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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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October 1, 2010

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October 19, 2010

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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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Quote of the Day for 10-19-2010: 

“I consider antisemites to be harmless people.”  — Rudolf Steiner, “Die Sehnsucht der Juden nach Palästina,” Magazin für Literatur, vol. 66 no. 38, 1897. 

Waldorf Watch Response:

Concerning the Holocaust, here is a recent posting. Background: The writer, Ted Wrinch, is a defender of Rudolf Steiner. Peter Staudenmaier is an historian. Dan Dugan is moderator of the discussion at waldorf-critics.

"[I]f you want to find a book on German history in Borders or Waterstones the only thing you can find these days are shelves groaning with works on the Holocaust and the Nazis. PS [Peter Staudenmaier] has been saying that of course we shouldn't retrospectively view all German culture through the lens of the Holocaust — but, really, that's exactly what he wants to do, and now he has. He's just quoted a chunk of boilerplate from a fellow neo-Marxist called Roderick Stackelberg. This guy has published under the auspices of the Frankfurt School — neo-Marxism central — and his entire scholarly oeuvre has been tomes and book reviews on the Nazis and the Holocaust ... As a foot note [sic] it's interesting to see that PS is still in Dugan's Toilet [i.e., waldorf-critics], watching the same sh*t [sic] go round the bowl...." [10-17-2010  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anthroposophy_tomorrow/message/45732]

I say nice things about Anthroposophists in several of the following items. I have plenty of reasons to think well of Anthroposophists and of Waldorf teachers. My best friend from high school became a Waldorf teacher. So did one of my sisters. My mother, at considerable personal sacrifice, went to work in a Waldorf school so that my sisters and I could attend that school. I had several friends among the Waldorf faculty there, friendships that extended well beyond my Waldorf graduation.

So I like Anthroposophists, in general. There is no denying, however, that Anthroposophists can get very riled up — and rather unpleasant — when their beliefs are challenged. The quotation, above, is of limited interest: It concerns an academic dispute between Wrinch and Staudenmaier. The Holocaust, however, is of immense importance. And there may be significance in the links Staudenmaier has traced between Anthroposophy and Nazism. [See "Sympathizers?"] The very mention of Staudenmaier's work can make Anthroposophists apoplectic. The Anthroposophical position, if I may generalize, is that Anthroposophists are good, spiritually wise beings who could not possibly have had anything to do with Nazism. Staudenmaier's position is that there are intersections between Anthroposophy and Nazism, and that the historical record shows that in fact some Anthroposophists joined the Nazi Party and/or cooperated with it, and that a similar situation existed between Anthroposophists and the Fascist Party in Italy.

The discussion at Anthroposophy Tomorrow sometimes touches on these matters. You may want to take a peek occasionally. Be prepared, however: The tenor of some messages there is rather harsh. (I myself am not wholly in good odor there. I know it seems inconceivable that anyone could dislike me, but Anthroposophy is full of mysteries.)

“Knitters and crocheters in Metro Detroit [USA] are invited to join students at Detroit Waldorf School (DWS) in historic Indian Village for their second annual Knit-a-Thon. Students and family members are collecting donations for knitted or crocheted hats, gloves, scarves, socks and mittens to be given to Alternative for Girls, a Detroit nonprofit that helps at-risk girls and young women.” 

[10-19-2010  http://detnews.com/article/20101019/LIFESTYLE/10190310/1005/Detroit-Waldorf-School-hosting-Knit-a-Thon-benefit]

Waldorf Watch Response:

It would be churlish to criticize such good works. Anthroposophists mean well.

On a tangent, however, it is worth noting that knitting occupies a special place in the Waldorf curriculum. One reason — occult as Waldorf reasons usually are — is that knitting is good for the teeth. I kid you not. 

“Go into our needlework classes and handicraft classes at the Waldorf School, and you will find the boys knit and crochet as well as the girls ... This is not the result of any fad or whim ... [T]o drive the soul into the fingers means to promote all the forces that go to build up sound teeth.” — Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1948), lecture 17, GA 312.

"Monterey Bay Charter School [California, USA] uses an educational method that nurtures and inspires creativity, critical thinking, and motivated learning. Committed to educating the whole child, the school endeavors to foster the unfolding of each child’s full potential. Using Waldorf-inspired methods integrated with State standards, the teaching methods place equal emphasis on a solid academic foundation, artistic expression, social/emotional development, and attention to the inner life of the child." 

[10-19-2010  http://www.mbayschool.org/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

When students at the first Waldorf school did poorly on standard academic tests, Rudolf Steiner told the teachers there: 

“We should have no illusions: The results gave a very unfavorable impression of our school to people outside.” 

[See "Academic Standards".] 

Steiner taught that the brain is a relatively unimportant organ that does not really think; it is more or less degenerate, he said. Imagine the sort of education likely to be offered by teachers who consider the brain degenerate. 

“The beautiful structure of the [brain's] outer cortex is, in a sense, a degeneration ... People need not be particularly proud of the mantle of the brain; it is more like a degeneration ... [T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition....” — Rudolf Steiner, FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (SteinerBooks, 1996), p. 60. 

Steiner warned against the dangers of thinking: 

“When we think, we die continually." — Rudolf Steiner, BLACKBOARD DRAWINGS 1919-1924 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2003), p. 56.

A charlatan with nothing genuine to offer had good reason to discourage people from thinking. 

[See "Steiner's Specific".] 

Is it possible to incorporate Waldorf methods in an academically solid educational program? Sure. But why would you? Waldorf methods all derive from the occult ditherings of the fantasist, Rudolf Steiner. Waldorf methods are unlikely to raise the quality of any educational system.

"Anthroposophical medicine advocates a holistic approach for the treatment of any ailment. Outlined by Rudolph [sic] Steiner in 1920, he believed [sic] that every human being is endowed with spiritual powers that can be enhanced by stressing on [sic] meditation and mental concentration." 

[10-19-2010 http://health.ezinemark.com/anthroposophical-medicine-healing-3184d6b39c8.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Anthroposophical medicine — which is often employed in and around Waldorf schools — is quackery. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]

"The emergency education crisis intervention team of the international Waldorf organisation Friends of Waldorf Education is preparing for deployment in Kyrgyzstan from 27 November to 12 December at the request of the Kyrgyz Union of Educational Institutions, the Friends announced in a press release on Friday ... The 10-member team of the Friends of Waldorf Education will focus its work on three areas: the psycho-social stabilisation of the heavily traumatised children, helping teachers to manage their own traumatic experiences, and extending the range of educational methods to re-establish trust, as teachers have to deal with enormous ethnic tensions within their classes."

 [10-18-2010 http://www.nna-news.org/news/en/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Anthroposophists generally have good intentions. They are good, well-meaning people. This only makes their detachment from reality all the sadder. 

The main reason they mount mercy missions is the same reason they do anything: It is to spread their religion, Anthroposophy. And one of the main tactics they use to spread Anthroposophy is to set up Waldorf schools. They may use deceit when recruiting students, concealing their mystical intentions, but they deem this moral and correct.

Sad news. Apparently Rudolf Steiner has not reincarnated as a participant at the waldorf-critics list. It’s too bad. There are some questions I would have liked to ask him.

Still, Steiner may possibly be walking around out there somewhere. Various folks have announced that they are Steiner reincarnate. (But some responders have expressed doubts.)

"If you, Wibke Reinstein, are the reincarnation of Rudolf Steiner, then so am I ... [W]hen I was your age, I too actually believed that I myself was the reincarnation of Rudolf Steiner.  Looking back on it all now, I realize that it was actually a normal and healthy stage of my development as an Anthroposophist ... What I find so exciting and exhilarating about your claim, Wibke, is that you are the first woman I have encountered who claimed to be the reincarnation of Steiner. Previously, I had thought that is was just a 'guy thing.'" 

[10-18-2010  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/15223]

A peculiar discussion of Waldorf schools is occurring at The Magic Cafe. At least some of the participants are magicians (the hocus-pocus kind, not the kinds that Steiner said really exist).

◊ "Just curious if any of you have attended, taught in or had your children in a Steiner/Waldorf program. And if so, what do you think of it now."

◊ "I was looking on wikipedia and it certainly seems like Waldorf/Steiner schools make some extreme deviations from the typical school systems. In my opinion, we need some similar deviations in the states...."

◊ "They are a load of guff. I'd stay well clear if you can at all help it. Here is an article that I remember from a year or so ago. There are plenty of others sticking the boot in: http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2009/07/22/pseudoscience-not-a-valid-educational-choice/"

◊ "I asked the retired teacher wife. She said that as a pure teaching method is isn't good and neither is that one out of Italy but bits and pieces are already used in classrooms and always have been."

◊ "I played basketball against a steiner team once. I have also heard that they aren't so good."

[10-18-2010 http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=384177&forum=32&9]

Waldorf Watch Response:

I'll close this little item by quoting Steiner on magicians. Steiner taught that real magicians, using real magic, exist. Really. In reality. For real. There are good ones (white, of course) and bad ones (black, of course):

"The white magician would impart to other souls the spiritual life he bears within him. The black magician has the urge to kill, to create a void around him in the astral world because this void affords him a field in which his egoistic desires may disport themselves. He needs the power which he acquires by taking the vital force of everything that lives, that is to say, by killing it." — Rudolf Steiner, AN ESOTERIC COSMOLOGY (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1978), lecture 9, GA 94.

"The College of Teachers is the primary decision-making body of the faculty [at the Portland Waldorf School]. It is made up of faculty members who have taught for at least one year in our the school and have demonstrated their ability in an understanding of Waldorf Education. Other requirements for joining this body are a commitment to the future of Portland Waldorf School, a willingness to carry additional responsibilities for the school as a whole, and a dedication to deepening one’s own understanding of child development through study of Anthroposophy and current research." 

[10-18-2010 https://www.portlandwaldorf.org/fileadmin/admin/Current_Parent_Forms/2010-2011_handbook_only.pdf]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This quotation is from the 2010-2011 Parent Handbook issued by a Waldorf school in the USA. Other Waldorf and Steiner schools have similar pamphlets. The accuracy and thoroughness of such publications is open to question. As a parent, you should be prepared to dig more deeply. The Portland Waldorf handbook includes some tame references to Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy, but it conceals far more than it discloses. There are no references to such basic Anthroposophical beliefs as clairvoyance, karma, reincarnation, planetary stages of evolution, higher worlds, multitudes of gods, etc. Thus, you may have no idea why teachers at the school study Anthroposophy or what they learn from their study.

Anthroposophists generally deny that Anthroposophy is a religion, and yet it clearly is one. 

"Those who are not cowards know Christ is always revealing Himself; therefore, we may accept what He has revealed in the form of anthroposophy as a true Christ-revelation. Members have often asked me how they can establish a relationship with Christ. This is a naive question; for everything we strive for, every line we read of our anthroposophical science, is an entering into a relationship with Christ. In a certain sense, we really do nothing else." — Rudolf Steiner, TOWARD IMAGINATION (SteinerBooks, 1990), p. 36. (A somewhat truncated version of this quote appeared today at http://martyrion.blogspot.com/2010/10/anthroposophy-revelation.html.)

One more cautionary note. Don't assume that Anthroposophy is a branch of Christianity. Christ is revered by Anthroposophists, but he is not the Christ you may have learned about in a mainstream Christian church. The "Christ" in Anthroposophy is one of a vast horde of gods. He is the Sun God (Ra), in which capacity he elected to come down to Earth. He did not redeem us in the classical Christian sense, but by allowing himself to be crucified he imparted a new impulse to our evolution. In this, he was not unlike Buddha who did much the same thing on Mars. 

◊ “Buddha...became for Mars what Christ has become for the earth.” — Rudolf Steiner, LIFE BETWEEN DEATH AND REBIRTH (SteinerBooks, 1985), p. 72. 

◊ “The Buddha wandered away from earthly affairs to the realm of Mars ... [T]he Buddha accomplished a Buddha crucifixion there.” — Ibid., p. 207. OK? This is not your father's Christianity, nor you father's Buddhism. This is a new, very strange religion. It is Anthroposophy. 

[See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?" and "Was He Christian?"]

"The national curriculum [in Australia] sounded like a good idea at the time ... Given falling standards, existing dumbed-down and politically correct state and territory curriculums and the poor performance of Australian students in international maths and science tests, it made sense to make schools teach a nationally designed curriculum ... Unfortunately, as illustrated by the recent barrage of criticisms...the national curriculum will not be fully implemented until 2013 instead of this year ... [But] Many schools across Australia now have the freedom to teach alternatives ... Montessori and Steiner schools, with their unique educational philosophies and approaches to learning, exist alongside more orthodox government schools." 

[10-18-2010  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/content-drowns-new-curriculum/story-e6frg6zo-1225939884483]

Waldorf Watch Response:

As always when considering Steiner schools, look before you leap: Don’t take your child out of a bad school only to send her/him to a worse one. 

Waldorf schools are often pretty, but they are also usually suffused with occultism. The founder of Steiner education, Rudolf Steiner, unashamedly beat the drum for occultism. Thus, for instance: 

“There is no other means of bringing about a universal human brotherhood than the spreading of occult knowledge through the world.” — Rudolf Steiner, THEOSOPHY OF THE ROSICRUCIAN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1953), p. 143.

As for lumping Steiner schools with Montessori schools: This is often done, but it is an error. There are some superficial similarities between Steiner and Montessori schools, but there is also an immense difference: There is no occultism in the Montessori movement.

“We’re setting up a Steiner School in Leicestershire [UK] and are contacting all the different groups of people who may be interested.  Steiner education is a more natural way of learning/teaching (and Steiner schools only serve vegetarian food) so we thought your members may like to know about it as I’m sure most are interested in natural ways of life.” 

[10-17-2010  http://transitionleicester.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/new-steiner-school-to-be-opened-in-leicester/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

It might be interesting to ask the organizers why they are setting up a Steiner school. Their stated values (natural learning/teaching, whatever that may be, and vegetarian food) have little or nothing to do with the central realities of Steiner education. Perhaps the organizers know very little about Steiner's occult doctrines — or perhaps they know a lot about those doctrines, are deeply devoted to them, and are intent on keeping them hidden from the public. Waldorf or Steiner schools often operate by stealth. [See “Secrets”.] 

If you are contacted about a prospective Steiner or Waldorf school, you may want to know that, according to Rudolf Steiner himself, such schools exist to promote Anthroposophy. Here are a few of Steiner’s statements:  

◊ “As teachers in the Waldorf School, you will need to find your way more deeply into the insight of the spirit and to find a way of putting all compromises aside ... As Waldorf teachers, we must be true anthroposophists in the deepest sense of the word in our innermost feeling.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 118.

◊ “[Y]ou will understand why, as we begin this work today, we first reflect on the connection we wish to create from the very beginning between our activity and the spiritual worlds ... Thus, we wish to begin our preparation by first reflecting upon how we connect with the spiritual powers in whose service and in whose name each one of us must work.”  — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 33.

◊ “One of the most important facts about the background of the Waldorf School is that we were in a position to make the anthroposophical movement a relatively large one. The anthroposophical movement has become a large one.” — Rudolf Steiner, RUDOLF STEINER IN THE WALDORF SCHOOL (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p.156.

◊ “You need to make the children aware that they are receiving the objective truth, and if this occasionally appears anthroposophical, it is not anthroposophy that is at fault. Things are that way because anthroposophy has something to say about objective truth. It is the material that causes what is said to be anthroposophical. We certainly may not go to the other extreme, where people say that anthroposophy may not be brought into the school. Anthroposophy will be in the school when it is objectively justified, that is, when it is called for by the material itself.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 495.

In brief, the teachers at a Waldorf or Steiner school a) should be devout Anthroposophists, b) they should bring Anthroposophy into the school, and c) they should know that the Waldorf movement exists, in large part, to enlarge the Anthroposophical movement.

 [For more on these matters, see, e.g., "Here's the Answer", "Spiritual Agenda", and "Soul School". To eavesdrop on conversations between Steiner and Waldorf teachers, see, e.g., "Faculty Meetings".]

"From his clairvoyant reading of the akashic record — the cosmic memory of all events, actions, and thoughts — Steiner was able to discuss aspects of the life of Jesus Christ that are not recorded in the four Gospels of the conventional Christian Bible. The results of such research has been called 'The Fifth Gospel.'”  

[10-17-2010  http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=fb6584a466e4c077978080a726ebe6c3&id=9781855840393]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Lest there be any doubt that Anthroposophy is occult, the good people at SteinerBooks have put out the above description of one of their publications. The Akashic Record is a sort of celestial storehouse of all historical knowledge (entirely imaginary, of course) that occultists like Steiner claim to be able to read, using clairvoyance. The FIFTH GOSPEL is, astonishingly, Steiner's addition to the Bible. He claimed that thanks to his clairvoyance, he could tell us more about Christ than the Bible can. And his discussions of Christ explicitly entail occult and astrological elements.

According to Steiner, the design you see above is the occult symbol for Christ. Note the astrological signs included within it. Here's Steiner explaining the symbol: 

“Christ was always the representative of the sun, namely, the intelligence of the Sun ... The sign of the intelligence of the Sun is [what you see here] ... This is, at the same time, the occult sign of the lamb. The lamb receives the book with the seven seals ... The seven corners of the sign are called 'horns.' But what do the 'eyes' mean?

“In occult schools the signs of the seven planets are written next to the seven eyes. The seven eyes signify nothing other than the seven planets, while the names of the planets designate the spirits incarnated in them as their intelligence. 'Saturn' is the name of the soul of Saturn. The names of the planets come from the spirits of the seven planets found around the earth. These have an influence on human life. The lamb, Christ, contains all seven. Christ is the alpha and the omega; the seven planets are related to him like members to an entire body. The entwining of the lines of the sign portray in a wonderful way the interaction between the seven planets. From Saturn one rises to the Sun, from there down to the Moon, then on to Mars, Mercury, and so forth ... Christ is the regent of all these world spheres; their actions constitute only part of his being; he unites them all. In Rosicrucian schools a lamb is often drawn as a sign for the intelligence of the Sun.” — Rudolf Steiner, READING THE SIGNS OF THE APOCALYPSE (SteinerBooks, 1993), pp. 19-21. [R.R. sketch, 2010, based on the one in the book.]

The occult symbol for Christ shows seven eyes and seven planets. Starting at the top and proceeding clockwise, the seven planets are the Sun (not really a planet), Mercury, Venus, the Moon (not really a planet), Saturn, Mars, and Jupiter. These are the seven classical "planets" of astrology. On other occasions, Steiner spoke of seven planets or planetary stages of human evolution. These are, in order from first to last, Old Saturn, Old Sun, Old Moon, Present Earth, Future Jupiter, Future Venus, and Future Vulcan. Thus, Steiner used two different seven-member lists of the planets in his teachings. For the evolutionary lineup, he took the astrological list, added the Earth and Vulcan (!), and omitted Mercury and Mars. (In this, he was largely following occult tradition, refined by himself.)

Do you notice any other omissions? Neither list includes Uranus or Neptune. Steiner occasionally acknowledged the existence of those distant planets, but he usually denied that they are really part of the solar system. The one lineup of planets that Steiner almost never spoke of (since his teachings rarely intersect with reality) is the real one: starting closest to the Sun and moving outward: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. (And maybe poor little Pluto.) The real list, in other words, has eight planets, all of which are really planets. (Or it has nine planets, if we include poor little Pluto.)

But I haven't told you the weird part yet. On several occasions, Steiner taught that the planets travel in line with the Sun rather than orbiting it. He actually made this claim in the presence of Waldorf faculty members, none of whom jumped up shouting "This is insane! Let me out of here!" No, perplexed but polite, they sat quietly as Steiner told them, and I quote, 

“[I]t is not that the planets move around the Sun, but these three, Mercury, Venus, and the Earth, follow the Sun, and these three, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, precede it.” — FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 30-31. 

OK? So the planets move along in a sort of conga line with the Sun. According to a drawing on p. 31 of FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, Saturn leads the line, followed by Jupiter, Mars, the Sun itself, Mercury, Venus, and the Earth, bringing up the rear. So, this amounts to Steiner's third seven-planet lineup (if we count the Sun as a plane)t. What's missing? This time around, the Moon is no longer considered a planet, Vulcan is forgotten, and as always Uranus and Neptune (and poor little Pluto) are ignored. If we want to say that in this third seven-member lineup the Sun should not be considered a planet, then Steiner supplemented his two seven-planet lineups with one six-planet lineup.

Again, the one lineup Steiner almost never mentioned is the real one. (Eight planets. Or, if we include poor little...)

[For more on some of these subjects, you might look at "Astrology", "Akasha", "The Planets", "Deception", and "Oh My Stars".]

P.S. In another text, Steiner again describes the planets moving in line with the Sun, and there's a similar drawing. But the lineup there is a bit different from the one given in FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, so I think we might as well skip that one, don't you? No need to get confused. [It's on p. 168 of DISCUSSIONS WITH TEACHERS (Anthroposophic Press, 1997); the sequence there is Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and Earth.]

"The evening was a joy. But the highlight for me was meeting the residents of Camphill Village Kimberton Hills. Camphill villages are communities that nurture adults and children with developmental disabilities through handwork, farming, cooking, and acting as stewards to the land. Founded by pediatrician Karl Konig, the Camphill Movement is inspired by anthroposophy — the philosophy, world view, and spiritual path of Rudolf Steiner....yet another reason for me to respect this man. Viewing the human being as a beautiful spirit, despite physical limitations...this is a call for social change made decades ago! I hope people are listening....imagine if schools everywhere adopted this holistic form of special education..." 

[10-16-2010  http://bendingbirches2010.blogspot.com/2010/10/square-dancing-camphill-and-giveaway.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Camphill communities, like Waldorf schools, are full of people with good intentions. Since many of us who criticize them also have good intentions, you might think a reasonable conversation could be had across the divide. But Anthroposophists are usually not open to such discussions: They disavow what the headmaster at my old Waldorf school called "the blight of critical thinking." Rational thought and conversation is, for the most part, ruled out. As Rudolf Steiner said, 

"You will injure children if you educate them rationally....” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 61.

The aversion to rational thought has another, more distressing implication. What sort of "nurturing" will be provided by people who do not want to think deeply and carefully about the causes and possible cures of disabilities? Here is a statement made by Rudolf Steiner, quoted in the book titled CURATIVE EDUCATION:

“By looking at what the horoscope shows we can see what is really the matter [with a child].

“Take first this horoscope (of the elder sister). It will probably have struck you that you find here in this region, Uranus together with Venus and Mars. You will not really need to carry your considerations any further than this triangle. Here then are Mars, Venus and Uranus. Consider first Mars. For this child, who was born in 1909, Mars stands in complete opposition to the Moon. Mars, which has Venus and Uranus in its vicinity, stands — itself — in strong opposition to the Moon. Here is the Moon and here is Mars. And Mars pulls along with it Uranus and Venus.

“And now I would ask you to pay careful attention also to the fact that the Moon is at the same time standing before Libra. This means, the Moon has comparatively little support from the Zodiac, it wavers and hesitates, it is even something of a weakling in this hour; and its influence is still further reduced through the fact that Mars (which pulls along with it the Luciferic influence [i.e., the influence of Lucifer]) stands in opposition to it.

“Now let us turn to the horoscope of the young child. Again, here are Venus and Uranus and Mars near together, the three of them covering between them no more than this section of the heavens ... On this second horoscope, Mars, Venus and Uranus are in close proximity, exactly as before; but when we examine more nearly the position of Mars, we find it is not, as before, in complete opposition to the Moon. It is however very nearly so. Although the younger child does not come in for a complete opposition, there is an approximation to opposition.” — Rudolf Steiner, CURATIVE EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1972), lecture 11, July 6, 1924.

Nothing sensible or humane will come from such astrological quackery.

Steiner's intentions may have been good, but the example he set for his followers does not inspire much confidence. Here is a little tableau. During a lecture, Steiner called a developmentally disable child onto the stage.

"And now, if you will begin to observe the child for yourselves — [to the boy] Come here a minute! — you will find many things to notice. Let me draw your attention, first of all, to the strongly developed lower half of the face. Look at the shape of the nose and the mouth. The mouth is always a little open, which has an effect on dental development. It is important to note these things, for they are unquestionably bound up with the whole soul-and-spirit constitution of the child... The formation you see here in the jaws — the jaws belong, of course, to the limb system — is wholly part of the head system ... (Look, he's amused! I think Fraulein B. was asking him why he keeps his mouth open, and his reply was: 'To let the flies come in.' This is a firmly fixed opinion of his.)

"... Here (in the front) as we remarked, the head is pressed together. In all probability this points back to a purely mechanical injury, either at birth or during pregnancy, a mechanical injury in which we can see nothing else than a working of karma ...

"[T]he whole breathing system...is very little under control ... Hence the symptom that is so conspicuous in a child of this kind ... What ought to happen is that gradually, in the course of life, the whole system of movement in man should become a servant of the intellectual system. [To the boy] Stand still a minute. And now come here to me and do this! (Dr. Steiner makes a movement with his arm as if to take hold of something; the boy does not make the movement.) Never mind! We mustn't force him. Do you see? It is difficult for him to do anything; he has not the power to exercise the right control over his metabolism-and-limbs system...." — Rudolf Steiner, EDUCATION FOR SPECIAL NEEDS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), pp. 106-110.

Horoscopes, karma, phrenology (studying skull shapes) ... No good can come out of a system built on such fallacies. 

[See, e.g., "Holistic Education".]

"Dr. Bertozzi and his colleagues have succeeded in bringing about a special kind of metamorphosis in the last 21 years: the old Grand Hotel has been turned into a modern spa based on anthroposophical medicine and its extension of conventional medical practice ... Dr. Bertozzi had discovered the Levico spring through a reference in Rudolf Steiner’s course of medical lectures. As early as 1920 Steiner had spoken of the particular healing power of the Levico water for people in the twenty-first century ... Eurythmy therapy is offered in a saloon facing the park and in a room with high arched windows guest can [sic] let the view of the picturesque town of Roncegno inspire their art therapy. The fireside lounge is used for the patient choir and for lectures in which any guest with an interest in the subject can also learn about anthroposophy. So what role does Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy play as a whole in the Casa de Salute? Dr. Bertozzi: 'It is our guideline and our life and we are very grateful for it.'” 

[10-15-2010  http://www.nna-news.org/news/en/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Anthroposophical outreach/propaganda efforts continue to improve. This is an item from the Anthroposophical News Network (NNA) — their motto is "news with a difference." I will occasionally present their "news" here, with a minimum of commentary. Don't get excited, however — they tend to put out a news release only once in a blue moon. 

[If you want to know more about Anthroposophical medicine, see "Steiner's Quackery". For more on eurythmy, see my cleverly titled page, "Eurythmy".]

Quote of the Day, 10-15-2010: 

“Around the middle of the fifth cycle [an evolutionary stage] the ‘Sons of Fire’ [gods two levels above man] have developed so far that they can inoculate the ether body [i.e., an invisible body animating the physical body] ... They now relieve the ‘Spirits of Personality’ [gods three levels above man] in the work on this ether body ... In this period they abandon the physical body to the Sons of Twilight (in Christianity, Angels, in theosophy, Lunar Pitris) [gods one level above man]. In the meantime, the latter have acquired a dull image consciousness such as man will have on the Moon. On Saturn they had given the ancestor of man a kind of organ of understanding ... [T]hrough the human body the Seraphim can already reveal themselves on the Sun before the middle of the fifth cycle in a more complete manner than was possible on Saturn.” 

— Rudolf Steiner, COSMIC MEMORY (Rudolf Steiner Publications, 1959), Chapter 15, “The Life of the Sun.”

Waldorf Watch Response:

What on Earth (or on the Moon or on Saturn or on the Sun) can 10-15's Quote of the Day mean? It's not important. I just wanted to give you a dose of Steinerspeak, the way Steiner expressed himself when he really got rolling. So don’t sweat the details. But do, please, think about this: If you send your children to a Waldorf school, you likely will be consigning them to the care of teachers who think that Steiner made sense.

(By the way: Don't get confused by Steiner's use of the present tense: He was talking about things that happened long, long ago. (Anyway, it isn't a big deal. None of this happened, in reality.))

Think about this, too: Many of the books attributed to Steiner consist of transcripts of his lectures, taken down by his faithful followers. He didn’t write those books — he spoke, and others wrote down his words. When one or another of the statements in such books appears completely bonkers, Anthroposophists defend it by saying the transcript must be wrong. But COSMIC MEMORY is different, it consists of essays Steiner sat down and composed, deliberately, carefully (he initially published them in the periodical LUCIFER GNOSIS). Thus, this book comes from his pen. These are his words, carefully chosen and crafted by Himself. (Or, to be precise, I’ve reprinted an English translation approved by an Anthroposophical publishing house.) This is what Steiner meant to say and it is what his followers believe. Incredible as it may seem, this is what he meant to say and it is what his followers believe.

(For what little it’s worth — and believe me, it is very little — the passage I've quoted is about various types of gods doing their bit to promote human development during various  stages of cosmic evolution. The basic stages are Old Saturn, Old Sun, Old Moon, Present Earth, Future Jupiter, Future Venus, and Future Vulcan. Think of the entire Anthroposophical account of our past and future as a sort of sci-fi fairy tale — and, indeed, that’s what it is. For Steiner's followers, however, it is gospel, the true history of humanity as revealed by Steiner’s exact clairvoyance. My advice? Make up your mind about Steiner now, while we’re still on Earth. If you wait till we move to Jupiter, it may be a little late.) 

"Grateful for the opportunity to have read proscons of Waldorf Archive Grateful for the opportunity to have read proscons of WaldorfSteiner I still love the idea of many things that are easily identifiable with Waldorf education What are some pros and cons of the Waldorf Schools and their Education Reference Entertainment Music Environment Family Relationships What are some pros and cons of the Waldorf Schools and their functions Only educated answers What are some proscons of waldorf schools – Yahoo! Answers What are some proscons of waldorf schools I am considering a waldorf education for my child and was wondering if anyone had any Welcome to OpenWaldorfcom! One of the best ways to learn about Waldorf education is to read the core texts from Waldorf Pros and cons are never lacking We would do well to acquire the habit of always What are some proscons of waldorf schools – Yahoo! Answers India Answers – [etc.]" 

[10-15-2010  http://jamestamaral.muzozone.com/2010/10/15/waldorf-education-pros-and-cons/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

I must be getting old. I can read and understand Steiner, but a fair bit of what people post on the Internet seems like gibberish to me. Anyway: There are indeed a lot of people debating and investigating Waldorf education now, which is all to the good. Some of the participants don't know much about Waldorf, and for them getting to the truth can be a bit complicated, but the effort is important. This, really, is why I created Waldorf Watch. Here I attempt to tell the plain truth (and to make plain what is sometimes hidden or garbled). You might glance at any or all of the following: "Here's the Answer", "Non-Waldorf Waldorfs: Looking for a Good One", "Advice for Parents", "Nutshell", and "Clues".

“Shepha Vainstein co-founded Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation after a visit to educational communities in Israel and West Bank convinced her of the critical role that education plays in building interpersonal and intercultural bridges across divides of cynicism and despair. She will speak in San Francisco, [California, USA] ... Her talk will cover three bridge-building Waldorf schools for Jewish and Arab children in Israel and the West Bank, which are supported by the Salaam Shalom Educational Foundation (www.ssefoundation.org): 1. An Arab Jewish Waldorf kindergarten in the Bedouin village of Hilf, Israel 2. an Arab Waldorf School in Sh'faram, a large town in the Galilee, which partners with a large Jewish Waldorf school on nearby Kibbutz Harduf 3. a Waldorf teacher training program in Jenin, across the Green Line. 

[10-15-2010 http://www.uri.org/the_latest/2010/10/salaam_shalom_cofounder_to_speak_in_san_francisco  I don’t know why word of this arrived online so late; I am posting it as soon as the notice reached me.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Anyone working to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict deserves praise and gratitude. But Jewish and Arab parents considering Waldorf for their children would do well to understand the teachings on which Waldorf education is based. For example: 

“As you know, we distinguish the Jews from the rest of the earth's population. The difference has arisen because the Jews have been brought up in the moon religion for centuries ... The Jews have a great gift for materialism, but little for recognition of the spiritual world.” — Rudolf Steiner, FROM BEETROOT TO BUDDHISM (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1999), p. 59.

(Here Steiner repeats the common antisemitic slur that Jews are materialistic and blind to spiritual realities. He says that Jews are different from everyone else, for instance because they practice the "moon religion." By this, he means that Jews woreship the minor god named Jehovah, who lives on the Moon. [See the section on Jehovah in "Genesis".])

And:

“What would happen if Arabism, the teaching of the Sun Demon, were to be entirely victorious? Humanity would be [unable] to experience conditions that human beings must experience if they are to comprehend the working of karma from earlier incarnations....” — Rudolf Steiner: THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND THE WORK OF THE PRIEST, Lecture 8, GA 346.

(Here Steiner equates Arabism with Islam, and he says that Islam embodies the teachings of the Antichrist, Sorat, the Sun Demon. [See "Bad, Badder, Baddest".] If "Arabism" were to spread throughout the world, the result would be that humans could not understand karma and reincarnation, things we must understand if we are to evolve properly.)

"This is why Waldorf teachers are deceptive. They are TAUGHT to be deceptive. It’s part of Waldorf education to be deceptive…to lie to parents…even about their own children. Why? Because according to Steiner, the Waldorf teacher is more important to the spiritual development of the child than the parents are." 

[10-14-2010 http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf or Steiner schools are often quite beautiful. They are often staffed by caring people who have the very best intentions. And, thanks in part of selective admissions, they often have exceptionally capable students. For these and other reasons, many families have good experiences at Waldorf schools.

Sometimes, however (and much more often than anyone would wish), the Waldorf idyll breaks down. Sometimes this happens simply because a family realizes that Waldorf teachers subscribe to an astonishing set of occult beliefs: Anthroposophy. But sometimes it happens for more terrible reasons, and a family, or part of a family, winds up being brutalized.

How can this happen in such a beautiful place as a Waldorf school? It is because the underlying occult philosophy of Waldorf schools is so deeply out of touch with reality, and because the true believers on a Waldorf faculty consider anyone who disagrees with them to be possessed or influenced by demons. Waldorf true believers are sure, deep in their hearts, that they are Good; and with equal certainty, they know that anyone who crosses them is devilish, probably a servant of Ahriman, and perhaps indeed a subhuman monster. Rudolf Steiner taught them to believe such things.

A terribly sad situation has been playing itself out at Highland Hall, a Waldorf school in the USA, for the last several years. I have never set foot in Highland Hall, I know none of the teachers there, I have only a casual Internet-based acquaintance with some of the families who have sent children there. Thus, I cannot tell you exactly what happened there or who is right and who is wrong. But the alleged events there are eerily like events reported at many other Waldorf schools, in the USA and beyond — and they are eerily like events that I personally observed at the Waldorf school I attended, many years ago. Very little changes in the Waldorf universe, or so it would seem.

If you want to understand the potential dangers of sending a child to a Waldorf school, I suggest you keep track of the situation at Waldorf Awareness [http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/]. You may decide that the blogger there is a demonic monster who lies constantly. (You might decide the same about me.) Or you may be grateful that you have found someone who will tell you hard truths about Waldorf schools. In either case, you will benefit from visiting the site.

A photo of the Anthroposophical headquarters, the Goetheanum, is now available at fotopedia [http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Goetheanum], along with a photo of an outbuilding.

Steiner named his headquarters for Goethe, claiming that Goethe was a sort of pre-Steiner, a seeker who got quite far — but not, of course, as far as Steiner himself. 

"Rudolf Steiner thought that Goethe hesitated before the supreme reality of spirit. Anthroposophists think that their founder's vision completes the task Goethe began." — Geoffrey Ahern, SUN AT MIDNIGHT (James Clarke & Co., 2009), p. 122. [See "Goethe".]

The Goetheanum is a cathedral, although among all their many denials, Anthroposophists usually deny this. The building has a cruciform layout, large colored glass windows bearing images of the spirit realm, a towering statue of Christ, a huge pipe organ, spiritualistic ceiling paintings, and so on. Spiritualistic events and ceremonies — sometimes involving prayers — are held there. It is a cathedral. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

This is terribly out of sequence, but having missed it when I was launching this "news" page, I should acknowledge it now:

"Sergej Prokofieff, head of the international Anthroposophical Society, explains how the internet is best understood from an esoteric viewpoint. Rudolf Steiner prophesied that 'from the earth will well up terrible creations of beings who in their character stand between the mineral kingdom and the plant kingdom as automative beings with a supernatural intellect, an immense intellect' and they will spread over the world like ahrimanic spiders weaving a web. There will be evil intent and mankind 'will have to unite with these terrible mineral-plant like spider creatures.' Prokofieff — ignoring the very fact he has himself observed in Steiner’s indications, i.e., that this web is to be expected no sooner than about 6000 years from now — writes: 'It is as if Rudolf Steiner, with his spiritual gaze, described today’s Internet from beyond the threshold, categorically warning humanity that in a not too distant future, with the unification of moon and earth, this whole internet-computer-web and in fact everything connected with the development of the artificial intellect will suddenly come alive …'” 

[1-3-2010  http://zooey.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/spiders/  — see http://www.waldorflibrary.org/Journal_Articles/PacificJ29.pdf]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Anthroposophists generally deplore modern science and modern technology. They consider them to be demonic. And yet some Anthroposophists put up websites and actively try to steer Internet discussions and to influence "knowledge" sites such as Wikipedia. (They are often successful in this. An organized band of true believers can hijack a Wikipedia page and mold it to suit themselves, as Anthroposophists have done with such http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_education and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner.  So don't believe everything you read. (Unless, of course, yrs trly wrote it. (Just joking.)))

For more on the spiders in our future, see, e.g., "Thinking" and "Spiders, Dragons and Foxes".

SteinerBooks seems to be sending out new notices about some of their older offerings. One is SELF-TRANSFORMATION [http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=fb6584a466e4c077978080a726ebe6c3&id=9781855840195] which outlines steps you can take if you wish to become clairvoyant. (Good luck.)

Another old book being announced again now: MYSTERIES OF THE EAST AND OF CHRISTIANITY [http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=fb6584a466e4c077978080a726ebe6c3&id=9780893450595]. 

"Mystery" is a big word for Anthroposophists — it refers to the hidden, occult, mysterious knowledge that they think we need to acquire to save our souls. For mainstream Christians, this is heresy; for everyone else, with the exception of occultists, it is simply nonsense. [See, e.g., "Gnosis".] Here is one interesting point, however, from MYSTERIES OF THE EAST AND OF CHRISTIANITY: 

"After death, souls subject to laziness become the servants of the adversarial gods led by Ahriman." — Synopsis, Lecture 2.

Anthroposophists often claim that Steiner's teachings are all sweetness and light; this is part of the reason Waldorf schools are often so lovely. The idea is that the universe is basically a nice, cooperative place where everyone pitches in to make everything better and better. It's a nice idea, but it is not what Steiner taught. He had a lot to say about forces of darkness, evil humans, evil spirits, even evil gods ("adversarial gods") who fight battles with the good gods, and so on. There is, in fact, a great deal of violence in Steiner's teachings. [See, e.g., "Evil Ones" and "All v. All".]

“Steiner Education - Is it Right For Your Family? : As many more parents grow disillusioned with the public school system, there is a growing need for different education options. Steiner education is one of those possible alternatives for many families.” 

[10-14-2010  http://studyhomer.com/x230233o43/data3584698]

Waldorf Watch Response:

The spread of Waldorf or Steiner schools stems, in large part, from disenchantment with public education. (If public schools are bad, the solution should be to improve them — but that’s another story.) The danger is that in leaving something bad, you may enter something worse. Waldorf partisans such as Eugene Schwartz often frame their pitches in negative terms: Here’s what’s wrong with public schools, and Waldorf is not like that. Such pitches are honest, as far as they go. But they omit the real information parents need: If Waldorf schools are not like public schools, what are they like instead? What is there nature, their character, their purpose and practice? What, in other words, goes on inside them? Here at Waldorf Watch, I tell you. Advocates of Waldorf schools usually do not — they conceal the truth. If Waldorf schools came out and said “We believe in occultism, polytheism, gnosticism, racial hierarchies, myths, and fairy tales” — if they did this, families could make an informed choice. But when Waldorf schools simply say “We are not like public schools,” they are concealing the truth about themselves. [See "Here's the Answer", "Polytheism", "Gnosis", "Steiner's Racism", etc.]

"What is meant when anthroposophy is referred to as a path of spiritual inquiry? How does one begin, and what capacities are necessary, to research one's deepest questions? The life of anthroposophy depends on individuals taking up the path of spiritual inquiry that builds upon, and yet goes beyond, book knowledge and belief. Join us for short presentations, panel discussions and small group dialogues to explore how one begins to research our questions and develop the capacities to do such research." 

[10-14-2010 http://www.threefold.org/Files/PDFs/Research_Symposium_Registration_Form.pdf]

Waldorf Watch Response:

The "research" done by Anthroposophists, including Waldorf teachers, is mainly the use of clairvoyance (which they do not have, since it does not exist). It is delusion, fantasization, phantasmagoric self-deception. [See "Exactly".] 

Of course, Anthroposophists do not recognize this. They praise “Rudolf Steiner’s extensive and immensely fruitful research," as Anthroposophist John F. Gardner put it, and they attempt to do their own similar psychic "research." They accept the gnostic heresy that salvation depends on possession of hidden knowledge. [See "Gnosis".] In their efforts, they rely on such things as horoscopes and dreams. [See "Dreams" and "Horoscopes" and "Dreams".]* 

All of this should automatically disqualify them to be teachers. They can believe whatever they like, but they should not be allowed to lead children into the darkness. Allow me to repeat: The "research" done by Anthroposophists, including Waldorf teachers, is mainly the use of clairvoyance (which they do not have, since it does not exist). It is delusion, fantasization, phantasmagoric self-deception. [See "Exactly".] Of course, Anthroposophists do not recognize this.

* Horoscopes? Can Anthroposophists possibly believe in horoscopes? Yes. 

"A certain horoscope is allotted to a person because, within it, those forces find expression which have led him into being. If for example in the horoscope Mars stands over Aries (the Ram), this signifies that certain of the Aries forces are not allowed to pass through Mars, and are weakened. Thus is a man put into his place within physical existence, and it is in accordance with his horoscope that he guides himself before entering upon earthly existence.” — Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN AND HUMANITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1970), lecture 3.

Dreams? Can Anthroposophists possibly believe that they can find truth in dreams? Yes — in dreams, the astrological powers of Jupiter come to our aid. 

“A man who has tried hard to apply clear thinking to some problem but cannot get to the root of it, will find, if he is patient and works inwardly at it, that the Jupiter powers will actually help him during the night.” — Rudolf Steiner, “The Spiritual Individualities of the Planets” (THE GOLDEN BLADE, 1988), a lecture, GA 228.

“Concerned by the steady increase in the number of children who are starting kindergarten without proof of updated vaccinations, public health officials in the Bay Area [California] will meet in November to look into the possibility of tightening the system that allows parents to opt out from mandatory immunizations ... In Marin [County], two private schools have the county’s highest rates of personal belief exemptions. At the Marin Waldorf School, in San Rafael, 31 of the 49 kindergartners had personal belief exemptions in 2009, a rate of 63 percent. So did eight of the 19 kindergartners at Mill Valley’s Greenwood School.” 

[10-13-2010  http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2010/10/13/health-officials-to-consider-tightening-vaccine-exemptions/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Steiner’s followers often know surprisingly little about their leader's teachings. Steiner was averse to vaccination, but he did not rule it out. He opposed curing only the physical body if the cause of an illness lies in the soul. A person whose soul is sick would be better off living out her/his karma: Each person gets the diseases s/he “needs.”  If we interfere now by giving a vaccination, the patient will just have to contract the same illness again in a later incarnation:

“Let us suppose that a great number of people, because of [their] uncharitableness, had been impelled to absorb certain infectious germs, so that they succumbed to an epidemic [i.e., these bad people became sick because of their badness]. Let us further suppose we were in a position to protect them from this epidemic. We should in such a case preserve the physical body from the effects of uncharitableness, but we should not have removed the inner tendency towards uncharitableness [i.e., vaccination would cure the body but not the soul, which is the real core of the problem] ... [I]f on the one hand we destroy the physical expression of a previous fault [i.e., if we cure a physical illness arising from sins in a past life], we should, on the other hand, undertake the duty of transforming the materialistic character of such a person by means of a corresponding spiritual education [i.e., don’t vaccinate anyone unless you also work to heal his/her soul]. This would constitute the indispensable counterpart without which we are performing only half our task. We are merely accomplishing something to which the person in question will himself have to produce a counterpart in a later incarnation [i.e., the person will have to undergo the same or a similar illness in a future life]. If we destroy the susceptibility to smallpox, we are concentrating only on the external side of karmic activity.” — Rudolf Steiner, MANIFESTATIONS OF KARMA (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1960), lecture 8, GA 120.

Steiner’s position is benighted and dangerous (how many children have endured severe illnesses due to such teachings?), but even by Steiner's dim lights parents are wrong to completely rule out vaccinating their children. Indeed, note the logic: Waldorf schools are presumably able to provide the "spiritual education" people need. Thus, there should be high rates of vaccination at Waldorf schools. Hello?

"I recommend all of Rudolf Steiner books if you have any thoughts or questions about Spiritual Life, Spiritual Science, or things of the spirit. I have studied the Occult for over fifty years and Steiner is the only one who clearly and simply provided all the answers I was seeking. This book is one of two Steiner recommends you read as a beginning to understand spiritual paths meant for the modern men and women of today. I could go on and on as I have, over the years, purchased and read many of his books, but order this one and begin the journey yourself. Our path to initiation and enlightenment is individual." 

[10-13-2010  http://www.goddiscussion.com/32232/an-outline-of-occult-science/   Sometimes this site seems to require you to sign up and sometimes not. Keep a-knockin'.]

Waldorf Watch Response:

For all of you who have been breathlessly waiting: The day has arrived! Steiner 's OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE is now available as a Kindle edition at Amazon. While the reviewer (a lifelong student of the occult) and I differ somewhat in our appreciation of Steiner, I absolutely agree that if you want to know about Anthroposophy or Waldorf education, you really ought to read Steiner. See what you are letting your child in for. 

From Waldorfmom:

"I always feel sad when I come across articles or sites that are dedicated to negative comments about Steiner Education. There are many. Some of them are even by people who grew up in Steiner schools or were raised by parents who were Anthroposophists. Some critics have said that Waldorf schools are a front for the shady agenda of Anthroposophists – whatever that is. I’ve been here for over 10 years and I haven’t even caught a whiff of it. The only difference is, I became a Waldorf parent because of my interest in Anthroposophy, so I find no dissonance there." 

[downloaded 10-11-2010   http://waldorfmom.wordpress.com/waldorfsteiner-education/anti-waldorf/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

I'm not sure how many Waldorf-critical sites and blogs exist, but the number does seem to be increasing. Certainly the number of informed individuals speaking out against the Waldorf movement appears to be on the rise. The Waldorf movement may continue to grow for some time yet, and increasing numbers of governments may allow taxpayer money to be channeled to the schools. But eventually the inherent flaws in Waldorf schools — predominantly the faculties' reliance on the nonexistent capacity called clairvoyance — will pull the schools down. Also, as wider and wider audiences become acquainted with the actual content of Rudolf Steiner's teachings, and as the great influence of those teachings in Waldorf schools becomes more widely known, the days of the Waldorf movement will start to be numbered. It is far too early to celebrate. But sanity will prevail in the end. Why? Because it must.

By the way, the agenda of Anthroposophy is to save humanity and the universe. This is highly laudable, not shady at all. The problem is that Anthroposophists seek to attain their lofty goal through occult teachings and practices. Occultism is not the future — it is a part of mankind's dark past. So this is just another way of saying that Anthroposophy cannot last. Steiner and his followers are not leading us into a brighter future; despite their sincere and commendable intentions, they are asking us to step backward into the ignorance and superstition of the past. The only sane response to this invitation is, No thanks. [See, e.g., "Occultism", "The Ancients", and "Summing Up".] 

Of course, people with an "interest in Anthroposophy," or who actually are Anthroposophists, will find little to dislike in Waldorf schools. All other parents should proceed with considerable caution — or elect to turn away.

"A word from [a Waldorf] teacher: Our school follows the teachings of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner ... The aim of our school is to provide an unhurried and creative learning environment where children can find joy in learning and develop the confidence they need to express themselves and discover the world around them. The curriculum gives equal importance to a child's physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs. It is designed to work in harmony with the different phases of the child's development." 

[10-11-2010 http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/School-wants-children-discover-joy-learning/article-2741320-detail/article.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

It is always difficult to determine when a Waldorf or Steiner representative is telling the simple truth and when s/he is dissembling. The account given by this teacher may be perfectly sincere, or it may be a set of misleading remarks concealing a deep commitment to Anthroposophical occultism. For instance, does this teacher not realize that describing Steiner as an "Austrian philosopher" omits 99% of the truth about him? 

Or consider this: The “spiritual needs” of children can be met only if some form of spiritual belief system is used. At a Waldorf school, this will almost certainly be Anthroposophy (with its doctrines of karma, reincarnation, evolution, racial hierarchies, demonic possession, and so forth). Likewise, the “phases” of childhood can be comprehended only as seen through the prism of a particular theory of childhood development. At Waldorf schools, this usually means believing that children go through seven-year-long phases during which invisible bodies manifest, innate links to life before birth (and previous incarnations) grow dim, new clairvoyant powers begin to develop, racial identity and “temperament” assert themselves, demons or hidden doubles wrestle with guardian angels, and so on. 

It is possible to read too much into statements coming out of Waldorf schools, but it is also possible to read too little into them. The root cause is that the schools have a long history of intentional deceit, begun by Steiner himself at the first Waldorf school. Don’t tell outsiders what we do here, he said repeatedly, don’t shout out our secrets; e.g.,

“Imagine what people would say if they heard that we say there are people who are not human beings.” — Rudolf Steiner FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 649-650.

[See "Secrets".]

"To enter a Steiner school is to enter a covert world of karmic reincarnation, the nurturing of the child’s 'soul journey' over any real education, the hidden classification of the children according to arbitrary 'Temperaments' and a fundamental rejection of science, rationality, and technology. Just last night I heard from friends how they had taken their children out of a Steiner school for reasons now becoming familiar to me from talking to others: the extremism of views on what constitutes acceptable behaviour - 'No crisps!!' - the subtle way the community of the school becomes cultish and closes ranks, shunning any dissenters; the anti-vaccination attitudes; the weird and creepy classroom practices - no black paints allowed, formless, etheric paintings, faceless gnomes…." 

[10-10-2010  http://zone5.org/2010/10/steiner-schools-a-fantastical-edifice-of-nonsense/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Hear, hear! Let those who have ears hear. 

"Austin Waldorf School isn’t for everyone, but it can be the perfect fit for families who are looking for something different in the way of education. There are nearly 400 students at the school, which grows more [sic] each year. If you’re interested in becoming part of this school, you’ll need to visit the school on a visitor morning, held in October and March. At that meeting, you’ll receive an application to fill out and turn in. The school will select students from that applicant pool base and invite some back for a three day visit to the classroom. After the in-class evaluation, you will be notified about the school’s decision." 

[10-9-2010  http://educationwebgenius.com/?p=306]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools are not for everyone, true. Are they, in fact, appropriate for anyone? Sure. They are appropriate for German Anthroposophists, mainly. Something that isn't widely known is that the Waldorf curriculum [see "Curriculum"] was devised by Rudolf Steiner specifically for the spiritual needs of German children [see "The Good Wars"]. Steiner was a German nationalist [see "Steiner and the Warlord"]. Here is how some scholars view Steiner and his work:

“During the first world war, Rudolf Steiner delivered a multitude of lectures about contemporary history, and he toiled inexhaustibly for the truth about the question of 'war guilt' [i.e., he denied that Germany, which began the war by attacking neutral Belgium, was guilty for starting the war] ... ‘This war was a conspiracy against German spiritual life,’ said Steiner [i.e., England, Russia, America, etc., conspired to fight Germany in order to destroy the German soul].

"When [Werner Georg] Haverbeck's book on Steiner's nationalism was published, it caused an outcry of protest among outraged countercultural Anthroposophists who send their children to Waldorf Schools ... Yet as researcher Wölk points out, their protests were unwarranted, since Haverbeck was only presenting Steiner as what he actually was — 'a crude nationalist whose demonizations [of England, America, etc.] were shared by the völkisch groups of his day'' [i.e., Nazi and other extreme-right German nationalist groups]." — Janet Biehl, "'Ecology' and the Modernization of Fascism in the German Ultra-Right", in ECOFASCISM (AK Press, 1995), by Janet Biehl and Peter Staudenmaier, pp. 45-46.

"There is no question that bullying and abuse have occurred regularly at Highland Hall [a Steiner school in California] since its inception in 1955. Back then, it was easier to cover up the occasional abuse of students by teachers (and sometimes parents) – and still cases of abuse at Highland Hall were documented throughout the years. Abuse of children is still acceptable today at Highland Hall. I have personally documented many cases of abuse and brought them to the Highland Hall Board’s attention without too much success (It was because of the combined voices of a few brave parents that a couple of the worst teachers finally left voluntarily). But the question remains, why does Highland Hall turn a blind eye to the bullying and abuse of children by its teachers – both on and off campus?" 

[10-9-2010 http://petekaraiskos.blogspot.com/2010/10/why-highland-hall-permits-bullying-and.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

If nothing else, Waldorf or Steiner schools — which have so many fundamental flaws — should at least provide safe refuge for families trying to escape the mayhem of modern life. Sometimes they do. The Waldorf school I attended did (at least to my knowledge). But, sometimes, they don't. Bullying may often be accepted in Waldorf schools because it is thought to be a result of karma (one person has the karma to be a bully, another person has the karma to be bullied). Other factors arise, as well, making life in Waldorf schools occasionally quite dangerous. [See, e.g., "Slaps" and "Pops".]

Downloaded on Oct. 9, 2010 from a Waldorf school's website:

"Steiner's philosophy, which he named Anthroposophy, can be applied to all walks of life and provides guiding principles for the teachers' work. It is important to note, however, that Anthroposophy itself is not taught to the children." 

[10-9-2010 http://www.michaelhouseschool.com/rudolf_%20steiner.htm]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This disclaimer is made almost universally by Steiner and Waldorf schools. How reassuring do you find it? Consider this analogy. Imagine a school that says "All of our methods are based on voodoo. However, we do not teach voodoo to the children." Would you be reassured?

The discussion "The True Nature of Steiner Education" continues at mumsnet. It's worth checking: http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/1057722-The-True-Nature-of-Steiner-Education  [10-9-2010]

The more convoluted discussion at waldorf-critics also continues. Don't let the convolutions scare you off. There are many informative posts there: e.g., http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/15000 (In case the format is confusing to you: Old messages are sometimes quoted in new messages: a ">" symbol appears before each line from an old message. Lines from still older messages may have two or more ">s" ahead of them. New messages appear without any such symbols. Often a new message is a reply to the older messages, and it may appear at the bottom of a posting.) [10-9-2010]

"Like Montessori, a Waldorf education's curriculum follows a pedagogical model of child development. Steiner's model divides childhood into seven-year developmental stages rather than three-year ones, each having its own learning requirements. Waldorf education subscribes to the Aristotelian notion of educating the whole child and emphasizes education that inspires creative and imaginative development in addition to the analytic development that most contemporary schools prefer. Waldorf aims to integrate practical, artistic, and intellectual approaches into the teaching of all subjects." 

[10-8-2010  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jenifer-fox/education-what-are-we-tal_b_749125.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

When  writing about Waldorf schools, reporters often omit the essential element in Waldorf thinking: occultism. The reason is easy to understand — the very idea that occultism could lurk in a widespread educational movement seems preposterous. And yet it is so. (If you find the word "occult" too strong, use "esoteric" or "hidden" or "mystery" instead. Steiner used all these terms.)

Here is a quotation from THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION, by Roy Wilkinson. An Anthroposophist, Wilkinson explains that Steiner arranged for Waldorf teachers to be in communion with certain gods who would give them the powers they need to be good teachers. 

"To foster the connection between [Waldorf] teachers and the Third Hierarchy [of gods] Rudolf Steiner gave information which could be considered a kind of prayer or meditation. The actual words are available only to the college members [i.e., members of a Waldorf school's inner circle, the 'college of teachers,' who are often self-identified occult initiates] ... When united in common striving, the archai [gods three levels above man], in particular the Spirit of the Times (Michael), gives to the group the light of wisdom and the creative forces of intuition [which they need in their work]." — Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION — The Waldorf School Approach (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), pp. 122-123.

Steiner was an occultist. His thinking was occult. [See "Occultism".] And out of his occult thinking came Waldorf education. Waldorf education is essentially mystical; the faculty think they serve the gods. Addressing a Waldorf faculty, Steiner said: 

“[A]s we begin this work today, we first reflect on the connection we wish to create from the very beginning between our activity and the spiritual worlds ... Thus, we wish to begin our preparation by first reflecting upon how we connect with the spiritual powers in whose service and in whose name each one of us must work.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), pp. 33-34.

Steiner also said to the same Waldorf teachers: 

"Among the faculty, we must certainly carry within us the knowledge that we are not here for our own sakes, but to carry out the divine cosmic plan. We should always remember that when we do something, we are actually carrying out the intentions of the gods....” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 55.

The things Waldorf teachers "know" because of their mysterious connection with various hidden gods are, by definition, occult — stripped of it scary overtones, the word simply means "hidden." So Waldorf teachers follow a divine cosmic plan unknown to most of us, and they do this in the service of multiple gods and/or "spiritual powers" that you and I know nothing about. At a Waldorf school, the inner circle — the college of teachers — possesses the most occult secrets (or they think they do). These teachers are deeply committed Waldorf Anthroposophists who have a special form of consciousness (they think they are highly clairvoyant). This is why Steiner said

"[T]he Waldorf teacher’s consciousness [is] hardly present anywhere else in the world." — Rudolf Steiner, DEEPER INSIGHTS INTO EDUCATION (Anthroposophic Press, 1983), p. 21.

Reporters working against deadlines sometimes miss most of this. But if you are thinking about a Waldorf school for your child, you must not miss it. Weigh it carefully when deciding upon your child's future.

Although Waldorf schools and Montessori schools are often lumped together (as the reporter lumped them here), the fundamental differences between these types of schools are far greater than their surface similarities. Waldorf schools arise from occult fantasies; they are stalking horses for the new-age religion called Anthroposophy. Montessori schools do not and are not.

"Illness is good. Thus, vaccination is bad, to name just one example. We suffer fever for reasons. Among other people, one anthroposophic doctor in Sweden, Jackie Swartz, promoted abstention from vaccines since diseases like measles assist children in their development. This is not an unusual viewpoint among followers of anthroposophy." 

[10-8-2010 http://zooey.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/fever-reading-walas-october-newsletter/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf or Steiner schools can harm children in many ways. Subjecting them to "Anthroposophical medicine" is one of the most immediate and obvious. [See, e.g., "Steiner's Quackery".]

The first from a long list of statements by people praising Waldorf schools: 

"My parents were looking for a school that would nurture the whole person. They also felt that the Waldorf school would be a far more open environment for African Americans, and that was focused on educating students with values, as well as the academic tools necessary to be constructive and contributing human beings." 

[10-8-2010.  http://perseiden.blogspot.com/2010/10/ehemalige-waldorfschuler-und-eltern.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Those of us who are critical of Waldorf education must, of course, acknowledge that many children love their Waldorf schools, many parents are satisfied, many alumni are loyal. This is only to be expected. Waldorf schools would disappear if most students and families found them unendurable. Bear in mind that some Waldorf schools are less doctrinaire than others; some parents and children want an education based on esotericism or at least spirituality; some Waldorf teachers and administrators are fine people; and so forth. So, we must expect that rounding up affirmative statements about Waldorf schools should not be difficult. What is troubling, however, is that so many horrific tales come out of Waldorf schools. There should be no such tales, but there are many. Something is amiss. And that something is not hard to locate. Many Waldorf schools are indeed doctrinaire; many cling fervently to occult nonsense. No true education can be based on such thinking. [See, e.g., "Advice for Parents", "Slaps", "Moms", "Our Experience", "Coming Undone", "Our Brush with Rudolf Steiner", "A Victim of Teacher Bullying at Waldorf", and "An Open Letter to Highland Hall".]

On the dreadful topic of racism: Some Waldorf schools undoubtedly handle things better than others. The sad truth, however, is that any nonwhite student who is treated well at a Waldorf school is very likely being patronized. A central Anthroposophical tenet is that reincarnating souls move upward through a hierarchy of races. The following quotation comes from one of the most important of Steiner's books, one that virtually all Waldorf teacher trainees study:

“A race or a nation stands so much the higher, the more perfectly its members express the pure, ideal human type, the further they have worked their way from the physical and perishable to the supersensible and imperishable.” — Rudolf Steiner, KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT (Anthroposophic Press, 1944), p. 252.

And Waldorf-leaning blacks should meditate upon the following statement made by Rudolf Steiner: 

"[T]he aspects which pertain to the body and the metabolism are strongly developed in a Negro. He has a strong sexual urge — as people call it — strong instincts. And as, with him, all that comes from the sun — light and heat — really is at the skin's surface, all of his metabolism works as if the sun itself is boiling in his inside. This causes his passions. Within a Negro, cooking is going on all the time....” — Rudolf Steiner, VOM LEBEN DES MENSCHEN UND DER ERDE - ÜBER DAS WESEN DES CHRISTENTUMS (Verlag Der Rudolf Steiner-Nachlassverwaltung, 1961), GA 349, p. 55.

Waldorf teachers are not necessarily racists. But if they accept Steiner's teachings, their understanding of human beings will be deeply flawed.

"Strength and courage were the order of the day as Ringwood Waldorf School [UK] celebrated its annual Michaelmas festival. Pupils in class three staged a play enacting the legend of brave St George, the archangel Michael’s earthly representative, who saved a beautiful princess by slaying a dragon." 

[10-7-2010 http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/newforest/news/8439223.Slaying_the_dragon_at_Ringwood_Waldorf/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

In Anthroposophy, Michaelmas is a religious observance in which the horrible natural world is subdued by the wonderful spiritual world; it is the struggle between Satan (as it were) and the good spiritual forces. Mankind has fallen into the kingdom of nature and thus we are under the sway of evil ("the Adversary"). Michael can help us find our way out. To quote a certain R. Steiner: 

“The kingdom into which the Dragon was driven has become ‘Nature,’ and is now so constituted as to be visible to the senses ... The Adversary has found his abode in man. Michael has remained true to his nature. When man turns to Michael with that part of his life which has its origin in the higher spirituality, then there arises in the soul of man the inward fight of Michael and the Dragon.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING, IV (Anthroposophical Publishing Co., 1957), Michaelmas, VI, Michael and the Dragon, GA 36.

"The first time we sang a spiritual song out on the green lawn, I got a little bit spooked. But, I was in for the ride. My ex and I had researched the school and loved the spiritual side of Steiner's teachings. Although we didn't agree with some of the strange rules, we decided to invest ourselves for our children. We believed that the campus and the school's  philosophy would help our children stay centered while growing up in the midst of the entertainment jungle of Los Angeles. What we didn't realize was that we were entering a whole new jungle with it's own set of rules and morals that did not relate to anything in the 'real' world. And my ex was soon to be brainwashed." 

[10-7-2010  http://carolwyatt.blogspot.com/2010/10/waldorf-rant-part-2.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Carefully researched examinations of Anthroposophy and Waldorf education, complete with quotations and footnotes, are important. But the power of personal stories is also undeniable. This is what happened to me and my family... The human reality in reports of Waldorf duplicity and irrationality, of hopes betrayed, of families sent through a wringer — these are immensely powerful and convincing, especially when they pile up, report after report, family after family, all describing the same kinds of abuse. [For more, see "Our Experience", "Coming Undone", "Our Brush with Rudolf Steiner", "A Victim of Teacher Bullying at Waldorf", "Slaps", "An Open Letter to Highland Hall", and other tales scattered throughout Waldorf Watch and other websites.]

"Theosophy, Anthroposophy and Swedenborgianism have had a reasonable amount of influence on modern day life [sic]: Theosophy brought many Buddhist and Hindu texts to the west, Anthroposophy brought new forms of teaching and mystical elements of Christianity to the mainstream, and Swedenborgianism has influences on philosophy and poetry. This article explores all three schools, and their respective societies and churches." 

[10-7-2010  http://vanirsystems.com/blog/2010/10/06/new-article-on-trcb-theosophy-anthroposophy-and-swedenborgianism-their-societies-and-churches/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

It is sometimes hard to determine if Anthroposophists consciously intend to deceive us or if they merely deceive themselves. They almost always, for instance, claim that Anthroposophy is not a religion. But one major source of Anthroposophy is Christianity, another is Hinduism, a third is Zoroastrianism — all of which are religions. Another source is Theosophy, which according to its founder H. Blavatsky is not just a religion but it is the totality of religion. If all of the major sources of Anthroposophy are religions, then Anthroposophy (which uses prayers, meditations, gurus, rules of reverence, observances, etc.; and which holds out spiritual rewards and threatens spiritual penalties) is undeniably a religion.

The churches associated with Anthroposophy are operated by the openly religious offshoot of Anthroposophy: the Christian Community. [See "Christian Community".] The central place for Anthroposophical worship, however, is the Goetheanum, in effect a cathedral replete with large colored-glass windows, a towering statue of Christ, and other religious accoutrements. [See "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"] Anthroposophical religious elements are easy to detect in most Waldorf schools. [See "Here's the Answer".] Occasionally, Anthroposophical religious ceremonies are openly conducted in Waldorf schools. [See "Waldorf Worship".]

"Based on kindergarten immunization rates, 54 San Diego elementary schools are at risk for whooping cough and measles outbreaks, and 14 of those schools are at-risk for every vaccine-preventable disease. The Waldorf School of San Diego is the most egregious case, where more than half the kindergartners are unimmunized!" 

[10-6-2010  http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/peoplespost/healthysandiego/article_003b5734-d0dc-11df-a075-001cc4c002e0.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Many people worry about vaccinations, often with little reason. The alleged connection between vaccinations and autism, for instance, has been debunked. In reality, vaccinations save thousands of lives a year. Waldorf schools tend to resist vaccination because they generally prefer Rudolf Steiner's quack medicine. [See "Steiner's Quackery".]

"I have to admit that until a few years ago I had thought of Steiner schools as being rather cuddly experiments in progressive education ... But then I discovered that they advocate 'biodynamic farming'. That includes utterly barmy doctrines about how the phase of the moon affects crops and such like astrological baloney ... The matter has acquired new urgency now that Steiner schools are seeking government support via the Tory’s 'free schools' programme [UK]. It is important that both ministers and parents should know what goes on in these schools." 

[10-6-2010  http://www.dcscience.net/?p=3528]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This informative article includes a chart detailing the discriminatory, hurtful, and loony concepts of "temperament" and "humour" as used in Waldorf schools — indicative of the superstition and untruth underlying many Waldorf practices. [See "Humouresque".]

A statement by the Morning Song School ("A Magical Waldorf Inspired Children's Program"): 

“The first celebration of our year is the festival of Michaelmas. Associated with the autumn equinox, this is a time when the earth draws into herself. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate human will, inner strength and courage. It is noted with puppetry and songs and a story of St. Michael’s struggle with the dragon.” 

[downloaded 10-6-2010  http://www.morningsongschool.com/festivals/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

When evaluating Waldorf schools and related institutions, study prospectuses and school websites carefully, and pause thoughtfully over any phrasings that seem unfamiliar. What, for instance, does “the earth draws into itself” mean? Well, Rudolf Steiner taught that the earth is a living being that breathes in during the autumn and out during the spring. This may or may not strike you as an attractive idea, but the central point to comprehend is that schools that present such ideas are almost invariably enmeshed — to one degree or another — in Anthroposophical occultism.

And the wackiness of that occultism knows almost no bounds. Steiner said we humans evolved through a phase called the Old Moon. Describing how humans on the Old Moon inhaled and exhaled heat, Steiner said: 

“Figures such as the Archangel Michael with the fire-breathing dragon under his feet, or St. George, fighting with the dragon, are pictures reminiscent of those conditions [on Old Moon]. The fire breather of Old Moon, the ancient Dragon, is a figure that once actually existed.” — Rudolf Steiner, ROSICRUCIAN ESOTERICISM (Anthroposophic Press, 1978), Lecture 7, GA 109.

"There is a little [Waldorf] school in Niu Valley [Hawaii] that tries to incorporate a 'green' concept in the students environment. [sic] These five and six year olds are enjoying their midmorning snack. While they do, they are surrounded by desks, chairs and other school implements that are either recycled or built from natural elements ... 'We use simple things that don't break very easily, too. We have a recycle bin, we do composting, we have worms....' It is a philosophy that families must buy into. There are no computers for the students to use, no cell phones in the classroom ... Teachers say that students soon get used to this environment, even if there are technological temptations in the outside world." 

[10-5-2010  http://www.khon2.com/news/local/story/Be-Green-2-Waldorf-School-goes-green/OUcrLe_7dkOgNZdULdgLfQ.cspx]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools generally reject modern technology because Steiner taught that it is demonic. Here, for instance, is an interesting statement about machinery: 

“There will also...be many attempts to introduce the dead into human life by artificial means. The dead will be brought into human life via a detour through Gemini which in quite a specific way will cause human vibrations to continue resonating in the machines.” — Rudolf Steiner, SECRET BROTHERHOODS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2004), p. 192. 

Much of this evil will arise in America, a place tightly bound up with the demon Ahriman. 

“[I]t is America’s endeavor to mechanize everything, to push everything into the realm of pure naturalism....” — Ibid., p. 70. 

The Antichrist is also involved. 

“From the quarter which will put forward the Antichrist as the Christ will come endeavors to make use of [corrupting forces] ... It will be an American secret to use the earth’s magnetism in its duality, the northern and southern magnetism, in order to send controlling forces across the whole earth, [physical] forces that work spiritually.” — Ibid., p. 188.

Golly.

.

"The Cincinnati Waldorf School is seeking a Lead Class Teacher for Grade One for the 2011-12 school year. We value excellent skills in teaching, classroom management, communication, and collegial and parent relationships, as well as depth in spiritual work ... We seek educators who understand and work with the Anthroposophical foundations of the curriculum ... The ideal teacher candidate will have Waldorf training, successful experience working in a Waldorf school, and a commitment to an eight year journey with their class." 

[10-5-2010  http://www.waldorfteachers.com/job/3110/grade-one-lead-teacher-2011-2012-at-cincinnati-waldorf-school/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf teacher-training programs are like no other. There is often extensive reading and discussion of such books as FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, in which aspiring Waldorf teachers are told that the planets do not orbit the sun, and islands such as Great Britain float in the sea (they are held in place by the power of the stars). There is also instruction in such matters as karma, life before birth (i.e., before one's latest incarnation), the powers of the zodiac, the uselessness of the intellect, children's temperaments (melancholic, phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric), the twelve human senses, and other occult doctrines. The essence of these programs is "free" acceptance of Steiner's teachings; this is what the program leaders aim to inculcate. As one instructor in a Waldorf teacher-training program has said, "I am a missionary on behalf of Steiner." [See "Teacher Training".]

"The Twelve Human Senses: focus lecture for the October 27 meeting of the Rudolf Steiner Study Circle." 

[10-5-2010  http://martyrion.blogspot.com/2010/10/twelve-human-senses-focus-lecture-for.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

When Waldorf schools claim to educate “the whole child” they generally have a very strange set of concepts in mind. Steiner taught, for example, that real human beings develop three invisible bodies (the etheric body, the astral body, and the “I”) in addition to the physical body. He also taught that human beings have twelve senses, which are associated with the twelve signs of the Zodiac: the ego sense (Aries), the sense of thought (Taurus), word sense (Gemini), sense of hearing (Cancer), sense of warmth (Leo), sense of sight (Virgo), sense of taste (Pisces), sense of smell (Aquarius), sense of touch (Libra), sense of balance (Capricorn), sense of movement (Sagittarius), and life sense (Scorpio). Despite the virtually complete lack of scientific support for such ideas, Steiner’s followers continue to espouse them today. [See "What We Are" and "Holistic Education".] 

"It is a common misconception that the leaders of the Nazi party were Christian. Though both Hitler and Goebbels were nominally Cathlick [sic], even they had lapsed in their beliefs and were notable for their irreligious views on life. A few notable party members, like Rudolf Hess and Heinrich Himmler, were interested in mysticism and occult groups, like Anthroposophy." 

[10-4-2010  http://www.landoverbaptist.net/showthread.php?t=51315]

Waldorf Watch Response:

There has long been a heated debate over alleged ties between Nazis and Anthroposophists. Historian Peter Staudenmaier has done extensive work on the subject and he has found that while most Anthroposophists in the 1930s-40s opposed Nazism, some Anthroposophists joined the Nazi Party. Staudenmaier has also found links between Italian Fascists and Anthroposophy. [See “Sympathizers?”] The chief intersection of Nazi ideology and Anthroposophy lies in their racial doctrines. [See “Steiner’s Racism”.] There is no evidence, as far as I know, that Anthroposophists actively participated in any Nazi atrocities, specifically genocidal mass murder. Hitler taught that the Jews must be exterminated; Steiner taught that Jews should merge with other peoples and thus cease to exist as a separate ethnic group. [See “RS on Jews”.] It seems probable that the vast majority of Anthroposophists, then and now, have abhorred Nazism. Still, the historical record is troubling.

A discussion on these matters is occurring now at waldorf-critics: e.g., http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/14944.

"Anthroposophic counselling and psychotherapy (therapy) arises out of the immediate needs of the Age of the Consciousness Soul: an age which began in 1413 and will last until approximately 3500. [. . .] Anthroposophic therapy has arisen as a response to deteriorating social and psychological conditions in the world as a result of materialism, consumerism, and excessive rationalism. It also addresses the ‘threshold’ stresses caused to human psychology by the growing potential for spiritual awakening. It recognizes that [. . .]  humanity is getting worse in spite of 100 years of therapy. It is anticipated that the importance and relevance of anthroposophic medicine and therapy will systematically increase as we enter the heart of the Age of the Consciousness Soul over the coming 1000 years." 

[10-3-2010   http://zooey.wordpress.com/]  

Waldorf Watch Response:

The “Consciousness Soul” is, according to Steiner, the third of three soul members; it connects one's inner consciousness with the outer world. 

The year 1413 is very important. 

“It is hardly necessary to remind ourselves that we live in critical days, but we will not dwell on this. We may recall that Rudolf Steiner speaks in quite specific terms about this age. He gives us the picture of the sequence of post-Atlantean history [i.e., life since Atlantis went under — yes, Atlantis], proceeding in seven great epochs, the present being the fifth epoch. The beginning of it is marked by an astronomical event, the movement of the vernal point of the Sun, where it rises in the spring equinox, from Aries (the Ram) into Pisces (Fishes). This took place in the year 1413. But this fifth epoch is not just another one like the preceding, as five follows four. It means a fundamental turning-point of Earth evolution as far as human consciousness is concerned. Steiner describes how right to the end of the fourth epoch, although it contained the Mystery of Golgotha [i.e., the Sacred Mystery of Christ the Sun God dying and living again on Earth], human consciousness still lived in a kind of dreamy, cosmic, inherited instinct; in a sense, the last remnants of what we generally describe as clairvoyance survived, legitimately, if only in rudimentary form. Only with the beginning of the fifth epoch have we entered fully into earthly circumstances. From then on it had to be that all the cosmic legacy is spent, and for a time we are as poor as can be, spiritually. Therefore this age, this fifth epoch, is the crucial one.” — Alfred Heidenreich, THE RISEN CHRIST AND THE ETHERIC CHRIST (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1969), lecture 1.

As I’ve pointed out before, astrology is never far below the surface in the Steiner/Waldorf universe. 

As for Christ the Sun God: The Christ honored by Anthroposophists is not the Son of God who is worshiped in Christian churches. He is the Sun Genius or Sun God, who came down to Earth from the Sun and entered into the body of one of two separate Jesus children, who merged spiritually so as to host this Christ. One of the Jesus children bore within himself the soul of Zarathustra. The second Jesus child was the being described in the Koran. The combined Jesus, after being entered by Christ, became "the Solomonic Nathanic Christ Jesus." You can decide whether Steiner's teachings on such matters improves upon the Biblical accounts. [See "Was He Christian?"]

As for the materialism that is threatening humanity, there’s really quite a simple solution. 

"It is actually due to the fact that potatoes have come to be widely eaten in recent times that materialism has developed." — Rudolf Steiner, FROM ELEPHANTS TO EINSTEIN (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 44. 

So a slight dietary adjustment might do us all a world of good. 

(You might think that Steiner had a sense of humor, and you would be right. But he was always dead serious when making his ex cathdra pronouncements. [See “Top Ten Jokes”.] The real question about Steiner is whether he was insane. I don't think he was, but this is only my guess. If he was sane, his teachings certainly were not. Yet the people who run Waldorf or Steiner schools tend to accept his teachings as virtual gospel.)

“Education for Poor Panabo Pupils [Philippines]: Five-year-old Nona, whose parents relies [sic] only on their meager income and could not therefore send her to school, is among the lucky few. Despite poverty, Nona and 99 other pupils from Kindergarten to Grade 4 are able to go to school for P50 a month, sometimes even for nothing and learning Waldorf system of education [sic] ... The first Waldorf School in Stutgart [sic], Germany was founded in 1919 ...The Waldorf education, which is based on Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy, makes use of the role of imagination to enhance learning. Using the humanistic approach, the Waldorf education-trained teachers integrate artistic, practical and interdisciplinary elements to teaching." 

[10-3-2010  http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/280299/education-poor-panabo-pupils] 

 Waldorf Watch Response:

News articles about Waldorf schools often consist of PR talking points provided by the schools. There is often little or no reporting in such articles — no digging for news. The schools have learned how to phrase things so that their practices seem unobjectionable. They use words like “imagination” and “humanistic.” A lovely school where children sing and dance, using lots of imagination, and learn humanistic values — who would oppose that? Bear in mind, however, that such words have special meaning in the Waldorf universe. Imagination is clairvoyance. “Humanism” is the celebration of the species — us — that happens to be passing through it’s “human” phase now. [See the following story.] 

But wait, you may reply. The things you are telling us seem utterly far-fetched. Surely Waldorf teachers today don’t believe in clairvoyance, Spirits of Personality, life on Saturn, and all the rest? Yes, I’m afraid many of them do. Allow me to quote a leading Anthroposophist, Eugene Schwartz. Early in his book WALDORF EDUCATION: Schools for the Twenty-First Century (Xlibris Corporation, 2000), Schwartz asks in all seriousness: 

“Must teachers be clairvoyant in order to be certain that they are teaching in the proper way?” 

Schwartz's answer is yes. To be a good Waldorf teacher, you have to believe that you are clairvoyant. 

Today’s Anthroposophists make educational decisions based on clairvoyance, astrology, dreams, meditations, and prayers addressed to multiple gods (Spirits of the Harmonies, Spirits of Will, Spirits of Fire, etc.) In other words, they base their decisions on their delusions. The charity and kindness extended to little Nona look rather different when they are understood in the context of Anthroposophical doctrines. Children deserve educations that equip them for the 21st Century, not miseducations that arise from superstition and fallacy.

"The [UK] government's education revolution gathered pace last night as a second project emerged to establish a 'free school' in Norwich ... Norwich Steiner School wants to look into becoming the city's second free school ... Free schools, which education secretary Michael Gove paved the way for in a speech a few months ago, are state-funded and set up in response to parental demand. They are free from local authority control ...  A school spokesman said the Steiner curriculum avoided excessively formalised and intellectual study...."

[10-3-2010 http://www.edp24.co.uk]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Steiner schools or Waldorf schools want to avoid control by outsiders so that they may pursue their clairvoyance-based curriculum unhampered. Of course, clairvoyance is a fantasy, which effectively means there is no valid basis for Steiner education.

The following is a bit dense, but hang in there. This is Steiner discussing the future evolution of human consciousness. We will develop true clairvoyant “picture” consciousness, just as other beings have done before us. The Spirits of Personality (gods of a certain sort) were “human” on Saturn, and since then they have moved beyond their human stage. We are currently in our human stage, as you may have noticed, and we currently live on Earth. However, the Earth will give way to a new planet, and on that planet we will develop really really good picture consciousness — a high form of clairvoyance. Until then, the best we can do is to abide by Steiner’s “spiritual-scientific training” (described in his book KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT) and send our kids to Steiner/Waldorf schools where they won’t be expected to use their brains much (“intellectual study”) but instead perform a special form of dance and create special kinds of paintings that help them become highly imaginative and intuitive, for these are the precursors of “exact” clairvoyance or “seership” that Steiner himself possessed (according to himself).

"It is the time when the Spirits of Personality, who reached their human level upon Saturn, rise to a higher stage of perfection, thus transcending the stage of humanity. They attain a consciousness which, in the regular course of evolution, present-day man does not yet possess. He will attain it when the Earth — the fourth of the planetary stages in evolution — has reached its goal and the next planetary period will have begun. At that time, man will no longer perceive around him merely what the present physical senses communicate to him; he will be able to observe in pictures the inner soul-condition of the beings that surround him. He will have picture-consciousness, still however retaining full self-consciousness. For in his picture-vision, there will be nothing dim or dreamlike. He will perceive things of the soul — in pictures it is true, yet so that the pictures will express realities just as physical colors and tones do today. In our time it is only by spiritual-scientific training that man can raise himself to this kind of seership." — Rudolf Steiner, OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1963), chapter 4, part 4, GA 13.

"In England Michel Odent, M.D., showed in two studies that children having received no pertussis vaccine had 5-6 times less asthma than those who were vaccinated for it. The first study was on 450 babies from La Leche League; the second one on 125 children in a Steiner school. Throughout Europe a group of mostly pediatricians studied 14,893 children in Steiner schools in Austria, Germany, Holland, Sweden and Switzerland and found that children living in 'anthroposophist culture' (where vaccination is largely shunned) were in better health than the controls. In Germany one of the researchers studying Steiner schools wrote, 'In the eastern part of Berlin before the fall of the wall, we saw fewer allergies than in the west. This population was poorer, nearer nature and less vaccinated.'” 

[10-1-2010 http://www.mycraftymom.net/blog/2010/10/the-marvelous-health-of-unvaccinated-children/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Yes indeed, let’s bring back that good ol’ healthful East German Communist totalitarianism. 

OK, OK — I’m going overboard. But the nonsense published in defense of Steinerism is breathtaking. Steiner’s followers shun vaccinations because they think shots interfere with karma. (If your karma requires you to contract a deadly disease, so be it. It’s for your own good.) 

What do actual scientists and doctors say about vaccination? The following statements are from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH): 

◊ “[I]t is so important to get a flu shot. Pneumococcal disease is a serious infection that is spread from person to person by droplets in the air. It can cause problems with your lungs, or it can spread to other parts of the body ... Getting a shot is [also] the best way to keep from getting tetanus and diphtheria ... The vaccine given to children to prevent measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) has made these diseases rare.” [http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/shots.htm]

◊ "Immunization shots, or vaccinations, are essential. They protect against things like measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). Immunizations are important for adults as well as children." [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/immunization.html]

◊ "Today, children in the United States routinely get vaccines that protect them from more than a dozen diseases such as measles, polio, and tetanus. Most of these diseases are now at their lowest levels in history, thanks to years of immunization ... Without a vaccine, you must actually get a disease in order to become immune to the germ that causes it. Vaccines work best when they are given at certain ages. For example, children don't receive measles vaccine until they are at least one year old. If it is given earlier it might not work as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a schedule for childhood vaccines." [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childhoodimmunization.html]

◊ "Because signs of autism may appear around the same time children receive the MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella] vaccine, some parents may worry that the vaccine causes autism. Vaccine safety experts, including experts at CDC [Centers for Disease Control] and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), agree that MMR vaccine is not responsible for recent increases in the number of children with autism. In 2004, a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is no link between autism and MMR vaccine." [http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccines/MMR/MMR.html]

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