‘I rang the bell, the door opened, and there stood Rudolf Steiner in person. I was so taken aback that I dropped the basket which burst open and all my clothes and underclothes, together with my other belongings, were lying at the feet of the Doctor. A ball of wool got away and rolled between Dr Steiner’s feet into the long corridor. Somewhat surprised, but amused, he said: “I have never been greeted in this way.”’
Assya Turgeniev was a Russian artist and one of Rudolf Steiner's most important co-workers, best known for her engraving work on the colored windows of the first Goetheanum building in Dornach, Switzerland. In these unique reminiscences, she provides eye-witness reports of the burning of the first Goetheanum, the time surrounding the death of Rudolf Steiner, the early performances of his Mystery Plays, Steiner's lecturing and travels abroad, the artistic work on the Goetheanum, the carving of the "Group" statue, and the Christmas plays and "Faust. She also describes the development of eurythmy, and recounts her memories of Marie Steiner, Edith Maryon and others. Turgeniev initially set out to write a complete account of the period during which Anthroposophy was founded and developed, but illness prevented her from doing so. Nevertheless, the fragment which constitutes this book is one of the most valuable accounts available.
Both because it is the gift of the Russian people to be able to describe another's soul-configuration in a particularly pictorial and concrete way, and because each of these writers knew Rudolf Steiner and saw him frequently, their impressions are especially living and vivid. In these eminently readable reminiscences, Andrei Belyi, the foremost symbolist poet of Russia in the twentieth century, Assya Turgenieff, a niece of novelist Ivan Turgenieff, and Margarita Voloschin, wife of a Russian poet and a well-known painter in her own right, recount their personal observations and experiences with Rudolf Steiner. Beautifully illustrated by photographs as well as drawings and paintings by Turgenieff and Voloschin, this collection offers striking and surprising impressions of Rudolf Steiner.
This volume provides unique insight both into the development of the anthroposophic movement and the relationship between Rudolf and Marie Steiner through the letters between them. Their letters cover everything from the esoteric view of evolution and human development to how to deal with problem personalities, as well as many discussions of organizational details. Also included are the numerous wills that Steiner wrote. Correspondence and Documents 1901-1925 is a translation from German of Rudolf Steiner - Marie Steiner-von Sivers: Briefwechsel und Dokumente 1901-1925 (GA 262).
Flower essences are liquid, energetic remedies derived from living flowers. They bring the natural dynamic energy of the plant directly into the human electro-system, where they work to bring about movement toward health and balance. Because of their energetic and living quality, they work directly and deeply in the emotional system, assisting in the release of early wounds and trauma. These suppressed imprints are considered to be a main causes of many types of diseases or imbalances today. Flower essences are a perfect complement to many of today's health practices. They enhance the effects of energy work, physical therapy, acupuncture, psychotherapy, cranial-sacral work, massage, aroma therapy and many other forms of healing and treatment. Flower essences are safe, natural, and non-toxic. Continuing the work of Edward Bach, Stars of the Meadow looks deeply into the relationship between health and the human personality. David Dalton takes us on a thorough and soulful exploration of how to use more than forty medicinal herbs as flower essences, portraying each flower in a way that is both substantive and inspired. Each description is organized to present a picture of how the flower essence affects the adult personality as it has been formed through life, and describes its direct clinical effects on children and animals. Dalton also connects different types of flowers--based on the number and arrangement of petals as well as associated colors and qualities--to the system of human chakras, or energy centers. This innovative approach allows the reader to discover new ways to employ flower essences to focus on specific areas of one's being, from the most physical to the highest levels, allowing a kind of flexibility rarely found in any single system of healing. Stars of the Meadow is a valuable guide not only for those who are new to flower essences, but also for seasoned herbalists who wish to deepen their knowledge of this effective method of healing body, mind, and soul.
From the moment that Marie von Sivers met Rudolf Steiner in 1902, their relationship became key to the development of Anthroposophy. Marie Steiner's immense contribution is well known in the fields of eurythmy, speech, and the arts, as well as in her management and publication of Steiner's literary estate--indeed, she assisted in almost every aspect of Rudolf Steiner's work. So why has she been so neglected by the anthroposophic movement? Driven by this central question, the authors of this penetrating study concluded that the karma and mission of Marie Steiner-von Sivers is vitally important to the present and future spiritual and cultural development of the West. They evaluate not only Marie's twenty-three-year partnership with Rudolf Steiner, but also her three previous incarnations--in the ancient Orphic Mysteries, as the Neoplatonist Hypatia, and as Albertus Magnus. The lives, acts, cultural legacies, and thought of these various personalities are addressed through a series of lucid essays, interspersed with studies on the missions of both Rudolf and Marie Steiner. Supplementing these are short extracts from literature that reverberate with the word, helping to reveal the intimately intertwined karmic missions of Marie Steiner-von Sivers and Rudolf Steiner, her work companion and soul partner.
Focusing on Marie Steiner-von Sivers’ distinctive collaboration with Rudolf Steiner, From the History of the Dornach Hill… offers an engaging, lively narrative of the early decades of the anthroposophical movement. Utilizing eye-witness accounts and primary sources, Angela Locher creates vivid images of the developing arts at the Goetheanum – in particular eurythmy, speech formation and the dramatic arts – but also describes many fascinating aspects of general anthroposophical history. The latter include the period of cooperation with the Theosophical Society; the design and building of the first and second Goetheanums; travels, tours and visits overseas with Rudolf Steiner; the pivotal Christmas Conference of 1923/4; stage performances including the Mystery Dramas; and Rudolf Steiner’s unexpected death and its aftermath. Locher structures her absorbing study around the life of Marie Steiner – from her birth in 1867 and childhood in Russia to her eventual passing in Switzerland in 1948. ‘I have written this book especially for subsequent generations of eurythmists, actors and speakers who could not experience what had been achieved in the previous century… the vital processes of the development of eurythmy and the dramatic arts. These created the foundation on which we stand today, and from which we can carry on into the future.’ – Angela Locher 'This work by Angela Locher can be greeted with enthusiasm… In view of the difficult challenges of our time, more people than ever are beginning to experience that the arts are not merely a beautiful addition to life but are profoundly connected to our humanity.' – Virginia Sease
Religious ritual is often seen as a way of bringing divine influences down into the material world. In this profound and stimulating work, Rudolf Steiner and Friedrich Benesch introduce the idea of "reverse ritual"--a way that each of us can raise our souls to the spiritual realm. In this process, the everyday world becomes a portal through which we can enter the dimension of the sacred. Here, each of us can be a "priest," and each of our actions can be a cosmic, ritual act. This stimulating collection of writings on spiritual communion of humanity includes two further lectures by Steiner that show how this process can engage our social lives. Also included are two additional essays as appendices: "Sacramental and Spiritual Communion" by Dietrich Asten and "Human Encounters and Karma" by Athys Floride. The introduction by Christopher Schaefer brings these ideas into focus for modern seekers. Contents: Part One: "The Spiritual Communion of Humanity" (5 lectures from GA 219) Part Two: "Preparing for the Sixth Epoch" Part Three: Commentaries by Friedrich Benesch Appendices: Selections from Dietrich Asten: "Spiritual and Sacramental Communion" & Athys Floride: "Human Encounters and Karma."
Marie Steiner -- the wife of Rudolf Steiner and one of his closest colleagues -- made a great contribution to the development of anthroposophy, particularly in her tireless work on the renewal of the performing arts (eurythmy, speech, and drama), and the editing and publishing of Rudolf Steiner's literary, estate. However, as Hans Peter van Manen argues, the anthroposophical movement is like a listing ship in that, as time has gone on, "far more has come to be known about Ita Wegman, in the karmic sense, than about Marie Steiner." In publishing this reworked lecture, van Manen goes some way toward redressing the imbalance, presenting the results of his own carefully considered thoughts on the subject of Marie Steiner's karmic past. In doing so, he links her to a well-known individuality connected with Aristotle in ancient Greece.
