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WALDORF / STEINER 

NEWS ARCHIVE

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October 20, 2010

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October 31, 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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“To ground his project of founding the new mysteries of Anthroposophy in spiritual history, Rudolf Steiner always sought to unite with and transform where possible the older initiatory streams such as Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism. In November 1905, both Steiner, who was General Secretary of the German Section of the Theosophical Society and Arch Warden of its Esoteric Section, and Marie von Sivers were invited to 'join,' in a purely formal way, the Order of Ancient Freemasons of the Memphis and Misraim Rite, allowing him to form his own Mystic Temple, Mystica Aeterna, in Berlin.” 

[10-31-2010 http://www.anthropress.org/detail.html?session=0d89d4a5440f69f6e154cb70d4179d48&id=9780880106122]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Rudolf Steiner not only created secret (or secretive) groups, he joined secret societies. But he was a "Freemason" and a "Rosicrucian" only in the way that he was a "Christian" (in other words, not really) — he redefined words like "Christian" and "Freemason" to suit himself and he embraced the teachings of those movements only to the extent that he rejiggered them to suit himself. [See "Double Trouble".] 

One of the arguments Anthroposophists offer to show the profundity of Steiner's teachings is that those teachings have an inner logic — everything (Christ, Ahriman, goblins, astrology, ghosts...) fits, it all "makes sense" because it is all included within a single, approximately coherent structure. But this argument comes unglued when we note that Steiner made everything fit by changing everything. Thus, his "Christian" teachings include belief in the Sun God, reincarnation, karma, polytheism, evolution — scores of concepts that are alien to real Christianity. Likewise, Steiner was a "Freemason" only if we put the word in quotation marks — as indeed SteinerBooks has done.

Here is a bit of Steiner's views on Freemasonry, spoken a year or so before he joined the Freemasons:

“To put it bluntly, it is quite unjustifiable to speak in public in the style of the manifesto of the Freemasons which I read to you a fortnight ago. That is only one example. Men cannot reach what is usually known as immortality unless they are to some extent familiar with the occult sciences. The fruits of occult science do, of course, find their way out into the world along many channels. A great deal of occult knowledge exists in the various religions and all those who participate deeply and sincerely in the life of a religious community have some share in this knowledge and are preparing themselves for the attainment of immortality in the real sense. But to reach the knowledge of immortality in full consciousness, as a concretely real experience, to have the feeling that one belongs in very truth to the spiritual world — that is a very different matter. All of you have lived many times; but not all of you are conscious that you have lived through these many lives. This consciousness, however, will gradually arise and without it man's life is lived out with incomplete consciousness. It has never been the aim of occult science to inculcate into men a dim feeling of survival but to impart a clear, fully conscious knowledge of on-flowing life in the spiritual world.

“...And now think of the Freemasons. When they were true to their original, fundamental principles, they gave this injunction to their members: The buildings you erect are to contribute nothing at all to your own means of subsistence. What has still survived of the good old Freemasonry takes the form nowadays of charitable institutions and foundations. And although the Lodges have lost their living roots in the ancient wisdom, and the occult knowledge once in their possession, these charitable institutions are evidences of a humanitarianism which, while it is empty of real substance, still persists and is cultivated as tradition. Selfless activity is, in very truth, something that has belonged to Freemasonry. Freemasonry did indeed urge its members to work in the service of humanity, to work in the world objectively and selflessly.

“...Thus there are definite stages for the investigation of the secrets of future phases of evolution. The high Degrees of Freemasonry originally had no other aim or purpose than to be an expression, each one of them, of a future stage of the evolution of humanity. Thus we have in Freemasonry something that has been both good and beautiful. A man who attained one Degree knew how he must work his way into the future; he could be a kind of pioneer. He knew too that one who reaches a higher Degree can accomplish greater things. This arrangement according to Degrees can well be made, for it corresponds with the facts. If, therefore, it were possible to inculcate a new content together with a new knowledge into these forms, much good would accrue, for Freemasonry would then be imbued with real spirit once again. Content and form, however belong to the whole. The state of affairs today is that the Degrees are there but nobody has worked through them in the real sense! In spite of this, however, they are not there without a purpose.” — Rudolf Steiner, “The Work of Secret Societies in the World, The Atom as Coagulated Electricity”, GA  93.

Steiner made these remarks while he was still a Theosophist. But he was a "Theosophist" in the same way that he was a "Christian" and in the same way that he would become a "Freemason." Steiner shocked and confused many Theosophists because the views he expressed were so dissimilar to the views expressed by Annie Besant and Helena Blavatsky, other leading Theosophists of that period. Steiner was perfectly willing to detect truth in the views of others — as long as those views were essentially indistinguishable from his own. In all other cases, he was perfectly willing to tell others where they went wrong. Ultimately there was only one true point of view, one true path, according to Steiner: his own. 

"The General Anthroposophical Society is an organization dedicated to supporting the community of those interested in the form of spiritual philosophy known as anthroposophy ... The Society has national Societies in many countries, including every English-speaking country. Its primary activities include organizing members' meetings and conferences, supporting research and providing communication channels for a variety of purposes." 

[10-31-2010  http://tl-ph.facebook.com/pages/Anthroposophical-Society-in-America/111713658853073?v=info]

Waldorf Watch Response

The Anthroposophical Society in America has opened a Facebook page. Anthroposophists are often wary of computers and indeed all modern technology, associating it with the demon Ahriman. But they are prepared to do almost anything to advance their movement, even consorting with the devils of the Internet.

I'm late in catching this, but there has been an intriguing discussion of karma, violence, and indeed karmic violence at a website run by a former Waldorf student: http://zooey.wordpress.com/. 

Approximately half of the postings at the site are in Swedish (or Elvish, or something), but the other half are in a language that makes sense: English. See, e.g., http://zooey.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/karmic-violence/#comment-5188. 

“Karen Hawkins' daughter was a sixth-grade honor student at Wheatland [Middle School, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA] last year who endured bullying. One day last December, her daughter ‘absolutely refused to go to school,’ Hawkins said. When Hawkins asked her why, the response was: ‘I'm going to be beaten up.’ Hawkins accompanied her daughter to the school office, demanding to know her daughter would be safe. She got an audience with Principal Martin Slaugh, she said, but came away dissatisfied ... Hawkins took her daughter home and called her husband. His response: ‘That's it. We're done.’ The girl now attends the Susquehanna Waldorf School. ‘We are strong advocates for public education,’ Hawkins said. ‘And there are some absolutely phenomenal teachers at that school. I don't fault them for having bullying issues,' she said. 'I fault them for not addressing it.’" 

[10-31-2010  http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/306647]

Waldorf Watch Response:

There seems to be an epidemic of bullying in American schools now. Major efforts are being made to address the problem. But if your child is bullied, do not send him/her to a Waldorf school expecting to automatically avoid the problem there. There have been many reports of bullying in Waldorf schools. Waldorf teachers often condone bullying, thinking that it is the result of karma: Some kids have the karma to be bullies while other kids have the karma to be the victims of bullies. 

A former Waldorf student has said this about bullying in her old school:

“My Waldorf school, and the kindergarten, too, was very violent; violence was around all the time. There was lots of bullying, and I've read others state that the school was well-known for its problems with bullying. Nothing was ever done to stop the bullying.” [See “Slaps”.] 

Bullying can easily be worse at Waldorf schools than elsewhere, if the teachers think it is part of the divine cosmic plan.

“Rock superstar Robert Plant has revealed how he was ready to quit Led Zeppelin and become a teacher when his young son died. The 62 year old said the death of his six-year-old son Karac Pendragon from a virus in 1977 made him reassess his life and he decided to turn his back on the band ... 'I’d already lost my boy and then you think: "I really have to decide what to do." I applied to become a teacher in the Rudolf Steiner education system. I was accepted to go to teacher training college in 1978. I was really quite keen to just walk.'” In the end it was the band’s drummer, John Bonham, who convinced Plant that training as a teacher for the progressive Steiner school system would not be right for him.”

[10-31-2010  http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/208563/Robert-Plant-I-nearly-quit-Led-Zeppelin ] 

Waldorf Watch Response:

I have no opinions about Led Zeppelin, having never heard the band. But as to the "progressiveness" of Waldorf schools, there ain't no such thing. To give one brief example, let's hear the founder of Waldorf education on the subject of discipline. Rudolf Steiner said that children should be punished in ways that cause physical pain, and he indicated that bad kids should be put in small punishment cells, special "sheds." Maybe the good kids could build these dungeons to hold the bad kids. 

"If a child comes ten minutes late, having him or her stand for a half hour. If they have to stand three times as long, they will certainly think about every minute. Let them stand there uncomfortably ... I think that in such cases, when there is some punishment connected with the misbehavior, you can be particularly effective if you allow them to stand in some uncomfortable place. The older children will then be careful that they do not come too late. We could also buy a number of little sheds, and then they will not come too late as a group. They may even get some cramps in their legs. We could have the sheds built in the shop class.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 109-110.

[For more on the "progressiveness" of Waldorf schools, see "Waldorf Now".]

“The Waldorf School is open to all that surrounds them [sic]; young children live in a world of wonder and imagination. To begin academic study at this time is to rush them through of period of life when their proper work and most effective way of learning are through exploration and play. Thus, the aim of our work with young children is to provide a nurturing physical environment conducive to learning through doing, with caring adults who are worthy models for children to imitate. Days in our early childhood classes are filled with both structured and unstructured activities that feed the life of the imagination.” 

[10-30-2010  http://mheij.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/merriconeag-waldorf-school/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This sounds quite nice. But it misses — or intentionally hides — the real reason why Waldorf schools do not “rush” children. Waldorf teachers believe that children have recently arrived from “higher worlds,” retaining memories of those worlds and also embodying the effects of  their past lives on Earth (reincarnation, karma). Waldorf teachers think that kids should be kept as long as possible in a dreamy, fuzzy “spiritual” state.* The result is that Waldorf schools actively oppose the mental growth of their students, especially in the lower grades. Waldorf schools are not schools, in the ordinary sense; they are anti-schools. 

◊ “Childhood is commonly regarded as a time of steadily expanding consciousness.... Yet in [Rudolf] Steiner’s view, the very opposite is the case: childhood is a time of contracting consciousness.... [The child] loses his dream-like perception of the creative world of spiritual powers which is hidden behind the phenomena of the senses. This is ... the world of creative archetypes and spiritual hierarchies [i.e., ranks of gods]. In mastering the world of physical perception the child encounters difficulties in that he first has to overcome a dream-like yet intensely real awareness of spiritual worlds. This awareness fades quickly in early childhood, but fragments of it live on in the child for a much longer time than most people imagine. ... [I]n a Waldorf school, therefore, one of the tasks of the teachers is to keep the children young." — A. C. Harwood, PORTRAIT OF A WALDORF SCHOOL (The Myrin Institute Inc., 1956), pp. 15-16.

◊ "Although it is necessary, especially today, for people to be completely awake later in life, it is equally necessary to let children live in their gentle dreamy experiences as long as possible, so that they move slowly into life. They need to remain as long as possible in their imaginations and pictorial capacities without intellectuality." — Rudolf Steiner, A MODERN ART OF EDUCATION (Anthroposophic Press, 2004), pp. 103-104.

Waldorf spokesmen claim that Waldorf students catch up with students from other schools, eventually. This is, at best, questionable. If you oppose programs such as Head Start, if you do not want your child to develop her/his mental capacities as fully as possible as soon as possible — if you do not mind potentially handicapping your child for the rest of his/her life — then by all means consider a Waldorf school for the tyke.

Waldorf schools oppose rational consciousness. They emphasize "imagination," i.e. clairvoyance. This is why they believe such astonishing nonsense as this: 

“[T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition.... ” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 60.

"Actual cognition", in the Waldorf universe, means clairvoyance. To become clairvoyant, people need to develop invisible "organs of clairvoyance": 

"[J]ust as natural forces build out of living matter the eyes and ears of the physical body, so will organs of clairvoyance build themselves....” —Rudolf Steiner, KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT (Anthroposophic Press, 1944), p. 28.

Send a child to a Waldorf school only if you are a fully committed occultist.

* Not all Waldorf teachers are true-blue Anthroposophists (although Steiner said they all should be). Many teachers work in Waldorf schools without fully understanding the Anthroposophical basis of Waldorf education. But Waldorf teacher training tries to pull teachers into Anthroposophy, as does much subsequent "professional development" in the Waldorf system. Generally, the leading faculty members at a Waldorf school are Anthroposophists, and generally they try to steer their colleagues into the fold.

More from SteinerBooks:

"The Path of the Soul after Death shows how Rudolf Steiner commemorated the dead, the words he chose to use, and his descriptions — sometimes in great detail — of the inner processes involved. What becomes clear is the extent to which his connections to the deceased shaped his addresses and related to their new stage of existence." 

[10-30-2010  http://www.anthropress.com/detail.html?session=635f8f2ede47ee9361475a72bb6cea0a&cat=1&id=9780880107242]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Study the cover of this book and remind yourself incessantly: Anthroposophy is not a religion, Anthroposophy is not a religion. [As for the significance of the roses adorning the cross, see "Rosy Cross".]

Steiner spent some of his time conversing with the dead. To examine some of the illuminating results, see "Steiner and the Warlord".

If you would like to start conversing with the dead, see STAYING CONNECTED: How to Continue Your Relationships with Those Who Have Died (Anthroposophic Press, 1999). The editor, a leading Anthroposophist and proponent of Waldorf education, assures us 

"This is a most practical book. Do what it recommends and you will experience the presence of the dead in your lives." [p. 23]

“The Ithaca Waldorf School will host an open house for its Early Child Programs from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday [Ithaca, New York, USA] ... Kindergarten teachers and the parent/toddler coordinator will be available to discuss the play-based curriculum and answer questions about Waldorf Education. Classroom tours and information on early childhood education will be provided.”

[10-29-2010  http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20101029/LIFE/10290392/1127/Ithaca-Waldorf-School-to-hold-Early-Child-Program-open-house-on-Nov.-6]

Attending such events can be eye-opening IF you come prepared. Suggestion: Bring a sheaf of Steiner quotations and ask the Waldorf teachers to discuss them. (And don’t be thrown if the teachers deny that Steiner is important to them. True-blue Waldorf teachers have a complicated relationship with the truth; they think they possess occult secrets that must be preserved. [See "Secrets".] Steiner is important — indeed, indispensable — at all real Waldorf schools. Remember that the other name for Waldorf schools is Steiner schools.)

Here are a few conversation starters:

◊ [Racism] “On one side we find the black race, which is earthly at most. If it moves to the West, it becomes extinct. We also have the yellow race, which is in the middle between earth and the cosmos. If it moves to the East, it becomes brown, attaches itself too much to the cosmos, and becomes extinct. The white race is the future, the race that is spiritually creative.” — Rudolf Steiner, VOM LEBEN DES MENSCHEN UND DER ERDE - ÜBER DAS WESEN DES CHRISTENTUMS (Verlag Der Rudolf Steiner-Nachlassverwaltung, 1961), GA 349, p. 62.

◊ [Populations of the Moon & Saturn] “[T]he moon today is like a fortress in the universe, in which there lives a population that fulfilled its human destiny over 15,000 years ago, after which it withdrew to the moon together with the spiritual guides of humanity ... This is only one of the ‘cities’ in the universe, one colony, one settlement among many ... As far as what concerns ourselves, as humanity on earth, the other pole, the opposite extreme to the moon is the population of Saturn.” — Rudolf Steiner, RUDOLF STEINER SPEAKS TO THE BRITISH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1998), p. 93.

◊ [Religion in Waldorf] "It is possible to introduce a religious element into every subject, even into math lessons. Anyone who has some knowledge of Waldorf teaching will know that this statement is true. A Christian element pervades every subject, even mathematics. This fundamental religious current flows through all of [Waldorf] education." — Rudolf Steiner, THE CHILD's CHANGING CONSCIOUSNESS AS THE BASIS OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 94. Whenever Steiner used the term "Christian" in such contexts, he meant Anthroposophy (which is hardly Christian in an orthodox sense; see "Was He Christian?")

◊ [Waldorf and Polytheism] “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.] (See? Real Christian churches do not speak of "gods" — they speak of God.)

◊ [Non-Orbiting Planets] “[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.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), pp. 30-31. Steiner contradicted himself on this point, but he often said that the planets do not orbit the Sun; instead, they travel on a corkscrew path in line with the Sun. Note that Steiner said stuff like this DURING WALDORF FACULTY MEETINGS and, as far as we know, none of the Waldorf teachers jumped up shouting "This is insane! Let me out of here!"

◊ [The Heart] “The heart is not a pump ... Basically the heart is a sense organ within the circulatory system, yet exactly the opposite is taught nowadays.” — Rudolf Steiner, POLARITIES IN THE EVOLUTION OF MANKIND (Steiner Books, 1987), p.56. Why is the opposite taught nowadays? Hint: Because the heart IS a pump.

◊ [The Brain] “[T]he brain and nerve system have nothing at all to do with actual cognition.... ” — Rudolf Steiner, THE FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 60.

Steiner's teachings have nothing to do with truth. Yet these are the teachings that will prevail at a Waldorf school. Real (i.e. "qualified") Waldorf teachers will have studied such teachings during their Waldorf teacher training, and they will continue to study them after being hired by a Waldorf school. And here is the strange part: Upon being introduced to Steiner's occult doctrines, none of them will have jumped up shouting "This is insane! Let me out of here!" (And for his reason, they are unqualified to be teachers in schools where rationality prevails.)

"PSD Board Approves Waldorf-Inspired Charter School Application — A Waldorf-inspired charter school can move forward with plans after Poudre School District’s Board of Education [Colorado, USA] approved its charter application ... In a 5-2 vote, the board approved a resolution for a five-year charter for Mountain Sage Community School (MSCS) at its Oct. 26 meeting ... MSCS will focus on a Waldorf-inspired education approach, emphasizing an arts-integrated, multi-sensory and cultural, nature-based learning environment. MSCS hopes to open its doors in fall 2011 with a plan to initially serve 120 students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. The school’s goal is to eventually become a two-track K-8 school." 

[10-28-2010  http://www.psd.k12.co.us/news/2010/10/psd-board-approves-waldorf-inspired-charter-school-application]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Bad news indeed. Do none of the powers that be read Waldorf Watch? Ah, well. Give them time. The truth may reach them sometime, from one source or another.

"Lancaster Steiner School [in the UK] could become state funded as early as September 2011 ... Only one UK Steiner school has state funding but more are seeking it. Steiner schools are based on the philosophy of Rudolph [sic] Steiner, who founded his first school in Germany in 1919. There are now nearly 900 around the world and form part of the state system in some other European countries. The schools say they offer a holistic approach to education with a greater emphasis on a child's creativity as well as their [sic] emotional, academic, physical and spiritual needs." 

[10-28-2010  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-11652979]

Waldorf Watch Response:

You may like the idea of a school that attends to your child’s “spiritual needs.” But wait a moment. How can the school do this? Do the teachers have any real expertise in spiritual matters? How did they get this expertise? What spiritual system does the school embrace? What knowledge does the faculty have of your child’s spirit? 

The answer is that Steiner schools (also known as Waldorf schools) are built upon the pagan religion known as Anthroposophy. The teachers think they are — or at least should be — clairvoyant. They will assess your child based on the occult teachings of Rudolf Steiner — who directed them to use not only clairvoyance but also horoscopes and dreams to "understand" their students.

Families who want an education based on occultism should be free to select it. Whether governments should finance such schools is a wholly different question. In the USA, doing so violates the Constitution. In other countries, education authorities should at least acquaint themselves with the real nature of Steiner education before making decisions that could have profound emotional, psychological, intellectual, and — yes — spiritual consequences for children. [See, e.g., "Here's the Answer", "Horoscopes", "Dreams", "Holistic Education", and "Pagan".]

Rudolf Steiner taught that Christ is the Sun God. Thus, Christianity is the Sun religion. Judaism is the Moon religion, because Steiner taught that Jehovah, the god of the Jews, hangs out on the Moon. Islam is the anti-Sun religion, according to Steiner. He said that Muslims mistakenly worship not the God of the Sun but the Demon of the Sun — Sorat, the Antichrist. [See “Evil Ones” and “Hell”.]

“Introduction to Grail Quest (an 8-week course) which is the opening term of the two year part-time foundation course. GRAIL QUEST offers a modern form of adult education based on the work of Rudolf Steiner. Through a deepened understanding of the inner workings of the world and ourselves, inner development and soul transformation are brought about ... The course aims to teach through the heart, hand and mind and to bring our efforts to fruition through love of the deed. GRAIL QUEST is also the prerequisite for the Steiner Teacher Training programme. Some of the themes explored in the course are: The Quest for Meaning. The Elements. The Temperaments. Sacred Geometry. The Origins of the Earth & Humanity. The Evolution of Consciousness. Christology. Mystery Schools & Mystery Centres. The Birth of Modern Consciousness in the Renaissance. The Search for the Holy Grail....” 

[10-28-2010  http://www.scribd.com/doc/40314373/Echo-25-19]

Waldorf Watch Response:

And yet Steiner's followers assure us over and over that Anthroposophy is not a religion. 

By the way, in Anthroposophy the search for the Holy Grail is the search for occult wisdom. [See, e.g., “Grail”.] 

“We were introduced to Waldorf Education by close friends. The wife of the couple, an artist and educator, had discovered Rudolf Steiner in her professional reading. Once awakened to the joy of Waldorf Education, the couple became committed to making it available for their son ... David and I wish for a world where all children have access to a child-centered education that succeeds at celebrating the uniqueness of each child while thoroughly supporting and honoring the important journey of their development.” 

[10-28-2010  http://phillywaldorf.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/waldorf-education-celebrates-the-uniqueness-of-every-child/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Yes, such an education sounds perfect. You are unlikely to find it at a Waldorf school, however. Waldorf teachers try to treat their students as individuals, but their worldview gets in their way. They see the children through a screen of false concepts.

Far from “celebrating the uniqueness of each child,” the Waldorf belief system, Anthroposophy, categorizes individuals by race and temperament, among other injurious differentiations. A black child, for instance, may be treated well at a Waldorf school, but Anthroposophy does not affirm racial equality. Steiner differentiated between high races and low races, races that are evolving higher and those that are deteriorating. 

“A race or nation stands so much the higher, the more perfectly its members express the pure, ideal human type.” — Rudolf Steiner, KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT (Anthroposophic Press, 1944), p. 149. 

All children of one race are thought to stand at a different developmental level from all children of other races. The hope for a child born into a "low" race is that s/he may rise into a better race in a coming incarnation (Anthroposophists believe in reincarnation). 

“We must distinguish between soul-evolution and race-evolution. A soul may be incarnated in a race that is declining; but if that soul does not make itself evil, it will not be reincarnated in a race that is falling back, but in one that is on the up-grade [sic]. Enough souls are pouring in from other quarters for incarnation in races that are on the down-grade (i.e., bad souls) [sic].” — Rudolf Steiner, INVESTIGATIONS INTO OCCULTISM SHOWING ITS PRACTICAL VALUE IN DAILY LIFE (Kessinger, facsimile of 1920 edition), p. 138. The final phrase, “i.e., bad souls” is an explanatory note added by Steiner’s Anthroposophical editor.

Aside from race, children in Waldorf schools are slotted into the four classical “temperaments.” The children are given different work assignments and they are seated in different parts of the classroom based on this wholly baseless system of classification. The following is from the book WALDORF EDUCATION FOR AMERICA:

1. Cholerics are very attentive and critical. Most cholerics are boys. They may have high shoulders; they often seem bony. They may turn into bullies or become prey to tantrums. “To handle cholerics, give them challenges ... Choleric people show themselves best in emergencies.”

2. Sanguines are appreciative and “want to be with you.” They are “harmoniously built;” they do not find their bodies to be encumbrances. They are in danger of drifting through life unconstructively. “They can be handled well with the books that they make in the Waldorf schools, reflecting what is learned in diagrams."

3. Melancholics are slow; they yearn for depth; from this depth, they may derive “an ethical impulse.” “They do not like being called to the [chalk]board.” One typical group of melancholics consists of “junior high school girls who suddenly grow thin and tall with slumping shoulders.” Melancholics may be moody, given to headaches, unfriendly, and worried about their health. “For these melancholic children biographies are a wonderful thing ... They see that they are not the only people in the world who have suffered.”

4. Phlegmatics are extremely sensitive to the atmosphere in the classroom. Confusion makes them tense. They often have rosy cheeks and may be overweight because they do not expend much energy. They may be in danger of “becoming dull and uninterested in the world.” “For the phlegmatic children there is one thing that suits them well: the arts, painting, music, eurythmy.” — Anthroposophist Hermann von Baravalle, WALDORF EDUCATION FOR AMERICA (Parker Courtney Press, 1998), pp. 102-105.

Racial discrimination is almost never overt at Waldorf schools today, but it remains embedded in the Waldorf belief system. By contrast, belief in the four classical temperaments is still openly espoused in the Waldorf movement today. How do Waldorf teachers determine the termperaments of their students? In part, through the use of clairvoyance — which is a delusion.

[For more on these matters, see "Steiner's Racism", "Embedded Racism", "Humouresque", "Temperaments", and "Clairvoyance".] 

"Rudolf Steiner, a wonderfully dedicated scientist, esoteric spiritualist and founder of the amazing Waldorf education, concluded that illness is not random or even from simply catching a bug from another person, but could be linked to a much larger picture in life (or in his studies, past lives) he believes that the the human body must be treated three-fold. Physically, mentally and spiritually, the whole body is treated and thus creates a faster recovery and perhaps shorter and milder versions of future illnesses. Anthroposophy, Steiner's religion is a foundation for all things Waldorf. Within this belief system, Anthroposophy looks at the world both spiritually and physically and concludes that certain ways of living can lesson [sic] or stop certain illnesses from developing. Health runs the gamut, from Demeter certified farms (biodynamic) to the use of homeopathy, herbs, curative eurythmy and even planet alignment all contribute to ones [sic] health and well being." 

[10-27-2010  http://themagiconions.blogspot.com/2010/10/discovering-waldorf-waldorf-and-illness.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Steiner was not a scientist. [See "Steiner's 'Science'".] In some other ways, however, the statement quoted above is fairly accurate. The remaining question is whether the statement makes any sense. The answer depends on whether you are inclined to accept quack medicine. To decide, you may want to look at "Growing Up Being Made Sick by Anthroposophy", "Anthroposophic Medicine", and "Our Brush with Rudolf Steiner".

Statements such as the following may also help: 

"Five is the number of evil ... When, one day, medicine will make use of this, it will be able to influence beneficially the course of illness. Part of the treatment would be to study the illness in its development on the first and fifth days after its onset, on the separate days at the fifth hour past midnight, and again during the fifth week. Thus it is always the number five that determines when the physician can best intervene." — Rudolf Steiner, OCCULT SIGNS AND SYMBOLS (Anthroposophic Press, 1974), p. 42.  

"I would like to start a Waldorf-inspired preschool that also supports learning about gardening, ecology, sustainability (people, planet, & profit), art, yoga, music, and languages. I have a natural building that would provide a perfect location for a school in Ashland. I would like to partner with someone who has qualities, such as, sustainability, an educational background, is seeking a teaching certificate, an interest in learning about Waldorf-inspired teaching and/or has a similar dream." 

[10-27-2010  http://www.educationreferenceanswers.com/teacher_education/rudolf-steiner-college-educating-to-change-the-world.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Talk about looking for love in all the wrong places. Many people are attracted to Waldorfish endeavors under the mistaken impression that Waldorf schools are progressive. In fact, Waldorf schools offer one of the most regressive forms of education available anywhere. [See "Waldorf Now".] 

Anthroposophy has some attractive elements, such as its devotion to green values, but overall it is a jumble of ancient superstitions and fallacies. It aspires to a heightened return of ancient ignorance. 

"Zeus is no longer possible, but in his place we have the steam engine. Another race will succeed us, which will find the way back again." — Rudolf Steiner, INVESTIGATIONS INTO OCCULTISM SHOWING ITS PRACTICAL VALUE IN DAILY LIFE (H. Collison, 1920), p. 166.

Waldorf schools do not treat children as unique individuals; they assign them to bogus categories that may warp the children’s self-understanding and self-esteem. (The four "temperaments" and "humours" come from an ancient, wholly fallacious, system of classification. It has been discarded almost everywhere on Earth except in Waldorf schools. [See "Humouresque" and "The Phlegmatics Sit by the Window".] And race, of course, has long since been dismissed as a meaningful indicator. [See "Steiner's Racism".])

"Rudolf Steiner College: Educating to Change the World — Rudolf Steiner College is one of America’s leading Waldorf teacher education colleges. It is also a center for anthroposophical studies and transformative adult education. Located on a beautiful thirteen acre campus in Fair Oaks, just east of Sacramento [California, USA], the College offers students a wide range of educational opportunities, such as Waldorf teacher education, personal enrichment courses, and workshops. The campus includes a bookstore, biodynamic garden, a performance hall, student housing and a LifeWays Children’s Center." 

[10-27-2010 http://www.educationreferenceanswers.com/teacher_education/rudolf-steiner-college-educating-to-change-the-world.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Anthroposophical beliefs are generally silly, and — despite the proliferation of Waldorf schools — the Anthroposophical movement is small. But don't be deceived. Anthroposophists are entirely sincere and committed: They intend to change the world. Theirs is a deeply messianic movement. They will fail. Anthroposophy will be tossed into the historical dustbin alongside other forms of superstition and occult foolishness. But don't be deceived. The process will be long and harrowing. Anthroposophists are entirely sincere and committed. 

At Waldorf schools, a central objective for teachers is to develop and use clairvoyance. Early in his book WALDORF EDUCATION, Waldorf teacher Eugene Schwartz asks this:

“Must teachers be clairvoyant in order to be certain that they are teaching in the proper way?” — Schwartz, WALDORF EDUCATION (Xlibris Corporation, 2000), p. 17.

His answer? Yes, clairvoyance is necessary.

At regular schools, the objective for teachers is a little different: It is, put simply, to teach well.* 

(Note that all three of the teachers described below work at public schools. Do they work hard in hopes of a huge financial payoff? I’ll answer with another question: Do you know how poorly public school teachers are paid? They do heroic work with no expectation of personal monetary gain. Of course, all three of the teachers honored today are exceptionally talented. But they show what can be done in public schools. In all, 55 educators will receive Milken awards this year.)

◊ “A second-grade teacher at Montello Elementary School received a $25,000 national award today that recognizes excellence in teaching. Kristie Clark received the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award during a surprise assembly at the school, according to the Maine [USA] Department of Education. Education Commissioner Angela Faherty presented the unrestricted prize to the 20-year teaching veteran. 'Mrs. Clark has a wide array of outstanding teaching and interpersonal skills. Her calm and focused strategies encourage all of her students to achieve their personal best,' Faherty said. 'She touches others in ways that positively change their lives.' Outside the classroom, Clark is actively engaged in leadership roles in the areas of curriculum, instruction and professional development at Montello Elementary School. She is a member of the Montello leadership team and is the grade-level leader for grade two. Her credibility as a leader is supported by her success as a teacher and the documented academic success of her students. ‘Her students perform at high levels not only because she believes they can, but because she gets them to believe in themselves,' Principal Deb Goding said.” 

[10-27-2010  http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/maine-Lewiston-teacher-Milken-award.html]

◊ “Nami Stager went to the gym at Lexington's Northern Elementary School on Tuesday morning to attend what had been billed as a simple school visit by Kentucky [USA] Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. As the program progressed, however, she gradually began to realize that a teacher at Northern was going to be honored. Moments later, Stager was floored when Holliday read her name as a recipient of a 2010 Milken Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation, a recognition that comes with a check for $25,000. The honor had been kept secret until that moment ... ‘Nami takes every kid into consideration,' Northern Principal Meredith Dunn said. ‘She goes that extra step to make sure that every single child is targeted, exactly what they need to know and how they're going to learn it. She puts in countless hours. And she incorporates so many 21st-century skills into all of her classes, which is what we're trying to instill in all of our teachers today. She's a natural.’" 

[10-27-2010 http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/27/1495726/teacher-wins-25000-from-milken.html]

◊ "When Yuuko Arikawa was announced as Hawaii's 2010 Milken Family Foundation National Educator in a surprise ceremony yesterday at Kaala Elementary School [Hawaii, USA], she was certain of one thing: 'They said the wrong name.' For a few seconds, as the Wahiawa school's cafeteria erupted in applause and shouts of encouragement, Arikawa sat stunned. Her eyes went wide. Then the tears started ... This is Arikawa's 11th year at Kaala. Since Arikawa became the school's reading coach four years ago, reading scores at Kaala have jumped from 46 percent of students testing proficient in reading to 65 percent testing proficient. Arikawa is also credited with bolstering parent involvement by spearheading fundraising initiatives and generally helping the campus and its students in any way she can. 'She is the epitome of what we want a teacher to be,' said Kaala Principal Ted Fisher. 'She is the standard' ... In addition to teaching, she has taken on a host of duties at Kaala and in the DOE [Department of Education] — from after-school tutoring to serving on the department's language arts content panel. She is also active in the community — as a precinct official during elections and a volunteer at her church. [Beatrice] Okamoto, the math coach, said Arikawa is always ready to lend a hand to anyone — from students to fellow teachers — and is long overdue for recognition. 'She is absolutely fantastic,' Okamoto said. 'She's always there to help someone.'" 

[10-27-2010 http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20101027_Milken_winner_boosts_reading_at_Kaala.html]

Getting 65% of students to proficiency still leaves a lot of room for further improvement, but the upward trend at Kaala Elementary is indeed praiseworthy. Note, too, that Waldorf schools often scrape along far below academic excellence. [See, e.g., "Academic Standards at Waldorf" and "Our Experience".]

* I don't want to be unfair. Waldorf teachers generally want to teach well, too. But what true-blue Anthroposophical Waldorf teachers want to teach is often badly disconnected from actual knowledge about the real world. Their beliefs are preposterous. Moreover, teaching the kids anything at all generally has a lower priority for them than helping the kids to incarnate, helping the kids with their karmas and temperaments, and prepping the kids not for college but for their future incarnations and spiritual evolution. [See, e.g., "Karma", "Humouresque", "Horoscopes", and "Methods".]

"Learning By Handz/Math By Hand launched a Facebook business page and released a new, Sacramento-based website offering an innovative math system that combines aspects of Waldorf Education with state and national mathematics standards tie-ins for teaching and learning math, grades 1-4." 

[10-27-2010  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/10/27/prwebprweb4675884.DTL]

Waldorf Watch Response:

There's a distinct limit to how much math you can do on your hands. (Try 27 / 8, for instance.) But "handy" math is big at Waldorf schools, in part because Steiner taught that we can think with our fingers and toes better than with our brains. 

“As soon as we begin to think with our fingers — and one can think with one's fingers and toes much more brightly, once one makes the effort, than with the nerves of the head — as soon as we begin to think with that part of us which has not entirely become matter, when we think with the lower part of our being, then our thoughts are the thoughts of our karma." — Rudolf Steiner, BLACKBOARD DRAWINGS 1919-1924 (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2003), p. 126.

Be cautious about taking inspiration from Waldorf schools. The schools front for a pagan religion, Anthroposophy. According to the beliefs of that religion, you will suffer severe spiritual penalties unless you are faithful to the creed. 

◊ You may become a member of the evil race: 

"The evil race, with its savage impulses, will dwell in animal form in the abyss." — Rudolf Steiner, UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN BEING (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1993), p. 103. 

◊ Or you may be condemned to a special moon: 

"This — as it were an 'irreclaimable Moon' — includes all the beings who have persisted in withstanding the true course of evolution." — Rudolf Steiner, OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1969), p. 309. 

◊ At a minimum, you will sink to a lower race (i.e., a blacker one) in your next incarnation. Ultimately, you may sink so low that there is no race low enough for you, so you will cease to be a human being and instead become a "nature spirit" (a being such as goblin) who cannot reincarnate any further: 

"Such souls lose the possibility of incarnation and find no other opportunity ... [T]here are no more bodies bad enough [to house them] ... Beings that stay behind at such stages appear in a later epoch as subordinate nature spirits." — Rudolf Steiner, NATURE SPIRITS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), p. 70.

(A note to all of you who are offended or horrified: Please understand that I am reporting what Rudolf Steiner said, I am not expressing my own views.) 

"Dancers, musicians, artists, and performance-art enthusiasts will be interested to know of a unique opportunity to attend a public performance by the Eurythmy Spring Valley Touring Ensemble to be held at 7:00 p.m. on October 28, 2010 at the Mabel Brown Auditorium of Keene State College, Keene, NH [New Hampshire, USA] ...  A discipline central to Waldorf education, eurythmy enables the student to powerfully experience, internalize, and imprint great poetry and music with the whole soul and physical being, with growing skill and awareness for working as one part of a group artistic expression." 

[10-26-2010  http://www.nh.com/nh/events/concerts/25738/eurythmy-performance-for-the-public]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Actually, eurythmy is a modern form of temple dancing, intended to forge an immediate connection with the gods. In most Waldorf or Steiner schools, all students are required to perform eurythmy. 

"In having [e.g., requiring] people do eurythmy, we link them directly to the supersensible [i.e., supernatural] world.” — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 247. 

[See "Magical Arts".]

"Come take a guided tour through the enchanted forest, where you will meet lively and amusing characters, hear beautiful live music and share in the magic of the night!  On October 29, the South Shore Waldorf School [California, USA] will present Halloween Whispers, a magical (not scary) event for young children and families."  

[10-26-2010  http://southshorenow.ca/archives/2010/102610/arts/index006.php]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools typically use various festivals as PR tools, putting on an attractive display intended to lure new families into the fold. Efforts are made to avoid scaring anyone. But Anthroposophy — the worldview underlying Waldorf schooling — is plenty scary, once you start to learn what is contains. [See, e.g., "Bad, Badder, Baddest", "Evil", and "Evil Ones".]

“Many schizophrenics have auditory hallucinations in which they hear voices. Actually, auditory hallucinations are relatively common even among perfectly normal people ... One popular theory is that terrified and confused schizophrenics try to make some sense of a frightening world by concluding that the voices [they think they hear] come from an outside source ... When such explanations are challenged or don’t fit apparent reality (no flying saucers are found), the patient patches up the false belief so it is still believable. Logically, there are only a few ways to do this. First, you can conclude you are very special, a truly unique person, the only one who has paranormal abilities ... Second, you can conclude that your voices could be heard by others if some external paranormal force or agency wasn’t preventing it ... I propose that perfectly sane, intelligent, and honest true believers in the paranormal — those who refuse to question or use sensible tools of critical thinking — possess a similar thinking process ... Sane, intelligent, educated, honest, and perfectly decent people are quite capable of experiencing profound delusions and distortions ... For those blessed with at least a modicum of sanity, the tools of critical thinking give some chance of remaining grounded in the world as it is.”

Waldorf Watch Response:

I am jumping the gun on this item, which I have taken from the September/October SKEPTICAL INQUIRER [http://www.csicop.org/si/]. The article — "Paranormal Beliefs and Schizophrenia", by Jonathan C. Smith — has not appeared online yet, but it should do so soon. 

To the rational mind, Rudolf Steiner's teachings are — or should be — obvious nonsense. Yet some good, intelligent, sincere people embrace them — these individuals become Anthroposophists. The profound question we confront is how this is possible. If only lunatics believed Steiner, the case would be closed: Nuts believe nutty things. What else is new? But how can sane individuals believe nutty things? This is a tough nut to crack (as it were).

But this is your lucky day. It just so happens that I have the answer (blush). See "Why? Oh Why? Oh Why? Oh Why?" and "Inside Scoop".  

Here's a follow-up to the 10-21-2010 story, below, about asbestos contamination in a Waldorf school.

"Highland Hall [a Waldorf school in California, USA] had the same problem ... When they used STUDENTS to clean up the asbestos-filled classrooms after a construction project, I filed a report with the EPA [i.e., the Environmental Protection Agency].  Fines are not enough — but will certainly help WAKE THESE PEOPLE UP! The health and safety of children is NOT the primary concern of Highland Hall!" 

[10-26-2010  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/15350]

"The Anthroposophical Society in America announces an event 'devoted to the mysteries of the human "I" in the age of the consciousness soul.' It takes place in December, and includes eurythmy. 'Eurythmy will prepare us to work meditatively with one another and with the spiritual beings who hover in the spirit world just beyond our sensory world.' Thank dog they hang around over there, and not in our sensory world. You don’t want to have any one of these beings mistakenly (or intentionally?) hover right into the back of your head. Particularly not if they’re wearing copper helmets. Which they may be. Though the serious question is: if this is what eurythmy helps prepare us for, why is eurythmy a part of children’s education?" 

[10-25-2010  http://zooey.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/hovering-spiritual-beings/http://www.anthroposophy.org/index.php?id=62&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=330&tx_ttnews%5Byear%5D=2010&tx_ttnews%5Bmonth%5D=10]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Understanding statements made by Anthroposophists requires a certain amount of code-breaking. Here is a quick primer on the concepts embedded in the item above (written by a non-Anthroposophist quoting Anthroposophists):

◊ The "I" or "ego" is the third and highest of a human being's three invisible bodies. The others are the etheric body and the astral body. [See "The Waldorf Teacher's Consciousness".] Possessing an "I" makes one human. People who are not really human, such as demons in disguise, do not have "I"s.

◊ The "consciousness soul" (also called the "mind soul" or the "sentient soul") is the third of our three soul members, connecting inner consciousness with outer reality. [See "What We're Made Of".]

◊ The spiritual beings who hover around us are, for the most part, good guys: They are kindly gods. However, there are also evil gods and demons lurking about, as well as "nature spirits" (also called "elemental beings"). It's quite a crowd. [See "Polytheism", "Beings", "Neutered Nature", and "Evil Ones".] Perhaps somewhat confusingly, nature spirits do not have spirits.

◊ Eurythmy is a form of dance invented by (who else?) Rudolf Steiner. At the surface level, it is a system of expressing the meaning of words through movement: It is "visible speech." At a deeper level, it is meant to connect the dancers directly to the spirit realm. Usually, all children at a Waldorf school are required to participate in eurythmy — it is one of the more overtly spiritual exercises imposed on them (second only to the prayers they recite in unison [see "Prayers"]). Eurythmy is usually unpopular with the kids, and indeed it is quite weird. [See "Eurythmy".]

"A nature tray or nature table is a wonderful addition to any classroom or home ... If you have enough room, you might want to have a nature table rather than a nature tray. Montessori Mum has an interesting post and photos about the differences between Montessori nature tables and Waldorf nature tables." 

[10-25-2010 http://livingmontessorinow.com/2010/10/25/nature-trays-and-nature-tables/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

A visit to Montessori Mum [http://montessorimum.com/?p=4435] produced this:

"Nature table can be found in both the Waldorf and Montessori environment and yet they are different.

"A Montessori Nature Table/Shelf"

Compare the table above with those below.

"A Waldorf Nature/Season Table  – May give an impression of an altar and usually decorated with drape [sic]."

Some Waldorf critics contend that the nature tables in Waldorf schools genuinely are altars. See, e.g., Dan Dugan's "Nature Table or Altar?" [http://waldorfcritics.org/active/articles/nature_table/nature_table.html] Children who attend Waldorf schools are coaxed toward the religion that is central to the schools: Anthroposophy. Establishing altars in classrooms would be one of the less subtle methods used in the Waldorf missionary effort. Searching for the inspiration behind Waldorf nature tables/altars, Dugan quotes Steiner: 

"[W]hen he [Goethe] was seven he built himself an altar to nature, taking his father's music stand and placing on it plants from his father's herbarium and also minerals and crowning it all with a little incense candle that he lit by focusing the beams of the morning sun with a burning-glass; an offering to the great god of nature, a rebellion against everything imposed on him by education." — Rudolf Steiner, PRACTICAL ADVICE TO TEACHERS (Anthroposophic Press, 1988), p. 113. 

“Workshop on ‘Living Thinking’ — Two distinct paths are offered for developing the perceptual capacities through which one can actively work with the spiritual world. One is described in Rudolf Steiner’s foundational work Knowledge of Higher Worlds and Its Attainment. The second path is through the transformation of thinking. According to Steiner’s indications thinking itself can become a mode of perception within the intensive realm of spirit. This workshop will focus on this second path: the development of the capacity for what Rudolf Steiner called ‘living thinking.’ The primary goal of this workshop will be to examine the path by which thinking when turned upon itself (“thinking about thinking”) can be transformed into a mode of spiritual perception.”  

[10-25-2010  http://www.anthroposophy.org/index.php?id=62&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=307&tx_ttnews%5Byear%5D=2010&tx_ttnews%5Bmonth%5D=09]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Anthroposophy is largely hostile to thinking. Steiner's followers associate the intellect, in particular, with the arch-demon Ahriman. 

Of course, it is very hard to keep people — even Anthroposophists — from “thinking,” in some sense, all the time. It’s how our brains work. But Anthroposophists try to minimize ordinary thought, just as Waldorf teachers try to keep their students from thinking too much. “Good” thinking, according to Anthroposophical doctrine, occurs when one looks inward, empties the mind, and allows “living thoughts” to flow in. These are the thoughts provided by the living powers of the higher worlds, the gods. In a sense, “living thoughts” are actually the gods themselves. (Steiner taught that feelings and thoughts create spiritual realities and are themselves real beings in the spirit realm.) 

So, you should not think for yourself but receive the thoughts beamed at you by beings higher than yourself. (As in so many other areas, Steiner was a bit self-contradictory on these questions. He said that intellect of a sort should be developed in high school, but such intellect should operate in the service of intuitive, clairvoyant "perceptions" of spirit, and feelings should almost always trump thinking.) 

[See, e.g., “Criticism” and “Steiner’s Specific”.]

Re. ASTROLOGY AND ANTHROPOSOPHY, by Ron Odama [Bennett & Hastings Publishing, 2009]:

"An informative and practical, concise guide to astrology viewed through the spiritual principles set forth by Rudolf Steiner. The author, a former Waldorf School teacher, presents information that can be applied to understanding the temperaments, soul development and karmic responsibilities of children as well as adults. This book includes a unique and practical methodology for reading charts and illustrates this with a reading of the author's natal chart." 

[10-25-2010 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Astrology-Anthroposophy-Ron-Odama-NEW-/270652874640] 

Waldorf Watch Response:

Outsiders often have a hard time comprehending just how completely irrational and occult the concepts behind Waldorf schools are. Astrology, for instance, stands high on the list. A "natal chart" is a horoscope, and Steiner encouraged Waldorf teachers to consult horoscopes. He said that many horoscopes are fraudulent, but he also said that true horoscopes can be cast.

"The truth underlying the casting of a horoscope is that those who know these things can read the forces which determine a person's physical existence.” — Rudolf Steiner, SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN AND HUMANITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1970), lecture 3. 

If you live in the real world, Waldorf schools are not right for you or your child.

Also of interest: ANTHROPOSOPHY AND ASTROLOGY, by Elizabeth Vreede [SteinerBooks, 2001]:

“Product Description

“This collection of the astronomical writings by Dr. Elizabeth Vreede is a fascinating compendium of scientific and spiritual knowledge. Between September 1927 and August 1930, Dr. Vreede wrote a monthly 'letter,' available by subscription, about both modern astronomy and classical astrology in the light of spiritual science. These letters include clear explanations of the fundamentals of astronomy and discussions of the role of astrology in the modern world. They also include inspiring presentations of a worldview that sees the stars, planets, and in fact all physical phenomena as manifestations of spiritual beings and spiritual activities.

“Among the many topics Dr. Vreede considers are the role of nutation, precession, and other movements of the Earth in human evolution and life; the comets; the relations of the heavenly bodies to spiritual beings; horoscopes; solar and lunar eclipses; and the deeper meaning of the Christian holidays such as Easter and Whitsun.

“About the Author

“Elizabeth Vreede, Ph.D., a native of the Netherlands, was a close and trusted student and associate of Rudolf Steiner. She was appointed by him to be head of the Mathematical-Astronomical Section of the School of Spiritual Science. Steiner is reputed to have said that Dr. Vreede understood his work more deeply than anyone else." 

[10-25-2010  http://www.amazon.com/Anthroposophy-Astrology-Astronomical-Letters-Elizabeth/dp/0880104902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288019145&sr=8-1]

“My daughter is 5.10 yrs old. At age 4 we sent her to a Steiner school, where there was no numeracy or literacy whatsoever ... We moved to a new area in April this year when our daughter (J) was 5.4 yrs old. We decided to put her into a mainstream ie not Steiner, fee paying school ... Having never had any numeracy or literacy, she was now exposed to the normal curriculum ... Her class tutor indicated at parents' evening (2 weeks ago) that J is not able to cope with Year 1 work. It is too advanced for her.” 

[10-24-2010 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/1068725-Falling-back-to-Reception]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Despite concerted efforts by Anthroposophists to prevent it, discussions of Steiner schools keep popping up in places such as mumsnet.

Steiner schools intentionally refrain from teaching reading and math until at least age 7. This is because they want children to remain as long as possible in the misty “consciousness” they brought with them from the higher worlds where they lived before birth. Advocates of Steiner education claim that by the end of high school, students at Steiner schools catch up with students at ordinary schools. The truth is that many students discover that when they leave a Steiner school — at whatever age or grade level — they are far behind their contemporaries who were educated at non-Steiner schools. [See, e.g., “Academic Standards”, "Our Experience", and "My Sad, Sad Story".]

A discussion about Steiner schools is being held at Nailsworth.com.

"Why would parents send their children to a school that teaches them that Gnomes are real (!!), makes them play with creepy faceless dolls, tells them that they are 'old souls' reincarnated, teaches them very little science but lots about 'magic' and horoscopes, and makes it hard for them to relate to people out in the rest of this vast world? ... What is not mentioned by the Steiner teachers taking your child into their care is that Steiner was...an occultist, an ex-theosophist whose insights were gained, it is stated, through clairvoyance. Nor will they be honest about the core beliefs of Anthroposophy." 

[10-24-2010 http://80.177.209.52/nailydiscussion/get_topicv2.asp?topic=Steiner_Schools&start=1&ref=7789]

"One of the first books to read (and to re-read, and re-read!) on Anthroposophy. http://astore.amazon.com/syrendell-20/detail/0880103728." 

[downloaded 10-24-2010  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anthroposophy/112374135440678?v=wall]

Waldorf Watch Response:

A pro-Anthroposophy Community Page has been established at Facebook. Not all of the postings there are entirely disinterested.

There is also a page on which people who love Waldorf schools can post their stories:

"We are building a new website for new, old and current Waldorf students, where we need opinions, statements and articles from as many as possible. We love Waldorf!" [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=130004750350223]

I would hope that there are many, many happy students, parents, and alumni associated with every school in existence. We all want happy school experiences for ourselves and our children. Surely there are many happy stories about Waldorf experiences. What is shocking, however, is that there are also many horror stories about Waldorf experiences. Good schools should produce no such stories; Waldorf schools produce horror after horror, sorrow after sorrow, disillusionment after disillusionment. [See, e.g., "Slaps", "Coming Undone", and "Our Experience".] 

“Frank's inaccurate claims about anthroposophy are based not only on unfamiliarity with the sources but on strikingly faulty reasoning ... [T]he same faulty reasoning makes it difficult for Frank (and Dennis and so forth) to make sense of what non-anthroposophists say about anthroposophy.  Frank's position, astonishingly, is that the fallacy simply 'doesn't apply' to anthroposophists. He seems entirely unaware that this claim is itself an obvious instance of the very same fallacy ... Less than a year ago several of us tried to explain the concept of special pleading to Frank and Dennis. This might be a good time for them to look it up at last.” 

[10-23-2010  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waldorf-critics/message/15325]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Frank Thomas Smith is a prominent Anthroposophist; the author of the message excerpted here is Peter Staudenmaier, an historian. Frank disputes Peter's findings that some Anthroposophists cooperated with or even became Nazis. Frank refuses to look at the evidence; he bases his position on his heartfelt conviction that it would be impossible for a "true" Anthroposophist to be a Nazi. Peter has amassed extensive evidence on the point, and he has applied logic to discuss the subject. Frank — like the confirmed Anthroposophist that he is — rejects not only evidence but even logic. It is good to try to discuss things with Anthroposophists. But the results are almost always disappointing. Rudolf Steiner set the stage for this: He rejected modern scientific knowledge, intellect, and logic. [See, e.g., "Steiner's 'Science'", "Steiner's Illogic", and "Thinking".]

"If schools are factories, Suncoast Waldorf [Florida, USA] flavors its product with Willy Wonka creativity, motherly nurturing and an appreciation for the natural ... Austrian educator Rudolf Steiner...based the teaching style at the [first Waldorf] school on humanistic principles, emphasizing imagination and creativity to nourish the soul and help young people grow into free-thinking, moral people. He believed education should cater to the intellect as well as emotions and physical well-being." 

[10-23-2010 http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/beyond-tests-and-books/1129771]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This is a fairly typical article — a bit better than some — in which the reporter fails to look below the surface of a Waldorf or Steiner school. It ends with an unexamined quotation from a dyed-in-the-wool Anthroposophist. 

A few quick corrections: 

◊ Steiner did emphasize morality and freedom, although his conception of freedom was extremely restrictive (basically, you are free to follow him and gain spiritual rewards, or to reject his teachings and suffer the spiritual penalties — see "Freedom"). 

◊ Waldorf schools do emphasize imagination — but the reason is that they think imagination leads to clairvoyance or even is a form of clairvoyance — see "Thinking Cap". 

◊ And Waldorf schools do try to educate the whole human being (heads, hearts, and hands), but they severely de-emphasize the brain and intellect, since they think real knowledge comes from clairvoyance, not from use of the brain — see "Holistic Education", "Steiner's Specific", and "Clairvoyance".

"Kimberton Waldorf School [Pennsylvania, USA] is hosting a talk by internationally acclaimed speaker, Joan Almon, on Tuesday, October 26 ... The talk is geared toward parents and caregivers of the pre-school-aged child ... Joan Almon is coordinator of the Alliance for Childhood in the United States, an organization that serves as a network that facilitates reflection and action by people with concerns about the care and education of children. It exists in the shared work and spirit of cooperation whereby all partners can find mutual support. Joan is a former Waldorf kindergarten teacher, co-founder and administrator of the Waldorf School of Baltimore." 

[10-23-2010 http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/articles/2010/10/23/life/srv0000009746342.txt]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Attending such events at a Waldorf school can be a good idea, especially if you know what to expect and how to evaluate it. A former Waldorf teacher who has helped found a Waldorf school, giving a talk at a Waldorf school, is likely to [fill in the blank]. What s/he is unlikely to do is to reveal the occult underpinnings of her belief system. [See, e.g., "Secrets" and "Inside Scoop".]

Waldorf teachers generally try to fulfill Rudolf Steiner's instructions: They should supplant parents as the most important adults in a child's life, undo the damage done by parents, and start children on the path toward embracing occultism is general and Anthroposophy is particular.

"Biodynamics: Natural Wonder or Just a Horn of Manure? — Biodynamics is a system of organic agriculture based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, the German theosophist, specifically on a series of lectures he delivered to farmers in 1924. It uses many of the principles of organic farming — no pesticides or chemical fertilizers — but goes further, relying on practices like planting and harvesting according to solar and lunar cycles and combating pests such as moths and rabbits by scattering the ashes of their dead brethren ... 'Rudolf Steiner was a complete nutcase,' Mr.[Stu]  Smith writes, 'a flimflam man with a tremendous imagination, a combination if you will, of an LSD-dropping Timothy Leary with the showmanship of a P.T. Barnum' ... Mr. Smith quotes Steiner ... 'You see, by burying the cow horn with the manure in it, we preserve in the horn the etheric and astral force that the horn was accustomed to reflect when it was on the cow. Because the cow horn is now outwardly surrounded by the Earth, all the Earth's etherizing and astralizing rays stream into its inner cavity. The manure inside the horn attracts these forces and is inwardly enlivened by them. If the horn is buried for the entire winter — the season when the Earth is most inwardly alive — all this life will be preserved in the manure, turning the contents of the horn into an extremely concentrated, enlivening and fertilizing force.'"  

[10-23-2010  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304410504575560463995629960.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Appearing in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, this article will probably spur much discussion. The author, Jay McInernery, is famous as a novelist, which will only increase the prominence of the article. Unfortunately, McInernery does not seem to be terribly well informed about his chosen subject here (“Rudolf Steiner, the German theosophist”). Clearly, however, Stu Smith is a man of deep discernment.

To answer the question posed by the title: It is just a horn of manure. [See “Biodynamics”.] By the way, Waldorf schools often have biodynamic garden plots, used by teachers and students. The schools' devotion to Steiner’s weirdest ideas is often unbounded.

More from SteinerBooks:

Rudolf Steiner, THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

"Many contemporaries of Jesus Christ were unaware of his incarnation on Earth at the beginning of the modern era. Moreover, today, says Rudolf Steiner, many remain ignorant of the most important event of our time: the appearance of Christ in the etheric, life realm of the Earth. Fundamentalists and millennial groups are awaiting the second physical incarnation, whereas atheists and materialists deny spirit altogether. Nevertheless, an incisive transformation is occurring in the human soul that will lead to an emerging clairvoyance. Just as Paul perceived Christ at Damascus, it is appropriate that every human being should experience him today." 

[10-23-2010  http://steinerbooks.org/detail.html?session=5042f8200c81eb2b5fbf60e3fbb680d8&id=9781855842281] 

Waldorf Watch Response:

If you aren't aware that the Second Coming of Christ has already occurred, and that it involves evolution, and that that involves clairvoyance, you are out of step with Anthroposophy — the religion embraced by many Waldorf teachers. It is always a good idea to understand the worldview of people to whom you entrust the education of your children. If you do not see eye-to-eye with them, they will inevitably prod or push your child in directions you dislike.

"Waldorf Adoptions — Please feel free to post any dolls that are looking for new homes. Please include price & postage costs. Also please post dolls for rehome under your real name, or include your real name with your post ... Anyone have a tumbleberry toys Thimble Berry to rehome to me I WOULD DO ANYTHING!!!!! PLEASE IF ANYONE HAS ISOBEL OR ANY THIMBLE BERRY COULD U REHOME TO ME!?!?!!? I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR A THIMBLEBERRY!!!!! PLEASE!!!!! ... I really think there should be MORE than one photo per doll in some cases. I think those rules where taken from a Blythe doll adoption group and that's different because they aren't handmade nor are they generally used for children's playthings. I know that sometimes close ups are VERY important when buying a Waldorf Doll. 

[10-23-2010  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=151207244920446&v=wall&viewas=0&ref=mf] 

Waldorf Watch Response:

Young children at Waldorf schools are often expected to play exclusively with Waldorf-approved toys. Faceless, soft-cloth dolls are a major category. Sometimes facial features are indicated, very sketchily, but a blank face is preferred. In part, the goal is to stimulate children's imaginations, which Anthroposophists believe contribute to clairvoyance. The deeper reason is the Anthroposophical belief that young children are incompletely incarnated in the physical world — they still live partially in the spiritual world, where nothing has sharply defined limits, edges, or details. One problem, however, is that many children find faceless dolls creepy and unsatisfactory — they often take matters into their own hands and complete the dolls by drawing on facial features with crayons or markers. Another complication is that the species represented by the dolls is unclear. Sometimes, indeed, the dolls come with pointed "elf" hats sewn on, suggesting that these are not human dolls by gnome dolls. Steiner taught that gnomes are real, and representations of gnomes are often present in Steiner classrooms. Many kids quite naturally tend to fear gnomes. By Steiner's own account, gnomes are hardly sweet playmates. 

"Many names have been given to them, such as goblins, gnomes, and so forth ... What one calls moral responsibility in man is entirely lacking in them ... Their nature prompts them to play all sorts of tricks on man.” — Rudolf Steiner, NATURE SPIRITS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1995), pp. 62-63. 

Some Steiner teachers use gnome dolls or statutes to maintain order — when a teacher steps out of the room, a gnome is positioned high on a shelf sternly staring at the children, threatening to play all sorts of nasty tricks on them if they don't sit quietly.

"This essay is largely devoted to the methods used by the Steiner movement in the hope of getting state funding. That involves concealing from ministers and inspectors some of the less desirable aspects of the cult. That is sadly easy to do, because ministers and inspectors usually use a tick box approach that can easily be corrupted...." 

[10-22-2010 http://www.dcscience.net/?p=3595]

Waldorf Watch Response:

The essay in question is the second at "DC's Improbable Science" detailing problems with Waldorf schools — or Steiner Waldorf schools, as they are usually known in the United Kingdom. Quite clearly, these schools should not receive taxpayer support. The situation in the UK is unique in some ways, but generally the problems with Waldorf schools are the same everywhere — UK, USA, Australia, Mexico, Nigeria, you name it. Waldorf schools are, with few if any exceptions, covert religious institutions, and the religion involved is the pagan creed called Anthroposophy. [See "Pagan".]

◊ "A private school in Keene, N.H. [New Hampshire, USA] will pay a cash penalty and make changes in its operations to settle EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] claims that it violated federal asbestos management laws. According to EPA, officials from the Monadnock Waldorf School did not develop appropriate asbestos management plans or properly notify the school community about the condition of asbestos within the two buildings they occupy, violating the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), a part of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act ... Asbestos management laws are meant to protect people attending, working at or visiting public buildings from the hazards of asbestos." 

[10-21-2010  http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/6bd01acbde8af0e9852577c3006cede1?OpenDocument]

◊ "Reports of the harmful effects of asbestos fibres on human health caused increasing concern beginning in the 1970s ... It was found that prolonged inhalation of some forms of the tiny fibres can result in a lung condition known as asbestosis or in mesothelioma, which is a rapidly fatal form of lung cancer. Once these health risks were firmly documented in the 1970s, regulatory agencies in the United States and other developed nations began placing tight restrictions on [human] exposure to asbestos ... In 1989 the U.S. government instituted a gradual ban on the manufacture, use, and export of most products made with asbestos." 

["asbestos." ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA, Online, 22 Oct. 2010.] 

It may be an innocent coincidence, but since I first published a report of the racist instruction I received at a Waldorf school [see "Light and Dark"], my old school has shown a marked tendency to feature nonwhite students in its publications. The message seems to be that the school does not hate non-whites. Fine. But racism is not synonymous with racial hatred. Racism occurs whenever we single out people — for good or ill — based on race. I assume that no one at my old school is a racist. (The school now has a "Non-Discrimination Policy".) But Steiner's teachings were clearly racist [see "Steiner's Racism"], and until Waldorf schools explicitly cite and renounce these teachings, nothing they say or do concerning race will have much moral standing.

Here are a few of Steiner's racial pronouncements:

◊ “One can only understand history and all of social life, including today's social life, if one pays attention to people's racial characteristics. And one can only understand all that is spiritual in the correct sense if one first examines how this spiritual element operates within people precisely through the color of their skin." — Rudolf Steiner, VOM LEBEN DES MENSCHEN UND DER ERDE - ÜBER DAS WESEN DES CHRISTENTUMS (Verlag Der Rudolf Steiner-Nachlassverwaltung, 1961), GA 349, p. 52.

◊ “A race or nation stands so much the higher, the more perfectly its members express the pure, ideal human type.” — Rudolf Steiner, KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS AND ITS ATTAINMENT (Anthroposophic Press, 1944), p. 149.

◊ “If the blonds and blue-eyed people die out, the human race will become increasingly dense ... In the case of fair people, less nourishment is driven into the eyes and hair; it remains instead in the brain and endows it with intelligence. Brown- and dark-haired people drive the substances into their eyes and hair that the fair people retain in their brains.” — Rudolf Steiner, HEALTH AND ILLNESS, Vol. 1, (Anthroposophic Press, 1981), pp. 85-86.

Steiner made many more such statements [see "Steiner's Bile"], and teachers at my school echoed them in my presence. [See "I Went to Waldorf".] Today my old school, like most Waldorf and Steiner schools, says that it is guided by the "insights" of Rudolf Steiner. At least some of Steiner's "insights" were racist. Until Waldorf schools explicitly cite and renounce Steiner's racist teachings, nothing they say or do concerning race can have much moral standing.

“There are many wonderful lectures and workshops at Steiner House [UK] – please look on the Steiner House website ...  If you go on that website, click into the Workshops page and see that on Sunday 21st November, from 2pm until 5pm, our very own Mr. Alexander Wooge (perhaps accompanied by Ms Alison Rowe and Ms Amalia Stoian) is presenting a workshop entitled ‘Understanding Steiner Waldorf Education in a rapidly changing world’”. 

[10-21-2010  http://www.waldorf-swlondon.org/news/our-teachers-present-public-workshop/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

I accepted the invitation and went to The Steiner House site. Among other treasures, I found an announcement of this course: "Personal Development - Working with the Rose Cross Meditation, With Dr. Sue Peat" [http://www.rsh.anth.org.uk/pages/classes.html]. 

The Rose Cross is big in Anthroposophy because Steiner taught that Rosicrucianism (Get it? rosi: rose, crucian: cross) is the correct path for modern humans. He further taught that Christian Rosenkreutz, the wholly imaginary founder of Rosicrucianism, was a real person. Indeed, Steiner taught that Rosenkreutz sits high in the White Lodge, and it was at his behest that Buddha went to Mars. I kid you not. 

“A Conference of the greatest and most advanced Individualities was called together by Christian Rosenkreutz. His most intimate pupil and friend, the great teacher Buddha, participated in these counsels and in the decisions reached.” They decided Buddha should go to Mars and fix things. “At that spiritual Conference it was resolved that henceforward Buddha would dwell on Mars and there unfold his influence and activity. Buddha transferred his work to Mars in the year 1604.” — Rudolf Steiner, THE MISSION OF CHRISTIAN ROSENKREUTZ (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1950), lecture 7, “The Mission of Gautama Buddha on Mars”.

[For more on these fascinating matters, see "Rosy Cross" and "The White Lodge".]

"Green Meadow Waldorf School (http://www.gmws.org/) is opening up dialogue about a nation of overstressed teens on Tuesday, Oct. 26, with a screening of 'Race to Nowhere.' The 85-minute documentary, which shows across the country on Tuesday, spotlights the pressures faced by U.S. schoolchildren and their teachers in a system and culture obsessed with the illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform." 

[10-21-2010  http://www.prlog.org/11013821-green-meadow-waldorf-school-takes-on-student-stress-the-education-system-and-teaching-to-the-test.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools can be very low-stress places; being a Waldorf student can be fun. There is a lot of play, a lot of music, and very little intellectual pressure. A price must be paid for lolling in this pleasant environment, however. The pleasure of Waldorf schooling is the pleasure of escapism. Reality and all its cares are pushed away as much as possible — which means that few of the problems of reality are addressed and students receive very little preparation for their lives in the real world following graduation.

There are many problems with public schools and the stresses caused by the need to attain good results on standardized tests. But here's a thought. If public schools have problems, why don't we get to work to fix them? This would be a more productive approach than running away into the fantasy universe of Rudolf Steiner and his followers.

“A government-funded study has analysed the effectiveness, efficiency and functionality of complementary medicine over a period of six years, with very good results for Anthroposophical Medicine ... In 170 clinical studies Anthroposophical medicine had a positive effect, i.e. results were better than without treatment, and at least as good as with conventional treatment ... 81 of the 178 studies were ‘controlled’, i.e. the results of Anthroposophical therapy were compared with the results of patients who were receiving exactly the same treatment, but no Anthroposophical therapy.” 

[10-20-2010  http://www.fondsgoetheanum.ch/en/campaigns/medicine-therapy-and-healthcare/anthroposophical-medicine-effective-efficient-functional.html]

Waldorf Watch Response:

There are “studies” and there are studies. To understand the phony “studies” used to “prove” quack medicine, see “Illusionists at Work: How to ‘Prove’ that Bogus Treatments Are Effective” in the Sept/Oct 2010 SKEPTICAL INQUIRER. If remain uncertain, visit Quackwatch [http://www.quackwatch.com/].

"Join Nancy Mellon on Friday evening, October 22 at 7:00 pm at Monadnock Waldorf School’s elementary school ... Nancy knows that family story-telling enhances well-being and supports resilience — it’s good for children, too ... A former Waldorf teacher, she is a psychotherapist who specializes in healing through the arts ... Working with the insights of Austrian educator and scientist Rudolf Steiner, Monadnock Waldorf School [in New Hampshire, USA] is one of over 1000 Waldorf schools worldwide.  To learn more about Waldorf education or Monadnock Waldorf School, visit monadnockwaldorfschool.org...." 

[10-20-2010  http://www.nh.com/nh/events/books-stories/25250/story-telling-and-resilience-an-evening-with-nancy-mellon]

Waldorf Watch Response:

I accepted the invitation and went to http://monadnockwaldorfschool.org. Here is part of what I found there:

"Waldorf schools are not part of any church. They espouse no particular religious doctrine but are based on a belief that there is a spiritual dimension to the human being and to all of life. Waldorf families come from a broad spectrum of religious traditions and interest [sic]. Monadnock Waldorf School observes the cycle of the year through both traditional and lesser known [sic] festivals, most importantly Michaelmas in the autumn and Advent in the winter." [http://monadnockwaldorfschool.org/about_us/faq.html]*

As far as I know, no one has accused Waldorf schools of being "part of any church." But the religious nature of Waldorf schools is obvious even from the denial quoted here. Waldorf schools have a "belief" in the "spiritual dimension to the human being and to all of life." This is the essence of religion. Moreover, the schools "observe" such festivals as Michaelmas and Advent. These are religious observances. Michaelmas is the "mass" or celebration for the archangel Michael. Advent is the celebration of the coming ("the advent") of Christ.

And what do Waldorf teachers think they are doing, even as they conceal their purposes behind such misleading statements as calling Rudolf Steiner a "scientist"? They think they are fulfilling the religious purpose of channeling the gifts of the gods to all other beings here on Earth. 

“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, that we are, in a certain sense, the means by which that streaming down from above will go out into the world.” — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 55.

It is perfectly true that "Waldorf families come from a broad spectrum of religious traditions." But all Waldorf students are steered in a single direction: toward the religion created by Rudolf Steiner, Anthroposophy.

* Various Waldorf schools use essentially the same statement ("not part of any church"), which they appear to have accepted from the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America [AWSNA]. Others use variants. Few, however, go so far as to name both Michaelmas and Advent. See, e.g.,

www.tidewaterschool.org/about/history

www.capeannwaldorf.org/about/faq

www.jaxwaldorf.org/faq5.htm

www.lakechamplainwaldorfschool.com/our_school/waldorf_education/frequently_asked_questions/

www.kelownawaldorf.org/faq/

http://www.aurorawaldorfschool.org/clientuploads/Weekly_Newsletter08-09/ParentHandbook08-09.pdf

http://www.ashwoodwaldorf.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31:are-waldorf-schools-religious&catid=9:faq-ashwood-waldorf&Itemid=20

http://www.waldorfschool.net/index.cfm?pagepath=&id=18544

http://www.whws.org/newsite/content/faqs.htm

http://pickmypreschool-waldorf.yolasite.com/

http://www.ashwoodwaldorf.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31:are-waldorf-schools-religious&catid=9:faq-ashwood-waldorf&Itemid=20

http://multitouchsystems.com/page0/page0.html

http://awsna.org/Path_to_Membership_2007.htm

http://www.whywaldorfworks.org/11_EffPractices/pdfs/MediaGuide0605.pdf

As for the meaning of the festivals observed at Waldorf schools, a helpful guide is THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING, by a certain Rudolf Steiner. Here is a quotation: 

"The calendars show on this day the name of 'Michael', and Michaelmas is a country festival: yet we shall not experience the present spiritually, linking human events on earth with Nature's events, until we understand again the year's course and establish festivals of the year as they were established in the past by the ancients, who were still endowed with their dreamy clairvoyance. Men of old understood the year, and out of such mysteries, which I could to-day outline only briefly, they founded the Christmas, Easter and Midsummer (St. John) festivals." — Rudolf Steiner, THE FESTIVALS AND THEIR MEANING, IV, Michaelmas (The Anthroposophical Publishing Company, 1957), VII, THE CREATION OF A MICHAEL FESTIVAL OUT OF THE SPIRIT (Extract), GA 224.

As for Advent, let's turn to a different source (quoting Steiner all the time gets old): 

"Advent, (from Latin adventus, 'coming'), in the Christian church calendar, the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. It begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day) and is the beginning of the new church year. The date when the season was first observed is uncertain. ... Its liturgical meaning referred to the dual 'coming' of Jesus — his incarnation in Bethlehem and his second coming as judge at the end of time. Together with Lent it was observed as a penitential season, though not with the same rigour as Lent. Consequently, Advent developed increasingly into the joyful anticipation of Jesus’ birth." — "Advent." ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA, Online, 20 Oct. 2010.

“My first exposure to Waldorf education as a parent was when our children entered the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City in 1965. Previously, our two children had attended public schools, our son for three years and our daughter for five years. Our daughter was very artistic and had a rich imagination, neither of which was challenged or nourished in public school ... Her teacher said that after three days at the Rudolf Steiner School, it was like she had been in a Waldorf school since first grade. Her artistic and imaginative gifts served her well in the manner in which the academic subjects were taught to the students. She later graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University magna cum laude as a music major and went on to complete a masters degree at Long Island University that also included a Waldorf teacher training. Her will to learn developed and blossomed as a result of her Waldorf education.” 

[10-20-2010 http://www.oaklandsteiner.org/waldorf-education/a-parents-experience-with-waldorf-part-1/]

Waldorf Watch Response:

This item, from a Waldorf school’s website, is quite nice. But whether it tells us much is questionable. For instance, my first exposure to a Waldorf school came in 1953, when I was enrolled at a Waldorf school in New York. I attended that Waldorf school for 11 years, winning a Lincoln Center award and other honors along the way (e.g., "Best Latin Scholar" — in a class having two students). In college, I received an award as outstanding English major, was accepted into the honors program, and graduated with membership in Phi Beta Kappa. I went on to earn as master’s degree and become a college instructor. Today I manage Waldorf Watch, a website highly critical of Waldorf education. What can you learn from my experience or from the experience of the individual discussed in the quote above? Not much, perhaps.* Maybe that child was born gifted; maybe she received a lot of parental support and outside mentoring; maybe she excelled in spite of, not because of, her Waldorf schooling. To evaluate a Waldorf school, you need to look at the school itself, in depth — its methods, standards, and underlying philosophy. [See, e.g., “Advice for Parents”, “Academic Standards”, “Clues”, "Methods", and “Non-Waldorf Waldorfs”.]

By the way, what do Waldorf schools mean by "imagination"? Clairvoyance. 

“Essentially, people today have no inkling of how people looked out into the universe in ancient times when human beings still possessed an instinctive clairvoyance ... If we want to be fully human, however, we must struggle to regain a view of the cosmos that moves toward Imagination again....” — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 256. 

See? You've got to look below the surface. If you want your child to be educated by occultists, then by all means send he/him to a Waldorf school.

* If some graduates of a particular school have successful careers, does this mean the school did well for its students? Is the value of the Waldorf system proven by the success of some of its former students? Obviously not. Some graduates may succeed in spite of, not because of, the education they received as children, and some may succeed in ways that have no connection to their schooling. Think of the people you know who went to lousy schools but did well in later life. I know a woman who earned a PhD and who has become an internationally acclaimed author. She attended a tiny, rural public school that no one would deem a model of educational excellence; indeed, she regrets the markedly inferior education she received. Very often, people succeed in life because of their innate capacities, the love and support of their families, and other factors having little or nothing to do with the schools they attended as children.

So far, it is a quiet day in Waldorf World (always a good sign). So, here's a blast from the past. I don't know why, but a link to this news story from 2008 showed up this morning on the Web. The story is good news, of course — a small indication that humanity can sometimes come to its senses.

"Stockholm University has decided to wind up its Steiner-Waldorf teacher training. Steiner science literature is 'too much myth and too little fact', the university's teacher education committee has ruled." 

[10-20-2010 http://www.thelocal.se/tag/teachers]

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