Besides having fun & raising money for APO, our Dance-a-thon was a vehicle to employ the artistic talents of the young people who shared their musical talents.
We also took the biodynamic prep stir outside the Rudolf Steiner Branch where we engaged passersby in education & conversation around this powerful practice, inviting them to put in a pinch of prep, take a turn stirring, or come in & join the dance party.
Many were moved to tears when we read out the poems from the prisoners. I look forward to reaching out to the new folks that expressed an enthusiastic interest in exploring more practical Anthroposophy in the future.
Afterward while cleaning up we had a deep conversation around how the current world crisis is a call to initiation. We got on to talking about the farm initiative with a gentleman who is asking the same questions we are around the social aspects of 3-folding & furthering sustainable biodynamics.
Good tired I took the experience into sleep & woke up after only a few hours on fire with these thoughts:
Ever virulent are the powers of light & darkness, around, within & between us. Which force am I feeding? Every kind, helpful, loving thought, feeling & action is a luminous reality, & every selfish intention fosters a baneful dark reality. Spiritual Science even says that the grey area – that place of ‘lukewarmness’ where we just go along, can be even worse, since it remains unconscious, making us into puppets.
It’s not as easy as pointing a finger at ‘evil people’ who rule us, the hard work is recognizing the fear based, seductive, evil thoughts which we harbor – this is what is pulling our strings. Through our own thoughts we are forming the visible & invisible worlds.
Also, our feeling life, if it is hyper self-involved, becomes tyrannical & unhealthy. We often experience feelings that take hold of us & lead us around without understanding them, this colors our ability to think, & influences our actions.
Can we truly employ discernment, learning to assess whose spirit-child our intentions, motivations & deeds are born from? In Goethe’s Faust Mephistopheles says ‘the little people never feel the devil, even when he has them by the collar’.
The good news is: Thru our thoughts we can bring seemingly invisible spiritual powers to life. It takes a strong will for self-knowledge to admit which motivation, which drive, is at the basis of our decision making – Or how pure the intention is that guides us.
To achieve Freedom in our soul forces of thinking, feeling & willing, we must ask questions. When we work to discern whether the consequences of our decisions will promote human sovereignty, it becomes easier to recognize whether the intentions & goals in question respect & promote human dignity, or not. Then it will also become transparent which spirit is served.
Today we are off to the Zinniker farm for our Michaelmas/Fall Prep day. What a blessing to be able to help create the alchemical magic that sustains this land which feeds my family & heals the planet.
~hag
Meeting the Dragon with our 4-Fold Being
Our Annual Michaelmas Festival
Leading thoughts with Rev Jeana Lee,
Collaborative sculptural creation, & transformation with Rev Victoria Capon.
(Bring your found objects to help build the dragon!)
September 28th, 2021
Potluck at 5:30 pm in the Branch Schreinerei –
Please bring a dish to share
Talk at 7pm in the Upper Room
Our inspiration can come to life through our collaboration
at the Rudolf Steiner Branch – 4249 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
REGISTRATION CLOSES OCTOBER 1ST
- 1st make sure you are registered at https://www.anthroposophy.org/fallconference and have indicated that you will be attending in person at the RSBranch Chicago.
- Then Register by October 1st with the Chicago Branch using PayPal (this requires that you have a PayPal account of your own).
OR
- Register and write a check and it mail by October 1st to: Rudolf Steiner Branch, Attn: Jenny Doty 4249 N Lincoln Ave. Chicago, IL 60618
OR
- Register and contact jenny.meyer17@gmail.com to make alternative payment arrangements.
In order to know how much food to order REGISTRATION ENDS OCT. 1ST
Details for the in-person conference:
- $75 will cover the expenses for facilities, 3 lunches and 3 dinners, snacks, and printing.
You will enjoy a pre-AGM dinner on Thursday Oct. 7 Doors open at 5 pm.
Lunch and Dinner on Fri. and Sat.
and Lunch post-conference on Sunday.
As well as Snacks/Coffee-Tea during the breaks.
- $40 will cover only the bare expenses – no meals
- Be a Master Builder Patron for $100 or more, to help pay for the tech costs!
For those who are longing for a deep dive: The Applied Anthroposophy Course (AAC) brings transformative online content into the alchemy of individual and group inner work. The mission is to explore the urgent issues of our time through the lens of spiritual philosophy, awakening meaning, inner reflection, and outer action.
I will be facilitating one of the Chrysalis Groups: ‘The Cycle of the Year as a Path of Initiation into the New Mysteries’ –
The Royal Art of community awaits your participation.
See you there
~hag
Dear Hazel, Thank you for your inspiring work! I decided to join you in taking up the seed thought at 10:10 (whenever I manage). I thought about people developing a vaccine for children under 12. I would like to direct my prayers, thoughts, energy towards beings who may help to protect those children. I am thinking always of Michael, but also Raphael, maybe Mary…Do you have any insight as to whom one would turn as Dion Fortune did . Thank you for giving this some thought.
Else
Hi Else –
So good to have you in the circle of light for the Thought Seed.
You are so right on, we can direct this light to whatever wants our prayer & the children need it big time as they are the future.
I also find that working with Raphael is helpful – bringing in the picture of the healing caduceus. And Mother Mary can hold us & give us comfort.
I have worked hard to meet Michael. When I was younger all I saw was the martial aspect of this being, but now thru Anthroposophy I can bring my attention to the idea of the cosmic intelligence & Michael’s role as the Time Spirit & most especially holding the countenance of Christ as a reflection of what we can become.
Thanks for reaching out & striving for the good
xox
It has interested me for some time to comment about the 10:10 thought seed, which seems to have lapsed in an organized form, but still holds all the potential of what it means for a truly Michaelic endeavor concerning the Cosmic Intelligence. Rudolf Steiner’s last lecture in KR, volume III, concerns the split in the cosmic intelligence, and this took place in the 9th century. It is worth a close look:
https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA237/English/RSP1977/19240808p01.html
Thus, in 869 AD it came about that the several planetary intelligences, led by Oriphiel, sought to divert away from the Sun Intelligence, Michael, and go their own way in influencing humanity. This caused Michael to make a fundamentally important sacrifice. He stripped off the personal and individual intelligence from the overall general collective consciousness, and this was bequeathed upon humanity. So, from 869 to 1879, a period of 1010 years, human evolution was really all about preparing this personal and individual intelligence for receiving the Michael Power again. Michael’s victory in the War in Heaven in 1879 assured that Spiritual Science would come to earth at the outset of the 20th century. Rudolf Steiner was the human emissary of this cause, which was to bring the Cosmic Intelligence of Michael to the personal and individual intelligence for the first time as a cultural imperative.
Thus, Hazel’s 1010 thought seed was truly inspired as a microcosm of this larger macrocosmic occurrence. I am thankful that Else brought this up after some time, and also the nod to Dione Fortune. Hazel is very humble, but also ambitious for the cause of anthroposophy. Didn’t she go to Glastonbury a few years ago and get knocked off her feet? I wonder what that meant.
You always amaze me with your ability to bring these deeper connections & questions.
I got shivers when I see this # between 869 & 1879.
Yes, I did get knocked off my feet at Glastonbury & was especially struck in Tintagel & Torquay.
It’s interesting also to think about what Steiner said about the year 869 – That the forces of Christ’s etheric body from the Sun represented by the Arthur stream coming from the West to the East met the forces of of the deed on Golgotha coming from the East to the West.
Also at this time:
“Now while the 8th Œcumenical Council was being held in Constantinople, the human beings who had gone through the gate of death, and who knew well what had been the Christianity before the Mystery of Golgotha, met together, if I may put it so, in a simultaneous heavenly council in which Aristotle, Alexander, Haroun al Raschid and his counsellor, and many of the circle of the Round Table of King Arthur, were foregathered.
There they were at pains to overcome the Arabism living in the individualities of Haroun al Raschid and the other — to overcome it by the Christian impulses that lived in the will of Alexander and Aristotle. But this did not succeed. The individualities were ill-adapted to it.” https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA238/English/APC1957/19240910a01.html
Hi Hazel,
A council did take place in the higher worlds when the 8th Ecumenical Council occurred on earth in 869 AD. Michael was the leader in this supersensible council. This is where He sacrificed the general collective consciousness previously held, to the personal and individual intelligence of evolving humanity below. As you have indicated, Aristotle and Alexander, along with Haroun and his counselor, as well as members of Arthur’s court were there when this council took place.
Now, I have been carefully reading the Michael Letters that stand at a certain point in the Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts, and this one really stands out in relation to the above conference in relation to the Arthur element.
https://wn.rsarchive.org/Books/GA026/English/RSP1973/GA026_c11.html
Herein, Rudolf Steiner indicates that Joan of Arc was brought in at a specific moment in human history as a dimmed down representative of the Arthur stream. As such, she bore the Christ Impulse from birth, and was the veritable harness of electrical arc into the Consciousness Soul age when she reached one year of age on January 6, 1413.
All of this, since the 9th century, has been Michael’s careful and systematic effort to keep the Mystery of Golgotha in focus, and on track for the eventual Second Coming. Many hindrances have occurred over the centuries, and none more so than the Hundred Years War (1339-1459) in which Joan became such a force for the defeat of England.
According to Steiner, Michael has it all in order, and has the means to undermine Lucifer and Ahriman where needed in order to keep Us on the high side of our ultimate success in the spiritual evolution of the earth. I find this very comforting because earth evolution still seems to be a hard test. Do you and others feel this way? Togetherness is the key to victory here, it seems.
Good message you brought us today on the process of self-examination. Reminded me of the complex beings that we are; our ability to inquire as to why we are the way we are can sometimes seem a quagmire, but with proper thought and attention, can also be a great source of blessing, both to ourselves and others.
The forces of light and darkness you mentioned can also be termed Life and Death. This was expressed by Moses in that great verse of sacred Scripture, Deuteronomy 30:19, where he describes the revelations he’s placed before the nation as being the choice between “life and death, blessing or cursing”. He puts the onus on each individual to choose for themselves; in other words, not to be lukewarm, as you mentioned.
Your message challenges each of us to give some thought to this. I hope your trip to the farm brought clarity to you and your family about your relationships to these great forces. I too will be seeking the same clarity here in this neck of the woods.
Hi Maverick –
Thank you for putting it so succinctly – it is about life & death & it is a choose.
Although when I find myself stuck wrestling with my demons it feels more like a necessity & a process that takes patience, & a willingness to be wherever I am in the process.
The Farm was a balm. Our daughter came & its always such a blessing to see her willing to spend the time & energy to be engaged with us in these ways.
Mark & Petra are such an inspiration. One of the dairy cows gave birth just as we arrived – it was glorious. We made the chamomile & horn manure preps & shared a lovely time by the bonfire.
I feel so honored to serve this land & be in the company of these dedicated human beings. So good for my city girl soul…
xox
Cool. The farm is a great place to renew our connection to the Earth. “Green acres is the place to be; farm livin’ is the life for me.” Do you remember that show, with Zsa Zsa Gabor and Eddie Arnold?
It is a struggle as we evolve to deal with our foibles and weaknesses. Life seems to start off easily enough – just a matter of putting the square peg in the square hole, the round one in the round hole. But it does become progressively more challenging – karma contributes to that. The more difficult issues may have been around for several incarnations, and may involve going back (doing some regression) to understand why we do the things we habitually do, or feel the same feelings. I participated in something last week called “Healing Your Ancestors”, and had exactly that occur – I received a new insight into why I’m always dealing with one particular flaw in my character, and it was actually inherited from an incarnation many hundreds of years back. So yes, most of the easy things I’ve dealt with already, and it seems the most difficult challenges are deeply rooted.
Ha, Yes, I do remember that show Wilber the pig & all…what a hoot.
I was never much good at the peg placement even when I was young.
And yes, the healing has many layers & the work is ongoing thru many life-times.
We have our personal karma, our ancestral bits & of course the larger society karma to deal with – that is especially being called up in us now…