Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 10/08
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Position: linke obere Papierkante, Größe 100 General Anthroposophical Society Anthroposophy Worldwide 10/08 ■ Anthroposophical Society Periphery and Center A Mutual Working Relationship This fall, the activities of the eurythmists at the Goetheanum focused on an image that brings the oft-cited relationship of periphery and center into a living mutual rela- tionship. Carin Schmid, leader of the eurythmy ensemble at the Goetheanum, formu- December 2008 lated some of her thoughts for our readers. No. 10 espite financial straits and a tense Anthroposophical Society D political situation, I believe a new 1 Periphery and Center era has begun. A fruitful cooperative ef- 2 Christmas Appeal I: Letter from fort, one that provides mutual support Fischer Charlotte Photo: Treasurer Cornelius Pietzner and enhancement, has now arrived as 3 Christmas Appeal II: Interview a possibility. This fall I discovered this with Cornelius Pietzner promising element in my own field of 4 Christmas Appeal III: Projects work—eurythmy: the vitality in the rela- in the School for Spiritual tionship between center and periphery, Science between the Goetheanum in Dornach 10 General Secretaries’ Conference and the Goetheanum throughout the 11 Meeting of Those Carrying world. Responsibility for the Society The Social Power of Shared Activity Goetheanum Center become periphery, periphery becomes center: Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony 6 New: Water Channel for Flow Over the past four years, the Else Klink Forms Ensemble (Stuttgart, Germany) and the 6 Stage: Christmas and Easter Plays eurythmy ensemble at the Goetheanum center at the Goetheanum goes out into 9 Meeting of the Goetheanum stage have cooperated three times with the world and becomes periphery there. Meditation Initiative the Symphony/Eurythmy Project in pre- Filled with their experiences and encoun- Worldwide senting two large orchestral pieces in Eu- ters, the co-workers at the Goetheanum rope. Ensemble members may have ex- return and enrich the center from the School for Spiritual Science perienced the differences and gaps that periphery. And vice versa—we hope the 7 Social Science Section: Social exist among the “schools” during their Goetheanum as the center has enriched Sculpture—Monte Azul training, but now there was a strong so- the periphery. One of our primary aims Conference cial power to be found in the shared work is to bring an enthusiasm for eurythmy on rehearsal and performance. through our travels, courses, and perfor- Anthroposophy in the World During the Fall 2008 tour, Eduardo mances! 8 Indonesia: Anthroposophical Torres visited the newly founded eu- Work rythmy training in Chile as a docent An Exchange between Here and There 8 Japan: Shikoku Anthroposophy (Anthroposophy Worldwide, No. 2/2008, And we can make new contacts for Circle p. 6); Margrethe and Trond Solstad rep- our work by meeting people in this way. I Feature resented the leadership of the Section could imagine that when we are asked to 12 project.zeitung for the Arts of Eurythmy, Speech, Drama send co-workers into the various coun- and Music at meetings, courses, and per- tries, they might be replaced by individu- formances in the United States; and en- als who come here to the Goetheanum semble member Gioia Falk was in Japan to participate in our work for a couple to participate in work on Rudolf Steiner’s of months. These processes of exchange Mystery dramas (Anthroposophy World- and meeting help to create a picture wide, No. 9/2008, p. 6) of center and periphery as a living and I see this whole activity of travel and shared relationship in our work. | Carina work as a picture of how the so-called Schmid, Goetheanum 2 | Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 10/08 ■ Anthroposophical Society Science, with its esoteric core and active engagement in professional fields, can con- tribute directly to sustainable responses to critical issues of our time. Photo: Charlotte Fischer Charlotte Photo: This spring we published a booklet de- scribing the School today and its Sections, its responsibilities and organization. The booklet reflects the collective work of the School for Spiritual Science and the Colle- Advent 2008 gium of the School in all its diversity. 3. Increasing coordination among the 2008 Christmas Appeal major working areas at the Goetheanum— especially in the areas of reception and events coordination, building and stage "The spiritual-scientific world view strives for something positive rather than administration, information technology, fighting battles. Anyone who has really experienced this world view knows that and finance—to create the basis for a more fighting battles has never brought positive results in any area of life." Rudolf efficient collaboration and service orienta- Steiner, lecture of November 23, 1905, (GA 54) tion at the Goetheanum. In addition to the ongoing needs of the Goetheanum each of these areas and com- Dear Friends and Members, mitments require substantial funds, . Total costs for the Mystery dramas this year are ach year at Christmas, as we close one the apparent paradoxes of our daily life approximately € 680,000. The consolidation E year, and look towards the possibilities and what is around us. This leads to social and further development of the student and initiatives that the New Year will bring, vitality instead of a dispersion of strength! courses and services—with over 120 inter- we turn to you, our members and friends, We replace “battle” with “positive labor,” a national students at the Goetheanum—re- to confirm and support through your much needed quality in our deeply turbu- quires further financial support. This work deed of giving the manifold tasks of the lent times. is carried by the entire School for Spiritual Goetheanum, the Society, and the School A more detailed analysis will show that Science with a cost of over € 100,000 dur- for Spiritual Science. It is the generous sup- concentrating on these tasks—without ing the next two years. port from so many of you that enables spe- ignoring or overvaluing our many other cific projects and the essential tasks of the tasks—yields strength and direction in Intensifying Work with the Countries Goetheanum and School for Spiritual Sci- the context of the limited financial means There have been many changes in the ence to be realized. available to us. councils of several national Societies with- in the worldwide Society. These changes Learning to Live with Paradoxes Current Priorities also provide an opportunity to renew and “Practices Leading to a Culture of the Three current priorities for the Goethea- deepen their connection with the Goethea- Heart” has been the theme in the Soci- num are as follows: num. We would like to support these efforts ety for some years now. The necessity to 1. Developing the Mystery dramas to- through regular meetings at the Goethea- sharpen the capacity for a healthy judg- wards a new production of all four dramas num with the councils of these national ment regarding the many urgent matters in the next years with an emphasis on in- Societies. and real tasks of the Goetheanum and An- tegrating the “spirit of eurythmy”. This is a The anthroposophical work of the world- throposophical Society is one of the central fundamental research and artistic under- wide Society in Asia, Africa and eastern Eu- elements of thinking of the heart. Rudolf taking. This work, already started, requires rope continues to grow and deepen. This is Steiner makes the prescient remark (Mac- substantial inner and outer resources and actively accompanied by the Goetheanum rocosm and Microcosm, GA 119) that learn- is supported not only by the stage and eu- through participation in Society confer- ing to live fruitfully with paradoxes in life rythmists, but also by the Collegium and ences, lecture tours, School for Spiritual is an essential quality of heart thinking. To Executive Council as a true “heart piece” Science events, and celebrations. This too be able to practice this represents a truly of anthroposophy, one that stands at the requires financial support, as the countries human approach. center of the Goetheanum's . often are not able to assume these costs. This becomes increasingly relevant 2. Continuing focus on the cohesion of Improvements to the services and work- in light of the caricatures and extremes the School for Spiritual Science, without ings of the Goetheanum and its nearly 800 we experience in nearly all sectors and compromising the unique and specific events annually, conservation efforts re- branches of life. It can only be a commu- contributions and obligations of each Sec- garding the Statue “Representative of Man” nity-building task to attempt to reconcile tion. As a totality, the School for Spiritual and the Rudolf Steiner Atelier, the active in- Anthroposophy Worldwide No. 10/08 | 3 ■ Anthroposophical Society ■ Anthroposophical Society 2008 Christmas Appeal volvement in developments in the Society worldwide, and the cultivation of common The Mystery of Opposites foci in the School for Spiritual Science, all In this year’s Christmas Appeal, Cornelius Pietzner indicates how important it is for point to significant projects during the last esoteric activity to work in a positive way. But isn’t it true that the battle for the spirit year for the Goetheanum, the School for is a characteristic of our age? Pietzner explains why he sees no contradiction in regard Spiritual Science and the Anthroposophical to this issue. Society. Without your help we could not have undertaken these activities. We are most grateful for your engagement and participation! Indeed, the Goethea- MartinaKallenberg Photo: num is dependant on your financial sup- port and generosity to make our initia- tives possible. Our goal worldwide is € 550,000—an ambitious amount! Thus, each gift matters, and together we can surely reach this necessary goal! Thank you very much for your participa- tion! With our best wishes for a light-filled Christmas, What do we work toward—and against? A scene from the Goetheanum Sebastian Jüngel: The 2008 Christmas Jüngel: Learning to live with paradoxes is Appeal uses a quotation from Rudolf another theme of the Christmas Appeal.