Letters to the Editor
The story about JFK's lost suitcase brought a lot of memories to my mind. When JFK was assassinated, I was a 2nd year resident in general surgery at the U of Mo medical center. Rather new in the country, heard people who hated him, much to my surprise, for I thought he was a good person. As everyone else who lived through it, I clearly remember my wife's phone call telling me of the shooting. I could hardly believe it. I enjoyed your last thoughts about the sad destiny of many outstanding persons of our world. Speaks poorly about mankind.
Alex Horochowski
Argentina
* Thanks Frank,
Wonderful recreation of a bygone era. Love the dialogue: like an old movie now, but very real at the time. Only a few decades, but soooo much change in one lifetime. I was ten years old, living in my native Yorkshire when Kennedy was shot. I've had "open jaw" tickets, rubber-banded luggage tags, aluminum suitcases;I lived in the US though the decade of greed (80s, Ronald Rayguns etc).
Your story made me think how much both the levels of public trust in politicians; and the degree of solidarity between ordinary people have eroded. At least not many people smoke anymore, cars are safer, people are more aware of public health issues. So many aspects of life have become commodified and monetised, though. I think we have created a world that is too complex to navigate with the biological capabilities we have. Would it be asking too much to have our technology cake and eat it with a helping of trust and common decency?Thanks again
Phillip Crockford
* Excellent!� choked me up, and we both know the why in the "Karma of Untruthfuness."
Skip Shook
RE: My Esoteric Education, How I Became an Anthroposophist and Knowledge of Higher Worlds
Thank you for this wonderful article.� I guess I enjoyed it so much because Monique's experience with Steiner's writings closely mirrors my own.� His words continue to touch me at such a profound level and help me to understand the mysterious body and world that I currently inhabit.�
I distinctly remember reading a passage from To Know Higher Worlds that caused tears of joy to pour down my face.� It was not so much about what was said but the fact that it confirmed a belief that I have harboured ever since my earliest childhood - a belief that no contemporary, orthodox religious body could either explain nor instill in me.� It was a very moving and truly spiritual experience.�
How fortunate is Monique to have found a pathway to spiritual enlightenment at such a young age.
Thanks again.
Helen Munro
*
RE: Mi Educación Esotérica, Mi Introducción a la Antroposofía, y Cómo Conocer los Mundos Superiores
Me encant� la frescura de este escrito.Si yo tuviera que contar mi vida,casi no podr�a separarla de la Antroposof�a. Pero as�. Sin solemnida.
Elena Wedeltoft
Buenos Aires
* Gracias por tan bello, humano e inspirador art�culo. Lo comparto plenamente. Algo parecido me ha ocurrido y es maravilloso saber que uno no est� s�lo en esto y que cada vez mas personas llegan a Steiner y a la Antroposof�a...a mi juicio un paso IMPRESCINDIBLE para que la humanidad siga su evoluci�n de forma correcta y coherente! Gracias por publicarlo!.
Wilmer Dominguez
RE: Frida and Diego - a Special Love
From your Southern Cross Review-a different, yet valid, exptession of the 'I AM':
�I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT
THE WORLD THINKS.
I WAS BORN A WHORE, I WAS BORN A PAINTER,
I WAS BORN SCREWED UP...
BUT I WAS HAPPY ON MY WAY...
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM...
I AM LOVE, I AM PLEASURE, I AM ESSENCE, I AM AN IDIOT, I AM AN ALCOHOLIC,
I AM TENACIOUS, I AM...
I SIMPLY AM...
KEEP YOUR FUCKING LIFE, YOU'RE A SHIT.�
FRIDA KAHLO TO DIEGO RIVERA
Great Issue Frank. ThanksJohn Harris
USA
RE: The Missing Artcle in the Gospel of John
Frank, ... in the late evening of 1/6/2008, I was graced with a lengthy 'conversation' with the meaning/ideas/beings living in the Lord's Prayer, as well as the prologue to the John Gospel. This was community process ... several different 'tones', on occasion more than one at the same time spoke. Only some of this I remember in any detail. For example, the 'our' in the'Our father' included all the creation ... even the stones ... all prayed this prayer. when we got to the 'idea' of 'the Word', we in the present could only yet know, intimately, the first power/part (of seven), which was the act of creative 'choice'. Our whole world lives in the realm 'choosing'. As to later aspects of 'the Word', those would remain mystery, as we were not yet ready. I write this because there is more to understanding the gospels than problems of translation.
p.s. thanks for publishing the Steve Talbot piece �
Joel A. Wendt
USA*
Great article Frank. I revisit the Prologue often and change a meaning here or there. I really, really like �and God was the Word (Logos)� I have added it to my document � attached. However, I do not think it is right to conclude, �It make sense, then, that the divine being who incarnated into the person of Jesus of Nazareth was one of those Elohim.� The Divine Being, Christ, entering Jesus at the baptism, is outside the Hierarchy (beyond the Galactic Centre as Robert Powell realized). Christ used the Hierarchy to descend, and the Elohim�s relationship to the sun made them particularly suitable.
Appreciation for your work.
Kristina Kaine
Australia
First Class Lesson One (Scroll down)
Thank you kindly, Frank. That is a work of dedication. I look forward to the other two volumes, and to compare them with my own readings. Translation is so fraught with difficulties. Yours will be a valuable contribution to my work with others in the School.
P.S. I am still responding to your Apologia.
Sincerely,
Barry Lia
RE: Dementia - Anthroposophical Perspectives
I loved reading Frank Thomas Smith's translation of Dementia by Judith von Halle - and I published the [Portuguese] translation of his comments. Judith is not inventing a new approach to the subject although she is making some interesting connections so some of what she is saying is also what I had being developing so far and others are good to think about. What is good is that she uses a language far from complicated. She is very precise with words and make things very clear and objective, with focus - as I said she brings the possibility of people to develop love, tolerance.
Sonia Homrich
Brazil
RE: Evolution
Wonderful poetry..... You have come a long way. Congratulations.
Arthur Ross
Sweden
Many good articles inside every issue. Frank has this thing about showing naked women. I have asked him, why not naked men, instead? He never seems to take me seriously. And if it is an artistic interests why is that not just what the post is about instead of being linked to an anthropological newsletter that has nothing to do with whatever is shown in the picture? And why are not naked men shown sometimes too, unless the writer just prefers women because of his own sexual orientation rather than looking at men and women as artistic subjects and nothing else? As I recall, Frank was totally against showing naked men when I asked him if he would do so also. I also hope that things that are even the slightest bit sexually suggestive aren't used to market anthroposophy. Why is every picture he introduces his issue with ALWAYS showing a partially or wholly naked woman and never anything else?
Danica Wolkiser
* Please add my wife to your email list & thank you for being a bright light in a darkening world.
Richard barnes
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