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2015-16 Holy Nights Celebration and Readings

The Branch Festivals Group offered three evenings of reading and conversation over the Holy Nights. See the flyer for the event

The Human Being and the Michael Culture

Initiative 2023 offered a gathering on January 2, 2016. Our time together was interwoven with music, Mystery Drama readings and the awareness that our vibrant Branch activity could serve toward the protection of our earth.  See the flyer for the event here.

 

The Incarnation of the Logos - An Epic Tale of Christ's Coming to Earth - December 5th

On December 5th, Glen Williamson gave a performance of The Incarnation of the Logos - An Epic Tale of Christ's Coming to Earth.  See the poster for the event

Holy Nights Gatherings:

From Christmas to Epiphany

 

Framing the Holy Nights are Christmas and Epiphany. We observe Christmas as the birth of the Jesus Child described in the Gospel According to Luke, and Epiphany as the visit of the Three Kings to the Jesus Child described in the Gospel According to Matthew. Epiphany also celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan, 30 years later.

 

What is the relationship of Three Kings Day to the baptism? Why are both observed on Epiphany? The readings for this year’s three Holy Nights gatherings are intended to lead us on a journey—a journey from remembrance of the night of the shepherds, onward through events accompanying the ever-closer approach of the Christ Being, from Epiphany to Pentecost, and then the future-bearing power of Paul’s experience at Damascus. 

 

December 26: “The New Year in the Light of Epiphany” – Emil Bock (For a copy of this reading, call Nancy Foster, 202-829-2909.)

 

December 29: “Christmas: A Festival of Inspiration” 

 

January 4: Lecture 8, From Jesus to Christ 

Michaelmas Festival

September 30, 2017  at the Washington Waldorf School

In celebration of Michaelmas, we participated in a conversation on how we can experience the Consciousness Soul and the Awakening-Spirit through Goethe’s Fairy Tale, “The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily".   We read excerpts from The Fairy Tale and other sources before commencing the conversation.  We made an attempt at holding "Goethean" conversations in smaller groups. See:

The Art of Goethean Conversation by Marjorie Spock

Marc Clifton: Marjorie Spock's Art of Goethean Conversation

Holy Nights 2017-18

Midwinter: Christ as the Balance between Lucifer and Ahriman

The Branch Festivals Group offered three Holy Nights evenings of reading and conversation on December 30th and January 1st and 3rd.  Further information, including links to the lectures that were read  can be found here.

Guest Speaker:

T.H. Meyer spoke on The Sign of Five - November 10th and 11th:

The Raphael and Greater Washington DC Branches of the Anthroposophical Society co-sponsored two related lectures by T.H. Meyer that were based on the themes he covered in in his book The Sign of Five.  View further details here.  

Easter Observance 2018 - Tobias and the Angel

Thursday, March 29th at Washington Waldorf School

The Festivals Group offered an Easter Observance.  All are welcome to attend.  Further details can be found here.

Branch Annual Meeting, Puppet Show and Talk by Dan McKanan 

April 21st

Washington Waldorf School

For further details on the puppet show see here.

For further details on all three events see here.

"THIS WAR IS NOT INEVITABLE" - A Play in Two Acts - 7:30 October 28th

Light Weight Theatre presented a two-actor play in two acts on the birth of the idea of the Threefold Social Organism at the end of World War I.  There was also be a talk on the the play and Michael Burton's Mystery Drama on the previous evening.  For further details view the flyer here and an article here.

JOINT STUDY WITH BALTIMORE MEMBERS:

     On Aug 27, 2016, a few of us from Baltimore and the DC area studied Lec. 2 from Steiner’s series, “The Mission of the Archangel Michael,” Dornach, Nov. 21, 1919 – Nov. 30, 1919.  This series of lectures, given shortly after the opening of the first Waldorf School, can be seen as a kind of compendium of the history and overview of the Michael Impulse and as such can lay the groundwork for a better understanding of the work which this spirit of strength, presently the Spirit of Time, makes available to us.

FROM ASCENSION TO PENTECOST

     On May 13th, the Festivals Group offered an evening of singing, reading of a lecture, and conversation over light refreshments.

 

     The lecture that was read was: “World-Pentecost: the Message of Anthroposophy,” Rudolf Steiner, Christiania, May 17, 1923.  It is found in The Festivals and their Meaning or at the RSArhive: http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/AscenPent/19230517p01.html

Imagination, Inspiration, Intuition: The Spiritual Goetheanum and the Foundation Stone Meditation - A talk by Rüdiger Janisch

     On May 7th, Rüdiger Janisch of Camphill Beaver Run in Kimberton, PA, shared his insights based on many years of pondering the significance of Rudolf Steiner’s' Goetheanum.  See a photgraph of the First Goetheanum to the left below. 

Festivals Group

A CELEBRATION OF EASTER

     On Sunday, April 3, we read the lecture “The Death of a God and its Fruits in Humanity” and participated in an artistic activity.  The lecture (Düsseldorf, May 5, 1912) is found in The Festivals and their Meaning, and is available from

the Rudolf Steiner Archive at http://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/Easter/19120505p01.html

 

Festivals Group

A  CELEBRATION OF MICHAELMAS

     The Festivals Group offered a Celebration of Michaelmas on Friday, Sept. 30 at Washington Waldorf School.  View the flyer here.

The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily

 

A reading of Goethe's Fairy Tale presented by members of the community and hosted by the Initiative 2023 group took place on March 4th at the Washington Waldorf School in Bethesda.  View the flyer here

The Resting Stars in Movement - Rüdiger Janisch -   April 8th.  

Rüdiger Janisch gave a talk for Branch members and friends  at the Washington Waldorf School. The topic was “The Resting Stars in Movement.” He offered a key to finding our orientation among the fixed stars and a possibility to carry feeling and willing into thinking

November 2nd: Dr. David Tresemer spoke on Thresholds Disappearing: The So-called Living, The So-called Dead and "Spirits" 

The talk was co-sponsored by the Greater Washington Branch of the Anthroposophical Society and The Christian Community. Dr. Tresemer also spoke about a new three year Anthroposophic Psychology Training program. Visit  

https://anthroposophicpsychology.org/ for details.

Three January 2018 Events of the Chesapeake Biodynamic Network:

  January 6th - Application of biodynamic     preparation

  January 12th, 7:30 pm - a talk by farmer     Stewart Lundy 

 January 19th and 20th - An Introduction to   Biodynamic Beekeeping with Gunther Hauck

Further details can be found here.

January 13th: Luciferic and Ahrimanic  Influences Revealed in the Calendar of the Soul 

Herbert Hagens will share his insights on this subject at 7:30 at the Washington Waldorf School on Saturday, January 13th.  Further details can be found here.

Anthroposophy and the History and Future of Environmentalism - Two talks by Harvard Professor Dan McKanan - April 20th and 21st

Washington Waldorf School

Further details can be found here.

Lyre Music and Therapeutic Singing

Colleen Shetland plays the lyre for Advent Gardens, school opening days, branch events, and Christian Community services.

 

She offers sessions in therapeutic singing, and has recently completed Resonare, a foundation course in music out of anthroposophy. Colleen offers instruction in playing the lyre for both children and adults. She is also available to play the lyre for those who are ill or preparing to cross the threshold.

 

For information, contact: Colleen

Michaelmas Observance - October 4th

 

The Branch Festivals Group offered a Michaelmas Observance on October 4th at the Washington Waldorf School.  The observance included working with speech artist Debbie Spitulnik on the first panel of the Foundation Stone Meditation.  For further details, view the flyer here.

Holy Nights 2018-19 

This year for the Holy Nights, the Branch Festivals Group offered two readings on the Foundation Stone Meditation.  Then on January 6th there was a Festival Gathering at which Debra Spitulnik led us in experiencing the fourth panel of this meditation.  For details see the flyer here.

Eastertide Observance 2019

7:30 pm on April 29th at the Washington Waldorf School 

 

Continuing this year’s focus on the Foundation Stone Meditation as a centerpiece for our festival observances, the Branch Festivals Group again offered the opportunity to work artistically with speech artist Debbie Spitulnik. The Eastertide Observance was devoted to the second panel.   For further details, view the flyer here.

Facing Future - A conversation led by Joan Sleigh with John Bloom on May 8th
 

Joan Sleigh and John Bloom led a conversation on facing the future through deepening ones meditative life.   Further details can be found here.

Michaelmas Festival 2019

on Saturday, September 28th 

 

The Branch Festivals Group offered an artistic experience to celebrate Michaelmas.  The charcoal on paper activity was guided by art teacher Barb Bancroft.  See the flyer here for further details. 

Michaelmas 2020 - A two-part virtual observance

 

The Branch Festivals Group offered in a 2-part virtual Michaelmas observance in October 2020. Further details, including a link to the lecture that was considered, can be found  here.

The Foundation Stone Meditation and the First Goetheanum - a talk by Rüdiger Janisch - 7:30 pm on December 8th

View the flyer for the event here

Eurythmy Performance by Eurythmy Spring Valley - March 1st 2019

Eurythmy Spring Valley presented an 80 minute evening eurythmy performance for adults and grades eight and up at 8 pm on Friday, March 1st at the Washington Waldorf School.  View the flyer here and further details can be found here

Whitsuntide Observance 2019

May 23rd at the Washington Waldorf School 

 

The Branch Festivals Group offered another opportunity to work artistically with speech artist Debbie Spitulnik, this time on the third panel of the Foundation Stone Meditation.  For further details, view the flyer here.

Holy Nights 2019-20

Study and Artistic Exploration

The Branch Festivals Group offered a Holy  Nights observation in study and in  artistic exploration.  Two lectures given by Rudolf Steiner were studied on two different evenings.  Then on January 5th, there was a Holy Nights Artistic Exploration. Further details, including links to the lectures to be read, can be found here.

Two Virtual Events in November

The Branch Planning Group hosted two virtual events in November.  The first provided a space for participants to remember those who have crossed the threshold recently to honor their memories, especially in these times.

The second  considered the theme of the Fifth Mid-Atlantic Region Gathering: The Art of Conversation.

Further details can be found here

       The Turning Point in Rudolf Steiner’s Life
A talk given on March 30, 2022 over Zoom in honor of his death day,  by Rev. Patrick Kennedy  
A recording of the talk is available here.  See the flyer for the event  here.

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'Let Freedom Ring - Reclaiming the Wisdom of Columbia - Folk Soul of America' - May 14th

The Branch invited Hazel Archer-Ginsberg to give a zoom presenation from 1 pm – 2:30 pm ET on Saturday on May 14th. A link to the recording of the event can be found on the Recordings page.

Further details  are available here.

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Michaelmas Festival Gathering 2022

On September 30th, the Branch Festivals Group offered a  Michaelmas observance in song and verse,and a dramatic reading of A Michaelic Imagination.  Further details can be found here.

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Holy Nights Gathering 2022-23

The Branch Festivals Group offered a reading of  ancient Norse epic poem"The Dream Song of Olaf Åsteson".  For further detais see the flyer here.

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A Whitsuntide Gathering  - June 2nd

The Festivals Group hosted a festive

evening to observe Whitsuntide!  Further details can be found here.

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Holy Nights 2023-24   -   Friday, January 5 

The Festivals Group hosted "The Elves and the Shoemaker" – A Fairy Tale Contemplation and Conversation for Adults.    The event was held at Acorn Hill Waldorf School & Nursery.  Further details can be found here.

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HOLY NIGHTS 2020-21

 

The Branch Festivals Group  hosted a four-part observance of the Holy Nights.  Participants read three lectures by Rudolf Steiner in preparation for a poetry workshop on Zoom led by poet and teacher Tina Daub.  Further details, including links to the lectures, can be found here.

The Compatibility of Rudolf Steiner's Spiritual View of Evolution with Modern Science

Michael Judge explored Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual scientific view of evolution and its relation to the ongoing discoveries of modern science in a series of four Zoom presentations over two weekends.  Further details can be found here.

An  Easter Zoom talk by Rudiger Janisch

At the Festivals Group's invitation, Rudiger Janish gave the presenaton Easter: The Seed for a Future Fulfillment on April 18th.  A link to the recording of the talk can be found on the Recordings page.  See the flyer for the event here.

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St. John's Festival Gathering 2022 

On June 24th, the Branch Festivals Group offered a celebration of the mood of St. John's.  Further details can be found here.

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Biodynamic Gathering Report

Four area BD gardeners attended a three-day regional Biodynamic gathering from November 11th through November 13th at Perennial Roots Farm in Accomac, Virginia Read a short report on the event  here.

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Parzival's Teachers: On the Way to the Grail, a talk by Frank Hall

On April 6th, Frank Hall introduced Parzival as it pictures the spiritual journey of the human soul towards wisdom and love. Further details can be found here.

Courage to Keep to the Ideal

A Michaelmas Talk

On September 29th, the Festivals Group hosted a talk by Frank Hall.Further details can be found here.

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A Shovel of Stars Overhead: Where To?  What Next? 

A eurythmy performance presented by Eurythmy Spring Valley at the Washington Waldorf School on Februrary 27th.  Further details can be found here.

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