A Harmony of Hearts: The Christmas Conference at 100
Description
The most important deed to be accomplished during the coming days must be accomplished within all your hearts, my dear friends. Whatever we say and hear will only become a starting point for the cause of Anthroposophy in the right way if our heart's blood is capable of beating for it. My friends, for this reason we have brought you all together here: to call forth a harmony of hearts in a truly anthroposophical sense. And we allow ourselves to hope that this is an appeal which can be rightly understood.
~Rudolf Steiner, 24, 1923 at 11:15 am CET
Around the globe preparations are underway for celebrating 100 years of anthroposophy in the world, as defined by the Christmas Conference for the Foundation of the General Anthroposophical Society, 1923/24, during which time Rudolf Steiner took on the presidency of the Society, established an executive council, and introduced various sections, and leaders, of the School for Spiritual science. Here in the US, we invite you to join us for our Harmony of Hearts Holy Nights, which we’re aligning to the dates of the original Conference (December 24 to January 1).
Our event will take place in three ways:
- A live zoom presentation on Winter Solstice with General Secretary Mary Stewart Adams
- Daily videos presented by members of the School for Spiritual Science in North America, and accompanied by eurythmy, between December 24 and January 1
-A live zoom presentation on Epiphany addressing the year ahead and how to discern its theme; both by considering the work of Rudolf Steiner from 1924, and by previewing the celestial highlights of the coming months.
We hope you'll join us. See below for more details and for a schedule of events!
What: Two live zoom calls plus 9 daily recorded videos delivered to your inbox during December 24- January 1. You will also receive, as our gift, a PDF of the original Christmas Conference program schedule, for contemplating the activities that took place each day, 100 years ago this Christmastide.
Date and Time:
Solstice Address with Mary Stewart Adams
Eurythmy and Speech with Barbara Richardson and Mark Levene
December 21, 2023
7 pm ET/4 pm PT for 90 min. via Zoom*
A Christmas Conference Series
December 24, 2023 - January 1, 2024
Videos emailed each day
December 24 with the Literary Arts Section
December 25 with the General Anthroposophical Society
December 26 with the North American Youth Section
December 27 with the Natural Science Section
December 28 with Section for the Arts of Eurythmy, Speech, Music, Puppetry, and Drama
December 29 with the Pedagogical Section
December 30 with the Agricultural Section
December 31 with the Social Secience Section
January 1 with the Visual Arts Section
Epiphany: Theme of the Year with Mary Stewart Adams
Eurythmy with Alice Stamm
January 6, 2024
12 pm ET/9 am PT for 60 min. via Zoom
Can't join us live? Each gathering will be recorded and posted on our Participant Portal (link emailed upon registration).
*This event will take place at the Rudolf Steiner House in Ann Arbor. Interested in attending in person?
Email programs@anthroposophy.org for more info!
Contribution:
This event is FREE with suggested donations of $25 (Candle), $50 (Light), or $100 (Star).
Your donations help support the work of those contributing to this event and future events. Thank you for your support.
REGISTER HERE
Then check your email for confirmation with the Zoom registration link.
...And an invitation for December 25, 2023....
Join us where you are to mark the cosmic time on Christmas Day, 100 years later, that Rudolf Steiner began the mystery rite of laying the Foundation Stone for the Anthroposophical Society
...Open the full invitation HERE
Through all that has transpired here, we will have understood in our hearts, as we pass these ruins, that in the future there will arise spiritual flames which will spring forth as true spiritual life from the re-arisen Goetheanum for the blessing of mankind — which will spring forth through our zeal and through our devotion. The more we are filled with courage, my dear friends, as we leave this gathering — courage for the pursuit of all anthroposophical activity –– the better we will have understood what has permeated these meetings like a hope-filled breath of the spirit throughout these days.
~Rudolf Steiner, Christmas Conference
Meet your Presenters
Mary Stewart Adams
Anthroposophical Society of America ~ General Secretary
Mary is a Star Lore Historian who, through her research in spiritual science and her education in the literary arts, has developed a unique, humanities-based approach to understanding our relationship with the stars. Her work is further augmented by an extensive knowledge of ancient mythologies and fairy tales, which she relates to the research and ideas of contemporary astronomy in order to understand the new star wisdom of astrosophy. Mary has served as General Secritary of the Anthroposophical Society in America since 2023.
North American Youth Section
Hailing from Hollywood, Frank found a beat to move with in his backyard. Elderberries 3Fold Cafe caught him by surprise over the course of his sleepy yet inspired 20’s. Gradually through a call to friendship and collaboration, the ideals of 3Folding and Community, brought his individualistic creative path into a wider context where life can actually flow! Now permeated by Steiner’s indications, having just graduated from the Waldorf Institute of Southern California, Frank is building spaces for a more beautiful experience of cultural freedom and creative education , through Urban First Aid: Art as Medicine and Youth Section Organizing.
Brigida Baldszun
Eurythmist from the Eastern Region
An independent working eurythmist, Brigida was born and educated in Europe, where she began her career. She has taught eurythmy in Waldorf schools in Europe, the U.S., South Africa, and Russia. She currently teaches on the East Coast where she also performs, both as a soloist and with a eurythmy ensemble. Brigida earned Diplomas in Eurythmy and Eurythmy Therapy at the Goetheanum in Dornach and a Certificate in Pedagogical Eurythmy at Stuttgart Waldorf Teacher Training.
Christine Burke
Social Science Section
Before completing a Waldorf Teacher training through RSC, Christine earned a BA in Linguistics and an AA in English Literature. Christine taught in Waldorf schools in California and Sweden before training in the Speech Arts at Artemis School of Speech and Drama in England. Later, she earned a MA in Communication Studies where she was able to bridge many of her studies and projects to anthroposophical initiatives and concepts. Currently, Christine teaches university level Communication Studies and travels to anthroposophical communities throughout the world to teach Logodynamics, the spirit-filled Speech Arts work of Marie & Rudolf Steiner, and to lead groups on a variety of themes. She is on the collegium of the Social Sciences Section of the School for Spiritual Science in North America and is the Western Regional Council’s representative on the General Council.
Bruce Donehower
Literary Arts & Humanities Section
Dr. Donehower is a scholar of British and German Romanticism with a special interest in Novalis and the early romantic era. He is a poet, novelist, essayist, musician, storyteller, and translator. In addition to a Doctorate in English Literature (UC Davis) he has a Masters in German literature (UC Davis) and a Masters in English with emphasis on creative writing from California State University in Sacramento.
Jennifer Greene
Natural Science Section
Jennifer is Executive Director of the Water Research Institute of Blue Hill, ME. Since the 1980s, she has been a pioneer of flow forms in the United States, and continues the work of Theodor Schwenk in documenting water quality through the “drop picture” method.
Rudiger Janisch 
General Anthroposophical Society
Rudiger has been working in Curative Education and teaching in professional training programs in Germany and the United States for over 40 years. His contributions to adult education methods were recognized in the context of an international research project sponsored by the European Union. He has taught in universities and adult education trainings in the US and around the world. Having taught many different aspects of anthroposophy and Curative Education, he currently is focused on action research and the development of artistic and experiential approaches to the spiritual scientific study of the human being.
Sea-Anna Vasilas
Section for the Arts of Eurythmy, Speech, Music, Clowning, Puppetry, and Drama
Sea-Anna has been teaching eurythmy internationally since 2011, after graduating from the four-year eurythmy training at Eurythmy Spring Valley in Spring Valley, New York. She first encountered eurythmy through her work with biodynamic agriculture and has continually been inspired by the living relationship between biodynamics and eurythmy. Sea-Anna earned her M.A. in performance eurythmy from Alanus University, and is currently a member of the Eurythmy Spring Valley faculty and ensemble.Helen completed her training in artistic, pedagogic and therapeutic speech in 1985. Her main focus is work with classes, teachers and individual children at North American Waldorf schools within the context of Speech Arts in Waldorf Schools in North America, which she founded in 1994. Helen also teaches in teacher education programs, works in private practice, and is co-founder of The Steiner School of Speech Arts. She has 10 years’ experience in curative education. MA Human Development; BS Speech Pathology and Audiology; BS Special Educational Studies; international Camphill Seminar in Curative Education; TESOL certification.
Marke Levene
Eurythmist from the Central Region
Marke Levene is a Eurythmist and actor, former president of the Eurythmy Association of North America, current member of the Council of Anthroposophical Organizations, and creator of the children's products company Enchantmints. He also created the theater company, Portal Productions, that toured Rudolf Steiner's Mystery Dramas in English and whose initiative through Lemniscate Arts was behind the New World Symphony tour in 2005/6.
Barbara Richardson
Eurythmist from the Central Region
Barbara enthusiastically joined the Anthroposophical Society in 1974 to support and continue the work of Rudolf Steiner. She did this through Waldorf Education, Eurythmy and active participation in local study groups, festivals, and conferences. She was membership secretary of the Anthroposophical Society In America when it was in Chicago. She and her husband, Marke Levene, now live in Ann Arbor.
Mary Ruud
Eurythmist from the Central Region
Mary has been teaching Eurythmy to adults and children for forty years. Her training was at the Spring Valley Eurythmy School in New York, Eurythmy School in Nürnberg, Germany, and the Therapeutic Eurythmy at the London School of Eurythmy, Perdur, England. Mary has a Masters in Liberal Arts from the 21st Century Department of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother of Waldorf students.
Alice Stamm
Eurythmist from the Central Region
Alice has been teaching eurythmy since 1976 after training in Eckwälden Germany and finishing with Else Klink’s in Stuttgart. Since then she has taught and performed in Europe and the USA; finishing her therapeutic training as well, she now enjoys teaching and working with children in seven Waldorf schools , both private and charter in the Sacramento area. She looks forward to bringing more people to do eurythmy- even a training!
Laura Summer
Visual Arts Section
Laura is co-founder of Free Columbia, an arts and education initiative that includes a full time program based on aesthetic education, contemplative enquiry and action research as well as part time in-person and online courses. It is completely grass roots donation supported and has no set tuitions. Her approach to color is influenced by Beppe Assenza, Rudolf Steiner, and by Goethe’s color theory. She has been working with questions of color and contemporary art for 30 years. Her work has been exhibited at the National Museum of Catholic Art and History in New York City and at the Sekem Community in Egypt. She has published nine books. She founded two temporary alternative exhibition spaces in Hudson NY, 345 Collaborative Gallery and Raising Matter-this is not a gallery and initiated ART DISPERSAL 2012-21 where over 800 pieces of art by professional artists have been dispersed to the public without set prices. She is currently working to develop Lightforms-Art and Spirit, an art center dedicated to art and spiritual practice.
Alex Tuchman
Agriculture Section
Alex is a beekeeper, educator, farmer, and writer. As the Director of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary, Alex is responsible for the care and development of the landscape and the bees, as well as many other programmatic and organizational tasks. He has been farming and working with bees for 10 years and came to Spikenard Farm in March of 2014 after working as the farm manager and beekeeper of the Student Farm at Loyola University Chicago.
Frances Vig
Pedagogical Section
Frances is currently an art teacher and class advisor at the Chicago Waldorf High School, and a Core group member and faculty member of the Waldorf Institute of Chicago. She has experience as a class teacher and special subject teacher, has been a member of the Board of Trustees and worked with governance issues as well as mentoring.
Douglas Wylie
Social Science Section
Douglas was trained as a Holistic Health practitioner. He served on the Board of the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Society in Ontario, Canada in the late 1990s. After that he served as the treasurer of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada. He currently serves on the Social Sciences Section Collegium and is active in the Santa Cruz Branch of the Anthroposophical Society in California. He is completing a 40-year professional engineering and management career in the industrial economy, having worked for various multinational corporations.
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