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In recent years, social and economic pressures have combined to affect the traditional role of the homemaker. With emphasis being placed on the world of work as opposed to the life of home, many people now struggle to fulfil several functions simultaneously. This increasingly busy and hectic climate has led to an apparent downgrading of the work of the homemaker. Taking a spiritual perspective inspired by the work of Rudolf Steiner, Veronika van Duin suggests that homemaking needs to be undertaken consciously as an honoured and valued task - as nothing less than a 'social art'. If we are to enjoy happy and contented family and home lives, the role of homemaker ought to be regarded highly. Without claiming that there is a blueprint for perfect homemaking, the author offers principles and observations based on a study of the seven 'life processes' and how they work on us. She addresses the significance of rhythm, relationships, artistic environment, caring, self development, and much more besides in this invaluable book.

The ancient mystery saying called on the human being to 'Know Yourself!' Rudolf Steiner explains that this maxim is not asking us to study subjectively our own personal character, but rather to come to a knowledge of our true, archetypal human nature - and with it the position we occupy in the universe. In these eloquent lectures - formerly published as Man, Hieroglyph of the Universe - Rudolf Steiner speaks of the human being as the model of creation, the primary focus of the cosmos. In an extensive exposition he talks of the constellation of cosmic forces, zodiac and planets amongst which we find ourselves situated. Only a true knowledge of our human nature and the spiritual forces which surround us - the microcosm within the greater macrocosm - can enable humanity to progress, he says. This book is an important contribution to that goal: the development of a contemporary spiritual science of the human being.

As demonstrated by the contents of this book, Rudolf Steiner was able to speak to the British in a very direct and lively way. He did not need to give a long introductory build-up to his main theme, as was expected of him in Germany for instance, but could refer immediately to esoteric ideas. The intention of this volume is to give a fuller picture of Rudolf Steiner's work in Britain, and his approach to esoteric ideas while on British soil. Although the major lecture series he gave in Britain have been previously published, this book gathers together various lectures, addresses, question-and-answer sessions, minutes of important meetings and articles - a good deal of which has been unavailable in English until now. It also features a complete list of all the lectures and addresses Steiner gave in Britain, making it a valuable reference book for students of Rudolf Steiner's work.

In 1924, Rudolf Steiner gave a series of urgent, impassioned, talks to members of the Anthroposophical Society regarding their karma and its relationship to the culture of the time. Steiner's words characterize vividly a spiritual battle, of forces gathering to fight for the soul of humanity itself. Given the challenges faced by humanity today, it has, perhaps, never been more urgent for those who ally themselves with Rudolf Steiner's work to study, absorb and take to heart the contents of this critically important material.

Modern science can speak with authority regarding only a tiniest fraction of the earth's interior. We have, quite literally, scratched just the surface of our planet. Can we truly know what lies beneath our feet, in the unimaginably deep depths of the earth? Can the phenomenon of spiritual investigation add to this question?In this comprehensive volume, with notes and an introduction, Rudolf Steiner's utterances on this theme have been brought together for the first time under one cover. His unique overview gives a picture of the nine layers of the earth as they become visible via the research of the spiritual scientist. The layers range from the familiar 'mineral' on which we live, to the innermost core which Steiner connects to human and animal powers of reproduction. In between are layers such as the 'Mirror Earth', which represents qualities of extreme evil, and the 'Fire Earth', which is connected to natural catastrophes.The information Steiner conveys is never abstract or theoretical, but intimately related to the human being. The Fire Earth, for example, is acutely affected by people's will. When the human will is chaotic and untutored, says Steiner, it acts magnetically on this layer and disrupts it, leading to volcanic eruptions. He also describes other natural catastrophes - such as extreme weather and earthquakes - in connection to the interior of the earth and karma.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. The varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience at Rudolf Steiner's instigation. Steiner took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to his outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anybody with an open mind. In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from limestone to Lucifer! He discusses, among other things, technology; the living earth; natural healing powers; colour and sickness; rainbows; whooping cough and pleurisy; seances; sleep and sleeplessness; dreams; reincarnation; life after death; the physical, ether and astral bodies and the 'I'; the two Jesus children; Ahriman and Lucifer; the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ; Dante and Copernicus.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. The varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience at Rudolf Steiner's instigation. Steiner took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to his outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anybody with an open mind. In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from mammoths to mediums! He discusses, among other things, dancing and sport; guardian angels; effects of the stars; potatoes, beetroot and radishes; the Druids; Roman Catholic and Masonic rituals; proteins, fats, carbohydrates and salts; Aristotle; nutrition; blood circulation and the heart; honesty and conscience; boredom and opinions; lungs and kidneys; fertilization in plants and humans; light and colour; and breathing.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. At Rudolf Steiner's instigation, the varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience. He took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to Steiner's outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anyone with an open mind. In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from sunspots to strawberries! He discusses, among other things: Lemuria and Atlantis; Chinese and Indian cultures; raw food; vegetarianism; children's nutrition; manure and soil; hardening of the arteries; the sense of smell; planetary influences; weather and its causes; creation of the world; origin of the human being; Saturn, Sun and Moon; Darwinism; earth strata and fossils; Biela's comet; star wisdom; evolution of human culture; lightning, and volcanoes.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. The varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience at Rudolf Steiner's instigation. Steiner took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to his outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anyone with an open mind. In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from comets to cocaine! He discusses, among other things, nicotine and alcohol; the causes and timing of illness; pregnancy; vegetarian and meat diets; the human ear, eye and hair colour; influenza, hay fever, haemophilia; planets and metals; mental illness; the ice age; the thyroid gland and hormones; beavers, wasps and bees; the nose, smell and taste; and jaundice, smallpox and rabies.

In this selection of thirty of Rudolf Steiner's most important lectures on the Festivals, he identifies and illumines the true meaning behind Christmas, Easter, Ascension and Pentecost, and Michaelmas, emphasizing both their inner-spiritual and outer-cosmic aspects. He shows that the Festivals are not merely the commemoration of mighty historical events or truths within the Christian tradition, but are in themselves - each year - spiritual events, manifesting in seasonal and natural rhythms, which carry a significance that grows and deepens with the developing of human evolution.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. The varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience at Rudolf Steiner's instigation. Steiner took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to his outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anybody with an open mind. In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from beetroot to Buddhism! He discusses, among other things, Christianity and Islam; the Crusades; cemeteries; comets; the zodiac and fixed stars; scars; Egyptian mummies; astronomy; Tibet and the Dalai Lama; Freemasonry; star wisdom, moon and sun religions; the Mysteries; the Trinity; Moses; Easter; the ancient Indians, Egyptians, Babylonians and Jews; Kant and Schopenhauer, and nationalism.

"e;What decides why things go well one day and badly another? The events are the same, the homemaker is the same, yet on one occasion nothing works out for her and on another everything seems miraculously to fall into place. Is there a special ingredient within us that we can tap into and cultivate to generate the longed-for equilibrium?"e; Veronika van Duin began her career as a homemaker forty years ago. Setting out with love, enthusiasm and idealism, she soon discovered that she had no idea of the magnitude of the task, feeling herself to be 'very, very wanting'. As she writes: "e;...I felt guilty, pressurised and inadequate much of the time. I became increasingly conscious of my personal shortcomings. I also felt very alone, and sometimes lonely too..."e; It is from such humbling feelings that van Duin writes, offering support and hope for fellow homemakers. She reveals the discoveries that have provided her, and many others she has taught in workshops and courses, with the basic life tools for overcoming personal hindrances. In this wonderfully uplifting book, van Duin gives exercises for restoring balance, maintaining equilibrium, discovering understanding, creating joy, validating feeling, maintaining vitality and drive, developing insight, finding freedom, and much more.

How was the world created? Battle lines are currently drawn between two dogmatic camps: the fundamentalist 'Creationists' who believe that creation took place in six days, and the scientific reductionists who expound theories of 'big bangs' and so on. From a direct spiritual perception of the facts, Rudolf Steiner presents a new perspective which transcends these bipolar arguments. He affirms that clairvoyant research accords with the biblical descriptions, but he emphasizes that the text of Genesis has to be interpreted in a special way. In this extraordinary document, Steiner speaks of the six days of creation as a reawakening of the previous phases of the Earth's development. He describes the work of mighty spiritual entities called the Elohim, and how they co-operated with other spiritual hierarchies in the creation of Earth. He also clarifies the relationship of the Elohim and the biblical Jehovah. In addition, Steiner discusses themes of light and darkness, the meaning of Adam and Eve, the 'day of rest' on the seventh day, the stages of human development on Earth, and the special character of the Hebrew language. Also featured in this new edition is a previously unpublished introductory lecture on the meaning of mystery drama.

Rudolf Steiner found the spiritual science of anthroposophy and the many practical disciplines that arose from it. Eventually, he would write his Autobiography, although its composition would be interrupted by his unexpected death. This volume is an essential complement to Steiner's unfinished autobiography. It gathers a wealth of personal testimonies, lectures, resumes, notebook entries, a questionnaire, and biographical notes written for Edouard Schure - much of which has not been previously published in English.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. The varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience at Rudolf Steiner's instigation. Steiner took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to his outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anybody with an open mind.In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from elephants to Einstein. He discusses, among other things, ants and bees; shells and skeletons; animal and plant poisons - arsenic and lead; nutrition - proteins and fats, potatoes; the human eye and its colour; fresh and salt water; fish and bird migration; human clothing; opium and alcohol; thinking, and bodily secretions.

"e;The butterfly flutters above and over the earth, borne on the air and shimmering with light... We ought really to see them as nothing other than beings of light, joyous in their colours and the play of colours. All the rest is garment and luggage."e; - Rudolf Steiner. Truly poetic and deeply esoteric, these lectures by Rudolf Steiner have been gathered here in a single volume for the first time, with an in-depth introduction that traces and explains the stages of butterfly metamorphosis. The emergence of the butterfly from its pupa is one of the most moving phenomena we can encounter in nature. In this creature's visible transformations, we can experience a revelation of spirit. The butterfly, says Rudolf Steiner, is "e;... a flower blossom lifted into the air by light and cosmic forces"e;. It is a being that develops from and through light, via a process of incorporation and internalization. By gazing into the world of these special and rarefied creatures, we can intuit that they, "e;... ray out something even better than sunlight: they shine spirit light out into the cosmos"e;.

The remarkable discussions in this volume took place between Rudolf Steiner and workers at the Goetheanum, Switzerland. At Rudolf Steiner's instigation, the varied subject-matter was chosen by his audience. He took their questions and usually gave immediate answers. The astonishing nature of these responses - their insight, knowledge and spiritual depth - is testimony to Steiner's outstanding ability as a spiritual initiate and profound thinker. Accessible, entertaining and stimulating, the records of these sessions will be a delight to anyone with an open mind.In this particular collection, Rudolf Steiner deals with topics ranging from crystals to crocodiles! He discusses, among other things: speech and languages; lefthandedness; dinosaurs; Lemuria; turtles and crocodiles; oxygen and carbon; ancient giant oysters; the moon, sun and earth; the Old Testament; the real nature of Adam; breathing and brain activity; dreams; sugar; the liver and perception; brain cells and thinking; cancer and its origin; diabetes; the eyes of animals; Paracelsus; alcohol, and migraine.

'If the intentions of the Christmas Conference are to be carried out, the Anthroposophical Society will in future have to fulfil, as far as possible, the esoteric aspirations of its members. With this end in view, the School, consisting of three Classes, will be established within the General Society.' - Rudolf Steiner, January 1924. A year after the burning of the first Goetheanum building in Dornach, Switzerland, Rudolf Steiner refounded the Anthroposophical Society during the Christmas Conference of 1923/24. At the heart of the Society he created 'the School of Spiritual Science', which has the specific task of presenting 'the esoteric aspect', and leading its members to knowledge and experience of the spirit. The School was to have 'Sections' to represent various fields of human endeavour, such as Medicine and Education, and three 'Classes', with the First Class to be established immediately by Rudolf Steiner. This short book is a collection of articles (from the Society Newsletter) and lectures by Rudolf Steiner from 1924, introducing and explaining the purpose of the School of Spiritual Science to members of the Anthroposophical Society. It forms a companion volume to The Foundation Stone / The Life, Nature and Cultivation of Anthroposophy.

This volume - which brings together two classic booklets for the first time - features Steiner's valuable thoughts and guidelines regarding the Foundation Stone Meditation and the new character of the Anthroposophical Society, given during and after the Christmas Conference of 1923/24.

Featuring over 90 of Rudolf Steiner's best-loved verses and meditations, this volume collects a range of material on various themes, such as working with spiritual beings, connecting with loved ones who have passed over, developing selfhood, and celebrating festivals and seasons. Countless people have worked with these meditations over the decades and can testify to their power, as well as the strength and comfort they offer the meditant. Although various translations from the German exist for many of the verses, George and Mary Adams's renderings can truly be said to be 'classic', and are the most widely used within the English-speaking anthroposophical movement that has grown up around Steiner's work. George Adams acted as Rudolf Steiner's personal interpreter when he lectured in Britain, and thus developed an intuitive understanding of Steiner's deepest impulses connected to esoteric work. Those who know these verses will be delighted that they are available again, while those who approach them for the first time will discover a treasure of wisdom as well as abundant tools for personal transformation. This edition also features the original German texts where applicable.

Although these lectures were given to teachers as preparatory material, they are by no means concerned only with education. Study of Man is Steiner's most succinct presentation of his human-centred spiritual psychology, accessible to anyone interested in the riddles of human existence. His approach is unique in that it takes account not only of influences working into humanity from the past, but also of future states of consciousness and being.Reprinted here in the original 'classic' Harwood/Fox translation, the lectures were delivered in 1919 to the teachers of the Waldorf school in Stuttgart, the first to be founded on the work of Rudolf Steiner. Over the years, since the exponential growth of Steiner education around the world, this volume has become the basic study text for teachers in Steiner schools. But as well as providing a grounding for the work of educators, Study of Man will be of keen interest to parents, counsellors, psychologists, and students of Steiner's philosophy. For the latter, this volume provides a fundamental picture of the human being according to the anthroposophical understanding of the world.

How can we better understand ourselves and others? The classical concept of the four temperaments - the four personality types characterized as the fiery choleric, the airy sanguine, the watery phlegmatic and the earthy melancholic - has been revered by many significant thinkers over the ages. In a refreshing treatment Dr Childs demonstrates how this ancient doctrine remains relevant to the present day. He shows us how we can recognize the temperaments in our fellow human beings as well as in ourselves, and how to understand their workings. A comprehension of their influence can boost personal development, as well as help improve interpersonal relationships. Conversational in tone and easily digestible, this book features fascinating discussions of the relationships between adults of various temperaments. Childs reviews matters of compatibility in partnership, family and workplace situations, liberally spicing his commentary with amusing examples of likely scenarios. He investigates the origins and manifestations of the temperaments in both their psychological and physiological aspects. There is also a section on the temperaments of children, with helpful and practical advice on dealing with individual issues. DR GILBERT CHILDS attended the Steiner teacher training course at Michael Hall after war service. He later studied at four universities, his doctoral thesis being entitled 'Steiner Education as Historical Necessity'. After teaching at State and Steiner schools he spent twenty years as a tutor in a further education college for severely physically disabled students. He is, in retirement, a full-time author and keen gardener. His published works include "e;Your Reincarnating Child"e; and "e;Truth, Beauty and Goodness"e;.

Based on knowledge attained through his highly-trained clairvoyance, Rudolf Steiner contends that folk traditions regarding nature spirits are based on spiritual reality. He describes how people possessed a natural spiritual vision in ancient times, enabling them to commune with nature spirits. These entities - which are also referred to as elemental beings - became immortalised as fairies and gnomes in myth, legend and children's stories. Today, says Steiner, the instinctive understanding that humanity once had for these elemental beings should be transformed into clear scientific knowledge. He even asserts that humanity will not be able to reconnect with the spiritual world if it cannot develop a new relationship to the elementals. The nature spirits themselves want to be of great assistance to us, acting as 'emissaries of higher divine spiritual beings'.

The poor quality of water, as well as its restricted supply and availability, is one of the biggest challenges of our time, with presently two-fifth's of the world's population unable to find adequate fresh water for essential usage.Over 40 years' research has been carried out on the positive effects that rhythms and specific water flow has on water's capacity to support life. Energizing Water presents this cutting-edge research to the general and professional reader at a time when interest in finding solutions to water's huge worldwide problems is growing rapidly.Three aspects determine water quality: its chemical constituents (including its oxygen levels); its organic aspects (with the danger of contamination by effluent, pathogens and algae); and its 'energetic' nature. The latter facet has been recognized from time immemorial by traditional societies, who have developed their own sciences in relation to water quality, using terms such as prana and chi for energy. Now, through the introduction of quantum physics into the life sciences, modern science is beginning to accept this concept, measuring energy as light emission.Research into energetic water quality - and particularly into the creation of moulded surfaces that support biological purification of the chemical and organic elements, as well as enlivening the energetic attributes - goes back to George Adams' and John Wilkes' pioneering work in the 1960s. The invention of Flowform technology in 1970 carried this research further, providing the world with one of the first modern-day, biomimicry eco-technologies. This creative technology applies nature's best methods to produce extraordinary results, and this book outlines the background story on research and application of the Flowform method today.JOHN WILKES originated the Flowform Method in 1970 following periods of work with George Adams and Theodor Schwenk. After further research, project work led to installations in many countries. In 2002 an Institute was built at Emerson College providing more adequate space for research into the qualitative effects of rhythmic movement on water.JOCHEN SCHWUCHOW is a freelance research and teaching consultant at Emerson College in England.IAIN TROUSDELL is director of the Healing Water Institute in NZ

Steiner's original contribution to human knowledge was based on his ability to conduct 'spiritual research', the investigation of metaphysical dimensions of existence. With his scientific and philosophical training, he brought a new systematic discipline to the field, allowing for conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer from childhood, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries of life. The evolving human being; Cosmos as the source of life; Plants and the living earth; Farms and the realms of nature; Bringing the chemical elements to life; Soil and the world of spirit; Supporting and regulating life processes; Spirits of the elements; Nutrition and vitality; Responsibility for the future.

Rudolf Steiner's spiritual philosophy is the inspiration for many successful initiatives in the world today, from the international Steiner Waldorf school movement to biodynamic agriculture and its increasingly popular produce. Steiner developed his philosophy in dozens of books and many thousands of lectures. His teaching contains dozens of new concepts and ideas, and as a result he had often to create his own vocabulary. In this practical volume - a companion to his Anthroposophy, A Concise Introduction - Henk van Oort gives concise definitions of many terms and concepts in Steiner's worldview, from the most commonplace to the more obscure. Anthroposophy A-Z can be used as a reference guide, but also as a gateway into Rudolf Steiner's manifold world of spiritual ideas and concepts. Anthroposophy can be seen to be a new language - a language that can lead to the world of the spirit. It was with this awareness that Henk van Oort took the initiative to write this glossary. Ultimately, he has written the sort of inspiring handbook that he wished had existed when he first became acquainted with anthroposophy over 40 years ago. HENK VAN OORT, born in 1943, trained as a primary teacher before taking a Masters degree in English at the Amsterdam University. He has taught for 40 years in primary and secondary education, including class teaching in a Steiner school, teaching English, and running educational courses and seminars for teachers and parents. His interest in literature and poetry has led to his appearance at storytelling and poetry seminars, and his introductory courses to anthroposophy have proved to be highly successful. Based in Bergen N.H. in the Netherlands, Henk van Oort is married and the father of three grown-up children. He is the author of Anthroposophy, A Concise Introduction.

Created in 1911, eurythmy was developed for years as an artistic and educational discipline. Although Rudolf Steiner pointed out its healing aspects from the very beginning, it was only in 1921 that he gave a course of lectures that gave the art of eurythmy a vital new application. To the assembled eurythmists and doctors, he presented what one participant described as '...a complete and detailed method of eurythmy therapy, in which we could directly experience that even today the creative and therapeutic power of the word ... is still at work'.Steiner's comprehensive lectures, republished here in a thoroughly revised translation, describe the principles of therapeutic eurythmy, giving many specific exercises. Primarily intended for practising eurythmists, these lectures also contain much material of particular interest. Steiner reveals the intricacies of rhythmic interplay between human physiology and the life-forces in the world around us. He describes the qualities of language and the dynamism contained in the individual vowels and consonants, elucidating their relationship with eurythmical movements and human experience. Through such movements, individuals are able to access the healing etheric forces.The exercises, referred to by Steiner as 'inner gymnastics', contain enormous potential for psychological and physiological well-being. Gaining ever-wider recognition today, they complement conventional medicine, offering a therapeutic process concerned with mind, soul and body.This new edition of these important lectures - previously published under the title Curative Eurythmy - includes an appendix with reminiscences by early eurythmists, as well as additional commentary from Dr Walter Kugler.

In this classic introductory work on spiritual medicine, Rudolf Steiner worked in unique literary collaboration with the physician Ita Wegman. Their aim was to revitalise the art of healing through spiritual knowlege - yet in so doing they did not underrate or dismiss modern scientific medicine, but illumined it beyond its present materialistic outlook to a fuller realisation of the human condition.As Ita Wegman wrote in her preface: "e;The aim was not to underestimate scientific medicine in an ameteurish way; it was given full recognition. But it was important to add to existing knowlege the insights that can come from true perception of the spirit, enabling us to understand the processes of illness and healing."e;Today this new extension of practical medicine, known as 'anthroposophical medicine', is used and valued by many physicians and in many clinics around the world.Dr. ITA WEGMAN was born in the Dutch West Indies in 1876 and trained in gymnastics and massage and later medicine. After founding the Institute of Clinical Medicine in Arlesheim, she was made leader of the Medical Section of the Anthroposophical Society in 1923. Her last years were devoted to her work in the clinic where she died in 1943.

Rudolf Steiner, the often undervalued, multifaceted genius of modern times, contributed much to the regeneration of culture. In addition to his philosophical teachings, he provided ideas for the development of many practical activities, including education - both general and special - agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, religion and the arts. Steiner's original contribution to human knowledge was based on his ability to conduct 'spiritual research', the investigation of metaphysical dimensions of existence. With his scientific and philosophical training, he brought a new systematic discipline to the field, allowing for conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer from childhood, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries of life. Samples of Steiner's work are to be found in this introductory reader in which Matthew Barton brings together excerpts from Steiner's many talks and writings on the festivals of Whitsun and Ascension. The volume also features an editorial introduction, afterword, commentary and notes. Chapters: Rising to the Clouds, Tethered to Earth; Suffering's Open Door; All One to Alone to One in All; Human Freedom and the Word.

From pre-science to science; The origin of mathematics; The roots of physics and chemistry, and the urge to experiment; Are there limits to what science can know?; Understanding organisms: Goethe's method; The quest for archetypal phenomena; Light, darkness and colour; The rediscovery of the elements; What is warmth?; The scale of nature; The working of the ethers in the physical; Sub-nature; What are atoms?; Natural science and spiritual science.