Latest Branch News
Latest Branch News
An open letter to the Council of the Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand
The following open letter, sent from New Zealand, comes to us because of its relevance to the shared Covid situation in America. Links to referenced publications in America are also provided.
Recently two articles in our national magazine, Scope, (A Pandemic of Blame by Dennis Klocek and Anthroposophy, Politics, Science: A Warning by Richard G. Fried, MD) gave a one-sided picture of what is happening regarding covid. It was as if we were being told what it was acceptable to believe. Many people I know took objection to these articles. Things always go badly wrong if they can’t be discussed openly and different views aired, and I am disappointed that, judging from the choice of those articles, freedom of thought is not being encouraged in the New Zealand Anthroposophical Society. For this reason I’ve decided to write this open letter to the Council of the Society and ask that it be sent to as many members as possible. I believe that free discussion over what really is happening in our land and overseas is vital, and I believe that the institution of the Anthroposophical Society has a special role to play in meeting the present situation and uncovering truth amidst propaganda and lies.
Festival of the Holy Spirit – Whitsun
Sunday May 23rd Observance
What are my gifts? What are my tools? How can I place them in right relationship within the social realm? How can I hone them to strengthen and enhance the world?
Through leading thoughts and conversation we are called to redeem the ether spheres to create an Ecclesia, a chalice for The Sophia. Then the spirit flame can spread out to become what Steiner called a World Whitsun which began in earnest at the Christmas Conference.
The Whitsun Festival highlights one of the greatest challenges of being human: placing our individual gifts in right relationship within the social realm. This challenge is especially strong now during this “pandemic.” Our groups, striving to know Spiritual Science, must work together as a community to create a new culture where a sacrament is possible in every encounter. Our individual strength is enhanced by weaving our gifts together, kindling our social world in conscious community.
Rudolf Steiner calls Whitsun variously: Festival of the Holy Spirit; Festival of Flowers…
Upcoming events.
Trivia Corner – Elemental Beings Arising from Man’s Immoral Deeds?
“…Matters, for example, which have a harmful result on the etheric body are bad laws, or bad social measures prevailing in a community. All that leads to want of harmony, all that makes for bad adjustments between man and man, works in such a way through the feeling which it creates in the common life that the effect is continued into the etheric body. The accumulation in the etheric body caused through these experiences of the soul brings about again detachments from the beings working in from the spiritual worlds and these likewise are now to be found in our environment — they are ______ or ______”
— Rudolf Steiner
Embryo DVDs – Jaap van der Wal
Embryo in Us & Embryo in Motion
2017 & 2010 Workshops
Recorded live in Portland, Oregon
These two seminars explore human prenatal development and show how biology is expressing the essence of human spiritual enfoldment. The two DVD sets are available only here.
Jaap van der Wal, PhD, MD is an associate professor for anatomy and embryology at the University of Maastricht, Holland.
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Note: Articles represent the views of the authors, not necessarily those of the Portland Branch of the Anthroposophical Society.