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Branch Library For information, to take out a book or to arrange a visit, contact Valerie Hope, info@portlandbranch.net 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: info@portlandbranch.net Website: portlandbranch.net |
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| | | | | CHRISTMAS I feel, free of enchantment, The spirit child in my soul’s core; In heart-high gladness has The holy cosmic Word engendered The heavenly fruit of hope, Which grows rejoicing into farthest worlds Out of my being’s godly roots. Calendar of the Soul Translation by Ruth and Hans Pusch |
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Contents Save These Dates - Branch Sponsored Events Advent as Preparation for Christmas Advent Tea Party December 7 Holy Nights Epiphany Observance January 6 Incarnation of the Logos Fire in the Temple New Short Term Study - Life Between Death and Rebirth Matching Grant Membership The Artist’s Corner Library News Requirements for Newsletter Submissions Other Community Events On-going study/groups/meetings
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| PORTLAND BRANCH CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR 2025 Save These Dates!
All events at the Branch Library unless otherwise indicated, 5415 SE Powell Blvd, 2nd floor, parking behind the church. Sunday, December 7, afternoon ADVENT TEA PARTY December 26th thru January 6th HOLY NIGHTS January 6 EPIPHANY January 17th, 3pm - 4pm INCARNATION OF THE LOGOS January 31st, 7 - 9:30pm FIRE IN THE TEMPLE
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Advent begins on November 30 this year, the first of four Sundays leading to Christmas. In lighting four Advent candles, an additional one each of the four Advent Sundays, we bring to awareness the process of, “…the true light which enlightens everyone, the spiritual Sun, approaching incarnation.” JH Brigitte Barze, author of ‘Celebrating Festivals with Children’, speaks of Advent as a time of preparation, rather than a time of fulfillment. Examples she gives are: to make the cookies but not eat them until Christmas; and for the Advent calendar, (no chocolates please) bringing out an item for the Christmas creche tableau each night until its completion on Christmas Eve. Excerpts from Jonathan Hilton, November30, 2020 astrosophy.com …Advent is about our preparation for, not only Christmas, but for the entire other half of the cycle of the year to summer, which is about the further transformative power of the Christ in us and in the Earth to lead us and it into the future… … Thus, the path of Advent is the path of self-knowledge, or the path, as described in Knowledge of the Higher Worlds, of meeting the lesser guardian of the threshold, which asks of us to become purified so that we are prepared at Christmas to meet the pure Child, the pure Nathan being. For this Child of the manger is the one who did not participate in the Fall, but appears again as the first Adam in pure uncorrupted form to become the bearer of the Christ. …In the outer world, Advent is perhaps a time of greatest busy-ness and shopping (though it may be all digital during covid time), distracting us from the true challenge of Advent, which is to confront our “self” (with a small s) with all that is in need of transformation and prepare the way for the Sun at midnight, the birth of the higher Self at Christmas. Sergei Prokofieff, in his book The Cycle of the Year, describes the four weeks of Advent as a path that leads from the ordinary earthly self, or lower self, to the higher self in the Nathan child on December 25th. Then the Holy Nights lead us from this higher self to the True I AM, the cosmic Christ at Epiphany, who became flesh. … It is not the stars themselves determining us, but rather our conscious spiritual striving that offers something to the world of the stars. This means that our spiritual path on and with the Earth gives something to the beings of the stars who await our activity of sacrifice. In this way do we become, not children, but brothers and sisters to the gods in fulfilling the divine evolutionary plan for humanity. Respectfully Submitted …Valerie Hope |
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| Sunday, December 7, 2-4 pm Branch Library/Community Space |
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| We are so looking forward to coming together in reverence and the spirit of fun as we, together, set the mood for the Christmas season. The tea party will begin at 2 pm with festive tea-time treats (you are welcome to add to the table if you wish.)
This will be followed by lighting the Advent wreath candle for the second Sunday of Advent, and you are welcome to add a small representative of the plant kingdom if you would like.
Miriam will lead us in caroling with her piano stylings, and we will end the afternoon with an angel craft project.
We look forward to this special time together. …The Branch Council |
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As our Epiphany activity the Council has planned a way to support the elementals - on the very day of Epiphany - with a very special biodynamic preparation. In a meditative process, the Three Kings biodynamic preparations – gold, frankincense and myrrh – will be ground together in a mortar for one hour, then stirred in water for an hour, and the preparation taken by participants to spread on suitable sites. This particular preparation is meant to only be spread where other biodynamic preparations have been used over time to prepare the way. Simultaneously, we will stir the horn manure preparation (BD 500), which everyone can take and spread regardless of prior biodynamic preparation use. Mark and Valerie Hope have invited us to grind the gold, frankincense and myrrh together at their home on January 6th while we listen to an Epiphany reading. This will be an indoor activity. Afterward, we will move outside to stir the ground Three Kings preparation, and a separate Horn Manure preparation. This will be an outside activity, so dress for the weather. Bring watertight containers to take the stirred preparations home with you. Please Email Us Here if You Will Attend |
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We will inaugurate this group early in the new year, for perhaps 3-4 sessions. Rudolf Steiner speaks to what we must do while on the earth, what we can do only while we are on the earth, to prepare us for the much longer period of time when we will be in the spiritual world, or unborn. (His preferred term for those we usually call ‘dead’.) If you are interested, please contact Valerie here, with an indication of what times are best for you to meet: |
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YOUR SUPPORT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE
The precious gifts brought by the three kings from the East to present to the Jesus child were: Gold, symbol for worldly wisdom, Frankincense, devotional offering to the Gods, and Myrrh, symbolizing the victory of life over death.
These are such powerful symbols for our earth, not only in their esoteric meanings, but as they represent the divine act of giving. For the heavenly in-breath of receiving creates the sacred out-breath of giving. Life would not exist without this.
This has been a year of so much giving and receiving, as we have experienced the wonderful gifts of our festivals, lectures, workshops, and community gatherings. We are immensely grateful for the ways in which you support those of us who work to keep the doors open, plan the events, and joyfully keep a library open for all who enjoy it.
We appreciate your financial support, and perhaps even more, we are lifted up by your participation, encouragement, communication, and the spiritual striving that shapes the wonderful community that we are. As we end another year together leading into the upcoming Holy Nights, we wish for you peace and an abundance of love.
With gratitude for your support, Kathy Rem for the Branch Council Update as of 11-22-25 |
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| | | Thank you for your membership! Here are our current members. |
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| If you enjoy our newsletters and like being informed about all we have going on please consider becoming a member. We would love to have you join our community. (Update as of September 2025) |
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| | | The Artist’s Corner
We invite you to contribute a photograph of your art in any modality you work with. Please contact Pablo Feliz at felizpablo@gmail.com
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Steiner Books Study Group Ideas and Book Discounts Multiples of Some Books Available at the Branch Library
When a group of people join together to study a particular book and wish to purchase that book in quantities of five copies or more, Steiner Books will give a 20% discount for that order. You must purchase five copies or more of a single title, and payment in advance is required. Order using the offer code STUDY at checkout.
In addition, the Branch Library has multiple copies of some books, which you can look up on the searchable catalog on our website here: https://portlandbranch.net/community-library-1/
Steiner books also has suggestions for how to organize study group discussions here: https://steinerbooks.org/pages/study-group-guidelines?_pos=7&_sid=1fa05784a&_ss=r
If you have outstanding books please complete the process by returning them when you are finished. They can be returned 24/7 to the book box located on the porch at 2606 SE 58th Ave. Portland, Or. Books can be checked out during all our events. For more information you can call Valerie Hope at 503-775-0778 |
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REQUIREMENTS FOR NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS
We are happy to promote local activities in this newsletter, which is a primary purpose of this publication. We want to thank our community members for sharing your local events, and advertising your anthroposophical initiatives here.
Because there are so many anthroposophical initiatives from outside the Portland Metro area that have asked to be included, your Branch Council has worked to clarify the parameters for placing an ad or community event in the monthly newsletter. We have had feedback asking us to keep it from getting too long. We hope the guidelines below will be helpful.
1. All events or services offered should be local within the Portland area.
2. If a registration fee is required, or there is a charge for services, that will be considered advertising.
3. The fee for advertising is $10 per ad or $100 per year. This helps to cover our newsletter costs, and rent for the Library/Community space.
4. Local community events that are free will not require an advertising fee.
5. Flyers need to be jpg or png ready. Keep in mind that small print will not read well when placed in the newsletter. Make your font bold and big - font size should be a minimum of 16 point.
6. Calendar announcements can be sent directly to newsletter editor Kathy Rem.
You may contact Kathy if you have any questions – kathyrem@gmail.com |
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| | | | | | | ON-GOING STUDIES/GROUPS/MEETINGS |
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| First Class of the School of Spiritual Science. December 14th. 9:30 am sharp • (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 or Diane Rumage drumage@comcast.net
Portland Branch Council Meeting: Monday, December 8th, 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 info@portlandbranch.net to let us know you are coming. Meetings are normally held on the second Monday of each month.
First Monday Study, we will read together, The Michael Mystery (GA 26) which includes Anthroposophical Leading Thoughts (leading thoughts 79 through 185) Please join us for lively discussions. • First Monday of the month, Study 7:00pm - 8:30pm, •In person (with zoom option TBD) • Contact Heidi Sheppard, HSHEPPAR@LHS.ORG Free
Opportunity for Speech Work: with anyone interested, ways of speaking texts of your choice (poetry or prose) with enhanced expression by unlocking its natural beauty. These 45 minute sessions would be offered in the Branch Library. Donation will be accepted for using the space. Call Miriam and let her know if you are interested at 503-459-3423.
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
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. Besides speech formation and acting exercises, we are currently reading and discussing Rudolf Steiner’s book of lectures, Speech and Drama, copies of which are available in the Branch Library. Free
The Tarot in Light of Spiritual Science • Presently once per month For more information contact James Knight (j365k@yahoo.com) 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/. Free |
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| 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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