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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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December, 2020

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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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December 28, 2020

ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND HERE

BY MISCONSTRUING WHAT IS THERE

Here is a new book released by a major Anthroposophical/Waldorf publisher. The book is currently featured in the publisher's website. I will quote the official description given there.

Some of the following bears on subjects discussed here recently, centering on the Anthroposophical/Waldorf conception of Christmas. I have added explanatory footnotes.

[Lindisfarne Books, Steinerbooks/Anthroposophical Press, 2020]

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From the publisher:

As Above, So Below includes articles of interest on star wisdom (Astrosophy [1]), as well as a guide to the correspondences between stellar configurations [2] during the life of Christ and those of today. This guide includes a complete sidereal ephemeris [3] and aspectarian — geocentric and heliocentric [4] — for each day of the year 2021...

According to Rudolf Steiner, each step taken by Christ during his ministry, from the Baptism in the Jordan to his Resurrection, was in harmony with, and an expression of, the cosmos [5]. The Star Wisdom series is concerned with these heavenly correspondences during the life of Christ and is intended to help in building a foundation for cosmic Christianity, the cosmic dimension of Christianity. It is this approach that, until now, has been largely missing from Christianity and its 2,000-year history [6].

Readers can begin this path today by contemplating the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets against the background of the zodiacal constellations (sidereal signs [7]) in relation to corresponding stellar events during the life of Christ. In this way, the possibility is opened for attuning in a living way to the life of Christ, who since the beginning of his Second Coming in 1933 is now spiritually present in the etheric aura of the Earth [8].

This year’s edition of Star Wisdom commemorates the 100-year anniversary of the Astronomy Course given by Rudolf Steiner in 1921 ... In the tenth lecture of that course (Jan. 10, 1921), Steiner reintroduces to the study of stars the Hermetic Axiom “As Above, So Below” [9] in a new and more complex form.

He observes that, while the starry heavens above us radiate their forces toward the Earth, there is an inverted image of those starry heavens radiating outward from the Earth’s center [10]...

This guide to direct interaction between human beings on Earth and angels and other heavenly beings connected with the stars [11] is intended to help the reader develop the capacity to receive the wisdom-filled teachings of the spiritual hierarchies [12].

[12/28/2020   http://shop.steinerbooks.org/Title/9781584209058.   This book was originally released in November, 2020.]

Waldorf Watch Addendum

TALKING SENSE, AS OPPOSED

TO WHAT WE HAVE JUST SEEN

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on astrology:

"If you want to believe in astrology, go right ahead. Just don’t base any decision that relates to your health, your wealth, and your security on it. Shield all your friends from doing the same. Otherwise, what could go wrong? [Astrology is] basing decisions on what people thought was true about the universe 2000 years ago. Basically, it’s all bull***t." [https://newsd.in/astrophysicist-neil-degrasse-tyson-talks-about-astrology-and-how-real-it-is/].

Anthroposophical/Waldorf thinking is fundamentally — and fatally — backward. [See, e.g., "The Ancients — Mistaking Ignorance for Wisdom".]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] Astrology is central to Anthroposophical belief. [See "Astrology"] Astrosophy, as understood in Anthroposophy, is essentially a refined form of astrology (Anthroposophical astrology) developed in part through the professed use of clairvoyance. [See "Astrosophy".]

[2] "Stellar configurations" are the positions of the stars (and, often, planets) at a particular moment. (The positions are essentially perceived positions as observable from the surface of the Earth.) Tracing such configurations, and drawing conclusions about their meaning for us on Earth is the essence of astrology.

[3] A "sidereal ephemeris" is a table specifying the position of a star in the sky at various regular intervals.

[4] An "aspectarian" is a chronological list of planetary positions relative to one another. 

A "geocentric" astrological chart, table, or list deals with celestial objects as seen from the Earth (as if the Earth were central); a "heliocentric" chart, table, or list deals with such objects as the would be seen from the Sun (as if the Sun were central).

[5] That is, Christ's movements on the surface of the Earth were reflected in the movements of planets and stars overhead. Thus, Christ's movements had astrological import.

[6] Anthroposophy claims to "correct" the Bible and Christianity on several levels. [See, e.g., "Steiner's Fifth Gospel".] One of the chief "corrections" concerns the identity of Christ. Steiner taught that Christ was in fact the incarnated Sun God, the same god — based on the Sun — who had been worshipped in the past under such names as Hu and Ahura Mazda. [See "Sun God".]

[7] The "sidereal signs" are the signs of the zodiac: symbols for constellations given such names as Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, and so on. Astrologers observe the apparent movement of the Sun, Moon, and planets across the background consisting of these constellations. (Bear in mind that these movements are largely illusory: They are created chiefly by the the rotation and orbital motions of the Earth itself.)

[8] Whereas Christians look forward to the Second Coming of Christ sometime in the future, Anthroposophists believe this event has already occurred: In 1933, or thereabouts, the Sun God repositioned himself in the etheric realm around the Earth. [See "Second Coming of Christ", "Etheric Christ", and "etheric realm" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).]

[9] "As above, so below" is the fundamental precept of astrology: Events "above" (in the starry heavens) are reflected in — or may actually control — events here "below" (on Earth or on the sublunary level of existence). 

"Hermetic" teachings stem from ancient occult beliefs; the word derives from the name of Hermes, the ancient god associated most closely with alchemy and astrology. 

[10] Steiner taught that the stars influence us, but we also influence the stars. There is a continuous flow of mystical influences between the stars (the macrocosm) and the Earth or, more specifically, the human being (the microcosm). [See "The Center".]

[11] Unlike Christianity, Judaism, and Islam — the world's three great monotheistic religions — Anthroposophy is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".] Anthroposophists believe there are a vast number of gods, many of whom dwell on or near various planets and stars. In this sense, the Sun God is typical of many other gods. When Anthroposophists contemplate the astrological influences of planets and stars, they are actually attempting to divine the influences of the gods who reside there.

[12] In Anthroposophy, the "spiritual hierarchies" are the gods, who are arrayed in nine different ranks or three major divisions of the nine ranks, divisions that Anthroposophists call "hierarchies." So, for instance, "angels" are actually gods of the lowest rank: They stand in the ninth rank or in the lowest level of the third hierarchy. [See "gods" in the BWSE.]

— R.R.

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December 23, 2020

APPROACHING DEC. 25 —

CHRISTMAS AT WALDORF

- Part 3 -

Christmas celebrations at Waldorf schools — with trees and carols, holly and crèches — can seem almost normal. But the meaning of Christmas as understood in the Waldorf belief system — a meaning that is rarely shared with outsiders — is something else. This meaning is expressed most explicitly in a set of lectures delivered by Rudolf Steiner and published under the title THE FIFTH GOSPEL.

[Rudolf Steiner Press, 2001]

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Shown here is a recent edition of the book in which Rudolf Steiner "corrects" the Bible on many subjects, including the identities of Jesus and Christ. Steiner delves into the four Gospels of the Christian Bible and sets the record straight.

Below are a few statements by some of Steiner's more vociferous followers and by The Man himself, hinting at the true meaning of Christmas as seen from a Waldorf/Steiner perspective. 

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

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"Rudolf Steiner casts a clarifying light on the diverse and irreconcilable contradictions between the accounts given in the four Gospels of the life and teachings of Jesus. If the information in the Gospels is related not to one but to two different Jesus children, many contradictions in the story disappear ... The Jesus child mentioned in the Gospel of St Matthew descends from the royal line of King Solomon, whereas the Jesus child in the Gospel of St Luke descends from Nathan the priest ... [T]he two Jesus children merged at a certain stage, to create the body in which Christ [the Sun God] could incarnate...." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 63. 

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"The two [Jesus] children were very different ... The Solomon Jesus was clever in a worldly sense ... [T]he Nathan boy was untalented in the intellectual sense but blessed with an unusual kindness of heart ... The Zarathustra individuality [i.e., the soul of Zarathustra] who had lived in the body of the Solomon Jesus transferred to the Nathan boy and became, so to speak, the ego of this person. The new ego then worked within this physical frame [i.e., within the body of the Nathan Jesus] to make it capable of receiving the Being of Christ [i.e., the incarnating Sun God]...." — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, RUDOLF STEINER: An Introduction to his Spiritual World-view, Anthroposophy (Temple Lodge Publishing, 2005), pp. 232-233. 

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"Nathan Jesus [was] an immaculate and pure soul whose one and only physical incarnation was as Jesus of Nazareth ... Solomon Jesus...was a reincarnation of Zoroaster. In turn, Zoroaster was a reincarnation of Zarathustra ... He was a bodhisattva [an enlightened being], who...helped prepare humanity for the subsequent descent into incarnation of Ahura Mazda, the cosmic Sun Spirit...Christ." — JOURNAL FOR STAR WISDOM 2016, edited by Anthroposophist/astrologer Robert Powell (SteinerBooks, 2015), pp. 233-234. 

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"The oracle establishments ['Mystery centers'] had been preserved from the times of the catastrophe that marked the end of Atlantis at around 10,000 BC. The guardian of the Sun Oracle [the Mystery center devoted to the Sun God] was Zarathustra or Zoroaster, who, according to Steiner, lived in much earlier times than the individual of the same name [sic] who lived in the sixth century BC. The original Zarathustra lived during the period of the ancient Persian civilization, which was thriving 5000-3000 BC, was known even after it declined [sic]. The historical Zarathustra divulged to his people that the exalted Sun or Light Spirit, otherwise known as Ahura Mazda or Ormuzd, would later descend to earth; this exalted Being was none other than the Christ." — Retired Waldorf teacher Gilbert Childs, SECRETS OF ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY (Temple Lodge Books, 2005), p. 75. 

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"It was known to the initiated priests of the Mysteries that the sublime Sun-god of whom they spoke was the same Being who in due time would be acknowledged as the Christ. However, this could only be when he was incarnated in the physical body of Jesus of Nazareth ... Christ as Sun-god, having appeared on earth, could not be present [simultaneously] in the sun. It was his mission to unite himself with the earth and its inhabitants ... [H]ad the Christ not appeared on the earth, but remained the Sun-god only, humankind would have deteriorated in every way." — Ibid., pp. 95-96. 

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"[T]here were two Jesus boys, and two sets of parents both called Joseph and Mary ... The two nativity stories [in the Gospels] clearly differentiate between the Jesus of [the Gospel of] Matthew...and the Jesus of [the Gospel of] Luke ... [T]he infant Jesus of Matthew's Gospel [received] the powers and capabilities [previously] possessed by Zarathustra ... [T]he powers and capabilities attaching to the Nirmanakaya [the physical body] of Buddha was [sic] bestowed on the Luke Jesus ... [T]he two families found themselves living in what is reported to have been the small settlement of Nazareth, and it could be expected that they became well acquainted with one another. Steiner asserted from his own [clairvoyant] investigations that the two families, and hence the two boys, were close friends. It was when both Jesuses were twelve...that the Matthew Jesus died. Soon after this the Luke Mary died, and also did the Matthew Joseph; and so it was that a new family was set up, comprising the Luke Joseph and the Matthew Mary, and their son [the surviving] Jesus." — Ibid., pp. 110-120. 

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"The first thirty years of the life of Jesus was a human biography ... The three short years between the Baptism [of Jesus] and the Mystery of Golgotha [i.e., the Crucifixion] are more than a human biography. They contain the progressive miracle of the incarnation of the Christ [the Sun God] in the man, Jesus of Nazareth ... What took place at the Baptism was the actual birth into the physical world of the Christ Being ... A unique being was now living on the Earth, a Being free of all Earthly antecedents ... The figure of Jesus of Nazareth in whom the Christ or Logos [the Word of God] was incarnated, brought into human life and history what had previously only streamed down to the Earth from the Sun." — Waldorf teacher-trainee Bruce Dickson, RUDOLF STEINER'S FIFTH GOSPEL IN STORY FORM (CreateSpace, 2009), pp. 121-122. 

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"It is a fact that two Jesus children were born at approximately the same time at the beginning of our era. I [have] pointed out that those two Jesus children were very different as far as character and capabilities are concerned. The Jesus very well described by the Gospel of Matthew descended from the Solomon line of the House of David. In him lived the soul, or the 'I' of the person we know as Zarathustra.

"When we consider such an incarnation, we must be especially clear about one thing: that even when such an advanced individual, as Zarathustra certainly was, is again incarnated — namely in the time he was born as Jesus — in no way must he know in childhood or youth that he is that individual. It is not necessary to be able to say: I am this person or that person. That is not the case. It is, however, true that in such cases the enhanced capacities gained by having passed through such an incarnation become evident early and thus define the child's character. So it was that the Solomon Jesus child — as I would like to call him — in whom the I of Zarathustra lived, was endowed with enhanced capabilities which enabled him to easily absorb the culture and the knowledge to which his earthly contemporaries had attained. In that child's environment — especially in those times — existed the whole cultural civilization of humanity in words, gestures and deeds — in short, in all that could be seen and heard. A normal child absorbed little of what he saw and heard. This child, however, absorbed with great ease all the sparse indications in which existed everything humanity had achieved by then. In short, he proved himself to be greatly gifted at absorbing all the available scholarly knowledge. Today we would call such a child 'highly gifted'. Up until his twelfth year he quickly learned everything to be learned in his environment.

"The other Jesus was completely different. His character is well reflected in the Gospel of Luke. He descended from the Nathan line of the House of David. He had no gift for scholarly learning, nor did he show interest in it up until his twelfth year. On the other hand, he showed to a high degree what we can call capacity of the heart, compassion for all human happiness and suffering. He showed himself to be especially capable in that he concentrated less on himself and was less able to attain exterior knowledge. But from earliest childhood on he felt the suffering and the joy of others as his own suffering and his own joy. He could transpose himself into the souls of others; he possessed this ability in the highest degree. The Akasha Record [a supernal storehouse of clairvoyant wisdom] indicates that the differences between the two Jesus children could not have been greater.

"After both boys had reached their twelfth year, an event occurred which I have often characterized: that when the Nathan-Jesus traveled to Jerusalem with his parents, the I of Zarathustra, which had been in the other, the Solomon-Jesus, left his body and took possession of the Nathan Jesus's physical, etheric and astral bodies. The result was, therefore, that everything that this royal-I was capable of was now active in the soul of the other, the Nathan-Jesus child. And this boy, now possessing all of Zarathustra's power, without knowing it, caused astonishment in the scholars among whom he emerged teaching — as it is also described in the Bible. I have also indicated how the other, the Solomon-Jesus, from whom the I had departed, soon thereafter declined and, after a relatively short time, died.

"It must be understood that when the I of a person leaves him — as was the case with the Solomon-Jesus child — he does not necessarily die immediately. Just as a ball continues to roll on for a time under its own inertia, so does such a person continue to live on through the strength which lives within him. Now someone who cannot observe human souls in a precise way will notice little difference between a person who has lost his I and a person who still has one. Because in normal life the I in a person we are observing does not play such a dominant role. What we experience in another person is to a very small extent a direct manifestation of his I, but rather the manifestation of his I through the astral body. That other Jesus-child retained his astral body, however, and only someone who can carefully distinguish — and it is not easy — whether old habits and thoughts still continue to act in a person or whether new elements are present, can thereby determine if the I is still present or not. But a decline begins, a kind of dying out, a withering away. And such was the case with this Jesus boy.

"Then, through a stroke of karma, the biological mother of the Nathan-Jesus and also the father of the Solomon-Jesus died soon after the passing over of the Zarathustra-I from one boy to the other. And the father of the Nathan-Jesus and the mother of the Solomon-Jesus became a married couple. The Nathan-Jesus had no physical siblings, and the step-siblings whom he now acquired were the siblings of the Solomon-Jesus. From the two families one was formed, which henceforth resided in the town now called Nazareth — so that when we refer to the Nathan-Jesus, in whom the Zarathustra-I lived, we use the expression: Jesus of Nazareth." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FIFTH GOSPEL, Volume 2 (transcript, Rudolf Steiner Archive), GA 148; translation by Frank Thomas Smith.

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December 19, 2020

APPROACHING DEC. 25 —

CHRISTMAS AT WALDORF

- Part 2 -

The Sun God, Christ, incarnated as a man, Jesus — 

as depicted in a sculpture attributed to Rudolf Steiner.

[R. R. rendering, 2020.]

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"Christmas — originally a pagan festival that has become a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. According to Rudolf Steiner there were two Jesus children. These two distinct children are described in the Bible in the Gospels of St Matthew and St Luke. The usual Christmas celebrations in the Christian world are a combination of the biographies of these two Jesus children, since one came from a poor family and was worshipped by shepherds, while the other was of royal origins and was worshipped by kings...." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 23.

Let's continue with our examination of the meaning of Christmas from a Waldorf perspective. 

Anthroposophical beliefs were formulated principally by Rudolf Steiner. Hence, most Anthroposophists agree with one another on most major doctrinal issues: Within the limits of their own dispositions and comprehension, virtually all Anthroposophists accept virtually all of Steiner's preachments. 

However, as happens in most religions, schisms and splits have occurred within the Anthroposophical movement, creating disagreement (often subtle but sometimes heated) on various points. Consequently, not all Anthroposophists would accept all of the following. Still, in general, the passages I will now quote open a window onto beliefs that circulate today within the community of Steiner's followers. I will quote from the glossary included in a recent publication from Lindisfarne Books, an imprint of Steinerbooks/Anthroposophic Press. This material has been put out, in other words, by one of the chief Anthroposophical organs.

The following definitions help clarify — and expand upon — subjects we glimpsed in the first installment of "Approaching Dec. 25 — Christmas at Waldorf". The definitions provide a condensed introduction to numerous key Anthroposophical beliefs. Reading through these short paragraphs can be difficult — Anthroposophical texts often strike outsiders as gibberish — but I urge you to persevere. What you are about to read will cast a light on the otherwise hidden significance of midwinter ceremonies held in and around Waldorf schools. 

Attempting to ease the going a bit, I have added some explanatory footnotes.

"Christ: The eternal being [1] who is the second member of the Trinity [2]. Also called the 'Divine "I AM"' [3], the Son of God [4], the Cosmic Christ [5], and the Logos/Word [6]. Christ began to fully unite with the human vessel (Jesus) at the Baptism in the Jordan [7], and for 3 1⁄2 years penetrated as the Divine I AM successively into the astral body, etheric body, and physical body of Jesus, spiritualizing each member [8]. Through the Mystery of Golgotha [9] Christ united with the Earth, kindling the spark of Christ consciousness (Not I, but the Christ in me [10]) in all human beings." — Glossary in AS ABOVE, SO BELOW — Star Wisdom, Volume 3, edited by Joel Matthew Park (Lindisfarne Books, 2020), p. 262.

"I AM: One's true individuality, that — with few exceptions — never fully incarnates but works into the developing 'I' and its lower bodies (astral, etheric, and physical) [11]. The Cosmic I AM is the 'I AM' of Christ [12], through which — on account of the Mystery of Golgotha — we are all graced with the possibility of receiving a divine spark therefrom [13]." — Ibid., p. 263.

"Jesus: The pure human being [14] who received the Christ at the Baptism of the River Jordan [15]." — Ibid., p. 263.

"Jesus Christ: The Divine-Human being, the God-man; the union of the Divine with the Human [16]. The presence of the Cosmic Christ [17] in the physical body of the human being called the Nathan Jesus during the 3 1/2 years of the ministry [18]." — Ibid., p. 263.

"Jesus of Nazareth: The name of the human being whose birth is celebrated in the Gospel of Luke, also referred to as the Nathan Jesus [19]. When Jesus of Nazareth reached the age of twelve, the spirit of the Solomon Jesus (Gospel of Matthew) united with the body and sheaths [20] of the pure Nathan Jesus [21]. This union lasted for about 18 years, until the Baptism in the River Jordan. During these eighteen years, Jesus of Nazareth was a composite being comprising the Nathan Jesus and the spirit ('I') of the Solomon Jesus. Just before the Baptism, the spirit of the Solomon Jesus withdrew [22], and at the Baptism Jesus became known as 'Jesus Christ' through the union of Christ with the sheaths of Jesus [23]." — Ibid., p. 263.

"Mary: Rudolf Steiner distinguishes between the Nathan Mary and the Solomon Mary [24] ... The expression 'Virgin Mary' [25] refers to the Solomon Mary, the mother of the child Jesus whose birth is described in the Gospel of Matthew." — Ibid., p. 265. 

"Nathan Jesus: From the priestly line of David [26], as described in the Gospel of Luke. An immaculate and pure soul whose one and only physical incarnation was as Jesus of Nazareth (Nathan Jesus) [27]". — Ibid., p. 265.

"Nathan Mary: a pure being who was the mother of the Nathan Jesus. The Nathan Mary died in AD 12, but her spirit united with the Solomon Mary at the time of the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan [28]. From this time on, the Solomon Mary — spiritually united with the Nathan Mary — was known as the Virgin Mary." — Ibid., p. 265.

"Solomon Jesus: Descended from the genealogical line from David through his son Solomon [29]. This line of descent is described in the Gospel of Matthew. The Solomon Jesus was a reincarnation of Zoroaster (sixth century BC). In turn, Zoroaster was a reincarnation of Zarathustra (6000 BC) [30], the great prophet and founder of the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. He was a bodhisattva [31], who as the founder of this new religion focused upon the Sun Spirit Ahura Mazda, helped prepare humanity for the subsequent descent into incarnation of Ahura Mazda, the cosmic Sun Spirit, as Christ [32]." — Ibid., p. 266.

"Solomon Mary: The wise mother of the Solomon Jesus, who adopted the Nathan Jesus after the death of the Nathan Mary. At the time of the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, the spirit of the Nathan Mary united with the Solomon Mary. Usually referred to as the Virgin Mary or Mother Mary [33], the Solomon Mary bore witness at the foot of the cross to the Mystery of Golgotha. She died in Ephesus eleven years after Christ's Ascension [34]." — Ibid., p. 266.

"Turning Point of Time: "Transition between involution and evolution [35], as marked by the Mystery of Golgotha ... With the descent of the Cosmic Christ into earthly evolution [36], through his sacrifice on Golgotha an ascending stream of evolution began...." — Ibid., p. 267.

Rudolf Steiner developed his contentions about Christ and Christ's ministry in a series of lectures that have been published as the "Fifth Gospel" [38]. Most rational outsiders must find these contentions — involving the Sun God, Buddha, Zoroaster, the two Jesuses, the two Marys [37], and the rest of it — absurd [39]. But Steiner's followers have a different response. They delight in the tale, and they embrace it enthusiastically. Here is how one aspiring Waldorf teacher has expressed this:

"One of the wonderful experiences of my Waldorf teacher training was in a comfy living room, with a group of friends, reading aloud Rudolf Steiner’s Fifth Gospel transcripts, round-robin style, a paragraph at a time. We read a chapter each night over the 12 Days of Christmas. If you've done this, maybe you also felt the pull to draw closer to this material. I certainly did." — Bruce Dickson, giving background information concerning his book RUDOLF STEINER'S FIFTH GOSPEL IN STORY FORM (CreateSpace, 2009).

Unless you do indeed feel "the pull to draw closer to this material," you should be wary about involving yourself and your family in a Waldorf school. If it is a genuine Waldorf school — one that bases its curriculum and methods on the guidance provided by Rudolf Steiner — it is likely staffed, at least in part, by people who hold mystical beliefs that you may find utterly alien and possibly even abhorrent. And the underlying purpose of the school — which may be concealed from you as an outsider [40] — is almost certainly to draw you and your family into the web of Anthroposophy [41].

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] I.e., a god. According to Anthroposophical belief, a vast number of gods ("eternal beings") dwell in and above the created universe. Anthroposophy, unlike Christianity, is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".]

[2] In Anthroposophical belief, the Trinity is a conjunction of three separate gods. [See "Trinity, trinities" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE) — scroll down to this entry.] So, for instance, Steiner said this: 

“The highest Ruler of Saturn [i.e., the leading god on or around Saturn]...appears to us as the Father God, and the highest Ruler of Sun, the Sun-God, as the Christ. Similarly the Ruler of the Moon stage of Earth [i.e., a previous stage of cosmic evolution] appears to us as the Holy Spirit....” — Rudolf Steiner, ROSICRUCIAN WISDOM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2000), p. 100.

[3] According to Steiner, "I AM" is the principle of true selfhood. Christ brought the "Divine 'I AM'" to Earth, enabling humans to possess a spark of divinity. [See "I Am the I Am" in the BWSE.] We will discuss this further in other footnotes, below.

[4] In Christian teachings, Christ is one part of the Triune God: That is, Christ is one "person" of God Almighty, the supreme deity consisting of God the Father, God the Son (Christ), and God the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit). 

In Anthroposophy, however, Christ is more accurately identified as the Sun God — the solar deity who has been known by other names in the past. So, for instance, when Zoroaster or Zarathustra worshipped the Sun God, he was worshipping Christ under a different name. 

"After Zarathustra had learned to look up to the sun and see in its aura the Sun God, he knew that this Sun God was no one else but the Christ-Spirit." — Rudolf Steiner, THE PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUAL ECONOMY (Anthroposophic Press, 1986), lecture 10, GA 109. 

The name that Zarathustra applied to the Sun God was "Ahura Mazda".

[5] The term "Cosmic Christ" — which applies chiefly to Christ when not incarnated upon the Earth — stresses the immense importance of the Sun God, extending throughout the cosmos. 

[6] The Logos is the Word of God, embodied as Christ. [See "Logos".]

[7] Jesus was a human being. Steiner taught that the Sun God, Christ, incarnated in Jesus's body: The Sun God entered Jesus's body when Jesus was baptized.

[8] Steiner taught that fully incarnated humans have four bodies: a physical body, an etheric body, an astral body, and an "I". [See "Incarnation".] Christ "spiritualized" Jesus's bodies: He raised their essence to a higher level, enabling humanity to begin evolving upward toward the spirit realm.

[9] Golgotha is Calvary, the site of Christ's Crucifixion. The "Mystery" of Golgotha is, in Anthroposophical belief, the occult meaning of Christ's life and "death" on Earth. [See "Mystery of Golgotha" in the BWSE.]

[10] See "Christ Consciousness" in the BWSE.

[11] Your "I" is the highest of your four bodies — it is a spark of divinity, it is your true unparalleled individuality. [See "Incarnation".] Possessing an "I" makes you spiritually whole, a true spiritual being — one who can say in the deepest sense, "I am." No one can know your "I" except you yourself — know one but you can truly know what the affirmation "I am" means to you. Fully incarnated human beings possess an "I", as do the gods above humanity. No creature lower than a human being possesses an "I" — none can know what it means to affirm "I am."

Your "I" exists here on Earth during each of your incarnations on Earth, but your "higher I" (the higher portion of your true individuality) remains in the spirit realm during these Earthly incarnations. [See "I" and "higher I" in the BWSE. Concerning the cycle of human incarnations, see "Reincarnation".] 

The "highest I" is, in a sense, Christ: He is the perfect representative of humanity as it should become. [See "highest I" in the BWSE.] The statue of Christ attributed to Steiner is often called "The Representative of Humanity", among other names. [See "The Representative of Humanity aka The Group".]

[12] The "Cosmic I AM" is thus essentially the same as the "Divine I AM" mentioned previously; it is essentially the affirmation of the "Universal I". [See "Universal I" in the BWSE.] The Universal I is, in a sense, the "I" of the living cosmos; it is, in a sense, the Godhead. [See "The Godhead" in the BWSE.]

[13] According to many Anthroposophical texts, we have a divine spark because we possess an "I". Here, possession of a divine spark would appear to depend on acceptance of Christ. These apparently contradictory teachings can be reconciled if we agree that Christ altered the course of human evolution, so that after Christ's ministry on Earth all humans were enabled to possess an "I" that is anchored (through the higher "I") in the spirit realm.

Steiner usually called the spirit realm the "higher worlds". He identified a "soul world" and a "spirit world". [See "Higher Worlds".]

[14] Jesus was the human vessel into which Christ, the descending the Sun God, incarnated. According to Steiner, Jesus actually consisted of two Jesus children who merged to become a single individual. The "Nathan Jesus" received the spiritual essence of the "Solomon Jesus", and in this form he became host for the descendant Sun God, Christ. [See "Jesus" in the BWSE.] 

[15] Jesus was Baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. [See Matthew 3:13-17.] According to Anthroposophy, this happened when Jesus was 30 years old, and the consequence or essential nature of the ceremony was that Jesus received the descending Sun God, Christ. Christ incarnated in Jesus's body and remained in that body for 3+ years, until the Crucifixion. (Technically, according to Anthroposophy, Christ entered was the body of the Nathan Jesus.)

[16] This was the Sun God, Christ, who incarnated in the body of a human being, the Nathan Jesus. Hence, Jesus (a man) + Christ (a god) = the "God-man": a god dwelling in the body of a human. 

Although Anthroposophists generally say that Christ is the only god who has incarnated in human form, Steiner sometimes indicated that there have been other instances. 

"Such a spiritual being [i.e., a god] who descends in this way into a human body in order to intervene in evolution as a human being is called an ‘avatar’ in the East ... The greatest avatar being who has lived on earth, as you can gather from the spirit of our lectures here, is the Christ.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE PRINCIPLE OF SPIRITUAL ECONOMY (Anthroposophic Press, 1986) lecture 2, GA 109. [See "Avatars".] 

Steiner says Christ was the greatest avatar, but not the only one.

[17] The term "Cosmic Christ" is generally used to remind us that Christ originated in other parts of the cosmos than the Earth. Christ is a "super-earthly" being, a high and important god, one who comes to us from the Sun (bearing revelations that flame forth when the spiritual Sun becomes visible to our inner eye even during the depths of night): 

"By a new understanding of the Christmas Festival, super-sensible knowledge [i.e., knowledge attained through clairvoyance] can transform the material universe into spirit before the eye of the soul, transform it in such a way that the sun at midnight becomes visible and is known in its spiritual nature. Such knowledge brings understanding of the super-earthly Christ Being, the Sun Being Who was united with the man Jesus of Nazareth. It can bring understanding, too, of the unifying peace that should hover over the peoples of the earth. The Divine Beings [i.e., gods] are revealed in the heights, and through this revelation peace rings forth from the hearts of men who are of good will." — Rudolf Steiner, "The Revelation of the Cosmic Christ", lecture 7 in the section on Christmas, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1955), GA 209. 

This statement encapsulates the Anthroposophical conception of Christmas.

[18] I.e., the years when Christ walked the Earth in the body of a human being: the years when, according to Steiner, Christ ministered to humanity, thereby changing the course of human evolution.

[19] This is essentially an Anthroposophical designation. Anthroposophists are virtually alone today in teaching that there were two Jesuses, one of whom was the Nathan Jesus.

[20] I.e., the "I" of the Solomon Jesus — which was the soul of Zoroaster — passed from the Solomon Jesus to the Nathan Jesus. This happened when the Solomon child was twelve years old. Soon thereafter, the Solomon Jesus died. Subsequently, the Nathan Jesus contained the essence of Zoroaster (as well as the effects of Buddha forces, which he'd had all along). The Nathan Jesus thus was made ready to receive the incarnated Christ, who would redeem humanity through his sacrificial Crucifixion. 

“[I]n preparation for the Mystery of Golgotha [i.e., the Crucifixion] two Jesus-children were born. The one was the Jesus who descended from the line of Solomon and bore the Ego of Zarathustra. The other, coming from the Nathan line of the House of David, was a very special Being. In the twelfth year of the life of the latter the Ego of Zarathustra passed over into him from the child of the line of Solomon, and from that time until his thirtieth year the Nathan child with the Ego of Zarathustra made himself ready to receive the Christ-Being.” — Rudolf Steiner, “Pre-Earthly Deeds of Christ” (Steiner Book Centre, 1976), GA 152.

[21] Steiner taught that two Jesus children (the Nathan Jesus and the Solomon Jesus) grew up near one another. At age 12, the Solomon Jesus died — but his spiritual essence survived by entering the body of the Nathan Jesus. Thereafter, the Nathan Jesus possessed his own spiritual essence plus the spiritual essence of the Solomon Jesus.

[22] When the soul of the Solomon Jesus withdrew, the Ego of Zarathustra departed, making way for the Sun God who entered the body of the Nathan Jesus at the baptism.

[23] I.e., Nathan Jesus became Jesus Christ when Christ incarnated within him. (The influence of Christ flowed into the bodies and/or sheaths of the Nathan Jesus.)

[24] I.e, the mothers of the Nathan Jesus and the Solomon Jesus.

[25] The greatest truths, Steiner often indicated, are occult or hidden. [See "Occultism".] This applies to the concept of Mary's virginity and the possibility of a virgin birth. So, for instance, Steiner said this: 

"If we could speak quite esoterically it would naturally be necessary to speak of the idea of the so-called 'virgin birth,' but this can be discussed only in the most intimate circles. It belongs to the deepest mysteries that exist and the misunderstanding connected with this idea arises because people do not know what is meant by the 'virgin birth.' They think that it means there was no fatherhood. But it is not that; a much more profound, a more mysterious something lies at the back of it...." — Rudolf Steiner, THE GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN (Anthroposophic Press, 1962), lecture 12, GA 103.

[26] David was king of Israel and Judah circa 1000 BCE. David was anointed as a priest by the Hebrew prophet Samuel. Nathan, a son of David, was the first member of the line of priests descending from David. (This theological line of descent should be distinguished from the biological line of descent to which the Solomon Jesus can be ascribed.)

[27] I.e., unlike most other beings who have incarnated on Earth as humans, the soul of Nathan Jesus incarnated only once. (He did not, in other words, reincarnate before or after living on Earth as Jesus of Nazareth. According to various Anthroposophical texts, the Nathan Jesus was essentially an archangel, not a human being as such.)

[28] This event is similar to the spiritual merger of the Nathan Jesus and the Solomon Jesus. Both the Nathan Mary and the Solomon Jesus died. (These deaths removed characters from the stage, as it were, thereby simplifying the subsequent narrative).

[29] I.e., he was a direct, biological descendant of David's son Solomon. Solomon was king of Israel circa 970 BCE.

[30] This is disputable on several levels. Zoroaster and Zarathustra are often said to have been one and the same.

[31] I.e., an enlightened being who is able to attain nirvana but chooses instead to postpone that ultimate fulfillment in order to assist suffering humanity.

[32] I.e., Zoroastrianism worships the Sun God, identifying him as Ahura Mazda. The teachings of Zoroastrianism helped prepare humanity for the incarnation of Ahura Mazda on Earth — that is, the incarnation of Christ (in the form of Jesus Christ).

[33] These designations reflect the miracle of Jesus's birth as recounted in orthodox Christian accounts: Mary was a virgin, yet she became a mother.

[34] Mary is said to have been present at the foot of the cross when Jesus was crucified. By some accounts, Mary lived eleven years after Jesus arose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Legend tells that Mary moved to the vicinity of Ephesus, in what is now Turkey. A shrine — the House of the Virgin Mary — stands on Mt. Koressos, near Ephesus.

[35] I.e., the time when humanity stopped falling further and further into material existence (involution) and began rising higher and higher into spirituality (evolution). According to Steiner, Christ's sacrifice on the cross enabled humanity to make this crucial change. (Note that the definitions given here for the terms "involution" and "evolution" are used in Anthroposophy but almost nowhere else.)

[36] Here, "evolution" is defined more broadly — as the process of successive change, whether downward or upward.

[37] Steiner taught that the two Jesuses were born to two separate couples, each comprised of a woman named Mary and a man named Joseph.

[38] Steiner's books are chiefly published — and re-published — by small Anthroposophical presses. For a fairly recent edition of Steiner's FIFTH GOSPEL, see the volume published by the Rudolf Steiner Press in 1985. For an older edition, see the one published by the Rudolf Steiner Publishing Company, 1950.

[39] It would take much space to list all the concepts and assertions in these lectures that, but rational and/or scientific standards, are absurdities. Suffice to say that Steiner's account is a makeshift fantasia, cobbled together in a strained effort to reconcile differing Gospel accounts.

[40] One of the primary complaints raised against Waldorf schools is that they are deceptive about their purposes. [See, e.g., "Secrets" and "Our Experience".]

[41] See, e.g., "Here's the Answer" and "Indoctrination".

— R.R.

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December 16, 2020

APPROACHING DEC. 25 —

CHRISTMAS AT WALDORF

- Part 1 -

As we approach Christmas, we might pause a moment and consider how Rudolf Steiner's followers — a large number of whom staff Waldorf schools — think about this holiday.

For most Christians, Christmas is easy to define: It is the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. But for Steiner's followers, the story is considerably more complex. Steiner taught that there were actually two Jesus children, born to two different human couples named Mary and Joseph. The two Jesuses knew each other, but they lived quite different lives. One lived the life described in the Gospel of St. Matthew, while the other lived the life described in the Gospel of St. Luke. Eventually, however, the two Jesuses merged: One of them died, and his spiritual essence migrated into the body of the other Jesus. The remaining Jesus now contained two spiritual essences, the essence of Buddha and the essence of Zarathustra. After further purification, the remaining Jesus became a suitable vessel for the incarnation of the Sun God, a mighty spirit otherwise known as Christ. The Sun God descended to Earth and lived in the body of Jesus for a period of three years, after which he — as Christ Jesus — was crucified.

That, in brief, is the story of the two Jesuses and Christ as understood in the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy. Here are a couple of statements by Rudolf Steiner laying out the rudiments of this story:

◊ "[T]wo Jesus children were born. One was descended from the so-called Nathan line of the House of David, the other from the Solomon line [1]. These two children grew up side by side. In the body of the Solomon child lived the soul of Zarathustra [2]. In the twelfth year of the child's life this soul passed over into the other Jesus child [3] and lived in that body until its thirtieth year ... And then, only from the thirtieth year onward, there lived in this body the Being Whom we call the Christ, Who remained on earth altogether for three years [4]." — Rudolf Steiner, THE OCCULT SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA (Anthroposophic Press, 1968), p. 59.

◊ "[N]ot one but two Jesus-children were born ... The important thing is to understand clearly what kind of beings these two children were. Occult investigation [5] shows that the individuality [6] who was in the Solomon Jesus-child was none other than Zarathustra ... Buddha forces permeated the astral body [7] of the Nathan Jesus-child. [8]" — Rudolf Steiner, FROM JESUS TO CHRIST (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2005), pp. 133-136.

Teachers at Waldorf schools rarely lay out the complexities of this Anthroposophical story for their students [9]. But this story is often in the teachers' minds, informing their actions. Here is how one Waldorf teacher restates — and affirms — Steiner's version of the Christmas story:

"To really understand Rudolf Steiner's view of the two Jesus children some knowledge of the fourfold view of the human being is necessary (physical body, ether body, astral body and 'I') [10]. The Jesus child mentioned in the Gospel of St Matthew descends from the royal line of King Solomon, whereas the Jesus child in the Gospel of St Luke descends from Nathan the priest. From Rudolf Steiner's information about the four members [11] of the two Jesus children, it appears that the spiritual world [12] had been working for long ages to create a very special human body — one that would eventually enable Christ to incarnate on earth. Siddhartha Gautama [13] as Buddha, and Zarathustra as Ahura's Mazda's priest [14], also played a part in this remarkable process. The four bodily sheaths [15] of the two Jesus children merged at a certain stage, to create the body in which Christ could incarnate and live for three years until his crucifixion." — Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (Sophia Books, Rudolf Steiner Press, 2011), p. 63.

Steiner's teachings about the Jesus children and the Sun God are reflected in various publications penned by his followers, such as this book by a retired Waldorf teacher: 

[Temple Lodge Publishing, 2005]

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Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See the entries for "Nathanic Jesus" and "Solomonic Jesus" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE).

David was king of Israel and Judah c. 1000-962 BCE. Nathan (who became a priest) was David's third son. Solomon, also a son of David, was king of Israel c. 970-930 BCE.

[2] I.e., Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism, or (some Anthroposophists say) an earlier incarnation of Zoroaster. [See "Zoroastrianism".]

[3] Steiner doesn't say so in this quotation, but he taught that the other Jesus contained the essence of Buddha. (See the next Steiner quotation given here.)

[4] The "being" called Christ is, Steiner said, the Sun God. This high god descended from the Sun and incarnated on the Earth, inhabiting the body of Jesus. [See "Sun God" and "Was He Christian?"] Anthroposophists believe that Christ is the same solar spirit whom various ancient religions recognized under other names. Hence, we find Anthroposophists making such statements as this: 

"Christ, the Sun God, who was known by earlier peoples under such names as Ahura Mazda, Hu or Balder, has now united himself with the earth and its future evolution.” — Margaret Jonas, Introduction to RUDOLF STEINER SPEAKS TO THE BRITISH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 5. 

Steiner taught that the Sun God's unification with the Earth occurred when, at Christ's crucifixion, his blood flowed into the soil at the base of the cross.

[5] I.e., the disciplined use of clairvoyance.

[6] I.e., spiritual being or soul.

[7] The astral body is the second of three invisible bodies that, Steiner said, fully incarnated humans possess. [See "Incarnation".] The spirit of Buddha was present in the Nathanic Jesus ("Buddha forces permeated the astral body of the Nathan Jesus-child").

[8] For an Anthroposophical perspective on Buddha and Buddhism, see "Buddhism", "Mars", and "Planetary Spirits". If Buddha represents, in one sense, perfected human nature, then the Buddha essence in the Nathan Jesus-child may be identified with Adam Kamon, the perfect prototype for humanity. [See the entry for "Adam Kadmon" in the BWSE.]

[9] Waldorf teachers generally do not spell out Anthroposophical doctrines in class. But they bear these doctrines in mind and suggest or hint at them in various subtle ways. In other words, they base their work on their understanding of Anthroposophy. So, for instance, the booklet CHRISTMAS, published for Waldorf teachers, recounts the Anthroposophical understanding of the two Jesuses and their connection to the Sun God. And the booklet begins with these words: 

"Dear Educators: The material contained in this booklet is primarily meant to deepen our work as grownups with children ... [It] helps us in our search to penetrate to the festival of Christmas as such." — Waldorf teacher Helmut von Kügelgen, CHRISTMAS (Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America, 2005), p. 1.

[10] Steiner taught that fully incarnated human beings have four bodies, three of which (the etheric body, astral body, and "I") are invisible. The four bodies constitute Steiner's "fourfold view of the human being."

[11] I.e., the four bodies.

[12] I.e., the gods dwelling in the spirit realm. Anthroposophy is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".]

[13] Siddhartha Gautama was a Nepalese prince who attained spiritual enlightenment and thus became Buddha.

[14] Ahura Mazda is the Sun God (essentially, Christ) as worshipped in Zoroastrianism. In founding this religion, Zarathustra/Zoroaster served as one of the Sun God's priests.

[15] According to Anthroposophical belief, a "sheath" is a protective covering that is sloughed off when the corresponding body (physical, etheric, astral, or "I") is incarnated.

— R.R.

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 December 11, 2020

BELGIAN POLITICAL PARTY

RAISES  WALDORF  ALARM

Resistance to Waldorf education and its underlying belief system, Anthroposophy, seems to be growing in many places. Recently, we have seen critical reports about Waldorf education arising in the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Spain, and other countries.

Here is the main text of a communique released last month by a major political party in Belgium, taking direct aim at Waldorf and Anthroposophy. If other political parties in Belgium and elsewhere adopt a similar position, the implications for the Waldorf movement could be grave.

NEWS

WALLONIA-BRUSSELS FEDERATION

Défi calls for the utmost caution 

vis-à-vis Steiner schools

Steiner-Waldorf schools have been operating in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation [1] for a few years now. One of them was recently created in Hainaut, more precisely in Châtelet, and it announced an intention to expand into the Fleurus region in the future [2].

Steiner-Waldorf pedagogy is, in truth, an offshoot of Anthroposophy, an esoteric movement based on the writings of the Austrian occultist and Aryanist Rudolf Steiner [3]. The sprawling Anthroposophical movement is active in many fields (finance with Triodos [4], cosmetics with Weleda [5], religion [6], politics [7], etc.), and it is present — but also sometimes banned — in many countries [8]. Some commentators criticize Anthroposophy for, among other things, its inherent connections with certain fascist and/or racist ideologies [9], but also for its form of sectarian aberration [10] and its dangerous medical practices [11].

Beyond these general considerations, the application of Anthroposophical doctrine in education [12] is often singled out for its denial of science and the scientific method [13], in particular via a fierce opposition to vaccination for its members (as was the case case in Alsace in 2015, causing a measles epidemic) [14]. The foundations of Anthroposophy derive from ancient beliefs [not modern science] [15].

Without wanting to interfere in anyone's private religious freedom, DéFI [16] nevertheless considers it highly necessary to sound the alarm concerning such a form of education. Masquerading as a respectable "alternative" type of schooling, Waldorf education could have damaging consequences for the community as a whole, and also for the awakening of the capacity for critical thinking among the children who are enrolled [17]. On September 9, 2020, the RTBF program "#Investigation" [18] described the lack of involvement and monitoring by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation with regard to sectarian aberrations infiltrating the region's schools. This comes within in a general context where the objectivity of information and scientific discourse are increasingly called into question by conspiratorial opinion-makers or populist movements (or the reverse), especially via social networks [19]. Considering all this, the political world must take measures to strengthen the role of education as a barrier against obscurantism [20]....

[12/11/2020    https://defi.eu/defi-demande-la-plus-grandeprudence-vis-a-vis-des-ecoles-steiner/     This communique was originally released on November 16.  Translation by Roger Rawlings, making use of Microsoft Translator and Google Translate.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] This is essentially the southern portion of Belgium, where French is spoken. The northern part of Belgium is the Flemish Region, where Dutch is spoken.

[2] Hainaut is a province in southwestern Belgium; Châtelet and Feleurus are municipalities in Hainaut.

[3] For an introduction to Steiner, see "Steiner, Rudolf" in The Brief Waldorf /Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE). Steiner professed to be clairvoyant. Through his use of this psychic power, he claimed, he possessed much hidden or occult spiritual knowledge. [See "Occultism".] Among his many doctrines, he taught that the most advanced descendants of the ancient residents of Atlantis were — or are — the Aryans. [See "Atlantis and the Aryans".]

[4] Triodos is a bank that seeks to operate in accordance with Anthroposophical principles. [See https://www.triodos.com.]

[5] Waleda is an Anthroposophical provider of health and beauty products. [See https://www.weleda.com.]

[6] Anthroposophy itself is a religion, although its adherents generally deny this. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] An overtly religious offshoot of Anthroposophy is the so-called Christian Community. [See "Christian Community".]

[7] Anthroposophy seeks to influence politics by advancing Steiner's "threefolding" agenda. [See "Threefolding".]

[8] There are Anthroposophical institutions, including Waldorf schools, in many countries around the world. [For a listing of Waldorf schools, see The Waldorf World List, https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.] Opposition to such institutions tends to develop only when the occult nature of Anthroposophical beliefs becomes widely recognized.

[9] Steiner was a racist, and some strains of racist belief arguably persist in Anthroposophy today. [See "Steiner's Racism" and "Embedded Racism".] There have long been ties between Anthroposophy and fascist or far-right political movements, although some Anthroposophists deplore at least some parts of far-right ideology, including racism. [See "Sympathizers?"]

[10] Critics allege that Anthroposophy bears many marks of cultism or extreme sectarianism, including aberrant beliefs and practices. [See, e.g., "Six Facts You Need to Know About Steiner Education".]

The term "sectarian aberration", relatively uncommon elsewhere, is often used in French discussions of humanism, freedom, and rational thought. The definition of the term is somewhat loose, but generally it applies to the use — by cults or extremist religious sects, or their representatives — of techniques that brainwash or otherwise subjugate individuals, robbing them of their free will and their capacity for rational thought. An effect of such subjugation is generally to draw individuals into cults or extremist sects from which escape is difficult if not impossible.

[11] See "Steiner's Quackery".

[12] I.e., in Waldorf schools.

[13] Steiner called Anthroposophy "spiritual science," and he often claimed its teachings are consistent with modern scientific knowledge (physics, astronomy, etc.). But, in fact, a deep antiscientific bias runs through Anthroposophy. [See "Steiner's 'Science'" and "Science".]

[14] Concerning the Anthroposophical view of vaccines, see "Vaccination" in the BWSE. Concerning measles outbreaks in Anthroposophcal communities, including Waldorf schools, see "measles" in the Waldorf Watch Annex Index.

[15] See, e.g., "The Ancients".

[16] DeFI is the Independent Federalist Democratic Party in Belgium. (Its name derives from the terms Démocrate, Fédéraliste, Indépendant.) A liberal party, DeFI works to represent the interests of French-speaking Belgians.

[17] Waldorf education stresses imagination and intuition, while generally opposing critical or intellectual thinking. [See "Thinking" and "Thinking Cap".]

[18] RTBF — Radio-télévision belge de la Communauté française — is a public service broadcaster in Wallonia and Brussels. "#Investigation" is an investigative journalism program [https://www.rtbf.be/emission/investigation]. The program ran an episode highlighting the failure of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation to prevent aberrant sectarian beliefs from entering the schools operating in the region.

[19] An anti-intellectual and anti-scientific bias runs through populist movements (and some opposing movements) in many countries today, including Belgium. Social networks on the Internet have allegedly intensified the problem. DéFI — which associates Waldorf and Anthroposophy with this bias — seeks to promote corrective measures.

[20] I.e., political parties and governments should take steps to strengthen education in order to thwart practices — termed, here, "obscurantism" — that suppress real knowledge and rational thought.

— R.R.

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 December 6, 2020

MORE UNWELCOME EXPOSURE FOR

WALDORF  SCHOOLS  IN  GERMANY

Waldorf education is well entrenched in Germany. But as has happened in other, less Steiner-friendly countries [1], Waldorf schools in Germany recently have been receiving large doses of unflattering scrutiny and criticism. Here is another example. 

The following is an article from the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung, commonly known as "taz" [2]: 

Waldorf Schools and Corona

Dangerous Open Spaces

Waldorf schools advocate "education for freedom" [3]. But during the pandemic, it is not clear where freedom ends and oppression begins at Waldorf schools [4].

Entrance to a Waldorf school (Symbolfoto)    Photo:Becker&Bredel

Jens Husch is not someone who "comes from the Waldorf community," as he says [during an interview] on the phone. He never closely examined Anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner, or Waldorf education. His child ended up at a Waldorf school more or less by chance ... Neither he nor his wife saw any problem, and the child liked it: no grades [5], lots of free time [6]. But then came the coronavirus — and the problems.

"Jens Husch" isn't his real name. [He uses a pseudonym because] he fears retribution against his child. He is certain that a large number of the parents and teachers [at the school] reject corona-protective measures, so his criticisms would be offensive to them...

The first time Husch became concerned occurred before the summer holidays because, in his opinion, the school did not adhere to proper hygiene rules ... And shortly before the end of the summer vacation, there was an appeal from parents [of students at the school] calling for a mask boycott. When he spoke with other parents, arguments arose, and some parents voiced conspiracy theories [7]. "It was sometimes difficult to bear," says Husch.

The school itself sent dozens of emails ... The school's hygiene officer is quoted in the minutes of the school council meeting at the beginning of October: "It is important to create a space in which everyone feels comfortable ... [T]here are healthy people who feel their freedom is infringed if they must wear masks..."

In an email in mid-October, the school wrote: "The room for maneuver is becoming significantly narrower" ... Husch says: "The school has never committed itself to the requirement to wear masks. The school stirs up fears and wants to circumvent regulations."

[Contacted by taz,] the school responds to our questions in a mocking tone ... [The school] denies it is obligated to require mask-wearing, and it does not address most of our questions.

There are around 250 Waldorf schools in Germany with almost 90,000 students. Each of the schools is autonomous, each implements its own concepts [8], and each is guided by a system of collegial self-administration [9]. It is difficult, therefore, to make valid generalizations [about Waldorf schools] [10]. "Education for freedom" is the motto of Waldorf education [11]. Since freedom is currently restricted [12], we should not be surprised that vigorous arguments swirl through the Waldorf milieu. In addition to right-wing extremists, many esotericists, and people from the Anthroposophical/Waldorf milieu, are present at demonstrations that oppose the state's anti-corona measures [13].

This does not surprise the religious scholar and expert on conspiracy myths, Michael Blume [14]. "Anthroposophists tend to be critical of authority [15], and many are skeptical of conventional medicine [16]," he says. In addition, there are structural problems in Waldorf education, such as the principle of collective leadership, which can create dangerous empty spaces [17].

The Anthroposophical Society [18] recognized that the coronavirus might lead to difficult disputes among its members, and it recently invited Blume to a conference. Blume, who is also the anti-Semitism commissioner for Baden-Württemberg [19], is convinced: "Corona will change Anthroposophy in structure and teaching." In which direction is unclear. "The movement may even splinter [20]."

They protest against the mask requirement

If you look at a few examples, it becomes clear what Blume means.

At the end of October, in front of the Waldorf school in Ulm, parents held a vigil against the mask requirement. At a demonstration in May, a Waldorf teacher from Ulm, Wilfried Kessler [21], spoke of "censorship, hate speech, and defamation campaigns by the government and the media." He demanded that those responsible be brought to justice, and he spread conspiracy myths.

Christoph Hueck [22] argued similarly at lateral thinker demos [23]. Hueck trains Waldorf teachers, and he says, for example: "If we have a good immune system, then the virus cannot bother us at all." On hearing catchphrases like "Bill Gates [24]," "freedom," and "dictatorship," his audience breaks into applause, as videos show.

According to research by the Anthroposophie.blog [25], a Görlitz Waldorf teacher, Thomas Brunner [26], sent an email to Waldorf parents at the end of April in which he spoke of the "madness of global political manipulation by the pharmaceutical lobby," the "synchronization of the media," and the "deliberate, brutal action to enslave and exploit all of humanity."

Der Spiegel [27] recently reported that a quarter of the teachers at the Waldorf school in Müllheim evade the mask requirement, leading one student to call the police. He was later accused of "treason and breach of trust" by the school and threatened with expulsion [28].

There are other cases: open letters from Waldorf teachers, a Waldorf trainer who calls for violations of anti-corona measures, and recommendations for eurythmy exercises [29] and homeopathic medications [30] as measures against the coronavirus.

All Waldorf schools [in Germany] are united in the Federation of Independent Waldorf Schools (BdFWS) [31]. Officially, and in replies to the taz, the Federation is committed to implementing anti-corona measures, and it distances itself from conspiracy myths. BdFWS spokesman Henning Kullak-Ublick [32] says: "I fight this conspiracy nonsense with everything I have." He says he is convinced that the majority of parents and teachers support the anti-cornona measures "which are of course implemented by [Waldorf] schools, even if they do not agree with everything." In the vast majority of the schools, things are going very well, "although I'm not happy about some of the things that have been published. But we are working on it."

Waldorf schools and the acid test

He could start his work at the Federation's own magazine erziehungskunst.de [33]. Some articles there are questionable. In October, for example, editor-in-chief Mathias Maurer [34] compared masks with burqas. In November, he wrote a piece that can be summed up as "We won't let anyone forbid us to sing." Singing [he said] is "the opposite of communication hindered by masks that make you breathe in your own carbon dioxide again." We shouldn't become "buzzing, humming bugs, or make music when separated by barriers." That would violate human dignity [Maurer argues].

In March, the magazine allowed controversial doctor Wolfgang Wodarg [35] to spread his theses on corona and Waldorf education. He played down the pandemic and spoke of "panic reports." His comments have recently been deleted [from the magazine's website].

In a carefully worded piece by BdFWS spokesman Kullak-Ublick...many commentators [are quoted] demanding that the Federation distance itself from the anti-corona measures. Kullak-Ublick comments: "I know of several examples of people from the immediate Waldorf mileau putting forward, in the debate, extremely harsh far-right conspiracy myths, and sometimes they have made extremely aggressive statements [36]."

The educational future for Jens Husch's child in Freiburg is uncertain. Husch and his wife may look for another school, a "normal one," he says. Schools should be unbiased [36]. They should not say "We are doing everything we can to protect students and their families from the pandemic" while actually looking for escape clauses and loopholes. "And we wind up paying for such nonsense with our school fees" [Husch says].

[12/6/2020   https://taz.de/Waldorfschulen-und-Corona/!5731231/   This article originally appeared on December 4. Translation by Roger Rawlings, leaning heavily on DeepL Translator and Google Translate.]

Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] Waldorf schools in the United Kingdom have had particularly bad press, of late. [See "The Steiner School Crisis".]

[2] "Die Tageszeitung" means "The Daily Newspaper." "Taz" is an abbreviation ("TAgesZeitung").

[3] Waldorf schools generally claim they prepare students for life as free, self-directed individuals. Whether they actually do anything of the sort is, however, debatable. [See, e.g., "Freedom" and "Indoctrination".]

[4] Critics contend that Waldorf schools are authoritarian. [See, e.g., "Studying Waldorf — It's Not What It Seems", November 20, 2020. Also see "authority, authoritarianism" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE). Scroll down to these items.]

[5] Some Waldorf schools do not give grades or issue report cards; but others do.

[6] In most Waldorf schools, there is an emphasis on play, handcrafts, and art. Students are often given considerable free time to pursue these. [See "play at Waldorf schools", "crafts", and "arts" in the BWSE. Scroll down to these items.]

[7] Opponents of anti-corona measures have trafficked in conspiracy theories, such as the theory that the pandemic is a hoax foisted by governments planning to impose totalitarian rule that will end human freedom.

[8] Waldorf schools are not carbon copies of each other. There is variation among the schools, as the various faculties formulate their own pedagogical concepts. [See "Non-Waldorf Waldorfs".] However, genuine Waldorf schools usually belong to Waldorf federations or associations, and to the degree that they base their practices on the guidance provided by Rudolf Steiner, the schools tend to be broadly similar.

[9] Many Waldorf schools are administered by a collegial body of teachers; this body is often called the "college of teachers." [See "college of teachers" in the BWSE.] However, administrative officers may also be employed by Waldorf schools — headmasters, principals, chairpersons, treasurers, development officers, and the like.

[10] Taz goes too far, here. The similarities between Waldorf schools are usually far greater than the differences. For instance, most Waldorf schools follow some form of the basic curriculum established by Rudolf Steiner [see "The Waldorf Curriculum"], and most employ methods — or versions of methods — implemented by Steiner and his associates at the first Waldorf school [see "Methods"].

[11] This is the Waldorf motto in Germany. Waldorf schools in other countries may use a similar motto, or they may use other aphorisms. Waldorf schools in the USA, for instance, often display the axiom "head, heart and hands" — they claim to educate the whole child. [See "Holistic Education".]

[12] I.e., the government has laid down rules and regulations for contending with the pandemic.

[13] I.e., these and other individuals have joined in street demonstrations ("demos") opposing the governmental decrees. [See, e.g., "Steinerites in the Streets — "Cranks and Conservatives", November 17, 2020.]

[14] From Wikipedia:

"Michael Blume (born June 20, 1976, in Filderstadt) is a German religious scholar and an anti-Semitism commissioner who served as head of the unit for non-Christian religions in the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg until June, 2020. He researches, teaches, and publishes on questions of Christian-Islamic dialogue in Germany, the connection between religion and demography, and the development of neurotheology ... Since March 2020, he has used his podcast 'Conspiracy Questions' to investigate conspiracy myths and anti-Semitism." — "Michael Blume", Wikipedia, German edition, R.R. translation [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Blume].

[15] At least, they tend to reject authority that originates outside the Anthroposophical movement. On the other hand, they tend to be highly deferential to individuals they consider gurus or spiritual masters, the greatest of whom — in the Anthroposophical view — was Rudolf Steiner. Anthroposophists almost always bow to Steiner's authority. [See, e.g., "Guru".]

[16] They usually prefer "Anthroposophical" medicine, based on the precepts of Rudolf Steiner. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]

[17] I.e., if there are disagreements or oversights within a Waldorf college of teachers, no clear policies may be in effect for various issues and practices. These gaps or "empty spaces" may give individual teachers inordinate latitude to do as they wish, essentially without supervision.

[18] There is a central Anthroposophical Society headquartered in Switzerland. [See "General Anthroposophical Society" in the BWSE.] There are also subsidiary Anthroposophical Societies in various countries around the world.

[19] An "anti-Semitism commissioner" watches out for, and tries to combat, a resurgence of anti-Semitism in a designated area. Baden-Württemberg is a state in southwest Germany; its capital is Stuttgart.

[20] I.e., schisms may develop, and various subdivisions of Anthroposophy might conceivably break away from the parent group. (Anthroposophy itself is, in a sense, a faction that broke away from Theosophy. [See "Basics".])

[21] From Südwest Presse:

"Wilfried Kessler, a Waldorf teacher of many years' standing and formerly a pupil at a natural science grammar school, believes that the principle of achievement at state schools is shaped by the idea of competition. The social aspect is less promoted. He sees support for the latter as one of the great advantages at Waldorf schools, attained especially through lessons in handcrafts, art, and music." — "Die Willenskraft fördern" {Promoting Willpower}, Südwest Presse, R.R. translation [https://www.swp.de/suedwesten/staedte/ulm/die-willenskraft-foerdern-17647667.html].

[22] From Waldorfshop:

"Christoph J. Hueck, born 1961, studied biology and chemistry, holds a doctorate in genetics, and has done research in vaccine development in Germany and the USA. He has many years of involvement with anthroposophy. He is a Waldorf teacher and a lecturer in Waldorf education and anthroposophical meditation. He is editor of the journal Die Drei and co-founder of the AKANTHOS Academy for anthroposophical research and development. He has authored publications on biology and anthroposophy, the foundations of anthroposophy, and Waldorf education. He has done research on, among other things, the lifelong health effects of Waldorf education and Rudolf Steiner's depictions of developmental anthropology." — "Corona and the Overcoming of Separateness", Waldorfshop, R.R. translation [https://www.waldorfshop.eu/en/corona-and-the-overcoming-of-separateness_10010353_18286].

[23] The protestors at street demos in Germany and elsewhere have included many "lateral thinkers" — people who use unconventional sorts of cogitation (sometimes irrational or intuitive) to search for answers to problems. The solutions these people find may likewise by unconventional, irrational, or distinctly false.

[24] Some conspiracy theorists claim that Bill Gates — one of the founders of Microsoft — is behind many malign conspiracies. See, e.g., "Bill Gates denies conspiracy theories that say he wants to use coronavirus vaccines to implant tracking devices", CNBC [https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/22/bill-gates-denies-conspiracy-theories-that-say-he-wants-to-use-coronavirus-vaccines-to-implant-tracking-devices.html].

[25] Anthropsophie.blog is a website, critical of both Anthroposophie and Waldorf, run by Oliver Rautenberg. [See, e.g., "Aiming at Anthroposophy: One Blogger's Bullseyes", December 4, 2020.]

[26] From the Frei Waldorfschule Görlitz:

"As a eurythmy teacher and piano accompanist, Thomas Brunner has been associated with our Waldorf school since its tender beginnings in Zodel. He was a Waldorf student himself before he studied eurythmy in Munich and Vienna and then became a member of the stage ensemble at the Eurythmeum [a eurythmy performance and education center] in Stuttgart. His career as a eurythmy teacher continued at the Waldorf schools in Kiel and Cottbus." — "Thomas Brunner", Frei Waldorfschule Görlitz, R.R. translation [https://waldorfschule-goerlitz.de/brunner/].

[27] Der Spiegel is the largest newsmagazine in Europe, with well over a million readers. The publisher also has a website of the same name.

[28] See "Freedom from Masks, Exposure to Illness", November 28, 2020.

[29] Eurythmy is a type of spiritual dancing or temple dancing devised by Steiner. Anthroposophists believe eurythmy has therapeutic value. [See "Eurythmy".]

[30] Homeopathy is a bogus form of treatment in which patients are given extremely dilute doses of substances that could cause the targeted diseases. Anthroposophy includes homeopathic preparations and practices. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]

[31] BdFWS stands for "Bund der Freien Waldorfschulen" {Federation (or Association) of Free (or Independent) Waldorf Schools}.

[32] From APAC-AWTC:

"Henning Kullak-Ublick Friedrich (born May 28, 1955 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is a German Waldorf teacher and founder of the popular initiative in school freedom. He is a board member of the Association of Waldorf Schools, the Friends of the Erziehugnskunst Rudolf Steiner's Association and the AG of Waldorf Schools in Schleswig-Holstein." — "Henning Kullak Ublick", Asia Pacific Anthroposophical Conference & Asian Waldorf Teachers Conference [http://apac-awtc.weebly.com/henning-kullak-ublick.html].

[33] See https://www.erziehungskunst.de/startseite/. The magazine's name means "the art of education".

[34] Mathias Marurer is the author of many intriguing articles. So, for instance, he has written this: 

"Fuelled with billions from foundations, we are striding in huge steps towards the artificial human being. The year 2045 is the date when it is meant to happen that human being and machine become one, mortality has been conquered and human self-determination has been handed over to the external control of algorithms." — Mathias Maurer, "Transhumanism - The End of the Human Being?" [http://www.nna-news.org/news/article/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2734&cHash=d45ba1d65a73060b46260285bce8e1aa].

[35] From Wikipedia:

"Wodarg gained notoriety during public discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic when he argued that SARS-CoV-2 was only one of many similar viruses which usually go undetected as part of an ordinary seasonal period of respiratory infections, and that the worldwide activities to stop the pandemic were 'hype' caused by the selective perception of researchers. His comments on the COVID-19 pandemic drew criticism from German scientists and some German media outlets. According to the critics, Wodarg's claims largely contradicted the verifiable facts; some of his statements were neither verifiable nor falsifiable; and because the facts Wodarg presented had nothing to do with each other, his statements had proved to be misleading." — "Wolfgang Wodarg", Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Wodarg].

[36] The art of public relations is sometimes brought to a high level of polish by Waldorf practioners. [See "PR".] Spokespeople for the Waldorf movement often acknowledge that members of the movement hold views that may seem strange or even outrageous to outsiders. But the spokespeople seek to offer assurances that there is really nothing to be concerned about — sometimes people say more than they mean, odd-seeming statements need to be interpreted properly, and in any case cool heads are prevailing, everything is fine.

[37] This, presumably, is Husch's stated opinion. We might infer, however, that it is also taz's editorial position.

— R.R.

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 December 4, 2020

AIMING AT ANTHROPOSOPHY:

ONE BLOGGER'S BULLSEYES

Rudolf Steiner, the father of Waldorf education, was an Austrian-German. In 1919, he founded the first Waldorf school, in Germany. Many more Waldorf schools followed in that country. A recent tabulation indicates there are now more than 250 Waldorf schools in Germany, far more than in any other country [1].

We recently looked at an interview with a German scholar who studies the Waldorf movement and its underlying belief system, Anthroposophy [2]. Here is another, similar interview.

Oliver Rautenberg is a German businessman who, in his free hours, runs the website Anthroposophie.blog [3]. Due to his frequent, well-documented postings, he has become a prominent — and hence controversial — critic of Anthroposophy and its handiworks, including Waldorf education.

Recently, Rautenberg have a long interview to the online magazine MedWatch [4]. The following are some extended excerpts, including passages that deal with Waldorf schools. I have appended a series of expository footnotes.

"Anthroposophy Is a 

Mythology for Conspiracists"

[Interview conducted by] Nicola Kuhrt

Oliver Rautenberg: "There is no simple definition of the term 'Anthroposophist.' There are individuals who are inspired by this worldview and accept some parts of it but not other parts of it. Other individuals are very, very dogmatic and very strict about propounding Anthroposophy. There are also many societal leaders who are active in Anthroposophy, who sit in various control centers, for example in Waldorf schools, on Demeter farms [5], in medicine [6]. There are many individuals who interpret Anthroposophy very literally and would like to see it implemented literally. It is not possible to generalize. In my view, Anthroposophy is certainly the largest esoteric current in Europe ... It is ultimately an esoterically occult secret doctrine that is not easily accessible to outsiders [7]...

"The current 'lateral-thinking' scene [8] has many different groups. Among them are people who are deeply concerned because of the difficulties caused by the pandemic. But there are also conspiracy ideologues who are invested in theories about dark plots. There are esoterics among them. And of course there are right-wing extremists [9]. I believe that they are all united within an ideological bracket: They are all anti-scientific at heart and believe in conspiracies. And that is a core element of Anthroposophy, which for me is a conspiracy myth [10]. Anthroposophy is so closely interwoven with alternative medicine, with vaccination skepticism [11], with a belief in the hidden connections between everything and everything else: a world order in which you have to look behind the curtain to learn who is really pulling the strings...

"Rudolf Steiner [12] became famous primarily as a lecturer, because he delivered over 6000 lectures [13], on all subjects. And when I say 'all,' I mean everything imaginable. In one lecture he might ask, 'What about cows, what about agriculture?' Then in the next lecture he might discuss cancer and medicine — or he might discuss education. He believed he knew something about everything [14]. Yet much of what he said was not provable [15]...

"Steiner always [took]...a cosmological view. He connected the origin of the cosmos, the planets, with the origin of mankind, drawing parallels. He claimed that man is a small image of the cosmos and the cosmos is an enormous image of man [16]. This is why Anthroposophic physicians will say: "You have a heart condition? No problem, you just need to take gold. Gold is the element that is associated with the Sun [17], and the Sun is associated with the heart [18], and therefore — everything is interwoven and linked on the ethereal level [19] — one will readily heal the other...

"[Likewise] because mistletoe is a parasitic plant, growing on top of other plants — just like cancer does [20] — Steiner made the conclusion by analogy that ingesting mistletoe helps against cancer [21] ... People may die of if they suddenly refuse or partly delay evidence-based medicine in their cancer therapy and follow pseudo-medical procedures ... [F]or a hundred years Anthroposophists have been treating cancer with mistletoe. And I think that is an unethical, crazy procedure, which sadly does not require any real scientific proof [22]...

"[Anthroposophical] medicine derives from this self-declared prophet — and from there the influence spreads outward, into Waldorf education, into agriculture, [etc.] ... Anthroposophists are quite often market leaders in the counterculture, in 'alternative' agriculture, medicine, education. They mix their esotericism into everything ... We all want better schools, we all want to have better and more sustainable food. We want a gentler medicine. Our desire for these things makes us vulnerable to the Anthroposophists who offer their alternatives, who are then, in part, market leaders because they do a number of things right [23]. But you end up with a complete package. You buy an organic apple from Demeter, and thereby you effectively support the cult and its esotericism — in the end you support this system ...

"An entire rat's tail of things is attached to Anthroposophic thought and action. For example, there are ethnic farmers [24] who turn Anthroposophy into nationalism. In Waldorf education, 'karma' and 'reincarnation' are foundational concepts [25]. If this is taken seriously, then in the worst case it can lead to pervasive bullying in Waldorf schools [26], or children with disabilities not being given the necessary help because it is assumed that earned their condition through mistakes they made in their previous lives [27]. Then children are denied learning experiences, because they are allegedly spiritually not yet 'advanced enough' [28]. In medicine, there is the dogmatic use of pseudo-medicine. Wherever Anthroposophy is taken seriously and acted upon strictly according to its principles, there is a danger of harmful things — harmful to people and animals — coming out of it...."

[12/4/2020    https://medwatch.de/2020/11/30/die-anthroposophie-ist-ein-verschwoerungsmythos/amp/    This interview originally appeared in November, 2020. Translation by Roger Rawlings, relying heavily of DeepL Translator.]

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Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See The Waldorf World List, https://www.freunde-waldorf.de/fileadmin/user_upload/images/Waldorf_World_List/Waldorf_World_List.pdf.

[2] For that interview, see "Divided, Anthroposophists Confront the Coronavirus", December 1, 2020. For an introduction to the Waldorf belief system, see "Anthroposophy" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia (BWSE) — scroll down to this entry. For introductory information about Rudolf Steiner, see "Steiner, Rudolf" in the BWSE — scroll down. For an overview of Waldorf education, see "Waldorf schools" in the BWSE — scroll.

[3] See https://anthroposophie.blog.

[4]From Wikipedia:

"Medwatch was founded in 2017...initially as a blog with the aim of dealing with pseudo-medical topics in an investigative and critical way ... All MedWatch contributions are free and freely accessible on the homepage. A scientific advisory board...supports [Medwatch's] journalists with technical questions ... In December 2019, the blog was expanded into an online magazine." — Wikipedia, German edition [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/MedWatch_(Online-Magazin)], translation by R.R.

[5] These are farms that employ organic (or "biodynamic") practices based on Anthroposophy. [See "Biodynamics".] In ancient Greek mythology, Demeter was the goddess of cereal grains.

[6] For an overview of Anthroposophical medicine, see "Steiner's Quackery".

[7] Anthroposophy is the brainchild of Rudolf Steiner. [See "What a Guy".] Steiner's most important book is titled AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE. In it, Steiner limns the secret or "occult" teachings that constitute the essence of Anthroposophy. By publishing this book, Steiner revealed or gave away many Anthroposophical secrets. But secrecy and occultism remain central in Anthroposophy. [See "Secrets" and "Occultism".]

[8] "Lateral thinkers" use unconventional sorts of cogitation — sometimes irrational or intuitive — to search for answers to problems. Here Rautenberg is referring to demonstrators who protest official accounts of the coronavirus and governmental plans for combatting the virus. 

[9] See, e.g., "Protests, Conspiracy Theories, and Rudolf Steiner's Followers", September 1, 2020, and "Waldorf Teacher-Trainer Explains the Coronavirus", September 12, 2020, and "Steinerites in the Streets — 'Cranks and Conservatives'", November 17, 2020.

[10] Rudolf Steiner was a conspiracy theorist — he taught that malevolent forces are at work behind the scenes, trying to derail human evolution. [See "Double Trouble".] Steiner's followers today often have similar conspiracist views.

[11] Anthroposophists often oppose vaccination, taking their cue from Steiner, who warned that evil plotters would create vaccines meant to kill human spirituality. [See "vaccination" in the BWSE.]

[12] Steiner not only created Anthroposophy and Waldorf education, he was also the founder of — or primary force behind — Anthroposophical medicine, Anthroposophical agriculture, and other initiates.

Note that Steiner was not entirely original in any of his undertakings. Anthroposophy is deeply rooted in Theosophy. [See "Basics".]

[13] According to the Rudolf Steiner Archive [https://www.rsarchive.org], Steiner gave over 6,700 lectures.

[14] Steiner did not claim to be omniscient, but he often came close. He often acted as if he had the final word on all subjects — and his followers often act as if this is manifestly correct. Waldorf teachers and other followers of Steiner often resolve disputes by citing a quotation of Steiner's. "Steiner said {thus and so}" is often taken as an unanswerable argument.

[15] That is, most of Steiner's assertions have no basis in scientific fact. Steiner claimed to describe otherwise invisible or unknowable matters by employing a disciplined form of clairvoyance. [See "Exactly".] But there is no sound evidence that such a capacity exists. [See "Clairvoyance".]

[16] The universe is the "macrocosm," Steiner taught, and the human being is the "microcosm". [See "The Center".]

[17] In Anthroposophy, drawing from astrological/alchemical traditions, the seven astrological planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn) are associated with seven types of metal (gold, silver, iron, mercury, tin, copper, lead) — in that order. [See "metals" in the BWSE.]

In Anthroposophy, the Sun is the home of the Sun God, whom Steiner identified as Christ. [See "Sun God".] The Sun is the center of the solar system, as Christ is the center of human spiritual aspiration and evolution, Steiner taught. (These teachings become complex, because Steiner sometimes said that the planets do not orbit the Sun, and thus the Sun is not the center of the solar system. But on other occasions, Steiner did place the Sun at the center of the planets' orbits. [See "Deception".])

[18] As the Sun is the center of our planetary system, the heart is the center of the human organism, Steiner often taught. [For more, see "heart" in the BWSE.]

[19] See "etheric realm" in the BWSE.

[20] See "Tumors Acts As Parasites, Sucking Energy From Surrounding Cells", National Cancer Institute [https://physics.cancer.gov/research/2011/march/po_news_a.aspx].

[21] R. Steiner:

"[M]istletoe, as an external substance, absorbs what is manifest in the human body as the rampant etheric forces in cancer ... [I]t strengthens the working of the astral body, which causes the tumour, or cancer, to disintegrate and break up.” — Rudolf Steiner, “An Outline of Anthroposophical Medical Research: Abridged Report of Two Lectures” (Rudolf Steiner Publishing Co., 1924), GA 319. [See "mistletoe" in the BWSE.] 

The "astral body" is the second of three invisible bodies that incarnate during, or at the end of, childhood, Steiner taught. [See "Incarnation".]

[22] That is, Anthroposophists think it requires no further proof than Steiner's assertion that it is true.

[23] E.g., growing organic foods, and treating animals humanely.

[24] I.e., farmers of a particular ethnic group who use farming methods that are traditional for that group. In the context of this interview, the reference is to traditonalist German farmers — at least some of them Anthroposophists — who are, or become, allied with right-wing or even fascistic movements. [Concerning ties between Anthroposophy and the far right, see "Sympathizers?"]

[25] See "Karma" and "Reincarnation".

[26] Some Waldorf teachers apparently believe that children may have the karma to be bullies or to be victims of bullies, and karma should be allowed to play itself out. Bullying has long be a problem in Waldorf schools. [See, e.g., "Slaps".]

[27] A person's behavior in one life, allegedly, affects the karma of that person in her/his next life. According to Anthroposophical belief, if you commit certain sins or errors in one life, you may have the karma to suffer from a disability in your next life. [See "special needs" in the BWSE.]

[28] According to Anthroposophical belief, the goal of human life is to evolve to higher and higher levels of spiritual consciousness. [See "evolution of consciousness" in the BWSE.] Anthroposophists generally believe that they are more highly evolved than most other people. [For an introduction to Steiner's teachings about evolution, see "Evolution, Anyone?"] In Waldorf schools, children are believed to evolve from one cultural/spiritual level to another as they progress from grade to grade. [See "The Waldorf Curriculum".] For example, sixth graders are thought to stand at the level of ancient Romans. [See, e.g., "Oh My Stars".] A child may be held back, required to repeat a grade, if s/he is deemed not have evolved far enough to move on.

— R.R.

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 December 1, 2020

DIVIDED, ANTHROPOSOPHISTS

CONFRONT THE CORONAVIRUS 

Although he was educated in Waldorf schools, Ansgar Martins has become one of Germany's foremost critics of Waldorf education and Anthroposophy [1]. Admirably, he tries to present an objective and balanced view of these movements.

Recently, the German newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung ran in interview with Martins.The interview focuses on the responses of Rudolf Steiner's followers to the coronavirus pandemic. Angry demonstrations have occurred in Germany and elsewhere, protesting various government-mandated measures intended to battle the virus — measures ranging from requirements to wear masks to the possible requirement, someday soon, for everyone to be vaccinated. Many of the demonstrations have been dominated by representatives of the far right, and some Anthroposophists (including Waldorf teachers) have participated. But, according to Martins, there are divergent opinions within the Waldorf movement. Not all Anthroposophists think alike on the issue of the pandemic.

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Here is a synopsis of the Martins interview, posted by historian Peter Staudenmaier:

Martins provides a nuanced description of the disagreements among Steiner's contemporary followers about the pandemic and the public health responses to it; he notes that many people in the Waldorf milieu have little sympathy for anthroposophists taking part in the "contrarian" demonstrations. He also has brief but thoughtful observations on the interaction of Steiner's followers with anti-vaccination movements, conspiracy myths, and other common elements within the esoteric scene. German media are currently reporting on the rise of openly antisemitic beliefs among many of the protesters, part of a dynamic that has been taking shape for months now. [2]

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The following is a translation of the interview:

Corona pandemic and Anthroposophy

"The dispute in the community has not yet been decided"

By Julia Bosch

Vaccination opponents and corona deniers are often mentioned in the same breath as the Waldorf/Anthroposophy community. Is that justified? The scholar Ansgar Martins provides answers.

Stuttgart - Ansgar Martins is familiar with the Anthroposophical scene. In an interview, the religious historian explains how the pandemic is viewed within Waldorf schools. Many Waldorf teachers want nothing to do with mask refusers, he says.

Mr. Martins, the motto of the Waldorf schools is "Education for Freedom". Does this concept of freedom now turn out to be a problem during the pandemic? [3]

In many places there has been an overlap between the Waldorf community and protestors who demonstrate again corona protective measures. But the corona demonstrators' understanding of freedom is selfish, with people wrapped up in their own fears. By contrast, although the Waldorf philosophy mistrusts a strong state, it contains a bourgeois and optimistic concept of freedom. It's about people participating in society. [4]

Are Waldorf schools as a group responsible for people demonstrating against the corona protective measures?

The schools obey the corona requirements [5], and many Waldorf teachers do not want to have anything to do with mask refusers. Opposition is found more within the Anthroposophical community in the narrower sense [6], where the measures are often viewed very critically. And this definitely has an influence within the Waldorf schools [7].

There, for example, the theory is circulating that fear of coronavirus may be just as deadly as the virus itself...

In Anthroposophy, consciousness creates the world [8]. This can lead to the idea that if you fear the coronavirus, this may magically cause you to contract the virus. Also playing a role are the belief in karma [9] and the thought that death is only the transition into a spiritual world [10]. Hardline anti-vaccination opponents or corona-deniers minimize the disease while demonizing the therapy [11]. This attitude is found not only in the Anthroposophical community, but it can also be found among esotericists more generally.

What role does Anthroposophic medicine play, in which people are always viewed holistically?

The ideas we have mentioned can be found in Anthroposophic medicine [12]. But such medicine has one advantage [13]: Anthroposophic doctors hold a genuine medical degree. Some Anthroposophic doctors...are now treating corona, so they simply have better things to do with their time than getting into debates with hard opponents of vaccination or corona deniers.

One should therefore not lump all Anthroposophists in with vaccination opponents and corona-deniers.

With the outbreak of the pandemic, some Anthroposophists did readily belittle the virus. The internal dispute is not yet resolved within the Anthroposophc community.

[12/1/2020   https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.corona-pandemie-und-anthroposophie-streit-in-der-szene-ist-noch-nicht-entschieden.c9c42147-26ed-4344-8617-25b1edd2ecf8.html   The interview originally appeared on November 23. Translation by Roger Rawlings, making liberal use of Google Translate and Microsoft Translator.]

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Waldorf Watch Footnotes

[1] See, e.g., AnthroWiki, https://anthrowiki.at/Ansgar_Martins.

[2] See https://groups.io/g/waldorf-critics/message/32230.

[3] I.e., demonstrators often insist that the decision whether or not to wear a mask should be left to the individual — it is a matter of personal freedom.

[4] Free individuals, Steiner taught, have cleansed their souls of damaging and restrictive inner impediments. This inner freedom enables them to be productive members of society — such as initiated Waldorf teachers. Critics would say, however, that the requirements of the Anthroposophical belief system greatly limit actual freedom. Steiner indicated that there is really just one path enlightened, evolving individuals should follow — the path he himself laid out. People who stray from this "white path" run the risk of losing their souls. [For a look at the Anthroposophical/Waldorf conception of freedom, see "Freedom".]

[5] Martins goes too far, here. If many Waldorf schools obey government mandates, some do not. [See, e.g., "Freedom from Masks, Exposure to Illness", November 28, 2020, and "A Waldorf School Ignores Covid-19; Now Infection Has Raged Through It", November 25, 2020.]

[6] I.e., among devout members of the Anthroposophical community headquartered in Switzerland. [See "General Anthroposophical Society" in The Brief Waldorf / Steiner Encyclopedia.]

[7] Aiming to be precise and fair, Martins says that Waldorf schools generally obey government mandates, but devout Anthroposophists often oppose such mandates, and this has reverberations within the schools.

[8] I.e., the gods create the cosmos through the power of their thoughts. Steiner indicated that humans may attain a similar power, and many Anthroposophists believe they can mold reality through their thoughts. [See, e.g., "If Only It Were So".]

[9] I.e., we should not resist the coronavirus if it is our karma to contract this disease. Belief in karma is central to Anthroposophy. [See "Karma".]

[10] I.e., we should not resist fatal diseases if death is only a minor episode in our evolution, leading us from one of our many earthly lives to a new life in the spirit realm. Belief in reincarnation is central to Anthroposophy. [See "Reincarnation".] 

[11] Anthroposophists believe in the literal existence of demons. [See "Evil Ones".] Many of the product of modern technology are demonic, they believe. [See "Spiders, Dragons and Foxes".]

[12] For an overview of Anthroposophical medicine, see "Steiner's Quackery". Anthroposophical doctors are genuine MD's, but to the extent they apply purely Anthroposophical therapies, they stray far from genuine medicine.

[13] Presumably, Martins means they have an advantage over practitioners of other forms of alternative medicine.

— R.R.

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