III.

HISTORY, LITERATURE, ETC.

 TEACHING HISTORY, Vol. 1, Ancient Civilizations 

- Greece and Rome, by Roy Wilkinson

(Rudolf Steiner College Press, 2000).

Although Anthroposophy is often conveyed to Waldorf students in subtle, indirect form — as through the sorts of stories and myths we have been examining — Anthroposophy is sometimes conveyed more directly in the study of ordinary academic subjects such as history. The following is from the description of a Waldorf teacher's guide, published by the Rudolf Steiner College Press. The subject is history. The subtext is clairvoyance. 

"The History curriculum for fifth and sixth grades in a Waldorf school follows the thread of development of cultures through Ancient India, Persia, Egypt and Chaldea, Greece, and Rome. This provides a picture of the changing human consciousness from ancient clairvoyance to the loss of spiritual vision and, with it, the awakening of independent ego awareness and materialism. The teacher is guided to a deeper understanding of the spiritual significance of mythologies and great epics, and shows how the ancient world points the way to the future." TEACHING HISTORY, Vol. 1 (Rudolf Steiner College Press, 2000).

Students taught history in this way are being fed Anthroposophy, which considers itself the "way to the future." "Changing human consciousness." "ancient clairvoyance," "the loss of spiritual vision," "independent ego awareness," "the spiritual significance of mythologies and great epics" — these are all terms and concepts that have special importance in Anthroposophy, and we have touched on these concepts previously. Clearly, if a child is taught that human history has involved the loss of an ancient form of clairvoyance, that child is being taught an Anthroposophical belief. The same holds for the other Anthroposophical concepts enumerated here.

Steiner asserted, many times, that Waldorf students are not taught Anthroposophy — at least not openly, not in its entirety. But he also indicated, many times, that Waldorf students are taught various Anthroposophical concepts and beliefs. Thus, at the first Waldorf school, he inaugurated the school year by telling students the following:

"[T]hose of you [students] who have been here longer will have noticed that we [teachers] are really trying with all our might to help you become people with a feeling for true human devotion, people who can look up to a spiritual, supersensible world. You will learn to understand the words 'spirit' and 'supersensible world' better and better as you move up from one grade to the next."  — Rudolf Steiner, RUDOLF STEINER IN THE WALDORF SCHOOL - Foundations of Waldorf Education VI (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 106.

“Supersensible” is a term that is found almost exclusively in Anthroposophy — it refers to the realm, undetectable by ordinary senses, that Anthroposophists believe exists below, around, within, and above us. “Spirit,” in Anthroposophical belief, is the immortal supersensible essence that dwells in the spirit realm above; it is different from “soul,” which is the temporary supersensible identity that one assumes during an earthly incarnation.

Steiner was telling the students that, as they proceed through Waldorf education, they will be brought to deeper and clearer understanding of such things. In other words, they will learn — “better and better” — to see such things as Anthroposophy sees them.

Much of the literature studied in Waldorf schools in unobjectionable; indeed, it usually includes great literary classics. But other works, of very inferior quality, are included in the curriculum despite their lack of literary merit. Examples can be found in such volumes as THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY (Living Arts Books, 2012), edited by David Kennedy.

This anthology includes works by Shakespeare, Robert Frost, William Butler Yeats, and other great poets. But it also features works by people who are not poets at all — people whose only qualification is that they are Anthroposophists. Thus, the book includes "poems" by such Anthroposophists as Dorothy Harrer, Eugene Schwartz, A. C. Harwood, Eileen Hutchins, and (who else?) Rudolf Steiner. The poems by these authors are generally doggerel having, as you might expect, a distinctly esoteric tilt. Their overall import is to introduce Waldorf students to Anthroposophical beliefs.

As Waldorf teacher Eugene Schwartz has written about this collection, “Read through these carefully selected and artfully categorized poems and you will receive the better part of a Waldorf education.”

Here are a few excerpts. Note that some of these works are suitable for young students, but others are clearly more appropriate for high schoolers. The subtle indoctrination of Waldorf education continues all the way to the end of high school.

"At the Ringing of the Bells"

by Rudolf Steiner

"To wonder at beauty,

Stand guard over truth,

Look up to the noble,

Resolve on the good:

This leadeth man truly

To purpose in living...."

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 256.]

◊

"Five Verses for Michaelmas"*

Unattributed

"Sword of Micha-el brightly gleaming,

Down to earth its light is streaming;—

May we see its shining rays

In winter's darkest days.

St. Micha-el, brave and bright

Who loves to live in the light,

The fierce foe to fight...."

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 105.]

* Michaelmas is the mass of St. Michael. In Anthroposophy, Michael is the Archangel of the Sun. "St Michael and anthroposophy are connected in a special way ... Michael inspires all human beings who wish to connect the human spirit with the spirit of the cosmos. Anthroposophy is also called the School of Michael. Rudolf Steiner sought to establish a new festival of Michaelmas, at the end of September...." — Waldorf teacher Henk van Oort, ANTHROPOSOPHY A-Z (East Sussex: Sophia Books, 2011), p. 78.

◊

"St. George"

by Eugene Schwartz

("For Michaelmas")

"...Oh St. George, Come! Advance!

'Gainst the Dragon to fight...*

St. George battled the beast

Till the rays of the sun

As it rose in the east

Showed our knight to have won!"

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 106.]

* In Anthroposophy, Michael is a warrior god fighting on behalf of the Sun God, Christ, to protect and strengthen humanity. Michael's chief foe is the great demon Ahriman, symbolized as a dragon. St. George, a pious knight and dragon-slayer, is Michael's representative on Earth.

◊

"The Sun Is in My Heart"

by A. C. Harwood

"The Sun is in my heart,*

He warms me with his power,

And wakens, wakens life and love

In bird and beast and flower,

In bird and beast and flower...."

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 44.]

* In Anthroposophy, the Sun is the home of Christ, the Sun God.

◊

"A Sun Like Thee"

by Eileen Hutchins

"May our eyes shine

With light like thine,

May our hearts know

Thy warming glow,

May our hands give

Such strength to live,

That we may be

A sun like thee."

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 45.]

◊

"Ancient Persia"

by Dorothy Harrer

"In the flaming fire we worship thee,

Master of Wisdom,

Lord of Light,

AHURA-MAZDA...

From the regions of the North.

From the regions of the South,

Forth rushed Ahriman the deadly,

And the demons of darkness...." *

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 174.]

* Waldorf students study many world religions, which may be laudable, but this study usually stresses Anthroposophical beliefs. In Anthroposophy, Ahura Mazda is the Sun God, Christ, as perceived by the ancient Persians. Steiner also taught that Ahriman, the devil in Persian belief, is one of the arch-demons who fight against proper human evolution. Ahriman's companions or minions are generally referred to as demons or spirits of darkness.

◊

"Number Rhyme"

by Joan Marcus

"We dance around the fir tree

in every kind of weather,

Twelve little gnomes dancing together.*

We dance around the fir tree

in every kind of weather,

Twelve little gnomes dancing together."

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 291.]

* Parents are often charmed by the gnome images and figurines found in Waldorf classrooms. They should realize that, in Anthroposophical belief, gnomes really exist: They are "nature spirits" or "elemental beings" who live within the Earth.

◊

"Coming Forth into the Day"

by Dorothy Harrer

"Homage to thee, O Ra, at thy tremendous rising!

Thou risest! Thou shinest! the heavens are rolled aside!

Thou art the King of Gods, thou art the All-comprising,

From thee we come, in thee are deified."*

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 175.]

* In Anthroposophy, any prayer to the Sun is a prayer to Christ, the Sun God. Anthroposophists believe that Ra, the ancient Egyptian god of the Sun, is Christ as recognized by the ancient Egyptians. We should also be note that Anthroposophy is a polytheistic faith, so phrases like "King of Gods" are meant literally.

◊

"The Forging of Thor's Hammer"

by S. M. Ryan

"Blow bellows, blow,

Set the sparks aglow!

...Thunderer Thor*

Needs weapons of War!"

[THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, p. 167.]

* Thor is the Norse god of thunder; he is a warrior god. Steiner taught that Thor is actually an Angel who has helped humans gain their spiritual egos. The foes Thor fights are the evil forces who oppose the good gods and, according to Anthroposophy, proper human evolution.

Numerous other poems by Anthroposophists, as well as poems that can be interpreted as supporting Anthroposophy, are spread throughout THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY. Waldorf students who are required to study such stuff are not, as a result, automatically doomed to a lifelong commitment to Anthroposophy. But they are undeniably, if subtly, introduced to Anthroposophical perspectives and attitudes. Far more than most of their parents ever intended, they are led toward the labyrinths of Rudolf Steiner's occultism.

THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY, edited by David Kennedy

(Living Arts Books, 2012).

 The cover of THE WALDORF BOOK OF POETRY

shows a lance-wielding Michael flying among seven stars,

slaying a dragon above a peaceful, 

church-centered earthly community.

See, e.g., "Michael", "Sun God", "Ahriman", 

"Astrology", "Polytheism",

To explore some of the Anthroposophical doctrines 

hidden in this book's poems, see 

"The Gods", "Neutered Nature", and "Was He Christian?"

The songs and hymns sung in Waldorf schools — at all grade levels, by students of all ages — often contain Anthroposophical tenets. Thus, for instance, Anthroposophists believe that the archangel Michael (or Saint Michael) is Christ's warrior, battling mankind's terrible foe, the arch-demon Ahriman. Michael has particular responsibility for overseeing human evolution in our time. Thus, Michael is our hero as well as Christ's champion. [See "Michael" and "Ahriman".]

Here are the lyrics of a song included in THE WALDORF SONG BOOK (Floris Books, 1992). A note says the song — which describes armed combat — should be performed "with firmness." (Although Waldorf schools are usually peaceful retreats, there is much violence in the mythology and cosmology celebrated in the schools.)

UNCONQUERED HERO OF THE SKIES

Michaelmas Song

1. Unconquered hero of the skies, Saint Michael;

Against the foe with us arise,

Thine aid we pray the foe to slay, Saint Michael.

2. The heavenly banner thou dost bear, Saint Michael;

The angels do thine armour wear;

Thine aid we pray the foe to slay, Saint Michael.

3. Great is thy might, strong is thy hand, Saint Michael;

Great o'er the sea, great o'er the land;

Thine aid we pray the foe to slay, Saint Michael.

[For more, see the section devoted to hymns

on the page titled "Prayers".]

Here are items from the Waldorf Watch News.

In each instance, I quote an online posting

or an Anthroposophical text,

then I give a response.

Fairy Tales

From SteinerBooks:

"When...love of fairy tales is coupled with an understanding on the part of the story teller, doors are opened to the whole realm of life in which fairy tales are true and live forever." — Joan Almon, WHAT IS A WALDORF KINDERGARTEN? (SteinerBooks, 2007), p. 53.

◊

Waldorf Watch Response:

Joan Almon is a Waldorf teacher and co-general secretary of the Anthroposophical Society of America.

Children love fairy tales. What could be more natural and pleasant than for Waldorf teachers to tell fairy tales to their young students? But as always, we need to look beneath the Waldorf surface for the mysticism that guides Waldorf teachers. What do Waldorf teachers mean when they say that “fairy tales are true and live forever”? They mean that fairy tales are trustworthy clairvoyant reports about the spirit realm. They mean that ancient people had powers of clairvoyance, which they used to see into the invisible realms beyond Earth, and they reported what they saw by telling these stories to one another. Fairy tales, to put this simply, are true. 

“Fairy tales are never thought out [i.e., invented]; they are the final remains of ancient clairvoyance, experienced in dreams by human beings who still had the power ... All the fairy tales in existence are thus the remnants of the original clairvoyance.” — Rudolf Steiner, ON THE MYSTERY DRAMAS (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1983), p. 93.

Waldorf teachers tell their students fairy tales in order to convey their occult beliefs to the children.

◊

Emotional Rocks

From The Conway Daily Sun:

"The Stones Cry Out" at Waldorf event Nov. 17

Imagine that stones could talk! Where do they come from? How were they made? Join the sixth grade students of the White Mountain Waldorf School [New Hampshire, USA] — a ‘star-studded cast’ — for a musical rendition of this age-old question [sic] ... Explore the woes of being a common sedimentary rock when metamorphic and igneous rocks (the local bullies) laugh at your expense ... Witness Obsidian, the great illusionist, wow the crowds ... All this and more is happening on Thursday evening, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m. at The Salyards in Conway Village. This short performance arises out of the student's study of mineralogy. Donations, to cover the cost of the venue, will be accepted at the door. 

[11-11-2011 http://www.conwaydailysun.com/node/477377/18672]

◊

Waldorf Watch Response:

This sounds cute. You might bear in mind, however, that in Waldorf belief stones really are alive and have emotions. Indeed, the various strata of the Earth are all alive, much evil radiates from them, and they are quite sensitive pain (their own, not yours). Anthroposophical beliefs such as these are usually not taught to Waldorf students directly, but Anthroposophy is often conveyed to the students through indirect methods. "The Stones Cry Out" seems to give us a clear example of Waldorf students beings taught Anthroposophy at least indirectly. 

Here is a glimpse at Rudolf Steiner's wisdom about rocks. He said that one stratum of the earth is the Fire Earth. 

“The Fire Earth is made essentially of feeling and will. It is sensitive to pain and would cry out if stepped on. It consists entirely of passions." — Rudolf Steiner, THE INTERIOR OF THE EARTH (Rudolf Steiner Press, 2006), p. 31. 

Deeper down, Steiner said, is the Splintering Earth.

“The essential thing is that this layer shatters moral qualities ... Through the power it radiates up to the earth’s surface, it is responsible for the fact that strife and disharmony exist....” — Ibid., p. 31.

◊

Fests

Anthroposophy makes its presence felt in Waldorf events

— such as festivals — that occur outside of normal school hours.

"In the autumn, at harvest season, 

we celebrate Michaelmas (pronounced Mick-el-mas). 

Michaelmas is September 29th and celebrates the forces 

of the Archangel Michael (usually pronounced Myk-i-el), 

the time-spirit of this epoch. ... The Michaelic forces [i.e., soul forces 

provided by Michael] imbue us with the confidence and courage

 to look to the spiritual world ... Michael represents the unconquered hero, 

fighting against evil and the powers of darkness ...

We celebrate with a play about St. George, 

the human counterpart of Michael, taming the dragon."

[Eugene Waldorf School

http://www.eugenewaldorf.org/community/festivals/]

The school isn't playing around. It affirms Anthroposophical doctrine.

[For more on the "powers of darkness", see "Evil Ones".]

◊

From The Register Guard:

The Eugene Waldorf School [Oregon, USA] will present an outdoor medieval play at 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Grades one through eight will perform a pageant with gnomes, farmers, villagers, royalty, St. George and a dragon. The play celebrates Michaelmas, which takes place near the autumnal equinox. Bring a picnic for after the play.  

[9-26-2011  http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/26908940-41/eugene-call-library-springfield-www.html.csp]

◊

Waldorf Watch Response:

Waldorf schools use colorful events like this to recruit new families and to charm the parents of current students. Such festivals can be fun. But they are also significant in ways that may not be immediately apparent. Michaelmas is a religious holiday, the celebration of the archangel Michael. In Waldorf belief, Michael is the warrior-god who oversees the current stage of human evolution — as the Eugene Waldorf School says, he is the "time-spirit of this epoch." [See "Michael".] From the Waldorf perspective, a play about Michael's earthly representative slaying a dragon (the embodiment of demonic evil) is not merely a play — it is an enactment of Waldorf religious belief. If a Waldorf school presents itself as a nondenominational institution, you might ask why it celebrates Michaelmas. ("Founded in Europe in 1919, Waldorf Education now includes schools on every continent and has grown to become the world's largest independent, nondenominational school system...." http://www.eugenewaldorf.org/ourschool/philosophy/)

Things get stranger the more you inquire. According to Rudolf Steiner, beings such as gnomes ("a pageant with gnomes...") really exist. Gnomes are "nature spirits" who live underground. [See "Gnomes".] In the Waldorf belief system, there are several other kinds of nature spirits, including sylphs (who live in the air), undines (who live in water), and "salamanders" (who live in fire). I kid you not. [See "Neutered Nature".] Michael represents one of the high spiritual powers recognized in the Waldorf religion, and nature spirits represent lowly spiritual powers recognized in the same belief system, called Anthroposophy. Waldorf schools exist to promote Anthroposophy. They usually go about this task quietly, indirectly, subtly. But go about it they do.  [See "Here's the Answer" and "Spiritual Agenda".] Students who participate in Waldorf festivals (often all the kids at the school) are subtly led into the toils of Anthroposophical belief.

The occult beliefs I have relayed here may seem ridiculous. They are  ridiculous. But I have not invented these things. These are beliefs that genuinely lurk below the colorful, pleasing surface of Waldorf schooling. [See, e.g., "Magical Arts - With a Look at Festivals" and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

IV.

VERSES, EURYTHMY, AND MORE

A Morning Verse

Students in Waldorf schools usually start each day be reciting in unison, along with their teachers, prayers written by Rudolf Steiner. These prayers contain many Anthroposophical beliefs, which the teachers may or may not explain to the students. Here is the prayer — often disguised as a "morning verse" — written for students in the lower grades. I have appended notes that explain the Anthroposophical concepts embedded in the prayer. [For more, see "Prayers".]

“The Sun with loving light [1]

Makes bright for me each day; 

The soul with spirit power [2]

Gives strength unto my limbs; 

In sunlight shining clear 

I reverence, O God, [3] 

The strength of humankind, [4]

That thou so graciously 

Hast planted in my soul, 

That I with all my might 

May love to work and learn. [5]

From Thee come light and strength, 

To Thee rise love and thanks.” [6]

[1] How can the Sun, a ball of flaming gases, send “loving” light? Steiner taught that Christ is the Sun God who came to Earth. In this sense, the Sun has sent us the loving light of Christ's spirit. The Sun's loving beneficence is the great spiritual truth enabling human evolution, according to Steiner. (A grace often used in Waldorf schools addresses "Father Sun." This is the Sun God, although the kids may not be told so. In general, Anthroposophy portrays the Sun as the embodiment of Christ and the home of various Sun spirits, including the archangel Michael.)

[2] Why is there reference to both soul and spirit? In Anthroposophy, these are not the same. The soul is an inner spiritual element of each human, revised and altered during the process of reincarnation. The spirit, on the other hand, is one's unchanging spiritual essence that is carried into all the lives one experiences through reincarnation.

[3] Note that the children address God. They are praying. In particular, they are reciting an Anthroposophical prayer that may serve as a model for the other, personal prayers the children may address to one god or another in private. Anthroposophy is polytheistic. [See "Polytheism".] In Anthroposophical worship, one may address God or the Godhead, but one may also address gods in any or all of the nine ranks of gods.

[4] What is the strength of humankind? It is our spiritual capacity to rise into the spirit realm (Steiner said we can do this through eurythmy, for instance — most Waldorf schools require eurythmy). The strength of humankind is also our ability to reincarnate and evolve to higher and higher states of consciousness. No other creature on or in the Earth can do this — we have a spiritual ego, an “I”, whereas animals and such beings as gnomes (which Steiner said live in the earth) do not have "I"s.

[5] The main forms of work and learning stressed by Steiner entail the arduous tasks of spiritual “science” — Steiner's new religion, which he called Anthroposophy (meaning human wisdom). Waldorf schools are often weak academically, in part because they focus on implanting Anthroposophical attitudes and beliefs rather than academic knowledge, which Steiner disparaged as the product of dead materialistic thinking. Here, the children evidently ask for strength to do their class work, but what they are learning distinctly includes various tenets of Anthroposophy.

[6] The importance of light (the “loving” light of the Sun, i.e., Christ) is reinforced here, and the prayerful nature of this “verse” is underscored by the love and thanks offered to God. Proponents of Waldorf education usually deny that Waldorf schools are religious institutions, yet here we see Waldorf students being led in prayer, a practice that is repeated every day before the first class of the day. The prayer, written by the father of Anthroposophy, includes several Anthroposophical beliefs, as we might expect. (The "light," in Anthroposophy, is the "mystery wisdom" made available through Anthroposophy itself, especially the mystery wisdom conveyed through the Sun God. [See, e.g., "Gnosis".] The "strength" Anthroposophists seek is the "Christ impulse" — the evolutionary impetus provided by the Sun God, enabling humans to rise to new heights of spiritual consciousness.)

Waldorf students in the upper grades, all the way through high school, are also generally required to recite prayers written by Steiner, prayers that entail Anthroposophical dogma. Here is the prayer Steiner wrote for students in the upper grades. [Again, see "Prayers".]

"I look into the world;

In which the Sun shines,

In which the stars sparkle,

In which the stones lie,

The living plants are growing,

The animals are feeling,

In which the soul of man

Gives dwelling for the spirit;

I look into the soul

Which lives within myself.

God’s spirit weaves in light

Of Sun and human soul,

In world of space, without,

In depths of soul, within.

God’s spirit, ‘tis to Thee

I turn myself in prayer,

That strength and blessing grow

In me, to learn and work."

A student who attends a Waldorf school for many years will come away having recited such prayers hundreds if not thousands of times. The effect, perhaps chiefly unconscious, may be deep and lasting.

Eurythmy

Anthroposophy is often injected into the Waldorf curriculum in nonverbal form. This occurs especially in the style of dance called eurythmy. Steiner said that eurythmy establishes links to the spirit realm. Thus, eurythmy is Anthroposophy in action, a physical discipline that seeks to achieve on the level of movement the same soul-molding effects that Waldorf classroom work aims to achieve through other means. 

In most Waldorf schools, eurythmy is a required activity. A child in a eurythmy class is meant to feel physically the spiritual lessons that Anthroposophy tries to impart at all levels, verbal and nonverbal. The child should sense the presence of invisible gods as well as the effects of previous lives (reincarnation) — basic Anthroposophical lessons — without needing to find words to express these things. Eurythmy "proves" to the student the truth of Anthroposophical doctrines, and this "proof" is all the stronger for occurring below the level of conscious thought or verbal speech. In Waldorf belief, emotion and feeling are far more important and "true" than brainwork. 

"Consider the art of eurythmy ... We are moving the human organism ... [W]e allow this human being to make manifest what we study inwardly, what is already prepared in us as a result of previous lives; we transfer this to our limbs ... Eurythmy shapes and moves the human organism in a way that furnishes direct external proof of our participation in the supersensible [i.e., supernatural] world. In having people do eurythmy, we link them directly to the supersensible world." — Rudolf Steiner, ART AS SPIRITUAL ACTIVITY (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 246-247.

You may not believe that eurythmy can have these effects, but Waldorf teachers believe it, and their belief can rub off on the kids. Eurythmy classes are often the most solemn and "spiritual" activities in Waldorf schools. These classes embody the ideas at the heart of Waldorf education. Thus, for instance, the Rudolf Steiner College sells DVDs that present eurythmy as an extremely important and powerful discipline. In effect, the entire Waldorf curriculum is conveyed to children through eurythmy. A child who comes out of eurythmy lessons feeling exalted, more spiritual, transported, in touch with "higher worlds," dazed, removed from humdrum ordinary life, unfocused, cloudy, enraptured by the mythic and magical and mysterious — that child has received Anthroposophy.*

"Waldorf Curriculum Through Eurythmy DVD

"Eurythmy is an art of movement developed by Rudolf Steiner 

and often called 'visible speech' and 'visible tone.' 

This lively workshop session offers a kinesthetic introduction 

to the evolution of consciousness at the heart of the Waldorf curriculum, 

highlighting the key stages of child development through fourth grade."

[http://www.steinercollege.edu/store/product.php?productid=18643&cat=0&page=1]  

The "evolution of consciousness" is a concept at the center of Anthroposophy — the belief that we are evolving toward higher and higher forms of spiritual consciousness (clairvoyance and super-clairvoyance) that lead us to greater and greater wisdom and divinity. [See "Everything".] The "key stages of child development" are seven-year long phases during which various invisible "bodies" incarnate. [See "Most Important" and "Incarnation".] Eurythmy teachers are often deeply devoted Anthroposophists who believe these doctrines with every fiber of their being, and they strive to convey these beliefs — as felt realities, if not as thoughts — to their students.

* It is uncommon, of course, for students to feel all of these things simultaneously. But a fair proportion of students feel at least some of these things at least some of the time, which means that eurythmy classes have at least some of their intended effect. On the other hand, many students hate eurythmy, which is a weird discipline offering few of the pleasures of ordinary forms of dance. (Eurythmy movements tend to be stylized, somewhat stiff, generally rather slow, and self-consciously regal.) Kids who are bored by eurythmy or who actively rebel against it escape most of the conditioning that their teachers want to put them through — and they may be expelled as a result. 

"Eurythmy is obligatory. The children must participate. Those who do not participate in eurythmy will be removed from the school." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER (Anthroposophic Press, 1998), p. 65.]

Teacher Training

Training for new Waldorf or Steiner teachers generally takes place in special institutions where the trainees are immersed in the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and enlisted in the task of becoming representatives of Anthroposophy. Teacher trainees undergo preparation to fulfill the divine tasks described by Steiner and laid out (Steiner said) by the gods. 

“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.

Note that if Waldorf teachers are fulfilling the intentions of the gods — if they are the conduits for "that streaming down from above," divine beneficence — then the primary recipients of their attentions will be their students. This is what working as Waldorf teachers means. Waldorf teachers work to fulfill the "divine cosmic plan" for the people to whom they minister, their students.

But Waldorf teachers are also instructed to keep quiet about their activities. 

"We should be quiet about how we handle things in the school, we should maintain a kind of school confidentiality." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 10. 

The most important kinds of knowledge — the kinds of knowledge possessed by people who serve the gods and fulfill the divine plan — are secret, hidden, occult. Inner truths must not be revealed to outsiders or the uninitiated. 

"In a certain sense, all teachers must be in possession of truths that they cannot directly pass on to the world." — Rudolf Steiner, THE CHILD'S CHANGING CONSCIOUSNESS AS THE BASIS OF PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICE, Foundations of Waldorf Education (Anthroposophic Press, 1996), p. 84.

Waldorf teachers use various techniques for passing their secretive knowledge to their students while concealing it from the outside world. But, then again, sometimes they speak openly with their students. Steiner said that older Waldorf students should sometimes be given direct, clear knowledge of Anthroposophical doctrines. For instance, while young students should not be instructed about reincarnation and karma, older students should receive such instruction. 

"In the younger group, we must omit everything related to reincarnation and karma. We can deal with that only in the second group [older students], but there we must address it. From ten years of age on, we should go through those things. It is particularly important in this instruction that we pay attention to the student’s own activity from the very beginning. We should not just speak of reincarnation and karma theoretically, but practically." — Rudolf Steiner, FACULTY MEETINGS WITH RUDOLF STEINER, p. 18. 

Note that Steiner was not prescribing academic discussions; he was not saying that the students should learn that some people in foreign lands believe in reincarnation and karma. He was talking about "practical" knowledge of reincarnation and karma. What does this mean? It means that Anthroposophists believe in reincarnation and karma, and they think that after a certain age students should know about these phenomena in order to make the correct, practical decisions in their lives. And, of course, the teachers should lend a hand, helping the students to fulfill their karmas. "We [should] pay attention to the student’s own activity." Or, as Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson wrote, 

“[T]he purpose of [Waldorf] education is to help the individual fulfill his karma.” — Waldorf teacher Roy Wilkinson, THE SPIRITUAL BASIS OF STEINER EDUCATION (Rudolf Steiner Press, 1996), p. 52.

And thus we see, once again, that Steiner was correct when he said "Anthroposophy will be in the school." Often Anthroposophy will be present in disguised form. Sometimes Anthroposophy will be present in open form. But either way, it will be present.

◊

[Center for Anthroposophy,

October, 2011.]

◊

From the Center for Anthroposophy — New Hampshire, USA — 

which offers Waldorf teacher training:

The Foundation Studies Program comprises three distinct but interrelated elements:

1) study of the basic books of Rudolf Steiner, including How to Know Higher Worlds, Theosophy, An Outline of Esoteric Science, and Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: A Philosophy of Freedom

2) cultivation of artistic activities that are transformative in nature, such as speech, drama, music, eurythmy, painting, drawing, woodwork, sculpture, and more

3) some experience of life in a Waldorf school as well as other cultural initiatives arising from the work of Rudolf Steiner.  

[10-15-2011  http://www.centerforanthroposophy.org/programs/foundation-studies/overview/]

◊

Waldorf Watch Response:

The primary component of Waldorf teacher training is study of the occult works of Rudolf Steiner (see item #1, above). The four books named by the Center for Anthroposophy lay the foundation for Steiner's occult teachings. As the Rudolf Steiner Press has said, “[F]our titles form an indispensable introduction to [Steiner's] later teaching: Knowledge of the Higher Worlds, Theosophy, Occult Science, and The Philosophy of Freedom.” [http://www.rudolfsteinerpress.com/pages/viewbook.php?isbn_in=9781855841369]*

◊

A few notes are in order.

1) HOW TO KNOW HIGHER WORLDS is a guide to the development of clairvoyance, which true-believing Waldorf teachers use to study the spirit worlds as well as to understand the souls of their students. That there is no such thing as clairvoyance should, perhaps, give us pause. Indeed, because Waldorf schools depend so heavily on this nonexistent "power," we are justified in concluding that there is in fact no rational basis for Waldorf education. [See "Clairvoyance", "The Waldorf Teacher's Consciousness", "Foundations", etc. For an introduction to HOW TO KNOW HIGHER WORLDS, see "Knowing the Worlds".]

2) THEOSOPHY lays out many of Steiner's occult teachings. When Steiner first became an occultist, he joined the Theosophical Society and soon became head of the German branch. Later, he broke away to create his own movement, which he named Anthroposophy. (Theosophy places God — theos — at its center; Anthroposophy places man — anthropos — at the center.) In reality, Steiner's teachings changed very little after the switch. Even while a Theosophist, Steiner referred to his own teachings as Anthroposophy, and the Theosophy his followers now study is Steiner's version, which departs significantly from standard Theosophy. It is, in a word, Anthroposophy. [To examine Theosophy, visit, for instance, The Theosophical Society. Also see "Basics".]

3) AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE is Steiner's magnum opus, in which he describes the spiritual realities he claims to have ascertained through clairvoyance. The original English title of the book was AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE, but his followers belatedly realized that the word "occult" worries most people, so they made the change for PR purposes. Nonetheless, occultism is the core of the Waldorf belief system. Other Steiner books bear such titles as OCCULT HISTORY, THE OCCULT SIGNIFICANCE OF BLOOD, AN OCCULT PHYSIOLOGY, OCCULT SEALS AND SIGNS, and so forth. Even if we define "occult" as merely meaning "secret" or "hidden," we might want to reflect. Waldorf education is based on "secret" or "hidden" spiritual knowledge gained through the use of clairvoyance. How comfortable are you with this? [See "Occultism", "Exactly", "Occult Lodges", "Everything", etc.]

4) INTUITIVE THINKING AS A SPIRITUAL PATH: A Philosophy of Freedom: In the Waldorf belief system, intuition is a high form of clairvoyance that we will perfect when we live "on" Vulcan (a future stage of our evolution). Waldorf schools emphasize intuition along with lower forms of clairvoyance: inspiration and imagination. Most people use the words "intuition," "inspiration," and "imagination" without reference to clairvoyance; but in the Waldorf belief system, even such a simple statement as "We encourage imaginative thinking" is actually a reference to clairvoyance. [See, e.g., "Thinking", "Thinking Cap", "Steiner's 'Science'", and "Vulcan".] 

Originally, INTUITIVE THINKING AS A SPIRITUAL PATH — published in 1893 as THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM — was straightforward philosophy, not an occult text. Steiner was, at that time he wrote the first version of this book, a more or less conventional secular intellectual. He thought the book would establish him as the next great German philosopher. This did not happen, and soon after his disappointment, Steiner astonished his family and friends by announcing that he was now an occultist (previously, he had mocked occultism). Thereafter, he revised THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM to make it consistent with his new, mystical beliefs. The "freedom" available to Anthroposophists is severely limited. Steiner's followers seek to free themselves from worldly illusions and attachments, but to do so they have just one correct option, in their view: It is to embrace Anthroposophy. [See "What a Guy", "Freedom", and "Philosophy".] Waldorf schools still like to refer to Steiner as a philosopher (it sounds so much better than "occultist"), but Steiner wrote no further philosophical texts after switching to occultism.

Today it almost seems unfair to label someone an occultist, but Steiner embraced the term. He said such things as "In occultism we call the Moon the ‘Cosmos of Wisdom’", "We have been equipped for our task by the methods of occult science", "Recently in my occult research the following question arose...", "[W]e must turn to occult science and ask what is that which is to be discovered in the spiritual world...", and so forth. He was an occultist, and Waldorf education is built on the foundation of his occult teachings. [See "Occultism".] Be forewarned.

[For more on Waldorf teacher training, see "Teacher Training".]

* I have changed the order of the titles named by the Press to be consistent with the list given by the Center; I have made no other changes. HOW TO KNOW HIGHER WORLDS is the same book as KNOWLEDGE OF THE HIGHER WORLDS in a different translation; likewise AN OUTLINE OF ESOTERIC SCIENCE is the same book as OCCULT SCIENCE - AN OUTLINE (also known as AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE); and INTUITIVE THINKING AS A SPIRITUAL PATH: A PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM is the same book as THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM.

V.

PROPAGANDA

"News"?

From North Shore News:

In 1919, after the devastation of the First World War, a visionary scientist named Dr. Rudolf Steiner was asked by a colleague, 'What can we possibly do in our society to prevent a repeat of this most horrific event?' Dr. Steiner replied, 'We need a new way of thinking.' This conversation led to the development of the Waldorf curriculum. One of the ways Waldorf education develops this new way of thinking is through a curriculum that nurtures and develops not only the mind, but the whole human being.  

[2-16-2011  http://www.nsnews.com/travel/Private+Schools/4293559/story.html]

◊

Waldorf Watch Response:

Much of the "news" coming out of Waldorf schools is — not to put too fine a point on it — propaganda. Waldorf supporters often provide slanted, starry-eyed statements, and reporters pressed for time often accept these statements uncritically.

Let's look through the passage quoted here. 

◊  Rudolf Steiner was indeed a "visionary" — he claimed to be a clairvoyant, he claimed to have true visions. [See "Exactly".]

◊  Steiner was not, however, a "scientist" — despite his own claims and the claims of his followers. Steiner's "science" consisted of his professed use of clairvoyance to study the spirit realm. Steiner performed no actual scientific work in any scientific laboratory or elsewhere. [See "Everything" and "Steiner's 'Science'".]

◊  The "new way of thinking" proposed by Steiner is — for starters — the irrational, imaginative, proto-clairvoyance promoted in Waldorf schools. [See "Thinking Cap".] Steiner's adult followers attempt to move beyond proto-clairvoyance to full-blown clairvoyance, and especially its high version (which Steiner claimed to possess): "exact" clairvoyance. [See, e.g., "Exactly".]

◊  The Waldorf curriculum (geared especially to the spiritual needs of Germans, as comprehended by Steiner) is meant to foster irrational, imaginative, proto-clairvoyance and lead children toward the occult, pagan religion created by Steiner, Anthroposophy. [See "Curriculum", "The Good Wars", "Here's the Answer", and "Is Anthroposophy a Religion?"]

◊

Why, aside from spreading propaganda, are so many "news" accounts about Waldorf schools so far off the mark? Imagine a cub reporter who rushes up to an overworked editor and shouts, "Chief! I've got a hot one! I've learned that Waldorf schools are based on occultism! Paganism! Mysticism! Gnomes and demons and ghosts! Let's crack this wide open!" After giving the kid a calming shot of bourbon and the rest of the day off, the editor would start the process of hiring a new cub reporter.

The truth about Waldorf schools is almost incredible. Yet it is the truth. Waldorf schools, otherwise known as Steiner schools, follow the directions laid out by Rudolf Steiner. He was a good man, Rudolf Steiner. Or at least he meant well. He hoped to remake the world, suffusing it with loving kindness. And what was the tactic he meant to employ? Spreading occultism. 

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

OK? Take a deep breath and remind yourself that Waldorf schools, otherwise known as Steiner schools, follow the directions laid out by Rudolf Steiner, who was an avowed occultist. His most important book is titled AN OUTLINE OF OCCULT SCIENCE. Some of his other books are OCCULT SIGNS AND SYMBOLS, AN OCCULT PHYSIOLOGY, OCCULT HISTORY, and so on. [See "Occultism".]

But surely Steiner's occultism doesn't find its way into Waldorf schools themselves, right? Actually, sadly, it does. Steiner said that Waldorf teachers need to develop a special clairvoyant form of consciousness, the "Waldorf teacher's consciousness": 

“[W]e must work to develop this consciousness, the Waldorf teacher’s consciousness, if I may so express it. This is only possible, however, when in the field of education we come to an actual experience of the spiritual ... [We need] what humanity has lost in this respect, has lost just in the last three or four centuries. It is this that we must find again.” — Rudolf Steiner, DEEPER INSIGHTS INTO EDUCATION (Anthroposophical Press, 1983), p. 21. 

What have people lost? According to Steiner, modern humanity has lost the innate awareness of spiritual reality that ancient peoples possessed. The ancients had natural clairvoyance. If we are to realize our full human potential, we need to be healed. Such healing is the true but forgotten objective of education: to repair humanity so that we again recognize spiritual truths. This requires the fostering of heartfelt clairvoyant awareness.

At a minimum, Steiner said, Waldorf teachers should accept the teachings of people like himself who are clairvoyant. 

"Not every Waldorf teacher has the gift of clairvoyance, but every one of them has accepted wholeheartedly and with full understanding the results of [clairvoyant] spiritual-scientific investigation concerning the human being. And each Waldorf teacher applies this knowledge with heart and soul ... In educating the child, in the daily lessons, and in the daily social life at school, the teachers find the confirmation for what spiritual science [i.e., Steiner's occult teachings, Anthroposophy] can tell them about practical teaching."  — Rudolf Steiner, WALDORF EDUCATION AND ANTHROPOSOPHY (Anthroposophic Press, 1995), Vol. 2, pp. 224-225.

[For more on the way occultism pervades Waldorf consciousness, see "The Waldorf Teacher's Consciousness".]

The truth about Waldorf schools is almost incredible. Yet it is the truth. 

(Oh. I almost forgot. ◊ About nurturing "the whole human being" — the Waldorf concept of the whole human being is occult. In Waldorf belief, whole humans have twelve senses, three invisible bodies, both souls and spirits, karmas, doppelgängers or doubles, spiritual connections to the zodiac, and other good occult stuff. The Waldorf curriculum focuses on these and on the all-important process of reincarnation. [See, e.g., "What We Are", "Holistic Education", "Astrology", and "Incarnation".] The truth about Waldorf schools is almost incredible. Yet it is the truth.)

VI.

NOT SNEAKING — PREACHING

Some Waldorf teachers do not smuggle Anthroposophy 

into the lessons they teach their students.

Instead, they put Anthroposophy at the clear center of their lessons,

preaching Anthroposophy directly to the students.

Alan Whitehead, who led a Waldorf teacher-training program, 

is one such teacher.

GAZE BOTH WAYS, Social Studies Class 7 & 8, by Alan Whitehead

Spiritual Syllabus Series

(Golden Beetle Books, 2005).

Here are a few passages from GAZE BOTH WAYS,

the fifteenth volume in Whitehead's "Spiritual Syllabus Series",

which Whitehead characterizes as

"A Creative Approach to the Rudolf Steiner Educational Impulse":

"Class 7 Continental Geography Main Lesson

"In the beginning of the 4th planetary 'globe', Earth, the latest incarnation of our telluric home, there was only fire — Polaria, as it was known in occult circles. Fire condensed to gas in Ancient Hyperborea; then to liquid in Lemuria. Here, in the early stages at least, the world was all ocean; but with the advent of Atlantis, mighty Shiva, a compendium of the Spirits of Form, danced on the surface of the earth, dividing the waters from the land." [p. 3.]

◊

"Class 7 Seven Races Main Lesson

"...In the racial evolution of the post-Atlantean age, of the 7 sub-races, the physical form gradually mirrored [soul differences], leading to the clearly recognizable physiognomic variations we see today in the 7 racial types." [p. 12.]

◊

"Class 7 Age of Chivalry Main Lesson

"...Rudolf Steiner tells us that the path of Exoteric Christianity was born on the Norse of Germanic [spiritual] stream ... Esoteric Christianity, as the Master also informs us, and of which he is the most important modern advocate, was and is cultivated by the Celts ... The Esoteric Church is Camelot itself!" [p. 24.]

◊

Whitehead is a controversial figure.

Not many Waldorf teachers follow his example.

But some do.

◊

 [Waldorfetic art, by R.R.]