Anthroposophy in Hawkes Bay
Calendar of Coming Events
-- Diary Dates
In the Rudolf Steiner Centre, 401 Whitehead Road, Hastings
unless stated otherwise.
- TONIGHT: Sunday, 30 March 2025. 7pm. An evening to celebrate the 100th ANNIVERSARY of Rudolf Steiner's death. Gather at 7pm. See below.
- Monday 31 March Margaret-Mary Farr's Kairos Artistic Therapy training starts.
- Saturday 5 April. School of Spiritual Science. Recapitulation Lesson 4
- Saturday 5 April. Autumn-Michael Festival. [See below.]
- Friday 11 to Monday 14 April. Kolisko Conference "Great Expectations" in Taikura Steiner School.
- Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 April at Taruna. Biography Course with Anne de Wild & Chris Burke
- Saturday 26 April at 3 pm. HB Branch of the Anthroposophical Society AGM. [see below]
- Mondays 28 April to 24 June. "The Great World of Angels" - a study. [see below]
- Friday 9 to Sunday 11 May in Auckland. A Workshop on finances with experienced UK speaker Christopher H Budd.
The Committee ask that visitors to events in the Centre pay a contribution 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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TONIGHT: An evening to celebrate the 100th ANNIVERSARY of Rudolf Steiner's death.
Gather at 7pm. Refreshments.
7:15 Welcome by Mike Caris - 'importance of this event'.
7:20 Foundation Stone 4 verses by John Jackson.
7:30 Eva Knausberger will speak on "The Threefold Principle in Social Organisations and in Daily Life and Society"
~8:15 All recite 4th FS verse.
~8:20 Supper and Social – Please bring a plate or koha
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AUTUMN-MICHAEL FESTIVAL, Saturday 5 April
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Annual General Meeting
3pm Saturday 26 April at the Centre.
The AGM is the signal for a time of change - a 'changing of the guard'. Each year at this time the Committee dissolves. Some members of the Committee wish to stand for re-election. However new members are sought to bring new life into the workings of the Branch. The Committee must have at least 3 and not more than 7 members, who may be re-elected 6 times (a total of 7 years).
The Committee this year has been:
- Robyn Hewetson – Chair.
- Angela Hair – Secretary.
- Robin Bacchus – Treasurer.
- John Jackson – Trustee,
- Mike Caris.
Robyn Hewetson, having served a very full and dedicated 7 years has resigned. John Jackson is completing his third and final 3-year term as a Trustee; there is likelihood that he will be moving to family land in Northland at the end of the year, so he will no longer be in Hawkes Bay. He is happy to be part of the Committee until he moves, but we will need a new Trustee.
We welcome fresh heads, hearts and hands to continue maintaining a place where Anthroposophy in Hawkes Bay can be grounded and to plan events that will stir our souls and raise our spirits.
Please consider whether you, or someone you know, could take this up. If so, please ask them and contact the Secretary, Angela, phone 027-4436 737 or email to info@anthrohb.nz so that nomination can be arranged.
All members will receive a notice for the AGM with Agenda, Reports and Nominations a fortnight beforehand, on 12 April. Anyone who has ideas or issues they wish to have discussed in the forum of a General Meeting should contact and inform the Secretary at least a day before that date.
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Death Without Debt
Yesterday, on a lovely autumn day with dancing leaves outside, we attended the workshop, "Death Without Debt" in Hastings Age Concern. The main speaker was Fergus Wheeler from Paekakariki, a neighbour of Sue Pegler's, who knew Rachel Pomeroy and had worked with Rene de Monchy.
For many years, Fergus has been concerned with the high costs that can be incurred for funerals and he gives workshops around NZ on this topic. He, along with others, have researched alternative ways that dignified funerals can be made affordable to everyone and yesterday he shared his knowledge and experience with just over 30 people, including 9 nurses from the Hospice and people of varying cultures.
His contributions were very positive and based mainly on the background, procedures, issues and requirements for cremations that are so much more costly than burials. We were surprised to hear about the requirement of a Medical Referee, following an outdated law in NZ. (Last year, Fergus and his group were actually invited by the Government to meet with them to help review and revise it!) Many people cannot afford even the most basic costs and Fergus said he would like to see communities raise money for a Funeral Fund which would assist in such situations. Fergus also spoke of the high travel costs that can be incurred by family members attending funerals, especially from overseas. In bygone days where there was always someone in each village who took on the tasks relating to death, knew what to do and supported those in grief. Fergus thought it would be wonderful if we could create communities today where this could happen. His talks were illustrated with personal examples, often joyous, sad or funny.
There were also shorter contributions from a Hospice nurse, an End-of-Life Doula and others who explained the care and assistance that can be available to a dying person and to their family and friends.
It was a really interesting day and we would like to share this more fully with others who are interested. Towards the end of April we will have a morning tea at the Centre to share this - more details later.
We were pleased to attend and glad that there are people working hard in this area encouraging people to make their own decisions, to create caring communities where support can be given to others enabling them, when possible, to be independent of large commercial enterprises, which are often owned by overseas investment companies.
Organisations supporting, Death Without Debt’s campaign include: Community Law: The Salvation Army; Citizens Advice Bureau; Catholic Justice Committee; Aotearoa Association of Social Workers; Age Concern Branches; Grey Power Branches.
We look forward to seeing you at our Autumn morning tea, [date t.b.a.]
Diana Bacchus and Bernie Raichle
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The Great World of Angels - a study
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COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD:
Requests; Exchange; Wanted; For sale
Accommodation or House Sitting
Tara Lamb, a past Taikura student and recent Taikura parent, seeks 'house sitting' from Easter Monday for a week.
Tara writes: “I am starting the one-year Rudolf Steiner teacher training course at Taruna this year.
My two girls (Mostar 13 & Hazel 10) and myself, are looking for a place to stay from the 21st to the 25th April.
If you need a house sitter – we can do it.
Or if you have a self-contained sleep-out that would be wonderful.
We are happy to share a room and can contribute towards power and food. My children will be at friends’ places while I'm at the course.
We would be most grateful if you can help or know of someone who can.
Please contact me on 021-2604992”
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Threefoldness
The threefolding that we can see in ourselves as human beings can be seen reflected in three intersecting but independent spheres of human society that manifest in very different ways. Rudolf Steiner frequently drew attention to this and that we need to make decisions in each sphere quite differently. Democracy is a fine buzz word, but it doesn't apply to everything.
Here are some aspects (as I see it) to consider/think about.
|
Social Sphere
|
Cultural-Educational
|
Politic-Legal-Rights
|
Economic- Conservational
|
|
Human being
|
SPIRIT
|
SOUL
|
BODY
|
|
Process
|
Active discovery (senses) → awareness practice develops personal skills meets spiritual needs of SELF
|
Responsibility
← balance →
Rights
Laws to protect citizen’s individual rights and curtail powers of institutions, corporates, & collectives
|
Conscious planning → organised action
Develop interest & compassion for welfare of OTHERS
Meet physical, bodily needs of others
|
|
French Revolution
|
Libertè
|
Egalitè
|
Fraternitiè
|
|
Principle
|
FREEDOM
|
FAIRNESS
|
FELLOWSHIP
|
|
Related to
|
Individual-self
|
inter-personal
|
Community - world
|
|
Soul process
|
Will in thinking (inward): self-centred, reflection.
Competition
|
Feeling (weaving balance). Local community
|
Thinking in will planning. (outward):world-centred Cooperation
|
|
|
Strength -- limbs
|
Courage -- heart
|
Enlightment -- head
|
|
Mood
|
reverence, gratitude
|
harmony, fairness
|
clarity, knowledge
|
|
Money type
|
Capital / Gift money
|
Loan / Contract money
|
Exchange / Purchase money
|
|
Action of money
|
Asset / Storage of value, wealth
|
Legal tender / measure of value Setting salaries (maintaining relativity)
|
Means of exchange enabling flow of goods, services, items of value
|
|
Action
|
I receive / give gifts
|
I claim / grant rights
|
I create / consume goods
|
|
Money In lifetime
|
Start of life: receive openly
(unconditional gift)
End of life: give all away
|
Youthful person: borrow
(with conditions.)
Mature person: lend surplus
|
Producer: sell goods
(with guarantees)
Consumer: buy goods
|
Robin
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Eclipses
The fascinating Saros cycle.
Full or Total Solar Eclipses are rarely seen. Though they may occur somewhere on the earth every 6 months not every eclipse at max is total but may be the spectacular annular eclipse which looks like a 'ring of fire' with solar flares visible. The longest total eclipses happen when the Moon is near the Earth (perigee) and the earth is furthest from the Sun (aphelion) when it lasts about 7.5 minutes. The ring of total darkness can be up to 150 km wide but is travelling very fast – of the order 1,600 km/h – well over the speed of sound.
What I find fascinating is the pattern that these shadows trace as they ‘caress’ or race across the earth in all sorts of different places. They never repeat but they do form families of similar patterns in a similar location, every 18 years, 11 days 8 hours called a Saros period. The 8 hours, being a third of a day, means that 3 in a row will be at a similar latitude but longitude 120⁰ apart. So, every 54years 34days the 2 eclipses will be similar in shape, latitude and longitude.
I wonder if there is a spiritual significance to this brief connection of the Earth to the dark side of the Moon? What beings live in the shade of the Moon?
So, when will we be able to see a total eclipse in Hawkes Bay? It has been calculated that the next one will be in 12 years: on 13 July 2037 at 3:49pm lasting for 2 min 19 sec. It will be one of the Saros Family 127 being 59th of 82 in the family which started touching the North Pole in 991AD and will finish touching the South Pole in 2452AD.
For an animated view of the eclipse and a map of its trace go to:
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/new-zealand/napier?iso=20370713
This diagram from: Joachim Schultz (1986) "Movement and Rhythms of the Stars" - a guide to naked-eye observation of Sun, Moon and Planets. Floris Books isbn 9780863150340.
This shows the traces from just one Saros Family of Eclipses
While the eclipses in each Saros series have a beginning and an ending, the node family sequence is eternally repeating. There are always 19 family groups. As a Saros series dies out, another series will begin to take the dying eclipse series' place.
Robin B
