“I am — It thinks — She feels — He wills” ~Esoteric Lessons by Rudolf Steiner
The 2nd Stage: (Part 3 of the 12 part series) Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Rosicrucian/Christian Initiation, in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being.
Next we contend with the 3rd of the 6 basic exercises, & meet the 8-fold path in the teachings of the Buddha, at this 2nd stage of the Christian Initiation called by Steiner: The Scourging.
We know that life brings all kinds of suffering— physical, moral, intellectual, even spiritual. The disciple must endure suffering with perfect equanimity of soul & heroic courage. We can’t run away, we must conquer physical & moral fear.
When we become fearless, Steiner tells us we may be able to see, in lucid dream, the scene of the Scourging. As our compassion deepens we may begin to see ourselves in the Christ Who is scourged.
Certain symptoms or indications in physical life accompany this event: There is an intensification in the life of feeling, a wider sense of what can be called a love of life.
Steiner gives us the example in the life of Goethe – his sublime intelligence on the one hand, but also his intense sympathy with all living beings, which gave him the key to unlock the mysteries of nature.
This is a refinement & an extension of the forces of life. So you see, this is connected to the etheric body, which gives the compensation for the trial of the Scourging. When the neophyte acquires a feeling of love for all beings this gives a sense of living in the heart of Nature herself.
This correlates to the 2nd Beatitude – the antidote to the 2nd layer of the inner earth, called the
Fluid Earth, which is held under tremendous pressure by the Mineral Earth. Steiner describes this layer as ‘dimly sentient’, calling its effect ‘negative of life’, it destroys & dissolves, expels & kills all life, it is a realm of death.
The 2nd Beatitude is a balm for this: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
The medicine of this stage proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount as revealed by Steiner expands this Beatitude: “Blessed or God-filled are they who do not banish sorrow, but who endure it, developing the power of Ego whereby they can find the Paraclete or Holy Spirit who reveals itself thru the ego”.
Doing the work prescribed at this stage opens the way for the emerging powers of the Ego to “Build the Hut” for the Wisdom of Christ to dwell in, this is a precursor to the achievement that will be seen in the 9th stage to come.
Anthroposophical Perspectives on Goethe’s Faust, a weekend workshop with Frederick Amrine – April 8-10, 2016 – Suggested donation $50 for the weekend or $20 per dayat the Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 North Lincoln Avenue. Chicago
Friday April 8th, 7pm-9pm “Faust as a White Magician: Re-enchanting the World” is about Goethe’s Faust as a critique of Baconian science and as precursor of a science of the spirit.
Saturday April 9th, 2pm -4pm “Faust at the Thresholds: Overcoming the Red Devils and the Black Devils” centers on the mystery of evil, specifically the temptations of Lucifer and Ahriman as described by Rudolf Steiner.
Sunday April 10th, 2pm – 4pm “Rudolf Steiner on Faust in the Light of Mystery Wisdom” explores Steiner’s great contribution to Faust scholarship – seeing the work as a revelation of the teachings of the Greek mystery religions.
Frederick Amrine is Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in German Studies at the University of Michigan, where he teaches literature, philosophy and intellectual history. He has an international reputation as a scholar of Goethe.
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Lemniscate Arts presents: Opening the Realm of New Mystery Drama –The Working of the Spirit – Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22, 2016
10:30am to 6:30pm Each day is a staged reading in full with breaks, of the new drama The Working of the Spirit. At the Rudolf Steiner Branch of The Anthroposophical Society, 4249 North Lincoln Avenue. Chicago. Contribution $15.00 – $45.00 per presentation
During the past four years separate initiatives have been underway by artists devoted to the work of Rudolf Steiner to create new mystery dramas based upon Rudolf Steiner’s four Mystery Dramas.
A trope of actors will arrive in Chicago to rehearse May 18, 19, & 20 with the readings happening May 21 & 22. They are filling in some of the parts with local actors. At this time the part of Felix is still open. If you are familiar with this character from Steiner’s Mystery Dramas & would like to read this part contact director Marke Levene 707-695-2969
The troupe is also looking for housing in Chicago. If you have space for an actor to stay in your home contact Barbara Richardsonbrichardson@centerforanthroposophy.org
A Mystery Play is a dramatic form that has been passed down through the ages. It differs from other plays by showing on stage the connection between the spiritual world and the earth; it reveals the activity of the spiritual beings who work from the heavens to help or hinder human beings in their earthly lives.
For tickets go towww.workingofthespirit.org Tel: 207-841-4760 Lemniscate Arts, One International Blvd, Suite 400, Mahwah, NJ 07495 registered 501(c)3
The 1st Stage: (Part 2 of the 12 part series) Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Rosicrucian/Christian Initiation, in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being.
The 1st stage in what Steiner calls “The Christian Initiation” has qualities described in ‘How to Know Higher Worlds’ as Reverence. It is a preparatory exercise of a moral character, relating to the scene where Christ washes the feet of the disciples before the Passover Feast – an example of the profound humility & devotion of the Master to His disciples & the work.
In a deeper sense, the story relates to the evolution of all beings in Nature. The scene is really a reference to a profound occult law that says: ‘The higher is a product of the lower’. At 1st this may seem counter-intuitive, but when we really think about it, we see that the plant could not exist without the mineral, the animal needs the plant. And humanity sustains life from the plants & animals.
So the esoteric meaning of the 1st Stage called ‘The Washing of the Feet’ is that the Cosmic Being of The Christ, because of His vastness, could not have accomplished His great deed on earth without being centered in the circle of the 12, an earthly representation of the zodiac. We see this same configuration in the initiation of Christian Rosenkreutz – another example of a sacred container for the spirit. The higher needs the chalice of the lower to support it.
This stage corresponds to the physical body & to the 1st layer of the inner earth, called the Mineral Earth. This topmost layer is like an eggshell containing everything known to natural science. Thin & fragile, it allows volcanic eruptions from deeper layers to emerge.
Rudolf Steiner felt compelled to speak for the 1st time about the interior of the earth at Easter in 1906, because Mt. Vesuvius had just erupted on April 6th. The San Francisco earthquake hit on April 18th. Valparaiso Chile had an 8.2 magnitude quake August 16th, & then the next day, the Aleutian Islands got struck by a devastating magnitude 8.35 quake.
So even though these signals were loud & clear that the topic of the interior of the earth was calling out to be heard & heeded, Steiner found his audience reluctant or unable to engage in this intense, difficult topic at that time.
He then began to work with Christ’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’ in connection with this theme; regarding the Beatitudes as the antidote, the medicine needed to work in these realms.
Steiner came to see that the 1st Beatitude is the remedy for this 1st layer of the inner earth: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”
Ok, sure, I went to bible school as a child, I remember the Sermon on the Mount, I’ve heard these Beatitudes before, but I was never really able to penetrate them. So I was thankful that Steiner took it upon himself to re-work them for our understanding:
Steiner B1: “Blessed are they who are beggars for the spirit, for if they develop their Ego ruled outer bodies in the right way, they will find within themselves the kingdom of heaven.”
And so we realize that we are not meant to beg for material things; we must strive for knowledge of the spirit. This is the 1st step, which leads to a ripening of our Ego forces, which will then begin to work down into the physical body, so we can become the grail that holds ‘the Kingdom of heaven’ within. – We see the achievement of this in stages 8 & 9.
Steiner tells us that there are certain symptoms or indications that give proof that the aspirant is on the right track. The affirmation for this 1st stage of initiation comes when, thru meditation on the theme of ‘The higher as product of the lower’, the neophyte gains a vision of the Washing of the Feet in the astral world during sleep.
Then the candidate is ready to pass to the second stage of the Christian initiation.
Tomorrow we will investigate further
Until soon – Blessings & Peace
~hag = Hazel Archer Ginsberg
(c) Shipley Art Gallery; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation
Dear Friends –
Today 30 March 2016, marks the 91st anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s death
25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925 “To create centres of peace & love in which the Christ can resurrect.”
~written on the urn that holds the ashes of Rudolf Steiner
The Central Regional Council invites you to consider the next theme for our work throughout the region: The Bridging Project: From Soul to Soul – Between Life and Death
We begin our work with a study of lecture 2 from ‘Historical Necessity and Freewill’
Given by Rudolf Steiner in Dornach, December 9, 1917.
This collection has been republished under the title: The Influence of the Dead on Destiny”, Steiner Press
This will provide the background for our work together
in addition to inviting special guests
to offer fruits from out of their research and work.
Our first audioconference has been scheduled for April 27, from 7:15 to 8:30pm CST
Special guest, Marianne Dietzel,
will share her knowledge about “Communicating with our Beloved Dead”.
We will also review the lecture.
All are Welcome to connect to the audio/video-conference:
Option 1. Click link below if you wish to connect through your computer (a headset is recommended) https://app.gotomeeting.com/?meetingId=284737589
Option 2. Call in using your telephone. United States: +1 (571) 317-3116 Canada: +1 (647) 497-9372 Access Code: 284-737-589
Option 3. You can use a combination of Options 1 and 2 (computer and phone)
Meeting Schedule:
27 April 2016 with guest Marianne Dietzel: Communicating with the Dead
10 August 2106 with guest Maureen Flannery: Home Funeral Alliance;
Prompts for writing poetry for the dead
26 October 2016 with guest Dwight Ebaugh:
Life between Death and Re-birth
1 February 2017 with guest Mark Miller: Spirit Parks,
an alternative to cemeteries
3 May 2017 – TBA
Each call is a Wednesday evening from 7:15pm – 8:30 pm CST
May love of hearts reach out to love of souls May warmth of love ray out to Spirit-light Even so would we draw near to you Thinking with you Thoughts of Spirit Feeling in you the Love of Worlds Consciously at one with you Willing in silent being. ~Rudolf Steiner
Blessings to ALL, from the members of the Central Regional Council : Dennis Dietzel Hazel Archer Ginsberg; Raven Garland; Alberto Loya; Marianne Fieber-Dhara
In an effort to beautify the Rudolf Steiner Branch, All are Welcome
to help us design & create a ‘Waldorf Inspired Nature scene’
for our storefront windows, celebrating SPRING!!!
4pm – 6:45pm on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday March 17th 2016.
Bring your (non-denominational) Spring Treasures
(We will return them when we change the scene for each season)
Soup provided, side-dish or snacks to share encouraged!
“When Goethe was seven he built himself an altar to nature, taking his father’s music stand and placing on it plants from his father’s herbarium and also minerals and crowning it all with a little incense candle that he lit by focusing the beams of the morning sun with a burning-glass; an offering to the great god of nature, a rebellion against everything imposed on him by education”. ~Rudolf Steiner, Practical Advice to Teachers: Fourteen lectures given at the foundation of the Waldorf School, Stuttgart, from 21 August to 5 September 1919.
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Easter-Tide Study throughout Holy Week
Excerpts from “The Three Years” by Emil Bock
Beginning: Palm Sunday March 20th, 2pm-4pm,
then, M-F: March 21-26th, 7pm-9pm
If you would like a copy of the text contact Hazel ReverseRitual@gmail.com
Palm Sunday – The old Sun
Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem – The Prophesy fulfilled
Holy Monday
The fig tree, symbol of the old clairvoyance, cursed –
Moon-forces must be renewed -The cleansing of the Temple
Holy Tuesday (a Lunar Eclipse this year)
Conflict with opponents – bending the Mars sprit to His purposes
An Apocalyptic future revealed
Holy Wednesday
Mary Magdalene’s pre-burial anointing
Judas’s betrayal – the 2 sides of Mercury: Healer /Thief
Maundy Thursday (Last Supper)
Christ washes the feet of the disciples & administers to them
the new sacrament – King Jupiter’s benevolence
Good Friday
Love’s Sacrificial Death – the transformation of the Venus-principle
Thru the Sun-principle of Christ – the rending of the Temple Veil
Holy Saturday (The Harrowing of Hell)
Christ laid in the tomb is taken by the quake into the grave of the earth
Saturn darkness becomes Easter Light, healing the realm of the dead
Easter Sunday – The New Sun
The Octave of Resurrection – Mary Magdalene meets the Angels
& sees the ‘Gardener’ – The Risen One in His Spirit-Body
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Easter Festival: A Path to the Dawning
Sunday March 27th – 4pm -6pm (note the time change!)
Midwest Eurythmy Group to Perform ‘Hallelujah’ & the Easter Calendar
of the Soul Verse by Rudolf Steiner
Lecture: : Encountering the Inner Layers of the Earth as a Christian/Rosicrucian Initiation,
in relation to the Beatitudes and the 9-fold human being by Hazel Archer Ginsberg
Live Music: Clark Remington – Prelude and Fugue by Bach
Group Eurythmy: Hallelujah
$10 donation goes to the Midwest Eurhythmy Group –
Snacks to Share encouraged!
All events at The Rudolf Steiner Branch 4249 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago
For more info. Contact Hazel ReverseRitual@gmail.com
