Theosophy and Anthroposophy Books

Book Synopsis"The anthroposophical community seeks to lift human souls into supersensible realms so that they may enter the company of Angels." - Rudolf Steiner. Prokofieff traces the three stages of heavenly preparation of anthroposophy: the 'spiritual thunderstorm', the Michael School in the Sun sphere, and the 'imagination-based cultus' in the spiritual word nearest to the Earth. These events involved the nine spiritual hierarchies, associating them with the karma of the anthroposophical movement. Prokofieff elaborates the tasks of the Anthroposophical Society and indicates how these are connected with the spiritual hierarchies, the Michael movement, the Grail mysteries, the work of new Group Souls, and the Foundation Stone Meditation. He shows that the General Anthroposophical Society was, in an esoteric sense, created in order that human beings might learn to work with the Gods themselves. This is a vital booklet for anybody who cares deeply about the future of the Anthroposophical Society, or the future of mankind itself.

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Book SynopsisRudolf Steiner's work is recognized today largely due to the prominence of the international Steiner school movement, biodynamic agriculture, anthroposophical (holistic) medicine, and so on. However, the comprehensive spiritual philosophy that stands behind these practical initiatives is not so well known. In this concise presentation, based on years of giving introductory courses on the subject, van Oort presents an overview of key aspects of Steiner's thought. He deals with concepts such as body, soul and spirit, the relationship between man and animal, and the evolution of consciousness. The latter subject opens up panoramic vistas of human development in the form of successive cultural periods extending over thousands of years.

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Book SynopsisChange can be unwelcome, but it usually brings new opportunities and the possibility of a fresh start. When the great change of the menopause begins to make itself felt in the life of a woman, the subsequent loss of fertility and the signs that one is getting older can trigger a life and identity crisis. In this essential guide, written from the holistic perspective of anthroposophical medicine, Eveline Daub-Amend shows how this turning point in a woman's biography can be a positive time of transformation: of entering a new phase of life with a fit and healthy body, mind and spirit. She discusses how symptoms can be treated using natural methods, and addresses emotional and psychological processes and changes. As a medical doctor and former gynaecologist, Daub-Amend gives authoritative guidance on many issues: the role played by hormones, changes in the menstrual cycle and hormonal balance, loss of fertility, contraception and the affects on sexuality and partnership. She gives advice on dealing with hot flushes, sleep disorders, irregular bleeding, pain in the joints, skin and hair care and weight and figure, as well as specific health problems such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and depression. She also considers complementary methods of treatment, the pros and cons of HRT and the significance of diet and exercise.

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Book SynopsisSome people's path to anthroposophy leads them directly to Rudolf Steiner's early work and The Philosophy of Freedom, and this becomes the philosophical basis for their future exploration. Rudolf Steiner referred to this as a 'safe' approach.But many people's destiny leads them directly to anthroposophy itself, or via one of its practical initiatives, making it difficult sometimes for them to relate to the cognitive basis of anthroposophy. In this unique study Sergei O. Prokofieff offers fresh means of access to Rudolf Steiner's crucially important book, The Philosophy of Freedom. Prokofieff indicates why The Philosophy of Freedom is so important to anthroposophy. It is here that Rudolf Steiner lays the foundations for his method of research. In Steiner's own words: "One who is willing can indeed find the basic principles of anthroposophy in my Philosophy of Freedom". Prokofieff discusses the Christian nature of the anthroposophical method of cognition, and how it is integrally related to freedom and love. This in turn reveals the deeply Christian roots of The Philosophy of Freedom and its importance for modern Christian esotericism. In fact, says Prokofieff, the book holds a 'central position ...in the spiritual history of the Occident'. In considering its multifaceted 'cosmic-human dimension', the author discusses The Philosophy of Freedom in relation to the Mystery of the Resurrection, the Working of the Hierarchies, the Being Anthroposophia, the Fifth Gospel, Rudolf Steiner's Path of Initiation, the Rosicrucian and Michaelic Impulses, the Life Between Death and Rebirth, the Foundation Stone, the Christian Mysteries of Karma and the Science of the Grail.

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Book SynopsisRudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy, spent some five months of his life in Britain, visiting it ten times between the years 1902 and 1924. With the exception of German-speaking countries, the longest time Steiner spent abroad was in Britain, a place he clearly considered as central to his work. In this extraordinarily thorough study of over 1,200 pages and dozens of illustrations, Crispian Villeneuve documents these important visits, reproducing letters, articles, records and other archival material - much of it published for the first time. He also studies the interconnected theme of the life and work of D.N. Dunlop, Rudolf Steiner's closest British colleague. Rudolf Steiner in Britain has special significance for English-speaking peoples around the world, as well as for those seeking to understand how and why Steiner disseminated his spiritual world-view. Villeneuve's two-volume opus, the fruit of a decade of research, is finally available in a paperback edition.

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Book SynopsisBiodynamic agriculture, which has consistently increased in popularity over the years, was born from a single course of eight lectures delivered by Rudolf Steiner in Koberwitz (now in Poland) in June 1924. In The Agriculture Course Peter Selg presents an unprecedented study of the context within which the lectures took place, conveying a tangible sense of the celebratory mood and atmosphere of those Whitsun events. He highlights Steiner's intentions for the course - as well as the parallel lectures he gave in Breslau - by drawing widely on the available literature and numerous archive materials. Recognizing that chemical manipulation of agriculture was neither desirable nor sustainable, Rudolf Steiner helped launch an agricultural movement with a truly pioneering outlook. As Selg describes, Steiner saw that '...what was needed instead was new, conscious insight into life forces and laws, into the nature of organisms, into the diverse realms of nature, and the determining factors of both earth and cosmos that influence them.' The vivid picture painted here reveals the importance Rudolf Steiner placed on launching this work, and the extent to which his initiative offered an answer to the emerging forces of cultural and political destruction that would lead to the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisRudolf 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.'

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Book SynopsisWhat is Whitsun, and how can its impulse be furthered for the future of society? How can social life become the bearer of the Christ impulse, and how can Christ Himself enter directly into social life? In this small booklet Prokofieff speaks of the significance of spiritual work conducted in a social setting, and its crucial role in preparing for the future epoch of the Spirit-Self. The spiritual-social tasks set before us, he says, '...can only be achieved through mutual efforts with one another.' And for such social activity, the General Anthroposophical Society, '...with all of its different groups and branches, which unite all anthroposophists in the world', plays a fundamental role. Thus, concludes Prokofieff, '...the spiritual tasks of the General Anthroposophical Society are gradually combined with the tasks of all mankind.' This booklet, consisting of a report of a lecture supplemented with an essay, is an important companion to the publication by the same author, The Esoteric Significance of Spiritual Work in Anthroposophical Groups.

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Book SynopsisIn ancient times, people's experience of the divine was imbued with the feminine archetype. The world of spirit was seen to be populated by goddesses, and women were honoured as priestesses and guardians of sacred rites. The later Greek and Roman civilizations, in contrast, were characterized by the principle of patriarchy, which still dominates our culture - despite the political and social emancipation of women in the West. This unique study of the feminine archetype throws new light on the spiritual significance and meaning of the feminine principle today, as well as its task and destiny in the future. Beginning with Eve in tradition and legend, the authors provide insightful commentaries on the Queen of Sheba, the image of the Virgin in esoteric Christianity, Isis-Sophia and the Great Mother, the birth of art from the primal source of the feminine, and the importance of women in modern esotericism. Through a study of the esoteric background to human and earth evolution, Sease and Schmidt-Brabant arrive at clear and accessible perspectives that could transform human life, and in particular family culture, in our time.

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Book SynopsisIn this inspiring lecture, addressed primarily to the anthroposophic movement, Prokofieff gives an overview of how the spiritual hierarchies and Christ, the Lord of Karma, work in the ordering of human karma. We are led to the karma and mission of the Anthroposophical Society, with indications as to what needs to happen before that karmic mission can be fulfilled. Prokofieff explains why true modern Christian research into karma does not arise out of intellectual speculation, curiosity or nebulous mystical experiences. The process of karmic research based on spiritual science should lead to a fundamental transformation of human nature, leading to a full experience of the cosmos.

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Book SynopsisThe twelve sublime beings known, according to eastern tradition, as the Bodhisattvas, are the great teachers of humanity. One after another they descend into earthly incarnation, until they fulfil their earthly mission. At this point they rise to Buddahood and are no longer obliged to return in a physical form. But before a Bodhisattva becomes a Buddha, he announces the name of his successor...According to Rudolf Steiner, the future Maitreya Buddha - or the 'Bringer of Good', as his predecessor named him - incarnated in a human body in the twentieth century. Presuming this to be so, then who was this person? The Theosophists believed they had discovered the Bodhisattva in an Indian boy, Krishnamurti, who grew up to be a teacher of some magnitude. Adolf Arenson and Elisabeth Vreede, both students of Rudolf Steiner, made independent examinations of this question in relation to Steiner's personal mission, and were led to contrasting conclusions. More recently a claim has been made that Valentin Tomberg - a student of anthroposophy but later an influential Roman Catholic - was the Bodhisattva. These conflicting theories are analysed by Thomas Meyer, who demonstrates how the question can be useful as an exercise in developing sound judgement in spiritual matters. Elisabeth Vreede's two lectures on the subject, included here in full, are a valuable contribution to our understanding of the true nature and being of Rudolf Steiner.Trade Review'Enthusiastic readers are sometimes heard to say of a book: "I couldn't put it down" This is obviously either a metaphor or else a gross hyperbole. But I can't recall any book as to which in my case it came nearer to the literal truth than The Bodhisattva Question.' - Owen Barfield

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Book SynopsisRudolf Steiner taught that, beginning in the twentieth century, Christ would reappear in the etheric (or 'life') realm of the Earth. And he made two further predictions in relation to that event: firstly that, before such a reappearance could take place, mankind 'must have passed through the encounter with the Beast, which will appear in 1933'; and secondly that, around the end of the twentieth century, 'Sorath' - the Sun Demon - would oppose people's personal vision of the etheric Christ. Taking these statements as his starting point, Tradowsky examines the question of evil and its relationship to Christ. He describes Sorath and his activities, asserting that knowledge of this elusive and terrible being helps individuals to overcome him; and he explains the role of the 'Apocalyptic Beast' in relation to Ahriman - or Antichrist - and the latter's physical incarnation on earth. Intended for those with a close concern for anthroposophy, this book provides essential background information to understanding the events of our time and clarifying our tasks in relation to Christ, evil and the new millennium.

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Book SynopsisIn the same way that the entire plant is contained in germinal form in its seed, so the totality of anthroposophy can be discovered in Rudolf Steiner's central work The Philosophy of Freedom, a book that lays the foundation for the modern scientific path to the spiritual world. Given the centrality of the Guardian of the Threshold to modern initiation, one may therefore ask where this theme is to be found in The Philosophy of Freedom. Prokofieff presents his insights to this little researched question in the first part of this volume. In the second part, he investigates The Philosophy of Freedom's connection to the content of Rudolf Steiner's research relating to the Fifth Gospel. Through Prokofieff's thoughtful commentary, new light is shed on the connection between Rudolf Steiner's early and late work. Study of the relevant texts reveals that the roots of Steiner's early work lie in the same spiritual reality - the Christ Impulse - as those of the later anthroposophy he was to develop.

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Book SynopsisWhat spiritual or esoteric practices took place within the mysterious and often controversial Knights Templar? Whilst little is known about this aspect of the Order's history, speculation and wild rumours continue to persist. Having taken the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the members of the Templar Order were required to live the life of other monastic orders. However, their remarkable rise to a successful elite community - followed by the insidious machinations and slander that led to their spectacular fall and destruction - suggests that they were involved in something more significant than straightforward medieval religious practices. There have been many theories as to whether their 'secret' involved material wealth and special treasure. But could it have been connected to a science of initiation - the knowledge, experience and understanding of spiritual dimensions that can enlighten the pupil on an esoteric path? In The Templar Spirit Margaret Jonas penetrates these questions, examining some of the various claims and revealing something of the esoteric practices and beliefs of the Order, including influences from other religious traditions. She presents her own research into the meaning of the mysterious 'head' that the Templars were accused of worshipping, and examines the historical figures that lent their wisdom and guidance to the founding of the Order.

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Book SynopsisThe beginnings of the Templar Order are shrouded in mystery. Very little is known about its foundation, inner workings or its rapid growth. This lack of knowledge can lead to all sorts of speculation and, sometimes, bizarre theories. This book - developed from a conference held on the theme at Emerson College, England - offers new, well-grounded perspectives that utilize both esoteric and exoteric sources. From varying points-of-view, the contributors tackle key questions relating to the forming of the Order and its aims and intentions. They explore the Knights Templar's spiritual and historical background, as well as the Order's significance at the present time and its continuing impulse in the future. With its broad scope, this stimulating anthology encourages independent, open-minded enquiry and research. Featuring contributions by: Peter Tradowsky, Gil McHattie, Horst Biehl, Margaret Jonas, Rolf Speckner, Sylvia Francke, Simon Cade-Williams, Jaap van der Haar, Alfred Kon, David Lenker, Peter Snow, Christine Gruwez, Frans Lutters, Walter Johannes Stein and Siegfried Rudel.

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Book Synopsis'Here lies Kaspar Hauser, riddle of his time. His birth was unknown, his death mysterious.' (Inscription on Kaspar Hauser's tombstone.) In 1828 a teenage boy was discovered on the streets of Nuremberg. Barely able to walk, he clutched a letter in his hand. This youth, Kaspar Hauser, who couldn't properly speak or write, was soon to become an international phenomenon known as 'the Child of Europe'. The story of Kaspar Hauser presents many mysteries. According to his account, the young boy spent most of his life confined in a darkened space. Unable to stand up, and with no knowledge of his captors, he was fed a diet of bread and water. Eventually released from this macabre prison, he survived an assassination attempt only to be stabbed to death in 1833. Why was a child kept in such squalid circumstances? Who were his parents? Who was responsible for such a cruel attack on childhood? Who murdered him? In this seminal work Peter Tradowsky addresses these questions through the insights of anthroposophy. His analysis reveals some of the secrets of Kaspar Hauser's short life, and the occult significance of his incarnation, spiritual nature and individuality.

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Book SynopsisRudolf Steiner spoke the Foundation Stone meditation at the Christmas Conference of the General Anthroposophical Society in 1923, giving it to the Society's members for the strengthening of their forces. The meditation's words contain, to quote Sergei O. Prokofieff, 'the quintessence of the whole of anthroposophy'. Thus, Steiner was bestowing on the members the potential to deal resolutely with the specific tasks awaiting them. In this short but potent volume, Peter Selg suggests further that the Foundation Stone meditation represents the concerns of every individual of the modern age, allowing each of us to maintain our humanity in the face of the challenges and catastrophes of the present and future. Rudolf Steiner said that one could hear the words of the meditation 'sounding' in one's heart. This process of 'hearing' will acquire even more significance and reality in future, and can be of enormous help to anyone who opens themselves to it. It is against this background that Selg has written this introductory book: to promote awareness of the meditation, understanding of its historic place in the catastrophic twentieth century, and its critical but latent contribution to the future.

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Book SynopsisSaved by good fortune from the flames that engulfed the first Goetheanum, Rudolf Steiner's wooden sculpture of the Christ - 'the Representative of Humanity' - standing between the adversary forces of Lucifer and Ahriman, remains intact and on display, although unfinished, to this day. Unique in the history of art, the Sculptural Group was deeply connected to Rudolf Steiner's inner being. The great Christian initiate even died by its side, having made efforts to work on the sculpture just days before he crossed the threshold. The essential source from which this work was created, says Sergei Prokofieff, '...lay in Rudolf Steiner's ego, in his spirit...It was only out of this intuitive connection of his own ego with the Christ Being that he was able to create this work of art.' Beginning with the Sculptural Group's early history, and Steiner's collaboration on its creation with Edith Maryon, Prokofieff enters into deeply esoteric perspectives, studying the artwork's relationship with the mysteries of the Holy Grail, the etherization of the blood, the Seventh Apocalyptic Seal, the Legend of the New Isis, as well as the being Anthroposophia.

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Book SynopsisUsing an accessible question-and-answer format, this short but focused book tackles themes relating to the etheric - or life - realm. What is etheric technology? What are the impacts of radioactivity and atomic energy? How should we read apocalyptic symptoms in science and society? In a fascinating series of discussions Nick Thomas examines a range of concepts, including: the right and wrong ways to develop an etheric technology; spiritual events in the etheric realm; how the physical world works into the etheric world and vice versa; Rudolf Steiner's 'Strader machine'; the nature of truth and lies; attacks by the adversaries on forces of vitality; and humanity's crossing of the threshold to the spiritual world. His explanations and ideas help to evoke a living picture of a great struggle between forces of good and evil, with the future of humanity and the Earth at stake.Table of ContentsPart One: The Battle for the Etheric Realm 1. A lie is a lie is a lie... 2. Return to chaos - etheric technology 3. Rupert Sheldrake: 'theosophical' and 'anthroposophical' ether 4. Radioactivity: when the real challenge will come Part Two: Contemporary Events Illumined by the Book of Revelation 1. Symptoms of the Apocalypse today 2. Science at the threshold Notes

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Book SynopsisThe idea of 'north' suggests much more than wintry cold, ice and snow. To many, it hints at something magical, enchanting and mysterious. This book explores the spiritual aspect of this attraction through a survey of ancient history, Norse mythology and contemporary studies of earth mysteries and sacred sites. From her detailed research, Margaret Jonas traces the birth of Celtic Christianity in the British Isles, Ireland, Scandinavia and Germany, revealing a time when ancient prophecies relating to the sun and divine beings came to fulfilment. A new spiritual wisdom gradually spread across Europe - not only from the south northwards, but also from west eastwards. The author describes how a paradisiacal element from the earliest stages of earth evolution was preserved and nurtured in hidden places associated with the northern mysteries. This fascinating work of accessible scholarship features chapters on Hyperborea, Thule and Apollo; the Druids and Odinic Mysteries; Norway and the Celtic Christian Legacy; the Number Five and the Etheric Body; the Externsteine and the God Vidar, and Finland. The book concludes with hints of a future time when northern magic will be transformed, and '...new clairvoyant faculties will be within the reach of all humanity'.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter One: The Early Northern Mysteries Chapter Two: Hyperborea, Thule and Apollo Chapter Three: The Druids and Odinic Mysteries Chapter Four: Thule and the Thul Chapter Five: Norway and the Celtic Christian Legacy Chapter Six: The Number Five and the Etheric Body Chapter Seven: The Externsteine and the God Vidar. Finland and Signposts to the Future Epilogue: A Sea Crossing

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be human? What is knowledge? What is freedom? Philosophy offers answers to these questions, but are its rarefied arguments relevant to people today, or just abstractions? Are we not more preoccupied with day-to-day survival and the unending problems surrounding human relationships? Yet most if not all people seek for meaning in life. We are not content with being specks on a random planet in a solar system, part of a vast clockwork universe. To dismiss consciousness as worthless, or merely the play of chance, is to give up on finding real meaning in existence. Freedom Through Love offers possibilities for dealing with some of these big questions, leading to satisfying and convincing conclusions. Although based on Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy of Freedom, Nick Thomas does not begin his book with complex philosophical arguments, but with themes that reflect modern times. 'Let us not start with abstract questions far from life, but from life itself!', he states in his opening page. Thus the search for meaning, truth, freedom and love begins with the realities of daily life - people and their relationships - as these constitute the most difficult, but real, issues of contemporary society.

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Book SynopsisD.N. Dunlop (1868-1935) combined remarkable practical and organizational abilities in industry and commerce with gifted spiritual and esoteric capacities. A personal friend of W.B. Yeats and Rudolf Steiner, Dunlop was responsible for founding the World Power Conference (today the World Energy Council), and played leading roles in the Theosophical Society and later the Anthroposophical Society. In his business life he pioneered a cooperative approach towards the emerging global economy. Meyer's compelling narrative of Dunlop's life begins on the Isle of Arran, where the motherless boy is brought up by his grandfather. In a landscape rich with prehistoric standing stones, the young Dunlop has formative spiritual experiences. When his grandfather dies, he struggles for material survival, but devotedly studies occult literature. The scene moves to Dublin, where Dunlop becomes a friend of W.B. Yeats and the poet-seer A.E., and develops an active interest in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophy. Arriving in London via New York, Dunlop is now a lecturer, writer and the editor of a monthly journal - but alongside his esoteric interests he rises to a foremost position in the British electrical industry, masterminding the first World Power Conference. Dunlop's life is to change forever through his meeting with Rudolf Steiner, which '...brought instant recognition'. He was immediately convinced that Steiner was '...the Knower, the Initiate, the bearer of the Spirit to his age'. Dunlop's close involvement with anthroposophy, leading to his eventual position as Chair of the British Society, is described in detail: from the momentous conferences in Penmaenmawr and Torquay to his transformative relationships with Eleanor Merry, W.J. Stein, Ita Wegman and Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz. Meyer features important material on the Anthroposophical Society's tragic split, that allows for a true evaluation of this difficult period in the organization's history. This second, enlarged edition features substantial additions of new material as well as an Afterword by Owen Barfield.

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Book SynopsisDementia, a broad category of brain diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, affects millions of people worldwide. Although its impact is primarily focused on populations of Western countries, orthodox medicine has not been able to discover the causes of dementia, let alone develop successful treatments or a cure. Given this situation, there are good reasons to investigate the psycho-spiritual factors connected to the outbreak of the illness. As the author states in her Preface: 'The conception of man that is given priority today by the scientific world hardly takes into account that in addition to the physical-material component, for which certain degenerative or pathological processes can be determined with the help of technical apparatus, there are other components of his being to be taken into account which cannot be investigated in that way. So long as the cause of an illness is not sought in connection with those spiritual components of the human being, a successful treatment of the patient cannot be assured.' Developing successful methods of treatment requires a full understanding of the human being.This can not be achieved through observation with the outer senses only, but increasingly calls for spiritual-scientific perception. Through this method, as founded by Rudolf Steiner, great service can be rendered to humanity, including precise research into the causes of ill-health. The factors involved in the eruption of modern afflictions, such as dementia, can be determined by careful consideration of humanity's - as well as the individual's - destiny. In this succinct but rich study, Judith von Halle describes her investigations into the phenomenon of dementia, beginning with a general outline of the anthroposophical conception of the human being and society, and applying that knowledge to what today is increasingly referred to as an epidemic. This book does not demand medical expertise, but requires an effort to engage with the psycho-spiritual conditions of dementia sufferers. It provides a wealth of insights and guidance to approaching one of the greatest challenges of our time.Trade Review'Those involved with this illness professionally or as a relative can learn much from this study, which motivates them to a deepening of anthroposophy. They will also be inspired by how the author brings the illness into the realm of the living impulse of Christ.' - Michaela Glockler

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Book SynopsisBased on personal knowledge and intimate interviews with his subject, as well as access to W.J. Stein's archive of letters and documents, Tautz's biography is a thoroughly-researched and lovingly-detailed study of an exceptional life. Walter Johannes Stein (1891-1957) was one of the original pioneers of anthroposophy. A student of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, Stein met his spiritual teacher whilst studying at Vienna University. After serving in the First World War, Stein was invited by Rudolf Steiner to teach History and Literature at the fledgling Waldorf school in Stuttgart, despite the fact that Stein's doctorate was in Philosophy and his training in Mathematics and Physics. Through his efforts to master the new disciplines, and with the aid of unconventional methods of research, Stein developed groundbreaking new insights into the story of Parzival and the mystery of the Holy Grail, which led to his seminal book The Ninth Century and the Holy Grail. Tautz describes Stein's close friendship with Eugen Kolisko, his struggles to help establish the threefold social order, his work as a Goetheanum lecturer, and his eventual estrangement from the Anthroposophical Society following Rudolf Steiner's death. After journeys of discovery across Europe, Stein landed in London in 1933 - a refugee from the Nazi aggression in Central Europe - where he met his mentor D.N. Dunlop. Dunlop employed him to help establish the first World Power Conference. Based in England for the last 24 years of his life, Stein became a prolific and popular lecturer and the editor of the important anthroposophical journal The Present Age. Long out-of-print, the new edition of this important work is a welcome addition to the growing number of biographies on the founders of anthroposophy.

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Book Synopsis'Spiritual knowledge is not given to us as in ancient times. By spiritual means it must be struggled and striven for against a host of demons...We must therefore get to know the powers that would cover up and obscure all spiritual knowledge.' - from the Preface 'The world seems to be standing within a demonic storm that threatens to overwhelm it', states T.H. Meyer at the outset of this rousing call for a wide-ranging, spiritual-scientific knowledge of the world. Appeals to traditional religious belief will no longer pacify this storm, and neither will 'good will' suffice. Building on Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy, In the Sign of Five tackles the central task of our epoch: the epistemological struggle with evil, and presents the five most important spiritual events since the beginning of the Age of Michael: 1879 - the rise of Michael to the rank of Time Spirit; 1899 - the end of Kali Yuga; 1933 - the appearance of Christ in the Etheric; 1998 - the assault of Sorath, 'one of the greatest ahrimanic demons'; The present - the incarnation of Ahriman. These events are linked to the five main tasks of the Age of Michael, the great challenge of inner knowledge and spiritual consciousness posed by the epoch as a whole. In the light of world history, and within the context of 'the sign of five', we stand today at the fifth place - at the point of the incarnation of Ahriman. Is humanity prepared for this decisive event? Have we recognised the phenomena of evil that surround us on a daily basis? Have the tasks corresponding to the five events been identified, and to what extent have they been carried out? How is evil related to 'the good' that guides the world, and specifically to the Christ impulse? Meyer provides a vital, pithy, aphoristic handbook for our apocalyptic times.

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Book SynopsisIn this concise and richly-illustrated work, Olive Whicher introduces a radical new science of living organisms, forms and processes, based on the pioneering work of Rudolf Steiner and his pupil George Adams. If we are to understand fully the laws of living nature, she argues, it is necessary to overcome the one-sided ideas of modern science - ideas that are only adequate to describe material forms and forces. We need to widen our thinking to include the 'etheric formative forces' - forces that are alive in ethereal space or 'counterspace'. Such forces work in plants, for example, by drawing matter upwards in a suctional manner, in contrast to the forces of gravity, which draw downwards, and the forces of an explosion, which work upward and outward. This easily-digestible introduction will be valuable to anybody seeking to comprehend the living world around us.

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Book SynopsisRudolf 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.

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Book SynopsisAlthough Eastern Europe has been part of the Christian world for more than a thousand years, its spiritual identity remains a mystery. This mystery, says Sergei Prokofieff, can only fully be solved by looking behind external events and seeking spiritual - meta-historical - dimensions of reality. In illuminating the maya of outer history, Prokofieff reveals the forces that have been at work to hinder the progress of mankind: the materialistic Brotherhoods of the West and the occult aspects of both Jesuitism and Bolshevism. These adversary groups have created a 'karma of materialism', that the eastern Slavic peoples have taken upon themselves out of their 'exalted willingness for sacrifice'. Prokofieff shows how, from the earliest times, the future 'conscience of humanity' flowed from hidden mystery centres in Hibernia, to the eastern Slavic peoples. As a result, qualities of 'compassion, patience and willingness for sacrifice' developed in their souls, creating a truly Christian 'Grail mood'. Despite incalculable suffering - from the persecutions of the Mongol hordes to the Bolshevik experiment of the last century - this quality has become an unconquerable force. Will humanity be able to use the present opportunity granted by this sacrifice to fulfil the primary purposes of the present cultural epoch? Can the future mysteries of the Holy Grail be fulfilled? In this momentous work, breathtaking in its scope and detail, the author attempts a truly esoteric approach, penetrating to the spiritual wellsprings of Eastern Europe in the light of Rudolf Steiner's research.

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Book SynopsisA medicine with huge potential for treating Alzheimers, stroke, cancer and even Aids, the Christmas Rose (Black Hellebore) is in the process of being rediscovered by doctors and medical practitioners. Once admired by Hippocrates, Paracelsus and Hahnemann but long forgotten, the Christmas Rose is proving effective once again - both in trials and in clinical practice - for healing the serious illnesses of the new millennium. It is also being used to address many other conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder in children, delayed brain maturation, in gynaecology and for joint disorders. Written by a practising medical doctor, this book offers comprehensive treatment regimes and numerous case studies demonstrating the successful use of this important plant-based medicine. In placing the remedy in historical context, Johannes Wilkens reviews its use by significant figures over the centuries, from Adamus Lonicerus and the founders of herbalism in the Middle Ages and Samuel Hahnemann and the more recent development of homeopathy, through to Rudolf Steiner and the emergence of anthroposophic medicine in the twentieth century. Vividly illustrated with colour photographs, this pioneering work outlines the critical role that the Christmas Rose can play in treating the illnesses of our time.Table of ContentsForeword - Introduction - The Roots of the Christmas Rose - Hahnemann and the wisdom of ancient physicians - Paracelsus and the Middle Ages - Adamus Lonicerus and the founders of herbalism in the Middle Ages - The Christmas Rose in the History of Homeopathy and Current Homeopathic Indications - Hahnemann and his medicine tests - Paediatrics including epilepsy and ADD / ADHD - The active constituents of the Christmas Rose - Psychiatry and religious manias - Gynaecology - Joint disorders - Geriatrics - The palliative care ward - The Christmas Rose in Anthroposophic Medicine - The significance of the Ranunculae genus - The Christmas Rose as Cancer Remedy - Testicular and fallopian cancer - Brain tumours - The side effects of chemo- and radiotherapy - Lymphoma diseases - Bronchialcarcinomas - Mistletoe and Christmas Rose - Christmas Rose in the Treatment of Aids - Epilogue - Bibliography - Picture credits - Acknowledgements - Notes - Index

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Book SynopsisContemporary science views our planet as an insignificant speck of dust in the vastness of space, with its four kingdoms as a random assemblage of atoms. Yvan Rioux presents a radically different perspective, demonstrating an indissoluble relationship between Heaven and Earth. Over aeons of existence, the four kingdoms have manifested a creative power that perpetually brings forth new expressions. With the goal of bridging science and spirit, Rioux helps revive the old intuitive awareness of an intimate communion between the outer perceptible life of nature, the inner life of the soul and the majestic spiritual formative forces that preside as architects - an organic whole where all levels co-evolve. The earth, nesting in its solar system, is connected with the Milky Way and the twelve constellations. The impact of the stars as an influence on human behaviour has been known for millennia. In the original edition of Rudolf Steiner's Calendar of the Soul, twelve illustrations of the constellations, made by Imma von Eckardstein, were published for the first time. These intuitive drawings differ greatly from the traditional ones, but Steiner stressed their importance for our modern consciousness. The images invite us to comprehend formative forces in their various guises in the kingdoms of nature. By exploring the gifts of each constellation, the author uses Imma's drawings as a template to elucidate the emergence of twelve basic forms as the common denominators of all creatures, leading eventually towards the human form. 'The [new] images of the zodiac constellations represent actual experiences connected with the waking and sleeping of particular spiritual beings. In these images we have a knowledge that needs to be renewed at this time...' - Rudolf Steiner (1912)Table of ContentsAcknowledgements - Introduction - 1. Cancer - 2. Gemini - 3. Taurus - 4. Aries - 5. Pisces - 6. Aquarius - 7. Capricorn - 8. Sagittarius - 9. Scorpio - 10. Libra - 11. Virgo - 12. Leo - Afterword - Notes

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Book SynopsisIn this revised and expanded edition of his classic debut, Sergei O. Prokofieff investigates the deepest mysteries of Rudolf Steiner's life and individuality, from 'the years of apprenticeship' and 'the great Sun period' to 'the path of the Teacher of Humanity' and 'the birth of the New Mysteries'. He discusses the earthly and supersensible aspects of the first Goetheanum, the implications of the Christmas Conference of 1923-24, and the Foundation Stone meditation that Steiner left as a legacy to members of the Anthroposophical Society.In his very personal Introduction, Prokofieff describes, in moving detail, the events in his life which led to his discovery of anthroposophy whilst living in Communist Russia, and how eventually he came to write this extraordinary study of Rudolf Steiner. The resulting volume - a work of secondary anthroposophical literature unprecedented in its depth and significance - was first published in Germany in 1982, meeting with equal amounts of acclaim, astonishment and controversy. It is published in this paperback edition to mark the 35th anniversary of the original publication.Table of ContentsForeword - Introduction - THE MYSTERY OF THE PATH OF RUDOLF STEINER'S LIFE - 1. The Years of Apprenticeship - 2. The Great Sun Period - 3. The Path of the Teacher of Humanity - THE BIRTH OF THE NEW MYSTERIES - 4. The Earthly and the Supersensible Goetheanum - 5. The Christmas Conference of 1923-24 - 6. The Foundation Stone Meditation - ANTHROPOSOPHY: THE PROCLAMATION OF WORLD PENTECOST - 7. The Michael Age and the New Grail Event - APPENDICES - The Foundation Stone Meditation in English 347 The Foundation Stone Meditation in German - Afterword to the Second Edition - Notes - Bibliography

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Book SynopsisErnst Marti devoted his life to researching the `etheric realm' - a subtle area that exists between the physical and spiritual. Taking the numerous statements and references by Rudolf Steiner as his starting point, Marti develops our understanding of the etheric world in various fields - from the theory of knowledge to the natural world, through to music, the realm of colour, eurythmy and medicine. In doing so, he proposes exciting bridges from the ancient and medieval worldview to the present and future of natural and spiritual science. Having studied `The World of the Ethers' in Vol. 1, here Dr Marti explores the `The World of Formative (or Morphogenic) Forces'. Beginning with the sense qualities of the visible world, he studies the nature of sense perception, the origin of morphogenic forces and their phenomenology. In three key sections he examines the formative forces of shape or form (including the growth movements in plants and how they relate to eurythmy and the forces of colour); the formative forces of life (the planetary origin of the morphogenic forces of life and the seven life processes and their relation to rhythm; and the formative forces of substance (the zodiac and the planets and the formative forces of metals). In this concluding volume of his seminal work, Marti also offers pertinent comments on the nature of potentization in medicine.Table of ContentsTHE WORLD OF FORMATIVE OR MORPHOGENIC FORCES: – The Sense Qualities of the Visible World – The Nature of Sense Perception and the Formative Forces – On the Origin of Morphogenic Forces – Phenomenology of Etheric Formative or Morphogenic Forces – Formative Forces of Shape or Form – Growth movements in plants – Comparison of growth movements with movements of eurythmy – Origin in the stars of eurythmic formative forces – Formative forces of colour – Practical consequences – Sowing days according to Maria Thun – Curative Eurythmy – Formative forces of life – Planetary origin of the morphogenic forces of life – The seven life processes – The seven inner movements – Rhythm – Formative forces of substance – Substance, matter, processes – The three zodiacal substance crosses – The planets and the formative forces of substance in metals – On the nature of potentizing – Summary and outlook – Appendix – Notes – Outline Biography of Irmgard Rossmann Dr Marti’s life and work – Bibliography

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Book Synopsis'Could it not be that a tremendously important Event is taking place in the world, taking place right now, of which our own contemporaries have no presentiment? This is indeed so. A highly important Event is taking place that is perceptible, however, only to spiritual vision.' - Rudolf Steiner, 25 January, 1910 What if matter is not solid, fixed and dead, but a living and creative Event? Could the concrete 'stuff' of our existence be in the process of development and becoming? Rudolf Steiner predicted that the new Christ Event would penetrate and transform all earthly and cosmic matter, life, consciousness and evolution. Through this Event, we have the opportunity to participate in the vortex of creative life. No longer detached, external spectators, we become co-creators in the drama of evolution and in the transformation of human consciousness. In this original and challenging work, Dr Ben-Aharon describes how this momentous Event is expressed in the fields of science, history, philosophy and art, and relates some of the fresh and creative concepts that have been discovered and applied in the disciplines of physics, biology, genetics and artificial intelligence. The Event, he concludes, leads us to face the central and world-historical question of our time: Are we as a human race going to use the new creative forces that are available to us positively, or will we allow this potential for good to change into its - destructive - opposite? The choice is ours.Table of ContentsPreface - Introduction - Chapter One: The Event in Science - Part One: A New Synthesis - Creative Emergence and Becoming - The Web of Life - Humanity is evolution becoming self-conscious - The human as the growing edge of cosmic evolution - Individuation and future cosmic integration - The Two Cultures Revisited - The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Ilya Prigogine - Katzir-Katchalsky: Pioneer of a bridge between natural science and the humanities - Part Two: The Whole is the Open and It is Outside - Philosophical Embarrassments: Is the 'I' Within or Without? - Embodied Cognition: The Santiago School - Out of Our Heads - "It's not what's in the Brain that counts, but what the Brain is in." - Part Three: The Involution of the Theory of Evolution - Evo-Devo and the Next Step - Growing Young - Chapter Two: The Event in History - Part One: Individuation and Reversal - In Search of the Ur-Phenomenon of Modern History 80 Modern Individuation - Failure, Regression, or Reversal? - Freedom, Privatization, Reversal - The Basic Cognitive Structure of Reversal - Part Two: Historical Reversals - The First Beast - The 21st Century and the Second Beast - Healing the Wound of Mortality - Reversal of reversal: Singularization - Chapter Three: The Event in Philosophy - Deleuze and Deleuze-Guattari (D&G) - De-actualization and Singularization - Virtual actualization and Re-actualization - Virtual actualization - Re-actualization - Body Without Organs - Deleuze-Foucault (D&F) - Jacques Derrida: The General Strategy of Deconstruction - Alain Badiou: The Subject of Truth - Emmanuel Levinas: The Entry of the Other - Chapter Four: The Event in Art - Threshold Identity - Initiation language - Sensation body - Vortex (metamorphosis) - Andrew Wyeth's World: the Becoming of Free Will - Comments on "Christina's World" - Consciousness crystal - Memory and destiny (Guardian of the Threshold) - History (Resurrection)

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Book SynopsisIn this innovative anthology, Angela Lord presents a unique series of commentaries on art, aesthetics and colour by three of western culture’s greatest intellects. Her comparative study of the works of Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas and Rudolf Steiner illustrates how each of these towering thinkers employed an individual and groundbreaking approach. Yet, remarkably, there are common threads that weave through their collective works that have previously been overlooked. By selecting and extracting specific quotations and arranging them in particular sequences, Lord throws light on texts that have often been restricted to theological and academic study. Through this exposure, she reveals their relevance to the Arts today, showing how their content can stimulate an enhanced awareness of truth, beauty and knowledge in our lives. Art Aesthetics and Colour also offers us the opportunity to reinterpret the works of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas in the light of Rudolf Steiner’s contemporary spiritual-scientific insights. In addition to the extensive quotations from the three historical figures, Lord provides brief biographies, an introduction, notes and a bibliography. The book is well-illustrated throughout and includes colour plates.Table of ContentsIntroduction – Chapter One, Biographies – Chapter Two, Art – Chapter Three, Aesthetics – Chapter Four, Colour – Bibliography

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Book SynopsisHow are the internal and external forms of the human organism shaped? How does human consciousness emerge? These are questions to which conventional science has no answers. In The Seat of the Soul, Yvan Rioux invites us to consider new concepts that can explain these phenomena. His exposition is based on the existence of external `formative forces’ – or morphic fields – which, he argues, create the human body or organism in conjunction with forces that resonate within us from the living solar system. The psyche – or soul – emerges progressively as an inner world of faculties that in time learns to apprehend and understand the outer world. In his previous book The Mystery of Emerging Form, Rioux explored the formative forces of the twelve zodiacal constellations. In this absorbing sequel, he investigates how such activity from the planetary spheres works within us, as `life stages’ or metabolic processes. Through seven chapters, he explores the impact of each of these planetary spheres on our complex organic make-up and psychic activity. The link between organs and tissues, he says, produces five specific `inner landscapes’ in relation to the external rhythmic environment. Rioux also gives a description of Rudolf Steiner’s seven `planetary seals’ from a biological perspective. According to Steiner, these seals are: `…occult scripts, meaning that, as hidden signatures, they show their ongoing etheric impacts on the seven stages of our metabolism’. Between Steiner’s indications concerning human physiology and the ancient Chinese view on the subject, there is a convergence of ideas – as synthesized here – that breaks through the boundaries of modern reductionist science, offering exciting perspectives for understanding the human being. `The seat of the soul is where the inner world and the outer world meet. Where they overlap, it is in every point of the overlap.’ – NovalisTable of ContentsIntroduction – Chapter 1: Saturn process: Opening the door of perception, Towards the integration of subtle influences – Chapter 2: Jupiter process: Preservation of outer perceptions, Establishment and defence of the territory (immunity) – Chapter 3 – Mars process: The essence of pulsations, The beginning of the psychic world – Chapter 4: Sun process: The circulation of perceptions, Access to inner perception (insight) Chapter 5: Mercury process: From pictorial images (psyche) to material organs (soma) – Chapter 6: Venus process: Energized movements for growth, A constant search for the right fulcrum point – Chapter 7: Moon process: Replication (mitosis vs meiosis) Self-renewing life – Conclusion: A planetary alignment giving birth to our physical and psychic world

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Book SynopsisBased on a remarkable series of lectures delivered in his native Israel, Dr Ben-Aharon presents his illuminating research on the meaning of Judaism and the spiritual mission of the Jewish people in the past, present and future. The Hebrew people have been a central root in the development not only of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but of the universal human spirit itself. Thus, a new understanding of their development and contribution to the spiritual biography of humanity is essential to understanding ourselves as human beings. The Jews were chosen to reveal the deepest secret of ancient times: the existence of one God above all gods, being the Creator of all human beings - beyond race, nation and gender - in his divine image. The great historical and spiritual figures of the Hebrew people - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joseph, the Judges, Kings and Prophets - prepared humanity for individuation - the true `I AM' - through devotion to the divine foundation of the world. `The Lord our God is one', who is to be loved with all one's heart, soul and being. Each person could now fulfill the Word, which could be actualized on earth - in the human being. In Jerusalem Dr Ben-Aharon describes the evolution of the Hebrew people and its role in the development of the human race. The journey continues to the present day, where the universal human Self has the potential to become a free participator in the ongoing creation of the universe. `The better I understand the roots of the Hebrew people and its universal-human mission, the better I shall understand the nature of humanity and its mission; and the more human I become, in the most universal sense, anchored in a new spiritual knowledge and practice, the more fulfilled, active and creative I can be at the roots of my existence as a Jew and an Israeli.' - Yeshayahu Ben-AharonTable of ContentsForeword - Introduction - The Evolution of Human Consciousness and the Stages of Individuation in the History of the Hebrew People - The Death of the Earth and its Resurrection, the Cosmic Picture - Creative Evolution - The Initiation of Isaac - The Initiation of Moses - The Initiation of King David - The Essence of Hebrew Initiation

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Book SynopsisThe two contradicting genealogies of Jesus in the Gospels have long puzzled biblical scholars. Rudolf Steiner's spiritual research led him to the controversial theological conclusion that historically there existed two Jesus boys, born of two holy families. These two boys, he said, were necessary as part of the spiritual preparation of forming a suitable human body for the incarnation of Christ into the earthly realm. Both apocryphal texts and the writings of the Essenes - as discovered at Qumran by the Dead Sea - now appear to support this conception, with references to Messianic figures from both royal and priestly lines. Various authors have developed Rudolf Steiner's observations - first presented in the early twentieth century - although much of this literature has lacked the rigour of accurate and broad scholarship. The Two Jesus Boys is not simply a derivative rehash of these previous publications. Rather, it offers a fresh investigation of primary sources, coupled with an objective determination to allow the facts to speak for themselves. Christoph Rau thus comes to the unavoidable conclusion that Steiner's presentation of the chronology of the two births needs revision; furthermore, the most recent discoveries and interpretations of Essene scrolls reveal that the Jewish sect expected not one but three Messiahs. Rau quotes from and analyses numerous documents from the landscape of early Christianity and Judaism. His findings provide a secure foundation for the historical existence of two Jesus boys in the prelude to Christ's incarnation on earth, as well as a revelation of the Essenes' long expectation of three Messiahs.Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1. The Riddle of the two Genealogical Trees - 2. Two Childhoods - 3. Astonishing Discoveries - 4. The New Insight is Cosmically Anchored and Confirmed in Writing - 5. Contradictions, Reasons and Objections - 6. Preparation for the Unique Union - 7. The Mystery of the Twelve-year-old Jesus - 8.The Actual Chronology as the Solution to the Contradiction - 9. The Death of Zechariah-a Milestone for the True Dating of Events - 10. Zarathustra and the Star of the Wise Men - 11. Zarathustra's Becoming and Progress - 12. Krishna and the Heavenly Adam-soul - 13. John and the Earthly Adam-soul - 14. Buddha and the Nathan-Jesus-boy - 15. Two Prophecies of the Messiah and their Fulfilment - 16. The Three Messianic Figures in the Essene Writings - 17. The Letter to the Hebrews-an Early Answer to Essene Expectations - 18. The Further Effects of the Messianic Prophecy - Epilogue1909-1959-2009 - Appendix - (1) The Childhood of Jesus, According to Matthew - Commentary - (2) The Childhood of Jesus According to Luke - Commentary - (3) The Protevangelium of James - Commentary - (4) From the Quran - Commentary - Notes - Bibliography

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Book SynopsisCivil Society has become a major power in the world. The stunning defeat of the controversial and secretive Multilateral Agreement on Investments, the massive worldwide WTO protests and the yearly meetings of the World Social Forum are testimony to its coming of age. From these significant victories, civil society continued to catch world attention with the Arab Spring, the grassroots movement that helped elect former US President Barack Obama and the significant gains of the anti-fracking campaign. With tens of millions of citizens and over a trillion dollars involved in advancing its agenda, civil society now joins the state and the market as the third key institution shaping globalization. However, it cannot fully mobilize its resources and power as it currently lacks clear understanding of its identity. Shaping Globalization argues that global civil society is a cultural institution wielding cultural power, and shows how - through the use of this distinct power - it can advance its agenda in the political and economic realms of society without compromising its identity. Nicanor Perlas outlines the strategic implications for civil society, both locally and globally, and explains that civil society's key task is to inaugurate `threefolding': the forging of strategic partnerships between civil society, government and business. Such authentic tri-sector partnerships are essential for advancing new ways for nations to develop, and for charting a different, sustainable type of globalization. Using the model of the Philippine Agenda 21, we are shown how civil society and progressive individuals and agencies in government and business are demonstrating the effectiveness of this new understanding to ensure that globalization benefits the environment, the poor and society as a whole. This reprinted edition includes a new Afterword.Trade Review`Nicanor Perlas has written a brilliant exposition of a new viewpoint in social theory and practice, one that applies to all of us in our everyday lives.' - Paul H. Ray, author of The Cultural Creatives; `Nicanor Perlas lays out a framework that integrates the social, the ecological, and the spiritual in a simple and yet profound view of 21st century society.' - C. Otto Scharmer, author of Theory UTable of ContentsForeword by Paul H. Ray - Message by Dr Ernst Ulrich von Weizsacker - Threefolding, the language of the new tri-polar world - Whose word? Surveying the terrain of contention - The Battle of Seattle - The threats and opportunities of globalization - Elite globalization and the world power structure behind it - Civil society as a global countervailing force - Identity crisis - Co-optation, the ironic fruit of the Battle of Seattle? - the cultural nature of civil society - Testing the framework - Cultural power - Cultural creatives and the cultural revolution of the 21st century - Civil society and the threefolding of national and global social space - Example of Philippine Agenda 21 - Tri-sector partnerships at the United Nations, boon or bane? - The juggernaut of tri-sector partnerships - Civil Society and the beginning of history - Notes - Bibliography - About the author - About Cadi - About Globalnet3 - Afterword to the 2019 edition

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Book SynopsisFrom ancient times, people had knowledge of the zodiac’s intimate involvement in the creation of physical life. They understood that the twelve realms of constellations of fixed stars in the sky emanated specific forces that were brought to life and movement by the planets. These spiritual energies created and formed all living beings on earth – including, of course, the human being. This traditional awareness has been reenlivened and given new meaning in our time through Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy. Steiner gave specific indications involving twelve individual gestures and colours that depict the forces of the twelve zodiacal regions. In this richly-illustrated collation of original artistic research – which features exciting new work on the zodiac via the mediums of sculpture, graphics and painting – these new insights are explored and illumined in twenty-seven essays and numerous full-colour images. Led by editor Gertraud Goodwin, the various contributing artists offer a rich tableau of authentic, individual approaches to understanding the zodiac, throwing light on the vast realm of creative forces around us whilst acknowledging their primary source. ‘From the many relationships to other qualities, like the consonants, virtues, areas of the human body, colours, eurythmy gestures, elements (earth, water, air, fire), musical keys and many more, in which the zodiacal forces express themselves as if through different instruments, a harmony begins to emerge, which informs me of an ever rounder picture of one particular force of the Zodiac.’ – Gertraud GoodwinTable of ContentsForeword, Wolfgang Held – Introduction, Gertraud Goodwin – The twelve moods / introduction to Rudolf Steiner’s verses, Gertraud Goodwin – Relations - connections - correlations, Gertraud Goodwin – Rudolf Steiner's verses for the twelve moods of the zodiac, Gertraud Goodwin – Working with the zodiac during the 12 Holy Nights, Gertraud Goodwin – Working with colour during the Holy Nights of 2017-18, Gertraud Goodwin – Working with colour during the Holy Nights of 2018-19, Marije Rowling – The formative forces of the zodiac, Edwin Boeck – Exploration of the sculptural and graphic language of the zodiac, Dorothea Kuth – Zodiac, Manning Goodwin – The twelve constellations (zyklus), Philip Nelson – Twelve coloured exercises on the virtues, Stephan Krauch – Paintings on the zodiac, Rolf Janssen – Zodiac, Doris Harpers – Zodiac, Marije Rowling – Sound images, Gerard Wagner – First zodiac, Gertraud Goodwin – Twelve reliefs on the moods of the zodiac, Gertraud Goodwin – A graphic exploration, Gertraud Goodwin – Meditations on the zodiac, Gertraud Goodwin – Zodiac – sculptures, Gertraud Goodwin – Pisces zodiac, Gertraud Goodwin – Pisces zodiac and the present age, John Salter – The blue window in the first Goetheanum, Torsten Steen & Gertraud Goodwin – Carved reliefs of the zodiac, Reimar von Bonin – Exploring the relationship between Reimar von Bonin’s carved reliefs and the capitals of the small domed space of the first Goetheanum, Gertraud Goodwin – The formation of the capitals of the small domed space as vignettes, Gertraud Goodwin – the small dome of the first Goetheanum, Gertraud Goodwin – References - reading list – Further Reading – References – Biographies

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Book SynopsisFrom Joseph Vogelsang and his mysterious peep-box to Hollywood blockbusters and Netflix, R.A. Savoldelli’s survey of cinema and film is based on practical experience – he was once the enfant terrible of Swiss cinema – and years of contemplation and study. He examines the difference between film as the ‘hypnotic monster’ referred to by the Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini, and the art of film that Rudolf Steiner aspired to. The author depicts the historical development of cinema from its origins, paying particular attention to science fiction – from Star Wars to The Matrix – and influential filmmakers such as Eric Rohmer, Andrei Tarkovsky and Pasolini. As a scholar of anthroposophy, Savoldelli gives a comprehensive assessment of Rudolf Steiner’s attitude to film. In addition to frequenting the silent cinema of his time, Steiner made several statements about the new artform in his lectures, letters and private discussions. The author examines and interprets these and complements them with commentary on Steiner’s attempt to produce a film on the theme of reincarnation and karma as well as his explorations with Jan Stuten of ‘light-show art’. Other topics in this penetrating study include: ‘Basic philosophical stances in the pioneer period of media studies’; ‘Steiner’s prophetic warnings about a technocratic form of civilization that will destroy humanity’; ‘Nostalgia for the art-house cinema that emerged in the 60s’; and ‘The project discussed by Alexander Kluge and Andrei Tarkovsky for a film based on Rudolf Steiner’s From the Akashic Records’. Anyone interested in the cinematic arts will find a treasure of stimulating ideas and new thought in this unique book.

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Book SynopsisThis unique work – the fruit of many decades’ research and experience – throws new light on the supersensible history and karma of the Michaelic movement since Rudolf Steiner’s death. It describes that movement’s evolution and transformation in the etheric world during the twentieth century, from the world-changing apocalypse of the 1930s and 40s through to the beginning of its incarnation on Earth at the end of last century. The book also focuses on developments in the practical and social work of building the community of the School of Spiritual Science, which embodies the new Michaelic movement in our time. As Ben-Aharon indicates, the Michaelic movement is searching for creative, courageous and enthusiastic souls to foster a strong community that develops – from one decade to the next – as a living organism. Based on the continuous resurrection of anthroposophy, this community strives to create a fully conscious meeting and communication with the school of Michael and Christ in the etheric world, in a form that is appropriate and demanded by the times. The transcripts of these lectures bring together the author’s experiences with anthroposophy over the last 42 years in the light of present communications from the spiritual world. It is based on contemporary spiritual investigation and individual, lived experience. From the Contents: ‘The Amfortas-Parsifal Duality of Modern Humanity’; ‘The Twilight of Humanity and its Resurrection’; ‘The Universal Language of Michael and the Being of Rudolf Steiner’; ‘The Anthroposophical Movement in the Present’; ‘The Etheric Form is Alive’; ‘The Resurrection of the Etheric Christ in the 21st Century’Table of ContentsPreface – Foreword – The Amfortas-Parsifal Duality and its Healing – The Twilight of Humanity and its Resurrection – The Universal Language of Michael and the Being of Rudolf Steiner – The Anthroposophical Movement in the Present – The Etheric Form is Alive – Afterword, The Resurrection of the Etheric Christ in the Twenty-first Century

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Book SynopsisIn conducting his research into the mysteries of antiquity, Frank Teichmann made a series of discoveries that connect directly to contemporary events and the tasks of the present-day. Whilst scholarly in nature and based on extensive documentation of historical sites, Teichmann’s work is no dry academic study. In The Origins of the Anthroposophical Society, he offers incisive new insights into Rudolf Steiner’s seminal esoteric deed – the refounding of the Anthroposophical Society at the Christmas Conference of 1923-24 – and considers how it impacts us today. The Conference itself, says Teichmann, ‘…did not just appear out of nowhere, nor did it happen merely as the result of a decision on Rudolf Steiner’s part. It was prepared for long beforehand.’ In the emergence of the anthroposophical movement, Teichmann reveals a conscious recapitulation and renewal by Rudolf Steiner of three types of primordial mystery. He states: ‘… the whole anthroposophical movement together with the Anthroposophical Society as it was re-founded at the Christmas Conference of 1923, was planned and prepared for in primordial times… All [Steiner’s] deeds, no matter how original they may appear in the foreground, have a deep esoteric background that contains the entire spiritual history of humanity.’ This renewal had been systematically prepared by Rudolf Steiner in three phases: through the evolution and intensification of thinking via the ‘mysteries of light’ in Greece; experiencing the spiritual through art via the ‘mysteries of space’ in Egypt; and, involving the ‘tasks of civilization’, the ‘northern’ or ‘earth mysteries’. Teichmann’s groundbreaking book – featuring dozens of images including his own original photos of British mystery landmarks – is published here for the first time in English translation.Table of ContentsForeword by Pieter van der Ree – Preface – Introduction – The Theory of Evolution and its Consequences – The Mysteries of the Light—the Evolution and Intensification of Thinking – The Mysteries of Space—Experiencing the Spiritual Through Art – The Malsch Building Model and the Society House in Stuttgart – The Munich Building Initiative and the First Goetheanum – The Inner Aspect of the Building Impulses – The Earth Mysteries and Taking Up the Tasks of Civilization – The Metamorphosis of the Idea of Destiny In Rudolf Steiner’s Life – The Founding of the New Mysteries – Appendix: The Foundation Stone Meditation – Notes – Illustrations – Bibliography of Works by Rudolf Steiner

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Book SynopsisToday some six million Freemasons around the world continue to perform their rituals regularly - an enormous legacy of spiritual endeavour, kept largely in secret. In Britain alone there are over 7,000 Lodges, with a quarter of a million members. What is this wealth, this appeal, and how did the philosopher and spiritual scientist Rudolf Steiner reinterpret or reconstruct Freemasonry's time-worn legacy? Unless one is a Freemason, the masonic world, with its arcane conventions and language, remains largely unknown: an obscurity that is almost impossible to fathom. Yet understanding its traditions and style are invaluable when approaching Goethe, Mozart, Herder, Lessing and Novalis - as well as Rudolf Steiner. Steiner himself renewed the 'Royal Art' of Freemasonry from 1906 to 1914 through his ritual work known as Mystica AEterna. When Steiner invigorated education, medicine, the social order and religion, he fully intended that committed and professional individuals should assume responsibility for the new initiatives. But this was not the case with the Masonic Order he founded, whose leadership he took upon himself. Even the celebration of his passing in 1925, led by Marie Steiner, was entirely Masonic in character. In the context of continuing resistance and misrepresentation, N.V.P. Franklin uncovers the living heart of Freemasonry and reveals why it was - and still is - immensely relevant to anthroposophy. With profound research into its older rituals and teachings, this detailed and conscientious study is a unique contribution to comprehending freemasonry and anthroposophy - both historically and in the present day.Table of ContentsPreface - Introduction - 1. Freemasonry and the Theosophical Societies. Son of Man, Can these Bones Live? - 2. The Esoteric Schools 1887-1914. The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha - 3. The High Grades of Freemasonry. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness - 4. Early Reports of Mystica AEterna. Rumour shall be upon rumour - 5. Masonic Types in Mystica AEterna. Behold, I make all things new - 6. The Rites of Misraim and Memphis. From One Degree of Glory to Another - 7. Rudolf Steiner and Freemasonry, Part 1. To cleanse the house of the Lord - 8. Rudolf Steiner and Freemasonry, Part 2. The Bright Morning Star - An Imagination - From a Lecture by Rudolf Steiner - Notes - Select Bibliography - Index to Principal Themes and Persons

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Book Synopsis'He [Harwood] is the sole Horatio known to me in this age of Hamlets...' - C. S. Lewis, from Surprised by Joy --- Cecil Harwood (1898-1975) - lecturer, Waldorf teacher, writer, editor and anthroposophist - pioneered and developed the first Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) school in the United Kingdom (the New School in London, now Michael Hall School in Sussex). He also led the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain for some 37 years. In 1922, at the age of 24, Harwood attended a festival of English folk song and dance in Cornwall, alongside his life-long friend Owen Barfield. It was here - and not in the academic citadel of Oxford University, where they were both part of the literary circle known as the Inklings - that Harwood and Barfield were to encounter the work of Rudolf Steiner through meeting Daphne Olivier. Sun King's Counsellor provides an intricate picture of the human connections, cultural movements and spiritual background that contributed to what came together in Cornwall in 1922, leading to Harwood's life's work. Featuring a colour plate section and full index, it documents Harwood's early years and antecedents, marriages to Daphne Olivier and Margaret Lundgren, friendships with Barfield and C.S. Lewis, his life-changing meeting with anthroposophy and Rudolf Steiner, teaching and educational work, and Harwood's critical role in healing divisions within the Anthroposophical Society. Based on extensive research of primary sources, Blaxland-de Lange's biography reveals the multi-faceted, flexible and sacrificial nature of this unique personality. Alfred Cecil Harwood - he preferred 'Cecil' instead of Alfred, with its meaning of 'wise counsellor' - began his career with the hope of becoming a writer, and had neither the intention nor ambition to become a teacher or the head of a national organization. Yet he became both an exemplary teacher and leader, as well as a celebrated author, editor, translator and lecturer.Table of ContentsIntroduction - PART ONE: 1. Ralph Vaughan Williams, Rudolf Steiner, and a Meeting in Cornwall - 2. Family Backgrounds: Lord Olivier and Minister Harwood - 3. Personal and Professional Engagement - 4. Marriage and the Founding Years of Michael Hall - 5. Early Writings - 6. Waldorf Translator, Editor, Playwright and Author - 7. Prelude to Chairmanship of the Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain - PART TWO: 1. The Minehead Years - 2. The Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain in a Time of War - 3. Family Man, Advocate and Adviser - PART THREE: 1. The Destiny of Britain within Europe and the Wider World and the Individual Human Spirit - 2. The Anthroposophical Society and the Healing of Divisions - 3. Anthroposophia, New Friendships and the Role of Eurythmy - Conclusion - Notes - Index

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Book Synopsis'This book describes an essential insight, namely that the core or the individual "I" of those with a mental health issue or a learning disability is always healthy.' --- This ground-breaking study describes six constitution types or syndromes that occur in children and adults with learning disabilities and behavioural disorders such as autism, ADHD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as neurological conditions such as epilepsy. The descriptions of these constitution pictures are the result of complementary scientific research based on the insights of Rudolf Steiner. In contemporary medicine, the source of behavioural problems and learning disabilities is believed to derive from genetic and environmental factors affecting the brain. The author expands on this knowledge, asking the vital question of what actually underlies these disorders at a deeper level. The answer leads to better understanding, fresh perspectives and new methodologies for therapeutic support. The author gives a comprehensive description of each constitution, including symptoms, causes, interpretations, treatments, approaches and therapy. These aspects are described in accessible, practical and concrete language with examples and illustrations, including analysis of patients' colour drawings. In addition, attention is paid to diagnostic methods and to the relationship of the six constitution types with conventionally-defined syndromes. A number of training exercises for educators and support workers provide further insight into the constitution images described. Written by a highly-experienced educator of children with special needs, this book is intended for teachers and counsellors at all levels.

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Book SynopsisIn the popular imagination, the Holy Grail - part of the legendary romance of King Arthur - belongs to the realm of myth. The Knights Templar also have a legendary, enigmatic aspect. Despite the immense volume of historical research available, plausible explanations to the 'mystery' at the core of their practices have yet to be revealed. By studying these two themes side-by-side and showing their inner relationship, Veltman reveals valuable new perspectives. On the one hand he demonstrates that the 'poetic imagination' of the Grail mystery has its origin in concrete historical events; and on the other hand, that the true history of the Knights Templar is, essentially, esoteric. Combining historical research with insights gained from the work of Rudolf Steiner, Veltman presents an impressive survey of the subject, beginning with the pre-Christian Mysteries and ending with a vision of Michaelic Christianity. He analyses the significance of the holy city of Jerusalem, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple Legend, the Grail Temple, the Rosicrucians, the Templars' gold, and the fraught question of evil. In addition, he sketches the continuation or metamorphosis of the Grail and Temple impulses into the future, including the critical 'balancing' role of Europe between East and West. To become effective, this important European task - which, he says, is continually being thwarted - must be properly understood within the realm of human consciousness.Table of Contents1. Introduction - 2. The Mysteries - 3. The Temple and the Grail - 4. Occult history - 5. The Order of the Templars - 6. World Future - 7. Afterword - Notes

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Book SynopsisRelationships are built through dialogue - through exploring heartfelt questions that lead to liberating personal insights. This book shows how such dialogue can transform relationships and build community. However, true meeting and healing conversations take effort. Encounter involves light and dark. Relationships bring out sympathy and antipathy. In an age of digital communications and internet-based encounters - when alienation and loneliness are very real issues - this new edition of Margarete van den Brink's classic work is more vital than ever. The process of inner development - leading ultimately to the unification of the human self with its higher, spiritual being - involves a transformation in our everyday selves. In this act of initiation, the art of conversation plays a central role. The words which people speak to each other contain a force that can work in an invigorating and life-enhancing way. This force - which can be more precious than light itself - is the highest creative principle, the Word referred to in the Gospel of St John, which created everything that exists. Informed by the insights of anthroposophy, More Precious than Light indicates the path towards the spirit and the lost power of the Word, transforming relationships and building community. True encounter can only be fostered through building real connections with our fellow human beings.Table of ContentsForeword - New Times - Meeting and conversing - Self knowledge and change - Paths to Christ - Notes - Biographies

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