To Suffer with

Today is not only Yom Kippur, it is also The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows; 1st celebrated by the Cistercians in the 12th century. The Mother is also called Our Lady of Compassion, from the Latin roots cum & patior which means to suffer with. “The Seven Dolors,” the title given in the 17th century, refers to the image of the 7 swords that pierce the Heart of Mary. The feast was set for the day after the Feast of the Holy Cross (September 14) & is an octave for the birthday of Our Lady on September 8th.

Samuel Epperly

As Mary stood at the foot of the Cross, the sword of sorrow Simeon had foretold pierced her soul. Below are the seven sorrows of Mary:

The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50)
Mary meets Christ Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)
Crucifixion and Death of Christ Jesus (John 19:25-30)
The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37)
The burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which begins tonight at sunset, falls 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, & is the culmination of the entire High Holy Day drama. It is the holiest day of the Jewish year or, as the Bible describes it, the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”. During the 24 hours of Yom Kippur, the biblical commandment to fast from food & water, while engaging in intense soul-searching, & praying for forgiveness is practiced. Yom Kippur is a day of inner purification & of reconciliation with the creator & with our fellow human beings. It is a reminder of the frailty of human existence & our duty to act charitably toward the less fortunate. This ancient tradition is just as important now as it was for our ancestors, maybe even more so.

During this time before the Autumnal Equinox & the beginning of the Michaelmas Season, a shift occurs within us, echoing outside of us in Nature, & reflected in various cultural expressions & traditions.

It is the moment in time to dedicate mind, body, & soul to reconciliation – with God, our fellow human beings, & ourselves; a time to turn to those whom we have wronged, acknowledging the pain we might have caused. At the same time, being willing to forgive & to let go of offenses & the feelings of resentment they provoked in us. This journey for both seekers & givers of pardon mirrors the journey a soul takes after death.

During this season it is customary to walk to a body of fresh water & recite a prayer, symbolically casting bread crumbs into the waters, a symbol of our sins: those actions that have missed the mark.

Trudy Suden

What we do to ourselves & others has repercussions. Because of this unity everything that occurs in our own little world creates a resonance in others & in society as a whole. To heal the planet we first have to heal ourselves, acknowledge our sorrows like the Mother of Christ, & thru compassion – forgive.

~hag

15 September 2021 – “Speaking with the Stars”

Rudolf Steiner’s Lectures on this day

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1963 – 16th Street Baptist Church bombing , an act of white supremacist terrorism, in Birmingham, Alabama, occurred when four members of the Ku Klux Klan planted at least 15 sticks of dynamite attached to a timing device beneath the front steps of the church.Described by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as “one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity”. The explosion killed four girls & injured 22 others.

No prosecutions ensued of the Klan members involved until 1977, when Robert Chambliss was tried & convicted of the first degree murder of one of the victims, 11-year-old Carol Denise McNair. Thomas Blanton & Bobby Cherry were each convicted of four counts of murder & sentenced to life imprisonment in 2001 & 2002, but Herman Cash, was never charged .

The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing marked a turning point in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement & contributed to support for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

~ The Association of Religion Data Archives

Greetings kindred souls – This year for the APO fund raiser I plan to hold a Dance-A-Thon & Biodynamic Prep-stir on Friday 24 September 2021 at the Rudolf Steiner Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in America – Chicago

Featuring Waldorf Alum DJ ‘Grapefruit Effect’ + Circle’s Edge

It’s a potluck community gathering, so please bring food & drink to share – Along with your donation to this amazing program.

We also plan to read some poetry from some of the inmates who are working with Anthroposophy!

If you live out of town you can dance in your neck of the woods in solidarity with us. Please show your generous support…

Xox ~hag, hazel@reverseritual.com

Donate here https://secure.anthroposophy.org/…/anth…/campaign.jsp

Hazel’s Dance-a-thon page for APO

Here is an easy link to get involved in the APO Walk-a-thon this year!

Craig Wiggins

Festival Gathering: Tuesday 28 September on the eve of Michaelmas with Rev’s Jeana Lee & Victoria Capon

Potluck at 5:30
Talk at 7pm

At the Rudolf Steiner Branch, 4249 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Meeting The Dragon With Our Four Fold Being – A talk and collaborative sculptural creation

Bring Food & drink for the potluck & a found objects to help build the dragon!
Then our inspiration can come to life through our collaboration.

Jeana Lee was recently ordained as a priest of the Christian Community Movement for Religious Renewal and sent to the congregation in Chicago.  Previously she taught chemistry and math at Green Meadow Waldorf high school.  She enjoys swimming in the lake and is interested in questions of sin and redemption.

Victoria Capon hails from the east coast and is new to Chicago. Before attending seminary she taught at the Waldorf School of Cape Cod. Now she is happily settling into serving the chicago CC congregation and exploring the Windy City

Greetings friends – Come Join us in Chicago
*Special in-person activities for ‘Building the Temple of the Heart’ 
ASA Annual Conference and Members Meeting 7-10 October 2021: 

THURSDAY, October 7 – CENTRAL TIME 
(*For those in the pageant: Tech rehearsal – 3 pm)
*5 pm Dinner in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
(Meal plan menu coming soon – Sign up now so we know how much food we need!)

6:30- 8:00 PM    Annual General Meeting (AGM) – Members Meeting 
                          (Note: This portion is free and open to all members) 

FRIDAY, October 8 – CENTRAL TIME 
*9:30 AM            In the Upper Room our Class Reader Clark Remington    
                           will give Lesson XI for the School of Spiritual Science
  (Note: There will be no online gathering for the Class Lesson
11:30 AM           What is the School of Spiritual Science?  
                           A conversation led by Helen-Ann Ireland, open to all 
                           (30 min) 
*12 Noon            LUNCH in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
1:00 PM             Conference Opening                                    
2:00 PM             The Stairway of Surprise: Rudolf Steiner’s 6 Basic  
                           Exercises with Michael Lipson     
3:00 PM             30-minute Snack Break in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
3:30 PM             Thinking / Clear Thinking with the New Orleans Hub
                           Doing / Right Action with the Austin Hub                  
                           Musical Interludes by Morgan Vallat
4:30 PM             Biography with Janey Newton
5:00 PM             60-minute Break *DINNER in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
6:00 PM             Singing, Speech & Eurythmy
                           with Dennis Dietzel, Katherine Thivierge & Mary Ruud 
6:15 – 7:15 PM  Building the Temple through Spiritual Research:
Sections of the School of Spiritual Science as Columns of the Temple 

SATURDAY, October 9  – CENTRAL TIME 
(*For those in the pageant: Tech rehearsal – 9 am)

11:00 AM         Singing, Speech & Eurythmy 
                         with Dennis Dietzel, Katherine Thivierge & Mary Ruud 
11:15 AM         The Life of the Heart in Space, Time and Eternity with  
                         Michaela Glöckler
12:30 PM         Biography with Janey Newton 
1:00 PM           60-minute Break *LUNCH in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
2:00  PM          Singing, Speech & Eurythmy 
                        with Dennis Dietzel, Katherine Thivierge & Mary Ruud 
2:15 PM           Feeling / Equanimity with the Twin Cities Hub  
                         Loving / Positivity with the Northern Michigan Hub 
                         Opening / Open-mindedness with the Ann Arbor Hub  
                         Musical Interludes by Morgan Vallat
3:30 PM           60-minute Snack Break in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
4:30 PM           Exploring the Heart Connections between Chartres  
                        Cathedral and Wolfram von Eschenbach’s Parzival with  
                        Brian Gray
5:45 PM           Biography with Janey Newton 
6:15 PM           60-minute Break *DINNER in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
7:15-8:30 PM   Thanking / Inner Harmony / Wholeness with the Chicago /
                         Youth Section Hub 

SUNDAY, October 10  – CENTRAL TIME 
(*For those in the Pageant- Please wear all Black, or all white – Run Through – 9 am)
11:00 AM         Singing, Speech & Eurythmy 
                        with Dennis Dietzel, Katherine Thivierge & Mary Ruud 
11:15 AM         Experiential Pageant: ‘Building the Temple of the Heart- 
                        The Royal Art: A Social Pilgrimage of the Soul’
                        by Hazel Archer featuring the 6 HUBS, Friends and Hosts, 
                        Dennis Dietzel, Mary Ruud, Katherine Thivierge & YOU
12:15 PM       (Timing Subject to change) LUNCH in the RS Branch ‘Schreinerei’
1:00-2:00 PM   Conversation and Conference Closing

Find a collection of the many RECORDINGS of Presentations, Programs & Festivals HERE

Trust your path" healing Art painting Peinture par Gioia Albano | Artmajeur

ON-GOING WAYS TO ENGAGE:

Wednesdays 9:30-11:00am CT  – True and False Paths in Spiritual Investigation, by Rudolf Steiner. We incorporate ‘The Calendar of the Soul’, eurythmy, focused discussion and seasonal artistic explorations in our study. All are Welcome. Contact Hazel Archer-Ginsberg.  Hazel@ReverseRitual.com We meet in person in the Branch Library or join via Zoom
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84457727333?pwd=S2U1b0JGbjZmczR3SXJaUVdlbTJpUT09 Meeting ID: 844 5772 7333
Passcode: true

***

(CLOSED) Fridays 12noon – 1:30pm CT. The Esoteric Path Through the Nineteen Class Lessons by Sergei O. Prokofieff. A serious study for Members of the School of Spiritual Science. Contact Hazel Archer-GinsbergHazel@ReverseRitual.com

Gabriel Keleman

Sundays 7-9pm CT. Our international group is working with ‘The Effects of Esoteric Development” Contact Hazel Archer-GinsbergHazel@ReverseRitual.com, Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/91503499709?pwd=eEtzckt4NjM5OFIyUlJOT0pjYThCUT09 Meeting ID: 953 7461 8565 – Passcode: Logos

2 thoughts on “To Suffer with

  1. I’m sure the waterfowl enjoy that tradition of casting bread crumbs into the freshwater as a representation of our sins! Sounds like a good representation though.

    Our justice system is so useless sometimes. That it took so long for the perpetrators of that bombing to be tried is despicable. Anyone familiar with that kind of assembly would know that it’s the children who have the most energy, and would be in a hurry to get outside, so of course it was 4 girls who died. I was going to say some words of condemnation of the perpetrators, but then I remembered that there is hope for even the worst of us – the apostle Paul is a pattern for that. Calling himself the “chief of sinners”, guilty of complicity in the murders of the early Christians, yet by grace his life was completely reversed, such that he advanced the movement he formerly persecuted.

    1. Yes, I feel that righteous anger & indignation myself…
      I also count myself as a chief sinner, for everyday I miss the mark, especially in my will-o-the wisp thinking, selfish feelings & impatient willing…
      And yet with all the shortcomings that my shadow is ever placing before me at the threshold, I still try to stay open to the grace that pours in…
      Thanks for sharing your thoughts…
      xox

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