Ethical Individualism
Hélène Besnard
The March 2021 edition of eNews included two articles having to do with the image anthroposophists present to the world. From the Goetheanum, Justus Wittich’s contribution mentioned the unflattering picture conveyed by certain influential newspapers; Carol Lewis spoke in her article of her dismay at seeing anthroposophists associated with the anti-maskers, or the pro-Trump movement, and so forth.
Irrespective of the true or false images of anthroposophists put forth here and there, I feel we can all agree on the fact that anthroposophists, as do individuals everywhere around the globe, have varying experiences, and hold differing opinions and views concerning the current world situation – views that can either be strongly adversarial or highly nuanced in nature, and that differ from one individual to another.
Whether or not we find this state of affairs desirable, the situation can afford us an opportunity to become aware of the pitfalls of the radicalisation that is increasingly prevalent in our society, an opportunity to practise tolerance and freedom as set forth by Rudolf Steiner in his Philosophy of Freedom and many lectures and addresses to members.
It is from a different point of view, not one of controversy, that I would like to share a number of thoughts with you, following on the aforementioned articles.
I am grateful to Mr. Wittich for having drawn our attention to the negative, perhaps even defamatory, reviews published in well-known newspapers. It must be added, however, that it is not only anthroposophists who have had their positions and intentions caricatured. The attacks launched by the official press in an effort to ridicule individuals who express a spiritual awareness or who speak of human freedom have become progressively more scathing. Rudolf Steiner, when faced with malicious articles aimed at him and at the Anthroposophical Society, said clearly that these were signs of Ahriman’s fight against the emergence of a culture willing to embrace spirituality. (1)
Physicians, legal experts, artists and researchers (2) who only one year ago were considered leaders in their fields, but who have dared to question the true origins of the Covid-19 virus and the reasoning behind the official measures put in place, are being increasingly discredited and even vilified. Could it also be in Ahriman’s interest that these individuals be labeled fools, incompetent, irrational? I am speaking of individuals who have been faced with hostile reactions from leading decision-makers, first because they are seeking to better comprehend what is going on and then because they have stated publicly what they themselves have discovered to be inconsistencies. (3) Can we be open enough to be able to ask what motivates the courage they show, endangering their lives, their reputations and their careers by openly stating their concerns and sharing the results of their own research? (4) Can we be sufficiently discerning with respect to the information carried by mainstream media, and also with respect to what is to be found in the parallel news sources, in order to be able to ascertain for ourselves those individuals who, in the midst of all the charlatans, are honest and, to my mind, display Michaelic courage? It is our hope that individuals will come to their own conclusions concerning anthroposophical initiatives rather than giving credence to articles of an insidious nature. We hope that beyond, and in spite of, all our errors and inadequacies, it can be recognised how through our ideals, efforts, and accomplishments, anthroposophists are striving to bring about a better life for all human beings. And that does not mean that we expect everyone to become an anthroposophist. Are we capable of recognizing what is good in the striving of human beings, who like us are imperfect, in their search for Truth, without necessarily fully endorsing their chosen path?
This brings me to the subject of the anti-maskers that Carol Lewis fears will be associated with anthroposophists. I am grateful to her for providing the link to the article in which, in their quest for the truth, Holdredge and McAlice examine and refute what appear to be unfounded arguments. Carol Lewis’ comments also give me the opportunity to address the anti/pro mask and anti/pro vaccine controversy on which the mainstream media have clearly taken a stance.
I meet many individuals in my surroundings who have been labeled anti-maskers but who, in truth, are not anti as such but are rather in favour of being left FREE to choose wearing a mask according to the specific situation – street, school, hospital. I am among those who ask: if the mask is so effective, if it protects the wearer and others, why should it be forced upon those who do not feel it to be so and who clearly see the negative effects of mask wearing, especially where children are concerned? And the same thing goes for the question of vaccines. It is true that Rudolf Steiner did mention that for an individual who undertakes the required spiritual work, certain vaccines are less harmful than one would think. However, you are of course aware that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are not vaccines in the traditional sense, but rather genetic experiments. (5) Whatever the positions taken by anthroposophical physicians and researchers, positions that differ from expert to expert, they all seem to agree on one thing: FREEDOM of choice....... Please click below to continue reading this article.....
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FROM THE GOETHEANUM
Dear members,
This issue will reach you just before – or possibly not until after – the Annual General Meeting of the General Anthroposophical Society on 27 March. It looks likely that members will not be (or have been) able to take part in-person at the Goetheanum. Again, contact with members all over the world will be via livestream – a format that has become routine for many of us and that can make us aware of how intensely the place where we meet is part of the encounter and how much we miss not being able to meet, not only in time but also in a location. New ways of coming together are being tested that demand their own forms and need us to explore their possibilities and limitations.
Enveloping awareness
The conference Breathing with the Climate Crisis in mid-February, which was organized by both the Section for Agriculture and the Youth Section, connected people from more than 60 countries and enveloped the earth with the awareness that the bated breath is asking for ecological, social and spiritual change. The young people and farmers met against the background of this shared task: for and with the earth, and around the earth.
Can this layer of awareness contribute to easing the breathing?
The Goetheanum was not able to perform its usual task as local host. Instead it was a guest itself on numerous farms, in houses and homes where people were coming together depending on the given circumstances.
We are asked to take hold of the reality of our localization in a new way, by connecting with the world around us where we are and shaping the way we participate in life on the basis of that. This requires the courage of knowledge, individual responsibility and ever new affirmation of the world – three requirements that will accompany our work this year at the Goetheanum, too, and that we intend to carry into and out of the AGM.
Constanza Kaliks,
Goetheanum
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Interview with Eric Philips-Oxford,
Translator and Class Holder in Montreal
by Susan Koppersmith
Susan: Eric, you provide a very valuable service to our Society in a few ways. You translate articles (English to French and French to English) for the eNews and Perspectives. You have also been a member of the First Class for decades and a Class reader for many years. Are you very busy with the translations?
Eric: Well, I do work most days on them; sometimes I have a week or two off! It is my way of giving back to the Society. It is something I am able to contribute, so I do it.
Susan: Can you say something about your past?
Eric: I was born in Los Angeles and I have a Master’s degree in French from UCLA. I arrived in Montreal in 1968 after being hired to teach French language here at the Collegiate level. Then I changed direction by getting the credentials to teach young children. For 30 years I taught second language and music to elementary school children in the public school system.
Susan: When did you discover anthroposophy?
Eric: This happened after I arrived in Montreal. In my case, it was a natural fit from the beginning. I was initially drawn particularly to the basic books such as Occult Science. Rudolf Steiner’s lectures on cosmology have always intrigued me. I found an anthroposophical study group in Montreal. Eventually, circumstances made it important for me to lead a study group for French-speaking individuals interested in anthroposophy. I still lead weekly study groups in French.
Susan: Why and when did you join the First Class?
Eric: Within a few years after I became a member, I joined the First Class. Again, it seemed just a natural step. I did not need to overthink this decision. Twenty-four years ago, I was appointed to take over the First Class in French when Huguette Chaurette, the first French-language Class Holder in North America, had to step back for health reasons. A similar series of events led me to take on giving the Class in English sometime later, and eventually, a new Class Holder, Hélène Besnard, was appointed for the French section, and I continue to hold the Class once a month in English. I also attend the Class in French given by France Beaucage, assisting her by setting up the room each month.
Susan: What is different about working with the 19 Class mantras compared with Steiner’s other meditations?
Eric: The content of the First Class differs completely from the other meditations Steiner gives. What I say now is the result of my own personal journey through all my years working with the Lessons and also reading what others have had to say.
Rudolf Steiner’s mission was to bring to mankind in the form of concepts the esoteric Rosicrucian- Christian content that had been kept secret while the consciousness soul was developing. He was chosen by the spirit world to do this for the dawning of the new Michael age because of his scientific and philosophical background. He was directed to put the inner spirit core of the knowledge into concepts that could be taken up freely by the individual.
The words of the mantras of the First Class differ from the other verses Rudolf Steiner gave; they are not his words, speaking as a human being to the spirit, but come directly from the supersensible world. He was given the task to translate them into earthly language because the time had come for them to be spoken to human beings. This was made possible by Rudolf Steiner’s courageous act of opening up the New Mysteries by speaking the Foundation Stone Meditation, addressing it to human beings and to the spiritual world.
In the First Class we create a body for the Michael School on earth. A physical space worthy of allowing those words to be spoken must be created, a space in which members come together intent on creating such a vessel. The space is prepared beforehand so that when members enter it, they sense right away that they are being called upon to assume personal responsibility for what will take place.
Susan: How does one become a member of the First Class?
Eric: Potential members of the School of Spiritual Science are asked to go through a few steps. These are individuals who have previously joined the Anthroposophical Society out of interest for what anthroposophy brings. If, after a time, they feel a deep connection to the impulse behind anthroposophy they may feel that their destiny calls them to commit to the Michael School. First, they have a conversation with the Class Holder and share some thoughts of a karmic connection they experience with taking this step. Then they write a short biography in their own handwriting, which is sent to the Goetheanum and kept there. Class members are asked to commit to the School and the Michael stream. The process established for becoming a member is not designed to exclude, but rather to ensure a member’s commitment to the School.
Susan: What do you think of the fact that now the mantras are on the internet?
Eric: The process established for becoming a member of the School is aimed at making the commitment to the School an impersonal one. The content of the Lessons of the First Class was never intended to be sought out of personal curiosity. Yet, the publications and the internet allow this to happen.
As Class holders and members, we do our best to create a space worthy of the supersensible School, a space in which the spiritual quality of the mantric words which have been misappropriated and misused can be reactivated.
Susan: How has working so many years with the Class mantras changed you?
Eric: I have never felt the need to connect with any of the different Sections, (Literary Arts, Agriculture, Visual Arts, etc.), even though I have worked for years in the fields of education and language. My interest has always been to focus on the General Anthroposophical Section, which is what all members belong to when they first join the Class. I guess I could say that working with the mantras all these years has allowed me to better accomplish outer tasks.
Susan: Thank you for your time, Eric! Is there anything more you would like to say in closing?
Eric: I am always deeply appreciative of how as a community of souls, as individuals so different and completely independent, we find our place, our task, according to what we each can bring to the community.
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Some thoughts on bequests to the Society
Dear members,
Recently Dorothy LeBaron (past President of the Council) and I were discussing an advertisement about bequests that will appear in the Society’s upcoming Perspectives 2021 issue. Many Canadian Society members have left legacy gifts for the Anthroposophical Society in Canada through their estate planning.
We discovered during our conversation that we both have included the Society in our respective wills. We decided it would be a good exercise for each of us to think about why we have done this. We then we set ourselves the task to write a short paragraph about our process and to include in an upcoming eNews. Here is what we came up with:
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Dorothy’s thoughts:
My decision to leave a legacy gift to the Anthroposophical Society in Canada came from my experiences on the Council. During my term, we travelled to many different cities across this country, meeting friends and members in the context of an AGM, or a project where we engaged and worked together. One of the highlights was the Encountering our Humanity conference in Ottawa in 2016. I am inspired by my colleagues. I am grateful for our way of working that includes the arts, and I am touched by the dedication of the people I meet to anthroposophy and its growth in Canada.
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Susan’s thoughts:
I am grateful to the Canadian Society as it provides a chance to be active in local Branch life as well as working with members from across Canada. It is always possible to study anthroposophical lectures by oneself and to meditate. But to take on projects with other members adds an extra dimension. Rudolf Steiner speaks about the two Mystery-streams prevalent in the Society: the path of the Magi and the path of the Shepherds. Each of us needs to determine what stream we come from and to recognize that the time has come for the Magi to become Shepherds inwardly and the Shepherds, Magi. Sergei Prokofieff speaks about this extensively in chapters five and six of “May Human Beings Hear It: the Mystery of the Christmas Conference.” Disagreements arise because members are unwilling to direct their care and attention to the other stream which seems strange and unfamiliar. When we can learn to appreciate the strengths of the other stream and work with those inspired by it, our life and work together can then be the basis of the New Mysteries. This is why I am grateful to belong to the Anthroposophical Society and want to support it financially. Membership provides this opportunity to work with the streams in a way that is new.
Dorothy is active with Gift Money Mandate Group, which includes the welcoming of bequests from members. It is a small group and needs more people! If you can help, please be in touch with her at lebaron@nauticalmind.com
Warm Spring greetings,
Susan Koppersmith
BC Council Rep
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Willow Casket Making in North Vancouver
An Interview with Ruth Tschannen by Susan Koppersmith
Susan: Ruth, you are a therapeutic eurythmist and you have worked for many years in Camphill communities, most recently with Cascadia Society in North Vancouver. How is Cascadia faring in these days of lockdown?
Ruth: Because we are categorized as an essential service, we are lucky that we can still operate. Many things, though, have had to change so we are navigating choppy waters. These are birth pangs; something new wants to emerge!
Susan: What is your latest project?
Ruth: First a little background: I have always been interested in two important thresholds: coming into this world and leaving it. Right now my activities center around the threshold of death. This has its roots to when I was 6 years old and three friends of neighbours died in a car crash. At a young age, I was pulled into a heart wrenching experience which shaped my entire life.
In Camphill, when a villager or a coworker dies, there is always a three-day wake, a rich experience for everybody. Many years ago at Camphill Botton, a villager one day suddenly announced, “Richard came to say goodbye to me.” Then two minutes later came the phone call to everyone that Richard had died. At Camphill Copake there were always three caskets stored behind the stage, ready when needed.
Several years ago, Adola McWilliam from Camphill Glenora Farm on Vancouver Island ordered a willow casket for herself. She was being proactive and wanted something ready!
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In 2018 two friends joined me and we made a small willow casket, a prototype. We put aside a week for this sacred activity. Each morning, we swept the area before we began and said a prayer. Then the two friends left to pursue other adventures, and I had to find the courage to proceed on my own. I believe that some power from the spiritual world joined with me and I finished a casket for Adola.
And then another event in 2019: a young boy died on the Island. My world opened up; I realized that my interest in making willow caskets was a gateway to a relationship with the wider community. I formed a close connection with the boy’s family, which continues to this day. I gave the prototype-casket to them for their son. I realized that working with a family around the death of a loved one allowed them to form a deeper relationship to the spiritual world and the help it can provide at every moment, no matter what the circumstances. I have had many positive responses to this project. People that I have never met, get in touch with me and want to learn more.
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Susan: How will you proceed?
Ruth: I plan to work quietly with a very small group in different locations. Now is not the time to go big! The challenge is finding the willows. I did have a source but then deers ate them! I have a plan now to work with a couple in the interior of British Columbia, but it is too early to say much about this.
Susan: Thank you, Ruth. Is there a way people could contact you for more information?
Reprinted from Anthroposophy Worldwide, April
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GOETHEANUM ANTHROPOSOPHY STUDIES
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Anthroposophy Worldwide - 2021
April edition
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