgart Waldorf School, re-founded after the Nazi period & served as its unofficial director until his retirement in 1961.
Of his numerous works as an author especially his recollections of Rudolf Steiner, & his main work, Vom Genius Europas, his outline of an anthroposophical cultural psychology, was ground breaking. He was also one of the founding members of the Esoteric Youth Circle.
Here is a quote about the circle by HH: “Among the many presentations Rudolf Steiner gave concerning our being in modern culture & the world civilization, one very earnest appeal rises up as special in my memory. Rudolf Steiner warned us not to build up our initiatives & activities, which are directed toward great goals, on forms that exist in the outer world & are created out of routine. He said that these forms had grown old & brittle; they cannot be saved from perishing. We must see that we achieve a new basis & ground upon which we can move, borne by the spirit.
This comment, like all of the others he made in connection with the foundation of the community, was brought into a very large perspective. The largest perspective that opened up may well have been, as he said in view of the future of the community: “When this is founded, then you can think of it as determined for a wide-reaching working. It could, for instance, be the case that, at a given time, none of the members of the community are living on Earth; in the ordinary sense, the community would count as having died out. Yet, it will not be wiped out. With the 1st community members who reincarnate, the community returns to Earth.”
The final comment given, answers in a totally satisfying manner, a question that was often asked by those joining the community later. The question was whether the Esoteric Youth Group were not to be considered dissolved by the Christmas Conference.
Aside from the fact that Rudolf Steiner again confirmed & gave the call to the community thru a new, essential meeting during the Christmas Conference, what was said above removes any doubt. The indication of the carrying of the community impulse thru the incarnations speaks for itself. More precise is the idea that the founding of the Esoteric Youth Group community in October 1922, may be considered to be one of the preparatory steps for the Christmas Conference of 1923. And still more certain is that this community is given an inner obligation for the carrying thru of the great impulse of the Christmas Conference”. ~Herbert Hahn, Copenhagen-Charlottenlund August 12-14, 1963
Chris Manvell
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 my inmost soul to free the god-enwoven forces of my life in cosmic flight, forsake myself and trusting, seek my higher self in world-wide warmth and light.
‘Preparing the Way’ an experiential St. John’s-Tide Festival 23 June 2021, Doors open at 5:30 pm with a Potluck – Program from 7 – 8:30 pm In-person at the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4248 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, 60618
Singing – Elizabeth Kelly Group discussion – Hazel Archer Spatial Dynamics – Deborah Rogers Art – Mary Spalding
For more info. contact Cultural Events & Festivals Coordinator Hazel Archer
St. John the Baptist and Uriel the Archangel of Summer –
An Experiential online Festival with Geoff Norris, Elizabeth Carlson, Lisa Dalton, Lucien Dante Lazar, Hazel Archer
Sunday 27 June 2021 on Zoom: Noon – 1:30 pm PT / 1 – 2:30 pm MT / 2 pm – 3:30 pm CT / 3 – 4:30 pm ET / 8 – 9:30 pm London Time / 9 – 10:30 pm CET
Metanoia – Can you hear the voice of conscience? – Make straight the path, for at the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow, a time to remember what St. John said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Musicial Performance by Lucien Dante Lazar
Speech – Geoffrey Norris
Eurythmy- Elizabeth Carlson
Living into St. John’s-Tide – Lisa Dalton
Leading Thoughts – Hazel Archer
Hazel Archer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: St. John’s Time: Jun 27, 2021 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
“At Midsummer the earth’s soul becomes pious. The warmth that flames through the atmosphere is like a mighty sacrificial fire on the wings of which the soul soars upwards towards the sun…” ~Emil Bock
Summer Solstice comes at the precise moment when the sun’s power is at its peak. Solstice means ‘sun stands still’ since the sun rises & sets in the same spot for a few days. Here in the northern hemisphere, this is the longest day & shortest night of the year. From now on, the days will get shorter. This phenomenon is a direct result of the Earth-Sun relationship. After peaking, the Sun begins to wane, & the journey into the harvest season begins.
It has always been an important solar event throughout the evolution of humankind. The axis of Stonehenge & the Temple of the Sun in Mexico are both oriented in the direction of the Midsummer sunrise.
Milo B. Holder
In even earlier times, the sun was perceived in its shinning prime & glory – giver of light & heat and life, as the effulgent force of the Feminine – a passionate aspect of the versatile Great Mother, who issues forth & supports all life.
The Solar Goddess was known in many ancient cultures & Her Priestess’ were highly regarded as healers & Psychopomps – Spiritual guides, initiating supplicants into the mysteries hidden behind the blinding light & fire of the solar disk. They used the 1st mirrors or lenses to harness the sun, to start the altar fires & to cauterize wounds for healing.
Eleonora Ivanova
During the time of the ancient Egyptians, Sirius, the Dog Star rose on the Summer Solstice, heralding the beginning of their new year, just before the season of the Nile’s flooding.
The sun itself was deemed to be the all-seeing, all knowing, all powerful eye; but It was also known to be the “scorching eye of Ra” burning away the shadows, like a laser in the hands of a surgeon, cutting away disease, a power not to be taken (pardon the pun) lightly.
Probably the most ancient source of the Solar Force known to humanity is an Egyptian lion-headed Goddess called Sekhmet. She displays all the passion of the noonday-sun at its peak, burning away all that does not serve, rousing us to dance our true power, in the magic ritual of our transformation.
Solar energy & its radiations are said to be the cause of evolution itself, reminding us that we can take an active role in our evolutionary process by aligning ourselves with this Solar Power, plugging in directly to the source of ourselves, to the source of action & passion.
But remember, at this time of the zenith, the brightest light casts the deepest shadow.
In our time now, we strive toward a renewal of these mysteries – To transform the unbridled passions into purpose & guided action. The Summer Solstice brings our inner selves into harmony with our cosmic being, & reminds us of the Sun’s connection to The Christ – which is now united with the earth.
Nikos Kypraios
We lift up our hearts to meet ‘the heights & widths of the universe’, where we feel ‘Not I, but Christ in me’. To say as John the Baptist said “He must increase, but I must decrease.” We respond to the summertime call for a yearly ‘metanoia’ by reviewing our deeds, looking with courage to the errors of the past, enduring all the pain self-knowledge brings, so we can take on the tasks that will bring healing to ourselves & to the earth, & so that someday, with hearts lifted, we may say: Yes I, and Christ in me!
19 June 2021 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Ss the setting sun closes the curtain on the day, and the darkening sky reveals a myriad of far-off suns – let the moon introduce you to a special star. The bright star close to the moon on these dates is none other than Spica, the sole 1st-magnitude star in the constellation Virgo the Maiden. ~EarthSky.org
Juneteenthis the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ‘ending’ of slavery in the United States.
325 – 1stCouncil of Nicea concludes & promulgates the Nicene Creed
1566 – Birthday of James VI of Scotland & I of England, son of Mary, Queen of Scots. He sponsored the translation of the Bible into English that would later be named after him: the Authorized King James Version. Sir Anthony Weldon claimed that James had been termed “the wisest fool in Christendom”. He was the patron of Frances Bacon, William Shakespeare, Joacob Boehme & Jacob Balde.
James’s visit to Denmark, sparked an interest in the study of witchcraft, which he considered a branch of theology. He attended the North Berwick witch trials, the first major persecution of witches in Scotland under the Witchcraft Act 1563. Several people were convicted of using witchcraft to send storms against James’s ship, most notably Agnes Sampson. James became obsessed with the threat posed by witches & wrote Daemonologie in 1597, a tract opposed the practice of witchcraft & that provided background material for Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Macbeth.
1623 – Birthday of Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher & child prodigy.
1844 – Deathday of Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, defender of Goethean science, a French naturalist who established the principle of “unity of composition”. His scientific views had a transcendental flavor.
1862 – The U.S. Congress prohibits slavery in United States territories, nullifying Dred Scott v. Sandford.
1867 – Deathday of Maximillian I. Seeking to legitimize French rule in the Americas, Napoleon III invited Maximilian to establish a new Mexican monarchy for him. Many foreign governments refused to recognize Maximilian’s claim or regime. His self-declared empire collapsed, & he was executed by the Mexican government.
1917 – The solar eclipse of June 19, 1917
1936 – The solar eclipse of June 19, 1936
1953 – Julius & Ethel Rosenberg are executed at Sing Sing, in New York
1964 – The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate
2012 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange requests asylum in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy for fear of extradition to the US after publication of previously classified documents including footage of civilian killings by the US army
Find a collection of the many RECORDINGS of Presentations, Programs & Festivals HERE
Sunday 20 June 2021 – Summer Solstice / Father’s Day Bon-Fire & Prep-Stir Social Gathering 6 pm CT Pot-Luck Dinner at the Home of Hazel Archer & Chuck Ginsberg Please Bring Food & Drink, a song, poem or Question to Share in Community
This is an offical ‘Merry Prepstir‘ synchronized application, linking us to Biodynamic workers around the world, so that ‘The Earth May Be Healed’. We will be working with BD 500 Horn Manure.
‘Preparing the Way’ an experiential St. John’s-Tide Festival 23 June 2021, Doors open at 5:30 pm with a Potluck – Program from 7 – 8:30 pm In-person at the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4248 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, 60618
Singing – Elizabeth Kelly Group discussion – Hazel Archer Spatial Dynamics – Deborah Rogers Art – Mary Spalding
For more info. contact Cultural Events & Festivals Coordinator Hazel Archer
St. John the Baptist and Uriel the Archangel of Summer –
An Experiential online Festival with Geoff Norris, Elizabeth Carlson, Lisa Dalton, Lucien Dante Lazar, Hazel Archer
Sunday 27 June 2021 on Zoom: Noon – 1:30 pm PT / 1 – 2:30 pm MT / 2 pm – 3:30 pm CT / 3 – 4:30 pm ET / 8 – 9:30 pm London Time / 9 – 10:30 pm CET
Metanoia – Can you hear the voice of conscience? – Make straight the path, for at the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow, a time to remember what St. John said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Musicial Performance by Lucien Dante Lazar
Speech – Geoffrey Norris
Eurythmy- Elizabeth Carlson
Living into St. John’s-Tide – Lisa Dalton
Leading Thoughts – Hazel Archer
Hazel Archer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: St. John’s Time: Jun 27, 2021 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
10 June 2021 – The catalpa trees are sending their flowering fragrance into the morning air, as the dragon takes a bite out of the Sun. The birds pause, & listen, in the dusky light, to a human song, full of dissonance & longing, a deep mourning- rumbling moan, a forgotten resonance, a cry for help…
‘This little light of mine…’ spirals out from the warmth of my heart begotten from the pain of empathy – in the retort of my vibrating throat I transform it into healing rays of recognition, entraining my tender teeth, pitching love & light out of the top of my head. The hierarchies join me in the Halleluiah as a new sun dawns.
FYI: Dear friends, as a neophyte memeber of the General Council of the Anthroposophical Society in America I will be attending my 1st council retreat, so for the next 4 days I will be away from my usual duties…
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY (Rudolf Steiner’s original Calendar of the Soul, Anthrowiki, Wikipedia Commons, Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia)
40 AD – Birthday of Apollonius of Tyana, a Greek Neopythagorean philosopher, around the time of Jesus.
671 – Emperor Tenji of Japan introduces a water clock (clepsydra) called Rokoku.
1190 –Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the river Saleph while leading an army to Jerusalem
1786 – A landslide dam on the Dadu River created by an earthquake ten days earlier collapses, killing 100,000 in the Sichuan province of China
1886 – Mount Tarawera in New Zealand erupts, killing 1,530 people & burying the famous Pink & White Terraces. Eruptions continue for 3 months creating a large, fissure across the mountain peak
1898 – Spanish–American War: U.S. Marines land on the island of Cuba
1915 – Birthday of Saul Bellow, Canadian-American author & playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
1963 – Equal Pay Act of 1963 aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex (see Gender pay gap) was signed into law by John F. Kennedy as part of his New Frontier Program
1964 – United States Senate breaks a 83-day filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, leading to the bill’s passage.
1977 – The Apple II, one of the first personal computers, goes on sale
2002 – The first direct electronic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two humans is carried out by Kevin Warwick in the United Kingdom
Andrea Realpe
POD (Poem Of the Day)
~The moist wind is my skin I cannot divide heaven from you, you from me, me from myself… We are 2 eyes aligned in a single vision… ~hag
Angela Foster
Summer Practice & Research Group – 6 Essential Exercises & Eightfold Path
Beginning Saturday June 12 and ending July 24.
9:00 – 9:15 am PT / 10 am MT / 11 am CT / noon ET / 5 pm UTC / 6 pm CET
Daily 15-minute Zoom for 42 days (6 weeks)
You are invited to join with a group of friends as we explore Rudolf Steiner’s 6 Essential Exercises alongside the Eightfold / Daily Exercise Path.
This is a practice group AND a research group. We are experimenting with weaving our attention with weekly rhythm of the 6BE and the daily rhythm of Eightfold Path/ Daily Exercises. You are encouraged to bring a journal to make notes and keep track of your progress.
‘Preparing the Way’ an experiential St. John’s-Tide Festival
23 June 2021, Doors open at 5:30 pm with a Potluck -Program from 7-8:30 pm
In-person at the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4248 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, 60618
The program is evolving – There is a possibility that world-renowned eurythmist Jan Ranck from the Jerusalem Academy of Eurythmy will lead us in group eurythmy (TBA)
Other activities may include:
Art – Mary Spalding
Spacial Dynamics – Deborah Rogers
Singing – Elizabeth Kelly
Group discussion – Hazel Archer
If Jan Ranck is leading – $20 pre-pay onlineor $30 at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds)
For more info. contact Cultural Events & Festivals Coordinator Hazel Archer
Sea Cooke
St. John the Baptist and Uriel the Archangel of Summer –
An Experiential Festival with Geoff Norris, Elizabeth Carlson, Lisa Dalton, Hazel Archer
Sunday 27 June 2021 on Zoom: Noon – 1:30 pm PT / 1 – 2:30 pm MT / 2 pm – 3:30 pm CT / 3 – 4:30 pm ET / 8 – 9:30 pm London Time / 9 – 10:30 pm CET
Metanoia – Can you hear the voice of conscience? – Make straight the path, for at the fullness of Summer, the light is so bright that it leaves no room for the shadow, a time to remember what St. John said “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Musicial Performance by Lucien Dante Lazar
Speech – Geoffrey Norris
Eurythmy- Elizabeth Carlson
Living into St. John’s-Tide – Lisa Dalton
Leading Thoughts – Hazel Archer
Hazel Archer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: St. John’s Time: Jun 27, 2021 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
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Angela Foster
