May 28, 2016

585 BC – 1^st prediction of a solar eclipse by the Greek philosopher & scientist Thales of Miletus, occurring while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of Halys, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other eclipse dates can be calculated.

1696 – Birthday of Leopold Gyorgy Rakoczy, also known as Comte de St. Germain

1805 – Deathday of Luigui Boccherini composer

1972 – Deathday of Edward, Duke of Windsor who abdicated his throne as King Edward VIII for love, in 1936.

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In thinking about: “The Working of the Spirit” by Michael Burton & Marke Levene. Part 3  (program for the Chicago reading)

For instance, I was struck with the idea in scene 2, that a Guardian Angel could be influenced by the lower double. This concept has me wrestling with the notion of the ‘fallen angel’. Can these retarded beings actually be someone’s Guardian Angel? Or is it more about the stage of evolution of the human being? It certainly rings true that as the anthroposopher continues to strive & grow, so too does their Guardian Angel & their double.

This pivotal scene of “The Working of the Spirit” depicts the loving relationship between Capesius & his angel, acknowledging how they have evolved together thru thick & thin over many lifetimes. The exchange like a dance, is so powerful. The image of the angel offering the silver cup, which will empower Capesius to be a greater help to others in the world, depicts the reward of an initiatory achievement to be used in future lives, is a blessing.

Then the double enters.  Can we endure the pain of self-truth? Are we willing to see the times when we missed the mark, the patterns, the connections, the habits, the archetypes, the karma? Can we see clearly as to what is behind these things, enabling us to name the forces that work thru us, from the hierarchies to the adversarial powers?

Marie says: “Healing comes in stages slowly to the wounded heart. Whole lives are spent making amends. But one who looks with courage on the errors of the past, enduring all the pain self-knowledge brings, takes on such tasks as work to heal the Earth.” This opens the way for her soul forces, Astrid, Philia, & Luna to enter, bringing their blessings to the striving souls of Johannes & Capesius.

Next we meet the spiritual crisis of Felix, who in working to overcome his antipathy to the world of the senses, has become the janitor in Hilary’s factory. He mourns the loss of his spiritual sight, (which also happened to Theodora after she married Strader in Steiner’s 2^nd mystery drama “The Guardian of the Soul”)  We recognize this loss as a compensation, a step on the path that brings the opportunity for new growth, calling once again on the mysteries gifts of Felicia’s storytelling to bring a healing balm.

Tomorrow we look deeper into the struggle to bring Hilary’s factory into a new social form.

Until soon

Blessings and Peace ~Hazel Archer Ginsberg

May 27, 2016

Birthday of Mary Magdalene  – According to T.H. Meyer & ‘The Present Age’

1265 – Birthday of Dante (thought to be reincarnated as King John of Saxony. Beyond his political work, John was busy with literature. Under the pseudonym Philalethes he translated to German Dante’s Divine Comedy)

1564 – Deathday of John Calvin an influential French theologian & pastor during the Protestant Reformation, called Calvinism, influenced by the Augustinian tradition. The aim of Calvin’s political theory was to safeguard the rights and freedoms of ordinary people.

1840 – Deathday of Paganini an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, & composer – the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time.

1907 – Bubonic plague breaks out in San Francisco

1907 – Birthday of Rachel Carson, American biologist, environmentalist, and author. Although she was not an anthroposophist per say, Rachel Carson had a strong association with Marjorie Spock,  attending her study groups over the years.

1933 – The Century of Progress World’s Fair opens in Chicago

1933 – New Deal: The U.S. Federal Securities Act is signed into law requiring the registration of securities with the Federal Trade Commission.

1941 – World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaims an “unlimited national emergency”

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~I follow the path to the Sun

Moment by moment, Season to season

But to travel East is to grieve in darkness.

I find my star radiating from the Earth Heart

Shining in the rainbow clouds

Working in my skin.

And so I reflect with the Moon, cycle by cycle

Toting fertile moisture in the mix

My skeleton filling with the resurrection

Knowing

I shall not fall to forgetfulness.

~hag

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In thinking about: “The Working of the Spirit” by Michael Burton & Marke Levene. Part TWO (program for the Chicago reading)

When I 1st started working with Rudolf Steiner’s 4 Mystery Dramas, it was as if ‘How to Know Higher Worlds’ had come alive for me. I saw in the various characters, living examples of the many tributaries on the path of initiation – Each soul reflecting a different temperament, embodying a specific stream. I’d ask myself, ‘Am I a “fox” or a “nobleman”, “upright”, “humble”, “loyal”, “god-fearing” or “enspirited”, “provincial”, “prudent”, or a “firebrand”, “truthful” or “bold”…

Of course I saw myself in them all. And I longed to be a “Bearer of the Spiritual Elements” like Benedictus, or the “Bearer of the Elements of Soul”, like Maria. I’d ask myself: How can I strive to live more fully in the will forces, like the scientist Strader or truly exemplify the beauty of consecration to devotion & sacrifice?

And yes, I had my sympathies & antipathies to certain personalities, a wonderful reflection of what I had to work on in myself. I remember wanting to shake Johannes into shape. Like in a movie where you know the character is in trouble, I wanted to scream out to him “Yo Johnny wake up that’s Lucifer talking.”

I had a particular antipathy to Capesius, so I was excited when I 1^st heard that in “The Working of the Spirit” I was to play his Angel. I thought perhaps I would gain more insight into what I was pushing up against. Although I ended up with other characters to portray, I still took the time meditatively to look into that relationship. More on that later.

It made real sense to me that “The Working of the Spirit” was set “spiritually around the time of the death of Rudolf Steiner (1925)”. And I was very excited to see emphasis placed on the idea of social three-folding, which I am hoping can become a spark that gives birth to this eternal flame, healing many aspects of life that we meet today in the 21st century. It was interesting to see the main characters listed according to where they stand regarding the three spheres of society –

1. the cultural & spiritual sphere
2. the sphere of human rights
3. the economic sphere

Another compelling component is that “most of the main characters also appear in earlier lives in Delphi in the Sixth Century BCE & in Athens a little before 400 BCE”. To see Theodora as the Delphic Oracle is right in line with Steiner’s insights into her enigmatic individuality.

Also it is important for our time to delve into the source behind the Platonic & Aristotelian streams so that we can bridge the gap between them.

There is so much more to say. We’ll see where tomorrow will take us.

Until soon

Blessings and Peace ~Hazel Archer Ginsberg