by Jan Lampen
On the first day of lockdown, I decided to keep a journal. This is what I wrote on Friday morning the 27th of March 2020: “So this is it. 21 days of enforced isolation, an opportunity to ”grow”, self-develop, reconnect; find your “core”, as they say. Me? I’ll probably be staring into the abyss and dance with dragons. After 21 days, I am either going to be a better person or a total nutcase. Either way, I am willing to give it a bash.” Those initial 21 days of lockdown have now extended to 60 days (and counting). So far, this is what I have learnt from keeping a journal:
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by Karin von Schilling
When a second call for a contribution to the June newsletter went out, I thought I better respond! It has been a very unusual Easter and after Easter and now Ascension time for everybody and also for us who belong to The Christian Community, we all know that. However, we have had an amazing time being accompanied by the priests of the Region sending us such amazingly beautiful “sermons” for each Sunday, together with such extraordinarily beautiful pictures and photos. We were able to read them again and again, something we cannot do if we ‘only’ hear them once. This created an awareness of the other communities in Southern Africa, the region became more alive, all the time, through the wonderful interaction of our priests. We also experienced how different each one is, which became apparent in their different approach to the specific gospel readings, very interesting and very enriching. My impression is, that as a community we have become much more conscious of each other, bearing each other in mind as we sat down to accompany the Services. For me, it was quite special too, as it were, ‘see’ you, particularly, whenever we came to the ‘Christ in you’. Many of us seem to have their own place in the community, of course, but now I mean, the actual seats which seem to have become “Your seat” and some, who are usually on top in the back. And finally, I felt the Peace going out to each one of us. My inner eye looked into the congregation who received this blessing. There you were and I saw you more consciously then I would have done usually. So, I feel that there has been a kind of bonding during this time and it will be different when we meet again in person, then it had been previously. Also, the inner effort to sit and actively participate and contribute invisibly was strengthening, not only receiving but putting more individual will into action, in our thinking, than is needed to sit in the car and drive to church – at least, that is how it was for me. So I look forward to your response to the call and what you would like to share with us. Be well and keep warm, Karin. Cassia Holtz returning to traditional tie-dying to make a duvet cover, a quilted cover and a floor matWhere it all begins. The quilting is precision work. The finished products. Don't waste the off-cuts... When a coat does not fit properly, just make your own, by BenoitSourdough can be versatile as Sonnya keeps demonstratingScones with a differenc.
by Jean McGillivray Never one to be idle, Jean McGillivray sewed somewhere in the region of 750 facemasks. Most of these she tied to the perimeter fence for passers-by to take. When not sewing she painted and two of her watercolours are shown below. Face masks waiting to be collected by anyone needing one. Do you think Jean loves flowers?
shared by Jean McGillivray
Jean has lived with this for 45 years and has drawn much strength from it. It stems from a French Carmelite nun. by David Wertheim Aymes
I have decided to respond to the request for articles with content I prepared specifically for ourselves yesterday and adapted it very slightly. I hope this is what you were after. The test of today as a spiritually awake person is to apply what both Christianity, and Anthroposophy as the means to understand, gives us, in everyday practical life. Within the Bosun Group of companies we are trying to love this challenge. The times now demand this of us if we are earnest about our dedication to the Christ impulse. Below is somewhat of a blueprint that we are trying to hold consciously within us as we tackle the challenge of adapting ourselves to live our economic activities within the confused conceptual framework of today together with the questions of the good or bad faith behind them. It was written to the Management Team yesterday in preparation for Monday the 25th of May. Hopefully you can extract from it the key spiritual scientific concepts and attitudes underlying the approach. Mon 25 May What is our relationship with you?
What have we asked of you or put to you that requires poor concepts in bad faith? Is this the same as the current bigger reality? We ask that we together put before the world through our individual sacrifice, an excellent example that works in the world but that is based on our inner competence and dignity as human beings. We want to continue this right now under the current situation which is demanding. We want to do this not as a victory for people, but as a victory for the godliness in people. We cannot operate outside of the realities of the way the world works physically. We can however know that we ourselves are that which influences what and how things form in the physical world. We form our relevance and we form our efficiency as we serve the physical needs of others consciously. (Economic sphere.) We work on our own inner being knowing its structure as body, soul and spirit. We see its power in our deeds. (Liberty sphere.) We determine the rules and fairness towards one another. (Equality sphere.) We all need a common picture to which to direct our conscious and humbled inner lives. Our common picture is to serve the material needs of others. We need to build our ability to serve these needs with a correct relationship and balance in the mineral, plant, and animal components of what we allow to form. (Our guide to functional health is the Fourfold picture or the Four Kingdoms found on earth.) We have good infrastructure in most cases. It could be understood better, maintained better, have higher availability. Our operators could understand how it works better, make less waste, cause less damage. Our relevance team could be working together better. In these times this is critical. Is there not more of the market that would like to know about us and experience us? We need to know exactly where we are with regards to all agreements we make with each other, with customers, with suppliers, with the State. We need to be able to measure what we are doing in all respects from cash flow, to waste, Through Put, and more. We need to consider each person as a human being requiring safety and equality. We need to form teams that will guide the above into this form as it is required for the circumstances we live in right now. Our previous structure served a more consistent environment. We will take this on from Monday based on the above with those who want to partake out of freedom in this. You can decide not to be part of this. We can together decide where best to place each person for the benefit of the whole. Our correct organisation of the humanity that lives in us as a whole is the only ‘resource’ to effect this metamorphosis. We will tackle this with faith and commitment to our distinctly human qualities and capacities. There is no alternative. The article appeared on the Anthroposophy NYC Blog. This article by Jonathan Hilton was released as an audio lecture, with images, for the New York City Branch of the Anthroposophical Society on Easter 2020. Jonathan Hilton is currently the President of the Council of New York City Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in America. He has been working with anthroposophy in various ways for over 40 years. To read the full article click here. A short excerpt from this lecture: "If we can truly “live” in autumn with the conscious awareness of Michael, the Spirit of our Age, and awaken to the battle to redeem the fallen shadow intelligence, lifting our thinking again to a spiritual knowledge, which can raise what is fallen. If we can live at winter solstice, and the festivals of Christmas and Epiphany, recognizing the Logos becoming flesh; the birth of the Sun has occurred in the Earth at the darkest time of the year in order to bring a new light into the World. If we can live through the spring festivals in the powerful knowledge that the force of resurrection and the power of love has transformed our Earth in the physical body, in the life body, and in the soul; and the lighting-like flames at Whitsun awakening our spirit. If we can then arrive in summer at St John’s to a conscious union with the heights of the cosmos, the periphery, in recognition of and in alignment with the greater evolutionary divine plan for our humanity and hear in a new way the voice of John, “Change your thinking” for the new has come!” Then in this rhythm we participate in the true life of the Earth, which is the life of the Christ." The lecture ended with Hymns to the Night by Novalis. To its end inclined
The Ancient World. The happy garden Of the youthful race Withered away; Out into freer spaces Strove the full grown Unchildlike humankind. Vanished were the Gods; Lonely and lifeless Stood nature, Robbed of her soul By strict number And iron chains. Laws arose, And in ideas As in dust and air Fell to pieces The measureless prime Of the thousand-fold life. Fled away Was all-powerful Faith And Fantasy, All transforming, All uniting, Heavenly comrade. Unfriendly blew A cold North wind Over the frozen plains And the wonderland home Passed away in the Ether. ….. No longer was Light, The abode of the Gods, And a heavenly token – Around them they drew The curtain of Night. Thou art that youthful form our tombs display Standing above them, deep in contemplation, Consoling emblem in our darkest day Of the higher human’s joyful new foundation. |
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