Q. I find talking to Waldorf teachers difficult. They often clam up. I get the impression they are hiding things. What is going on?

A. The Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, is based on the concept of occult knowledge — only "initiates" should be told the deep, hidden truths about important spiritual subjects. [1] Waldorf teachers are generally well-meaning individuals who have no wish to lie. But because they must conceal so much from the uninitiated, they are often accused of misleading outsiders — especially families whom they try to recruit into Waldorf schools.

(Bear in mind, not all Waldorf teachers are Anthroposophists. But many are, including many of the leading members of Waldorf faculties.)

Rudolf Steiner claimed to possess occult spiritual wisdom, and in his books and lectures he revealed many spiritual "secrets." [2] On the other hand, Steiner was acutely conscious that his teachings contradict science and the views of society at large. For this reason, he often reminded Waldorf teachers to keep their secrets inviolate from outsiders.

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To dig into at least a few major secrets that Steiner and his followers 

have attempted to withhold, see the Waldorf Watch page "Secrets".

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[1] In this context, "initiates" are people who have been admitted into the inner circles of spiritual wisdom. Steiner prescribed steps for his followers to take in order to become initiates. [See "Exact Clairvoyance - Is It Possible?"] Many of Steiner's instructions are spelled out in the book KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT, which has also been released under the title HOW TO KNOW HIGHER WORLDS. The subtitle of this volume is "A Modern Path of Initiation". For a synopsis, see the Waldorf Watch page "Knowing the Worlds".

[Anthroposophic Press, 1994.]

[2] Steiner provided an overview of his secret teachings in his book OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE. By "occult," he meant secret or hidden. [See "Occult - What Can This Mean?"] For a synopsis of this book, see the Waldorf Watch page "Everything".

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 2009.]

The books published by Anthroposophical presses often reflect a tension within Anthroposophy, a tension that Steiner himself evidently felt: a desire to conceal secrets, but also a desire to spread the "benefits" of Steiner's "wisdom."