Letters to the Editor



RE:  Stigmata – or – The Judith von Halle Phenomenon

Thank you for such a serious and honest article about Judith [von Halle]. When I heard about her I arranged for her
to come to the UK to give some talks. It was a very interesting visit and I was full of respect for her. She is open, 
non-judgemental, thoughtful, intelligent and has a good sense of humour! He talks were of course packed.
The attitude that Prokovieff and the Board of the Anthroposophical Society take is so narrow and, well, simply pathetic!
 As you say they leave no room for negotiation with their extremist views. Sadly though, with some people, if you try to 
defend her you are immediately put into the box of disciple. Your article deserves to be widely read.

Philip Beaven – Forest Row, UK

***


Frank,

Since you mention  present day medical knowledge, technology, imaging in psychopathology, etc. in your von Halle article,
 could you please tell me whether objective examination and investigation and results thereof have been published 
in any medical journal or other scientific publication.
Juan Frost,
Argentina
[Not to my knowledge – Ed.]

***

Thanks for the article about Judith.  The odd part to me is just that the more I read about her, the more it becomes a 
meta-experience in which people talk about the talking about Judith and the questions about her and her comments 
about all of these abouts. So far I haven't come across anybody enthusiastically sharing what the content of her insights are. 
What would the "Judith" conversation be if there was not the implication that she experienced stigmata and can't eat? 
 I think my stance is similar to your stance towards the book of hers that you bought: I'll know to start paying attention 
once the enthusiasm seems to be generated by her insights rather than questions about question about "Judith". 
 Imagine if Steiner in 1895 had shown some people that he experienced stigmata. Either he would have kept talking 
about it or he'd have gone on to share insights regarding education, farming, art and science...in which case,
I imagine so many people would have connected to him through his insights. But, until I read her books, I can't say anything. 
But I can eat almost anything!

See ya,
Jeff Falcone

***

Dear Frank,

 I just received your SoutherCropssReview  Nr. 88 and I like to express my admiration for the translation. I will transmit it further to the Blumenweg Family. You probably have heard about the recent publishing of Prokofieff’s last book “Zeitreisen”, in which book he accuses Judith of black magic.  We hope that the AAG members will able to reduce this volcanic eruption down to the level of a fair and fruitful discussion.

Kind regards,
Rob Steinbuch,
Holland

***

Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you so much for publishing this article. A few years ago I was in Dornach trying to understand the situation with the closing of the arts section. I found that Judith von Halle was speaking one night and although I do not speak German I went to hear her as I was aware of the Vorstand’s objections and I wanted to experience her for myself. I am not usually a good lecture goer even in my own language but here I sat transfixed by the light and clarity of this woman. She spoke for 2 hours and I would have stayed longer if she had gone on. Later someone gave me an overview of the subject, “Rudolf Steiner’s esoteric biography”, but I think because I did not understand the words at the time I was able to experience her very clearly. I live in New York but I wish that someday I can meet her.

It is a great, great sorrow to me that the Vorstand has such a closed and dogmatic attitude. It continues to make me question my own relationship to the society.

Yours sincerely,

Laura Summer

***

Frank,

Without going into the details of the article, I would be remiss not to point out that nowhere in the article is thinking mentioned as a path in relationship to Anthroposophy. Once again, people omit from their awareness GA 2, 3 and 4, as if the Mystery of Thinking/Cognition is not the foundation of Steiner's works.
In my view, as an observer of social phenomena, it is important to realize that the existence of such personalities as Prokofieff and von Halle has had the effect of continuing the distraction of people from the most fundamental matters of spiritual development as both practised and taught by Steiner as regards the role of "thinking".We tend to always think (as in "believe") that the presence of any kind of "genius" of spirit, such as that provided by Prokofieff and von Halle must be a blessing, never seeming to notice (even as Steiner pointed out over and over again) that the work of the "opponents" is not about forceful opposition, but about sowing confusion and creating mis-direction.

All of this is really Karma in action here. It is not Anthroposopohy, and the A. Society is simply the "social field" where Karma plays itself out, while the wider questions of what Spiritual Science has to contribute to the Third Millennium are not "thought" about at all.

We have our spiritual "celebrities" and our spiritual "gossip", just as do all communities. What we don't have is science. Anthroposophy is not Christianity It is the cognitive aspect upon which is founded a profound Science that has yet to fully emerge, for it requires many personalities, not just Steiner. It more and more begins to look like the Third Millennium will belong to Ahriman, because the Christ forces in conscious thinking are not understood. Instead we get a mystic (von Halle) and an intellectual scholar (Prokofieff), but no scientists of the Living Thinking - thinking which has "life" in it, "life" which comes from Holy Breath - i.e. from Christ. The relevant ideas are not found in our dialogues at all.

Joel Wendt,
USA

 
RE:  Esoteric Lessons for the First Class of the School for Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum - 10

Dear Frank. I am studying this class lesson 10 now, and I want to thank you so much. For years I went to the class lessons,
 and lived into the Cosmic Worlds and then went home, forgot and, just like Steiner says, “mechanically meditated” on 
the mantras. Without having before you these admonitions and the advice, how can one do otherwise?  So what you 
are doing (translating and publishing these lessons) is of the greatest of Help! It was all well and good when Steiner was
 around, for he could personally awake in those present the necessary forces to work fruitfully, but the link now is too tenuous.
 And may I say, because we haven’t had the access to the lessons in English, the Class reader becomes (unwittingly perhaps)
 a PRIEST!, yes, an intermediator, one who has the knowledge and imparts it, and that will never do! In particular, 
this lesson 10: if one were to just meditate on this one alone... It would take one very very far! I would add that there is no 
substitute for the lessons being read, for then it is really the Michael School, but at least one is prepared!
Best wishes, 
Mark Rossell



RE: Night Operation and Eager Spring

It was very useful. For people who admire Owen Barfield but do not know his fiction it is informative (in a way the web usually isn’t).

Thank you,

Angela Lyras

RE: The Magic Mound

Thanks you Frank, for letting me know. I downloaded The Magic Mound on my laptop!

Saludo de paz,

Jeroen Heuvel (Waldorf school teacher without a Waldorf school in Curaçao)


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