THANK YOU Dale for making this available to all of us!

Click Here to visit the site.

Here are some other useful sites related to the work of Rudolf Steiner:

Dennis Klocek

The Rudolf Steiner E-library

The Anthroposophical Society in America

The Christian Community in North America Website

Rudolf Steiner Web

The General Anthroposophical Society (located in Dornach, Switzerland)

The Bible and Anthroposophy (the site of Edward Reaugh Smith)

The Online Humanities Course

I believe that inner work is very necessary and that we are continuously growing. We are faced with challenges and hurdles to overcome because that is what makes us better ourselves. I feel as much a “student” as my children are and I am eager to wake each new day to see what information and experiences it holds.

As a parent-teacher, we must seek the balance and interweaving of thinking, feeling and willing in ourselves.

In the Heart – the loom of Feeling,
In the Head – the light of Thinking,
In the Limbs – the strength of Will
Weaving of radiant Light,
Strength of the Weaving,
Light of the surging Strength;
Lo, this is Man!

~ Rudolf Steiner, Ecce Homo

Rudolf Steiner Quote for the Day

“Everything that adults do makes an impression on the child’s soul. These impressions work their way into the child’s breathing, circulation and metabolism and can affect that child’s health in later life.”

The Four Temperaments

Rudolf Steiner said: “We learn to know individual human beings in every way when we perceive them in the light of spiritual science. We even learn to perceive the child this way. Little by little we come to respect, or value, in the child the peculiarity or enigmatic quality, of the individuality; we also learn how an individual must be treated in life, because spiritual science doesn’t merely provide general, theoretical directions. It guides us in our relationship to the individual in the solving of the questions we need to solve. Such solutions require that we love the individual as we must, otherwise we merely fathom others with the mind. We must allow the other to work upon us completely. We must let spiritual scientific insight give wings to our feelings of love. That is the only proper soil that will yield true, fruitful, genuine human love; it is the basis from which we discover what we must look for as the innermost kernel in each individual.”

Take note of how you are sitting at the computer right now… are you sitting up straight or are you hunched over. Stay comfortable but raise your shoulders, elongate your neck to hold your hear high instead of allowing it to just sit upon your shoulders. Raise your chest as well.  This immediately opens your breathing and allows you to take in more air.  Breathe….

Take a moment to think about the people you love. Did you let them know today how important they are in your life? Did you tell them that you LOVE them?  You should. Right now…

Think about each and every thing you are thankful for. Hold the thought in your mind. Remember it when you lay in bed tonight and go over your “list” a few times. Aren’t you so blessed? There are so many things to be thankful for!  Going to be with this though will bring a better sleep and dreams and you will awaken feeling refreshed and revitalized.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, stand and walk tall. Look at yourself in the mirror and see the person you WANT to be.  Spend the day walking around with the belief that you are this person!  Watch your posture. Is your head held high? Are you breathing properly?  Feel the power of this posture and how well you feel at the end of the day. Include this feeling as one of the things you are grateful for!

Take a break. The dishes, the laundry, even the lessons can wait for a day. Take your children outside and wonder at the beauty of nature. Walk barefoot. Climb a tree with them. Swing, don’t just push them… Be a child for a day. Be their friend for a day. Make a picnic and spend the afternoon laying on the grass watching the clouds slowly drift by. Squat down or sit so you are at your child’s level and look deep into their eyes. Tell them how blessed you feel that they chose you to be the Mommy!  Hug and kiss and tickle and play with your child.  Your child needs physical affection and thrives on it. Remember, that is what attachment parenting is all about – no matter if your child is a teen. Hug and hold your child!  In the evening take stock of the beautiful day and think about how grateful you are for the moment.

Be less serious. Laugh a little… no, laugh a LOT.  Remember that laughter is the best medicine. Be silly, be funny, allow your child to be silly!  You child needs to see you laugh and play too, and you’ll feel better!

Finally, get off the computer and live a real life with your child.  Come back to this after they are asleep if you wish, but don’t take the magic away from their day by closing yourself in the computer room…  My sister recently told me that her friend friend had her husband make up a sign which he hung on her computer screen. This sign read “Do you know that your children are GROWING UP behind your back?”.  These powerful words, staring at her from the computer screen made her realize the truth and she now limits her time to after the children’s bedtime.

In Reiki, we are taught that all of us have the ability to tap into the universal life flow. When you become attuned to Reiki, you open up channels to allow this life force energy to flow THROUGH you. It is constant and ever present, it is all around us at all times, when you channel this energy, and it flows through you you can do wonderful things. It deals with opening your Chakras, understanding the flow of energy, etc. but the bottom line is that in a way you are “detached” because you are using the energy which is flowing through the world and NOT using the energy which is in you.

You do not go away feeling depleted, but rather refreshed and invigorated.

Let me share something that I strongly believe: Next to the power of the universe and it’s life flow, the power of thought is the most powerful “tool” we humans have been given. We need to keep our thoughts positive and focused on what we HOPE to become. You become what you think about. Everything in the world us THOUGHT MANIFESTED.

The mindset you have is what will cause you to feel drained or to feel refreshed. When I get burned out – and it almost always coincides with the times they get all wound up and “trouble making” (lots of energy flowing without an outlet) we go outside and talk to the earth.

This ALWAYS seems to center and bring them back into balance. I feel myself getting agitated because they are no longer playing creatively and they just get into that too much energy but unfocused play where they will end up being destructive, too rough, negative, etc… I stand up and say something like “oh, I feel some strange energy in the house right now” then I look at my watch “have we been inside all of this time?” I start to quickly clean up whatever I am doing and I head outside… They model and follow. Outside I begin to talk to the earth, the trees, the birds, the flowers…

“Oh little flowers, I could feel you calling me outside. It’s much to dark in the house and the air is not as fresh as it is out here. Thank you for reminding me to come and look at your beauty. What a lovely shade of violet you have become. Have many butterflies and bees come calling today? What’s that? The tree needs a hug? My goodness, I will hug the tree! I like to hug all of the trees because they help my body to breathe! I feel better when I hug the tree too because I know that the tree is my brother. In spirit, all of my great great grandmothers and fathers who have passed away, and who were buried in the earth became a part of this wise old tree… This tree holds the secrets of the generations and I am blessed that I have strong arms to give the tree a great big hug. Oooohhh. can you smell the moss today? It smells like it’s growing, the heavy raid yesterday must have really saturated the moss. (kneeling) Oh my goodness, look at all of the little rollie-pollies which have moved under here – pick it up gently, this is their new home….”

Each and every time I do this my children do a complete turn around from the afternoon energy and come straight into balance.

In Reiki, we work to become grounded and I think what happens in the afternoon is that we tend to come apart and “float” our energies. All we really need is to ground ourselves again. Walking barefoot on the grass and or hugging a tree really does the trick in my family. It’s quick, it’s simple and it brings us back into a calm center, always. As a matter of fact, I cannot recall a time when this didn’t work.

Suggested Reading:

Soul Weaving: How to Shape Your Destiny and Inspire your Dreams

Tapestries: Weaving Life’s Journey

Love You Forever

The mother sings to her sleeping baby: “I’ll love you forever / I’ll love you for always / As long as I’m living / My baby you’ll be.” She still sings the same song when her baby has turned into a fractious 2-year-old, a slovenly 9-year-old, and then a raucous teen. So far so ordinary–but this is one persistent lady. When her son grows up and leaves home, she takes to driving across town with a ladder on the car roof, climbing through her grown son’s window, and rocking the sleeping man in the same way. Then, inevitably, the day comes when she’s too old and sick to hold him, and the roles are at last reversed.

Taking the time for mindful parenting:

Being mindful of everyday events can make a big difference in your child’s life….

Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting

As the parents of three children and experts on stress reduction, childbirth, and eco-issues (to name a few), this lovely couple has the ability and experience it takes to beautifully author this gentle book. Attached parents everywhere will deeply appreciate the support and encouragement for sharing a family bed, nursing toddlers, and lovingly respecting and responding to children’s needs. Every time I open this book I find refreshing insight that helps me maintain my gentle mothering focus and remember that my days of early parenting are indeed swiftly passing by. Thank you, Myla and Jon, for this permanent record of loving, attuned parenting that I pray my own child will someday joyfully follow.

Below are some of my personal favorite links and articles, where I like to browse after all are asleep and feed and nourish my inner me.

• Facing Karma
• Fundamentals of Anthroposophical Healing

Kytka’s Book

Reiki for Children: Using Healing Touch and Raw Foods to Tap into the Power of the Universe is published on demand. Ordering direct from the publisher will assure you much faster delivery. You will pay the same list price as when ordering through any on-line bookstore, but it will double my royalty if you order direct. (You know I’d like that). Your order will be shipped to you via UPS. To order directly from the publisher, see link at right.

Waldorf schools seek to cultivate positive human values of compassion, reverence for life, respect, cooperation, love of nature, interest in the world, and social conscience, as well as to develop cognitive, artistic and practical skills. The soul life of the child is affirmed and nourished as the ground for healthy, active thinking. Because of this, Waldorf schools sometimes are mistakenly perceived as religious, or, in particular, as Christian schools. Nevertheless, parents of various religious views and ethical philosophies-Catholics, Jews, Buddhists, Protestants, Sufis, Muslims, eclectic seekers, and agnostics-choose Waldorf Education for their children. They do so knowing that Waldorf schools are based on a spiritual view of the human being and of the world. However, no religion, including Christianity, is promulgated in a Waldorf school.

The inspiration for Waldorf Education arises from a worldview or philosophy called Anthroposophy. This broad body of research, knowledge, and experience holds a spiritual view of human nature and development. It sees the human being as more than a culturally conditioned, genetically determined, biological organism. Instead, Anthroposophy maintains that each individual human being has a spiritual core, or “I,” and that this I is in a continuous process of becoming, of evolving in freedom through spiritual activity toward ever greater self-knowledge. With the gradual awakening of the I, a corresponding awareness of the spiritual wisdom within the created universe arises in the soul.

The anthroposophical worldview understands the historical evolution of consciousness in many cultures as the background for each individual’s path of self-discovery. The fundamental tone of this worldview-which is not a religion-is in harmony with many world religions and philosophies. It stands in opposition, however, to the powerful, contemporary cultural currents based on materialism.

In our culture a form of psychological conditioning occurs on an unprecedented scale through the cumulative impact of the 20,000 commercials that the average American child sees each year. Unchallenged assumptions about human nature convey reductionist views of the human being. These strongly influence how children form their fundamental “image of Self,” their view of the essential nature of the human being. This is distinct from the individualized self-image each child also forms.

Various one-sided theories of human development are projected through the popular media-the idea, for example, that the human being is merely an advanced ape or a biological organism that has arisen accidentally from the primordial ooze and whose ideals are epiphenomena of secretions of the brain. Other common images are of the human being as historically/culturally conditioned and behaviorally programmed; fundamentally egoistic and controlled by unconscious drives; genetically determined; a consumer to be manipulated; a unit of economic production in global competition; and a mechanism whose heart is merely a pump, whose brain is a computer. The human being is a couch potato, an action hero, a Barbie doll. Faced with this persistent tide of subconscious indoctrination, concerned parents look for an education that offers a more uplifting view of human potential. And in the curriculum, methods, and festivals of the Waldorf schools such an alternative image of the human being is offered.

Many parents are content to see their children thrive in a Waldorf school, sensing that dedicated teachers deeply care about their children and work with effective educational insights and methods. A few parents wonder further about Anthroposophy, the philosophy that inspires the education. Some inquire out of genuine interest, others to make sure that their children are not exposed to something sectarian, parochial, or dogmatic. Parents can rest assured that Anthroposophy is not taught, inculcated, or subliminally communicated in the school. That would be counter to the purpose of Waldorf Education as “education toward freedom.”

The Waldorf method is so successful in helping young people think for themselves that they develop strong independent judgment that is a defense against hidden agendas of all kinds. The respect for individual freedom, fundamental to the anthroposophical roots of Waldorf Education, affirms that the search for wisdom, spirit, and religious connection with the divine, however variously these may be named, is a matter of individual conscience and effort.

The cultivation of religious values is a choice that belongs to the family. We parents and educators may well ponder together how to fulfill our responsibility to cultivate values that open the possibility in our children to freely seek their own spiritual path when they become self-directed adults. But it is not the role of the school or its teachers to proffer a religion to the children and their parents.

In the free search for those spiritual and cultural values that give one meaning and purpose in life, many, if not most, teachers in Waldorf schools discover in Anthroposophy a remarkably insightful conception of human development and spiritual wisdom, one that is as practical as it is profound. It is important, though, that Anthroposophy does not remain ideas in books on a shelf, but becomes a work to be undertaken. For the Waldorf teacher, insight into the depth of human potential, reverence for the growing child, respect for the freedom of the individuality, enthusiasm for the curriculum, and renewing meditative work enrich the daily practice of teaching from the wellsprings of Anthroposophy. This source of inspiration is as essential to Waldorf Education as sunlight, water, air, and earth to a growing plant. If it is absent, the teacher, supported only by his or her own experience and insight, will find the challenging task of Waldorf Education overwhelming or impossible.

It is counter to the function of Waldorf schools to promote Anthroposophy to parents or students involved with the school. Some parents may wish to learn about it, though, and do so out of individual initiative. They soon discover that Anthroposophy at its root is deeply Christian in outlook. To the student of Anthroposophy, Christ’s deeds, example, and teachings offer spiritual resources and guidance toward the fulfillment of our human nature. This Christian orientation, however, is not narrow or sectarian. It perceives, despite the many religious conflicts history records, an overarching harmony among the world’s inspired religions, with each serving the spiritual guidance of humanity. The name Christ and the word Christianity can have strong connotations, positive and negative. In the context of Anthroposophy, however, the Christ impulse is a universally available matrix of human aspirations, transformative ideals, and deeds. It does not involve theological speculation, sectarian dogma, blind faith, institutionalized ritual, or a missionary agenda. In this view-as surely as the Sun shines on each of us regardless of our religious affiliation, non-affiliation, or ethical philosophy-fundamental, human-spiritual realities, such as love, compassion, reverence for the divine, peace, healing, and freedom are essential goals of our true humanity. Such universal aspirations comprise the spirit of humanity and find expression in the multiplicity of languages, cultures, and religions.

It is a tragic anomaly that atrocities, motivated by intolerance and self-righteousness, are committed in the name of religion. While a Waldorf teacher, as a student of Anthroposophy, may find strength and insight in a worldview that sees profound significance in Christ, to particular parents the name Christ may carry negative connotations that arise from the tragedies of history. These may include religious wars of aggression such as the Crusades, persecution of other religious groups as is seen in anti-Semitism, fundamentalist dogmatism, contemporary sectarian warfare as in the former Yugoslavia, violence in the name of brotherly love, or even just a ruler-wielding nun. In such a situation parents and teachers should communicate openly and frankly.

Parents have legitimate concerns: “How does your personal spiritual search as a teacher affect what you teach my children? You profess freedom as a value, but you may hold your values and views superior to what we hold most dear. Perhaps you intentionally or unintentionally promote your view at the expense of ours.” The question-Is Waldorf Education Christian?-may surface at key moments in the festival life of the school. While traditions vary from school to school, an Advent Garden is commonly held; Saint Nicholas may visit; there may be a Saint Martin’s festival; Michaelmas (the festival for Saint Michael) will likely be celebrated; and, along with animal fables, stories of saints will be told in second grade. At many schools there is a performance of a Christmas nativity play. With these events marking the course of the year, the obvious answer to the question seems to be: Yes, Waldorf Education is Christian.

Well, it is not so simple.

We Waldorf teachers also teach the Eightfold Path of the Buddha; the Old Testament and Judaism; Islam; the teachings of Confucius; the teachings of Zarathustra; and Egyptian, Greek, and Norse mythology. Although limited by our own personal backgrounds, we enter into diverse world cultures with as much reverence and depth as possible. While there are important differences between the world religions, a remarkable common ground-what has been referred to above as the spirit of humanity-is evident. As a school movement, we celebrate festivals of many religious traditions.

A more relevant and revealing approach is to ask: What image of the human being do the Waldorf schools seek to bring to the children as a model and inspiration? Here the answer is unequivocal. It is an image of the human being as loving, compassionate, reverent, respectful, engaged, tolerant, peaceful, joyful, patient, good, upright, wise, balanced, in harmony with the cosmos, nature, and humanity.

No religion or code of ethics can arrogate these fundamental and universal values as its unique possession. For an education that is of the heart and the will as well as the head, there is the practical question of how to help children develop these qualities. Much of what goes on in a Waldorf school that is perceived as religious and Christian-the festivals, the stories and legends of the saints, the Old Testament stories, and so on-has this intention.

In the school where I teach, there is an annual production of “The Shepherds’ Play,” a medieval nativity play put on by the teachers. This play is a tradition deeply woven into the fabric of many Waldorf schools. The story revolves around the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, and the birth of the child attended by an angel. Uncaring innkeepers reject the family; another finds them simple shelter. Three shepherds-common folk, called by the angel-reverently offer simple gifts to the Holy Child. The play is about Christmas. But more broadly it is about the renewal of light in the depth of winter, the light of the world, and the spiritual light within. In the context of the universal spirit of humanity, the play presents the cosmic truth that the newborn child, each newborn child, is a Holy Child and comes into the world trailing clouds of glory.

In each human birth occurs the rebirth of spirit in the world, and each calls for reverence and love. For grade school children “The Shepherds’ Play” is primarily pictorial, speaking more through tableau, gesture, and archetypal character than through the rhymed, and somewhat archaic, dialogue. But the play gives them an experience of the renewal of the light, of the miracle of the spirit coming into the world, and also of their identity with that spirit. The play also offers an atmosphere comprised of reverence, humility, peace, and love, as well as of the boisterous good spirits of the shepherds, an atmosphere that for a brief moment shines as a candle in the hectic, commercial miasma of the holiday season. This play need not be seen as an expression of a narrow, exclusive sectarianism.

When I speak to the children, preparing them to see the play, I give them the following context: This is how Christians of long ago and also of today retell the birth of the Holy Child. For those of us of the Jewish faith, the Messiah spoken of by the prophets will be born in the future, and a time of peace will at last come to Earth. For Muslims, Jesus is a prophet who taught and followed God’s will. He was in the line of prophets that led to Mohammed, who has taught us to obey Allah in the holy Koran. Buddhists understand that, as the Buddha taught infinite compassion for all beings, Christ preached love and forgiveness toward all. And for Sufis who hold that “where the heart opens to love, God speaks,” Christ’s message of love may be heard.

Every child, every human being, bears the gift of light and love within. We celebrate this miracle at this the darkest time of year. The play offers these same gifts to parents and other adult friends of the school, who are also invited. It also offers something beyond this. There is a “living in the spirit,” evident in the newborn child-an openness to creation, a joy in the light, a love of life and of the world. This ideal state of being is affirmed in each of the world’s religions as the highest goal of human striving. It is expressed in various ways: as liberating submission to the will of Allah in Islam, attainment of the pure Buddha mind, the ecstatic love of the Sufi, atonement and songs of praise to Yaweh, as Christ consciousness, and so on. In each religion is an inspired expression of the human spirit seeking the divine.

What is true of the nativity play is also true of Saint Michael’s battle with the dragon. Saint Michael, an archangel recognized by traditional Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, overcomes the dragon symbolizing evil in the world and the evil within-the lower nature of the human being. The archetypal image of subduing the dragon is a powerful imagination, more true and valuable than the empty pictures that children find in Saturday morning cartoon shows, comics, and video games. The aim of the festivals is to provide imaginations of archetypal truths about human nature, life, and experience, not to promote Christian dogma or to convert anyone.

Waldorf Education consciously nourishes the inner life of children in order to start them on a lifelong process of self-discovery. It places before them eminent persons-some of them great religious figures, some of them not-but all of them persons who overcame weakness, transformed themselves, expanded the horizons of the human heart, and inspired social change. It does this in the hope that a seed image of human aspiration will grow within each awakening I as the light within, as conscience, as the spirit of truth.

Whatever may be achieved in this regard is within the context of an excellent academic education that equips young people for contemporary life with clarity of thought, wisdom of the heart, and practical skill for work.

Article by William Ward.

Our original author bio: William Ward is a native of Michigan. He majored in English literature as an undergraduate at Columbia University and then studied elementary education at the Waldorf Institute of Adelphi University, receiving a master’s degree there. For twenty-five years, he has been a class teacher at the Hawthorne Valley School in Harlemville, New York. Describing his situation this year, William says, “I am now finishing my third eighth grade, or maybe they are finishing me. In any case, we have a finishing school here.” A lover of the theatre, William has written many class plays and festival presentations and collaborated in all-school musical productions. He will take a four-month mini-sabbatical next year and then be involved in raising money for the Hawthorne Valley School’s building campaign.

Recent addition.  Sadly, Mr. Ward passed away October, 2008. William will be sorely missed by everyone who knew this warm, generous man. You can read about Mr. Ward here.

Source: Used with permission from Mr. Ward. Article originally appeared in Renewal: Spring Summer 2001, Volume 10, Number 1

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Q. Dear Kytka, I have just found your web site and it is quite good. I am a trained Waldorf teacher of many years experience currently living in Oklahoma where there are no Waldorf schools. I know many parents here are interested in homeschooling their children and your site may be a very good resource. My question is: What is your relationship to AWSNA? I understand they are very careful with the word Waldorf and I wonder how they relate to your work. I’ve surfed through the questions you’ve answered and the statements you make seem to be accurate, so far. But in skimming your biography…

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Many people are drawn to Waldorf methods because they see the colorful and simple classrooms and they tend to believe that childhood is a magical time full of discussing trolls and fairies. But like it or not, Waldorf Education has its roots set strongly in the Anthroposophic Movement. A newcomer should pause and take a moment to think on what it is about “Waldorf” that attracts them and IF s/he even understands where it comes from…

From a brochure by the Anthroposophical Society in America:

Anthroposophy embraces a spiritual view of the human being and the cosmos, but its emphasis is on knowing, not faith. It is a path in which the human heart and hand, and especially our capacity for thinking are essential. It leads, in Steiner’s words, “from the spirit in the human being to the spirit in the universe”, because only if we first come to experience the spirit in ourselves can we know the cosmic spirit. But Anthroposophy is more than self development. Through it we recognize out humanity. Humanity (anthropos) has the inherent wisdom (sophia) to transform both itself and the world.

The Arts: Color, Form and Movement
Anthroposophy has contributed insights into all the arts: speech and drama, painting, sculpture, music, and the new art of Eurythmy. (A meaningful description of all these contributions is beyond the scope of this brochure, but we shall describe three.) Eurythmy translates the sounds, phrases, and rhythms of speech, or the dynamic element of music into movement and gesture. The result has been described as “visible speech,” or “visible song.” It could be called the movement language of the soul. In painting, the laws of color and form are not bound by matter. The painter who recognizes these laws, lets the colors themselves speak, opens the doors to art that embodies the spirit. In architecture, beyond blending beauty and function, buildings should be ecologically sound and reflect the character of the region or culture. They should provide an environment enhancing the physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being of the people who live and work in them.

Adult Education
Adult education centers provide learning and practice for those interested in renewing their private, professional, and social lives from a spiritual perspective. The programs balance study with inner development and artistic work, focusing on the potential for change and creativity. It is knowledge that leads to service in the world. Three centers offer a master’s degree in Waldorf education. Other programs such as weekend seminars and yearlong study groups are offered by various branches of the Society. There is also the Rudolf Steiner Institute in Waterville, Maine which offers three-week intensive seminars each summer.

Waldorf Education
Waldorf education is the fastest growing a dependent school movement in the world, with more than 600 Waldorf Schools world-wide, and more than 600 in the United States and Canada. It places as much emphasis on creativity and moral judgment as it does on intellectual growth. The curriculum integrates academics, artistic activity, and a unique teacher-student relationship to awaken a student’s reverence for beauty and goodness as well as truth.

Biodynamic Agriculture
The principles and practice of biodynamic agriculture relate to the earth as a living organism, within which each farm has its own identity. This approach builds upon established methods of sustainable agriculture compost, manures, soil and plants re treated with specially fermented herbal preparations that enhance the earth’s Organic processes and produce healthy, poison-free foods. At present, there are 10,000 acres under biodynamic management in the U.S. The Demeter Association is an independent agency that certifies biodynamic farms in the U.S. and abroad.

Medical Practice
Anthroposophically extended medicine does not regard illness as a chance occurrence or mechanical breakdown, but rather as something intimately connected to the biography of the human being. Handled appropriately it presents opportunities for new balance and maturity. The patient is seen and treated holistically as a being of body, soul and spirit. This approach integrates conventional practice with new and alternative remedies, dietary and nutritional therapy, rhythmical massage, hydrotherapy, art therapy and counseling.

Care for the Elderly
The Fellowship Community in New York is an intergenerational community focusing on care for the aging. A farm, craft shops for weaving, pottery and candle making, workshops for printing, woodwork and metalwork, a gift shop, a medical practice, study groups and an active cultural life ensure that growing old does not mean growing apart from the nurturing rhythms of day-to-day life. Because coworkers and their families live in the community, both young and old have the opportunity to learn from and to nurture each other. Along with the Fellowship Community, there is also the Hesperus Community in Toronto, and the lona Project in Sacramento.

Curative Work: Soul Care for Those in Need
Anthroposophical work in curative education and social therapy is based on the assumption that every individual, regardless of ability, is an independent spiritual being. Developmental disabilities and mental retardation are treated not as illnesses, but as part of the fabric of human experience, and are cared for in the context of a healthy home and community life.

Audio Lectures by Eugene Schwartz

• Waldorf Education and Anthroposphy

To order these amazing lectures on Audio/CD, Click here.

The most complete life & biography of Rudolf Steiner online, click here

Suggested Reading:

Many people are very interested in Waldorf philosophies but tend to want to turn away from anything Anthroposophical… I understand that and each person makes his or her own choice, however, I do firmly believe that respect for Anthroposophy should be acknowledged, because after all, if there was no Anthroposophy, there would be no Waldorf.

I can tell you that one of the most important contributions made by Rudolf Steiner was his description of the existence of twelve senses. Learning about the twelve senses opens up your view and level of understanding, especially when working with children… I cannot begin to go into the depth – and would highly recommend a much deeper look into the resources I have listed below. To give you a small taste, I give you Rudolf Steiner’s list of the twelve senses of man….

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