Anthroposophy Worldwide What Is Happening in the Anthroposophical Society 6 /19
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Anthroposophy worldwide What is happening in the Anthroposophical Society 6 /19 ■ Antroposophical Society June 2019 • N° 6 Pause for thought 3 Dealing with the digital world Anthroposophical Society 1 Facing the underlying anxiety 2 Rudolf Steiner: Vaccination 3 Letter from Justus Wittich 3 Young Members’ Initiative 4 Added designation ‹General› 4 France: In three places 5 Germany: Branch newsletter 10 100th birthday: Traute Lafrenz Page 11 Obituary: Jaime Padró Transformative qualities: courage, 11 Membership News open-mindedness and forgiveness By way of example, the international students conference at the Goetheanum in April, hosted by Goetheanum 5 Leadership: Understanding Christ the Youth Section, engaged close on 700 learn- 5 Stage: Fear and health Facing the ers in the exploration of what it means to have courage. A Youth Conference in Spring Valley School of Spiritual Science underlying anxiety in August will focus on ‹Questions of Courage›. 6 Medical Section: What is our global The summer conference staging the Four Mys- attitude to vaccinating? Dear Members and Friends, tery Dramas at the Goetheanum: ‹Spirituality 7 Medical Section: Anthroposophic in Anxiety and Health› will focus on the central Medicine in Lucerne We live in a world dominated by fear and anxiety, theme of anxiety as a doorway to health and 7 Anthroposophic Council for Inclusive either explicitly experienced in the face of danger spirituality, by awakening to self-transformation. Social Development: New Newsletter and threat, or as the implicit underlying state of The Social Initiative Forum, a growing network of 8 Youth Section: Acting from the heart unease in the face of growing unpredictability in organizations, initiatives and individuals working (Conference on «Courage») 9 Performing Arts Section: seasonal and environmental stability, social com- actively to transform discrimination, marginal- Thomastik violin plexity, and economic security. This underlying ization and inequality through developing open- tone of anxiety may manifest in many different mindedness, empathy and forgiveness, will host Anthroposophy Worldwide guises, including states of paralysis and avoid- a seminar on ‹Ethical Individualism: transforming 9 Switzerland: Meaning and purpose ance, denial of real-life situations, panic reactions, self and society› at the Goetheanum in October. 9 Russia: Spiritual ecology and aggression and violence towards self and In addition, an extensive Forum on ‹Unfolding others. Life circumstances continually demand Individual Potential for the Future› will be held Forum that we recognize within ourselves how often in sekem, Egypt, in December. 10 To the meeting of group we fall prey to the rulership of anxiety which so We warmly invite you to participate in these leaders and the agm easily determines our perceptions and responses and other events, with the intention of contribut- Feature in our daily dealings. ing to a courageous, open-minded future based 12 (Re)Search: Always developing Currently much attention is being directed on the transformative qualities of forgiveness to addressing the above through self-transfor- and love. | Joan Sleigh, Goetheanum mation for world-transformation. Three funda- mental qualities can be identified in the call to Image Developing courage: members face anxiety: courage, open-mindedness and of «Courage» youth conference in Basel forgiveness. What conditions allow these quali- ties to develop, and be put into practice? 2 | Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 6/19 ■ Pause For Thought Rudolf Steiner Vaccination Dealing with the digital world Warmth, strength How should one handle this under the kind of difficult conditions in our area, and technology with education and so on having such a When Laura Scappaticci wrote this contribu- negative influence? tion, she was using her laptop computer at a coffee shop, a prevalent picture in us society Then you simply have to vaccinate. There’s no other choice. I would be absolutely today. Technology is with us whether we are against opposing these things in a fanati- interested or not. Why should we be inter- cal way, not for medical but for generally ested? How can we use it as a tool to create anthroposophical reasons. […] I have a connection with anthroposophy and each always seen this as something I had to other? combat when with medical friends such The Anthroposophical Society in America is us- as Dr Asch, for instance, who absolutely ing technology to establish a learning space, did not vaccinate. I would always fight and a place of connection. We’ve created webi- against this. For if he does not vaccinate, nars – interactive online classes – on anthropo- someone else will. It is utterly absurd to sophical topics such as economics, meditation, be fanatical in particular situations. and health. We use technological platforms for national branch meetings where branch mem- Source Rudolf Steiner, Physiology and bers from across the country come together to Sense of community Healing. Treatment, Therapy and Hygiene, share challenges and innovations. We have a pod- Forest Row 2013, tr. A. Meuss, p. 239. cast (similar to a radio show) that features inter- What must be present in our online work is views with anthroposophists around the globe. warmth and connection. We cannot approach See Georg Soldner’s contribution on p. 6. Does all this replace the gifted speaker who technology and let it remain cold. If technology offers an in-person workshop? It will never do has the potential to isolate us, we must use it that. However, what it does is encourage listen- to counteract that anti-social force. We must ers to explore a topic in live time or a convenient strive to create something warm together; a ‹Anthroposophy Worldwide. What is hap- time in a way that is easy to access, affordable, mood of welcome, a sense of community. In pening in the Anthroposophical Society› ap- pears monthly in German, English, French and and ecologically appropriate. Our members are our online classes we ask participants where Spanish as a supplement to the weekly ‹Das thanking us for our online content, mentioning they are joining us from, we use their names, Goetheanum›. Publisher General Anthropo- their limited mobility or the lack of an anthro- we integrate drawing and writing activities. It is sophical Society represented by Justus Wit- posophical community in their area. not possible for everyone to attend face-to-face tich. Editors Sebastian Jüngel (responsible events, though we know that at those gather- for the German edition), Margot M. Saar Strengthening the forces of the soul ings we create something powerful and deep (responsible for the English edition), Michael These days it seems that the destiny path of hu- that lives within us for days, months, years. We Kranawetvogl (responsible for the Spanish edi- tion), Jean Pierre Ablard and Anselme Killian man beings is accompanied by technology. The need both the accessibility of online gatherings (French edition; coordinator: Louis Defèche). Google search can be the question Steiner told and in-person experiences to reach all those Proofreader for the English edition: Amadeus us to wait for. When someone types in, «What seeking deeper meaning in life. Bodenstein. Address Anthroposophy World- is anthroposophy?» we must respond with a Technology is a tool, and we can use it, or it can wide, po Box, 4143 Dornach, Switzerland, warm, welcoming hello that offers them a path use us. If we greet it with open-mindedness and fax +41 61 706 4465, aww@dasgoetheanum. to human connection and wisdom. strength, it can be a positive experience used com • We expressly wish for active support At the same time, we must be awake to the for humanity’s growth, and we can redeem it and collaboration. Subscriptions To receive ‹Anthroposophy Worldwide› please apply to forces we are working with and against. Rudolf together. | Laura Scappaticci, Placerville (ca/us) [email protected]. Digital sub- Steiner states in Art as Seen in the Light of Mys- scriptions are free. As a supplement to ‹Das tery Wisdom, Lecture 1, 28/12/1914: «It would be Web www.anthroposophy.org Goetheanum› ‹Anthroposophy Worldwide› the worst possible mistake to say that we should is also free. If the printed edition is posted to resist what technology has brought into mod- Laura Scappaticci is the Director of Programs you directly, we ask for a donation to cover ern life, that we should protect ourselves from for the Anthroposophical Society in America. costs. Printed by Birkäuser + gbc, 4153 Rein- Using her background in adult education and Ahriman by cutting ourselves off from modern ach, Switzerland. Design concept according event planning, Laura creates accessible edu- to Karl Lierl, Unterföhring, Germany. © 2019 life. In a certain sense this would be spiritual cational opportunities for anyone interested in General Anthroposophical Society, Switzerland. cowardice. The real remedy for this is not to let anthroposophy. She lives in California with her the forces of the modern soul weaken and cut husband and three children. themselves off from modern life, but to make Picture credits p. 1: Tim Lucas Bauer | p. 2: cgs the forces of the soul strong so that they can | p. 3, 5: Sebastian Jüngel | p. 6: iwa | p. 7: z. V. g. | p. 8: Tim Lucas Bauer | p. 9: Dirk Kruse | p. 10: stand up to modern life. A courageous approach Auswärtiges Amt / Amy Weaver | p. 11: Retrato to modern life is necessitated by world karma, Jaime | p. 12: Philip Wilson and that is why true spiritual science possesses the characteristic of requiring an effort of the soul, a really hard effort.» Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 6/19 | 3 ■ Antroposophical Society General Anthroposophical Society Letter from Justus Wittich Dear Members of the Anthroposophical Society, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you most warmly for the trust you placed in me and for your agreement to my continued position on the Executive Council as treasurer of the General Anthroposophical Society.