Under the heading: ‘How to ride the Corona-Coaster’:
When the Corona 1st started crowning, my dear friend Angela Foster, who hosts The ARC (Anthroposophical Resource Center in Atlanta, GA) started a Six Basic Exercise Practice Group online. We call it 6B. A small group of us met for 6 months every weekday for 15 minutes to practice – A short sweet way to engage in this time of zoom burn out. On Friday’s folks can stay on for an additional 15 minutes to converse together on our experience. After the recent AGM, students from the ‘Applied Anthroposophy Program’ were invited to join. And last week Angela, who is always popping with ideas & initiatives, asked if I wanted to take Monday’s to offer a sharing; perhaps something on Speaking with the Stars, or a leading thought from the RR blog.
After taking this idea into my sleep for 3 days, I received a big YES! And the 1st thing that popped into my head was that it should be called ‘Monday Musings’. The 2nd thing was that I needed to honor the fact that it was Moon day, which is when I try & practice ‘Right Word’ part of the ‘Weekday Exercises’.
Being a writer, The Word, which opens me to ‘The Logos,’ means a lot to me. But I often struggle with how I use my words in speech. Thank goodness I am practicing the 6B, which for me, works hand in hand with Rudolf Steiner’s 8-fold Path – a renewal of Buddha’s ‘Noble 8-fold Path to Enlightenment’ – an outline that pulls together all the Buddha’s teachings, given in his first sermon after his enlightenment. In Guidance in Esoteric Training, they are also called the Weekday Exercises – with the 8th being a SUMMARY that is done every Day.
MONDAY – Right Speech or Right Word – When Talking, or having a conversation, to keep in mind that: ‘Only what has sense & meaning should come from the lips of one striving for higher development’. All talking for the sake of talking – to pass the time – is ‘harmful’. The usual kind of conversation, ‘a disjointed medley of remarks, should be avoided’. This doesn’t mean shutting ourselves off from others; but instead, we should come together with intention: for communications of significance -To ‘never talk without cause — to be gladly silent’. Can we be mindful of not talking too much, or too little? Can we recognize & counter our propensity to one or the other. Can we adopt a thoughtful attitude to every speech, every answer, taking all aspects into account? Can we practice 1st quiet listening; then, as we reflect on what has been said, wait, for the spirit to speak thru us.
This is Goeathean conversation. Group Moral Artistry, as Marjorie Spock calls it. She reminds us that ‘Conversing, as Goethe conceived it, is the Art of Arts’. Many of you may know a key scene of his fairy tale, The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily, where the four kings enthroned in the subterranean mystery temple are roused to the dawning of a new Age for humanity when the serpent, made luminous by the gold she swallowed, penetrates with her light into their dark sanctuary. The golden king asks her: “Where have you come from?” “Out of the clefts where gold dwells,” reply’s the serpent. “What is more precious than gold?” asks the golden king “Light!” says the snake. “What is more quickening than Light?” is his next question, “Conversation!” reply’s the wise snake.
So dear friends, on Monday’s, (even though the Musings will change each week) we can practice the exercise which may be called: ‘RIGHT WORD.’
And what of this idea of SUMMARY, which we are called to do Every Day? What would it be like to turn our gaze inwards, even if only for five minutes, at the same time every day..? – To carefully ‘take counsel with ourselves’, to test &, review, & form our principles of life, to run thru in thought, our knowledge — or lack of it — to weigh up our worldview, & our life duties; to think over the contents & true purpose of life; to ‘feel genuinely pained by our errors & imperfections’…In a word: We are meant to ‘labor to discover the essential’, the enduring, spiritual essence of life; & to earnestly aim at goals in accord with our highest destiny. For instance asking ourselves: What virtues do I need to acquire, what do I need to work on in myself. This exercise is called: ‘RIGHT EXAMINATION.’
*The ARC (Anthroposophical Resource Center in Atlanta) is inviting you to a Six Basic Exercise Practice Group
Time: weekdays 11am CT / 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Each weekday you are invited to join in a 15 minute practice group focusing on Rudolf Steiner’s foundational exercises. We begin the time each day with a 5 minute leading thought focusing on one aspect of the practice. We will follow that with a 5 minute period in which we turn off our cameras and practice on our own. After the five minute bell, we take 1-2 minutes to journal about our experience, and end the call with a 3 minute closing thought. Come when you can, and leave when you must.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/266986103?pwd=bXU4a0EvMmJkMDZTR0Rqcm0xZ0pUZz09 Meeting ID: 266 986 103 Passcode: 345338
Here is a link to “The Crowning” Sponsored by Anthroposophy Atlanta Lunch & Learn Hosted by Angela Foster & Jordan Walker of Wisdom Working
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26 October 2020 -“Speaking with the Stars”: Asteroid 471 Papagena, currently located in the constellation Cetus the Whale, reaches opposition at 1 am CDT. At that time, the tiny world is high above the southwestern horizon.
Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
899 – Deathday of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex
1800 – Birthday of Helmuth von Moltke the Elder – Who Rudolf Steiner calls ‘a Greek Initiate’ – mentioned in his sons post mortem communications.
1932 – L. Polzer-Hoditz & Marie Brabinek vow in the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, to work for the future of German Slavic harmony.
1883 – Deathday of Eurythmist IIona Suhubert-Polzer
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POD (Poem Of the Day)
~my words are forged in star-fire
that i may speak the language of earth
a sacrifice on the altar of angels…
~hag
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31 October, 1 pm – 3 pm CT
‘Soul to Soul’ on-line Festival
with the Central Regional Council
& Special Guests
Soul to Soul’ Festival with the Central Regional Council & Special Guests 1pm – 3pm CDT (2pm – 4pm EDT) All Hallows Eve, Saturday October 31st, 2020
Every culture has a festival celebrating their Beloved Dead. For deep in our bones we know that those who have passed through the gates of death want to work with us on the physical world, reminding us that everything physical is an outer expression of spirit.
During this time of year the veils between the worlds are thin, and the spiritual realm beckons. Having put the iron will of Michael to work in our thinking, we now have the courage to look beyond the veil of the material world into the spirit realm, the place of our beginning and our ending, only to begin again and yet again…for every ending is a new beginning.
We will open with some poetry and music played by Carol Kelly, followed by an enactment of an original script by Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, based on indications from Spiritual Science.
We will go into small breakout groups to explore the theme: “Who do you want to be in the new year”.
Eurhythmy Halleluiah
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89715703794
Meeting ID: 897 1570 3794
If you have questions, please contact Alberto Loya aloyavaca@utexas.edu
The CRC – Marianne Fieber, Alberto Loya, Hazel Archer-Ginsberg, Lisa Dalton
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All Souls Election Night Vigil
7 pm – 9 pm CT. Tuesday 3 November 2020
(new zoom codes)
In-person at Elderberries Chicago & online
Through Social Sculpture, we will hold space with each other, connect with our Angel, the ‘so called dead’, the Being of America…etc…to bring healing on both sides of the Threshold, during Election Night 2020, & on into the future which we are committing to consciously co-create.
Welcome – Anne Nicholson
Verse – Deborah Rogers
Why an All Souls Election Night Vigil? – Hazel Archer-Ginsberg
Metamorphosis – Lucien Dante Lazar. Through a 5-point artistic metamorphosis that will weave throughout the evening we will rise in our thinking, & engage our will, to work with the beings of color, form & gesture from point to periphery.
Intermingling: Initiatives for NOW – The 3-Fold Social Order & ALIANT Alliance – Elderberries + ALL = The Art of Goethean Conversation
Break-Out Session – groups of 3 for 15 minutes
Michael-Star Movement – Lucien + Nancy Melvin + ALL
Verse – Elizabeth Kelly
In-person at Elderberries Chicago & online
Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/7052931041 Meeting ID: 705 293 1041
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New date, time, zoom codes & Special Guest
Saturday 7 November 2020,
In-person & On-line
3 pm – 5 pm CT
‘Connections Revealed’
with Lelan Harris, Mary Ruud & Hazel Archer
The Connection Between Epidemics, the Souls of the Dead, & the Spiritual World – Leading thoughts by Hazel Archer-Ginsberg based on Spiritual Scientific research & indications from Rudolf Steiner
Inspirations by Lelan Harris – the executive director of Wise Cosmos Educational Initiative (WiseCosmos.org). Lelan is a healer, teacher, and leader with over 40 years of experience in vocational roles such as pastor, professor, and Waldorf school administrator. He offers developmental mentoring, spiritual training, and energy healing in order to raise up new generations of leaders in service at all levels to humanity, Earth, and cosmos.
Group Eurythmy with Mary Ruud
& Break out Sessions
In-person at Elderberries Biodynamic Outpost & 3 fold Cultural Hub, in conjunction with the Rudolf Steiner Branch Chicago, 4249-51 N. Lincoln Ave.
Online hosted by Anne Nicholson on Zoom
https://zoom.us/j/7052931041 Meeting ID: 705 293 1041
