2025 Annual Conference
Description
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Those who wish to be active members should consciously make themselves mediators between what the questioning human soul feels as the problems of the human being and the world, and what the knowledge of the initiates has to say when it draws forth a past world out of the destiny of human beings and when, by strengthening the soul, it opens up the perception of a spiritual world. In this way, through the work of the members who wish to be active, the Anthroposophical Society may become a true preparatory school for the School of Initiates. ~Rudolf Steiner July 13, 1924 |
Destiny ~ Reincarnation ~ Community
It is with great pleasure we invite you to the Annual Conference of the
Anthroposophical Society in America, held this year at the beautiful and historic Detroit Waldorf School
Detroit, Michigan, October 10 to 12, 2025.
WHAT TO KNOW
This year's conference theme focuses our attention on the ways anthroposophy enriches the cultural life of place, and its role in the history and geography of the Great Lakes’ region, where the Anthroposophical Society in the US has its headquarters. This year we will specifically spotlight the contemporary civic engagement, community building, and socio-environmental initiatives that are thriving here and that are essential everywhere for healthy human becoming.
Our venue is the beautiful Detroit Waldorf School, where we will celebrate and learn together with featured speakers Bart Eddy, founder of the Brightmoor Markerspace; tribal elder Frank Ettawageshik of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa; Richard Steel, managing director of the Karl König Institute; and Herbert Hagens, bringing research and perspective on the laws of karma and reincarnation through the lens of spiritual science.
DATES
Friday, October 10 - Sunday, October 12, 2025
The conference begins 4 pm Friday and ends at 12pm on Sunday
We will also host several preparatory online conference sessions
To be announced soon
LOCATION
Detroit Waldorf School
2555 Burns Avenue
Detroit, MI 48214
The Detroit Waldorf School is located in the beautiful Indian Village neighborhood of Detroit just a few blocks from the Detroit River where it opens out to Lake St. Clair, an essential waterway in the history and geography of this area. There is much to see and do in the surrounding community, including a visit to the anishinaabe exhibit at the Detroit Institue of Arts, a trip to the Henry Ford Museum, the Motown Museum, or a stroll along the riverfront. Beautiful Belle Isle with its picnic sites, Oudulf Garden, the architecturally-stunning aquarium and boat house is situated in the east-west bend of the river a few blocks away from the school, where it marks the international boundary between the US and Canada.
Flying to Detroit for the conference? Here's what to know:
Detroit Metropolitan Airport is 25 miles from the Detroit Waldorf School (about half an hour's drive).
Detroit Metro is an international hub for Delta Airlines.
SUGGESTED ACCOMODATION
Like any metrotpolitan area, Detroit offers a wide array of choices when it comes to accomodation, from Airbnb and VRBO, to boutique and major chain hotels. A few that we recommend, primarily because of proximity to the Detroit Waldorf School, which is in the Indian Village neighborhood: Frederick Stearns House; Aleo Bed&Breakfast.
TICKETS
Early Bird Registration open until July 9, 2025
all pricing includes meals
Members $300
Non-members $350
Youth and equity $200
Conference Pricing After July 9th
ASA Members
$350 - includes meals
Supporter
$550 - includes meals
Non-Members
$400 - includes meals
Youth and Equity*
$250 - includes meals
If you would like to be a vendor or exhibitor at our Conference, please contact us here
Ticket price includes meals, which will include Friday night reception with hors d'oeuvres, Saturday lunch and dinner, as well as a Sunday light brunch send off, to take best advantage of the community building that happens when good friends share good food.
*You are welcome to choose this option if you are 35 and under, or if you are experiencing financial hardship.
No Refunds at September 10, 2025
MORE DETAIL
Destiny ~ Reincarnation ~ Community
As our guiding theme for our 2024 annual conference we asked the question: How does anthroposophy live in the United States? And how would we like it to live? This year, we take a step further in this esoteric stream and ask: Who are we that undertake this work with anthroposophy in the world, and how is its foundation realized right where we are?
Each year our annual conference provides an essential opportunity to meet in person to take up earnest dialog around various current activities in a context of themes ~ articulated through keynote talks, ceremonial and festive activity, and through conversation and workshops ~ to invigorate anthroposophical striving in the United States and in the world at this moment in time.
This year we are in pursuit of greater understanding of how destiny forces work in an individual’s life, the mysteries of reincarnation as described through the insights of Rudolf Steiner, and how these forces and mysteries weave into community.
Our venue is the beautiful Detroit Waldorf School, where we will celebrate and learn together with featured speakers Bart Eddy, Detroit Community Schools co-founder, whose Brightmoor Maker Space initiative is in its 14th year offering a developmental pathway of work with young people; tribal elder Frank Ettawageshik of the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa, whose 40+ years of public service in securing tribal sovereignty and cultural preservation has made him a sought-after speaker and counselor throughout the world; Richard Steel, speaker, poet, and managing director of the Karl König Institute; and Herbert Hagens, bringing research and perspective on the laws of karma and reincarnation through the lens of spiritual science.
This year we are excited to open with a sacred land acknowledgement and song from the Detroit Waldorf School choir under the direction of class teacher Elyse Edmondson. Keynote presentations, workshops, song, shared meals and ceremonial activities will fill our time together.
Detroit has played a significant role in the history of the United States, both at the country's founding in the late 1700s, and in the industrialization that marked the 20th century. Detroit is also situated in the heart of the Great Lakes region, the largest surface area of fresh water in the world. Rudolf Steiner described the fresh waters of the Earth as the eyes of the Earth's soul1, through which the Earth looks into the surrounding cosmic environment and meditates on the occurrences of the stars.2
We look forward to seeing you at the conference.3
1. The earth does not see out into the universe through the sea, because the sea is salt and that gives it an interior character like our stomach. The springs with their fresh water are open to the universe, just as our eyes look freely out into space. We can say therefore that in countries where there are springs, the earth looks far out into the universe. ~Rudolf Steiner, Cosmic Working in Earth and Man (GA 352), December 9, 1924
2. The Earth thinks with its consciousness the whole firmament of heaven nearest to the Earth. As we look with our eyes on trees and stones, so does the Earth consciously look into space and contemplate all that takes place in the stars. The Earth is a being that meditates on the occurrences of the stars. ~Rudolf Steiner, The Year as a Symbol of the Great Cosmic Year (GA 165), December 31, 1915.
3. The statue on this year's Annual Conference poster is of the Spirit of Detroit, which was sculpted in the 1950s an erected at Autumn Equinox 1948, in front of the City/County Building on Woodward Avenue. The city and county seasl that adorn the wall behond the statue contain two Latin mottos: that read “Speramus Meliora” (We hope for better things) and “Resurget Cineribus” (It will rise from the ashes), penned by Father Gabriel Richard after the fire that destroyed the city in 1805.
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SCHEDULE* |
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Friday 10/10 *For members of the School for Spiritual Science Saturday 10/11 |
Sunday 10/12
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MEET YOUR PRESENTERS
Learn more about conference presenters, workshop leaders, performers
Bart Eddy is a teacher, entrepreneur, and father of two, who makes his home with his wife in Southfield, Michigan. In 2011, several years after co-founding Detroit Community High School, Bart founded the Brightmoor Makerspace, a youth employment program that has grown from experiential, hands-on learning through community projects into an entreprenuer training for youth.
Frank Ettawageshik is the former Chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. During his 14-year tenure as Chairman, Frank was instrumental in the adoption of the Tribal and First Nations Great Lakes Water Accord in 2004 and the United League of Indigenous Nations Treaty in 2007. Frank now serves as the Executive Director of the United Tribes of Michigan and wears many other hats including the Board President of the Association on American Indian Affairs, the Chairman of the United League of Indigenous Nations Governing Board, a Co-chair of the National Congress of American Indians Federal Acknowledgment Task Force, and an advisor to the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET). His 40-plus years of public service has included serving on the Executive Board of the National Congress of American Indians, the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes, the Historical Society of Michigan, the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority, the Michigan Climate Action Council, the Little Traverse Conservancy, the Michigan Travel Commission, the Public Interest Advisory Group for the International Joint Commission’s Upper Great Lakes Study, the Michigan Great Lakes Offshore Wind Council, the Great Lakes Water Quality Board, and the Michigan Water Use Advisory Council.
Kalyse Edmondson has been educating children for over 20 years in schools and fine arts programs across southeastern Michigan. She has worked with institutions such as The Detroit Historical Museum, The Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History, and The Henry Ford. Kalyse holds a BFA in Digital Media Production, and is the founder of the youth theater troupe, Jamii Youth Theatre. A partnership with the Detroit City Lions, a non-profit based out of the Marygrove Conservancy. Kalyse is also the co-founder of Timbre Community Chorus which is based at Detroit Waldorf School. In her spare time Kalyse enjoys biking, singing, nature trails, making music, traveling, camping, swimming, photography, gardening, cooking, and spending time with her fur babies and her non-fur baby..jpg)
Richard Steel studied Linguistics, and then completed a training at the Camphill Seminar for Curative Education in 1975. He lived and worked with his family in a Camphill community for children and youngsters with special needs in Germany until 2008. Since then, he has been in charge of Karl König’s literary estate and founded the Karl König Institute. Richard is a speaker and poet, and is responsible for the new edition of Karl König’s written works. He has been involved in establishing a Camphill life-sharing community with elderly people in New York State. He is managing director of the Karl König Institute und runs its office in Kleinmachnow near Berlin.
Mary Stewart Adams has been General Secretary and President of the Anthroposophical Society in America since autumn, 2023. She serves as a spokesperson for the Society and country representative in the international movement. For over 20 years Mary has worked as a dark skies advocate, to raise awareness about the effects of light pollution and to make known the mysteries of the starry skies from environmental, cultural, and anthroposophical perspectives. She led the team that established the first International Dark Sky Park in Michigan (2011) which she further led to award-winning recognition within the state of Michigan and the international dark skies movement. She has produced a weekly podcast based on this work for the last 14 years. Mary first encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner at the age 18 in 1981, and later met Hazel Straker, a pioneer in astrosophy, in 1996. These two destiny moments have shaped much of her life path, which, together with her education in literary arts, continue to inspire her work and research. She joined the School of Spiritual Science in 2000.
Performances and Exhibitions TBA
No refunds after September 10, 2025.
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