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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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April, 2019

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This site supplements Waldorf Watch.

To go to Waldorf Watch itself, please click here:

Waldorf Watch.

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The news items below are presented in reverse chronological order — newest first, oldest last.

Please excuse a certain amount of repetition in the contents of this archive. Items that now appear close together on the screen may have originally been separated by intervals of several days.

Many of the items in this archive generalize about Waldorf schools, describing them as Rudolf Steiner and leading Waldorf representatives have said they should be and as evidence shows they often are today. Not all Waldorf schools, Waldorf charter schools, and Waldorf-inspired schools conform to this model precisely. To evaluate an individual school, you should carefully examine its stated purposes, its practices (which may or may not be consistent with its stated purposes), and the composition of its faculty.

— Roger Rawlings

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April 30, 2019

G. PERRA, GETTING 

TO THE POINT 

A long interview with Grégoire Perra has appeared in the French news magazine, Le Point [Paris, France].

Perra is a former Waldorf student who went on to become a Waldorf teacher and a prominent figure in French Anthroposophical circles. [1] His experiences within Waldorf schools and other Anthroposophical groups ultimately convinced him that Anthroposophy is a cult and Waldorf schools serve this cult. As a result, he broke away and became a vocal critic of Anthroposophy and Waldorf. 

Because of his critical writings [2], in 2011 the association of French Waldorf schools sued him for libel. He won that lawsuit, resoundingly, in 2013. [3] Today, Perra faces three new, simultaneous lawsuits brought against him by Anthroposophical groups and individuals. [4]

The interview in Le Point is powerful — and it helps clarify why Perra's old associates now fear him and want to silence him.

Here is a sample excerpt:

[Question by reporter Thomas Mahler]  How did you personally free yourself from [Anthroposophical] beliefs?

[Answer be Grégoire Perra]  I was a teacher of philosophy at Steiner-Waldorf schools until my 37th year. But within myself, I had already started a process of reflection and criticism. I had long held doubts, but eventually I chose to heed them. My first doubt concerned Anthroposophy's claim that it is method enabling its followers to become clairvoyants capable of perceiving the spiritual world. Since I was nine years old, I had never met a single Anthroposophist who actually had this ability. Another question that bothered me was the behavior of Rudolf Steiner's followers who, quite systematically, had a complicated relationship with the law. In Waldorf schools, I witnessed cheating during academic inspections [5]. Facts were also sometimes masked which, if they had become known in civil society, could have damaged a school and caused it to close. When I started teaching in parallel in public schools [6], I was able to make comparisons and I realized that this was not normal. I also found some of Steiner's semi-secret texts where he gives very clear advice on lying. I quote: "You have to talk to people and internally fool them" [7]. Rudolf Steiner was a man with an enormous charisma that deeply affected the people around him. Anthroposophists even imitated him when he limped. It was therefore he who transmitted these behaviours and values to the leaders of Anthroposophy [8]. I was a big shot in the movement, writing articles in Anthroposophical journals in which I began expressing my criticisms more and more. Finally, I resigned in 2009. I created my blog "The Truth about Steiner-Waldorf Schools" in 2013. It is increasingly popular, with 200,000 visits per year, because there is a real lack of information on the subject of Waldorf education.

[4/30/2019   "Anti-vaccins, délires cosmologiques... les étranges « vérités » des anthroposophes" {"Against Vaccines, Cosmological Delusions - the Strange 'Truths" of Anthroposophy"}, Le Point, https://www.lepoint.fr/societe/les-anthroposophes-ne-vont-pas-pouvoir-cacher-la-verite-eternellement-29-04-2019-2309998_23.php   The interview originally appeared on April 29. Translation by Roger Rawlings, leaning heavily on DeepL.]

Perra, who is not a wealthy man, now faces the daunting task of raising sufficient funds to defend himself in three simultaneous lawsuits. He has created a crowdfunding page seeking donations. Anyone who cares to support him can do so at https://www.okpal.com/soutenir-le-lanceur-d-alerte-gregoire-perra/#/. Perra estimates he needs to raise 13,000 euros. To date, he has received total donations of a bit under 9,700 euros.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "He Went to Waldorf".

[2] See Perra's website, La Vérité sur les écoles Steiner-Waldorf {The Truth about Steiner-Waldorf Schools}.

[3] See "My Life Among the Anthroposophists, Part 3".

[4] See "Fourth Lawsuit Filed Against Waldorf Whistle-Blower", March 30, 2019.

[5] See, e.g., "He Went to Waldorf":

"[I]n these schools, misleading state officials is commonplace. For example, I witnessed that, when a teacher is scheduled to be inspected in class, s/he will commonly be replaced by another teacher who has the [necessary] skills or qualifications. Then the students are asked to 'play the game' when the inspector is present, and to act as if the teacher who conducts their class [this day] is their regular teacher. Similarly, it may happen that there are health and hygiene inspections. I remember one time when the inspectors had to check how the children ate in the canteen. However, in this school, the children did not eat in a canteen, but in classrooms with their teachers who watched them and made them recite their prayers before meals. For this inspection, the teachers were notified 24 hours in advance, so we organized three successive meal services in a canteen for the students, so that everything appeared normal. In the evening, during a faculty meeting, teachers congratulated themselves that their students had 'played the game.'

"These various circumventions of the law make students participate in acts of defiance against outsiders perceived as hostile. They subtly teach the students that the rules and laws of the society at large are deficient — this is likely to strengthen their students' feeling of living in a world apart. Anthroposophists view anything that does not belong in the 'milieu of Anthroposophy' as 'the outside world,' so to the students the general society in which they live becomes, for them, an alien place!" — Grégoire Perra

[6] I.e., while still teaching at a Waldorf school, Perra also started teaching in a mainstream French public school.

[7] R. Steiner:

"We must worm our way through. We have to be conscious of the fact that this is done in life — not through an inner provocation, then it would be the way the Jesuits work — but done with a certain mental reservation in response to external requirements. We have to be conscious that in order to do what we want to do, at least, it is necessary to talk with the people, not because we want to but because we have to, and inwardly make fools of them." — Rudolf Steiner, CONFERENCES WITH THE TEACHERS OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL IN STUTTGART, Vol. 1 (Steiner Schools Fellowship Publications, 1986), p. 125.

[8] See, e.g., "Secrets".

— R.R.

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 .April 29, 2019

◊ NEWS BRIEFS ◊

WALDORF AND MEASLES

(AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND…)

1.

Waldorf schools continue to receive unwelcome publicity during the current measles epidemic. (The New York Times reports today that "the measles outbreak has grown to more than 700 cases in 22 states, making it the worst in decades".)

Thus, for instance, a Waldorf school is described as the worst example of vaccine denialism among Hawaiian schools, according to the following from KITV Island News [Hawaii, USA]:

State officials worry low vaccination rates 

in some Hawaii schools may cause health risk

by Nicole Tam

…State law requires all students from kindergarten to 12th grade to meet immunization requirements to go to school. That includes vaccines and shots like Polio and Measles, Mumps and Rubella. But some health officials are worried about those who are exempt because of religious or medical reasons.

"It's something we've been monitoring for some time and we're continuing to monitor the numbers of those who've been requesting religious exemption is suddenly rising, especially in the past decade," Dr. Sarah Park, Hawaii State Epidemiologist, said. 

The data from the department got figures from 409 schools in the state. Haleakala Waldorf School on Maui tops the list with the most un-vaccinated kids by percentage at 52.7 percent. Some say the consequences of not vaccinating goes beyond the classroom.

"Folks who say it's their choice. Well, you live in this community, our community and your choice to not be vaccinated impacts the health of everyone around you," Park said….

[4/29/2019   https://www.kitv.com/story/40379631/state-officials-worry-low-vaccination-rates-in-some-hawaii-schools-may-cause-health-risk   This item originally appeared on April 27.]

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And a Waldorf school has been fingered as the worst example in Colorado. From the Post Independent [Colorado, USA]:

Declining immunization rates a concern 

for Garfield County health officials 

[By] Thomas Phippen

…Measles cases in the U.S. are currently at the highest rate since the disease was declared eradicated in this country in 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week.

Federal officials point to the declining immunization rate as a reason for the return of measles, which can lead to pneumonia and, in the worst cases, death…

[I]mmunization rates are in decline in many places in the country and Colorado.

The best available data come from schools, which in Colorado are required to report immunization rates to the Colorado Department of Health and Environment (CDPHE) each year. CDPHE releases the data each spring.

Of the regional schools that report the immunization rates of students to the state, Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork had the lowest immunization rate for the 2017-18 school year [the most recent year on record].…

[4/29/2019   https://www.postindependent.com/news/declining-immunization-rates-a-concern-for-garfield-county-health-officials/   This item originally appeared on April 28.]

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 .April 28, 2019

◊ NEWS BRIEF ◊

WALDORF AND MEASLES

(CONTINUED ONCE AGAIN)

Waldorf schools continue to receive unwelcome publicity during the current measles epidemic. 

Thus, for instance, the following is from CBS 13 News [Sacramento, California]:

How Many Children 

Are Unvaccinated 

In California Schools?

by Anna Giles

New data shows several schools in northern California have alarmingly low immunization rates.

This comes as concerns about the spread of measles are rising nationwide. Doctors say 99% of students at school need to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity [1].

Data from the California Department of Public Health shows several schools in Sacramento and surrounding counties with immunization rates of 50% or less…

“When you don’t have herd immunity, such as schools with less than half of kids immunized, it makes it very easy for this infection to spread,” said Dr. Peter Beilenson with the Sacramento County Department of Health Services.

At Sierra Waldorf School in Jamestown, just 7% of students have all their vaccinations [2] …

In 2015, California passed a law that got rid of personal-belief exemptions for vaccinations [3]. However, reports show medical exemptions have more than tripled since then. State lawmakers claim many of these exemptions are fraudulent [4]..…

[4/28/2019   https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2019/04/26/california-schools-low-immunization/   This item originally appeared on April 26.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] “Herd immunity” (an unfortunate term) is general immunity extending throughout a population. Some sources say herd immunity may be attained with a vaccination rate of 95%.

[2] A 7% vaccination rate is extremely low even by Waldorf standards. Waldorf schools rarely if ever have official anti-vaccination policies. But Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner warned of serious dangers posed by vaccination. [See “vaccination” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.] Waldorf parents who oppose vaccination for their children may or may not have Steiner’s warnings in mind. For previous coverage of vaccination issues at Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Waldorf and Measles (Continued)", April 9, 2019, and "Measles, Mortality, and the Waldorf View", April 4, 2019.

[3] Such exemptions allow individuals to forego vaccination if the practice violates their deeply held beliefs, especially religious beliefs.

[4] The argument is that many parents who have no religious affiliation but who fear vaccination for one reason or another (well-founded or not) falsely claim that their opposition to vaccination is based on firmly held religious belief.

— R.R.

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 .April 27, 2019

◊ NEWS BRIEFS ◊

1.

From KTVU News [California, USA]:

Concerns rise over report showing 

Bay Area schools with students 

not vaccinated for measles 

By Rob Roth

A newly released report by the California Department of Public Health shows that in the 2017-2018 school year some Bay Area schools [1] had high numbers of kindergartners entering school without proof of receiving the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

One of the schools with the lowest vaccination percentages was the Berkeley Rose Waldorf School, a private school [2]… 

The vaccination issue has become so highly charged parents were adamant in their refusal to comment to us about it [3]…

State lawmakers are considering a new proposal that would require any medical exemption be approved by the public health department, instead of by individual doctors which is the way it works now [4].

[4/27/2019    http://www.ktvu.com/news/ktvu-local-news/concerns-rise-over-report-showing-bay-area-schools-with-students-not-vaccinated-for-measles#/   This item originally appeared on April 26.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] I.e., schools in the area around the San Francisco Bay.

[2] “Many of the lowest vaccination rates were at private or charter schools, like the Berkeley Rose Waldorf School which showed only 29 percent of its kindergarten students had received the measles vaccine.” — “Where Bay Area Kids Are Unvaccinated”, KCBS Radio, 4/26/2019.

[3] Waldorf schools do not generally have anti-vaccination policies, but they often have very high numbers of unvaccinated students. The schools often attribute this situation to free choices made by the students’ parents. For previous coverage of vaccination issues at Waldorf schools, see, e.g., "Waldorf and Measles (Continued)", April 9, 2019, and "Measles, Mortality, and the Waldorf View", April 4, 2019.

[4] Measles had once been virtually eliminated in the USA, but as a strong anti-vaccination movement has spread, the disease has come roaring back. See, e.g., “Measles Outbreak Infects 695, Highest Number Since 2000”, New York Times, April 24, 2019.

— R.R.

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From MyTwinTiers.com [New York State, USA]:

Ithaca Waldorf School 

combating low vaccination rates [1]

By: Julia LeBlanc

There's a measles outbreak in Downstate New York and in 21 other states, and it's getting worse. Doctors said getting the vaccination is the only way to protect yourself. 

However, there are some communities and schools in our area that have lower vaccination rates and may be more at risk. 

At Ithaca Waldorf School, for example, there are 95 kids and just over 75% of them are vaccinated. Doctors recommend to be fully protected against an outbreak, each community must have a 95% vaccination rate [2].

"We're not opposed to vaccinations, we actually do not land on one side or the other. Our primary responsibility is to fulfill what the Department of Health and NYS guidelines set out for us," said Dr. Emily Butler, Director of School Administration at Ithaca Waldorf School….

[4/27/2019   https://www.mytwintiers.com/news/local-news/ithaca-waldorf-school-combating-low-vaccination-rates/1958969624]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] This headline may be misleading. Ithaca Waldorf school is not opposed to low vaccination rates. The school claims to be neutral on the subject of vaccination. The action the school is now taking is an attempt to comply with state regulations.

[2] A vaccination rate of 95% should produce “herd immunity” — that is, it should yield general immunity throughout a population. To reach this level, the Ithaca Waldorf school would need to have at least 90 of its 95 students vaccinated. (Currently, only about 71 of the kids at the school have been vaccinated: 75% of the student population. This is quite high compared to many other Waldorf schools, but it is still too low to adequately protect the students.)

— R.R.

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 .April 26, 2019

◊ NEWS BRIEFS ◊

1.

From Yahoo Finance:

The Waldorf® School Million-Fold 

Global Postcard Exchange - 

a Worldwide Collaboration 

LONGMONT, Colo. [1], April 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ [2] — Waldorf schools around the world are participating in a global postcard exchange initiative to both broaden their perspective on diverse cultures and celebrate the 100th anniversary of Waldorf® education [3]. 

Students in schools across the globe have created and sent a postcard to every other Waldorf school. Each postcard was individually and artistically designed by a young person, telling or showing something of his or her country, school or self [4]. 

This global project has connected students from 1,100 schools in 80 countries [5]….

[4/26/2019   https://finance.yahoo.com/news/waldorf-school-million-fold-global-130000176.html]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] I.e., Colorado, USA.

[2] This is a public relations (PR) service. The “article” shown here is a Waldorf PR release, which has appeared in other media on other days. 

[3] The first Waldorf school opened in Stuttgart, Germany — under the personal direction of Rudolf Steiner — in 1919.

[4] Promoting international understanding may help offset the taint created by some of Steiner's nationalist and racist teachings. [See "Steiner's Racism" and "Embedded Racism".]

[5] This is the approximate number of Waldorf and Steiner schools in the world today. The number fluctuates as new schools open and others fold.

— R.R.

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From The Garden City News [New York, USA]:

Garden City school 

helps kids with Regents exams 

BY GARY SIMEONE

Last September, the century-old German-American School moved from their location in Ridgewood, Queens to the Waldorf School in Garden City [1]. With only three students attending the school, the move to Garden City was meant to broaden the client base and to expand existing services…

The move turned out to be a positive one for the non-profit after-school program that meets once a week to teach children the German language. There are currently 120 students enrolled in the classes, which are held on Tuesday evenings.

[Curriculum advisor] Dr. [Ursula] Beitter said the school takes students who are in first grade through tenth grade.

“One of the big reasons parents send their kids to the school is so they can earn Regents credits when they take the Regents exam in high school [2].…”

[4/26/2109   https://www.gcnews.com/articles/garden-city-school-helps-kids-with-regents-exams/   This article originally appeared on April 25.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Various foreign languages are usually taught in Waldorf schools, with German lessons often receiving emphasis. Waldorf schools often have a special bond with German culture. Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian-German, and the first Waldorf schools operated in Germany. So, for instance, the mythology prevalent in Germany — Norse mythology — is often emphasized in Waldorf schools. [See “The Gods”.]

[2] “Regents exams” are standardized tests in core subjects administered to high school students in the state of New York.

— R.R.

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 .April 25, 2019

SENSES, ELEMENTALS, 

GODS, AND US 

Here is an excerpt from a lecture by Rudolf Steiner featured today at the Rudolf Steiner Archive and e.Lib. Steiner delivered this lecture on April 25, 1914.

Delving into Steiner’s works is necessary if you want to truly understand Waldorf education. Waldorf stands on the foundation provided by Steiner’s esoteric preachments. Waldorf students are rarely taught Anthroposophical doctrines, outright. But these doctrines subtly affect almost everything that happens in Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., “Sneaking It In”.]

"Man has 12 senses and not just 5, as conventional science would have you believe: sight, thinking, warmth, equilibrium, word, life, smell, taste, hearing, touch, movement and ego senses [1]. Standing behind these 12 senses are elemental beings [2] who are the servants and helpers of Spirits of Form, Movement and Wisdom [3]. These elemental beings are still children, as it were, but to the extent that a man advances and develops himself up to Jupiter [4] these elemental messengers of the higher hierarchies will also develop [5]; some day they'll be Jupiter's zodiac [6] after the earth has gone through its seven rounds and everything emerges again in a new configuration [7]. Just as what previously worked on us on the Moon [8] and now stands behind our senses has become the earth's zodiac [9], Jupiter will also have a sun and beings who now work into our blood system will stand behind it [10]. It's only with the greatest awe and admiration that we can see how hosts of elemental beings are working on the wonderful temple of the human body [11].” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM THE CONTENTS OF THE ESOTERIC CLASSES, Berlin, 4/25/’14, GA 266.

[4/25/2019    https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/Dates/19140425e01.html]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See “What We’re Made Of”.

[2] I.e., nature spirits, invisible entities found within or behind physical phenomena. Steiner taught that there are four main types of elemental beings or nature spirits, but he also indicated there are several other types. [See “Neutered Nature”.]

[3] These are types of gods, according to Steiner. There are nine ranks of gods, Steiner said. Gods of the ninth rank (Sons of Twilight, or “Angels”) are the lowest, while gods of the first rank (Spirits of Love) are the highest. Spirits of Form stand in the sixth rank, Spirits of Movement stand in the fifth rank, and Spirits of Wisdom stand in the fourth rank. [See “Polytheism”.] 

[4] “Jupiter,” in the sense used here, is Future Jupiter — the next incarnation of the solar system. [See “Future Stages”.] 

[5] Steiner says that mankind will evolve to a higher status when we reach Future Jupiter, and the elemental beings will evolve likewise. (The “higher hierarchies” are gods of the higher ranks. Steiner says that certain elemental beings serve as messengers of these high gods.)

[6] I.e., evolved elemental beings will become the entities dwelling within the stars of the zodiac as it will exist during Future Jupiter.

[7] Drawing from Theosophy, Steiner taught that the solar system (or, as he sometimes said, the universe) evolves by passing through an elaborate series of cyclical recapitulations (e.g., “rounds”). After seven cycles, the solar system attains a significantly different configuration.

[8] “Old Moon” was the previous incarnation of the solar system — the incarnation that came before the present “Earth” incarnation. [See “Old Moon, Etc.” and “Present Earth”.] 

[9] Steiner says that the elemental beings that were active during Old Moon became the entities dwelling within the stars of the zodiac as it exists now, during Present Earth.

[10] Elemental beings today stand behind our senses or, more deeply, behind our blood system, according to Steiner. 

[11] Steiner taught that mankind stands at the center of the created universe. [See “The Center”.] The gods and their assistants focus their work upon us. Our bodies are, in effect, “temples,” just as the task of Waldorf teachers is to serve at the “altar” of human life: "The position of [Waldorf] teacher becomes a kind of priestly office, a ritual performed at the altar of universal human life.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE ESSENTIALS OF EDUCATION - The Foundations of Waldorf Education (Anthroposophic Press, 1997), p. 23. The religion served by Waldorf "priests" is Anthroposophy, a glimpse of which we have had here. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

— R.R.

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 .April 23, 2019

WALDORF SCHOOLS AND 

THE ELECTRONIC DOPPELGÄNGER 

From the Shelburne News [Vermont, USA]:

Cyber Civics lesson 

at Waldorf School

[By] Maria Mercieca

In a school known for avoiding technology, a new program has emerged that helps students approach the digital world. On April 11, Lake Champlain Waldorf School teacher Rebekah Hopkinson gave a presentation and led a discussion on the topic of Cyber Civics at the high school campus, drawing local parents eager for guidance on how to handle the modern-day challenge with their children.

Cyber Civics was developed by Diana Graber, an educator, media producer and mom from southern California…

The four major areas that the program centers around are reputation, screen time, privacy and relationships. With reputation, kids understand and consider that their online activity can affect their future both positively and negatively … Screen time speaks to the addictive nature of phones and video games, while privacy urges kids and parents to take the time to read the terms of use for each platform and app they plan to use to fully understand the extent of the digital data they are releasing. In relationships, students study and discuss the effects of online behavior on in-person situations. They also learn to distinguish the difference between “cyber bullying” – repeated, malicious activity that can be harmful and dangerous – and digital drama – unintentionally hurtful online actions….

[4/23/2019    http://www.shelburnenews.com/2019/04/18/cyber-civics-lesson-waldorf-school/   This article originally appeared on April 18.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Very few thoughtful people think children should spend countless hours staring at computer screens. And there seems to be general agreement that deep involvement in social media can he harmful. The same goes for excessive devotion to video games and other forms of electronic enchantment.

Teaching kids how to “approach the digital world” and giving them lessons in “cyber civics” seem to be excellent ideas.

But this leaves the question, why are Waldorf schools, in particular, “known for avoiding technology”?

The answer may surprise you. It involves fear of the arch-demon Ahriman. [1]

Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner taught that modern technology is generally ruled by Ahriman, and the use of technological devices can lead to the incarnation of Ahrimanic demons — i.e., demons in league with Ahriman. [2]

A related fear has to do with the "ahrimanic doppelgänger" — an evil human double that may be embodied in computers [3].

The following is from a recently published book advocating these remarkable Anthroposophic beliefs [4]:

“When we consider computer technology, it is apparent...that we are dealing with an externalized ahrimanic doppelgänger ... The computer is a cold machine with a very high level of intelligence and an uncompromising will [5] ... Steiner [connects] the discovery of the ahrimanic doppelgänger with [the] 'fall of the spirits of darkness' [6]. He describes the attempt by western occult lodges [7] to keep these facts secret in order to exploit them as a deliberate means of exerting power and darkening people's awareness of supersensible [8] reality ... [A] large proportion of humanity's powers of attention are now bound to machines with the help of the consciousness technologies of the internet and computers ... Rudolf Steiner [describes] how these technologies, originating in America, will spread throughout the world [9].

“Those who will seek to introduce the Antichrist [10] as the Christ are attempting to exploit what is able to act through the most material of forces but which, in actual fact, acts in a spiritual way through the most material of forces. Above all, this group is seeking to exploit electricity and the Earth's magnetism in order to generate effects throughout the world.

“Steiner thus makes clear that, in connection with the fall of the spirits of darkness, an attempt will be made to absorb the development of the free, etheric forces [11] of our consciousness. This is because the spirits of darkness had to leave the etheric realm [12] and therefore have an ever greater interest in keeping human consciousness away from this sphere. At present, they achieve this primarily through those machines that imitate consciousness processes within the human organism, processes that are bound to the senses and based on electrical currents, and ultimately, therefore, based on the ahrimanic doppelgänger.”

— Waldorf lecturer Andreas Neider in the Introduction to a collection of Steiner lectures, THE ELECTRONIC DOPPELGÄNGER - The Mystery of the Double in the Age of the Internet (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2016), pp. 8-18.

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 2016]

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Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See “Ahriman”.

[2] See “technology” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BW/SE).

[3] I.e., an incarnated doppelgänger (a human double) associated with Ahriman. [See the entries for “doppelgänger” and “double, human (evil)” in the BW/SE.]

[4] Anthroposophy (pronounced an-throw-POS-of-fee) is the belief system, devised by Rudolf Steiner, upon which Waldorf education stands. [See "Anthroposophy" in the BW/SE.]

[5] In reality, computers are unconscious mechanisms, possessing neither intelligence nor will. Anthroposophists generally fear computers for characteristics these machines do not possess. (Whether computers will ever wake up, become conscious, and develop minds of their own remains to be seen. It hasn't happened yet, and it may never happen. This may be merely a science-fiction nightmare.)

[6] i.e., the ejection of certain demons from the spirit realm. [See “Spirits of Darkness” in the BW/SE.]

[7] I.e., secret societies in the Western world — societies professing to possess occult (hidden) spiritual knowledge.

[8] I.e., supernatural, existing beyond the reach of our normal senses.

[9] For Steiner’s teachings about America, see “America”.

[10] See “Ahriman”, “Antichrist”, and “Sorat” in the BW/SE.

[11] See “etheric force(s)” in the BW/SE.

[12] See “etheric realm” in the BW/SE.

— R.R.

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 .April 18, 2019

WALDORF AND DEATH 

(CONTINUED) 

Announcement of an upcoming event at an American Waldorf school:

Conscious Living, Conscious Dying, 

and the Journey Beyond

The Sacred Gateway

April 26, 27, 28

Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School,

Ghent, NY

Conference Schedule

Thursday, April 25th at 7pm

◊ Screening of Living While Dying at Hawthorne Valley School Auditorium - Open to the public! $10 Suggested Donation…

Friday, April 26 

◊ 3:30 Screening of The Art of Natural Death Care Hawthorne Valley School Auditorium - By Donation…

Saturday April 27…

◊ Biography and Social Art; Preparation for Dying and Beyond…

◊ Befriending Death...

◊ Co-Creating a Festival For The Dead…

◊ The Journey of the Soul After Death…

◊ Music at the Threshold…

◊ Writing Our Connections to those Across the Veil…

◊ Reading for the Dead…

Sunday, April 28…

◊ Contemplation and Inner Development for Connecting with the Dead…

◊ Connecting With Our Loved Ones Through Nature and Art…

◊ Green Burial….

[Etc.]

[4/18/2019   https://secure.anthroposophy.org/np/clients/anthroposophy/event.jsp?event=160&]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Death is, of course, a central concern in virtually all religions. Where do we go when we die? What is the meaning of death? What is the meaning of life? What is it all about?

We would expect these issues to be aired, and consolations to be offered, in almost any church, temple, synagogue, or mosque. Bear in mind, however, that the upcoming conference on death will be held at a Waldorf school.

While it is often denied, the reality is that Waldorf schools are religious institutions. [1] The religion on which they are based in Anthroposophy. [2]

The Waldorf/Anthroposophical understanding of death hinges on the concepts of karma and reincarnation. [3] Adopted from eastern faiths, these concepts have been grafted onto the Anthroposophical worship of Christ — who, according to Rudolf Steiner, is the Sun God. [4]

In Anthroposophical doctrine, death is part of the repeated process of passing from life to life, alternating between the physical and spiritual realms. After death, you move through a form of purgatory (Kamaloka), then ascend through levels of the spirit realm, under the tutelage of numerous gods. You prepare for your next earthly incarnation in accordance with the karma you have created for yourself.

Waldorf authorities suggest that parents and teachers should encourage children to celebrate death and to "serve" the dead. 

"Should we foster ways to serve the dead with small children? [5] ... If death can live in adults' attitudes as a heavenly birthday [6], then the children will approach it as a fact of life ... Yes, celebrate the death day like an earthly birthday ... Children who become accustomed to celebrating from a very early age the birthdays and death days of people who are part of their social life, learn to accept the spiritual world of beings as real. Thus, they gain a basis for religious experience.... [7]" — Waldorf teacher Helmut von Kügelgen, WORKING WITH THE DEAD (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, 2003), p. 2.

Rudolf Steiner taught that the living can communicate with the dead. [8] Indeed, he claimed that he himself was able to relay messages from the dead to the living. [9]

For previous Waldorf Watch news reports on death and the dead, see, e.g., "Honoring, and Bucking Up, the Dead", October 27, 2018, and "Consolations of Death", June 11, 2018.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See “Schools as Churches”.

[2] See “Is Anthroposophy a Religion?”

[3] See “Karma” and “Reincarnation”.

[4] See “Sun God”.

[5] I.e., should we teach small children how to serve the dead?

[6] When we "die" on Earth we simultaneously are born into the spirit realm.

[7] This is the underlying purpose of Waldorf education.

[8] See, e.g., STAYING CONNECTED: How to Continue Your Relationships with Those Who Have Died (SteinerBooks, 1999).

[9] See, e.g., "Steiner and the Warlord".

— R.R.

  .  

.  

. 

 .

 .April 15, 2019

MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS 

IN WALDORF SCHOOLS 

From Scoop Independent News (Wellington, New Zealand):

Mindfulness Key to 

Reducing Childhood Anxiety

Press Release: Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand

Growing rates of anxiety and depression in Kiwi children [1] can be managed through mindfulness [2], a growing practice that can benefit both teachers and their students.

Mindfulness was the theme of the 2019 Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand (SEANZ) Conference, celebrating 100 years of Steiner Education [3]…

Janet Molloy, CEO of SEANZ, says while interest in the benefits of mindfulness is growing, Steiner schools have been practising it for the past one hundred years [4]…

Janet Molloy says schools can help children and teachers by incorporating mindfulness. Steiner teachers are encouraged to learn meditative mindfulness as part of professional development towards reflective practice [5]….

[4/15/2017   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1904/S00045/mindfulness-key-to-reducing-childhood-anxiety.htm.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, wrote many meditations, verses, and prayers for use by his followers. He prescribed inner-directed, contemplative practices meant to still the mind, focus the will, and yield spiritual wisdom. Steiner’s ruminative compositions often provide the focus for meditation by Waldorf teachers and, in at least some circumstances, Waldorf students.

Here is one of Steiner’s meditations:

"Dark is the face of Earth

When darkened by the Sun's blinding ray.

But light and clear becomes my day's horizon

When the soul's inner life illumines it

With Wisdom from the Stars."

— Rudolf Steiner, VERSES AND MEDITATIONS

(Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), p. 95.

The astrological implications of the final line may be particularly noteworthy. Astrology is often present in Steiner’s teachings. The stars, he taught, are the abodes of various gods who direct their influences to us here below. [5]

Traditionally, each day at a Waldorf school begins with students and teachers reciting, in unison, “verses” written by Steiner. The verse for the lower grades includes these lines:

“In sunlight shining clear 

I reverence, O God,

The strength of humankind,

That thou so graciously 

Hast planted in my soul….”

— Rudolf Steiner, PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN 

(Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), p. 45.

The verse for the higher grades includes these lines:

“God's spirit weaves in light 

Of sun and human soul,

In world of space, without, 

In depths of soul, within. 

God’s spirit, ‘tis to Thee

I turn myself in prayer….”

— Rudolf Steiner, PRAYERS FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN 

(Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), p. 47.

Note that these “verses” are clearly prayers (“I reverence, O God” and “I turn myself in prayer”). Waldorf schools almost always deny that they are religious institutions, but in fact they are precisely that. [6] And the religion they embrace is Rudolf Steiner’s creation: Anthroposophy. [7]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] I.e., children in New Zealand. (The kiwi is a flightless bird found in New Zealand.)

[2] A therapeutic goal, mindfulness is a calm mental state attained by focusing quietly and acceptingly on the present moment. Meditative verses or mantras may be used in the quest for mindfulness.

[3] The first Waldorf school was founded in Germany in 1919. Waldorf or Steiner schools are currently celebrating the centennial of their movement.

Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand.

[4] For some of the texts used in Waldorf meditative practices, see “Prayers”. [Also see “Power Words”.]

[5] See “Teaching Training”.

[6] See “Astrology” and “Polytheism”.

[7] See “Schools as Churches”.

[8] See “Is Anthroposophy a Religion?” and "God".

— R.R.

  .  

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. 

 .

 .

 .April 14, 2019

MAIN LESSONS, 

TEXTBOOKS, ETC.

From the Santa Fe New Mexican, an opinion piece by a senior in a Waldorf high school:

MY VIEW

Not all schools take 

the same approach to learning

By Hannah Laga Abram

Most high schools in the United States may seem to mirror the cliché of teen movies: cliques, long hallways of lockers, AP classes, limited arts, smartboards, and a curriculum based on extensive exams and college prep or on outdated textbooks.

The Santa Fe Waldorf School has none of these…

I have been lucky enough to experience several different learning environments over the years. After going to the Santa Fe Waldorf School for kindergarten, I home-schooled with a few friends for first and second grade. I then attended public school at Atalaya Elementary School for third grade and the first half of fourth, before transitioning back to the Waldorf School…

None of my school experiences were by any means bad, but Waldorf has definitely been my favorite…

The class structure at Waldorf is based on “main lesson” blocks: The first two periods of every day are spent with one teacher in one subject for a month, and a different subject with a different teacher the next. This model allows the deep study of a ponderous breadth of subjects, without boring the student. Track classes are fairly standard, but afternoons are devoted to arts of all kinds, from music to theater to painting to woodwork. The best part is that everyone has to participate in every class. Unlike the structure of electives, this forces students to discover things that they enjoy and excel at, as well as subjects that challenge them or that they might not like as much….

[4/14/2019   https://www.santafenewmexican.com/life/teen/not-all-schools-take-the-same-approach-to-learning/article_41dc4465-ce2d-5e6d-b01c-d5ee84ced958.html   This item originally appeared on April 11.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Students who attend Waldorf schools often report favorably on the experience; they typically like these schools. I liked the Waldorf school I attended. [1]

Waldorf schools usually keep academic pressure low. They often provide plenty of free time for play, or artistic pursuits, or self-guided studies. They usually avoid subjecting the kids to standardized tests, and they generally do not use standard textbooks — or any textbooks at all. [2] Classes are often small — especially when the schools themselves are small — and all the kids tend to know one another, having been together as a group for years. (If a Waldorf school were run according to the Waldorf ideal, a group of children would come together in preschool and remain together through the end of high school.) The schools are often physically attractive, adorned with much artwork, and there is usually a pleasant if vague spiritual tenor pervading most classes and activities. Green values are stressed, there is usually an organic garden on the grounds, nature walks are frequently organized, and care for the Earth's flora and fauna is emphasized. All in all, attending a Waldorf school can be pleasant on many levels.

Whether Waldorf schools provide a sound education may, however, be a different story. In any case, it is important to understand the overall Waldorf model, avoiding the temptation to generalize too much on the basis of what you observe in a single Waldorf school. Thus, at least some of the things Ms. Abram reports are not actually typical of Waldorf education generally.

Ms. Abram is right that Waldorf schooling is “based on ‘main lesson’ blocks.” But, typically, the same Waldorf teacher will prepare and deliver most if not all of the main lessons for her/his group of students: history for a few weeks, then geography for a few weeks, then literature for a few weeks, and so on. (Usually, a main lesson runs for an hour-and-a-half or two hours, with each subject studied for three weeks before being dropped so the next subject can be taken up.) This system places an enormous burden on the teachers, who are expected to master all these subjects at all grade levels, as the students advance from subject to subject and from grade to grade. Whether any teacher can possibly do this well — that is, whether the students can possibly get a good education under this system — is doubtful. The extraordinary expectations placed on Waldorf teachers was noted at the first Waldorf school, as reported by Rudolf Steiner himself: 

“The school inspector said that with normal teaching methods, average people can be teachers, but with our methods, we need geniuses. I do not think that is necessarily true, but there is something to it. So much depends upon the individual teacher….” [3]

The issue of textbooks also deserves some consideration. Rudolf Steiner discouraged Waldorf teachers from using textbooks (and in Waldorf schools, Steiner’s word tends to be nearly sactosanct). Thus, for instance, Steiner once told Waldorf teachers this: 

“I have nothing against using a textbook, but all of them are bad.” [4]

There’s nothing wrong with textbooks, he said, except that they are all bad. The underlying reason for the Waldorf aversion to standard textbooks is that such publications tend to contain standard, accepted knowledge about the real world — and the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, rejects much of this knowledge. [5] So, instead of studying textbooks, Waldorf students typically create their own “class books” or “lesson books.” These are generally attractive notebooks, full of drawing and paintings, and they contain the "information" the students have “learned" from their Anthroposophically inclined teachers. [6] The result is that Waldorf students are usually exposed to just one point of view, their teachers’ Anthroposophical point of view. The kids learn little of what actual experts say about history, geography, literature, and so on. Instead, they learn what their Waldorf teachers want them to believe. Often, the students’ class books or lesson books wind up reproducing material written on the blackboard by the teachers; and the artwork in the books is often copied from drawings made on the blackboard by the teachers. A prominent Waldorf teacher — a former headmaster at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City — has pointed out some of the drawbacks to this system: 

“Copying is the curse of the Waldorf Schools. There is altogether too much of it, and it is not confined to the elementary school. In high school, where there is much less excuse for it, it still goes on. The way in which many [Waldorf] teachers organize their work implies that they consider that the whole object of the course is the creation of a gorgeous notebook. And the way in which some teachers judge the work of other teachers implies the same thing.” [7]

Pretty notebooks are produced. But have the students been given — and have they learned — real, verifiable information? Have they, in other words, received a real education? [8] 

There’s much more we could say in response to Ms. Abram's opinion piece, but this may be sufficient. Ms. Abrams is certainly entitled to her opinions, and if she says says Waldorf has been her favorite educational experience, we must accept this. But if you, dear reader, want to form a rounded assessment of Waldorf education, you may want to look further. You might, for instance, consider “The Waldorf Curriculum” and “Methods”. There you will get my own views, which you may or may not find convincing. The final call, of course, is yours to make.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See “I Went to Waldorf”.

[2] See “Lesson Books”.

[3] Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 443-444.

The burden is arguably greatest on Waldorf teachers in elementary and middle school — there, the teachers are expected to teach most main lessons, as I have described. The burden lifts a bit in high school, when — as Ms. Abram indicates — specialists may take responsibility for at least some main lesson blocks.

[4] Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 284.

[5] See, e.g., the entry for "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.

[6] To consider how Waldorf teachers are trained, and what bearing Anthroposophy has on their work, see, e.g., “Teacher Training”.

[7] Keith Francis, THE EDUCATION OF A WALDORF TEACHER (iUniverse, 2004), p. 132.

[8] Anthroposophical "information" tends to be mystical and unverifiable. [See, e.g., "Mystic Lesson Books" — a continuation of “Lesson Books”. Also see "Indoctrination" and "Sneaking It In".]

— R.R.

  .  

.  

. 

 .

 .

 .April 11, 2019

A SENSATION, AN EXPANSION, 

AND 16th OF 54 

◊ NEWS BRIEFS ◊

1.

From the Nexus News Agency [London, UK]:

Rudolf Steiner – 

the sensation of his day

By Wolfgang G. Vögele

In the early 1920s, an occult wave was rolling across Germany, mediumship and astrology were booming. Today we would talk about an esoteric boom … At the same time another name also electrified audiences: “Dr Rudolf Steiner”. People streamed to his lectures because they considered him to be some sort of magician or clairvoyant [1] …

In almost every lecture Steiner fought against misunderstandings and the caricatures of his teachings. He differentiated his epistemological method sharply from experimental parapsychology, eastern yoga, and emotive mysticism and kept attempting to make the scientific nature of his research method [2] clear from ever new perspectives. He also referred to the way in which anthroposophy could be productive in education, medicine, the religious life, etc....

[4/11/2019   http://www.nna-news.org/news/article/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2745&cHash=fc9630f2d6ee29e6545b9123774db227   This article originally appeared on April 10.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Nexus News Agency (NNA) is an Anthroposophical news organ. The thesis of this article is that Steiner became immensely famous during the “esoteric boom,” but whereas other stars of that boom were frauds and charlatans, Steiner was a true occult initiate.

[2] Steiner’s “science” was his professed use of clairvoyance to objectively study the spirit realm. His “spiritual science,” in other words, was his newly minted religion, Anthroposophy. [See “spiritual science”, “clairvoyance”, and “Anthroposophy” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

— R.R.

.

.

2.

From The Coast News Group [California, USA]:

Planning Commission 

approves Waldorf school

By Aaron Burgin

Hundreds of supporters and families of the Sanderling Waldorf school [1] attended the nearly four-hour public hearing, after which the commission voted 4-0 to approve the eight-building, 31,150-square-foot school on four lots…

The project is proposed to be built in two phases: the first with eight modular buildings and the second phase, which is subject to the school’s fundraising efforts, the replacement of the modular buildings with permanent structures [2]. 

A group of neighbors and a nearby congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses opposed the project based on concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety, but the commissioners said that the staff report and traffic study addressed their concerns…

Sanderling Waldorf is a private school that was founded in Encinitas 20 years ago but currently operates in two locations in Vista and Carlsbad in spaces that have expiring leases next summer.

School board chair Kimberly Prentiss told the commission that the school wanted to return to Encinitas, where most of the families reside….

[4/11/2019    https://www.thecoastnews.com/planning-commission-approves-waldorf-school/   This article originally appeared on April 9.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See https://www.sanderlingwaldorf.org. Waldorf schools often have enthusiastic supporters. Whether those supporters understand the occult belief system underlying Waldorf education is, however, often doubtful. Disillusionment and alienation may result when the ties between Waldorf and Anthroposophy become known. [See, e.g., “The Waldorf Scandal” and “Coming Undone”.]

[2] Fundraising is often a major — and virtually endless — concern at private Waldorf schools. If sufficient funds cannot be found for the second phase of Sanderling Waldorf’s plans, the school may be confined to its modular (presumably temporary) structures for many years. The physical plants of Waldorf schools are often deficient. [See, e.g. “Clues”.]

— R.R.

.

.

3.

From The Manly Daily [New South Wales, Australia]:

NAPLAN results 2018: 

Best primary schools 

on the northern beaches

[By] Julie Cross

A tiny northern beaches primary school with just eight classes has the best NAPLAN [1] results on the peninsula [2].

The Manly Daily looked at the combined Year 3 and Year 5 results for reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation; and numeracy to determine how schools ranked overall…

St Rose Catholic Primary in Collaroy Plateau topped the list…

St John The Baptist Catholic Primary, in Freshwater, was second best performer, with independent school John Colet in Terrey Hills in third.

The best performing Government school was Balgowlah Heights Public School in fifth place and then Bilgola Plateau Public in tenth…

Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School [was ranked 16th] [3]….

[4/11/2019    https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/manly-daily/naplan-results-2018-best-primary-schools-on-the-northern-beaches/news-story/e39e3f7ef7e438a54792ef724292f0e8    This article originally appeared on April 10.

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] NAPLAN is Australia’s The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy. It consists of tests that assess students’ basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic.

[2] New South Wales is a state in southeastern Australia. Its capital of Sydney. The Northern Beaches are suburbs of Sydney; they are located on or near a peninsula northeast of Sydney.

[3] Waldorf schools often have low academic standards. [“Academic Standards at Waldorf”] For a Waldorf school to come in 16th out of 54 schools is, by Waldorf standards, admirable. Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School is located in Belrose, New South Wales [see https://kamaroi.nsw.edu.au]. 

— R.R.

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 .

 .April 9, 2019

1.

WALDORF AND MEASLES 

(CONTINUED) 

A message posted at the Waldorf Critics discussion site by historian Peter Staudenmaier:

Thanks to Margaret [1] and others for information on recent measles crises in the Waldorf world. As usual around this time of year, there are several ongoing measles outbreaks at Waldorf schools in Germany as well, with a fair bit of media attention over the past few weeks. [2] It is becoming pretty much an annual ritual. Many Steiner fans nonetheless remain adamant in their beliefs about the dangers of vaccination and the great conspiracy that supposedly surrounds the topic. 

This is an issue that extends far beyond the Waldorf milieu; for a sense of its dimensions, here is a CNN report from February titled "Anti-vaccination conspiracy theories thrive on Amazon":

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/27/tech/amazon-anti-vaccine-books-movies/index.html,

There was a similar article in the Washington Post last month focused on anti-vaxx ideology on Facebook, and others in USA Today and the BBC about anti-vaxx ideology on Youtube. At the same time, more and more studies have shed light on the links between anti-vaccination beliefs and broader conspiracist worldviews. For one of the larger and more thorough recent studies see Matthew Hornsey, Emily Harris, and Kelly Fielding, "The Psychological Roots of Anti-Vaccination Attitudes" Health Psychology 37 (2018), 307-15. [3]

In some cases critical work on the subject has reached larger media audiences. A few months ago the Guardian ran a substantial article exploring the relationships between anti-vaccination sentiment and the rise of right-wing populist movements, with a brief reference to Steiner:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/21/rightwing-populists-ride-wave-of-mistrust-of-vaccine-science,

— Peter S.

[4/9/2019    https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/32049    This message was originally posted on April 8.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] This is Margaret Sachs. See, e.g, “Anthro doc's statement after measles outbreak at Swiss Steiner school” [https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/waldorf-critics/conversations/messages/32048].

[2] Waldorf schools have often been centers of contagion, due to their general (if unofficial) antipathy to vaccines. [See, e.g., “The Blessings of Illness in Swiss Steiner Schools”, April 3, 2019.] Here, Staudenmaier reports that measles outbreaks occur regularly in German Waldorf schools. Germany — homeland of Rudolf Steiner — has a particularly large number of Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.]

[3] From the article abstract: 

“Results: In order of magnitude, antivaccination attitudes were highest among those who (a) were high in conspiratorial thinking, (b) were high in reactance, (c) reported high levels of disgust toward blood and needles, and (d) had strong individualistic/hierarchical worldviews. In contrast, demographic variables (including education) accounted for nonsignificant or trivial levels of variance.” [https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/8hxjwo/the_psychological_roots_of_antivaccination/]

— R.R.

2.

ANOTHER STEINER SCHOOL 

WILL CLOSE ITS DOORS 

(CONTINUED) 

Here is an update on one of the Steiner schools in the United Kingdom (UK) that has run into severe difficulties in recent months. [1]

From BusinessDesk.com [Birmingham, England]:

Controversial Derbyshire school 

to be scaled back 

[by] Sam Metcalf

The kindergarten and day nursery at [a] Derbyshire independent school...are set to be wound up [2].

Siann Huntley and Andy Beckingham [3]...were appointed as joint administrators to the Derbyshire‐based independent school Michael House and Rowans Day Nursery last month [4].

Since then, the administrators say a number of parents have removed their children from the school, making it an unviable business…

Steiner schools base their curriculum…on the spiritual philosophy of Rudolf Steiner [5]. The Department for Education [began] expressing concerns going back to 2014 after it emerged that the founder [i.e., Steiner] had held controversial views on race, saying that black people were a “nuisance” to Europe [6].

The Derbyshire school and day nursery [had] around 80 pupils…

Huntley said: “The actions of these parents are completely understandable in the circumstances. It is regrettable that this difficult decision has had to be taken … We are committed to ensuring that the remaining pupils…continue to receive the expected standards of education until the end of the school year.”

[4/9/2019   http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/news/2024555-controversial-derbyshire-school-to-be-wound-up   This article originally appeared on April 8.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] For an overview of Steiner school travails in the UK recently, see "Steiner School Crisis".

[2] This is Michael House School, which will be reduced ("wound up" or "scaled back") and then closed. (The school is “unviable.” The kindergarten and nursery will close soon; the rest of the school will attempt to continue operating until the end of the school year.)

[3] They represent Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery, a consultancy that assists directors of struggling and failing businesses.

[4] See “Another Steiner School Will Close Its Doors”, March 6, 2019. (When a UK school is placed "in administration," it is put in the hands of outside authorities who attempt to rectify the school's faults. If these efforts prove fruitless, they close the school.)

[5] See the entry for “Anthroposophy” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.

[6] See “Steiner’s Racism”.

— R.R.

  .  

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 .April 8, 2019

NOT ALL ALTERNATIVES 

(E.G., WALDORF) ARE BETTER

From Mamamia [New South Wales, Australia]:

A teacher on the type of school 

leaving students "two to three years 

behind grade level”. 

[by] Shona Hendley

Steiner education, also known as the Waldorf School [sic], isn’t a new educational pedagogy. But it is one which has increased in popularity over the past decade…

Although [Waldorf is] rising in popularity partly due to its alternative educational structure, a secondary school teacher of nearly 30 years, Margaret Keable, tells Mamamia [1] that she believes the structure “inherently flawed”…

The first Australian Steiner school was opened in Sydney, in 1957. There are now over 40 Steiner schools and kindergartens in Australia…

Focusing on a “holistic style” of education [2], Steiner schools use a different curriculum framework than government, private or other independent schools [3]…

Keable believes it is these particular curriculum focuses that are “inadequately preparing children for future educational experiences in non-Steiner based facilities” including secondary schooling or tertiary study if they wish to pursue that pathway.

“I taught for nearly thirty years and through that time, we had many Steiner primary educated students who came to the government school I was teaching at,” Keable tells Mamamia. “Across the board they were behind their peer group academically [4].

“The biggest issues these children faced was the fact that their literacy and numeracy levels were behind the majority of their peers, often quite substantially. They would often need special programmes to assist them in catching up and this often wasn’t an easy task for them.”

According to a report by Margaret Sachs, a parent whose child attended a Steiner school in the US, the gap between her daughter’s language skills and that of her peers was exceptionally wide.

“Her new teacher told me she was two or three years behind grade level. Later in the year, she corrected that estimate and said that my daughter had been more than three years behind grade level… Our daughter’s essays were incomprehensible,” Sachs says.

“She had made brave attempts to write words, guessing at the letters involved, but not succeeding in spelling a single word correctly. The other children’s work was the result of four years of public education. Our daughter’s was the result of four years of Waldorf [Steiner] ‘education’” [5]…

Keable urges parents to spend time researching the school, its curriculum, the fundamental beliefs and values, as well as opportunities it offers before choosing where to send your children. [6]

“Although sometimes alternative institutions seem as if they will offer your child something significant, they can also be quite detrimental.”

[4/8/2019    https://www.mamamia.com.au/what-is-a-steiner-school/    This article originally appeared on April 7.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Mamamia bills itself as “Australia's largest independent women's media group.” 

[2] Waldorf schools often describe themselves as providing education for the "whole child" — head, heart, and hands. But the Waldorf conception of wholeness differs markedly from that found elsewhere. The "whole child" addressed by Waldorf teachers has 12 senses, four bodies, a karma, a "temperament" (phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric, or melancholic), a spiritually important racial identity, an astrological sign, etc. [See "Holistic Education" and "What We're Made Of".] 

[3] For an overview of the curriculum generally used — with some variations — by Waldorf schools, see “The Waldorf Curriculum”.

[4] Waldorf schools delay instruction in literacy and numerancy until children are at least seven years old. They are waiting for the kids’ “etheric bodies” to incarnate. [See “Incarnation”.] Waldorf spokesfolks say Waldorf students eventually catch up with students in other schools, but the evidence for this is thin. Waldorf schools have generally had low academic standards throughout. [See “Academic Standards at Waldorf”.]

[5] For more of Sachs’ comments, see “Our Experience”.

[6] Hear, hear! [See, e.g., "Advice for Parents" and "Clues".]

— R.R.

  .  

.  

. 

 .

 .

 .April 7, 2019

SCREEN TIME —

SEEING THE LIGHT?

From The Sunday Times Magazine [London, UK]:

Is gaming really bad for children? 

Why everything we know about 

“screen time” is wrong 

Matt Rudd banned his children from games consoles — 

until a psychologist changed his mind

[by] Matt Rudd

…Last year, we wrote in this magazine about how the educational establishment of choice for the children of Silicon Valley’s top execs was a Waldorf/Steiner school in California [1] where they dry their own apple rings, plant their own vegetables and play with wooden toys. The technorati who gave us the digital world cough up as much as $40,000 a year for their little darlings to be educated in an entirely analogue environment. The school’s philosophy is that technology stifles children’s creativity, human interactions and attention spans. No screens are allowed [2] …

…Dr Pete Etchells [is] a 35-year-old psychologist specialising in video game research. For years, he and a small cohort of scientists have been rowing back against the Luddite tide [3] …

“I always try to be as evidence-based as I can [Etchells says] and…in terms of the scare stories you see in the news, there’s not too much to worry about.”

When I ask about the links between screen time and wellbeing…he says that if there is a negative link, it’s negligible. “We had decades of research that said there were effects. What we’re starting to get now is more robust research that shows there is an effect, but it’s negligible…”

Rather than assuming all use of technology is equal (and equally bad), we should take a more nuanced approach. If screen time is a mix of gaming, entertainment, learning and interacting, that’s very different from a child spending hours alone in their room comparing their life with a Kardashians’, disappearing down a self-harm wormhole or working their way through Pornhub. If parents and children can share an internet surf, a Minecraft session or a Netflix binge [4], it might even be a bonding experience…

“If you look at the relationship between mental wellbeing and different types of screen time [Etchells says], what you find is that some screen time is better than none at all…

“If you look at research on addiction, it’s not an issue. If you get a bunch of people that meet the criteria for addiction [5], and you test them again six months later, it disappears. These ‘addictions’ are short-lived, and I feel that [is related to] how video games work. You play them for a few weeks and you’ll finish them or get bored and move on to something else…”

Unsurprisingly, Etchells is critical of Susan Greenfield [6] and her position at the forefront of what he describes as a “moral panic” about technology…

Greenfield’s arguments overstate the effects [on kids' brains], he claims, and focus only on the negatives. She is, in short, scaremongering…

Etchells does not accept that there is a causal link between violent video games and real-world violence. “If you look at population-level data for video games, violent video game sales have been going up since the 1970s. Over the same period, the murder rate has gone down. There is a negative correlation…

“In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre [7],” he continues, “violent video games were blamed, but during the criminal investigation it emerged that the game the guy [8] played the most was Dance Dance Revolution [9]. It’s hard to see how that could be linked to something so real and horrendous…”

[Etchells’] general point is actually quite simple. The hysteria that surrounds technology makes it difficult to have the more nuanced discussions we need to ensure the role of technology in our lives is a positive one…

For Etchells, the key is balance. “I don’t really see playing video games and going outside as mutually exclusive,” he says. “The evidence suggests that they’re not ... Play is really important. A child can engage in play through video games or through going outside. You should do both of those things, because they’re good for different reasons….”

[4/7/2019    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/magazine/the-sunday-times-magazine/is-gaming-really-bad-for-children-why-everything-we-know-about-screen-time-is-wrong-zxxw77nx7]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] Some Silicon Valley execs send their children to Waldorf schools, but most do not. There has been much hype — and misinformation — about the situation. [See, e.g., “Waldorf and Technology”, February 10, 2018.]

[2] Many Waldorf schools have “media policies” under which students’ access to electronic devices (computers, TVs, etc.) is sharply limited. [See “media policies” in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[3] Luddites were workers in the early nineteenth century who destroyed machinery that they feared would take their jobs.

[4] For the sake of the few readers who may not know, a) the Kardashians are exhibitionistic “stars” of a “reality-TV” show, b) a “self-harm wormhole” is a website that promotes self-injury or even suicide, c) Pornhub is a website where pornographic videos are shared, d) Minecraft is a computer game that includes some combat, e) Netflix is an on-demand Internet streaming and movie-rental service.

[5] I.e., apparent addiction to video games.

[6] Susan Greenfield is a neuroscientist who has made highly-publicized claims that excessive use of computers is rewiring kids’ brains and causing harm such as attention deficit disorder and autism.

[7] This was an attack on an elementary school in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, USA. A 20-year-old gunman shot and killed 20 young children and six adults.

[8] I.e., the shooter who committed the massacre.

[9] Dance Dance Revolution is a video game in which the player performs various dance steps.

— R.R.

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 .April 5, 2019

MULTIPLE ATTACKS AT ONCE -  

WHAT WILL THE MEDIA SAY? 

The French news media are beginning to pay attention to the upcoming trilogy of lawsuits filed against Waldorf whistle-blower Grégoire Perra.

A former Waldorf student who became a Waldorf teacher, Perra has drawn the ire of Rudolf Steiner’s followers in France. Several years ago, Perra renounced Steiner and his creations, including Waldorf education, Anthroposophy, and Anthroposophical medicine. [1] He has since published numerous articles detailing his criticisms of the Steiner movement in which he had once been a prominent member. [2]

Recently, the movement has struck back at him in the form of three lawsuits, charging Perra with defamation and ancillary misdeeds. The first suit was filed by a group of Anthroposophical doctors, claiming that Perra maligned them when he gave a public presentation criticizing the Steiner-inspired medicine they practice. [3] Then came a suit filed by a prominent Waldorf teacher, accusing Perra of slandering her in one of his essays about Waldorf education. [4] Later yet, the federation of French Waldorf schools sued Perra over the same matters that had so offended Anthroposophical medicos. [5]

All of these suits come in the wake of an initial court case lodged against Perra by the federation of French Waldorf schools a few years ago. Perra won that case handily. [6]

The three new lawsuits mean that Perra faces the ordeal of defending himself in three separate trials. In normal times, the resulting drama would probably attract intense media attention. Nowadays, with the Yellow Vest protests, and Brexit, and Donald Trump dominating news cycles in Western nations, coverage of Perra’s trials may be muted. But we will see.

A new article about alternative medical practices published in LaProvence [Marseille, France] concludes with these words:

[D]enouncing these therapeutic abuses remains delicate: for having described, during a conference given in 2018 in Marseille, "deviant" practices recommended by Anthroposophical doctors (such as the refusal of vaccines), Grégoire Perra — himself a "repentant" fomer Anthroposophist — is now being prosecuted for "defamation". His trial will take place at the end of May in Strasbourg [France].

[4/4/2019   https://www.laprovence.com/article/edition-marseille/5442131/le-retour-des-guerisseurs.html  Translation by Roger Rawlings, relying heavily on DeepL.com.   The LaProvence article has been picked up elsewhere, such as https://www.corsematin.com/article/article/guerisseurs-des-vertus-indeniables-et-de-nombreuses-derives.]

To understand the nature of Anthroposophical medicine, it is necessary to delve into the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, the father of Anthroposophical belief and practice. Here is a sampling of Steiner’s preachments about human health issues:

◊ “With pneumonia, the cause is always in the astral body [7]; pneumonia can occur in no other way.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE TEMPLE LEGEND (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1997), p. 60.

◊ “An ear that develops in the right place is a normal organ, but when even a very minimal latent ear or other sense organ develops in the wrong place, we are faced with cancer, or carcinoma. To learn to counteract the body’s tendency to develop sense organs in the wrong place, we must look deep into world evolution, into the cosmic evolution that led to the human being.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE HEALING PROCESS (SteinerBooks, 2000), pp. 141-142.

◊ “We must ask ourselves: In what constellation were we living when in the nineties [i.e., 1890s] the present influenza epidemic appeared in its benign form? In what cosmic constellation are we living at the present moment? By virtue of what cosmic rhythm does the influenza epidemic of the nineties appear in a more acute form today?” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM SYMPTOM TO REALITY IN MODERN HISTORY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1976), p. 89. [8]

◊ “The ashes that a thought leaves strengthen bones, and so people with rickets do better if they think abstractly.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM THE CONTENT OF ESOTERIC CLASSES (transcript, Rudolf Steiner Archive), GA 266, 3-14-08.

◊ “When a person becomes afflicted with shrunken kidneys, which can occur when the kidneys' activity is deficient, you can see an indentation here on the head ... You can see in every person who has kidney disease this indentation in the head.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM COMETS TO COCAINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2001), p. 241. [9]

◊ “Diabetes is today more prevalent among Jews. Certainly others also have diabetes, but it occurs with particular frequency today among Jews. These people have a tendency to diabetes. The Jew has more difficulty absorbing sugar, yet on the other hand he requires it.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM COMETS TO COCAINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2001), p. 284. [10]

The lawsuits filed by the Anthroposophical doctors and by the federation of Waldorf schools stem from Perra’s criticisms of Anthroposophical medicine. Drawing upon his personal experiences and observations within the Anthroposophical movement, Perra has made such statements as the following:

◊ I have seen Anthroposophical doctors refuse to give children compulsory vaccinations. With the parents' agreement, they forged "white vaccines" — i.e., false vaccination certificates;

◊ I have seen how Anthroposophical doctors deliberately choose not to treat a fever and let it rise dangerously, including in children…;

◊ I have seen the passivity of an Anthroposophical doctor, withholding effective intervention in situations that could have cost the life of his patient: [e.g.,] an old lady with a complete intestinal obstruction, whom the Anthroposophical doctor left to suffer horribly for 12 days…;

◊ I knew of an Anthroposophical doctor who…prayed for more than an hour in his office to drive out the demons he thought were trying to take over one of his patients;

◊ I knew of an Anthroposophical doctor who prescribed putting fried onions in a child’s ear to absorb the pain of a severe ear infection;

◊ I have seen Anthroposophical school doctors in Steiner-Waldorf schools violate the medical confidentiality of their patients...; 

◊ I have seen Anthroposophical school doctors in Steiner-Waldorf schools fail to inform authorities about incidents of serious physical harm suffered by the students…;

◊ I saw an Anthroposophical doctor, implicated in a legal case where a child had been malnourished, fabricate a prescription with a false date in order to exonerate himself…;

◊ I have known two Anthroposophists with cancer, one in the breast and the other in the lungs, who refused chemotherapy and urgent radiotherapy … For years they had relied on alternative treatments such as Iscador [an extract of mistletoe, which Anthroposophical doctors believe can cure cancer] … Both died in excruciating pain.

— Grégoire Perra, "Mon expérience de la médecine anthroposophique".

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See, e.g., "He Went to Waldorf".

[2] To see English translations of some of Perra's writings, see, e.g., "Charlie Hebdo", "He Went to Waldorf", "Mistreating Kids Lovingly", "My Life Among the Anthroposophists", and "Sexual Mores in Steiner-Waldord Schools".

[3] See "Anthroposophical Doctors Bring Suit Against a Critic", January 8, 2019.

[4] See "Third Lawsuit Filed Against Waldorf Whistle-Blower", March 13, 2019.

[5] See "Fourth Lawsuit Filed Against Waldorf Whistle-Blower", March 30, 2019.

[6] See "My Life Among the Anthroposophists, Part 3".

[7] This is one of three invisible bodies that, Steiner taught, fully incarnated human beings possess. [See "Incarnation".]

[8] Astrology is never far from the surface of Anthroposophical belief. “[T]he old, real, and genuine Astrology expresses itself in the destinies of men.” — Rudolf Steiner, ROSICRUCIANISM AND MODERN INITIATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1965), lecture 3, GA 233a.

[9] Steiner embraced many dubious medical concepts, such as phrenology. "[G]enuine phrenology really should be studied by anyone who wants to form his conclusions correctly about moral defects. For it is indeed most interesting to see how moral defects which are connected with karma are forces of such strength that they manifest themselves quite inevitably in deformations of the physical organism.” — Rudolf Steiner, EDUCATION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1999), p. 68.

[10] Steiner's teachings about various races and peoples are almost certainly the most controversial part of his legacy. [See, e.g., "Races", "Differences", and "RS on Jews".]

— R.R.

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 .April 4, 2019

MEASLES, MORTALITY, 

AND THE WALDORF VIEW

From southwestjournal [Minnesota, USA]:

Vaccination rates low at Whittier school

Parents opting Waldorf students out of vaccines

[by] Nate Gotleib

An outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease could affect more students at a Whittier private school than almost any other school in the state.

Thirty percent of kindergartners at City of Lakes Waldorf School were unvaccinated against at least one vaccine-preventable disease between 2014 and 2018, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health.

About 20 percent of the school’s kindergarteners were missing doses of an immunization against at least one vaccine-preventable disease, and only about half were fully vaccinated.

In comparison, just 3 percent of kindergartners statewide were unvaccinated during that time period, 4 percent were missing doses and 93 percent were fully vaccinated…

The data from the City of Lakes Waldorf School appears to mirror data from other Waldorf schools nationwide. At the Minnesota Waldorf School in Roseville, for example, 34 percent of kindergartners were not vaccinated against measles in the four school years between 2014 and 2018, according to Health Department data.

And of two reporting Waldorf schools in Wisconsin, neither had a full vaccination rate above 62 percent in 2017-18, according to Wisconsin Department of Health data.

Three Chicago-area Waldorf schools also have lower-than-average vaccination rates, the Chicago Tribune reported in December after an outbreak of chickenpox at a private Waldorf school in North Carolina. That North Carolina school, called Asheville Waldorf School, had a higher rate of religious exemptions for vaccinations than all but two other schools in the state, the Asheville Citizen Times reported....

[4/4/2019    http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/2019/04/vaccination-rates-low-at-whittier-school/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

As we reported yesterday, the recent measles outbreaks in countries worldwide have brought unwelcome attention to Waldorf schools. This is so even when these schools are not reported to be at the center of the outbreaks. And it is so even when the high percentage of unvaccinated students at these schools is attributed to decisions made by the kids’ parents, not to any official anti-vax policies at the schools.

Waldorf founder Rudolf Steiner taught that vaccination can be a wise precaution in some situations. More generally, however, he taught that vaccination can pose grave risks.

Vaccines will be developed for the explicit, evil purpose of destroying human spirituality, he said. 

"[Materialists] will look for the vaccine to make the body ‘healthy’, that is, make its constitution such that this body no longer talks of such rubbish as soul and spirit, but takes a 'sound' view of the forces which live in engines and in chemistry ... Materialistic physicians will be asked to drive the souls out of humanity.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FALL OF THE SPIRITS OF DARKNESS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1993, reprinted 2008), p. 85. 

The "materialistic physicians" will be allied with black magicians and other evildoers who work to create medicines that deaden people to all things spiritual. 

“Endeavors to achieve this will be made by bringing out remedies to be administered by inoculation...only these inoculations will influence the human body in a way that will make it refuse to give a home to the spiritual inclinations of the soul.” — Rudolf Steiner, SECRET BROTHERHOODS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), pp. 90-91.

Leading Waldorf proponents today echo Steiner; they tell of the damaging effects of vaccines as seen from the perspective of their belief system. 

"Childhood diseases...result from a necessary developmental process in which the human being tries to overcome influences from the inherited physical body ... This basic concept of the origin of childhood diseases has been complicated by new forms of medication that suppress symptoms (vaccination)." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 20. 

The symptoms are part of “a necessary developmental process,” so they should not be suppressed. Kids need to get sick. It is good for them. 

"[W]e should consider [childhood illnesses] as the greatest blessings, because through them man is able to strengthen his personal form by conquering a predisposition, enabling him to incarnate better." — Waldorf teacher L.F.C. Mees, BLESSED BY ILLNESS (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 192.

Parents who think measles might be "a blessing" for their children might want to consider countervailing information such as the following, from the World Health Organization: “Even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, in 2017 there were 110,000 measles deaths globally, mostly among children under the age of five.” — "Measles - Key Facts”, World Health Organization, November 29, 2018.

— R.R.

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 .April 3, 2019

THE BLESSINGS OF ILLNESS 

IN SWISS STEINER SCHOOLS 

Measles epidemics have been sweeping through numerous countries, including Switzerland (and the USA). One consequence has been to shine unwanted attention on Waldorf schools, which have sometimes been centers of childhood contagions. These schools generally have very high numbers of unvaccinated students. The Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, sways teachers and parents alike to be skeptical of modern medicine, including vaccination.

The following is from swissinfo.ch [Swiss Broadcasting Corporation]:

SHOTS IN SWITZERLAND

Vaccine scepticism – a phenomenon in affluent societies

By Sibilla Bondolfi

...At the beginning of February, there was an outbreak of measles at a Rudolf Steiner private school in Switzerland [1]. The authorities suspended 60 unvaccinated children to prevent the disease from spreading further.

This was not the first time that a Steiner school had experienced a measles outbreak. A spokesman for the Federal Office of Public Health told Swiss media that the high incidence of measles in Steiner schools was no coincidence. These schools teach according to the pioneering Waldorf education system, which was invented by Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925). Steiner considered vaccinations to be problematic [2]. For this and other reasons, some parents only have their children partially vaccinated, or not at all…

...Thomas Didden of the Swiss Rudolf Steiner School Association…is unable to say how many children are inoculated at Steiner schools. The institutions do not keep such statistics, nor do they provide parents with recommendations regarding immunisation [3]…

Disease as development opportunity 

…According to [Anthroposophical physician Bernhard] Wingeier, anthroposophy views humans as much more than just physical creatures [4]. He said this concept of human nature also affects the way we perceive disease in anthroposophical medicine.

...“In anthroposophical medicine, disease is not just an evil that must be eliminated, it is also part of development, especially in children.” Fever and infectious diseases, he says, give children the opportunity to learn how to get through crises. This has a positive effect on their overall development and the development of their immune systems [5]….

[4/3/2019   https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/health_vaccine-scepticism---a-phenomenon-in-affluent-societies/44867558]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes:

[1] See "Measles, Vaccines, and Waldorf", February 20, 2019.

[2] See "Steiner’s Quackery". Rudolf Steiner was not entirely opposed to vaccination, but he warned of dreadful dangers in the practice.

[3] Waldorf schools rarely if ever have official anti-vaccination policies, but a distinct anti-vax culture often prevails in these schools. Statistics kept by state health offices often show Waldorf schools at or near the top of the list for schools with large numbers of unvaccinated students. [See, e.g., "Asheville Waldorf".]

[4] Rudolf Steiner gave a complex, spiritual/physical account of the human constitution. [See “What We’re Made Of” and “Our Parts”.]

[5] In Waldorf belief, illness may be an absolute blessing.

"[W]e should consider [childhood illnesses] as the greatest blessings, because through them man is able to strengthen his personal form by conquering [an inherited] predisposition, [thus] enabling him to incarnate better." — Waldorf teacher L.F.C. Mees, BLESSED BY ILLNESS (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 192.

Mees accepts Steiner's description of human physiology. See, e.g., his discussion of the "etheric body," pp. 126-127.

— R.R.

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 .April 2, 2019

SECRETS REVEALED — 

ORDER YOUR COPY 

One of the books due out later this month from Rudolf Steiner Press:

Rudolf Steiner Press, 2019

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From the publisher (footnotes added):

This course of lectures was originally offered as private, strictly verbal instruction to a select group of esoteric pupils. In an atmosphere of earnest study, Rudolf Steiner ‘translated’ from the Akashic Script [1] valuable concepts of human and cosmic knowledge into words of earthly language – content that is often not to be found in his later lectures. Although working within the Theosophical Society [2], Steiner was an independent spiritual teacher: ‘… I would only bring forward the results of what I beheld in my own spiritual research [3].’

The manifold, exact and detailed descriptions of the events of evolution in these lectures form a background to the evolving figure of the human being. The mighty event of the moon leaving the Earth [4], vividly described, took place – according to Rudolf Steiner – in order to provide an environment suited to human progress. The wonderful moment when the higher being of man descended in a bell-like form [5] and enveloped the lower human body, still on a level with the animals, depicts what eventually provided human beings with a body suited to the development of the self or ‘I’ [6]. Spiritual beings [7] and the great initiates [8] led humanity along the path it was destined to tread.

Rudolf Steiner presents a sweep of occult knowledge, including the phases of planetary evolution [9], various myths and symbols [10], human physical and spiritual organs [11], illness [12], reincarnation [13], and much more. Also included are unexpected insights into specific phenomena such as dinosaurs, bacteria, radiation, black and white magic, the Sphinx and Freemasonry [14].

[4/2/2019    https://rudolfsteinerpress.com/viewbook.php?isbn_in=9781855845619]

Waldorf Watch Response

and Footnotes:

There is a tension in Anthroposophy — a conflict between the impulse to preserve “occult knowledge” (i.e., hidden, secret knowledge) and the impulse to spread Rudolf Steiner’s wondrous wisdom. Anthroposophical publishers, who are in the business of printing and selling books, lean toward the latter urge.

FOUNDATIONS OF ESOTERICISM is not a new book. A previous edition was released in 1982, and Anthroposophical insiders have had access to these lectures since Steiner delivered them in 1905. But the upcoming edition appears to be more attractively packaged — it may find a wider audience among book buyers generally. Rudolf Steiner Press presumably hopes so, anyway.

The following footnotes provide a primer on some of the subjects Steiner discussed in these lectures:

[1] According to mystical tradition, a storehouse of occult knowledge — a sort of cosmic encyclopedia — is available to occult initiates who learn how to read it (clairvoyance is required). The storehouse is called the Akashic Chronicle or Record; it is written in “Akashic script,” a sort of code reminiscent of runes. Akasha is an esoteric cosmic ether or, according to some accounts, starlight. [See “Akasha”.]

[2] Steiner was a Theosophist before he broke away to establish Anthroposophy as a separate spiritual movement. [See “Basics”.] His central teachings changed little after the break, although he became silent on some details.

[3] I.e., Steiner claimed that all of his teachings result from his direct clairvoyant investigations. He vouched for them personally.

[4] This event occurred, Steiner taught, fairly recently — while humanity dwelled on the continent of Lemuria [see “Lemuria”], prior to our migration to Atlantis [see “Atlantis”]. Modern astronomy, of course, gives a very different account of the origin of the Moon.

[5] Steiner taught that human beings have existed since the very beginning of the solar system (which he sometimes called the “universe”) — that is, we have been around since the period called Old Saturn [see “Old Saturn”]. But we did not become recognizably human — having bodies more or less like we have now — until fairly late in our evolutionary history, after descending to the Earth in one of its preliminary physical phases.

[6] The “I” is one’s spiritual ego. [See “Ego”.]

[7] I.e., gods. [See “Polytheism”.]

[8] I.e., great spiritual masters. (Anthroposophists believe that Steiner was one of the greatest. [See “Guru”.])

[9] This is the evolution that began with Old Saturn. It has proceeded through Old Sun and Old Moon to the current stage, Present Earth. It will proceed to Future Jupiter, Future Venus, and Future Vulcan — and perhaps beyond. [See “Matters of Form”.] 

[10] See, e.g., “The Gods” and “Signs”.

[11] See “What We’re Made Of” and “Our Parts”.

[12] See “Steiner’s Quackery”.

[13] See “Reincarnation”.

[14] Poking through The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia will yield tidbits about at least some of these topics. [See, e.g., entries on atoms, black magic, dinosaurs, dragons, Freemasonry, magic, white magic, etc.]

— R.R.

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