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Branch Library

For information, to take out a book or to arrange a visit, contact

Valerie Hope, portlandanthroposophy@gmail.com

The Book Catalog is now on our website – the ‘search’ function is really helpful.

You can now return books at any time to the box on the porch at 2606 SE 58th Ave.

To schedule the space for an event or meeting

Contact James Knight, j365@yahoo.com

Contact the Branch Council: portlandanthroposophy@gmail.com

Website: portlandbranch.net

March Newsletter/Calendar

Rudolf Steiner’s Birthday, February 27, 1861 +  Death date March 30, 1925

Contents:

• Easter Thoughts

• Death and Resurrection Within Spiritual Science March 29, 7-9:30pm and March 31st, 2-5pm

• The Christian Community Priest Visit, March 7-10

• Biodynamic Tree Paste Party March 16

• Library News: Gratitudes for helpers, help wanted for inventory

• October National Society Conference to be held in Portland!

• Excerpts from ‘The Portal of Initiation’ Mystery Play on March 23,1:30 pm

  Actors seeking housing.

• Micha-el Institute Conference, ‘The Human Soul’ March 22-24

• How Can the Calendar of the Soul Change Our Lives and the World  May 14, 7pm

• Several and varied workshops offered through Portland Eurythmy

• Art Hall Exhibit, opening March 8, 5:30-7:30

• Local honey now for sale through Burch Apiary!

• Sessions now available through Transformative Arts

  
  

Golgatha, Ninetta Sombart

Easter Thoughts 2024 - Practice Spirit Recalling

In the cycle of the year, the Easter season can be a prime time for studying* and meditating on what Spiritual Science tells us about the Mystery of Golgatha and all that surrounds the Christ’s deeds at Easter.  As we seek to comprehend the deeds that he enacted on behalf of humanity, and on behalf of the Earth itself, we can learn how to allow these deeds, and the Christ himself, to inform how we live our lives in service to the good Cosmic Beings.  Rudolf Steiner tells us that it will be thousands of years before most of us will be able to fully penetrate the Mystery of Golgatha.  So ‘start now’ seems a good maxim.

Rudolf Steiner tells us that Easter used to be celebrated in autumn, before it was moved to springtime, in consideration of our changing consciousness. Taking in what he says in this regard can deepen our understanding of the cycle of the year, and of our own evolving consciousness.  (We have not always been as we are now, we will not always be as we are now.)  This is just one example of all that can benefit our understanding as we study Steiner’s indications about Easter.

What I have been thinking about this year, is Easter in the context of the admonition in the first panel of the Foundation Stone Meditation, to ‘Practice Spirit Recalling.’  As we have worked with and considered this practice, many important reasons for adopting it have come to mind.  One of these is that the practice can take us back through our evolution to recall the time when we were still able to perceive spiritual reality, knowing that we can do so again. Related to Easter, I have been thinking about it from the perspective of recalling what our condition as human beings on the earth was at the time of Christ, and why he had to come.

Rudolf Steiner, in his ‘Fifth Gospel’, tells us of Jesus of Nazareth’s exceedingly painful experiences beginning at the age of 12, and during his travels from the age of 18 to 24, as he became aware of the condition of humanity on the earth.  “He had become someone who saw deeply into the secrets of life, deeper than anyone on Earth, for no one before him had been able to observe the degree of misery that was possible for human beings.  First he had seen how people can lose the ground under their feet from mere scholarship…when the old inspirations were gone…and there was no longer anyone with ears to hear them; then he had seen rites and offering services that no longer helped people to relate to the gods but made all kinds of demons appear who would possess people, causing sickness of soul and body and all kinds of misery.  After Joseph’s death he returned home, and from age 24 to 27, he learned much about the spiritual world from the Essene order. “…Jesus knew that there was a way of reaching the heights where we unite with the divine and spiritual, but it could only be done by individuals and at the cost of others.” (As the Essenes cast out Luciferic and Ahrimanic demons who then plagued others. vh)

“Surely no one on Earth was more prepared to consider the question: how can an end be put to this misery?”

In Rudolf Steiner’s words, “…human evolution had reached a point where because of their physical embodiment people would forget the names of the Fathers in the heavens…Life in the daily bread had separated humanity from the heavens and must inevitably drive them to egotism and to Ahriman”.

“Jesus spoke to his stepmother about the decline that was coming for the whole life of evolving humanity.  His words were full of unutterable pain, and it was clear that the prospect for humanity was quite hopeless…something new had to come, (a power) had to come from the macrocosm and illumine the Earth.”

Jesus realized, “I have to tell not how the gods prepared a path that led from the spirit down to the Earth, but how human beings can find their way again from the Earth to the spirit.”

Rudolf Steiner describes that Jesus Christ changed the words of the Macrocosmic Our Father which had come from the Bath Kol, and which described our descent into materialism, and offered in its place the Our Father, or Lord’s Prayer, a description of our ascent, our return to a perception of and conscious relation to the spiritual world.  The purpose of Spiritual Science and all of our striving.

As we take advantage of this Easter season to examine the Easter lectures that can be found in ‘The Festivals and Their Meaning’, we can go further together on the path that the Christ has opened up to us.  On p. 161, in the lecture, ‘The Death of a God and its Fruits in Humanity’, Rudolf Steiner elucidates:

“Death is the consequence of what came into human beings through Lucifer; and if the gods had done nothing the whole of mankind would have been more and more entangled in the forces which lead to death.  And so a sacrifice had to be made by the gods: it was necessary that One from among them should descend and suffer the death that can be undergone only by the children of the earth.  This was a deed which balanced out the deed of Lucifer.  And from this death of a God streams the power which also radiates into human souls and can raise them again out of the darkness in which Lucifer’s deed has ensnared them.  A God had to die on the physical plane.”

May we honor this most profound sacrifice with our earnest, heartfelt striving, alone and together.

*As Prokofieff tells us, quoting Rudolf Steiner in the first chapter of ‘The Heavenly Sophia and the Being Anthroposophia’, study of spiritual science is the first step on the path of initiation, ‘…where one makes use of the power of judgement which one has won in the world of the senses.’  Prokofieff: “Study as the first stage of initiation is something wholly new in the development of occultism.”

Respectfully Submitted, Valerie Hope

Get Ready for Spring Planting with the Biodynamic

Stirrers and Spreaders Group

Saturday, March 16, 12 pm

Join the Portland Stirrers and Spreaders as we meet again to prepare for Spring planting and the Equinox. At high noon on Saturday, March 16th,, we will meet at the home of Denise Tester to stir three preparations: Horn Manure (BD 500), Horsetail Tea, and Tree Paste. These will be stirred and applied separately to give our land and plants a solid foundation for the growing season. Come mix and share in any or all of these as needed for your particular situation. This is a fair weather event and will be moved to a different date if it is raining. Bring a snack to share. Contact Denise deeprootsfarm@harbornet.com for more details and to let us know you are coming.

Report on the first Portland biodynamic tree paste party

The tree paste party thrown by the Portland Stirrers and Spreaders was a joyful celebration of matter and spirit coming together in community. Graciously hosted by Mark and Valerie Hope, twelve people from in and around Portland gathered to mix a batch of biodynamic tree paste. A full wheelbarrow provided enough to cover all the participants’ trees after we practiced applying it to the fruit trees in the Hope’s orchard. The party was made merrier by fresh-baked banana bread and hot cider and coffee. Many thanks to all who participated. The next event will be coming soon. Please contact Denise at deeprootsfarm@harbornet.com  if you are interested in joining the Stirrers and Spreaders or have an idea for an event. If you save seeds, please let Denise know so we can organize a seed swap.

Step 1: Stirring Clay and Water in Buckets - lo tech & higher tech

Stirring the many luscious ingredients together in the wheelbarrow

Friends applying the Tree Paste, for which the Hopes are eternally grateful

Library - The Saga Continues

What we learned:  There were many books on the shelves that had never been entered into the catalog, which slowed things down a bit.  In one work session, as Valerie identified them Erik entered them into the catalog, while also entering a whole box of newly donated books which were shelved.  Valerie and Sandra continued with and completed inventory of the shelves, and discovered another box and bag’s worth of books on the shelves that hadn’t been entered, to add to the three boxes of books yet to be entered.

Erik will be taking a short break, and in the meantime Mark Hope will take up adding as many books as he can to the catalog.  NEWS FLASH!  As of 2-18 Mark has finished entering the books into the catalog.  

Great progress is being made in this slow and arduous process, and soon all will be up to snuff and searchable, when the updated catalog will be uploaded to the website.  The Council has authorized purchase of a computer for the library space, which will make searching the database while visiting the space a breeze.

We have been gratified to be able to offer books to study groups as the community becomes aware that we have multiple copies of many books available.

Gratitude Corner - We so appreciate these people who responded to specific requests for help.  Thank them when you see them.

• Deborah Ham, utilizing a variety of talents, has organized a new process for checking out books, which includes new, more functional cards which are now associated with the borrowers; a bookmark that goes out with the book; signage that gives clear instructions, and a station for borrowing and returning books.  (Reminder: books can also be returned at any time, 24/7 to the box on the porch at 2606 SE 58th Ave, just south of Division St.)

• Sandra Burch, all on her own initiative, went with Wes, who was looking for a book, to clear out and organize areas that needed it.  Then she came back and worked with Valerie for several days organizing, shelving books, and getting things ready for inventory. She (after calling Wes for help) hauled large amounts of ‘stuff’ to garbage, recycling, and Goodwill. Sandra is an amazing organizer - consider her if you need help.

• Erik Sebold, who has entered newly donated books into the catalog, so that after inventory and shelving the newly acquired books, the catalog will be up to date.

• Mark Hope has entered several boxes of donated books into the catalog, completing the process. For now.

We are pleased to announce
The Anthroposophical Society in America's 
In-Person Annual Conference 
and Annual General Meeting
October 11-14, 2024 Portland, OR

with special guest Marc Desaules, 
author, General Secretary Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland 

& founder of L'Aubier 
-
Registration opens Spring 2024

Excerpts from The Portal of Initiation;

In Our Time, and in Portland March 23

At 1:30 on March 23rd, excerpts from Rudolf Steiner’s play, The Portal of Initiation will be performed in Portland.  This four and half hour performance is expanded since it was in Portland in the summer of2022.

            The Portal of Initiation is a mystery drama, and thus it brings to dramatic presentation not just what occurs in the material world, but what occurs in the realms lying behind those of the sense-perceptible, in realms of the super-sensible.  The Portal of Initiation does this in the portrayal of events in the life of an artist Johannes Thomasius, events that have to do almost entirely with those around him, not he himself.  He “lives through” the lives of those he meets in his entrance to a path of conscious spiritual life, and a circle devoted to such a path.  He listens to the lead teacher, to those long since committed to him, as well as to those opposing him and the path.  All of this listening, and the inner work he does in between, unfolds for him capabilities, and sight.  He learns to see, in a first step way, how to see into spiritual worlds.

            Now, what is the significance of such a play today? Of course, such a question would only emerge in a grossly materialistic time such as ours.  To ancient cultures, not yet in such a struggle, the question would be reversed; why wouldn’t you portray these things through drama.  That time knew (instinctively),that these matters of soul and spirit, were the real matters of life, the real ground of life, all other matters rest on them.  But have we fully forgotten that?  Do we not find people, today, dealing in silent ways with existential questions; dealing with questions of the meaning of life; dealing with questions of the real meaning and source of these devastating times? Only a view drugged by the sleep of materialism would think that deeper questions of the spirit don’t belong today.  A view awake would see they are the ones that actually matter?

            Johannes Thomasius does not plumb the depths of events in the world around him, per se, but he earns ways of seeing that afford him windows beyond the surface (and vouchsafed to him only because of his earnest spiritual work).  Johannes Thomasius does not experience the tragedies of soul connected to life in 2024, but he experiences tragedies of the soul connected to life for all time.  Thomasius is not a character of his time, he is a character of time itself, and what he deals with belongs to that, not to the time it was written in.  The Portal of Initiation is a play for our time, for those today with a real interest in matters of the soul, and its trials. 

            Rudolf Steiner emphasized often how what should pervade the mystery drama is a sense of truth. For anyone who can see how Johannes’s efforts are ones that belong to what is eternal, they can see exactly this truth in the play Steiner speaks of.  Dramas today strive for truths of political and cultural significance (whether they succeed is content for another discussion, or the play’s prelude itself), dramas of the mysteries strive for truths of a bigger kind – of the kind that live in each human being, if they are willing to awake to such a fact.

            Excerpts From The Portal of Initiation is being brought to Portland by the Micha-el Institute, it is part of their spring conference titled The Human Soul.  The play’s cast consists of a group from The School for Anthroposophy in Port Hadlock, Washington.  All are invited to attend the play, and the weekend conference (see flyer for more information or contact David Axelrod at360-379-4859 or d.axelrod@hotmail.com)

Seeking short term housing  March 22-24 • Cast of 8 coming to perform Mystery Drama in Portland is seeking housing for the weekend.  Ideally all 9 of us together.  Thank you for any help. Contact David Axelrod 360-379-4859 or d.axelrod@hotmail.com

PORTLAND BRANCH CALENDAR

Portland Branch Council Meeting Monday, March 11, 6:30 pm,  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.

Biodynamic Tree Paste Party Saturday March 16, 12:00pm,  Home of Denise Tester. Contact Denise at deeprootsfarm@harbornet.com ffor more details to let us know if you are coming.  Some information about the tree paste by Jacqueline Freeman Biodynamic Tree Paste | Friendly Haven Rise Farm:

Death and Resurrection Within Spiritual Science  March 29, 7pm-9:30pm and March 31, 2pm-5pm   Portland Branch  A presentation and facilitated conversation with Timothy Kennedy sharing many themes from his recent visit to Switzerland for the 100th anniversary of the Christmas Conference

Calendar of the Soul with Richard Steel May 14, 7:00pm Portland Branch Library  Richard Steel will be touring the country exhibiting the original artwork that was created by Karl Konig for the Calendar of the Soul.  When he passes through Portland for one night, he will offer a presentation on the Calendar, but time will not allow for setting up the whole exhibit. For more information contact Miriam at miriamhcosentino@gmail.com

Annual General Meeting of the Anthroposophical Society in America October 2024  Save the date. Venue and dates will be announced soon

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Pacific Eurythmy Events - See Flyers in Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Pacific Eurythmy is happy to be continuing offering adult education classes through the spring and we are very excited about the workshops and artists coming to share their knowledge, love and enthusiasm for different arts with us. Please visit our website here for more details on what is coming or email us at: PacificEurythmy@gmail.com with any questions.

The Christian Community  Priest Visit March 7-10,   See flyer in this newsletter

Art Hall Exhibit, Emily Lynch Miller, Geometric Lemonade..when life hands you lemons Opening Reception Friday, March 8, 5:30-7:30 pm, exhibit runs through March 7 See flyer in this newsletter

Excerpts from the Mystery Play, ‘The Portal of Initiation’, Port Townsend Group

March 23, 1:30 pm • Cedarwood Waldorf School, 3030 SW Second Ave - for tickets and information contact David Axelrod, 360-379-4859 or d.axelrod@hotmail.com •

Expanded since performed in Portland last!  Brief introduction to start the play, fuller introduction at 11 am, also at Cedarwood.  Brought by the Micha-el Group. See flyer in this newsletter.

ON-GOING STUDIES/GROUPS

First Class of the School of Spiritual Science.  Usually second Sunday of the month with a few exceptions. 9:30 am sharp, • March 10, Lesson 11   (no admittance after the class starts) • Bothmer Hall, 5915 SE Division St. • Remember your Blue Card. For more information contact: Cheri Munske cherimunske@gmail.com, Diane Rumage drumage@comcast.net or Rebecca Soloway rrsoloway1@gmail.com

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

Community Eurythmy Wednesday mornings, 8:45-9:30 at the Portland Waldorf School, 2300 N. Harrison St. Portland, Or. See flyer included in this newsletter.

Building Stones for an Understanding of the Mystery of Golgatha, (GA 175).  Ten lectures given in Berlin between March 27, 1917 and May 8, 1917 by Rudolf Steiner  • 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 for lively discussions.

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. Our group will start a new reading, studying and acting of “The Soul’s Probation”, Rudolf Steiner’s second Mystery Drama, dealing with the karma and reincarnations of a group of people around the turn of the 20th century.

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/.

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

A newer feature of the newsletter is this Community Bulletin Board, the brainchild of Christine Badura, who now finds that she has time to make it a reality. Community members can post their offerings and/or things they are looking for. To post, please call Christine at 707-494-6741 or email badura88@hotmail.com. Possible categories that can be posted:  Housing, Give Aways, Help Wanted/Offered, Announcements, Items Wanted.

****

Seeking short term housing  March 22-24 • Cast of 8 coming to perform Mystery Drama in Portland is seeking housing for the weekend.  Ideally all 9 of us together. Thank you for any help. Contact David Axelrod 360-379-4859 or

https://www.micha-elinstitute.com/

Great gratitude to the members and friends whose 2024 membership donations make this newsletter and our library/community space possible:

For donations and membership please click here      

ADVERTISERS AND SPONSORS

Great gratitude to the members and friends who donated in 2024 to make this newsletter and our library/community space possible:

Anne Kollender,  Rene Kehrwald,  Steve Nieman ,Barbara Strong, Lynn Madsen, Kathy Rem, Sandra & Wes Burch, Constance Stokes, Regina Loos

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.