Anthroposophy in Hawkes Bay          

Calendar of Coming Events-- Diary Dates

In the Rudolf Steiner Centre, 401 Whitehead Road, Hastings
unless stated otherwise.

• Friday 14 March 7 to 8:30pm.  Conversation on the Michael Mystery letters from Rudolf Steiner to the members, and the associated Leading thoughts. p141
• Sunday 30 March 2025. 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner's death.  Eva Knausberger will speak on "The Threefold Principle in Social Organisations and in Daily Life and Society" - a theme into which Rudolf Steiner put much energy in the last years of his life.
• Monday 31 March Margaret-Mary Farr's Kairos Artistic Therapy training starts.
• Saturday 5 April. (Note later date).  Autumn-Michael Festival. See below.
• Kolisko Conference "Great Expectations" in Taikura School 11-14 April 2025. 
  
• Saturday 26 April at 3 pm.  HB Branch of the Anthroposophical Society AGM.
  

  The Committee ask that visitors to events in the Centre pay a contribution in to the Koha box in the Foyer, as we have regular bills for electric power, city rates, insurance, and maintenance for an ageing building.

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AUTUMN-MICHAEL FESTIVAL, Saturday 5 April

The Autumn Festival for our Hawkes Bay Branch will be celebrated on Saturday, 5^th April.

At 10am John Jackson will be offfering a reading in the morning, from the lecture:

‘The Creation of a Michael Festival out of the Spirit’.

A Biodynamic preparation stirring early in the day will be confirmed next week.

In the evening, gathering at 7 for a 7:30 pm start there will be a festival chorus speaking the description of Michael’s battle with the Dragon, from Revelations 12 – (the next practice will be on Thursday, 13^th March, at 5.30 pm)  Anyone who would like to join the chorus, is most welcome! Contact Astrid 021-215 4019.

Robin Bacchus will speak about the Archangel Michael, as described in the Leading Thoughts (Michael Letters);

A poster with the details will come out next week.

Festival preparation: Astrid Anderson (021-215 4019) and John Jackson (022-122 8002).

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“MADE IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND” – a Workshop

“The finances of the Anthroposophical Society in the light of today's world situation.”

9 to 11 May in Auckland

In collaboration with people with interest from West Auckland, we are pleased to announce a workshop weekend with Christopher Houghton Budd. Christopher is an economic and monetary historian. His work bridges between mainstream finance in London and the work of the Anthroposophical Society Treasurers.
There will be a combination of lectures and interactive workshop sessions to have open discussions leading to co-creating future research. We will weave around themes of current world economy and the Anthroposophical Society worldwide; the task of New Zealand; a wider view of money and Rudolf Steiners' world economy as part of social renewal.
On the website - Register your interest before March 31st so we can plan.  Steiner House is booked for the event but larger numbers may necessitate a different venue being found.
After 31st March we will be able to calculate the registration fee and open the actual registration which will be for those who have pre-registered.

On the registration form you are asked to list any questions you have.  Christopher is asking for questions that live within us, the people of Aoetearoa New Zealand.  A number of members have been in communication with the Council recently about finances and we know there are questions discussed at a regional level.  Please take the opportunity offered by Christopher’s visit to bring these to a common ground for discussion.

If you would be interested to help sponsor this visit, please contact us at info@anthroposophy.org.nz.  Sponsorship comes in many forms; we need to pay Christopher’s flights and his fees; venue costs; catering for morning and afternoon tea.  Help with money towards these or sponsorship otherwise is hugely appreciated.

A timetable is on the website and includes a mix of public events and some restricted to ASNZ/GAS members only.

We hope to see you there.
This event is the first of the three Society events for 2025.
The others are the Conference for First Class of The School of Spiritual Science at Kings Birthday weekend and
the Society Day and AGM in September.
See the Events page for details as they become available.

Warm regards
Emma Ratcliff, Michelle Vette and Nic Parkes
The Council of Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand

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"Solving The Riddle. "

Workshops by Brit Aberahama, Coordinator of the Te Kakano Play Group.
 (The Play Group takes place in the Rudolf Steiner Centre on Monday and Friday mornings)

"In my monthly workshops I help families navigate challenges in their home and family life by taking a holistic approach to uncover solutions and solve the riddle. Honoring childhood, strengthening family connections, and simplifying home life is my passion. I offer one-on-one support and host monthly community talks on a range of topics, drawing inspiration from renowned parent educators like Kim Payne, as well as my own experience as a teacher and mother."

If you are interested, please contact Brit as below: 

Workshop dates:
1. Sat 22-Feb (over)
2. Fri 4-Apr   7 - 8:30pm
3. Sat 3-May 2 - 3:30pm
4. Fri 13-Jun 7 - 8:30pm

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Charities Commission

There have been recent changes in legislation concerning the charitable status of organisations such as ours, namely – The Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand and three branches in Auckland, Hawkes Bay and Wellington that own property.

The Committee is seeking a few local members to take on the task of reviewing the legislation and examining our Branch Rules (written in 2008) to see what changes need to be made, and drafting changes to be approved at a Special General Meeting.

If you would like to help, please let us know with an email to info@anthrohb.nz
or phone Robin on 022-398 2805.

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Reading Group

Our reading group meets every Friday morning, currently reading 'The World of the Senses and the world of the Spirit' - Six lectures by Rudolf Steiner given in Hanover (1911-1912).

If anyone is interested in joining please call Sophie on 021 082 00788.

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International 2025 Kolisko Conference

“Great Expectations”

'Meeting the Challenge of Expectations of Self, each Other and of Life.'

Friday 11 to Monday 14 April in the Taikura School, Nelson Street North, Hastings.

Keynote Speakers:

• Dr Adam Blanning
• Anne de Wild & Chris Burke

The Conference is now  fully booked. 

For those who are unable to attend full-time, it will be possible to attend the Keynote presentations.

There are limited number of tickets to the 6 Keynote presentations being made available.  This is for lectures only - specifically excludes the Morning Teas or refreshments.

The Keynote Lectures are:

A            Fri 11 at 11:30am          Dr Adam Blanning

B            Fri 11 at 7:15pm            Anne de Wild & Chris Burke

C           Sat 12 at 9:30am           Dr Adam Blanning

D            Sun 13 at 9:30am         Anne de Wild & Chris Burke

E            Mon 14 at 9:30am        Dr Adam Blanning

F            Mon 14 at 11:30am      Anne de Wild & Chris Burke

Keynote Speakers

 

Adam Blanning is an anthroposophic physician and school doctor in Denver,  Colorado with a special interest in child development. He is the author of  Understanding Deeper Developmental Needs: Holistic Approaches for Challenging Behaviours in Children along with Raising Sound Sleepers: Helping  Children Use their Senses to Rest and Self Soothe.  

Adam is a co-leader of the Medical Section for Anthroposophic Medicine at the Goetheanum in Dornach and has close connections with the work taking place here in NZ and Australia. 

Chris Burke is an associate professor of psychology at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where his research has focused on social relationships and coping  with stress. He teaches on topics ranging from grief and anxiety to how to live a meaningful life - always bringing biographic questions and assignments into the  picture to help students connect the content to their own experiences.  

Chris and Anne de Wild are co-directors of The Hummingbird Principle, a platform to bring Biography and Social Art into the world. They share a passion for carrying biography work out into the world to meet the questions living in people, using language that anyone can understand. Their book The Hummingbird Principle, Seven Lenses to Become More Human, takes a deep  dive into the planetary archetypes and how to work with them in daily life. 

Anne de Wild is a naturopath and biography worker in private practice in Basel,  Switzerland. One of her main focuses is supporting parents towards a deeper  understanding of their child’s temperament. Her training in biography work is crucial to working with clients, creating a personal connection between the issue  at hand and the individual’s life story. In addition, she offers lectures and workshops on various topics, including the five temperaments and the phases of life.

TICKETS

For those not able to attend the conference, but would like to hear the Keynote Lectures, tickets must be purchased in advance via the Hawkes Branch.  30 tickets have been made available for each lecture.

If you wish to hear any or all of the lectures, please email treas@anthrohb.nz giving your name, email and mobile number and state which of the lectures (A to F) that you wish to attend. 
You will then be sent an Invoice. 
When your payment has been received you will be sent a personal Lecture Only Admission Ticket to show the person with a checklist at the door, and you will be shown to specially Reserved seats.  Some seats will be in the balcony/mezzanine, others in the lower floor, so please indicate which level you prefer.

PRICES: There is a discount for pensioners with Gold Cards (quote your Client Number), and for more than one lecture.. 

Kolisko lectures
# Lectures	Regular	GoldCard
ONE	$30	$20
TWO	$57	$38
THREE	$81	$54
FOUR	$102	$68
FIVE	$120	$80
SIX	$135	$90

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Threefoldness

Over the next few weeks before the talk commemorating 100th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner’s death on 30 March, we will explore some aspects of threefoldness which particularly occupied Rudolf Steiner from 1917 (in the middle of WW1) in his exposition of Anthroposophy.

We can find threefolding ‘triples’ in many places:
Time: Past – Present – Future;
Human: Body – Soul – Spirit;
or Head – Trunk – Limbs;
or Nervous -- Circulatory -- Metabolic systems
or Thinking – Feeling – Willing;
Dimensions: Left/Right – Up/Down – Forward/Back;
Trinity: Father – Son – Holy Spirit;
or Brahma (creator) – Shiva (destroyer) – Vishnu (sustainer);
or Isis – Osiris – Horus;
Platonic Ideals: Beauty – Truth – Goodness;
Pauline Ideals: Faith – Hope - Love;
Cognition: Perceiving - Picturing - Conceiving;
Classes: Upper – Middle – Lower;
Sentence: Subject – Verb – Object;

and so on…..

In Numerology, the digits, 0 to 9, (and even further – see the book by Wolfgang Held: “The Quality of Numbers 1 to 31” ISBN 978-086315-864-3) each have special characteristics. [He stops at 31 because that is the most days in a month – one can go on…]

Just considering the numerical digits one can see: One sun, two parents, three meals a day, four seasons, five fingers, six in the honeycomb hexagon and the perfect number [1+2+3 = 6 = 1x2x3], seven days of the week, eight notes in an octave, nine (the largest digit) the number of muses and spiritual hierarchies.

Back to THREE.  “As Aristotle says: ‘Three is the only number that has beginning, middle and end – and only one of each.’  This is no doubt why three is the queen of numbers and occupies a central position in all religions.” [Held, p25]

In some situations, three things are equal:  A Triangle has 3 equal points, 3 lines and 3 angles.

In other situations, a central idea is flanked by a polarity that is linked by the central idea.

In will-filled action:
o - Foolhardily rush forward into conflict;
o - Courageously hold your ground and assess;
o – Fearfully retreat backwards away from danger.

In Geometry:
> Consciously concentrate in a POINT;
> Subconsciously oscillate/vibrate back and forth along a LINE or arc;
> Unconsciously disperse to the periphery of a PLANE.

Considering the physical human being further there are manifold threefoldnesses:

HEAD: small, still [keeping the brain relatively immobile], awake-conscious; with peripheral, mostly spherical skull bones having dodecahedral [12] pentagonal plate bones protecting delicate brain [inward] with major sense organs [outward];
TRUNK: medium, rhythmic movement, dreamy-subconscious; with 12 curved, long ribs protecting heart and lungs within but covered with muscles enabling rhythmical breathing.
LIMBS: (also 3-fold Jaw – Arms – Legs)  large/long/radial, active/articulated/mobile, sleepy-unconscious; with internal long bones (supporting the body and separating the head from the earth) surrounded by muscles that extend/contract to facilitate walking and delicate, complicated movement of fingers.

In his Threefold Social Order, Rudolf Steiner spoke of human society having 3 realms:
Cultural – Social – Economic;
where 3 ideals hold sway:
Freedom -- Fairness -- Fellowship.

If one can conceive the patterns manifesting in this world, then one can experience wonder and reverence for the creators of this world.

More about that next week.

Robin