A Challenge to Dornach and the Councils in America

Dear Friends in Anthroposophy,

It is with some reluctance that I take up this next task, and were it not for the love I feel for Rudolf Steiner and his legacy, I’d not bother.  His work was meant for modern humanity, and the clear fact is that the activities of the General Anthroposophical Society in the 20th Century failed to deliver on that promise.  Steiner’s The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity is still unknown in the modern University (and certainly not understood among the members and friends, or followed as a practice).   Goethean Science is not recognized even by the Goethe Institute, nor widely studied in the Anthroposophical Society.   And, the membership, in terms of numbers, remains tragically small and stagnant.

The problem - such as there can be described to be a problem - is that the impulse to Anthroposophy is still incarnating.   It is “in process”, and we mis-conceive this impulse if we think that with Steiner the whole “process” was brought to a state of finish.  Others must participate in this work which from the beginning was to require centuries to unfold (Steiner indicated something on the order of 400 years).

One dominant aspect of this “process” was to be the joining together of the scientific impulse to the spiritual or religious impulse in mankind.  In the 20th Century the culture of the Anthroposophical Society lost the needed clarity of insight concerning this goal - and Anthroposophy in most souls has then become more like a philosophical point of view or like a religious teaching, than an authentically scientific practice.

As a result of the tragedy that is unfolding if things continue this way, a certain kind of incapacity arises in the Centers of anthroposophical practice, such as Dornach and the Councils in America, as well as in the general membership, - an incapacity to actually understand and teach Real (true and scientific) Anthroposophy.   As a consequence I have chosen to vigorously confront the leadership and the membership, and to assert that I can do something they cannot.   While it is a kind of cliche, it is also a truth: If you want to see something done well, do it yourself.  Not satisfied by how main stream anthroposophists represent Anthroposophy, I now choose to represent it myself. 

This may seem like I claim to do it better, but the situation is more nuanced and people need to be reluctant to make quick and easy judgments.   Further, I insist that this work in which I am engaged  be judged on its merits.  If people want to suggest I am failing in this, they need to engage me on the level of knowledge, experience and logical thought about the themes described  below.   Merely saying I don’t know what I am talking about is in fact a confession of the lack of a capacity to actually engage in a discussion of what is or is not true.  And that - what is or is not true - is the only discussion worthy of being called: anthroposophical.

I challenge members and friends all over the world to trouble to compare the work described below to what is being offered out of Dornach and the Councils in America.  We are here involved with a factual question, but one that can only be resolved by the actual effort to become acquainted with my work.  If you don’t bother to become acquainted with my work, then you have no basis on which to judge what is asserted in this message.

So that certain matters are more clear: In my work will be found the following themes (listed numerically below) as additions to the groundwork which Steiner set out, and upon which we are invited to build additional spiritual knowledge for humanity (this is work, unfortunately, not coming out of Dornach or the Councils in America, although for decades I offered this work in both venues at every opportunity possible).  This work now includes a dozen books available on my book store Joel Wendt’s Theory of Everything Emporium http://stores.lulu.com/joelwendt ; free versions of the same books, as well as countless other essays, available on my website Shapes in the Fire http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/index.html ; and over 200 videos now available for free on my YouTube Channel the Foolish Philosopher at: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001.

1) deeper studies of the Shadow or the Double, much needed for example for the further advancement of anthroposophical medicine and other related work (including knowledge of the present and ongoing incarnation of Ahriman - he’s here folks, time to wake up) [see the Shadow: http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/shadow.html ; see also the essay Counter-Moves http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/CounterMoves.html which points out a way via the Life of Rights to begin countering the work of the Occult Brotherhoods, and the videos on the Shadow at Real Anthroposophy, beginning with: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/A20F33D25732B7FC/15/x6hncbr7cc4 ]

2) the basic concepts of a new (spiritual) social science, working from a Goetheanism of the social toward a pure thinking concerning both macro and micro social realities - especially concerning the Dying into Becoming that is ongoing in our time in Western Civilization and the significance of this macro event for appreciating the meaning of the present day world-wide tsunami of history [see The Social-Spiritual Organism of a Waldorf School Community http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/ssows.html et seq; Threshold Problems in Thinking the Threefold Social Order http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/thpts.html ; Uncommon Sense: the Degeneration, and the Redemption, of Political Life in America http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/degeneration.html ; On the Nature of Public Life: http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/plife.html and especially In Praise of the American Spirit http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/Aspirit.html including these videos beginning at: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/p/502796B282CEA9F1/0/Ye0o5FMavjk

A major step in this new social science is now being taken by my involvment with the Occupy Wall Street Movement, and my creation of the following essay on the over-idea of this social phenomena: Social and Economic Rebellion.

3) the significance, from a Christological point of view, of recognizing Steiner as the John the  Baptist figure (the announcer) of the Second Coming (and the voice crying in the wilderness of scientific materialism), and as well the coming into being of a Second Eucharist as part of the Events of the Second Coming.  My works on Christianity include these books: the Way of the Fool http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/twotf.html ; New Wine http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/nwine.html and these videos on the coming Metamorphosis of Christianity: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/B7BB5650E768CB38/0/WEtZOHUEk6k

4) work concerning the future potential of the impulse to Anthroposophy as it attains further incarnation, and becomes capable of doing more than just what the daughter movements (Waldorf, Biodynamics etc) presently provide - Anthroposophy is meant to refresh all aspects of human knowledge including - eventually - even the Life of Rights; most anthroposophists have no idea what is available to pure thinking, trained according to The Philosophy of Spiritual Activity, when it puts to itself certain kinds of questions.  Books include, but are not limited to: American Anthroposophy http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/AmericanAnthroposophy.html ; Dangerous Anthroposophy http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/DangerousAnthroposophy.html ; Living Thinking in Action http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/liveT.html and the videos at Real Anthroposophy http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/A20F33D25732B7FC/0/2vB23oD0iMg

5) knowledge of and an understanding of the return of the Divine Feminine Mysteries, in particular the significance of an ongoing Redemption of Eros, as well as the general social significance of a change from the patriarchal impulse for dominion over and its replacement by a new matriarchal impulse toward communion with.  Including the book: Seven Dates: erotica transcending http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/sevendates.html and the videos concerning The Redemption of Eros, but bearing the title Misery Loves Company, beginning at: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/CD1E5C8BC8B45118/0/rn6-XLtFVyg

6) research concerning an appreciation of the true role of American Culture as it moves forward advancing Civilization; and, what Steiner meant by pointing out that English speakers are instinctively in the Consciousness Soul in the Life of Rights, and that Americans are natural anthroposophists - with examples.   American Anthroposophy http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/AmericanAnthroposophy.html Waking the Sleeping Giant: the mission of Anthroposophy in America http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/wkslg.html  American Culture: a first look http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/americanculture.html

7) the building of bridges between the Steam of the Shepherds and the Kings for the advancement and ultimate ongoing metamorphosis of Christianity, all in accord with the 1000 years rhythm first noticed when these streams meet for at time at Chartres a thousand years ago.  At the beginning of the 21st Century, we are involved in another iteration of this 1000 year rhythm impulse to heal the no longer necessary split between Faith (Shepherds) and Gnosis (Kings) - see the Foundation Stone Meditation; My works on Christianity include these books: the Way of the Fool http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/twotf.html ; New Wine http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/nwine.html and these videos on the Coming Metamorphosis of Christianity: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/B7BB5650E768CB38/0/WEtZOHUEk6k , which videos include a reading of the following essays: Sam Harris, and humanities moral future http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/samh23x.html Saving the Catholic Religion from the Roman Church: through deepening our understanding of the Third Fatima Prophecy http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/SavingCatholicReligion.html and Barack Obama and the reality of the anti-Christ spirit http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/barackobama.html

8) the scientific impulse includes critical thinking, which is an examination of all thought for its potential for logical errors and/or a disconnect between that and experience - the works of Rudolf Steiner have to be included in such an examination.  We must do critical thinking about each others work (within the Society) and we must also do critical thinking about Steiner’s work.  Otherwise, the rational and scientific world is entirely justified in ignoring us.  Our advantage, as it were (should we face it), is that we can know the difference between what we think and how we think.  People focused on Steiner said, are focused on what we think.  People focused on GA 2,3, and 4 (A Theory of Knowledge implicit in Goethe’s World Conception; Truth and Knowledge; and, The Philosophy of Freedom) are focused on how - on the will involved in the Way we think.  See: Dangerous Anthroposophy http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/DangerousAnthroposophy.html  Living Thinking in Action http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/liveT.html and the videos at Real Anthroposophy http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/A20F33D25732B7FC/0/2vB23oD0iMg  as well as these essays: The Conscious Death, and the Resurrection, of the General Anthroposophical Society http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/gaslife.html  Saving Anthroposophy: from the anthroposophical society and movement http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/Saving.html and A Book Review of Prokofieff’s book: Anthroposophy and The Philosophy of Freedom http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/Prokofieffbookreview.html as well as these videos: On Becoming a Real Wizard (a wise human being):

9) and last but not least, research on the relationship between the impulse to Anthroposophy and the Prophecies of the Hopi Indians concerning the coming of the True White Brother at a time of deep world-wide crisis - the time in which we live is involved in many prophetic works (including prophecies of the Second Coming) and all of this gives us a sense of the yet unknown meaning of the ongoing incarnation of the impulse to Anthroposophy.  The Songs of a True White Brother http://ipwebdev.com/hermit/twbhp.html , which includes videos starting here: http://www.youtube.com/user/joel232001#p/c/83FB144A08E3E617/0/TiKLFQYhbE8

In addition, I just finished a a new book in which the apparent distinction between Science and Religion is resolved in a very unusual way: The Art of God: an actual theory of Everything.

As serious as this is, it must be recognized right at the start that I am not, nor do I claim to be, an Initiate.  Rather, I am a Fool, and often the role of the Fool is to say things in public (such as within the Anthroposophical Society) that need very much to be said, but which are not going to be liked.   The King (Rudolf Steiner) is dead.  His former Court, Dornach and the Councils in America, have fallen asleep under the influence of the Shadow, regarding which they refuse to admit it actually exists and influences us today (which is why there has been no further research until now).  So I go on YouTube and prance and shout and exhort and make fun, and through such means hope very much to illuminate that which yet lies in darkness.

All the same there is one serious question, that has to take various forms: How hard are we willing to work to try to bring science and spirit into an artistically useful cooperation for the benefit, not of ourselves, but of others?  How radical are we willing to be?  How much risk are we going to take?   Are we willing to make fools of ourselves?

In loving community,

Joel A. Wendt, July 2010.