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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Alternative belief systems > Syncretist & eclectic religions & belief systems > Post-renaissance syncretist / eclectic systems > Theosophy & Anthroposophy
This volume is an all-in-one publication introducing students and
teachers at all levels of Theology to almost the entire spectrum of
theologies and hermeneutics in Africa and the western world.
Although a strong emphasis is placed on the contribution of Africa
to Christian Theology there is no hidden agenda to tell the reader
what the only 'sound' theology is. Contributors had total freedom
to expand on their fields of specialization and readers can make up
their own minds.
It is not uncommon for children's drawings to end up in the
wastepaper basket. Yet these early artistic expressions indicate
how children communicate with their environment. From the first
scratches and scribbles to the detailed sketches of houses and
people, the drawings and paintings of our young ones are
significant manifestations of inner processes, containing important
statements about their development and gradual incarnation into a
physical body. Michaela Strauss's classic work is a pioneer study
that can strengthen observation, understanding and love for the
being of the child, both in the home and the kindergarten. First
issued in 1978, it is republished here with revisions, improved
reproductions, a larger format and more than 40 pages of colour
illustrations. 'In its drawings, the child describes for us
different conditions of consciousness, which are parallel with
those of cultural epochs.' - Michaela Strauss
In March 2020, Are Thoresen contracted Covid-19. Whilst
convalescing from the disease and suffering great exhaustion, he
experienced a breakthrough in his daily meditation. Although he has
always been able to 'see' into the spiritual world, now deeper,
unknown realms appeared to his inner vision. In the soapstone
surround of the fireplace in his Norwegian home, he perceived the
elemental beings and forces that make up the mineral at an atomic
level. A few days later, an even deeper dimension revealed itself,
in the form of a void or vacuum. Here, astonishingly, was an open
portal to the entire cosmos... In Travels on the Northern Path of
Initiation, Thoresen shares the results of his latest spiritual
investigations, including a moving, life-changing encounter with
'the Light of the World'. He details the teachings he receives from
the beings Vidar and Balder - who stand as guardians to the
threshold of the outer etheric world - and characterizes the
Northern way of initiation, which is based on merging, or 'fading',
into nature. Thoresen documents Rudolf Steiner's descriptions of
this path and shows how it is reflected in the Old Norse Poetic
Edda, the Kalevala and von Eschenbach's Parzival. Based on
painstaking research, he describes the individual qualities of the
three elemental realms, and how the adversarial forces - seeking to
corrupt human senses - hinder spiritual observation of them.
Thoresen's book is a powerful personal testimony to the human
potential for spiritual knowledge and experience in our time.
Austrian philosopher, playwright, and artist Rudolf Steiner (1861
1925) is perhaps best known as an educational philosopher and
reformer, the founder of Steiner (or Waldorf) schools located
around the world. These schools' philosophy represents the
priorities Steiner discusses in Theosophy: the development of body,
soul, and spirit. Goethe was an important influence on Steiner, and
he edited the poet's scientific works (1889 1896). Steiner was an
active member and leader of the German branch of Madame Blavatsky's
Theosophical Society, eventually broke away from theosophy, as he
developed his own spiritual philosophy termed 'anthroposophy'; this
philosophical movement asserted the potential of realizing a
spiritual reality through cognition. This 1910 translation by
Elizabeth Douglas Shields is of the book's third German edition; it
was first published in 1904. This work will be of particular
interest to historians of philosophy, of spiritual movements and of
education.
The philosopher and educationalist Rudolf Steiner was also a
radical dramatist who wrote four lengthy and complex plays. The
first of these, The Portal of Initiation, is rich in content and
artistically presented, but leaves us with questions: Why is the
first scene so long and many speeches so lengthy? Why are our usual
expectations of drama not met? Was Steiner really a competent
dramatist? In this essential guide, Trevor Dance suggests that the
first step to appreciating The Portal of Initiation is to
understand Steiner's methods. The play belongs to the tradition of
Mystery Dramas from ancient times - artistic works intended as
vehicles for inner development. Steiner thus combines aspects of
Goethe's alchemical fable The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily
with the spiritual growth of contemporary individuals - all in the
broader context of reincarnation and karma. With accessibility in
mind, the author provides a clear synopsis of each scene and
introduces us to the characters - a collection of rustics,
sophisticates, hierophants and spiritual entities. Their dilemmas
and challenges take place on many layers of reality: from a room in
Sophia's house to the exalted Sun Temple. Revealing the enigmas
behind the creation and content of The Portal of Initiation, Dance
enables us not only to enjoy the play, but also to love it. His
lucid guide - the first of its kind - is an ideal introduction for
both individual readers and study groups.
Growing into the daily use of these meditative prayers makes us
conscious of how we stand in great world rhythms. We learn to
follow the alternation of waking and sleeping, the ordering of the
seven days of the week, and the course of the seasons, as gifts of
heavenly powers gradually become known to us. This is a small,
elegant guide to aid meditation.
In an absorbing series of lectures, Rudolf Steiner discloses
factors in a person's life on Earth that will influence their
experiences in the spiritual world after their death - and
conversely, factors in the spiritual world that will affect their
next life on Earth. Steiner focuses on the period in the afterlife
when the individual has been through kamaloka - the purgatorial
place where the soul is purified. Once the soul has been cleansed
of its astral sheath, it becomes open to cosmic influences,
expanding into the planetary sphere. Now it can begin preparation
for reincarnation - for a new human life on Earth. Steiner
addresses the vital relationship of the living to the dead - in
particular, how those on Earth can influence the souls of the dead.
He also speaks on themes of 'Sleep and death', 'The seven-year life
cycles of man', and offers a 'Christmas gift' in the form of a
lecture on Christian Rosenkreutz and Gautama Buddha. He ends with a
mighty picture of the Mystery of Golgotha: Jesus Christ's death on
the cross was only seemingly a death; in reality it enabled the
momentous birth of the Earth-Soul. Long out-of-print, the
freshly-revised text of the ten lectures in this new edition is
complemented with an introduction, notes and appendices by
Professor Frederick Amrine, and also features an index. Ten
lectures, Berlin, Nov.-Apr. 1913, GA 141
'Approaching the different and manifold sequences in this
book...one will gradually come to realise that metamorphosis can
become an ideal for knowledge, a guiding path for self-knowledge
and knowledge of the world - as intuitive contemplation and as
artistic creation.' - Dr Peter Wolf What is metamorphosis? Through
the medium of art, sculptor Gertraud Goodwin invites us to enter
the realm of time and continuously changing movement in this highly
original book. With chapters by various artists and writers,
interwoven with her key insights, Goodwin offers numerous points of
entry to understanding the mystery of metamorphosis.
Profusely-illustrated in colour, we are shown many sequences of
images - of sculptures, reliefs and graphic works - which, with the
aid of informed commentary, we are invited to 'read'. These images
belong together, developing from one to the next - just as single
experiences and events in life belong to our biographies. One
motif, one movement, passes through all stages, from simple
beginnings and more differentiated formations, to a culmination -
and, from there, back to a more mature simplicity and
concentration, which makes a new beginning possible.' In relation
to the transcendent, where ordinary words fail, the language of
form, texture and relations in space, like those of music in time,
offer alternatives to words, perhaps less encumbered by
preconceptions. These pages offer many examples of the beauties and
mysteries of metamorphosis, which is itself an essential component
of Nature's creative language.' - Dr Philip Kilner
As human beings, we have a great longing for community, to feel
part of something. Despite this apparent need, the opposite
tendency is evident everywhere: a growing individualism leading to
the breakdown of relationships, conflict and war. How can we
connect meaningfully with our fellow human beings and build
successful communities, whilst also cultivating a healthy
individuality? Karl Koenig considered that finding answers to these
questions was one of the central tasks of anthroposophy, as well as
its greatest potential downfall. Seventy years ago, he founded the
Camphill Movement as a search for social renewal and healing from
new sources. As part of a growing dialogue between people within
and outside of Camphill, a conference called Community Building in
the Light of Michael took place at the Goetheanum in 2009. The
contributions in this book originate from there; contributors
include Cornelius Pietzner, Virginia Sease, Penelope
Roberts-Baring, Sergei Prokofieff, Peter Selg and Bodo von Plato.
A Life with Colour is the first complete survey of Gerard Wagner's
biography and his artistic intentions, featuring dozens of
illustrations and more than 120 colour plates. The life and work of
Gerard Wagner (1906-1999) were closely aligned to the
artistic-spiritual stream connected with the Goetheanum in Dornach,
Switzerland. He first heard of the Goetheanum - and of its
destruction by fire at New Year 1922/23 - whilst still a youth. In
1926, he made his first visit to Dornach, but his intended stay of
a week turned into a lifelong sojourn of over 73 years. He found
there an active, striving community with which he felt intimately
connected. From the start, Gerard Wagner immersed himself in the
various artistic impulses that Rudolf Steiner had instigated. This,
together with an intensive study of anthroposophy, formed the basis
upon which he forged his own approach to painting. The many years
he spent in colour experimentation led him to discover objective
principles within the language of colour and form that are an
inspiration to many today. His paintings, first shown at the
Goetheanum in the early 1940s, were exhibited internationally, most
notably at the Menshikov Palace, Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg,
Russia, in 1997. '[Wagner's] whole being bowed before the mystery
of colour in a loving, joyful yet serious way, full of devotion and
dignity. His life and work itself became a living metaphor of the
creative power of colour.' - Christian Hitsch 'Caroline Chanter has
not only accomplished a great and seminal study that illuminates
the life and work of Gerard Wagner, but has done a great service
also to the Goetheanum and its School of Spiritual Science.' -
Peter Selg '[Gerard Wagner was] a soul which on earth was devoted
so selflessly and in such purity to the beings that are revealed...
in forms and colours. He helped them to utterance and manifestation
in this world of ours.' - Sergei O. Prokofieff
Building on the metahistorical exploration of drama that was the
subject of Tongues of Flame, Dawn Langman explores the practical
pathways through which the art of acting can evolve beyond the
'body and soul' paradigm still broadly accepted in contemporary
culture. Through the integration of Rudolf Steiner's research in
the arts of speech and eurythmy, and together with Michael
Chekhov's acting techniques, Langman raises the spiritual dimension
of the human being from that vague sensing which many actors intuit
- but which has, however, little bearing on their practice - into a
precise methodology. In this second volume in her series on 'The
Actor of the Future', she offers performance artists a clear
pathway ahead, enabling them to develop their work out of spiritual
insight and consciousness. 'Dawn Langman's research into character
creation invites the future into the present: suggesting the
intriguing connection between the evolving universe, human
consciousness and the mysteries at work in relationships and
destiny.' - Penelope Snowdon-Lait, Co-director, Spirit of the Word
training, New Zealand
Your favourite occupation? Pondering and musing. Your idea of
happiness? Pondering and musing. Your most extreme aversion?
Pedantry and a sense of order. Of what are you afraid? Punctuality.
The above quotations are extracted from a questionnaire filled in
by a young man in his late twenties. That person, Rudolf Steiner,
was later to found the spiritual science of anthroposophy and the
many practical disciplines that arose from it. Eventually, he would
write his Autobiography, although its composition would be
interrupted by his unexpected death. This little volume is an
essential complement to Steiner's unfinished autobiography. It
gathers a wealth of personal testimonies - including lectures,
resumes, notebook entries, a questionnaire, as well as biographical
notes written for Edouard Schure - much of which has not been
previously published in English. The various materials, together
with rare photographs, have been expertly collated and introduced
by Walter Kugler.
This course of lectures was given at a pivotal point in the
development of the anthroposophic movement. Just months before, an
act of arson had caused the destruction of the first Goetheanum,
and its darkened ruins appeared to reflect the fragmentations
within the Anthroposophical Society. Divisions were appearing
amongst members and friends, with individual energies increasingly
routed to external initiatives and practical projects. It became
apparent that a new impetus was needed. In this turbulent context,
Steiner delivers these lectures in a calm, lively and informal
style. In the last decades of the nineteenth century, he says, a
yearning for spiritual nourishment arose within Western culture,
and organizations such as the Theosophical Society gained in
popularity. Despite his direct involvement in these events, Steiner
describes in dispassionate tones how the spiritual movements behind
theosophy and anthroposophy were able to work together
harmoniously, before an unavoidable separation took place.
Steiner's expansive review of the anthroposophic movement is an
important narrative account of the developing Western spiritual
tradition and the history of the Mysteries. These lectures also
offer rare perceptions of the life and philosophy of Rudolf
Steiner. Those who identify with the movement he founded will
discover revelatory insights to its background and possibilities
for its future development within the broader evolution of
humankind.
Edith Maryon (1872-1924) was a trained sculptor who worked
alongside Rudolf Steiner to create the unique sculpture of Christ
(the 'Representative of Humanity') at the Goetheanum in Dornach,
Switzerland. One of Steiner's closest collaborators, she was a
highly-valued colleague and esoteric pupil. As one of his dearest
friends, Maryon kept a busy and detailed correspondence with Rudolf
Steiner, in which he confided freely about his personal situation,
his lack of true colleagues, difficulties with lecture tours, and
the embattled public standing of anthroposophy. Almost invariably,
these letters emphasized Steiner's longing for the Dornach studio
and their shared work on the Christ statue. Maryon's early death,
aged 52 - following fifteen months of illness - shook Rudolf
Steiner to the core. He was to die himself less than a year later.
With this book, the author's central aim is to illuminate the
spiritual signature of Edith Maryon's relationship with Rudolf
Steiner and their mutual work in anthroposophy and on the sculpture
of Christ. Building on Rex Raab's (1993) biography, Peter Selg's
moving study features dozens of photos and facsimiles of letters,
utilizing previously unpublished sources from Edith Maryon's and
Ita Wegman's literary estates and the Rudolf Steiner Archive in
Dornach. -- The most essential and intrinsic quality of her soul
... was not a particular branch of human endeavour, not even art;
the most salient of her soul tendencies, her soul intentions, was
the striving for spirituality...' - Rudolf Steiner
What if our teeth are a reflection of who we are? What if dental
problems such as toothache, decay and malpositioning illustrate the
deep functioning of our true self? What if, by harmonizing our
mouths, we could allay many of our physical and mental ills? After
years of dental practice, Michel Montaud made a breakthrough that
would change his life and work completely. Without being fully
conscious of what he was doing, he engaged in a dental therapy
which would prove to be remarkably effective, going beyond the
simple framework of mouth and teeth to extend to the human being as
a whole. This guided self-therapy, which he refers to as
Dentosophy, is a true alternative to the drastic measures of
extraction, surgery and orthodontics. From personal experience, the
author states that this approach can even remedy ailments such as
chronic rhinitis and otitis, eczema, allergies, asthma, back
problems and sleep disorders. Montaud describes his personal
journey of discovery, initially to help his suffering son. Now,
after decades of experience and numerous eloquent clinical results,
he demonstrates that this human-based approach to our mouth and
teeth can stimulate, at any age, the extraordinary healing
potential of our bodies. With case studies and supporting
photographic evidence, he shows that Dentosophy improves the
general health of patients, both physical and mental. This
illustrated and accessible book offers an exciting new perspective
on our teeth and their innate wisdom.
In a private conversation on his deathbed, Rudolf Steiner informed
his friend Count Polzer-Hoditz of three spiritual problems that
would need to be resolved in the coming years: 'Firstly, the
question of the two Johns [John the Baptist and John the
Evangelist]. Secondly: Who was Dmitri? Thirdly: Where did Caspar
Hauser come from?' Tackling these issues, said Steiner, would be of
critical importance for humanity's future. He added: 'In all three
problems it is important that one's gaze is directed not towards
death but towards birth. Where did they come from and with what
tasks?' In Dmitri's case, Steiner emphasized that the most
important thing was to discover what was to have been achieved
through him. --- Utilizing the significant clues left by Rudolf
Steiner, Sergei O. Prokofieff takes on the second of these tasks,
the great unsolved mystery of Russian history. Tsarevich Dmitri,
the son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, was tragically murdered as a
young boy. Later, he was impersonated by a series of rogues and
pretenders. Prokofieff's wide-ranging study integrates historical,
psychological and spiritual-scientific perspectives to work towards
the truth behind Dmitri's brief life, his mission and the
distortions created by the 'false Dmitris'. He also examines the
significance of Friedrich Schiller's unfinished play, Demetrius.
Reassessing human history in relation to the cosmic-earthly events
of Christ's incarnation, Rudolf Steiner stresses the significance
of both Gnostic spirituality and the legends of the Holy Grail. The
'Christ-Impulse', he tells us, is not a one-time event but a
continuous process, beginning well before Jesus of Nazareth walked
the earth. This mighty impulse is a force that gives impetus to
human development, such as with the extraordinary blossoming of
free thinking of the last two millennia. Surveying this pattern of
evolving human thought, Steiner explains the roles of contrasting
historical figures, for example the great teacher Zarathustra, Joan
of Arc and Johannes Keplar. We are shown the widespread influence
of the clairvoyant prophetesses, the sibyls, who formed a backdrop
to the Greco-Roman world. Steiner contrasts their revelations to
those of the Hebrew prophets. The lectures culminate in the secret
background to the Parzival narrative. Steiner illustrates how it is
possible to experience the Holy Grail by reading the stellar script
in the sky at Easter. Here, he provides a rare personal account of
the processes he utilized to conduct esoteric research. The new
edition of these much-loved lectures features a revised translation
and an introduction, appendices and notes by Frederick Amrine.
What lies at the root of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the worldwide
pandemic it has caused, affecting the health and livelihoods of
untold millions of people? What are the deeper, spiritual realities
behind COVID-19 and the global turmoil it has left in its trail? In
an effort to answer these queries and many others put to her at the
start of the pandemic, Judith von Halle composed two letters in
March 2020, based on her own spiritual-scientific research.
Published in this book together with an additional essay, she
addresses questions such as: * Which entities stand behind the
virus? * How and why does it affect human beings? * What measures
can be taken for prevention and therapy? * What does the crisis
mean to individuals and what possibilities does it offer for
personal development? The author suggests that, apart from the
material havoc triggered by coronavirus, the spiritual causes
behind it are extremely serious and - if the present pandemic is
not to be the first in a series of catastrophes - humanity is
called upon to respond in a radically transformative way. In an
additional article von Halle tackles the controversial issues
relating to government lockdowns and the protest movements that
have sprung up in opposition to them. How do these events point to
real questions of individual freedom and, most importantly, how do
they relate to the central event of our time - an event that,
tragically, remains largely unknown? Revealing unexpected
perspectives to the COVID-19 pandemic, Judith von Halle asks urgent
and difficult questions and offers shattering insights for
humanity's further development.
Earth and humanity are involved in a fragile interplay of physical
and spiritual relationships, the full spectrum of which can only be
discerned by higher, finer senses. Based on actual, living
discernment rather than dogmatic ideas, Karsten Massei reveals how
we can unite with nature, supporting our inner development and
everyday lives. We ourselves comprise the path leading to the
mysteries of the earth. Through delving into nature's secrets,
paradoxically we are brought back to our own being - our soul-gold,
our luminosity, but also to our shadow, lower nature. Deep
encounters with the earth are thus self-encounters. --- In a series
of concise and accessible chapters, Massei illumines human
characteristics - our senses, the quality of our listening, our
soul wounds and the possibility for transformation. Likewise, he
lights up the natural world - plants and animals, but also
elemental beings, spirits of trees, and the great being of the
earth, Christ. Amongst a wealth of interrelated themes, the author
portrays death as the doorway to a new existence, describing the
relationship of the dead with the earth and humanity and speaking
movingly of the healing social deed of forgiveness. Founded on
first-hand research, this book is full of reverence for the hidden
aspects of life and their significance for personal growth.
Conventional medicine focuses on the body's physical symptoms. But
more and more patients are questioning the limitations of this
approach and are exploring holistic approaches, such as
anthroposophic medicine, which also addresses the human soul -- our
individual thinking, will and feelings -- and the human spirit, our
self-awareness and essence. Anthroposophic medicine is an extension
of, not a replacement to, conventional medicine. This comprehensive
book introduces and explores the philosophy and practice of
anthroposophic medicine, which is based on principles developed by
Rudolf Steiner. It discusses many alternative therapies and areas
of health including artistic therapies, massage, childhood
illnesses, cancer and psychiatry. Healing for Body, Soul and Spirit
will inform and engage a general reader, with no medical
background, who is interested in alternative and holistic
approaches to human health.
Rudolf Steiner painted his Archetypal Plant watercolour in 1924, at
a time when contemporary scientific methodologies were emerging and
nature was being examined under the microscope. In contrast to the
dissecting tendencies of natural science, however, Steiner's
painting depicts the living, dynamic potential which stands behind
the plant - lifting us out of the specific genus and providing an
image of the growing and formative forces inherent within each
individual plant. Researching Rudolf Steiner's painting of the
Archetypal Plant can help reconnect our outer sense-perceptions
with the inner realm of imaginative cognition, releasing us from
the spell of matter. To support and enliven such research work and
processes, Angela Lord surveys her subject-matter from various
aspects, including the historical, evolutionary relationships we
share with plants; the representation of plants in art and
architecture; plant myths and legends; poetry inspired by flower
imagery; cosmic aspects of nature, including earth's relationships
to the sun, moon, planets and stars; formative, creative forces of
colours and their relationships to plant forms; and finally,
working artistically and painting the Archetypal Plant motif
itself. In developing a broad overview, the author forms a deeper,
more complete picture of the plant world, paying homage to its
diverse characteristics, and stimulating new perceptions and
perspectives. This book is richly illustrated with full-colour
images.
Rudolf Steiner's core mission, repeatedly delayed due to the
incapacity of colleagues, was to pursue contemporary
spiritual-scientific research into the phenomena of reincarnation
and karma. This stimulating book describes the winding biographical
path this mission took, and in particular focuses on the mystery of
Rudolf Steiner's connection with the influential medieval
philosopher and theologian, Thomas Aquinas. Utilizing numerous
archival sources and publications, Thomas Meyer reveals many facts
relating to Steiner's core mission, and shows the critical roles
played by Wilhelm Anton Neumann and Karl Julius Schroer in its
genesis and development. Meyer examines how Steiner's pupils
responded to his insights into karma, and places this 'most
intrinsic mission' into the context of current divisions within the
anthroposophic movement. In particular, he highlights the place of
spiritual science within culture and history, showing how Steiner
developed the great scientific ideas of evolution propounded by
Darwin by raising them to the plane of each individual's soul and
spiritual development. As Steiner stated in 1903: 'Scientific
researchers explain the skull forms of higher animals as a
transformation of a lower type of skull. In the same way one should
explain a soul's biography through the soul biography which the
former evolved from.'
In 1919 Rudolf Steiner spoke about the future physical incarnation
of the being of Ahriman. This would take place before 'a part' of
the third millennium had passed, and was inevitable - but it was
also necessary that people were aware of this event and recognized
it, for earthly culture would be destroyed if the world were to
fall completely to Ahriman. The situation we find ourselves in
today shows Ahriman's unmistakable signature: the rapid destruction
of nature, zoonotic diseases and pandemics, huge social
inequalities, and the overall dominance of high finance. In this
short book Peter Selg presents a timely overview of the challenges
we face, beginning with a pithy and concise survey of Steiner's
commentary on Ahriman's incarnation and the conditions that would
characterize it. This is followed by a study of Ahriman's depiction
in the mystery drama The Souls' Awakening. Steiner's remarkable
personification of Ahriman on stage - portraying his strategies and
activities - provides vital instruction for humanity. Selg
concludes with an evaluation of 'the Battle for Human Intelligence'
taking place in contemporary culture through materialistic ideas
such as transhumanism. In their recent book Covid-19: The Great
Reset, for example, Klaus Schwab and Thierry Malleret propose
wholesale economic, geopolitical, environmental and technological
revisions to society - ideas that need to be understood and
confronted in human thought and consciousness. The Future of
Ahriman is a crucial aid to comprehending our times.
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