Follow-up to " The Mystery of Golgotha and Human Freedom."

Dear Readers, Please note to the left that there is a new page where you will find a link to the follow-up to " The Mystery of Golgotha and Human Freedom."

Click here for a print quality version to view online or download.

Our First 5000 Hits

Dear Readers, Today's Posting-Page is to mark the occasion of the blog having received its first 5,000 "hits." Alas, we have no way of knowing whether the hits were momentary, with a short or long reading, or with pleasure or not (comments are few). However, what does stand out quite clearly is the fact that it's of international interest, as can be seen by the illustration and information to the left. To grow our numbers, we ask our readers to please consider sharing the blog with others, if you will. That will help.

The First Section of the follow-up booklet to   "The Mystery of Golgotha and Human Freedom" will be posted very soon. Its new title is, "Conquering Death: From Good Friday to Easter Sunday."

Michaelmas 2015

Introduction: For Michaelmas last year I posted here a number of new verses I thought appropriate for the occasion (see under September Posts 2014) Here is a group of older ones which I hope you will find of interest for this 2015 Festival time:

R.S. and The Turning Point of History He observed the Light Source By which the world was known And that was how the Wall of Faith At last was overthrown. And now the Mysteries of Wisdom and Love Are opened to human knowledge, The which, like him, we can  confirm With Michaelic courage. 10/5/05 One Moral Deed Forever Christ is the Archetype of Freedom And His descent at the Jordan River Sacrificed that freedom in the following three years By uniting with humanity forever. Then He who had willingly become unfree On Golgotha became free again To the extent the humanity He loved Followed him in becoming free men. 11/26/05 It’s My Decision Michael follows the Cosmic Intelligence Which in time has been passed to me, And it is needed to govern the cosmos But to return it or not I’m free.  “Don’t give up this treasure now yours,” Says the Tempter in the Earth Garden. “You are now free and together with me The Cosmos can become your New Eden.” And O the power that therein speaks As my intelligence to intellect grows And  into the Cosmos from the earth-made-Brain That technological Intellect goes. 2/21/06 Seed of the Logos As Adam of Old my biography was In the original evolutionary stream; In it I slept, then gradually in time I came to the state of dream. But with the Turning Point of Time Autobiography in history began As I woke to the “logos spermatikos” As the truth of who I am. And now I strive that there come to be Evolution fulfilled in my history. 5/29/06 Seed of the Logos As Adam of Old my biography was In the original evolutionary stream; In it I slept, then gradually in time I came to the state of dream. But with the Turning Point of Time Autobiography in history began As I woke to the “logos spermatikos” As the truth of who I am. And now I strive that there come to be Evolution fulfilled in my history. 5/29/06

The New Tempter Christ no longer evolves the world, Though Evolver He has been in time, But the Cosmic Intelligence from the Beginning Is now completely mine. And that will further evolve the world But to use it evolved I must be, And the how of that the Christ has shown With Love that leaves me free. And I am trying to follow Him While resisting the best I can The power that’s offered by Earth’s Dark Lord For the price of who I am. 4/8/064 Eve Remembers Her heart knew the very truth of him, So she embraced him when he came; He who was her free letter of love  In the envelope of her shame. (But in freedom he could not have come at all If she had not brought him to the Fall.) 4/10/06 The Would-Be-Free Each day he strives for a little while (This truth I’m allowed to tell) To take the world from out of his mind And then in pure thinking to dwell. He says it’s not easy to do at all But the Bread of Life does come, No longer feeding the old Adam of him But the new one of Life now begun. And once a week he meets with friends Who’re striving the same as he, And at that time there flows the Wine Of the Communion of the would-be-free. 4/12/05 While Michael Waits I’m a Being whose relation Is essential to the Earth at this time, But another Being is attempting through me To usurp this relation of mine. And this He does only because My thinking inclines so much to His kind of thinking which lacks Earth relations  Except through the thinking I do. And this is the way He will come to rule The Earth and embalm it forever As the prison of all who think like him, A thinking diabolically clever. All this while Michael waits to be Called into this battle by thinking that’s free. 4/17/065

Verses for Children (Waldorf School Perspective) Grades 1-3

Introduction: ( This Post was written a long time ago and was forgotten for posting. The other blog promised below is now on its way to reality)
( Another blog connected with this one will be available later on that covers the 1-8 grades with some plays as well as verses of different kinds.)
 The Ideal: (Condensed from the lecture here noted.) Moral nature is awakened through feelings stimulated by pictures authoratatively conveyed primarily by a teacher possessed of imagination and is a model for the children. "Human Values in Education" by Rudolf Steiner.

Consonants and Vowels) (First Grade) M Mighty are the mountains, Massiveness is theirs, And an M they often make When they meet in pairs. Blended Consonants  TH Thistle, thistle though you be Prickle thick and sharp to me, Above your thorns I love your crown, Soft feathered thatch of thistle-down. Sounds from the Soul (Vowels) (With Fun) A, AI ,EI, An elephant is of very great weight, A butterfly is of a weightless state, I'd wait with a butterfly on my nose But not with an elephant weight on my toes. From the Fairy Tale the "Fisherman and His Wife" (First Grade) Five times the fish in the ocean foam Gave to the woman a very fine home, But she was greedy and asked for more, So the fish sent her back what she's had before.

Saints and Animals (Second Grade) Stubborness Two goats met at a chasm Each on the different side, And each began to cross over on the tree trunk That bridged that chasm wide. Alas the trunk was narrow And no passing could there be, So stubbornly they butted each other until Both fell to die most miserably. The Song of the Birds (For morning singing) Bluebird was so very sick He lay abed and could not fly, And all his many friends then thought That he would surely die. But when good Hummingbird was chosen As the wisest of all birds, To all his feathered friends around him Sang he to them these learned words: “When the Lord of Light arises From his cave there in the East, Sing we all with joy and pleasure, Sing the greatest and the least.” So they did, and O the wonder! Bluebird chirped then flew away, So for good health the birds then decided The’d all sing each dawn of day. (Third Grade Material at another time.)

New Page

Introduction, Dear Readers, This Saturday's Post is to give notice of a new Page, an excerpt from a lecture by Rudolf Steiner entitled "The Michael Path to Christ." Enjoy!

The Prodigal Son

Dear Readers, For what I hope will be a return to more regular posts, I’m placing here a verse recently written concerning what I think is the best of all parables from the New Testament: the parable of the “Prodigal Son.” This parable tells in few words the story of Man’s journey from Heaven to Earth and then back again to Heaven--but with his being now greatly changed. I’ve made it even briefer with my rhymed verse and related it to the theme of freedom. The modification of the original is really quite small, but readers wishing to see the extent of it can go to Luke15:11-32. (For the greater context consider reading Luke15: 1-32.) (It's a great story for a Waldorf sixth grade.)

Rembrandt - The Father Embraces the Prodigal Son

The Free Prodigal Son Comes Home

There once was a father who had two sons And the younger came to him one day And asked from his father his inheritance Saying, “Into the world I must now find my way.” His father gave to him his inheritance And the son into the world then went, And quickly fell into much riotous living Until his inheritance was all spent. And a famine then came to that land And in very great need was he, Until he was given the lowly work Of feeding some pigs in a "piggery." But then came that most glorious moment When at last to himself he came, And said he, “I have sinned and must return home And be there a servant in my father’s domain.” But as yet he was travelling homeward He saw his father toward him coming, Who greeted him with joy and with love: His young prodigal son now returning. And at home he was dressed in finest robes And a special ring upon his finger was placed, And shod was he in the very best shoes For the son was now in his rightful place.

“Bring the fatted calf and kill it,” The joyous father to his servants said, “My son was lost but is now found again; He’s alive, he’s returned from the dead.” Then great was the joy and celebration Sounding through that kingdom so great, And from afar the elder son heard it And enquired of a servant why the loud, happy state. “Your brother’s come home safe and sound,” said the servant, “And for him the fatted calf’s been slain.” Then the older son refused to celebrate And very angry indeed he became. And his father came to him and begged him to join In the festivities for his lost-and-found brother, Who had been dead and was alive again now And had freely come home that the three be together. But the elder son to his father replied, “I stayed home while he wandered at will And wasted with harlots his inheritance, And never for me did you a fatted calf kill.” Then the Father said,

“Dear son, in future all will be yours that’s now mine,

But come now, rejoice now, it’s your brother’s moment divine.”

8/11/15

New Post at Last!

Dear Readers,

While preparing material for another posting, it was found that the link to the book, “The Mystery of Golgotha and Human Freedom” no longer offered the option to “read” but to “download” only.  With the help of my good friend, Talib Huff, it is now available on the blog itself in a newly revised edition by going to “Pages” on the left and clicking on the title, which will allow you to read and download, if you wish.

I’m presently working on a follow-up to it with the title, “Conquering Death: From the Harrowing of Hell to Whitsun.”  If it becomes too long, I’ll make it available in sections.

Distinguishing Imagination and the Fantastic

Dear Readers, While waiting for the next installment concerning the question of freedom and whether it can be created, which I'm working on and will post quite soon, please consider the following as a possible, pleasurable interlude.

Introduction: A Confession! During my year in the Waldorf Teacher Training Course at Highland Hall Waldorf School in 1961-62, I was asked, early in the year, before Christmas, like the other six students,  to create a first-grade story out of which a letter of the alphabet, a consonant, could  be introduced to the children. Consonants are to be derived from forms of objects in the outer world, but presented in an imaginative way, a way appropriate to the child's consciousness. So, flowers and animals can talk to each other, be friends or not, have adventures, grow and become old;  rocks and rivers can, of course, too. 

For my assignment I decided to create a story and verse to introduce the letter G.  Here is what I wrote. It was never presented to children, only to the assignment teacher and classmates. I will keep the result that followed from the presenting of it until after you've read it, if you will: 

Grandmama

Once upon a time there lived on a hill an old Grandmama,

Whose hair was gray and whose eyes were green,

Who'd ceased to grow, O a long time ago, 

And was in fact so small she could hardly be seen.

But one day in the month of May when the sun was high and bright

Grandmama started to grow again. My, it gave her a fright!

Anew she grew, right into the blue and the people gathered round

Pointing and gaping and holding their breath, not daring to make a sound.

Up and up and up she grew, higher than the trees

Bending over slightly in the midday breeze;

And when the sun, that day in May, passed through it highest points

Grandmama was stretched out so far all thought she'd surely crack her joints.

But then, as the sun began to set in a lovely glow

She slowly curved and began to descend to all the people below.

"Stand back! Stand back! Run for your lives," the people shouted with fear.

They ran for their homes, hid under their beds, as Grandmama came near.

Goodness gracious, O my golly, 'twas the day of Grandma's folly

As fast and faster she came down, casting her shadow upon the town

Until at last with a noise like thunder

She hit the earth -- GRUUUUUUUUMMMPPPHHH! -- and tore it asunder!

The valley shook, the houses groaned, and many a heart stood still
Wondering abut the Grandmama who lived upon the hill.
For a long time there was silence, in which no sound was heard,
Then slowly, very slowly, the gleaming moon appeared.

A door opened here and a door opened there and into the soft night's glowing
Came the grocer, the grinder, and the chimney-pot mender quietly tip-toeing.
Holding hands and holding breath they went down the road under cover,
While the villagers waited with beating hearts for what they might discover.

Tick-tock, tick tock, went the village clock as slowly passed the night,
And many a head was now nodding in spite of the terrible fright.
Then suddendly, dramatically, there appeared on the village green
The grocer, the grinder and the chimney-pot mender who told what they had seen.

"Oh, dear Grandma, she's still going down, down into the earth below,
Down through the darkness, ever down, where goblin's gold doth glow;
Down through the rocky canyons with all their glittering jewels,
Down through the graying granite and the bubbling, molten pools."

All the villagers spoke out at once of the urgent need
To bring Grandmama back to the light again with all the greatest speed.
But then the village wise man spoke out again quite loudly and quite plain
Saying "Do not worry, with the rising sun she'll pop up again."

"But what will happen then?" a voice was heard to cry.
"Will she keep on going, right back into the sky?"
The village wiseman spoke again and left them all astounded
By telling them what they must do to keep their grandma grounded.

"You must bake a big flat cake that's heavier than lead,
And when grandma comes forth again, pop it on her head."
At that moment a grumbling sound was heard from down below,
While over the eastern hilltops the morning sun did show.

All hurried off to the bakery as fast as they could run,
Hurriedly, hurriedly working to beat the morning sun.
Currents and raisons, eggs and bran, Water and figs went into the pan.
Hurriedly stirring they mixed in flour, racing against the morning hour.

The fires were burning and all was hot
As into the oven they popped the lot.
It quickly cooked and a hundred men
Drew it forth from the oven again.
Huffing and puffing they ran to the mound
That the up-swinging grandma made in the ground.

As the sun got higher, the mound got bigger and grumbling got lounder, too,
Until at last, with a terrible crash, grandma broke into view.

As she burst forth and saw the crowd
 She shouted out a a voice so loud,
"Save me! Save me! I'm almost dead"
 So quickly they popped the cake on her head.

Ah! The sun went up and there came more light
But grandmama stayed down, to the villagers' delight.
So there she is still on the village green
And if things haven't changed she can still there be seen.


The verse found its way to the College of Teachers of the school and though I was not privy to their discussions about it, they seemed to have decided something like, "if we can help him get this fantastic stuff under control during the training course, he might well make an acceptable teacher for next year's first grade." And the end of story? I was called into a meeting in which I was offered the position of the following year's new first grade--at a salary of $3,500.00 a year with a promise of a raise to $5,500.00 as soon as the first child in my most recent marriage came along. 

I sketched a picture for the letter G out of this verse, but would like to ask my readers to attempt a  drawing of it themselves from the above.  And any Waldorf teachers reading here who would like to share the " unfantastic" letter G's  they used in their classrooms are warmly invited to respond. Many, I'm sure, would like to see them

(Dear Readers, please note that the key to this verse being termed fantastic lies in what is written above where it says "consonants are to be drawn from forms of objects in the outer world." Comments welcome.)

Can a Free Being Be Created?

Introduction: The question asked above  is given in the midst of endless attempts today by individuals and groups, large and small, that are seeking for freedoms such as economic, social, religious, artistic, personal, political and even more specific ones. But what is actually the state of being free? Its spiritual state? That which would have to be so that it could be  modified in reality by all of  the above? And how is it to be achieved if it cannot be created and must be achieved? And if achieved, how will it be realised? What context would be needed for the attempt to be made? And how is it related to Truth? (see below.) To Love? To Purpose?

Here we begin with some statements of interest:

·        Freedom cannot be bestowed — it must be achieved.

·        Elbert Hubbard, in his essay on Booker T. Washington in Little Journeys For 1908, p. 21; Franklin D. Roosevelt later used this line on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation: "In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved".

·        If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

·        Jesus of Nazareth as quoted in John 8:31 (NIV)

·        Variant translation: Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

·        Jesus as quoted in John 8:31 (KJV).

·        The great revolution in the history of man, past, present and future, is the revolution of those determined to be free.

·        John F. Kennedy: "Message to Chairman Khrushchev Concerning the Meaning of Events in Cuba," April 18, 1961. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.

And this from Rudolf Steiner:

Now it is possible to attain complete freedom in our inner life if we increasingly efface and exclude the actual thought content, in so far as this comes from outside, and kindle into greater activity the element of will which streams through our thoughts when we form judgments, draw conclusions and the like. Thereby, however, our thinking becomes what I have called in my Philosophy of Spiritual Activity: pure thinking. We think, but in our thinking there is nothing but will. I have laid particular emphasis on this in the new edition of the book (1918). What is thus within us lies in the sphere of thinking. But pure thinking may equally be called pure will.
(see The Path to Freedom and Love, December 19, 1920.)

And finally, from an unknown source:

The truth is that we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free.

  Drawing on the work of Rudolf Steiner and related authors, I'd like to make a beginning with the question here posed in different ways in my own individual way with the following verse:

Preparing the Free in the Unfree

“You need me!” You need me!”

The Great Lord Lucifer  said,

When before God's Throne so long ago

He strutted with prideful tread.

“You cannot create a free being.

No! Not even You, the God Supreme.

You know it and You must admit it

That creating a free being is for you but a dream.

“But create for me a Paradise Garden

And place a man and woman within,

And I will give you the foundation

For a Free Being to arise from mortalizing Sin.

But when so prepared You must let them be

Free ever to choose between You and me!”

God granted to Lucifer his request

For He knew full well there and then

That later He could send to Adam and Eve His Son,

And through Him gain free allegiance from them.

(But God also knew that would later come the day

When Lord Ahriman  would also try to steal them away.

And for this Great Danger God prepared mankind well

By sending to aid them His Dragon-Slayer Michael.)

10/4/14