Greetings Friends – There is a powerful magic in the August air. The harvest is unfolding. Cosmic Iron is scintillating in our blood – seeding our souls for Michaelmas.
Last year on this date 20 August, a group of us met in the Upper Room of the Rudolf Steiner Branch, Chicago, to explore the idea of co-creating a New Festival called Vidarmas – as a gateway & compliment to Michaelmas – to acknowledge this young Archangel as the inspiring Being of Community Life, connected with pure ether forces – & in connection to our need to experience ‘The Etheric Christ‘ which is our task in this age.
The Four Ethers & the Four Elements overlap to create the seven layers of the Physical-Etheric World, & the 7-fold human being. To begin to understand this gives us insight into our task with Vidar.
I remember looking into Norse mythology thru the lens of Spiritual Science when my girl was in 4th grade at the Chicago Waldorf School. Rudolf Steiner tells us that Wotan or Odin was an Archangelic being, who later appeared as Siddhārtha carrying on the mission of Odin to become the Gautama-Buddha.
‘Woden and the Grail‘:
And Odin hung for nine days
from the Earth’s One Tree,
his eye gouged for wisdom gained,
a loss so he could see.
He waited long upon this throne
as Godlike days passed.
For the future he’d wait to see;
how to make his time last.
The One-God was coming
for this was surely told
but how to manage tomorrow
for the long lost Gods of old.
His wolves, and horse, and crows
they stood and gathered near
looking long for his wisdom
against the lives they held so dear.
Then Odin smiled upon the ninth day
for the answer there did lie
within the Earthen Tree
he had helped himself to tie.
Lowered now to the ground,
sodden by his many tears,
he drew nigh his greatest friends
those who waited the many years.
Turning to the tree he drew
deep from within its heart
a living chalice made of wood
from which to make a start.
Come my friends gather round
and for the past do not wail
as we hold the future steady now
within this Earthen Holy Grail.
~Mac Andrew
Vidar, unseated by Loki, becomes the “Silent Aesir” – the only one to survive Ragnarok, conquering the Fenrris Wolf who wants to devour the Sun.
Important to remember that every human being has a guardian angel; & that before Siddhārtha became the Buddha he had one too. When he achieved Buddhahood, his angel was ‘freed’ – Able to ascend to a higher rank.
After much time as the “Silent Aesir”, this angel – went on to work with the Nathan Soul & with the Christ thru the pre-earthly deeds etc…(You can read about this angel working at the ‘Turning Point of Time’ in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2 & in Matthew 1:18–25.)
Rudolf Steiner connects Buddha’s angel with Vidar.
So we can see that Vidar is linked, not only to what we hear about him thru mythology, but also to Buddhism, & to the ‘Nathan Soul’ – that pure paradisiacal ‘Sister Soul of Adam’ that did not go thru the fall from paradise – but was held back in the Mother-lodge to be able assist the mission of Christ.
Steiner speaks about the “Nirmanakaya of the Buddha” with all its “Youthful forces” as an intermigling with the astral body of the Nathan Jesus when he was 12. These Youthful forces are a characteristic of Vidar & his work with the formative forces of the etheric.
Thru Spiritual Science we learn it is Vidar, who comes to the aid of the Christ Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, fortifing his etheric body when the Ahrimanic death forces were threatening to kill the physical body of Jesus before Christ’s deed on Golgotha was completed. “An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him”. (Luke 22-43)
To put things into perspective we can think how everything changes; growth/transformation – embraces all beings – evolution is working not only in humanity but in the ‘gods’.
When the Archangel Michael got promoted to Archai, the being known as Vidar, who was once associated with the Northern Mysteries, stepped into Michael’s position as ruling Archangel of the Sun, becoming Universal in his service, cosmopolitan like Michael.
According to Rudolf Steiner Vidar, could have become an Archangel long before that, but he took the path of renunciation, of silence – listening & waiting – building up forces, until 1879 – only then did Vidar take the place vacated by Michael, to work specifically with the Christ during the 2nd crucifixion in the etheric.
The silent Aesir now speaks.
Vidar’s task is essential for our present age; he creates the etheric sheath for the Being of Christ, so that we can develop a new clairvoyance to perceive & receive this Etheric Christ.
Vidar wants to work with us to achieve the necessary formative forces needed to conquer the many Ahrimanic & Luciferic influences that plague us today – So that we can attain a level of super-sensible acuity to work with Christ in our own etheric bodies.
Vidar will guide us so that we too can become Christ bearers – creating CHRISTOPHOROS ( Χριστόφορος ) in us.
Vidar was with us in the Michael School & the super-sensibile Cultus, & he helps us now – & into the future – to put these lessons into practice with discernment; making us ready to achieve access to all the ethers: warmth, light, sound, life. To consciously employ them – which will help us purify our astral body & transform our etheric body.
We will need these tools to meet the mystery of evil.
In our striving to harmonize our astral & etheric currents, we create new spiritual organs, described by Steiner in ‘How to Know Higher Worlds’ as an ‘etheric lattice’. This gives us a reflective apparatus for our pure thinking – allowing our thoughts to press or imprint directly into our ether body – creating an etheric bridge to the Christ – giving us access to cosmic memory & the gifts from the 5th sacrifice of Christ ie. the suffocation in the etheric attended by Vidar & the Nathan Soul – this sacrifice was the catalyst for our new clairvoyance!
I keep thinking: How can we, in everyday practical terms, work with Vidar as Guardian of the etheric forces which can brings us together in our various groups striving to live into the Spiritual Science of Christ-Sophia?
We have to be aware that elemental beings inhabit the etheric forms we create – consciously with Love & Light – or unconsciously thru what is adversarial in us…Let us call in the forces of Sophia-Michael-Vidar to fill the etheric with Christic Wisdom.
Vidar as an Archangel for our time speaks with the language of Whitsun – Pentecost – the fires of purification & purpose. And thru the Holy Spirit connected to Anthroposophia we can work with Vidar in our search for the Holy Grail, when we ask the Parzival question of each other, in a true mood of service & enthusiasm, so that when we are ripe we can become co-creators of a new Universe.
I have gleaned many insights from my work with Sergei Prokofieff’s indications encapsulating the Spiritual Science of Rudolf Steiner in his amazing book: “The Cycle of the year as a Path of Initiation Leading to an Experience of the Christ Being, An Esoteric Study of the Festivals” – the 12th & final chapter on: “The Modern Mysteries of the Etheric Christ” expounding on “The Vidar Mystery”.
a few Highlights:
“This individuality of Wotan or Odin (who Steiner calls an Archangel) is the same as the one who later appeared with the same mission under the name Buddha”. (GA105 August 14 1908)
“When the Buddha appeared to the shepherds in the picture of the ‘heavenly host’, he was not in a physical body but in an astral body. He had assumed a body in which he could still send his influences to the Earth….This body is called a Nirmanakaya’. ” (GA 114, 17 September 1909)
THE MISSION OF FOLK-SOULS, GA 121,, Lecture XI, 17 June 1910, Christiania – Is a powerful study:
“All these details which are set forth in the ‘Twilight of the Gods’, correspond with that which is to appear to humankind in a newer etheric vision, which in reality refers to the future. The Fenris Wolf will still remain. Oh, there is a deep, deep truth concealed in this account of the Fenris Wolf remaining behind in conflict with Odin. In the near future of humankind there will be no danger so great as the tendency to remain satisfied with the old clairvoyance, — instead of developing the new by means of new forces — the danger that humanity might be tempted to remain satisfied with what the old astral clairvoyance of primal ages could give, namely, soul-pictures such as that of the Fenris Wolf. It would also be a severe trial for that which has to grow up in the domain of Anthroposophy, if in that, the tendency towards all sorts of confused, chaotic clairvoyance should arise…
Something very different must come in. And what that is, is, however, known to Celtic-Germanic-Norse mythology — it is well aware of its existence. It knows, that there exists the etheric form in which will embody that which we shall once again see as the etheric form of Christ. And this alone will succeed in driving out the confused clairvoyant power which would bewilder humankind…Vidar, who has kept silence all the time, will overcome the Fenris Wolf. That also is told us in the ‘Twilight of the Gods’.
Anyone who recognizes the importance of Vidar and feels him in their soul, will find that beginning in the twentieth century the capacity can again be given to humanity with which to see Christ.
Vidar, who belongs to us all, will again stand before the human being. Vidar was kept secret in the Mysteries and secret Schools as a god who would receive his mission only in the future.”
We had lively discussions throughout the evening. Then to get us up on our feet to vibrate from our lips & lungs, Lucien Dante Lazar & Ultra-Violet Archer of The Musical initiative: Velsum: Voices of Ancient Futurism brought us a song they wrote for the occasion.
Vidar!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Come upon us.
Vidar!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Give us your trust.
Let us meet you in the threshold.
Let us know you in the Light.
Let us carry forth your banner
In selfless might!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Come upon us.
Vidar!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Give us your trust.
In the flowing of the spirit
From the Northern sickle moon,
We will harvest your new impulse
In joyous truth!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Come upon us.
Vidar!
Vidar!
Vidar!
Give us your trust.
Lucien & Ultra invited us to co-write a 3rd verse; so folks popcorned ideas, & we will work more with that for our next gathering…
Here are the links to the recordings of the song they taught us.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QLvn4bSTEbjSptZe6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/AGbartxJFFJmNvTf9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/cc8YQTQHZeyGBsaL7
Lucien suggested we end by doing a group poem, each going around saying 1 word. Here is what came forth from our collective efforts for our closing verse: “Speak from the light wherein resolution leads to our hearts fulfillment of the Etheric Christ with courage.”
Daniel Ospina the artist of this amazing painting held a meeting at the same time in Ireland where they also read the lecture. The invitation was taken up by other branches including one in Colombia South America. If you dear reader have also taken up this impulse to know Vidar, please share your insights. Let’s keep this knowing going.
Many Thanks to Susan Overhauser, who is one of the brilliant facility members for our AAP training who brought alive for us ‘Vidar as a Guide in the Etheric’. Susan is bringing her research to present at a Conference at the Goetheanum this month!
May the Practicum which we have began into this new Festival we are calling Vidarmas, continue to thrive.
~hag
20 August 2023 – “Speaking with the Stars”: Bella Luna emerging from the Underworld is dancing with the sheath of wheat held by Spica the brightest star in the constellation of Virgo
RUDOLF STEINER’S CALENDAR OF THE SOUL
translated (with added titles) by Roy Sadler
LAMMASTIDE IV
Transition from Summer to Autumn
The Nemesis Of The Lower Self
v20
So I begin to feel my being, I,
who far from world existence
would perish, I, who self-confined,
evolving only on its own ground,
must in itself surender… die.
We must take up the goal of higher self-development.
We must willingly give up what is holding us back,
not a Luciferic, unconscious, sacrifice, but a rise
in freedom to a new sense of self and purpose.
(a message derived from Eloise Krivosheia
in anthroposophyla.org – verse 20).
The mirror verse involves an Ahrimanic temptation.
ALL HALLOWTIDE III
Transition from Autumn to Winter
World Nemesis… or Resurrection?
v33
And so I come to feel the world,
which left without my soul’s communion
would be just frosty, empty life,
and powerless to resurrect in souls,
arise anew in human self-creation,
could in itself alone find only death.
Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day
Saturday 23 September 2023
Community Prep-Stir / Potluck / Bon-fire
*Autumnal Equinox
*Yom Kippur
*Michaelmas Festival
6 – 8 pm at the Lucchesi-Archer-Ginsberg domicile
Please Bring Food & Drink to share, & a jar for the prep
30 September 2023 – Michaelmas Festival & Zinniker Farm Day
