Search results for ""Temple Lodge Publishing""

Rudolf Steiner referred to the wooden 'group' sculpture of the figure of Christ surrounded by adversary spiritual beings as the centre of the first Goetheanum. Steiner even told the architect of the second Goetheanum that the sculpture he made with Edith Maryon should occupy the same central position 'as in the first building'. What was Rudolf Steiner's essential aim for the sculptural group within the Mystery building he conceived, and why did he regard it as the crown of the building? What were Steiner's intentions - and, specifically, what were the spiritual aims behind this remarkable depiction of Christ? Rudolf Steiner described the core task of anthroposophical spiritual science as preparing for Christ's reappearance in the etheric realm. The Christ he sculpted was not the possession of a specific community with a religious world view, but rather a being active throughout humanity, and thus 'a figure of the future'. In this focused and powerful short book, Peter Selg engages with these highly-contemporary issues, providing thoughtful insights and answers that point to mysteries of the future involving humanity's further development and the transforming of evil.

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The official Demeter Cookbook presents over 200 recipes, developed and collected by Swiss chef Hermann Spindler, for sauces, soups, hors d'oeuvres, salads, main dishes, puddings and desserts. It also features special recipes for casseroles and gratins, vegetables, quark (curd cheese) dishes, grain dishes, doughs, savoury and sweet pastries, muesli and drinks - interspersed with informative commentary on the value of spices. Since its foundation by Rudolf Steiner in 1924, the international biodynamic agricultural movement has produced high-quality, 'premium organic' food that is increasingly sought after and respected for its flavour, quality and nutritional value. The Demeter brand certifies that the product concerned has been grown and processed using verified biodynamic methods. Hermann Spindler has been head chef at the Lukas Klinik for many years, where his kitchen has gained an outstanding reputation. Alongside food preparation methods that conserve nutritional value, imaginative presentation of dishes and freshly prepared meals, the special nature of the Lukas cuisine is based on the careful selection of Demeter foods, local sourcing where possible, and seasonal use of ingredients. A selection of Spindler's delicious lacto-vegetarian, wholefood recipes - based on the core principles of anthroposophic nutrition - are collected here in an easy-to-use presentation.

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'While working on this book the following happened to me: As I checked in at the airport in Hamburg a young couple was in front of me, and the mother had a three-to-four-month old baby in her arms. All of a sudden the baby turned round, looked me straight in the eye, and I was deeply shaken; for that was not the look of a baby but of a very self-aware adult, a wise one, and he appeared to see right through me...' Who are the 'star children'? In recent years there has been much written about 'gifted' children with special abilities ('indigo children', 'crystal children', etc.). Such children, it is said, are coming to earth to help humanity in its development. Based on extensive research, Georg Kuhlewind confirms that this new generation has been incarnating among us for the past couple of decades. This event, he states, is one of the most important of our age. Unlike many other contributors to this debate, Kuhlewind gives us the necessary background with which to follow experientially what he has to say. He takes us consciously, scientifically, into the realm from which we all enter the world as babies, 'trailing clouds of glory...'. We all possess the tools he describes for taking this path: our thoughts, our heart forces and our willpower. By using these faculties with our full attention, by focusing our attentiveness and eliminating everything else, we can enter the realm of the spirit where laws differing from those on earth prevail. The author aids us on this path by closing each chapter with themes for contemplation and meditation. Star Children is a compelling addition to the literature on the theme of 'special' children, and offers a unique perspective based on spiritual-scientific discipline and research.

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When faced with the prospect of death - one's own or someone else's - there is often little time to prepare. This compact booklet is written for anyone who has to deal with death and needs information quickly. It is also for those who wish to be ready in advance. Crossing the Threshold presents a wealth of easily-digestible guidance - both practical and spiritual - on all aspects of death and dying. Writing from the perspective of Rudolf Steiner's spiritual philosophy, the authors suggest ways of coping with the time leading up to death and also the period afterwards. They examine different circumstances of death and offer advice on practical questions such as the arrangement of funerals, laying out of the body, legal requirements and wills. They also suggest how those who remain on earth can continue to relate to the departed souls of the deceased. In addition the authors helpfully clarify Steiner's approach to the question of how funerals should be conducted, and in particular how his advice relates to both members of the Christian Community and the Anthroposophical Society.

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More and more people are beginning to realize that education needs to continue throughout life. As individuals and collectively, we face the choice of either staying as we are, or striving constantly to develop. Over decades of seminars and training work, Coenraad van Houten has developed three paths of learning for adults, each involving its own distinct method: Vocational Learning, Destiny Learning and Spiritual Research Learning. Although quite separate, the three paths are closely linked, with each building on the previous one. This book depicts the sevenfold path of Destiny Learning. It is a path that leads through working in groups to a practical knowledge of karma. In addition, the seven professional fields of the adult educator are developed and described as an aid to self-training.

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Contemporary life is so deeply reliant upon digital technology that the computer has come to dominate almost every aspect of our culture. What is the philosophical and spiritual significance of this dependence on electronic technology, both for our relationship to nature and for the future of humanity? And, what processes in human perception and awareness have produced the situation we find ourselves in? As Jeremy Naydler elucidates in this penetrating study, we cannot understand the emergence of the computer without seeing it within the wider context of the evolution of human consciousness, which has taken place over millennia. Modern consciousness, he shows, has evolved in conjunction with the development of machines and under their intensifying shadow. The computer was the product of a long historical development, culminating in the scientific revolution of the 17th century. It was during this period that the first mechanical calculators were invented and the project to create more complex `thinking machines’ began in earnest. But the seeds were sown many hundreds of years earlier, deep in antiquity. Naydler paints a vast panorama depicting human development and the emergence of electronic technology. His painstaking research illuminates an urgent question that concerns every living person today: What does it mean to be human and what, if anything, distinguishes us from machines?

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'Goethe called colour the deeds and sufferings of the light - victorious deeds when it pierces matter, and suffering when it endures the darkness in matter. Indeed, there is no greater contrast in the whole cosmos than that between matter and light .' Having spent time in the Arctic Circle in Lapland - where, with the sky filled in a flood of colour, the midnight sun shines for weeks, and the long polar night is brightened by the shining northern lights - the author was left with unforgettable memories. Thinking through these experiences led to this short but penetrating work, a study of the pathways and metamorphoses of light from a global perspective. The essence of light is to shine - it rays out dynamically in all directions at an unimaginable speed, never resting. The nature of matter, in contrast, is heavy, static and condensed. But matter can also let light through, as with crystal, or in the transparent and flowing element of water, evaporation and even air. Water and air thus act as 'mercurial' factors, allowing the creative potential of light to appear in a diversity of colours. The 'deeds and sufferings of light' are further to be found in many phenomena of the inorganic world such as the northern lights. By seeing the laws within phenomena, Goethe approached an understanding of the etheric formative forces. The object of this book is the observation of nature's natural wonders using Goethe's methodical process. Apart from the rainbows, lightning and northern lights in the title, the author discusses the blue of the sky, the colours of twilight and the dewdrop, and halos and other light phenomena. The power of imagination produced by the observer creates depth and inwardness, says the author. In such a state of consciousness, one's inner eye can picture 'a threefold global union of light, which speaks to a threefold organization of the Earth'. Buhler's concentrated work will inspire readers to make their own observations of the optical phenomena in our atmosphere, learning anew to treasure our planet for what it is - a human-scale home for which we are all responsible.

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In a private conversation on his deathbed, Rudolf Steiner informed his friend Count Polzer-Hoditz of three spiritual problems that would need to be resolved in the coming years: 'Firstly, the question of the two Johns [John the Baptist and John the Evangelist]. Secondly: Who was Dmitri? Thirdly: Where did Caspar Hauser come from?' Tackling these issues, said Steiner, would be of critical importance for humanity's future. He added: 'In all three problems it is important that one's gaze is directed not towards death but towards birth. Where did they come from and with what tasks?' In Dmitri's case, Steiner emphasized that the most important thing was to discover what was to have been achieved through him. --- Utilizing the significant clues left by Rudolf Steiner, Sergei O. Prokofieff takes on the second of these tasks, the great unsolved mystery of Russian history. Tsarevich Dmitri, the son of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, was tragically murdered as a young boy. Later, he was impersonated by a series of rogues and pretenders. Prokofieff's wide-ranging study integrates historical, psychological and spiritual-scientific perspectives to work towards the truth behind Dmitri's brief life, his mission and the distortions created by the 'false Dmitris'. He also examines the significance of Friedrich Schiller's unfinished play, Demetrius.

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Are Thoresen perceives demons and other spiritual beings as clearly as we see each other. He sees the demons that cause disease as well as the beings associated with medicinal plants and other substances that can promote health. He has witnessed how demons of disease leave the bodies of the sick and enter the healthy, thus causing contagion. Through his therapeutic work, Thoresen has learned that one cannot simply `fight' demons, as they will `translocate' to other people or return later. The only effective way to counteract these malign entities is to dissolve them through the boundless love of the being of Christ. The author presents a lifetime's knowledge - the fruit of more than half a century's practical and clinical experience - in the pages of this book, offering a better understanding of health and disease. He recounts numerous personal experiences of demonic entities and explains how demons are created. Thoresen advises on the prevention of the demonic effects of natural and artificial radiation, and how we can defend and ultimately free ourselves from demonic influence. A fascinating Addendum describes the phenomenon of poltergeists and the spiritual beings related to various drugs. Demons and Healing is a singular work, written out of precise vision and knowledge of the spiritual entities that surround us in everyday life.

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Rudolf Steiner’s intuitive artistic knowledge enabled him to use colours in a unique way, giving expression to their individual natures. Together with his many lectures on art, Steiner’s paintings provide artists with fresh ways of understanding colour, allowing for an entirely new creativity and aesthetics. In 1924, Steiner painted a watercolour of the Madonna and Child, giving it the title `New Life’. Through Steiner’s depiction of Mary, mother of the Divine Child, this painting draws us to the feminine expression of spirituality. In this highly-illustrated, full-colour book Angela Lord studies this feminine principle, beginning with the very earliest stages of human evolution – the `Fall’ from paradise and the pre-historic periods of Lemuria and Atlantis. From the Mysteries of Egypt and Greece to the development of Christian art, she offers insights to the myths and legends of female deities and goddesses. According to Rudolf Steiner, at the time of Jesus’s birth humanity had entered a decadent phase of development. Small groups of initiated individuals, however, were preparing for a sacred birth: the descent of a heavenly being into earthly existence. The God of the Old Testament would be revealed `in flesh’, born to a virgin mother. In the second part of New Life – Mother and Child, Angela Lord takes us on a journey through two thousand years of Christian art, covering Iconography, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. We see how artistic images of Mary and her Child have changed, why these variations have occurred and how they reflect the changing consciousness of humanity. Finally, the `New Life’ painting is considered from the interactive processes of colour and composition, illustrated with a series of artistic colour sequences.

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Contemporary 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)

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Drawn by the mysterious mount Etna, Thomas Meyer sets off on a quest to discover the secrets of the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Stromboli. The Sicilian region is not only famous for the drama of its live volcanoes, but also for its associations with numerous cultural figures - ranging from Cain, Empedocles, Klingsor and the much maligned Cagliostro, through to Goethe and Rudolf Steiner. The author ponders their lives, work and karmic connections, whilst unexpected meetings with cryptic strangers result in discussions that are filled with spiritual insights and pearls of wisdom.Meyer's travelogue is at once engaging, poetic and deeply esoteric, drawing parallels between the burning lava of Etna and Stromboli and the soul lava through which our spiritual feet must wade in the present day. In meditations on the Guardian of the Threshold and the explosive popularity of football, we are led to the conclusion that today human beings need to develop 'spiritual feet' to cross the boundary to higher worlds. The author's final trip coincides with the recent natural catastrophe in Nepal, which prompts him to ask whether humanity can begin to take inner responsibility for the many such disasters - particularly earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - that take place around the world. For these natural calamities, says Meyer, are intimately related to our untamed passions and emotions.

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'Approaching the different and manifold sequences in this book...one will gradually come to realise that metamorphosis can become an ideal for knowledge, a guiding path for self-knowledge and knowledge of the world - as intuitive contemplation and as artistic creation.' - Dr Peter Wolf What is metamorphosis? Through the medium of art, sculptor Gertraud Goodwin invites us to enter the realm of time and continuously changing movement in this highly original book. With chapters by various artists and writers, interwoven with her key insights, Goodwin offers numerous points of entry to understanding the mystery of metamorphosis. Profusely-illustrated in colour, we are shown many sequences of images - of sculptures, reliefs and graphic works - which, with the aid of informed commentary, we are invited to 'read'. These images belong together, developing from one to the next - just as single experiences and events in life belong to our biographies. One motif, one movement, passes through all stages, from simple beginnings and more differentiated formations, to a culmination - and, from there, back to a more mature simplicity and concentration, which makes a new beginning possible.' In relation to the transcendent, where ordinary words fail, the language of form, texture and relations in space, like those of music in time, offer alternatives to words, perhaps less encumbered by preconceptions. These pages offer many examples of the beauties and mysteries of metamorphosis, which is itself an essential component of Nature's creative language.' - Dr Philip Kilner

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D.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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Born in Holland in 1893, Zeylmans van Emmichoven was one of the original pioneers of anthroposophy, the science of spirit established by Rudolf Steiner. As General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in the Netherlands, he worked closely with Steiner. A medical doctor and founder of the Rudolf Steiner Clinic in Scheveningen, he also conducted important research into the influence of colours, the psychology of peoples and nations, and individual human psychology. Emanuel Zeylmans' biography of his father draws on some beautifully written and moving autobiographical extracts as well as numerous other first-hand source materials. He traces Zeylmans' remarkable life from his upbringing in Holland and his first contact with Rudolf Steiner to his later attendance at the momentous Christmas Foundation Meeting and his many travels around the world to further anthroposophy. He examines the spiritual conflicts in which Zeylmans became embroiled, his life during the war years, and his innovative work in many fields. The author also catalogues Zeylmans' written works, and gives a full chronology of his life. Willem Zeylmans van Emmichoven is a compelling documentation of a leading figure connected with Rudolf Steiner. It brings to life the context of his biography - an exciting and yet difficult time in the development of new spiritual ideas - and the vibrant individuals around him. Zeylmans is portrayed as a warm, dynamic and fascinating individual, with enormous interest in people from widely differing cultures and backgrounds. A real 'world citizen', he recognized that every nation has its own particular task and importance.

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Prokofieff draws on the whole extent of Rudolf Steiner's work and combines it with his own original spiritual research to form an intricate picture of the cosmic forces at play between Christmas and Epiphany. We are led on a tour through the circle of the zodiac and spiritual hierarchies, and shown how they form a path from Jesus to Christ. The author further explains that the Starry Script is a key to anthroposophical Christology, and shows how it relates to the conception of the First Goetheanum. Prokofieff guides us imaginatively through the interior of Steiner's architectural masterpiece, destroyed by fire in 1922, whose structure and decorations are seen to constitute a coherent esoteric map. Our task now, he suggests, is to build the First Goetheanum in ourselves and, through a new schooling of the self, strive for a truly modern path of initiation. Supplementary essays focus on the cosmic aspects of Sophia as well as the being of Michael. Prokofieff's seminal study offers a rich source of inspiration for those wishing to penetrate the mysteries of the Twelve Holy Nights and their relation to spiritual beings.

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How do adults learn? What is the task of the adult educator in adult education? What can adults do to take charge of their learning process? Learning means change and transformation. But in order to learn, argues Coenraad van Houten, we must first awaken our will. True adult education, he says, enables our spiritual ego to accomplish this. He describes the forms in which learning can be meaningfully structured, and offers advice and ideas to help overcome specific learning blockages. The book regards the business of adult education as a full profession, and it provides a theoretical and practical basis for its true task: an awakening of the will.

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