Branch Library

For information, to take out a book or to arrange a visit, contact Valerie Hope, valerieannhpdx@aol.com 503-775-0778

The Book Catalog is now on the website itself in the Library section, where you can search for a title - and maybe happen upon something you didn’t know you were interested in.

To schedule the space for an event or meeting contact James Knight, j365k@yahoo.com

To contact the Portland Branch Council: portlandanthroposophy@gmail.com

Website portlandbranch.net

November Newsletter 2022

Save the Dates (more details below in the Articles, Calendar and Fliers)

• All Souls Observance Wednesday, November 2, 7 pm

• Glen Williamson November 11-16

• The Christian Community December 1-4

• The Core of Advent - Why Advent? with Sanford Miller, Saturday December 3

• Shepherd’s Play Friday, December 23

• Holy Nights Dec 26, Jan 1, Jan 6

In This Issue:

• All Souls Observance, Steiner Quotes

• Glen Williamson Visit to Portland

• The Core of Advent with Sanford Miller

• Some Notes from Astrid Schmitt-Stegman Presentations

• The Peoples' Declaration for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Healthcare (TCIH) - sign the petition

• Link to Dr. Michaela Glockler’s paper: Where are We Now in the Corona-Pandemic? What can Help Us to Live Constructively With the Consequences?

• Calendars

• Fliers

• Advertisers/Donors

• Embryo Workshops by Dr. Jaap Van Der Waal, dvds available

All Souls Observance

Wednesday November 2, 7-9 pm

Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St.

Note venue change to accommodate the eurythmy.

Threshold, Roland Tiller

Join us for a remembrance of those you have known who are across the Threshold. Together we will read to them, and explore indications from Rudolf Steiner about why it is important in our time to cultivate our connection with the ‘so-called dead’ – a relationship which long ago was a given. We will enter and leave quietly to harp music by music thanatologist Raya Partenheimer; and we will begin and end with selections by Portland Eurythmy.

You may bring pictures or other items associated with those you know who have crossed the Threshold, and light candles that will be provided.

Some Quotes from Rudolf Steiner*:

Good thoughts are like balm to the dead. No selfish love must be sent to them, no grieving because the departed is not around any longer; this bothers the deceased and brings to them a heavy burden. The love that remains and makes no claim to still want the dead here with us, benefits the deceased and increases his or her happiness.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 95 – Vor dem Tore der Theosophie – Stuttgart, September 2, 1906 (page 151) Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

The fact that the dead live in the spiritual world does not necessarily give them knowledge of the world, although they can see it. The knowledge which can be acquired through Spiritual Science can only be acquired on earth; it cannot be acquired in the spiritual world. If, therefore, the beings in the spiritual world are to possess it too, they can only gain it from the beings still on the earth. That is an important secret of the spiritual worlds. We may live in them and be able to perceive them, but the necessary knowledge concerning these worlds can only be acquired on earth.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 140 – Descriptive Sketches of the Spiritual World: Lecture I – Bergen, 10th October 1913

*From the Great Rudolf Steiner Quotes Site

Glen Williamson in Portland for the Week!

November 11-16

Performances and Conversation

The Artist at Work

Note different locations for different events

Friday, 11th, 7pm: Beat the Devil! (Goethe’s Faust, the WHOLE Story) Portland Waldorf School High School Auditorium, 2300 SE Harrison, Milwaukie.

Saturday, 12th, 7 pm: The Incarnation of the Logos, Portland Waldorf School High School Auditorium - An epic tale of Christ’s coming to earth. The story of Jesus’ birth, childhood and youth, harmonizing the conflicting accounts of Matthew and Luke. This saga weaves the thread of many traditions into an intimate, but also cosmic, drama.

Sunday, 13, 1:30 pm Tale of the Antichrist by Vladimir Solovyov, Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St. Portland - A reading of Solovyov’s prophetic story, abridged by Glen, about 60 minutes .

Monday 14, 7 pm, Fire in the Temple, a talk and reading of selected scenes, Branch Library, 5415 SE Powell Blvd, 2nd floor, entrance of parking lot in back of church - Glen will give an informal talk about his newest play, Fire in the Temple - The True Story of the Death of Rudolf Steiner. Synopsis of the play: Spiritual teacher and clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner works to awaken people to the spirit. His enemies oppose him and his pupils don’t understand their task. But ancient memories and faithful friendships persist.Glen will describe how he researched and developed the play from historical records of events and conversations which followed the burning of the first Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland on New Year’s eve, 1922. He will share some of the important themes, sources and the esoteric and social significance.

Tuesday 15, 7 pm, Future Dawning, Branch Library. - An exploration of Glen’s mystery play, which places the individuals from Rudolf Steiner’s mystery plays into a subsequent incarnation in the 21st century. “…The overarching context of Glen’s challenging drama addresses questions such as the pending incarnation of Ahriman, the dynamics of the renewal of the Mysteries in our time, the relationship between spiritual science and a hypothetical modern Christian church, and possible dangers inherent in new etheric (or sub-etheric?) modalities of healing. The drama also highlights many highly contemporary themes, addressing them from a spiritual aspect, such as the connection between spirituality and sexuality and the dilemmas many of us find ourselves facing when confronting issues relating to socio-political administration in an increasingly technocratic world.” – Dr. James Dyson

Wed 16, 7 pm, Bothmer Hall - community visit recap, open follow-up conversation.

Great gratitude to the Takacs Clinic for sponsoring these events. Donations will go toward much needed rent for the Branch library/community space. Suggested donation $20 each, don’t let finances be a barrier to attending any or all.

Advent Celebration with Sanford Miller

The Core of Advent

Saturday, December 3, 2 pm

Portland Branch Library

5415 SE Powell Blvd, 2nd Floor

Entrance off Parking Lot in Back

Together we will cultivate the Advent mood with a presentation by Sanford Miller about the core of Advent - what it is meant to be - followed by conversation, singing (with piano), and tea. Sanford joins us from the Sacramento Christian Community.

The Portland Branch was pleased to host Astrid Schmitt-Stegmann for three days of presentations and conversations on the topic, “Signs of the Times”. Because our time together was so enlivening, given Astrid’s infectious enthusiasm, appreciation, awe and amazement at the working of the spiritual world, which she described for us, those of us who were present found ourselves wishing that those who were unable to attend could have shared in the experience, and so I have decided to offer as best I can from my notes just a bit from all that was shared, even knowing it won’t match up to the actual experience.

Astrid began by asking us to consider the events of 100 years ago, in 1922 – the contrast between the beginning, and the end of that year. In the midst of a lively literary life in the cafes and salons, a prominent concert agency was engaged to organize two lecture tours for Rudolf Steiner in several German cities. They booked the largest concert venues in every city, and all of the lectures were sold out. In January Dr. Steiner spoke in front of about 20,000 people. Astrid described how, in Germany, in the disastrous aftermath of the world war, when people were hungry and cold and experiencing the ravages of inflation and the depressive effects of uncertainty, nevertheless the streets were filled with a joyous mood as people streamed toward their encounters with Rudolf Steiner in the concert halls, clogging the streets. Her own parents, newly married and saving up for a wardrobe (furniture), decided to instead invest their small savings in attending one of Steiner’s lectures. As Astrid’s mother was only 18, the person at the door told her she was too young to attend, but her husband, undaunted, asked him to bring Rudolf Steiner to them so he could decide. Dr. Steiner looked Astrid’s mother in the eyes, and then said yes, let her come in – a significant destiny moment.

However, during the second tour in May, militant opponents – terrorist organizations - put Dr. Steiner’s life at risk, and he was narrowly saved at the end of one lecture by anthroposophists who had trained in the morning to protect him. Dr. Steiner decided against a third tour.

At the very end of 1922, on New Years’ eve, the first Goetheanum building was reduced to ashes – ten years’ work on behalf of a spiritualizing humanity - destroyed. Astrid concluded by saying, “It is not a given that the good forces will win.” She posited that there is some correspondence between that year, and what we are experiencing now.

Space and the limitations of talent will not allow for as full a description of what Astrid brought as we might like, but she did list examples of the many recent hindrances and impulses that have been placed in the way of humanity worldwide, and as homework asked us to examine ourselves: where do I stand regarding each of them, what do I think, feel, do in relation to each.

She also discussed the ways in which we are crossing the Threshold unprepared, and the challenge of strengthening our ‘I’ so that we can cross consciously.

A few more of many highlights: Astrid reminded us that our best friend is our angel, and gestured that the whole room we were in was therefore filled with angels – which we then experienced a bit wide-eyed. (at least in my case)

Astrid spoke with such enthusiasm, wonder, awe and amazement about Michael’s casting Ahriman down to earth, purifying the etheric realm for the coming of Christ in the etheric. About the fact that, since Ahriman now has no access to this space, the Gods, anticipating our needs, have created this safe space for us. For me this was a follow-on to our Branch Pentecost observance, where we read that now we are striving to reverse the Pentecost experience – instead of flames coming down to us from the spiritual world, we are meant to strengthen our I so that we become the flame, and raise ourselves up to this safe space that has been created for us, where we can meet the Christ.

Astrid noted that one important way that we strengthen our I is by regularly reading Anthroposophy together, which she experiences at least weekly in her local branch. For me this was an affirmation of so much of the reading that we do together in our branch - in study groups and in our observation of festivals.

I end with feelings of gratitude to Astrid, and our Portland Branch members. -Respectfully Submitted, Valerie Hope

The Peoples' Declaration for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Healthcare (TCIH).

Dear Friends of ELIANT,

Most citizens want health care that focuses on the whole person and respects cultural diversity. While 80% of all countries world-wide report the use of traditional, complementary or integrative practices, this high demand is not yet reflected in national health systems due to the lack of recognition and regulation, or a result of limited collaboration between different healthcare systems.

In response, a group of more than 89 healthcare organisations, practitioners, patients, and scientists from around the world is uniting around a shared vision of healthcare and have launched the Peoples' Declaration for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Healthcare (TCIH). Our Alliance ELIANT member, the International Federation of Anthroposophic Medical Associations (IVAA) is an active promoter of TCIH and have supported the Declaration partners in developing a common vision of health care for the near future:

''The healthcare we envision focuses on the whole person, is participative, respects individual choices, as well as cultural diversity and engages in respectful evidence-informed collaboration between all systems of healthcare.''

TCIH focuses on the whole person and considers the individual in their physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and environmental context.

The Declaration will collect signatures of support from organisations and individuals worldwide over the course of one year to demonstrate the demand for TCIH to policy makers.

We would be extremely pleased if our ELIANT friends would support this international call to action and could sign and follow the Declaration milestones at tcih.org!

With your signature you support this urgently needed change of perspective in medicine worldwide. This is the good "lobbying" that can currently only be done by civil society! It is up to all of us!

In the hope that you will be able to support this important cause.
Best summer greetings on behalf of the ELIANT Team

Yours, Michaela Glöckler

MICHAELA GLÖCKLER: WHERE ARE WE NOW IN THE CORONA-PANDEMIC? WHAT CAN HELP US TO LIVE CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH THE CONSEQUENCES?

This 49 page booklet was kindly translated from German to English by Astrid Schmidt-Stegmann and forwarded to council member Walter Rice at his request. We have Dr. GlÖckler’s permission to make it available through our newsletter. Click here to be linked to the materials, now available as a pdf.

Portland Branch Calendar

First Class of the School of Spiritual Science. Sunday November 13, 9:30 am sharp, Recapitulation Lesson 4 • (no admittance after the class starts) • Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St. • Remember your Blue Card. See 2022 Schedule below. For more information contact: Cheri Munske cherimunske@gmail.com, Diane Rumage drumage@comcast.net or Rebecca Soloway rrsoloway1@gmail.com

First Class Schedule for 2022 ; November 13, December 11

Portland Branch Council Meeting Monday November 14, Branch Library/Community Space, 5415 SE Powell Blvd, entrance off parking lot in the back. All Branch members are welcome to attend, and/or call us with agenda items, proposals, suggestions, or to observe. Please contact us at portlandanthroposophy@gmail.com to let us know you’re coming. Meetings are normally held on the second Monday of each month.

Anne Mavor at the Art Hall: Healing Images October 7-November 15; Opening Reception October 7, 5-7:30 pm, Artist talk at 6 pm Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW 2nd Ave. Open by appointment. Contact Robin Lieberman, 503-222-1192 www.thearthall.wordpress.com See flier below.

Study: An Outline of Occult Science with Cheri Munske Monday Evenings starting 10-3-22, 6:45-8:15 pm, Portland Waldorf School Eurythmy Room, 2300 SE Harrison St. Milwaukie, OR 97222. Suggested Donation $15 For more information email PacificEurythmy@gmail.com or visit PacificEurythmy.com See flier below.

All Souls Observance Wednesday, November 2, 7 pm, Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St. (note change of venue to accommodate the eurythmy) Join us for a remembrance of those you have known who are across the Threshold. Together we will read to them, and explore indications from Rudolf Steiner about why it is important in our time to cultivate our connection with the ‘so-called dead’ – a relationship which long ago was a given. We will enter quietly to harp music by music thanatologist Raya Partenheimer; and we will begin and end with selections by Portland Eurythmy.

Six Performances/Events with Glen Williamson November 11-16 See piece in this (November) newsletter for all the details. Note the varying locations.

Drawing Forms From the First Goetheanum with Patrick Marooney Friday November 18, 6:30-8:30 pm, Saturday 9:30-3:30 At the Portland Waldorf School, 2300 SE Harrison, Milwaukie To explore the forms from the first Goetheanum. $75 both days (scholarship available on request). Register at PacificEurythmy.com or email PacificEurythmy@gmail.com

The Christian Community December 1-4 Reverend Sanford Miller will visit, bringing sacraments, lectures, study and conversation. All events at Bothmer Hall - 5919 SE Division St., except for the Saturday Advent presentation which will be at the Branch library, 5415 SE Powell Blvd. Contact Wes Burch with questions - 503 568 - 5009

• Thursday December 1 7:30 - The Radical Renewal of Christianity in the Light of Micha-el

• Friday, December 2 7:30 - Blessings, Mistakes and Misunderstandings: The Enigmatic Relationship Between The Christian Community and the Anthroposophical Society

• Saturday, December 3 9:00 - Act of Consecration

• 10:15 - Apocalyptic Becoming: Navigating the Conflicts of Our Time - New Testament Study - Luke 21: 25 - 37

• 2:00 - 3:30 -The Core of Advent: What is Advent? Why is Advent? - Talk by Reverend Sanford Miller, singing, tea and conversation Location: St Mark's Church - 5415 SE Powell Blvd, Entrance off parking lot in the back.

• Sunday, December 4 10:30 - Act of Consecration

Shepherd’s Play Friday, December 23, 5 pm, Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St. Donations gladly accepted.

Holy Nights Dec 26, Jan 1, Jan 6, Branch Library/Community Space, 5415 SE Powell Blvd, entrance off parking lot in the back.

Ongoing Groups and Activities

Beginning Astrosophy Class First and Third Wednesdays, 7-8:30 pm • 8654 NE Boehmer St. • Contact Diane Rumage, 971-271-7479 drumage@comcast.net This class will introduce participants to the basic principles of Astrosophy in a study of the works of Willi Sucher and Diane Rumage’s work with the stars, with indications that Rudolf Steiner gave for those interested in the cosmos. No previous knowledge necessary. Please bring blank paper and colored pencils to the class in case we need to use them. If you are just curious if you’d be interested, please feel free to come and check us out. Free

The Occult Significance of Forgiveness Study Group • First Monday of the month, 7:45-9:00 pm • Currently conducted in person and on Zoom • Contact Heidi Sheppard, HSHEPPAR@LHS.ORG Free Please join us in lively discussions centered on Sergei Prokofieff’s The Occult Significance of Forgiveness.

Speech Formation and Mystery Drama Group 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm • 8654 NE Boehmer St, Portland, OR 97220 • Contact Diane Rumage drumage@comcast.net or 971 271-7479. Free No experience necessary, just enthusiasm and a love of the Word. Now studying Glen Williamson’s mystery drama, Future Dawning.

The Tarot in Light of Spiritual Science with James Knight • Every other Tuesday • James (j365k@yahoo.com) is leading a class on "The Tarot" in light of spiritual science and practical occultism. This is not a class on the use of Tarot for divination. In this class we focus on the major arcanum of "The Tarot" as a practical tool for self development and insight into oneself and the world. The classes take place approximately every other Tuesday from 7pm to 8:30pm at the Branch Library Space (5415 SE Powell Blvd) Entrance off the parking lot in back of the church • This is a free class. Registration for the class happens through Meetup (meetup.com) where you can learn more about the class and RSVP at this page: https://www.meetup.com/experiences-in-spiritual-science/.

Pacific Eurythmy Open Classes for the Community in Anthroposophy and the Arts Monday Evenings For details please see Pacific Eurythmy or call Jolanda, 503-896-3345 or Carrie, 415-686-3791

Waldorf Education and Teacher Training Lectures and Courses Conducted throughout the year by the Micha-el Institute Email us at inquiry@micha-elinstitue.com or call 971-808-1640

Embryo in Us & Embryo in Motion: Two Seminars with Jaap van der Waal. Two separate DVD sets recorded live in Portland in 2010 & 2017, available only here. These two seminars explore human prenatal development and show how biology is expressing the essence of human spiritual enfoldment. Jaap van der Wal, PhD, MD now retired, was an associate professor for anatomy and embryology at the University of Maastricht, Holland. Contact the Portland Branch.

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Great gratitude to the members and friends who have donated thus far in 2022 to make this newsletter and our library/community space possible.

John Beck, Christine Badura, Jeremy Davis, Julie Foster, Vicki Hess-Smith, Mark Hope, Valerie Hope, Lois (Tish) Johnson, Marsha Johnson, Timothy Kennedy, Rene Kehrwald, James Knight, Anne Kollender, Barry Lia, Mihoko Lunsford, Lisa Masterson, Brian McClure, Cheri Munske, Robin O'Brien, Lucy O’Neal, Donna Patterson-Kellum, Kathy Rem, Pamela Rico, Diane Rumage, Kimberly Sinclair, Jerry Soloway, Rebecca Soloway, Linda Sussman, Miriam Ward

Or send a check made out to Portland Branch, and send to Portland Branch c/o Mark Hope, 2606 SE 58th Ave. Portland, OR 97206. We will receive 100% of your donation if you choose this method of payment.